The 8:20 104 was early AGAIN. Nate and I were running a little late after our wild night in the ER but we were still on time. We were 3/4ths of the way down the hill when we heard it approaching so we started running. We were just about at the intersection waving our arms as the bus was getting there. We started running faster, full on flailing like crazy people and he just pulled away. This happens at least once a week.

HOWEVER. Today, a reprieve. A cop was on roadwork detail and actually stepped out in front of the bus all official-like and forced the bus to stop, then stood there until we had crossed safely and boarded.

Score one for police details, I guess!

Labels: boston, stories, the t

So much so that this dude got trapped in the revolving door

Ugh. On Friday I got this lump behind my ear that I assumed was a zit. It was definitely not a swollen gland. I've had those and this feels way different. It was squishy, for one.

It got more and more painful and seemed to grow and shrink. At least it was on Friday and for a bit on Saturday. Then it stopped doing that and pushing my earlobe out.

Saturday night I barely slept because everytime I rolled over onto that side it'd hurt. By Sunday my entire ear hurt and the area was hot and throbbing. I was all set to get an emergency doctor's appointment today and have it dealt with but then I started getting pain down my neck and into my shoulder.

I called the nurse line and they advised that I be seen in 6 hours. At that point it was after 11 which meant, you got it, ER time! It was a cyst and obviously infected and they don't like to play around with diabetics, I know, so off I went for my 4th ER trip in 6 months. It was empty so we got in right away.

They injected lidocaine into it (that was the worst part, OWWWWWW THE BURNING, and it barely worked anyway) and cut it open to drain it. The PA who did it was really nice. He was explaining MRSA and superbugs to me so I mentioned taking micro and nursing school so we talked about that. He treated the whole drainage process like a lecture in class, which was funny and kept me entertained.

He drained and scraped and did all sorts of unspeakable things to it that make me cringe just thinking of them. Then he put a wick in there (gauze, to help it drain further and keep it cleaner) and taped and gauzed it up. I have a very attractive bandage on my face now. I have to go back today to get the wick removed.

I'd put the pain of the drainage at above infiltrated IVs and just below having my retinas burned away by lasers, simply because this was a lot quicker, I didn't have to have a lens attached to my eye, and I had Nate in the room to hang onto.

Labels: health, nursing school, stories, weekend, whiney

scarecrows. Spotted on Boston St in Malden.

Disgraced former NJ governor Jim McGreevey claims his wife engaged in threesomes with former McGreevey driver/aide/special friend Teddy Pedersen. She is, of course, denying all of this.

I'm just waiting for John Rowland to finally reveal just what went on in that hot tub ... on second thought, hold that one.

And in "I'm always somehow the last to know" news, my Dan stepped down as GM of MSNBC in October. Oh well, more Dan on the TV for me! He's such an attention-whore and can't stay away from giving his opinions to the camera (his new show, The Verdict, premiered tonight!) and that's just the way I like him. I'm thrilled to be free of the worry that his "temporary" replacement show would find a new host and he'd disappear again, leaving me bereft and alone.

In other MSNBC primetime items, they have a pretty sweet line-up that's making me wish I didn't have other shows to watch or that I had Tivo and no job and didn't mind being fat and out of shape. David Gregory, Hardball (bleh), Countdown with KEEEEIIIITTTH, DAAAAAAAAAAAAN, and then something they're billing as a "special 10pm edition of Countdown." They don't specify if this will be new content or if it'll be more of what they've been doing-- rerunning the 8pm show. It's more than likely the latter but I can hold out hope that it's the former.

Also, in a Dan/Keith-related items, this never ever ever fails to make me giggle.

Labels: celebrities, funny, news, tv

You know, like, how when Kitty picks you up in the Yukon after she and Tammy have just been out shopping and, like, you let Tammy get out before you get in cause, like, otherwise you'd be in her lap?

Same goes for the T. People get off before people get on.

Also, yes, everyone's in such a hurry. That's why it's called rush hour.

Sincerely,

The girl who still has a train and a bus to get on before she gets home

Labels: boston, the t, WTF?

My bus was 10 minutes late and it was BITTER COLD this morning, leading to ...

Having to get on the first train that pulled in to Malden despite the people packed 6-deep, which was a mistake because ...

The second to last car was out of service, meaning ...

Not only did I not get a seat, due to the placement of hips and feet and arms of other passengers, I was in an S-shape until lunch, so it was unfortunate that ...

The escalator was out of service at South Station.

Ugh. Some mornings I miss driving to work. That is, until I get to walk through the warm tunnel and not across the arctic tundra of the state lot in Hartford.

Labels: boston, the t, whiney

I had about 7 blog posts written in my head throughout the day but now all I can think is this:

Please please please please PLEASE give October Road a 3rd season. It's growing in its fanbase and critical praise. It's not exciting like Lost, it doesn't have the troweled-on sex appeal of Lipstick Jungle, but it's found its own little niche. Watching it is like going to the local bar or coffeeshop with your childhood friends and catching up every week. It has a place in today's world of reality garbage (wtf is "My Dad is Better Than Your Dad"?), the sexual exploits of middle-aged botox queens, and endless "talent" competitions. Let it keep it.

Also, to the writers, find a place for Bill Bellamy. He did ask Nick where to find an apartment in the Ridge. Make that a reality.

Siiiiiigh.

Labels: tv

Since moving to Boston in September I have been terribly homesick for the familiarity of Hartford. I lived within 1-2 miles my entire 7 years there. I went to the same pharmacy, the same grocery store(s), the same mall, the same park, the same movie theatre. It was comforting. It was home. I knew 4 different ways to get everywhere and I felt comfortable driving every one of them.

I have greatly benefitted from the larger "world" Boston has to offer, yes, but I still felt like a stranger in a foreign country far from home.

Until I expanded my blog world. Thanks to the hyperlocalism of sites like Universal Hub, I'm making this city my own, too. I'm recognizing more than just town and neighborhood names when I catch the evening news. I hope this continues.

I know, all my Hartford friends are shaking their heads right now.

Now I have to get myself into bed. Stupid time change. I love the extra daylight but it's a pain to adjust to.

Labels: boston, hartford, local, thinking

Leave me alone, you smirking bastard!



Hey, it's another Saturday afternoon guest starring the MBTA police!

I was walking across the skybridge from the gym to the Wellington to catch a train home when I heard a kid screaming bloody murder. The kind of ear-piercing shrieking and screaming that makes dogs cower in fear. I could see a bit of commotion at the other end and as I got closer I heard a woman yelling "HELP! Stop! Call the police!" The man passed me at that point, holding the kid in a splayed sort of way while she kicked and fussed and screamed and cried. He wasn't running, just walking purposefully and not making eye contact.

I got to the other end and the woman there was near-hysterical yelling "STOP! You're hurting her! Please! Let her rest!" I looked out the window and saw the police pulling up and the lady started jumping up and down waving her arms so I asked her if she was okay and if she needed anything.

She tells me that this man has obviously kidnapped the little girl and won't someone please stop him? At this point a crowd is gathering and the cops go running by into the skybridge. I asked her what happened and she said that they got off the train and the little girl came up the steps, then said she wanted to sit down and rest. He picked her up and started walking away when she started screaming and crying and he was holding her much too tightly.

She also informed us that he looked just like a predator with thick black glasses and a pointy nose. Plus he was very tanned and the girl was very pale. So he had obviously kidnapped her.

Uhhhhh ... huh. Obviously.

At that point, we were all taking a few steps back, not wanting to be involved in this rapidly developing mess. Then some people came walking out of the skybridge and told us that the cops had caught up with the guy. The girl is his and she has "a disease" that causes her to go into hysterics and he was just trying to get her home.

I left at that point.

I'm all about erring on the side of caution, and something did seem odd about her screaming when I passed them, but lady, step away from the SVU and read a book. A happy one. Maybe give The BFG a try.

I don't think I'm going out on Saturdays anymore.

Labels: boston, daily report, media literacy, observed around town, stories, the t, WTF?

Spotted shilling for the New England Flower Show outside South Station

Some days i imagine heaven to look like this

No time for parking! Biceps shrinking by the second!

Memo to commuters: when your heels are fully over the door track YOU CAN'T FIT ON THE TRAIN. No one wants to hear the remix of the doors closing warning tone.

Look, I know that sometimes it can seem like 3 days between trains but it's Downtown Crossing at rush hour. I think something will be along soon. I know I enjoyed such luxuries on my trip as being able to get a seat, see my own shoes, and travel in the "no elbows in my ear" section.

Evenings like this, there's one orange line conductor I wish worked more. One evening she got fed up and yelled "If you don't get back BEHIND the YELLOW LINE you WILL be DRAGGED BY THE TRAIN!" Some people just need tough love.

Labels: boston, observed around town, the t, WTF?

A Penguin original!

He's so jaunty and carefree

Today I went looking for any other blog reports of Saturday's melee and found none so I submitted my link to Universal Hub and it looks like the story was up there within minutes, which would explain the uptick in traffic this afternoon.

Today I was also a LOT more aware of my fellow passengers and how close my accessories were getting to their personal bubbles. Can't say that I didn't bump into anyone but I also didn't get my face bashed in so I consider it a good day. Here's hoping KG is out there ingesting/shooting/smoking more or less of what he had ingested/shot/smoked on Saturday. I'm still shaking my head in amazement at what little provocation it took for him to completely lose it.

I drew this handy diagram, which I've also added to the original post, to show just how little of OG's hat hit KG's arm. The rest of the drawing may not be to scale but that sure is.



Everytime I look at this picture Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" plays in my head. So I'm just gonna stop now. Yeah.

Labels: blog business, boston, WTF?

So I've been a little slack on the picture posting but the truth is that my days are all pretty much the same. Work, gym, home, dinner, sleep. And since the phone-on-the tracks incident I'm loathe to whip my phone out to snap a pic of something interesting on the subway platform. Then there are things like yesterday's melee but I sure as hell wasn't in any position to be taking pictures of THAT. Nevermind that either or both participants likely would have just turned on me.

So, maybe a mix of pictures and stories is in order.

Like today. Today I made this cannellini and parmesan soup that I posted about over a year ago. I switched up the recipe a bit, using a small handful of frozen chopped onion instead of chopping a large one, adding some minced garlic, and of course the ditalini. The soup was fantastic if I may say so myself, though not terribly soupy. I liked it but anyone looking for more liquid might want to decrease the casta by a quarter to half.

It's now packaged into some small tupperwares to bring to work for lunch along with my ciabatta and cheddar. I'm really looking forward to it.

Also, I have calf muscles! Hooray! Not sure how I'm going to do with the couch-2-5k but it's definitely doing SOMETHING. It better be since I just got me some fancy new sneakers. I went to Boston Running Company in Beacon Hill and got my feet videotaped while I walked on a treadmill to analyze my gait and get properly fitted. It was a cute little shop and the proprietor is so friendly and helpful. If you're in Boston and thinking about taking up running, or even walking, I'd highly recommend BRC.

Tomorrow it's back to the old work-gym-dinner-bed grind. Right now, though, just bed.

Labels: blog business, boston, couch-2-5k, food, gym, local, weekend

Echoing Amanda and Melissa, this week can suck it, culminating in today's experience on the bus, which I will recount for you now. May contain some Language.

EDIT: I drew this diagram to better illustrate the situation. Enjoy!



So I was on the shuttle bus to the gym today (trains are undergoing maintenance and they're running buses between some stations) and minding my own business when a frickin royal rumble broke out.

Two guys were sitting perpendicular to each other, an old guy and a guy who later turned out to have a knife. I will call them Old Guy (OG) and Knife Guy (KG). OG was sleeping through most of the trip. He half woke up and took his hat off and laid it on his lap, tapping KG in the arm. KG flipped his lid and started in on OG, who was still half-asleep, screaming "You just touched me, mofo! Don't touch me!" He stood up and got in OG's face, shoving him. OG stood up and shoved KG back and it was off to the races.

I was sitting directly across from KG and tried to get out once I saw what was going down but there was no time and I was trapped as these two beat the crap out of each other, often times shoving each other onto me. While the bus was still moving so there would have been nowhere to go anyway, since it was a packed bus. In the back we were screaming to get the driver to stop and he finally did. Fortunately we were at the station by then so a guy in the front hopped off to flag a cop.

Meanwhile, in the back, OG is bleeding, KG has blood all over his jacket. KG's gf was jumping on his back to try to get him off OG and he just shoved her off. KG then headbutted OG in the face and OG fell back, dazed and gushing blood now. KG took this lull as an opportunity to pull out his friggin switchblade and start waving it around. I took the lull as an opportunity to get the hell outta there.

Shortly after that KG took off yelling "I'LL GET YOU MUTHAFUCKA!!!" OG followed him off the bus, threw his bag down and yelled "I'M RIGHT HERE, COME AND GET ME!" Sweet. Other passengers started trying to see if OG was okay but he resisted their advances with such coy remarks as "What the fuck is it to you?" and "Leave me the fuck alone fucker!" He also yelled at several of them to get the fuck back on the bus and fucking drive, only getting angrier when they informed him that they were not actually the driver. Fortunately the cops showed up at that point.

I kept it cool until I called Nate, at which point I all the terror and tension escaped in the form of sobbing. Strangers tried to comfort me, which was nice but mortifying so I pulled myself back together right quick.

I then gave a nice lengthy statement to the police and while I was doing that they caught KG so we all breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't going to be coming back with his knife or a posse or an uzi.

So KG is presumably in jail, OG is off to sleep it off (I saw the cops tell him he could go when he refused treatment. He was kind of drunk and apparently a notorious homeless/Veteran character in the area), and I'm pretty banged up for having nothing to do with the whole thing but I do have a cool story.

Moral of the story: you can leave your hat on. In fact, the management would prefer it if you did.

The End.

Labels: boston, observed around town, other bloggers, stories, weekend, WTF?