Farewell and Goodbye

Aliza G. is meeting me downstairs. We‘re both running late, and she phones to tell me she can’t wait too long, but I get there before she leaves. The two of us walk and talk. On Overlook I spot Esther A. in the distance, then see Yosef M. as well.

In the tunnel, Aliza says hello to someone I don’t recognize. We reach the platform and Avi H. walks by, then Sara S. emerges from the top of the stairs. Aliza says hello to another passerby just as the train arrives. I run in and save a row of benches so that Aliza and Sara and I can all sit together. Aliza stays behind as Sara and I get off at Columbus Circle. We switch to the Orange line and take that to Rockefeller Center, where she enters her building through an underground tunnel and I walk out onto 48th street.

Sometimes, I do odd things. For the past 365 days I have kept a running blog of every single train I have ridden to work. I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it, but now it’s time to move on to something else. Thank you to the dear friends who encouraged me and sent me bits of fan mail. To the rest you, you can stop running the other away when you see me in the morning.

Bump

I’m carrying a large shopping bag today, with an ergonomic Microsoft keyboard which I needed at the office but had accidentally shipped to my apartment instead. As I walk outside the building I run into Avi T. and we say good morning to each other. On the corner of 186th and Bennett, I also see Ezra F. We say hello. Near the entrance to the station I see Steven S. and wave to him too.

The station is scorching and everyone around me seems to have broken sweat, including the teenage girls with a miniscule denim skirt. Sitting next to me, her hair is in pigtails and she is working on a report about World War I. To my right several people are playing games or emailing on their phones. A girl with very large feet walks by.

On the train, I want to watch a movie I’ve downloaded to my Blackberry but the file is corrupt and it won't play, so I listen to music instead. At 59th The B is across the platform so I stride across. Some people run and one woman wallops into me. I can't hear what she says afterwards, because my music is on too loud, but at first I assume she has apologized, until I look at her expression. I think she might have been telling me I should watch out.

Travel Travails

My friend Rachel calls me while on my way to work to ask a few questions about Petra and Jordan, where she'll be visiting later this week. Standing outside the station, while still talking to her, a few familiar faces walk by but the only one I really know is Yehuda B. He waves and disappears inside.

On the platform, I find a seat on a bench near my spot. David H. walks by and waves. Uri H. and Avi H. also walk by, but don’t seem to notice me. Neither does Elisheva E. when she strolls past. I am left all alone to my thoughts, mostly consumed with Rachel’s trip as well as my friend Adina’s trip. She is also leaving today, for a month long cross country drive. I am jealous.

Quiet Morning

The morning air is crisp. With sunrise so early these days, it's quite light outside even at 6:00 A.M. but hardly anyone is on the street. The few that are seem to be Orthodox Jews on their way to synagogue.

An obese man, bald with a goatee, is standing outside the station, leaning on a large umbrella and enjoying the air. Inside, it smells like urine. I walk through the tunnel and down to the platform, and take a seat on the first bench. A few minutes pass and Avi C. walks onto the platform. If I keep up this earliness he might replace Benny as the "guy I see almost every day." The train enters the platform and I get on, relaxing into one of the many available seats. The long weekend has almost begun.

Bagela

I walk out onto Bennett and see Ilan R. up ahead. It feels great to be out of the house before 6 - the streets are quieter, the air is fresher, and even the people are friendlier. A random stranger on 186th wishes me a good morning.

My tooth still hurts from yesterday's dental work but it doesn't stop me from eating a bagel on the way. I say the "Grace After Meals" while walking on Overlook. I know you're really supposed to be seated when saying it, but then again, you aren't really supposed to be eating in the street, according to Jewish Law. The garden vegetable cream cheese does wonders for my breath.

On the platform, I run into Avi C. He is wearing a red and white striped polo, which is odd because nearby a balding, Hispanic man is also wearing one. Also near Avi is a quasi-attractive blonde who I notice is eyeing me as I walk down the platform.

The train arrives after about ten minutes - one of the pitfalls of early morning commute being a sparser subway schedule - and the car smells like industrial cleanser. I don't mind though, I've got the entire South wing to myself.

Burp

It's another day in the neighborhood: cloudy skies, mild temperatures, and I'm late for work again.  Avi N. is getting into the elevator of my building just as I'm getting out, and wishes me a hearty good morning.

Outside, I accidentally let out a tiny burp and look around to see if anyone might have noticed.  A heavy set lady in a checkered coat is the only person within earshot, but I don't think she heard.

Sara C.  waves to me from the corner of 186th and Overlook.  I mail some letters out and walk to the station, two young men trailing behind me.  One of them, unapologetically, lets out a belch.

Neighbors

It feels good to be back, especially on a warm spring day. Overseas, I stayed awake till roughly 4 A.M. every night, and slept till noon. That didn't leave much room for jetlag, but I'm still off pretty early today.

Downstairs, at the entrance to the building, one of my neighbors - a tall, young girl of high school age - holds the door open for me. It quickly becomes obvious, however, that with her backpack and two shopping bags in hand, I should be the one holding the door for her.

On the corner of Bennett I run into my next door neighbor, Avraham S. and, when I arrive at the platform, I see yet another neighbor from the building. He is a single guy who's name I can't remember. Avi S. walks by and we say hello. He's not a neighbor, but his cousin (through marriage) used to be.

Red Mutter

Third floor resident Avi N. walks into elevator, just as I step out. Outside the building, another neighbor waves hello from across the street, while walking her baby up and down the block. She is an attractive young woman who’s name I still don’t know despite her moving in over two years ago.

At the station, the train arrives just as I walk down the stairs onto the platform. Despite the crowd, it’s easy to notice a young redheaded boy muttering all too loudly to himself. He is complaining about the sticky floor. A few middle seats are left but I choose to stand instead, leaning against the door and settling in for the ride.

Tirade

One of the neighbors on my floor, an elderly man, gets into the elevator with me. We talk mostly about the weather and when I get outside it is super sunny and warm. Up ahead I spot Shlomo D. and as I turn the corner onto 186th I run into Shuli S. She says hello. I reach Overlook and run into Avi H. as well, and we both wave as we pass each other.

I see Shlomo again, entering 37 Overlook just as I am about to catch up to him. On the platform, I see a redheaded girl whom I recognize but can't quite place. She eyes me surreptitiously as I get ready to board, on my way to a meeting at Microsoft’s New York headquarters.

Too Much Coffee

The cleaning lady is over and we are schmoozing for a while when I realize I am about 10 minutes later than I want to be. I head downstairs, lugging a giant bag of laundry with me, and drop it off at the Laundromat on Broadway. For a brief moment I am tempted to take the bus four blocks to 184th but I relent and walk to the train station as usual. Along the way, right in front of Mount Sinai Jewish Center, I run into Henry R. He says good morning as he turns into the synagogue entrance.
At the station, there is a woman on the platform with a cat hat. Everything about the hat is as ordinary as the next one, except for two furry, triangular ears that extend above the top. I also see Avi S. on the platform.

At Rockefeller, I get off the train and start walking the rest of the way to the office. Stopping at Starbucks and seeing that the line is too long, I decide to get coffee at the corner stand, which usually has no line at all. Lucky for me, the person just in front of me orders a bottle of water, 2 rolls with butter, and 32 medium coffees.

A New Sign

Having just missed the elevator, I take the stairs down to the lobby.  Outside the building I see Avi N. walking back from synagogue, alongside someone else whose face I can't make out from the distance.

On the corner of 186th Street and Overlook a primitive "Raise Plow" sign, painted on a plank of wood, has been attached to a lamppost.  I am pondering its origin when a car pulls up next to me.  My next door neighbor Shaindle S. rolls down the window and, as other cars behind her start honking, she asks if I can drop a letter into the mailbox for her.  I happily oblige and use the opportunity to further examine the sign, which is actually just above the mailbox.

Further ahead, I see Nomi G. on her cell phone as she enters the train station.  I make it to the platform and spot Sara R. at the bottom of the stairs.  Her hair is perfectly straight.  Walking to my spot, I pass Giti L. and she waves.  I wave back and, continuing on, pass Nomi, who is now talking to someone else and doesn't notice me.  The train pulls in just as I reach my spot.

At 59th, I sit on a bench to wait for one of the Orange-line trains.  I think that’s Bonnie G. who has just passed me, in a pristine white coat and high heels; she walked by too quick to tell.  I'll email her later and find out.

Still On Time

I leave my apartment at 8:02 on the dot, just as soon as NY1's Weather on the Ones is over. My jacket hung open and toting a coffee filled Dixie cup, I walk down Bennett towards the train station.

I am pondering risqué Unix commands when Shifra A. drives by in her black SUV. Just waiting for the cars to pass so I can cross, I don't notice her until she waves.  At the entrance to the station, I see Avi C. He is a few feet ahead of me and I don't think he notices. I am friendly with his older brother and don’t really know him that well, but we spent much of last Sukkot together.

On the train, I sit across from a girl I recognize from synagogue. She has funky diamond-knit tights, a gray plaid skirt, and a puffy black coat. She looks utterly bored.

The woman next to me, reading "The Kite Runner," is pressing her right thigh against mine. I inch away slightly and notice the dirt stains on her white coat.  Just then, a new song comes on. "What's the meaning of life?" Gabriella Cilme asks me through my headphones. I start to wonder.

Seen and Unseen

Being late, I haven't checked the weather, and once outside its clear I'm dressed for a cooler climate. Adding further insult are the shoes I'm wearing, which I dug up last night during an end-of-decade closet cleanup. The pair fits, technically, but with orthotics inside they still need a bit of stretching and I'm feeling the pain.

On the way to drop off my laundry and right outside the local synagogue, I bump into Avi T. and he waves. I can't wave back, on account of all the clothes I'm carrying, but I smile and he gets it. Returning from the laundromat I see Simone G. at the corner of 187th and Broadway. We say hello.

Rabbi M. is exiting the synagogue along with a few others but he doesn't see. Neither does Adam F. who is up ahead at the corner of 186th and Bennett. On Overlook, I see Estie H. as she enters the station.

On the train, I sit in the back corner to read my magazine. Next two me, two Spanish speaking middle aged women are chatting loudly. Another woman, a few seats away, is sitting with her back upright, in perfect posture, reading AM New York. Her hair, a short bob cut, is styled with a large headband across the top; a coarse overcoat reaches almost to the knees of her faded jeans. Below, she has red sneakers with a black pattern and her left ring finger sports a shiny wedding band. At 59th, she is gone. I get off too, a sigh of grief when I look at my watch and decide there is no time to stop for caffeine.

Here's to the Upstate Cholent

It's early, for a change. I was planning to do some work over the weekend but volleyball and a water leak downstairs got in the way. Instead, I'm trying to get a few hours in before the normal workday begins. I leave the building and see Rachelli R. across the street.

Inside the station, I spot Tova K. buying a metrocard and sneak up behind her. BOO! She gasps for air and I keep on walking turning my head so she can see the grin on my face. I pass the turnstiles and wait for her to come through, motioning for her to hurry as I hear the train approaching.

We board the train and stand near the doors. Rachel L. is sitting two seats away and waves hello; Avi Z. is a bit further on the other side and doesn't see us.

Tova and I discuss the usual. Some gossip and a bit about this and that, but mostly we talk about dating, online dating, and dating in relationships. She also warns me that her mother thinks I'm nice and might friend me on FB, though hopefully that has nothing to do with dating.

I get off at 59th and onto the B, which is already across the platform. Neil H. is there. I doubt he recognizes me at all, but I remember him as the Director of Financial Aid from my college days (I believe he no longer works there). He also owns a kosher bed and breakfast in Hunter Mountain and although I never stayed as overnight guest, I did have the opportunity to eat some homemade cholent there a few years ago. It was pretty good, and thinking about it has made me both hungry and nostalgic for the upstate vacations my friends and I take every summer. As we get older, many of us busy starting new families of our own, I wonder how long the annual trip will last, if it hasn't ended already.

Red

I’m almost out of clean clothes, which is not a good thing considering I've reverted to my "late every day" schedule. I drop my laundry at the Laundromat, and the woman asks about delivery, to which I concede and then head back down Broadway. Behind me I catch the glimpse of a young woman in light colored shorts and a gray t-shirt. Her legs are long, and her hair is an intriguing, fiery red. I can't tell if it is natural or not but I am apprehensive to turn around and check. I do it anyway, sheepishly trying to look poised when I do, but it turns out she is too far away and the mystery persists. I slow my pace, then try again. Up ahead, near Key Food, I spot Avi Z. all dressed up for work. I can’t remember ever seeing him in anything but casual, except in synagogue.

Back on Bennett, I am almost entirely sure that is Ayala S. walking ahead in the distance, her back to me. Near the subway station, I spot Estie H. She is wearing a long black skirt and dark long sleeve shirt. I want to say hello but she is ahead of me and once inside she takes the upper catwalk above the platform. Once upon a time, I would frequently use the catwalk in the mornings, to avoid running into people. This was better than the risk of spending the entire commute forced to talk with some socially awkward neighbor I barely know. I don’t think she has even seen me, but for a moment I wonder if she is avoiding me on the catwalk.

On the platform, I am convinced I see Lisa K. until I am close enough to realize the person in question looks nothing like her. I do see Aliza B. who waves and asks how I’m doing. We board the train and there are no seats, but at least I get the best stand in the house – right next to the connecting doors at the end of the car. At 175th, Aliza gets a seat, not too far from where I’m standing and one stop later, I am lucky to get a seat of my own as well.