I’m spending more and more time out on my own in the city.

Every time I think I have public transportation figured out, I don’t. Every time I think I know which part of the train to be on for a certain subway exit, not so fast. And then when I do figure it out, I end up sitting next to a woman who looks TOTES NORMAL, but ends up reciting the automated computer recording in the subway car, in exactly the same automated tone, and I end up with visions of Total Recall.

“This is a World Trade Center bound E train…”

SHIVER.

And then there was a man in a very expensive suit belting Maria as loudly as possible on the subway platform. Didn’t see that one coming. Nope.

 

 

And my poor little old iphone 4S is showing its age. It cannot possibly keep up with all my picture taking. But every time I round a corner, there’s something else. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. I’m all, “Oooh, look at that! NO wait, look over there!” And yep, I say that out loud. To myself. Or to my phone.

“Oh come ON. You do so have more storage!”

It’s really just a beautiful place. Even the grungy parts are still beautiful to me. And also, I have more in common with the subway people than I thought.

I made a foray into ABC Carpet and Home and lemme just say… wow… and are-you-kidding-me.

The furniture and the styling and ALL THE THINGS are so tremendous. However, I may or may not have laughed out loud for absolute real at the tiny palm size orange crystal priced over the cost of a dental visit. Oh New York, you’re so cute.

Jane, oh man. She is into New York. This week she took a nap on me while riding in the subway like an old pro. She loves her new school. She especially loves the mint ice cream trips every week that she guilts me into after school. And oh the generosity. She’ll say, “I’ll share it with you, but let me hold the spoon.” That means she controls all the bites and feeds me like I’m 90 years old. That means her bites look like the giant mounded dairy equivalent of Mt. Everest. It means my bites look like something you might need a microscope to detect. When I call her on it she just smiles and says, “Oh, I was just kidding you.”

I try to tell myself that all these calories are basically moot because of all the walking, but then I do the basic math and no. Those calories are not moot. Which means more walking is needed. And the best way to walk? Shop. See? This is some dangerous quicksand.

On another note completely, fall is here. And our weather? The highs are around 75 degrees. In Arkansas that’s our November weather. So hallelujah for real fall weather. The downside is that all my Halloween decorations are in storage, and it’s going to take some “doing” to get them out. In a few more days my enthusiasm will reach panic level, and Fayez is going to find me stuck on top of boxes and wedged next to a wall because I’m inevitably going to try and spider-woman the decorations out. Soon. It’s gonna happen.

 

So, happy fall in New York. Happy fall all around. Happy crazy subway people. Happy after-school mint chocolate ice cream. Happy Halloween decorations. Happy twinkly city lights.

Happy.