Little Miss High Line

I am starting to see that the worst is past us. The sun is rising as soon as I leave my apartment, and sets just as I leave work. It may not seem like much, but when you work in a basement lab all day, you take what you can get.

The timing could not have been better for lat week's episode of 30 Rock. Everyone was irritable because the it was the peak of winter and seasonal affective disorder was in full swing. The parallels were uncanny, but the increased daytime gives me more than just a little hope. It has me planning spring & summer outdoor activities. Maybe I'll finally be able to go see the park they built on the high line.

Lost & Found

Its imortant to keep track of your stuff when you regularly travel by train. After the first month, anxiety starts to fade and you don't focus as much. I think its a good idea to use the same pockets for essentials so if something isn't in the right spot, you can feel the weight difference. Also that way you aren't left frantically groping yourself everytime you try to find your cell phone. However, there are a few times I have managed to lose something. Also a few good finds across the way. Here's a list:

1. Work security badge - Lost and returned. I left my wallet at home and when I got on the train I showed the conductor my ID to prove I took the train every day. He bought it, which was good because I had no money on me! When I got to work I noticed my badge was now missing too. I guess it never made it back to my pocket. Got a new one that day, but the MTA was kind enough to mail it to me at work 4 months later.

2. Umbrella - Found, kept, and still use. Was leaving the train on a rainy day. As I got up, I noticed the girl sitting across from me had forgotten her umbrella. I tried to catch up to her but she was booking it,p and I lost her. I didn't have one on me that day, so I kept it. Its a permanent fixture in my work bag and goes to work with me everyday.

3. Cell phone - Lost and returned. Just fell out of my pocket as I was leaving the train. Not a big story. Somebody found it and we coordinated an exchange, where I gave her $20.

4. Mystery Pill - Found. Discovered a red & yellow capsule in the seat next to me. Looked just like one out of Dr. Mario. No, I did not take it, or even pick it up.

GCTournament

Ok, get this, so I was walking into grand central and can't help but notice there was gigantic glass box being built in the entryway (aka Vanderbuilt Hall). I thought to myself: they already have a 24 hour apple store around here. Then I see stadium seating behind the box and a bunch of JP Morgan logos all over the place.

As I moved into the great hall, I saw a bunch of signs that said "JP Morgan Tournament of Champions 2010." Was this a real-life pre-apocolyptic thunderdome for wall street executives? No. Its a squash tournament.

Its a pretty strange place to hold a competive sport of any kind. Grand central is a little noisy, and its going to be hard to keep the preppy quota required to hold a squash or polo game. When compared to the US Open (tennis) this seems like a pretty D-list sporting event.

...guess who I've been reading.

Tarrywood

About a week ago, whilst riding the shuttle, I spotted a film crew in Tarrytown. I initially didn't give it much of a thought, as previous movies were Liftime nonames and were soon gone. Well they are still in town and growing into the streets. The shuttle now gets diverted off Main Street. Doesn't affect the etummoc much, so no complaints, its just that it definitely caught my attention now.

After a bunch of searching I local article that helped explain. Turns out an independant fim starring Keanu Reeves is the source of the commotion. It is called "Henry's Crime." Little info available from IMDB, so I'll keep my eye out for a trailer.

No pants 2010

I don't know how I didn't find out about this sooner, but yesterday was the 9th annual no pants subway ride. Organized by Improv Everywhere in NYC, the event is held on transit systems around the globe. The rules seem simple enough:

1. Be willing to take your pants off
2. Be able to keep a straight face about it.

I must say that those involved must be brave to give up precious layers of insulation. We're in the thick of winter here, and I spent all of Sunday on my couch. I could use another worldwide dress-up/dress-down day to follow Santacon. So I'll put it in my calendar and consider it for 2011.

Time travel

It feels like the etummoc has been much slower recently. I don't mean to say that trains have been running late, but rather the perception of time is drastically different. Similar to how when you go on a vacation, the trip home usually seems shorter.

Now, I know its only day 4 after a 2 week break, and over the next wwek or so things will speed up. But why is that? Does our brain figure that thre isn't much value in something done on a daily basis, and filter our short term memory? Is there an actual measureable differerence relating to space/time? Sorry, don't want to push things too much, but I dare you to wiki "string theory" sometime.

I think I'll stick to the latest about CES for the time being.

Lost in transportation

The holidays are over, which means back to work, and back to the train for me. I had every intention of writing yesterday afternoon but had a little phone trouble.

No, my phone did not break, rather it was semi-stolen by a coworker. He had borrowed it to get a feel of the droid, or as he put it "live with how heavy it is." We planned to take the same shuttle & train later on... but that didn't work out so great whrn I missed the shuttle. I thought I had left with enough time to hop into the bathroom, and get my phone back when we met up. I was incorrect.

What came next felt like it was straight out of "Just My Luck." I ran back to the office, call my cell phone, and my coworker answers. After a little laugh, he suggests we meet up in the Harlem station. Perfect, I needed to get off there anyway to meet a friend on the UES. I then hurried to catch the next shuttle that goes to white plains instead. Thinking I would be bored without music or the internet a freelance designer that occasionally works at my office sits next to me and asks "do you know anywhere good to eat in the city?" It felt like a 10 min train ride and I got to harlem before the coworker with my phone.

It was nice to have the etummoc play in my favor, because that could have gone a lot worse.