Cleveland I

Cleveland or Bus, Mega Bus That Is

My friend Kevin from Homer and a couple of his friends made plans to come to Ohio this week to see Pink in concert.  Kevin very generously got me a ticket to join them, so I'm Ohio bound today.

Waking at 4am to make my way in to Manhattan for what I thought was a 6:30am bus, I was nearly two hours early as the train arrived on time and was an express one, the walk from the station to the bus stop was shorter than I'd anticipated and the bus was actually scheduled to leave at 7:15am...  Needless to say, the Mega Bus can run so cheaply because there are no stations to pay for.  This meant that I got to stand out in the cold and wind and watch the sun come up over part of midtown.  While I enjoyed watching the dark sky turn to light blue to pink, not being able to feel my toes by the time the driver let me on the bus was taxing.  Thankfully, I brought my sleeping bag so was able to tuck in to it and spent the first part of the ride cozy and dozy.

I had no idea that the Mega Bus existed outside of the UK.  The last time I rode on one of this large double decker buses was in 2005, between London, England and Cardiff, Wales.  I was propped up top and in a front window seat with a bird's eye view of the ever-changing landscape and alternating rain, snow, sun and cloud.

I had a two hour layover in Pittsburgh so took the time to explore a bit of the downtown area which has been revitalized and is a hub of galleries, restaurants, theaters, museums and coffee shops.  Also had a fascinating conversation with a woman in line who said she was a professional psychic and then proceeded to tell me a lot of extremely accurate things about my past.  When she asked if I wanted to know what the next six months had in store for me, without hesitation, I smiled and said, "No way, not knowings most of the fun!"

Then, when boarding the bus to leave Pittsburgh, I got a laugh when the new bus driver gawked at me and questioned, "What the hell are you going to Cleveland for?  Nobody goes there!"

And, well, here I am, one of the bedbug capitals. I'm nestled in to my sleeping bag in a hotel near Lake Erie.  Tomorrow I'll explore the lake area and then Kevin, Holley and Vanessa come to town and we'll head to Columbus for the concert...

Jack

What a delightful surprise to be out in the neighborhood and see Jack, the dog I walked from the Sean Casey Animal Rescue the first three months I was here.  I recognized his wonky ear and his unique coloring and gait.   Jack's owner Simon is completely smitten with him and Jack with him.  Seeing Jack again brought a huge smile to my heart and to my face!

Pre-St Patrick's Day Parade in the Rockaways

 With a light dusting of snow swirling about my head and a chilly wind cutting through my jacket, I joined the throngs of other parade-goers, darting in and out of the local Dunkin' Donuts for hot coffee and Irish-cream donuts.

Billed as New York City's second largest Saint Patrick's Day Parade, Far Rockaway's parade did not disappoint and was well worth the one-way two and a half hour trip from Brooklyn by train, bus and on foot. With nine pipe and drum bands and three Irish pubs serving up cheap green beer, there was no shortage of entertainment on and off the streets.

 Locals donned greenery of every variety, from t-shirts and hats to socks and jackets to wigs and sunglasses to feather boas and scarves.  Ed dubbed me an Irish lass by wrapping a green scarf around my neck, adding a much-needed splash of festivity to my otherwise "not a lick of green are ya wearing there lassy" ensemble.

After the parade, I spent a couple of hours wandering the beaches and neighborhoods, curious to view the restoration efforts for myself.  The grit of dust and sand and the smell of fuel and smoke still penetrated the air and assaulted my sinuses, four months after Hurricane Sandy. 

One hundred and twenty-five days after the hurricane, there is so much work to be done.  Many residents continue to believe that the city (aka the Mayor) has not heeded their urgent cries for help.  Thousands are still without water and electricity and in a city as vibrant as New York City, this city that to many represents the United States of America, the irony is not lost on many...

 I may live in Brooklyn, but right now, 

my heart is in Far Rockaway.

A Seat on a Train

My friend Haran and ride the A train from Brooklyn in to Manhattan.  He's meeting friends and I'm going to a musical performance. The ride generally takes about an hour and a half.  After standing and chatting for nearly an hour, a couple of seats open up and I move quickly to occupy one, loudly asking Haran if he wants the other, to alert other passengers of our intention, thereby hoping to avoid being cursed at. 

A man boards the train and literally bolts towards me and the open seat next to me.  I know that he's spotted the empty seat.  And I know that he's heard me question Haran.  And I know that he can see Haran making way over to me, as Haran tries not to elbow and bump the other passengers in his very uncharacteristically stereotypically New Yorker way.  And this other man in his tight jeans, leather jacket and red cowboy boots knows that I know that he's heard me offer the seat to Haran.  And all of this is happening simultaneously, as if in slow motion.  People shuffle about the train, shifting, coughing and trying desperately not to stare at the woman with the large purple and green hat and matching sarong, teetering on her six-inch heels. Someone sneezes.  Someone steps on another's feet and mutters an apology.  A couple argues about finances.  A father chides his son for forgetting his lunchbox at school. 

And all the while, Haran is moving to sit next to me.  I see him, this man stepping from the platform and in to the car, haphazardly weaving his way to sit next to me in the coveted empty seat. He stands in front of me, bitter breath of stale cigarettes and beer and I place my left hand on the seat and say, "My friend is going to sit here.  We've been standing for over an hour, and you've just gotten on the train". 

Dark green eyes shoot me a look of disgust as Haran finally sits.  Cowboy-biker man grumbles and continues to stand in front of me, grumbling and glaring at me.  I meet his stare.  I know this is an unspoken no-no in New York City, but I refuse to be intimidated by him and figure that in a train full of people, if he tries anything, I'm at least not alone.  

Because my friend Haran is soft and kind, with an aura that oozes peace and goodness, my frustration at this stranger quickly fades and the next time I look up at him, I smile.  Now I realize that this could go either way; either he smiles back or he hisses at me.  No surprise, he hisses.

Two stops later, a seat opens up across from us and fuming cowboy-biker man takes it and I can feel his staring and glaring even though I'm engaged with Haran and not looking back over at him, which takes a great deal of concentration not to do.

I imagine that when Haran and I stand to exit in just one more stop, this man will yell "bitch" and even though I'm next to Haran and his soft, sweet, loving energy should rub off on me, Bad Christina automatically emerges and before I catch my next breath, I hear myself shouting back "asshole".

But, our stop comes and we stand and we exit and no one hisses at me, all is well with the world and Haran and I go our separate ways.  Two days later, Haran emails me, commenting on how proud he was of my New York attitude on the train.  Smiling, I write back, asking if I get a medal, award or certificate for my New Yorker conduct.  Haran in turn responds with, "No, just a seat on the train". 

Back in the Saddle, So to Speak!

Home Sweet Brooklyn

Made it in to Newark at 11:30pm after flying from Homer to Anchorage to Portland to Seattle, overnight in Seattle, to Newark.  Got to Brooklyn at 1:30am and slept in until noon.

Friends here have emailed several things going on this weekend (see links below), all which I plan to enjoy.  Ah, the city that never sleeps!!!

First, Saint Patrick's Day Parade (the second largest in the city) out in the Rockaways.  Groups are hosting "Walk a Mile in our Shoes" to draw awareness to the ongoing support needed in this area of Queens so heavily impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

http://www.facebook.com/events/132544650252169/


Second, New York City's Vegetarian Food Festival.  The line up of speakers and their topics is quite impressive:

http://nycvegfoodfest.com/

Ah, the city that never sleeps, and neither do I!