If it’s Thursday, I must be trainblogging.
Last night the wife went out with a friend for dinner. Chad (brother in law) came over to help me wrangle the kids. She left before he arrived. I was trying to get Colin off to bed because he was so upset. He has been very combative of late. The last few weeks his hitting has been bad. He hits everyone and every thing. All. The. Time. I understand when he’s hitting me because I don’t do something he wants but I don’t understand when he hits me and I’m doing what he wants. Last night he wanted a lot of stimulation. Tickling, wrestling and so on. I was doing all that and he was still hitting me. Hard. I tried to put him to bed when Chad arrived but he was having none of that. He was crying and kicking the wall. I usually don’t take him out of the room once we go in, I don’t want to reward his misbehavior. Last night, I threw in the towel and brought him down. He sat with Chad (and hit him) while I put Connor and Ian to bed. I usually try and tell them stories and read them books and such but last night I cut the routine short (it was getting late) so I could get Colin off to bed. By the time I got downstairs, Colin had fallen asleep on Chad’s lap and he had put him in bed. We watched Ladder 49 and ate pizza. Both were above par. Wife came home in a big hurry. Seems the dinner didn’t agree with her and…well, I’ll spare you the details.
Chad left and the wife and I chatted a bit. Mostly about nothing in particular. Off to bed too late (11:45!) and then, promptly at 5:15, the kicking began. (I should note here that when Colin is awake he kicks or hits the wall until someone comes to get him. Usually me.) I lay down with him for a bit but he wasn’t interested. He wanted to be in Mommy and Daddy’s room. So be it. I was too tired to argue. Into our bed and he’s climbing all over me and hitting me, ‘natch. Finally, I had to shower and get ready for this infernal train. The whole time I’m in the shower, I can hear him crying and getting upset. I shower, dress and take him downstairs for more of the same. I’m watching the clock and getting very nervous because I can hear the shower still running upstairs. I have a 7:02 train and the train station is oh, about 40 minutes away. It’s now 6:15. Not good. I’m about to get Colin and take him upstairs and dash out the door when The Wife strides into the room to take over. ThankyouIgottago. I dash out the door. I take back roads to avoid the lights on the major roads feeding the highway to the train station. It works fairly well until I’m halfway around the park and get behind a Jeep. I get around him and now I’m behind a guy who’s even slower. Great. It’s a 50 MPH zone and he’s barely doing 40. It’s now 6:18. Not good.
We get to the light and, of course, it’s red. Worse, there’s a school bus ahead of me. Finally get through a torturous series of lights and I’m moving again. On to the highway and doing 80 now. It’s 6:24. Traffic slows around construction but picks up again and I’m almost there. It’s 6:41. Frawley Stadium is dark and the parking lot is dominated by a carnival that is either setting up or breaking down. Probably the former. I wonder for a minute which one that is. Greekfest? Italian-somethingorother? Have to check that one out. No time now, dive off the exit for the train station. It’s 6:48. Three red lights and into the parking garage. Ahead of me is the world’s most clueless human. She’s obviously never been to a parking garage or even seen a movie that features a chase scene in one. She’s flummoxed by the whole concept. Veterans such as myself, know there is no way in hell you’re going to get a spot before the 3rd level so I don’t even bother looking. This dimwit is practically creeping forward to see if, just maybe, someone is pulling out. At 6:50 AM on a Thursday. Right lady, sure. She finally moves ahead and I find a spot. Out of the car and down the stairs. Praise Jeebus, the lights are in my favor for crossing the street. Inside and to the QuickTrak machine to get my tickets. I hear a train rumble overhead and it’s the 6:27 that was delayed. It stops very briefly and boards. I’m up the stairs and on the platform as it departs. It’s 6:58. I have enough time to change the battery in my mp3 player before the train arrives. I scan the small crowd for familiar faces. No friends or former coworkers. Several familiar strangers though. Those people you see every week on the train but who you never meet. That Bald Guy. The Blonde Who Wears Powersuit and Crosstrainers. Slick-back Hair Guy In A Suit. (Undoubtedly MBNA. They’re the last company in America that still wears suits.) You can always tell the rookies too. They look the wrong way down the tracks and generally seem unsure of themselves.
Train arrives, I board and find a seat. I’m alone until Philly. Now Sleeping Bald Guy has taken the seat adjacent to me. He’s nodding in and out and his head is slowly rolling from one side to the other. Every so often when the train jumps, he’s give himself a small jolt and open his eyes, only have them draw to a close again and repeat the procedure. Wonder where he’s going. New York, most likely. Not many people get on (or off) in Newark. If they scrapped the Newark stop it would be months before anyone noticed. If ever. iTunes has a sense of humor today. It’s playing Eminem, then Enter the Haggis (see garageband.com) and then The Meeting of The Waters from the Braveheart soundtrack. Now, it’s Act II, Scene XI Canoza from Nozze di Figaro.
Battery life on the laptop has fallen to 47% in the time it’s taken me to type this.
Nozze di Figaro is really amazing. It strikes a chord with me that no other opera seems to. I don’t know what it is, just something about it is transcendent. The world will never see another like Mozart.
It’s raining and overcast and in my hasted to make it to the train on time, I forgot my umbrella. I only have about 2 blocks above ground to walk in NYC. I should be ok unless it’s really pouring. Odd thing about New York. Rain causes men to spring out of the sidewalk selling umbrellas. Really, it’s amazing. As soon as the clouds part and the rain stops, they disappear. I suppose they melt back into the pavement like the Wicked Witch of the West after she’s hit with a bucket of water but without the cries of “I’M MELTING!” I’d probably remember that part if they did.
Side note: I have to use three different volume controls for this PC. One on the toolbar, one for iTunes and one on the laptop keyboard. I’ve only recently discovered that this last one is important. Previously, I had to struggle to hear anything when my laptop was unplugged even with both volume meters at maximum. Now, I turned up the volume with the keyboard and we’re good to go. I can liquefy my ear drums if I wish. (I don’t but it’s nice to know that I can).
It’s now 8:02. We should be in Newark soon.
I hate Thursdays. Always wipe me out just before the weekend. Not that I have a packed social calendar. Just that I need my strength to deal with Colin.
We just passed Trenton. A city that has the slogan “TRENTON MAKES, THE WORLD TAKES” on a bridge. Sounds rather petulant and accusatory. I understand what they’re trying to say but that was not the best way to say it. The water level under the bridge was very low. Lower than I’ve ever seen it. The southern side of the river was completely dry. Rocks and mud visible across half the bridge. The other half had water flowing but I’m amazed at how low it is. I’m sure that will change if this rain continues. We shall see I guess.
We’re almost at Newark and my battery is almost dead. I’ll post this when I get into the office in a bit.
Last night the wife went out with a friend for dinner. Chad (brother in law) came over to help me wrangle the kids. She left before he arrived. I was trying to get Colin off to bed because he was so upset. He has been very combative of late. The last few weeks his hitting has been bad. He hits everyone and every thing. All. The. Time. I understand when he’s hitting me because I don’t do something he wants but I don’t understand when he hits me and I’m doing what he wants. Last night he wanted a lot of stimulation. Tickling, wrestling and so on. I was doing all that and he was still hitting me. Hard. I tried to put him to bed when Chad arrived but he was having none of that. He was crying and kicking the wall. I usually don’t take him out of the room once we go in, I don’t want to reward his misbehavior. Last night, I threw in the towel and brought him down. He sat with Chad (and hit him) while I put Connor and Ian to bed. I usually try and tell them stories and read them books and such but last night I cut the routine short (it was getting late) so I could get Colin off to bed. By the time I got downstairs, Colin had fallen asleep on Chad’s lap and he had put him in bed. We watched Ladder 49 and ate pizza. Both were above par. Wife came home in a big hurry. Seems the dinner didn’t agree with her and…well, I’ll spare you the details.
Chad left and the wife and I chatted a bit. Mostly about nothing in particular. Off to bed too late (11:45!) and then, promptly at 5:15, the kicking began. (I should note here that when Colin is awake he kicks or hits the wall until someone comes to get him. Usually me.) I lay down with him for a bit but he wasn’t interested. He wanted to be in Mommy and Daddy’s room. So be it. I was too tired to argue. Into our bed and he’s climbing all over me and hitting me, ‘natch. Finally, I had to shower and get ready for this infernal train. The whole time I’m in the shower, I can hear him crying and getting upset. I shower, dress and take him downstairs for more of the same. I’m watching the clock and getting very nervous because I can hear the shower still running upstairs. I have a 7:02 train and the train station is oh, about 40 minutes away. It’s now 6:15. Not good. I’m about to get Colin and take him upstairs and dash out the door when The Wife strides into the room to take over. ThankyouIgottago. I dash out the door. I take back roads to avoid the lights on the major roads feeding the highway to the train station. It works fairly well until I’m halfway around the park and get behind a Jeep. I get around him and now I’m behind a guy who’s even slower. Great. It’s a 50 MPH zone and he’s barely doing 40. It’s now 6:18. Not good.
We get to the light and, of course, it’s red. Worse, there’s a school bus ahead of me. Finally get through a torturous series of lights and I’m moving again. On to the highway and doing 80 now. It’s 6:24. Traffic slows around construction but picks up again and I’m almost there. It’s 6:41. Frawley Stadium is dark and the parking lot is dominated by a carnival that is either setting up or breaking down. Probably the former. I wonder for a minute which one that is. Greekfest? Italian-somethingorother? Have to check that one out. No time now, dive off the exit for the train station. It’s 6:48. Three red lights and into the parking garage. Ahead of me is the world’s most clueless human. She’s obviously never been to a parking garage or even seen a movie that features a chase scene in one. She’s flummoxed by the whole concept. Veterans such as myself, know there is no way in hell you’re going to get a spot before the 3rd level so I don’t even bother looking. This dimwit is practically creeping forward to see if, just maybe, someone is pulling out. At 6:50 AM on a Thursday. Right lady, sure. She finally moves ahead and I find a spot. Out of the car and down the stairs. Praise Jeebus, the lights are in my favor for crossing the street. Inside and to the QuickTrak machine to get my tickets. I hear a train rumble overhead and it’s the 6:27 that was delayed. It stops very briefly and boards. I’m up the stairs and on the platform as it departs. It’s 6:58. I have enough time to change the battery in my mp3 player before the train arrives. I scan the small crowd for familiar faces. No friends or former coworkers. Several familiar strangers though. Those people you see every week on the train but who you never meet. That Bald Guy. The Blonde Who Wears Powersuit and Crosstrainers. Slick-back Hair Guy In A Suit. (Undoubtedly MBNA. They’re the last company in America that still wears suits.) You can always tell the rookies too. They look the wrong way down the tracks and generally seem unsure of themselves.
Train arrives, I board and find a seat. I’m alone until Philly. Now Sleeping Bald Guy has taken the seat adjacent to me. He’s nodding in and out and his head is slowly rolling from one side to the other. Every so often when the train jumps, he’s give himself a small jolt and open his eyes, only have them draw to a close again and repeat the procedure. Wonder where he’s going. New York, most likely. Not many people get on (or off) in Newark. If they scrapped the Newark stop it would be months before anyone noticed. If ever. iTunes has a sense of humor today. It’s playing Eminem, then Enter the Haggis (see garageband.com) and then The Meeting of The Waters from the Braveheart soundtrack. Now, it’s Act II, Scene XI Canoza from Nozze di Figaro.
Battery life on the laptop has fallen to 47% in the time it’s taken me to type this.
Nozze di Figaro is really amazing. It strikes a chord with me that no other opera seems to. I don’t know what it is, just something about it is transcendent. The world will never see another like Mozart.
It’s raining and overcast and in my hasted to make it to the train on time, I forgot my umbrella. I only have about 2 blocks above ground to walk in NYC. I should be ok unless it’s really pouring. Odd thing about New York. Rain causes men to spring out of the sidewalk selling umbrellas. Really, it’s amazing. As soon as the clouds part and the rain stops, they disappear. I suppose they melt back into the pavement like the Wicked Witch of the West after she’s hit with a bucket of water but without the cries of “I’M MELTING!” I’d probably remember that part if they did.
Side note: I have to use three different volume controls for this PC. One on the toolbar, one for iTunes and one on the laptop keyboard. I’ve only recently discovered that this last one is important. Previously, I had to struggle to hear anything when my laptop was unplugged even with both volume meters at maximum. Now, I turned up the volume with the keyboard and we’re good to go. I can liquefy my ear drums if I wish. (I don’t but it’s nice to know that I can).
It’s now 8:02. We should be in Newark soon.
I hate Thursdays. Always wipe me out just before the weekend. Not that I have a packed social calendar. Just that I need my strength to deal with Colin.
We just passed Trenton. A city that has the slogan “TRENTON MAKES, THE WORLD TAKES” on a bridge. Sounds rather petulant and accusatory. I understand what they’re trying to say but that was not the best way to say it. The water level under the bridge was very low. Lower than I’ve ever seen it. The southern side of the river was completely dry. Rocks and mud visible across half the bridge. The other half had water flowing but I’m amazed at how low it is. I’m sure that will change if this rain continues. We shall see I guess.
We’re almost at Newark and my battery is almost dead. I’ll post this when I get into the office in a bit.
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