I would have signed up for this year’s Blogathon if it weren’t for the fact I happen to be moving that day, and in general I (like to think I) have better things to do than to sit in front of a computer for twenty-four straight hours. I guess it’s for a good cause…?
Month: July 2003
Killing Time
I was two hours late to work this morning. I had already planned to arrive in the office a half-hour later than usual (still technically “early” based on my official hours), but someone had a different plan in mind for me. The bus, through detours, got me to the station just in time to catch the 8:33 express train. The station was packed; I had never seen it as crowded as it was this morning. It turns out that no trains had been running for the last hour. When the next train finally arrived at around 8:50, it was the delayed 7:48 train, one I might normally take if it doesn’t look crowded.
Not knowing when the Amtrak Clocker train would show up, I took the NJ Transit train that arrived. It took more than an hour to get to the first stop, and by the time I reached my destination it was 10:30.
I don’t like the fact that I have to rely on mass transportation to get around. I guess this is one thing I’ve taken away from people who used to say to me things like, “All things that happen to you are your fault; you are the only one who controls your life.” Thus, even when I’m late due to train problems, it’s my fault for not having my own transportation–or for having a job that requires stepping outside of my place of living.
Nature Vs. Spike
The world has turned against me. Tonight I have plans to see the New York Philhamonic in Central Park, followed by fireworks, and yet again it is supposed to rain. If the concert gets rained out, I’ll have another chance Thursday, I suppose.
Fourth and Fifth
I caught Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by the wonderful Tom Stoppard last night. The production was put together by Princeton Summer Theater. (Note: I couldn’t find an official website, so here is a link to the PST purity test.)
Tonight calls for the traditional fireworks display. I’ll be back at Mercer County Park, sort of reviving an old tradition. I wish there were more people coming.
In Search Of…
Tonight Denise and I went on a short drive and I found myself directing the car towards an old high school “hang out” site. We used to call the place Chamberlin & Barclay, after the words on a huge billboard that we normally couldn’t see anyway since it was always dark when we made the trip. In fact it was so dark, Bryan lost his keys there once… I think.
Anyway, to get there, you go on a couple of back roads in H—town and head towards what used to be called Cranbury Station (the defunct train station, not the restaurant). We took the road as I remembered it, but discovered it does not go the entire distance any longer. Since they added the H—town Bypass, the road to Chamberlin & Barclay comes to a dead end. In fact, the field itself seems to be mostly replaced by the freeway.
Since the world wide web didn’t exist while I was in high school, I took the opportunity to do some quick research on C&B. Apparently the location I’ve visited in the past is listed as a superfund site with the Environmental Protection Agency, which obviously means an area of land that contains unsafe levels of toxic waste.
Some might say, “That explains a lot.”