Phil’s Series of Unfortunate Events 2: Following The Yellow Brick Road

A Day That Keeps On Giving!!!!

I have had some bad days, but this one goes on my Top 10 list easily. The whole time I think, “Staying home would have been safer.”. My day started to improve as the work day finished. I feel a calm come over me at the thought of going home. There truly is no place like home. “The Day” just could not leave me alone.

My journey home started like any other trip home. The normal Airtrain to Howard Beach, then the A train. I get to Howard Beach right as The A train comes. This is great because it is about a 10 minute trip. “I’ll be home in no time,” I thought as I boarded. I sit back waiting the train to push off, but it is not moving.

“We are delayed, because the Broad Channel Bridge is open. We will be moving shortly,” the conductor announces over the P.A. system. Now, it is going to take a little longer then expected, but still I’m fine with that. I start playing with my phone as I wait. I decide I’ll start a new blog entry about my day. I do not get to it right , because I had some other rough drafts to go through. As I do this I’m unaware of how much time has gone by.

I stop what I’m doing to call my wife to see what she’s up to. As we are talking I say,” I’m at Howard Beach, the bridge is open so the train is still sitting here. As a matter of fact that was 45 minutes ago.”. I kind of shocked myself at the amount of time waiting at the station. We hang up, I wait another 30 minutes for the train to push off.

I get to the next station Broad Channel an announcement comes on, “Due to problem closing the bridge, Broad Channel will be the last stop. For passengers continuing to Far Rockaway, there is shuttle bus service outside the station.”. Everyone on the train get the same dejected look on their face that I have. I rush outside the train station knowing that a crowd would be forming for the shuttle. Funny thing happens, there is no shuttle bus. Now, you have hundreds of stranded, angry commuters with no way to get home.

The Broad Channel station is not too far from Cross Bay Blvd, there we could catch the bus. On Cross Bay there are two options to take. The Q53(Limited Stops) and the Q21(Local Stops) to reach Far Rockaway. The closest stop to the train station actually has both buses listed. Now my only problem is there is a mob of people all waiting for the same two buses. Bus after Bus pass the crowd, not wanting to stop. The size keeps increasing due to train after train becoming out of service. I get a bright idea.

“I should walk to the next bus stop before this one, instead of waiting with this crowd. I’ll have a better chance at getting a bus to stop,” I thought. A few other people had the same idea, but not as many as the group that was at the bus stop. So I proceed to the next bus stop which happens to be a Q21 stop. About 30 minutes later, two Q21’s bypass this stop that I’m at. Frustration starts to take over. “Fuck this I’ll just walk to another stop,” thinking now besieged with anger.

I start to walk, but there is no bus stop in sight. Did I fail to mention it started raining by this time, walking with suede loafers, and no umbrella. This walk took forever. Literally, I was walking for about 30 mins. The only good thing was no bus had passed during thins time. I finally complete my journey. I finally catch a Q53. I take it to the Q22 stop so I can finally get home.

I get to this next bust stop, only to see another crowd. A Q22 comes right away, but due to the size of the crowd everyone could not get on. I have to wait for the next one. I catch this one. I get home in about 5 mins. As I walk down the block all I can think is,” My Chinese food from last night better be I’m the refrigerator”

As, I approach the fridge an erie feeling overtakes me. “I know it’s not in there. This will top everything off. Greedy asses!!!!”. I grab the door handle and pull the door slowly. I close my eyes in order to brace myself for unwanted results. It’s open now and so are my eyes, my food is there. My glorious food is where I left it. The smallest things can mean so much.

As I eat my food, I sit back and reflect on the perils of my day. The Day won, but I got my food. That is all that mattered in the end. I thought it would be a good time to update my blog. Share with the world what happened to me. I begin to type.

There are somedays where nothing seems to have the desired result……….

Phil’s Series of Unfortunate Events

Oh What A Day!!!!

August 12,2010

There are somedays where nothing seems to have the desired result. Any and every that could possibly go wrong does. “Somebody in the cosmos has it out for me,” you think to yourself. Well, today was such a day for me. I do not believe in any form of luck, good or bad, but I could have used some good luck.

The day started out with me over sleeping my alarm. The ringing went off, while I continued to roll over. I finally get up and realize that I may be late, so I hop straight in the shower. I finally make my way to work. The train came as soon as I got to the station, helping me make it to work early for once.

I slide my hand in my bag to retrieve my I.D. only to come up empty. I proceed to check all of the pockets to the same results. Well if I didn’t work at the airport(JFK) then this would not be an issue. I work after security in what is called a secured area, meaning without an Port Authority I.D. or boarding pass getting in is not an option. I end up having to turn around, go all the way home, and come back to work.

After the I.D fiasco, my day starts to flow ok. The early part starts to come together as I work my way into a groove. Things start to look up. I decide to go to Mc. Donald’s to get my breakfast. I order a Sausage, Egg & Cheese Mc Griddle with a coffee. I go find my seat so I can eat, open my bag to find that I only got two sugars for my coffee. I’m thinking ,”What the fuck am I going to do with two sugars!!!!!”. I decide to leave that issue for last, because that Mc Griddle was calling my name. I bite into my sandwich savoring that first taste. I take a second only to taste the bottom piece of the Mc Griddle cold and hard. I’m thinking, “How the fuck do you only heat up half a sandwich?”. Instead of taking it back, I gut the sandwich to eat the insides. Now, I have to walk to Starbucks to get sugar for my coffee. So much for breakfast!!!!!!!!

Breakfast was a disaster, making question the decision to leave the house. I decide to make the best of the remainder of my work day. Work finishes rather quickly, leaving me with an optimistic feeling regarding the remainder of my day. Little did I know the joke was on me. The day had other plans for me………..