The Power of NO!

Last week, I decided to read a book called “The Power of No!” while on the train. I decided to read it because I am always saying yes to people, even when I don’t want to. So, from now on, I am only agreeing to do the things I truly want to do. No more people pleasing. No more putting myself on the back burner… I do want I wannnnt!

On Wednesday, a guy gets on at Medford and sits next to me. As we are getting to North Station, I close my book and start putting it away. (Yup, I read a book not a reader…I have this thing where I like to see my book mark where I left off to see how far along I am. Call it OCD…whatever, I need to see it!) As I am putting my book away, the guy says “What are you reading?” I turn to him and say “The Power of NO!” he looks confused “Is that…a novel?” he asks. “Nope! I am learning how to say no!”

He starts to move away toward the aisle cautiously. “Uhh…ok! Well you have a great day!” He says as he gets up and gets off the train.

Friday rolls around and I am at Haymarket deciding on fruit to fill my weekend crepes when someone comes up behind me and says “How is The Power of No?!” I whip around and there he is; the guy who practically ran from me on Wednesday.

“It was great! I am on to a new book now!” I say as I am paying for my bananas.

“What book are you on to now?” he asks and I am ready to answer because I think the title is so funny.

“I am reading Jeneration X: One Reluctant Adult's Attempt to Unarrest Her Arrested Development; Or, Why It's Never Too Late for Her Dumb Ass to Learn Why Froot Loops Are Not for Dinner. It’s a memoir!”

I think he ran faster at Haymarket than he ran off the train!

 

 

(Picture courtesy of www.jennsylvania.com )

Chivalry and Murphy’s Law

On Friday, since I was making a fruit platter for about 75 people, I had this brilliant idea that I would bring in my suit case and load it up at Haymarket. Friday morning, when I arrived at the train station, I wheeled my very light bag over to the boarding area to wait. Once the train got there, a guy next to me grabbed my luggage out of my hand and carried it up the steep three steps. He commented on how light it was and asked me which car I was going in. Since he was going in a different car than me, he gave me my bag back.

I wheeled my bag to a seat and I was ready to put it in the over heard and another guy lifts it up for me and puts it in the over head rack for me. I say “Thank you.” and sit down.

When I arrive at North Station, I wasn’t planning on walking but I see a friend I walk with every once and a while and he was going to walk and I decide to join him. He offered to take my bag too and walk it eight-tenths of a mile to the Financial District.

I am happy and hopeful that later in the day, upon my return, I am as lucky as I was that morning.

I enlist the help of an office buddy to head to Haymarket with me and we shop away and pile all sorts of pineapples and melons into the suitcase. The 3 cartons of strawberries and six pounds of grapes, cherries, 5 kiwi’s and 8 Apricots were decided precious cargo and we carried in a separate bag. Between the two of us, we get all the fruit back to the office.

I leave the office…

I have my purse, my work bag, my suit case and a large reusable grocery bag. I don’t dare take this kind of weight to the T and down two flights of stairs and then up another huge flight of stairs so I decide to walk eight tenths of a mile.

I look like a freakin’ bag lady! Good thing I have chic luggage and have on a cute casual Friday outfit or I might have looked like I live on the streets!  Maybe my husband was right when he told me I couldn’t get a coolie cart…but my chic clothing would have been a dead give away that I wasn’t in fact a street person and I promised that if I got a coolie cart, I’d bedazzle the sh*t out of it so people don’t think I’m homeless but to no avail, he is still against the coolie cart.

Anyway, I walk…and I walk…and I walk! No one offers to help my damsel in distress self now that the luggage is heavy. I get to the station and wait for my train.  Once I board the train, I am psyched to see we have one of the new double deckers. I get on and realize I have to go up a little set of steps or down a little set of steps. I chose to go down. I look at the over head rack, it is made for work bags…not luggage. I don’t want to look like an a*shole putting my bag lady baggage on the seat so I look and look for a way out of being an a*s. I see they have seats with tables. I wheel my luggage over there and shove everything under it. FEW!! That was close.

I read my book at my table until I need to get off the train. Once we arrive at my stop, I grab all my bag lady crap and head to the stairs. Guys look at me and I smile but not one offered to grab my bag up the stairs. What the heck?! I finally get off the train and drag all my prized fruit to my truck. I head home so I can start my ninja training as a fruit chopper.

So, Murphy’s law got me…when I didn’t need the help and could manage just fine, I got all the help I needed and when I needed the help and was struggling juuuust a bit, no one helped at all.

All in all though, it was nice to have the fresh fruit and my fruit tray came out a success.

Singing in the Train! Singing in the Train...

This morning I hop on at North Station and we stop a few minutes later at Haymarket. One lady gets on the train and says to everyone "Wake up everybody! It's a great day to be alive!" We are all grasping our coffee mugs as if they are life lines. We are all quiet and somber and no one says a word. Another guy tries to pile in to the already packed train. "Come on Mister! We have room! Room for everyone on this fine day." She says in the most cheerful voice and at 7am you just want to kick her.

The guy looks at her and squeezes on. "It's so quiet in here." he says to her. Clearly, he doesn't ride the train often because the train in the morning is full of coffee deprived people who can barely form a sentence until that cup of coffee from Starbucks in their hands has been drained into their mouths. The doors close and we continue to State.

"Yes it is quiet. Let's sing a song! What do you want to sing?" She asks and once again in a cheery voice that makes you just wanna... you guessed it, kick her! AND now that we're moving, it wouldn't be so far fetched to kick her on "accident". However, I refrain because I know I am getting off in thirty seconds.

They go back and forth on what they would like to sing. They are just about to Que up when I hear "State. Doors open on the left!" Phew! I dodged a bullet there. I did not want to hear singing prior to finishing my life line in my hands also known as coffee!!

No Matter How Bad You Have it (UPDATE)

As some of you may remember, I had an encounter with a man at the train station who touched my heart tremendously. (Link Below)

No Matter How Bad You Think You Have it Someone Else Has it Worse

Today, I had the day off. I took my dog on a great hike in the morning and then wanted to head into the city to get a few things. Everyone wondered why I'd go into the city on my day off but I wanted to grab fresh veggies at Haymarket and dessert for tonight at Mike's Pastries in the North End. I caught the 12:35pm train into the city and rode along with all the tourists who were heading into the city also. I got into the city at about 1pm and went straight to Mike's. After that I flew through Faneuil Hall to pick up a few things and then straight to Haymarket. 

After getting everything in Haymarket that I needed, I had minimal time to get back to the train which was leaving at 2:10pm. I walked to North Station. I was in an exploring mood so I took a different street that runs parallel to the normal street I take. I am walking briskly when a man screams out "HEY!!" I am caught off guard. I look at him trying to place how it is that I know him. I do a quick top to bottom once over and it isn't until I see his shoes that I know who it is.

It's the guy from the train station back in February! The homeless guy who was going to kill himself after he relished his last meal, a slice of pizza. He sat next to me that day by chance. I told him that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that I really hoped he didn't take his life.

I look back up at him standing in the street. He's got a brand new jacket, is holding a cell phone and has gel in his hair. I smile at  him "Hi there! How ARE you??" I am so excited to see that he is alive!!

"You remember me right? I had... " he looks around to see a few people walking by "pizza next to you a while back"

"How could I forget? I am so glad you're ok! How are things panning out?" I reply.

"You were right. I can't thank you enough for just talking to me. I have my room at the shelter. I am working part time. I have my own cell phone again. Thank you! You heading to the train?"

"I am. Catching the 2:10" I say with a huge smile on my face.

"You better run. I'm glad I bumped into you. I can't thank you enough. I was in a bad place and you, a strang-ah pulled me through. Thank you."

"No problem! I knew you had it in you! I'm glad I bumped into you too. Enjoy your weekend." I wanted to cry with tears of joy. HE IS ALIVE! HE IS OK! I was so happy I practically skipped the rest of the way to the train!

Shecky's Girls Night Out!

Last night after work I went over to Shecky’s Girls Night Out! I had been before and was so excited to go. You buy your ticket, arrive and it is sheer girliness. Cocktails, goodie bags, make up, jewelry… ultimate girl time! In order to get there I had to change up my normal train routine. I had the pleasure of taking the Green Line! I walked to Haymarket and hopped on the Green E line and got off at Copley to meet a friend and walk over to Tremont.

Well, this Green Line, let me tell ya… It took me 20 minutes to go five stops. First of all, the trolley was so slow and then in the middle of the tunnel it goes dead and the lights go out. Then they go back on and we are creeping through the tunnel again. We get to a stop, people get on and then the lights go out again. Slowest T line I’ve been on yet. It also didn’t help that I was sitting next to a woman who had the absolute worst breath and the worst part about it was that she had no idea. She kept breathing with her mouth open. Yuck!

I finally get to Copley and head up the stairs to meet my friend and walk to Shecky’s. We chit chat about our crazy days in the city as we stroll through the amazing brown stones. We finally arrive at Shecky’s and meet up with three more girls. We all look great and we head inside! Sake cocktails, goodie bags and jewelry are everywhere! Oh, and chocolate cupcakes that are to die for! I picked up some Dolce sunglasses and a cute summer dress. I also took away from this girls night out, many fashionable idea’s that I can incorporate in my wardrobe with things I already have.

After we perused Shecky’s we all declared we were starving. We tried getting into a chic little restaurant. However, it is restaurant week and there was an hour and a half wait. That wasn’t going to work so we found a pizza place across the street, grabbed mozzarella sticks and cannoli’s, snagged a seat outside and giggled and laughed while we nibbled our nutritious (sarcasm) dinner.

Top notch night and much needed for all of us. Thanks Girls for a fabulous evening in Boston.

The Big City

Well, it is definitely February vacation in Massachusetts this week. The usual professionals riding the train have been replaced with children and casually dressed people. This morning on the platform I saw a couple awaiting the train to Boston. They had duffel bags and were ready to go exploring the city. It's funny because people that don't go to the city every day are excited. This woman with her pink duffel bag and her Dunkin Donut's coffee in hand was practically jumping out of her skin. It was so cute. Her boyfriend was bringing her to the "big city" and she was cherishing it. I forget how great Boston is and take for granted that on any given day I can stroll over to the North End and grab a canolli, meet for fabulous martini's after a long day of work or go shopping at great places on my lunch break. What's funny is that before I was in the city every day, I was just like that lady with the pink duffel bag... excited to get the chance to go to the city. I wish I had that kind of excitement every day because I shouldn't be taking for granted this great city. Although, every time I see a great view from my office, like a breath taking sunset or the community sail boats buzzing about in the Charles, I think to myself "I did this! I am here!" but when I am not looking out the window, I get easily distracted by my "extremely busy-nonstop-never a dull moment" kinda day.

From now on, I need to bring the excitement back to being in the city. I think I am going to make it a point to try something new each week. This week I will start with Haymarket! I have always wanted to go through there and get my fresh produce but I "don't have time" to. I am throwing the excuses out the window and am going to make it happen. So, fellow professionals, don't get caught up in the daily grind.  Make something special happen either big or small each week and don't take for granted the great city we are in.