Wednesday, February 20, 2008
8.10 On Time
I've gone cold turkey on The National but can't find anything else that suits my current mood so I'm on 'random', skipping past songs I know too well and losing patience with unfamiliar ones.
This morning I'm simply unreasonably tetchy but yesterday was disastrous. The early train was busier than usual and, as I couldn't get 'my' seat, I ended up opposite MilitaryMan#1. Garrulous and unaware of The Rules as he is, he made an ill-advised attempt to engage me in conversation.
His opening gambit was: "Is that a radio or an mp3 player?" followed by "Is it for fun or for work?" I smiled. Surely "Oh no, it's definitely not work! This is 'ME' time" would make my position on small talk perfectly clear, but no. He was undetered.
I had to spend the journey staring out of the window, head twisted at an unnatural angle, to avoid the risk of eye contact and further attempts at chat. There was a spectacular sun rise. On the other side of the train.
Then last night, for the second night in a row, TheManWhoSmellsOfRawMeat landed next to me. Not only does he smell like a butcher's shop he is also extremely large. Much larger than his share of the seat. His gargantuan shoulders pinned mine against the window and his massive knees interfered with the normally proportioned knees of the nervous man, trying to read a military history book he's liberated from the university library, on the opposite seat. TheManWhoSmellsOfRawMeat can't even lean out into the aisle to give us some respite, as he causes an obstruction to the conductor and to people wanting to get off. Or use the toilet. Or get off in the toilet. Or whatever.
It was very distressing for us all.
Today, I don't care. I am putting my bag on the seat. Today it's going to be someone else's turn.
Not A Reasonable Man - I Am Kloot
Oh Lori - Alessi
Wonderful Woman - The Smiths
All Over Again - The Lilac Time
Silver Lining - Rilo Kiley
According To Plan - I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
Sunken Waltz - Calexico
Whatever - Oasis
I've gone cold turkey on The National but can't find anything else that suits my current mood so I'm on 'random', skipping past songs I know too well and losing patience with unfamiliar ones.
This morning I'm simply unreasonably tetchy but yesterday was disastrous. The early train was busier than usual and, as I couldn't get 'my' seat, I ended up opposite MilitaryMan#1. Garrulous and unaware of The Rules as he is, he made an ill-advised attempt to engage me in conversation.
His opening gambit was: "Is that a radio or an mp3 player?" followed by "Is it for fun or for work?" I smiled. Surely "Oh no, it's definitely not work! This is 'ME' time" would make my position on small talk perfectly clear, but no. He was undetered.
I had to spend the journey staring out of the window, head twisted at an unnatural angle, to avoid the risk of eye contact and further attempts at chat. There was a spectacular sun rise. On the other side of the train.
Then last night, for the second night in a row, TheManWhoSmellsOfRawMeat landed next to me. Not only does he smell like a butcher's shop he is also extremely large. Much larger than his share of the seat. His gargantuan shoulders pinned mine against the window and his massive knees interfered with the normally proportioned knees of the nervous man, trying to read a military history book he's liberated from the university library, on the opposite seat. TheManWhoSmellsOfRawMeat can't even lean out into the aisle to give us some respite, as he causes an obstruction to the conductor and to people wanting to get off. Or use the toilet. Or get off in the toilet. Or whatever.
It was very distressing for us all.
Today, I don't care. I am putting my bag on the seat. Today it's going to be someone else's turn.
Not A Reasonable Man - I Am Kloot
Oh Lori - Alessi
Wonderful Woman - The Smiths
All Over Again - The Lilac Time
Silver Lining - Rilo Kiley
According To Plan - I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
Sunken Waltz - Calexico
Whatever - Oasis
Labels: train
