Carriage Return

365-365+339: A New Day! :)

Okay, so: fine.  No one replied to my newsletter blurb--looking for a ride to the train station.  So far, I have not been able to get ride of the car and the payment book umbilicaled to it. But I remain undaunted.

The commuter rail has been an on-and-off thing as other events force me to be more mobile after work. But I am back on it this week with a fresh monthly rail and city bus pass.  Feels good to be back in the saddle, but it's funny how many new faces have appeared.

Finished Fitch's Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation.  Great book. Learned a bit more about James Joyce than I wanted to, but even that was interesting. Wow, what a leach!  Shameless. The next book I read about 1920s Paris I did NOT like. I refuse to even type the title. 

Read an interesting article from the NYTimes: Lake Geneva as Shelley and Byron Knew It. Great read. And I loved a piece that Rick Bragg wrote for Southern Living: The Quill and the Mule.

Next up is Valery Larbaud's The Diary of A.O. Barnabooth. Fitch's book got me curious about French writers, so, I thought I'd check this one out.  From what I understand, this book was to be the Bright Lights, Big City of its day. 

 Working on a new project. Not wanting to type about it until I make additional progress.  Stay tuned!

 

365-365+292: The Wheels in Motion

Placed the below advert in my neighborhood newsletter. Close to selling my car, dumping my auto insurance. In short, ole Roy is gonna need a ride to the train station. 

Commuter Looking to Share Ride
Horseshoe Cove Homeowner /Resident Roy Burkhead has started to take
the Nashville STAR commuter rail into Nashville to work. He is asking
if anyone in the sub-division drives by the station in time for him to
make the 6:05 train. The train leaves promptly at 6:05. He would need
a ride three or four mornings a week, and he’s willing to pay $20 a
week in gas money. No pick up is required. This is a morning drop off
only. If interested, please email Roy at: roylb@tds.net

365-365+281.5: Just Made It

Hauled it across downtown in hopes of catching the 5:05. Arrived with a couple minutes to spare. Blazing hot. Felt sorry for the poor lady I sat next to. I know I was sweaty.  Yuck, I know. On page 127 of Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation.  Continues to be a great read. Next up is Valery Larbaud's The Diary of A.O. Barnabooth.  Reading a lot about him now, and he was such an intereting writer. Can't wait to start it.

I think my favorite part of the morning commute is between my bus stop and my building. I get off the bus a few stops early and walk to the back of the building. Maybe a mile. It's still sort of cool at 7 a.m., and I read as I walk. It's quiet.

365-365+281: A Blind Man's Straw

I'm dragging. Busy weekend with the holiday, and I've been in over-drive to catch up in all areas. Trying to get sick, but ignoring it, or attempting to. Today was first day back to commute for the week. Overslept yesterday. Almost did today, as well.  Arrived at the station with less than a couple minutes to spare. But I made it.

Saw a deaf woman signing on the bus. Interesting. Heroic. And there's a little restaurant in the bus station. While waiting for something hot to wolf down, a blind man-with seeing-eye dog in tow-asked if I saw any straws. I did, removed one from is paper, and handed it to him. He was another hero.

When I think of these folks, my would-be problems seem sort of small and silly. It becomes easy for me to take a few deep breaths and keep going.

365-365+277: I'm Walking Here, I'm Walking Here! :-(

I had my Midnight Cowboy moment this week on the big streets of Nashville. I was walking from the bus terminal to the train depot, about eight blocks or so. It was afternoon rush hour. Cars and people everywhere. I slipped into a nice shop on Church Street to look around and grab a soda pop for the train ride home. The soda was hanging in a plastic bag, which was dangling from my left wrist. I had my commute bag on my right shoulder, gaining weight as I walked.

Second Avenue is a busy place in Nashville. Tourist area: honky tonks, Charlie Daniel's museum. The Hooters restaurant.

Before I continue, I must reveal a story that is totally unrelated to my journey: the Hooter's girls were standing on the other side of the street with hula hoops.

Anyway...

The gridlock traffic came to a stop, and an elderly lady stopped her big-a** car directly on the crosswalk. Rude. :-( I had the Green Man, telling me to walk. I had two choices: walk in front of her or walk behind her car. I chose to walk behind. Well, with diet coke dangling, I walked behind her car. At the moment I got right behind her, she put the car in reverse and hit the gas.

She hit me: she flipping hit me. And I am a big boy. How could she NOT see me?

When she hit/nudged me, she sent the diet coke flipping around in the bag, and it came down hard on the top of her trunk with a loud thud. I saw her look in her rear-view mirror. It was like "you just hit my trunk."

Give me a break. A couple of the Hooters girls even looked at me like, "Dude, you just got hit."

Ah, it was a bump. It has been raining here for the last million years, and I was carrying a large umbrella. I just shook my long umbrella at her and said, "I'm walking here: I'm walking here." It was a sweet moment, actually. To get the full effect, go to YouTube and search for Midnight Cowboy I'm Walking Here. :-) Try the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c412hqucHKw

Anyway, the mass transit adventures continues. I am close to selling my car. Been checking out the Blue Book value, calling the bank to see what I owe on it, looking for a local cab company to take me to the train station each morning. The wife can pick me up, but it's a lot to ask for her to get two kids up and take me there each morning. I am so happy about this transition.

Also, on page 100 of the Literary Paris history book, all thanks to mass transit.

 

365-365+270: Reading Continues

Finished Shakespeare & Company, by Sylvia Beach this evening. Interesting read. I understand how she used Joyce's Ulysses as the tool to tell her shop's story. Still, though, I wish it contains not so much Joyce material and more information on other writers.

That being said, she turned me on to many writers: some I knew, others I did not. I picked up The Diary of A.O. Barnabooth, by Valery Larbaud, as well as Nightwood, by Djuna Barnes.  These were the only books by these two authors that I could find in English. In her novel, Beach said that Barnes was one of the best writers in that group. I was shocked since I had not heard much of her. So, I got one of her novels right away. And Beach made Larbaud sound so interesting. I couldn't resist. Both will have to way until I read through the next one on my list, Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation,by Noel Riley Fitch. Looking forward to it, but it is a hefty 417 pages. That's a lot to carry around the city for the next week or two on the train and buses. But, there yah go!

Received my June pass for the train. Riding the bus tomorrow, and I am shooting for four days on mass transit this week. Still need to get rid of my car, in favor of something much older that I can own outright. In the meantime, I will enjoy my reading time that the serious reduction of stress!

365-365+269: Been in KY, the State, Not the Jelly...alas :)

• 8.5 Gallons of Gas: $31.37
• Snacks for the Road: $6.85
• Popcorn & Soda at the Movies: $11.50
• Family Fish Box from Moby Dick: $22.13
• A Long-Overdue Visit with an old Friend: Priceless :-)

* * *

Growing up in rural Kentucky in the late 1980s, one of my favorite movies was Cannonball Run. It involved a race and people driving crazy distances to acquire something. I sort of did that today. Spent six-ish hours on the road to spend the day with an old friend, someone who has made an on-going positive, significant impact upon my life, starting when I was about 13 years old and lasting to this moment.

We didn't do anything crazy or wild. We just spent a nice morning on the front porch, enjoying a cool breeze and chatting. Had a nice fish lunch at a local bar and even squeezed in a movie, Priest. How was it? Well, we sort of walked into it knowing nothing about it. The purpose was just to be together, so, we could have seen anything, really. hhhmmm. Well, for a Clint Eastwood-ish, futuristic spaghetti western vampire movie, it was a solid okay. If I would have known about it beforehand, I would have declared it to be a DVD. But, it was okay, and the company was great. I offer up the below trailer for your consideration. :-)

Anyway, movie notwithstanding, it was a good day. Think I will do it again soon, if I can trick my friend into making time for another visit. ;-)

Later gaters..

365-365+268: Thud & Splat

So, I was on the train earlier this week, and I failed to get on the quiet car, aka: the reading car. So, the train car was abuzz with chatter. Heard an interesting story.

This lady had a little bird with cut wings. The animal's cage was high up, but the lady continued to leave the door unlocked, by accident. So, several times a week, the bird would get out, try to fly, but immediately hit the floor with a "thud!" Eventually, she named the bird, Thud.

So, she put the cage on the floor, leaving the cage door open. As a result, this little bird would pengiun around the house all the time.

Well....

One day, a skunk sprayed her German Shepherd point blank range in the face, full impact. So, she was running in and out of the house trying to get things to take care of the dog.

Well.....

She wasn't paying attention, and she stepped on Thud and killed the poor thing. Then, later that day, her dog died. Apparently, skunk spray can kill a dog. The way she explained it, it is associated with all of the smelling sensors the dog has in its nose and whatnot.

Lost her dog and bird, all in a single day.

Did mass transit three times this week. Not today, alas. Have to run too many Friday errands. Monday morning, looking forward to getting back at it.

Oh, here's another story:

So, I put in $1.25 in a local vending machine earlier this week. The machine went nuts, just like in a cartoon. Stuff clinging and clanking, bottles banging around, the machine even moving, slightly. Then, booooiiinnngg. And just like in a cartoon, a broken spring shot of of the the thing's innards. And it was followed by 120 ounces of diet coke, shooting out at about 120 miles per hour. I was the proud owner of six shooken beverages.

365-365+267: En Route

A few quick words before my workday begins.  Commuting going well. Three days so far this week,  and I plan on making it four, counting tomorrow. Realizing that Nashville had an accident with a fatality this week on one of the interstates, I was happy to be in my train and bus seats.

On page 163 of Shakespeare and Company, and it inspired me to order three more books from Amazon this week, two of them by French writers from the 20s: Djuna Barnes and Valery Larbaud. Even sprang for the extra $15 to ship them over night-ish.

Belly Laugher told a funny on the bus today, and it took all I had not to let loose my own enjoyment. Apparently, he has been promoting the use of mass transit to his fellow workers throughout his floor of our building. Well, it does take longer to get home using mass transit...in our semi-rural climate. And there had been other miscellaneous bad experiences. It comes with the territoy, not to use a cliche. :(  Anyway, it seems that his co-workers have formed a travel alliance and threatened to throw him off of their island the next time he suggests mass transit.

Oh well, their loss. Heck, none of them read 163 pages of a great book this week!

During lunch, I wolf down some tuna and olive oil, then escape to the second floor lobby with its floor-to-ceiling windows and view of the outside world. Nice.

Oh, and I am getting off the bus around three stops before mine, just to talk the five minutes through grass and parking lots. Nice part of the morning.

More stories to tell, but the workday is giving me the stink eye.

365-365+258: Keeping Company w/Shakespeare and Company

Pulling away from the lunch hour for a quick report. The morning commute went well. Made all connetions and even found an alternative stop for my destination, putting me in the office a littler earlier and allowing me to have a nice morning walk. It was the belly laugher's exit. This stop is actually behind our building.

Started Shakespeare & Company, by Sylvia Beach. Excellent morning's read. Finished a chapter over lunch and can't wait to open it again on the ride home.

Not a bad day.