The Things I Do For Breakfast

I have a very specific Tuesday morning routine. My Jump, Kick, MOVE! class is at 11:30. I like to get to the dojo by 10:15 or so, set up the room for my class, and then go to my favorite coffee shop, endulge in a bagel and a cup of coffee and write or sometimes just daydream. It is my quiet time, the hour or so before I start my longest workday, and I am very protective of it. Parent comes too early for class? Sorry I am at the coffee shop. Phone is ringing.  That's what voicemail is for.
This cozy time is my favorite part of the week and I get very angry when you mess with it. Especially if the "you" is the mother f--- ing MTA.

Here is a truthful account of my morning. Get to the Bedford avenue station at 9:20 with a train right there in the station. Huzzah! I hurry on only to hear the joyful announcement "ladies and gentleman we are delayed because of train traffic ahead of us.. Please be patient ." No NYC transit I will not be patient . Not after yesterday when you made Maya and I wait for twenty minutes for the L. But soon the doors close and we are on our way.

Or not. We proceeded to stop no fewer than four times in the tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Why? Train traffic. Here is a tip: if there is still a train in the station ahead of us how about you wait a minute before going under the river? Just a thought. I have this thing about trains, they have to move. When they stop between stations I get a little antsy and start picturing rats and live electricity and me walking to the next station in my open toed shoes. Ewww.

Finally we get to first avenue. We crawl to third. We crawl to Union Square. At this point I give up on the L and transfer to the N train. I figure I can take it to 42nd street and catch my normal 1 train for the rest of the trip. It is still early, I am doing fine. Coffee, here I come.

I make it to 34th street. There some brilliant MTA authority proceeds to hold both the express and local train in the station for, you guessed it, train traffic ahead of us. I never thought I'd say this but clearly there are too many trains in the system. We wait. And wait. Thankfully there are other trains here so I switch to the D train downstairs.

The D is a fast train. I know this because it normally goes express from 59th street to 125th.  It will not let me down.  I only need to take it a few stops and then I am free. Wait, what is this noise between 42nd and 47-50th? Could that be a horn blowing? Yes it is. Apparently there are workers on the track and we have to crawl our way through. Why would you work on the subway tracks during morning rush hour? Oh yeah, because they are older than a Southern Grandpa and are falling apart. Constantly.

So I get off again. Yes really. Believe me, you can' t make up this kind of neurosis. But just in case, I took some photos:

                                                                                                                               

Here I am a Radio City Music Hall.
No I did not see the Rockettes. 

Here is the 1 train station where I paid
another $2.25 for the privilege of riding a
train that moves.

Finally I get on the 1 train and arrive, without any further mishap, at my final destination. I quickly put down some mats, toss some toys around and head out the door. It is 10:45am.

Screw you MTA!