It's a helluva town

People, I do not know how anyone lives in New York for realsies. We arrived Saturday for a one-week stay, and this city has already both completely kicked my ass AND stolen my pocketbook (not really, it's a metaphor). Work is great: there's almost nowhere I'd rather spend my days than in a darkened theater discussing lighting states and staging options. (I say almost because I wouldn't mind at all spending a few more days in Tuscany ogling sunflower fields and eating my body weight in pasta, obvs.) CM is with me, dutifully playing Opera Husband while still managing to get oodles of work done. The weather isn't horrid. We're seeing friends.

HOWEVER. This morning I spent half an hour on the A train, standing awkwardly close to strangers, stuck between stations. Every few minutes the conductor announced that we were stopped due to track work, and that we'd be moving again in "just a few moments." Then she would (in what could only be a passive aggressive display of irony) thank us for our patience, every time. When we finally got started again, there was a collective sigh of relief, which is how I know that the woman next to me ate an onion bagel for breakfast. Then, inexplicably, with nary a thanks for our patience, the express train started making local stops. I don't know why. No one was getting off the train, but there were large crowds at every single station, cramming into the car in waves. After an hour and change, I finally got off the train and tasted fresh air at Columbus Circle. I arrived at work 10 minutes before our tech session started.

This is not a civilized way to live.

I think I miss my SUV. (Feel free to judge.)