2005-06-21 - 3:08 p.m.

The thing about New York is you never know when it is appropriate to be human to a stranger. This morning I got on the subway and sat next to a man that had his hands over his eyes. I noticed he was also sniffling. At first I couldn’t tell if it was allergies or if he was crying… he was crying. What is the protocol there? I had tissues in my bag but I was stuck. Should I offer him one, thereby admitting that I had eavesdropped on his weeping, or should I just mind my own business and carry on like I hadn’t noticed? He got off the train at the next stop so I did nothing. But I want to open the lines to see what anyone else would have done. Would you gotten all up in his Kool-Aid or just ignored it??
I am back from the UK and I had a fantastic time. The wedding was great; they had rented an old country manor that had been turned into a hotel. We had it to ourselves the entire evening. It wasn’t hard to imagine what it looked like when it was a private residence, in fact, P is now thinking we should get one... you know with all the spare money we have. The grounds were amazing with peacocks just wandering the lawns. How great is that? At the risk of going all Veruca Salt on you… I want peacocks to wander around my house! I want them now! So there you have it… I wore a big hat, saw peacocks and oh! I danced to Scottish folk songs like I was born in the highlands. When she told me they hired a Celi band, I thought it was a bold choice, but I have to say if someone asked me to Scottish square dance again, I would pack up my shit and move to Aberdeen!
Ipods. Have you guys heard of these? They are absolutely fantastic. P bought me one for my birthday and I have to say, “How did I live without one?” It’s like having a soundtrack for your life! There I am walking down the street in my imaginary music video. A flick of your eyes to the right on the beat maybe a flick of the hair during the chorus; I am sure I look like a complete freak but I don’t care. When they were first introduced I thought they were cool but just wasn’t that bothered to run out and get one. I am just not cool enough to have to own the latest technology, my dad is though. He will buy the first generation of any new technological development… the problem is he keeps it FOREVER. “It’s fine. It just needs to be cleaned”, was a phrase heard often in childhood.
In the late seventies my dad bought a VCR. It wasn’t a Betamax but it was definitely the first VCR that rolled off the line. When my dad brought it home it was like a new baby. Neighbors came over to look at it and marvel at the strides in technology. The concept of renting a movie was so novel. To record movies, football games, and TV shows right off the TV? Wow, this is practically on line with the invention of the wheel! There it was with its top loading video slot and its own remote control! We didn’t even have a remote control for our TV, we had moved up in the world. Of course the remote did have about a 20 foot cord that attached to the VCR. But we looked at it as a benefit, you could fast forward or rewind from anywhere in the house! This was also way before the first Blockbuster opened. We had to drive thirty minutes away to rent a movie and there were only about 20 to choose from. We did tape every movie that was shown on cable though so in essence we really were the first video shop. Side bar- How much did I love Mommy Dearest? I wonder if that has anything to do with my hatred of wire hangers.
Years later the pride of being the first on the block with a VCR had dimmed. Over the years newer models were introduced and ours looked like it belonged in the Smithsonian next to the Model T. When friends would come to watch a video we didn’t bother with the remote anymore. It was just too embarrassing having to explain why it had a jump rope attached to it.
But the VCR wasn’t the only technology bandwagon my dad jumped on. Oh no, there were gems like the 8 track answering machine the size of a microwave, the microwave the size of a dishwasher and the dishwasher that hooked up to the sink. They have literally just replaced the avocado green washer and dryer they bought before I was born last year. My dad has also kept his reel to reel, eight track, and turntable. Currently in their basement are speakers the size of a ten year old. Good times. I can still picture my dad rockin’ out to some Sly and the Family Stone with his blue suede leisure suit and platforms. There, I said… my dad is Huggy Bear.

previous - next