The A-train Experience

On the way downtown to work this morning, I was riding the A-train as I am wont to do, and over the PA system I hear "...Welcome back from your weekend. This is the downtown A experience..." Now when I first heard that, I was very pleased with how outstanding it was, and I couldn't wait to get to my computer so I could write about it. But then I thought, hold on, what if the guy just said "This is the downtown A express train," which clearly sounds similar? Then my readers would think I was a lunatic and probably make fun of me forever (which is not a dissimilar situation to the one in which I find myself with my brother, whose 1-12 DeShaws team beat my 7-5 Heights team in softball yesterday. Although I did hit 1 for 2 with a double and a walk for a BA of .500, an OBP of .667, a SLG of 1.000 and an OPS of 1.667. However, I did pop out for the last out of the game). Az I listened carefully for the announcement when it came next, and it turned out, to my immense pleasure, that I heard correctly the first time. Now obviously I wouldn't refer to my daily commute as an "experience" of any particular interest, but I found it highly entertaining all the same. I associate the word experience with an event that is unusual or extraordinary. For example, I always refer to getting ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery as an "ice cream experience." It's because it's unlike any other trip to get ice cream. You get to watch them mix in the toppings, but the ice cream doesn't melt because they do the mixing on a freezing rock. And when you give them a tip, they sing. Oh, and also the ice cream is really good. Now THAT'S an extraordinary experience. Riding the A-train is the very definition of commonplace.

Okay, now I haven't mentioned my Dvorak typing for a while, but since you asked, I'll tell you that it's going very well. I'm up to around 70 words per minute, az I'm inching my way up to where I was with Qwerty. I'm definitely noticing that it's much easier to type this way; I really barely have to move my fingers at all. Now when I watch someone else type Qwerty I definitely notice how hard they're working when they type. Anyway, you know how when people are typing quickly and not-so-carefully, like when they're IMing, they tend to spell things incorrectly all the time. Like they'll type something like "teh" instead of "the," or "goping" instead of "going," or "ewhat" instead of "what." You know what I'm talking about? Because of the arrangement of the keys, if you miss your button by a little bit and hit the button next to it at the same time, you'll end up putting an extra letter in here and there. Az people get used to these things because they see it so often. But since I'm typing Dvorak I write typos that look weird. Like instead of typing "going" I'll write "goidng," or instead of "what" I'll write "whtat." I might not have explained that very well at all, but what can you do? It is what it is.

That's okay if you don't get it; nothing can dampen my spirits today. I even called a girl a "primate" today, and she said that was so nice. I guess I just get into these moods sometimes. Even though Jaime and Kameron both lost in "Az You Think You Can Dance" last week, I'm still in an obscenely good mood. Maybe because we're rapidly approaching wedding season. I dunno. I just hope it lasts.