Apollo Signature, Englewood, New Jersey
No joke, Choke, a year ago, April 30, 2009, I was where I am today (literally), preparing to take my "final" trip from New York Penn Station (34th Street) on an over-packed New Jersey Transit train to Rahway, New Jersey...to a home filled with boxes, unplugged televisions and a UHaul awaiting to be packed with a grip of items in the household.
Yes, my last official night in Carteret, New Jersey was exactly one year ago, a Thursday night, and man oh man....how much has changed and gotten better (and better and better).........I still remember the jog to the train......the sweaty elbows moving left and right as I worked my way to a middle, standing section........the conductors fighting their way through tons of standing people.......errryone with their, "Got d*mnit! Every day this routine!"
But me?
Smiling, almost laughing I remember. From Penn Station to Newark to Newark Airport to Rahway.....man, I even remember the "threshold" I felt like passing after walking through the train door and dropping my NJ Transit Train Pass in the garbage....such a revelation.........for four, five years it was always the same.......delayed trains, "Sorry folks, but an AmTrak car has delayed our route into New York by 25 minutes...." and on rainy days? Pweeeease, hoping the trains would run on time after work was like believing you could actually fake-sleep to the Tooth Fairy and hold her for ransom.
(laugh)
A year ago, I made the drive from the Rahway Parking Garage for the last time and got home to an empty place filled with packaged boxes, misplaced furniture.......but man, the future was so enticing, so rewarding, just having an opportunity to foresee my near-future........sure, the next morning would be packed with tons of grunt, hard-work, but imagine a jailed (innocent) convict being told he/she could leave the facility after finishing up a few last tasks.......needless to say, the pain I felt from pounds and pounds and pounds and pounds and pounds of items was pleasing..........
I still remember my two dogs looking at me confused, a little concerned (I would be too, if in their places), but with a smile I assured them it would be better than they could imagine.......thankfully mom dukes has ---> had a wireless PC card I was able to use for my Apple ---> Dell laptop at the time and was able to work the night away (watching the NBA Play-Offs with the final television in the living room still hooked up), with a big bottle of Coke, eager hands churning stories (for SOHH, baby!!!!) which would get published throughout the next day as I worked my tail off......so to any SOHH(.com) heads, those stories from May 1st, 2009 came courtesy of the night before.......as each one was scheduled for publishing, I was drenched in sweat, body getting more and more sore.....taking not one, but TWO trips from Carteret, New Jersey to Englewood, New Jersey.......as the UHaul couldn't fit errrrything the first time around...........
A year ago......man. I love life.
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