Obviously if you’ve ever been on the Harlem Line you know that the tracks run alongside various bodies of water. An astute observer can see the Kensico Dam in Valhalla… And around the stations of Purdy’s through Katonah if you look out you will notice the Muscoot Reservoir. Over the summer I purchased a small row boat in order to go out on the reservoir. The DEP is actually rather strict what varieties of boat can go out, and where the boats must be kept.

My boat was assigned a spot up in Purdy’s, and it is named the Brazilian Nut. Train conductor Guy actually came up with the name, because the best I could come up with was Horizon, and I didn’t really like that much. Anyways, one afternoon I decided to row down to where I live in Goldens Bridge, which is about two and a half miles. The water runs parallel to the train tracks, so I watched all the trains go by. I also saw a rather large machine go by on the tracks, I think to clean the tracks. While I was rowing, closer to Goldens Bridge I saw some man near a tunnel, and the next time I looked, he had disappeared. A few weeks ago I decided to take my boat and investigate.

I found a random little tunnel, accessible only by boat, where you can sort of hide out, right under the railroad tracks. Honest to god though, I’d be really freaked out if I was under there when the diesel train going up to Wassaic went by. Hell, I was freaked out when there weren’t any trains going by, there were lots of spiders hanging out under there too. Here are a few pictures I took while investigating the tunnel.

Sadly, the days are too short for me to take the boat out after work, and most weekends I am busy, so I have retired it for the season. Next summer if you pass by Goldens Bridge and you see a little green rowboat out on the water, it may be me, sitting out and watching the trains go by.

Guy asked me the other day, “so what are you reading?”
And I replied, “A Star Trek book. I’m almost always reading Star Trek books.”

The train is great because I’ve seriously read around 40 books this year. The commute gives me plenty of time to read. I just happened to be reading another Star Trek book this morning, one about the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. Bajorans are those aliens with the nose ridges, and wear the big earrings.

Like this guy…

So I get off the train at White Plains this morning, I go downstairs to sit, and I am like, “holy crap! Is that guy wearing a Bajoran earring?!”

Nope, he isn’t.

I guess I looked too quick. Anyone that has spent any time at White Plains knows this guy. He’s the one who is always wearing a winter coat, even on the hottest days of summer. He also gets into good conversations with himself. I thought the earrings were so great I took a picture… only later on did I notice he was also carrying a purse. These spectacular fake-bling earrings were on both ears… and he was also wearing a fat rope chain.

Like this, just add girly fake clipon earrings

What a normal day in White Plains.

I was slightly amused this morning… happened to find a post someone made on Craigslist, looking for a girl he met last night on the train.

Saw you on the train as I walked up the isle and took the seat diagonal to the right of you. You were messing around with your Blackberry Storm – seemed like you were having trouble playing the music, hope it finally works now. You had excellent taste in music, from what I saw you were rocking Kings of Leon (my fav), The Veronicas and The Beatles White Ablum (another good one). Also, not that I was totally stalking you, I saw that you ticket was to Crestwood when the conductor came by so you live pretty close, I’m from Bronxville. We made eye contact when I was standing up in front of you as we pulled into Bronxville, that’s when I noticed you had amazing eyes. I’d really like to hear from you and see if we have anything else in common besides good taste in music…

You: Attractive girl, dark hair with what seemed like redish highlights and a clip in it, light eyes and manicured nails.
Me: Dark curly hair (I needed a haircut), 5 o’clock shadow, jeans and white long sleeve shirt and black messenger bag

Good luck finding her, dude. It isn’t such a crazy idea… a few years back Patrick Moberg found his mystery subway girl after starting a website called NYGirlofmyDreams.com Though I guess the illustration and website is a bit more creative than Craigslist.

You can see the original post on Craigslist here.

The New York Lottery has come up with this new game: Sweet Million. They’ve been advertising like crazy in trains and stations, but I don’t think I really mind. The kitties and puppies and bunnies are so cuuute! The bunny poster is up in my Metro North train, and apparently the Times Square subway station is covered everywhere with ads for it. Large posters on the walls, backlit posters, ads covering the stairs, and ads wrapped around pillars… most of which are in the vicinity of the S train / Shuttle to Grand Central.

It may be the “easiest way to win a million with a dollar” but with 1:3,838,380 odds, “easy” is still pretty damn hard. Hell even I considered purchasing one of these tickets… and I usually think of the lottery as a tax for the stupid people. I am very well aware how ads influence me.

Anyways, enjoy some cuteness. And uhh… maybe buy a lotto ticket. If you do win a million, split it with me?

So this weekend was pretty interesting… and rather busy. I was in the city both Saturday and Sunday, and thankfully at least one of the days wasn’t terrible weather-wise. Saturday started out with me, rather embarrassingly, getting chased by a security guard at the Nintendo Store. When he finally caught up with me, he demanded, “Where are your parents?” Apparently he thought I looked around 15 years of age, and people under 18 need to have a parent present. Of course this has never been a problem every other darn time I’ve been at the store… but I suppose the guard did feel like an ass when I told him that I’m actually turning 25 next week. All of my older friends tell me I should be enjoying this… but getting asked if I want a kids’ menu, asked if I am here visiting my parents on my first day at a new job, and such does tend to be rather annoying.

Thankfully, that event was not the highlight of the weekend. I had a pretty awesome time today at the Transit Museum’s Bus Festival, and the Atlantic Antic. Honestly before today I was unaware what the Atlantic Antic even was, and I must say I was totally surprised about how massive it was… and the amazing amount of people that were there. And the bus festival itself certainly had a major turnout of people, and the weather was great for it.

I suppose it took a little longer to get down there than I had originally anticipated, with delightful weekend subway service changes, but it wasn’t too bad.

Though apparently other people were less than thrilled

About a block from the museum the road was closed off to traffic, and the museum’s bus fleet was parked along both sides of the street. There were old buses, as well as more current versions. There was a tent for children to make and decorate their own little buses, and a table on which they could drive their creations. I swear I don’t think I’ve seen quite so many “mini-railfans” all in one place before… A child, who couldn’t have been more than five years old, pushed his bus/train while announcing, “This is a Brooklyn-bound Two Train! Stand clear of the closing doors!” I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

All in all I think it was a pretty great day, and though I probably could write a lot more, I should be sleeping and not blogging… back to work tomorrow! Anyways, enjoy a bunch of pictures that I took today…