A Busy Week

This week won't go down in history as one of my favorites. It's been a draining one.

Max's (formerly known as "BabyBee") daycare was closed on Tuesday, so I brought him to the back-up daycare center in my office building, which is run by Bright Horizons and is one of the benefits provided at my job. He actually had a great day, but I needed to give him a bottle on both legs of our extensive T ride. This was not an easy maneuver, but we managed. Having to contend with this change to my routine was interesting though. Usually I spend most of my commute on my Blackberry and/or ipod, and there was none of that happening.

On Wednesday we followed our usual pattern, which means I take the Green Line, C Branch, to pick up Max from his daycare. Then we walk a few blocks and get on the D branch to take that train home. We're on the train together for three stops, just about 10 minutes in total. We got off the train at Newton Highlands. That train continued on, and two stops later, approximately 10 minutes after we got off, it rear ended another train and the driver of my train was crushed by the impact.

I have been very upset and freaked out by this. At the point where Max and I get on the train, you are supposed to pay your fare (I have a monthly pass, so the T gets no new revenue despite me switching lines - but I usually try to follow protocol and get on at the front of the train). The front of the car seemed particularly crowded that day, so I made eye contact with the driver. I held up my pass and motioned that Max and I and his stroller were going to a door at the back. She waved me through.

Later that night, while she was still trapped in the wreckage (I have not seen when they declared her time of death to be, whether it was on impact or some time later), I saw her father on the news coverage. Based on his appearance, I was pretty sure he was the father of the driver of my train, and my heart went out to him. Fortunately, almost everyone on board was able to walk off the train, and just a dozen people were treated at local hospitals (it is estimated that a total of 200 people were on both trains).

I am incredibly thankful that Max and I got off the T when we did - I can't imagine what that would have been like. I don't want to imagine it. But I have been, over and over, since then. I'm not sure I'll ever get on a train again without thinking about it. And this is something I do five days a week.

Generally I'm a big fan of the T. It has its annoyances, to be sure - constantly running late, stopping unnecessarily long at certain stations, too crowded, too noisy - but it is a much better alternative than me driving downtown and paying outrageous parking fees. I know the chances of an accident like this happening are very slim, and far less than the chance of a car accident fatality. But it did shake me out of my "I love the Green Line" reverie.

On a MUCH, MUCH lighter note, I went to see the "Sex and the City" movie last night. My best friend and I purchased tickets about a week ago. We both figured that if we didn't go on the night it opened, we just wouldn't make the effort afterward, since we knew we see spoilers everywhere. We both expected it to be an okay movie, but nothing great.

We were pleasantly surprised. Despite the series being gone for so long now, it was easy to fall right back into the rhythm of SATC. I've always had an affinity for Miranda, and enjoyed her plot line very much. Charlotte had some great lines (though I don't appreciate potty humor, and was a bit sad that they brought that in). The movie was indeed long, but I felt it was necessary to show that happy endings can take their time in coming to you. We left the theater happy that we gotten to see it for ourselves, and saying that we would tell others to see it as well.

One point to note about the audience though - this isn't your living room! The theater was packed with women, gay men, and the occasional husband, and we were shocked at the noise level before the film started. The crowd cheered at the first sight of pink-colored font, and also cheered at the end. The group of women behind us felt it necessary to talk throughout the film, making little comments on the fashion or a funny line. While that is acceptable at home, it didn't feel right in the theater, and did detract from the experience. I don't particularly care whether or not you, strangers behind me, like Carrie's wedding gown - but maybe the discussion is part of the point and what makes SATC such a different experience.

Funny though, that for me the most decadent part of the evening was getting to use a public restroom without a child in tow! A rare moment indeed.