Not Lost

Tonight I traipsed over to Pier 54 and to see _Julie and Julia_ under the stars. Before we get there, there's the little question of the subway. Where I'm at in Queens the subway starts above ground, which is no big deal. It is also a quick jaunt from the airport. So, on more than a few occasions the local will encounter the traveler wanting directions. Tonight was one of those occasions. A couple asked me how to get to Times Square, and I told them to take the Q or N to 42d. I told them the end location on the train, and I told them the direction it would go. The Q was coming up. They kept saying they were told the N, which is the same, and that they needed a train in the other direction. I hopped on my Q, and as I pulled away I saw them still standing there. I can't help but wonder if they didn't get on the wrong train. Even better, as I'm standing on the 14th Street platform waiting for the Q back home Crackberring this post another tourist asked me similar directions. Funny.

In great literary fashion this is where I would have an instant flashback to my subway debacle in 1997, but I told you in my post yesterday that I've had that already. The short end of it is that my friend Sonya and I were talking and got sidetracked and realized so when we saw ourselves above ground, in what I now know to be Astoria, Queens. We got off, and we found a cab. We told him to take us to Broadway. If New Yorkers are reading this they can see where this is going, and I'm sure there are several chuckles occurring. Our cabbie headed over, and asked us where on Broadway. We said the TCKTS booth, or somesuch. The cabbie was not happy, started cursing, and hauled us back to Manhattan as we couldn't figure out what was taking so long.

What I left out was us walking for nearly two hours in Queens, completely fucking lost. Hence, there was a reason (though somewhat irrational) that I detested Queens for years. Thirteen years later it is hilarious. Then...not so much.

Tonight I am not lost. I am on my N to Astoria, getting off at 30th. Yea, I took the N because it is quicker than the Q in coming tonight.

As for the movie, the Julie character is narcissistic, but it is still a "feel good" kind of flick. Last year when I saw it in the theaters I fought off tears as I felt my heart break at every NY scene. I missed the one place I truly call home, identify with, and love more than I thought I possibly could. Tonight my heart hurts for other reasons, and I didn't have to fight back tears. I even enjoyed hearing a woman continually yell for people to sit down. This movie might just be my new cozy up movie. _With Honors_ has done it for years, but I think a second contender can play.

On that note, I'm above ground again and my stop is two up. I have to leave the cool AC of the train to walk a few blocks home on this gorgeous and sticky hot night.

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