Let me start by recounting Christmas eve. I probably should have followed beanie’s lead and went to church. Unfortunaltey, I wasn’t in the mood to burst into flames that night so I went out with Naomi and Taz. Mistake number one (albeit a good one). Next came the Zhiguly Grand 9.5 which I saw advertised outside of a bodega. 99 cents for half a litre of beer? Sounded like an excellent idea to me. And thus began the roller coaster ride.
After about 1 and a half of these (oh, the 9.5 means 9.5lcohol), a couple of Sam Adams, some chocolate (which I should have known would kick me in the ass in the morning), and a room full of pot smokers, I was ready to go. Worst part was that it was only around midnight. Either way, I woke up on Christmas morning and felt as if I were getting over a hangover so I ate some food and got ready to go visit the fam. I had no way of knowing that Johnny Hangover had other plans for me after my night of crapulence. By noon, I was back in bed and finally had the sense to take some medicine around 3 which, for the record, did absolutely nothing. Add to this the constant ringing of the phone (I felt bad about turning it off and was somewhat interested to see who would call) and my inability to throw up and you can get a pretty good idea of what happened.
Keep in mind now that I usually don’t have a problem having sex with the exes but there comes a point where you have to reflect on these things. That point came tonight when I was having sex and was more interested in what was going on outside my window than in my bed. As a general rule, I think that it might be a good idea to end relationships where the sex wasn’t all that great with the gift of some sort of self-pleasuring aparatus. In this way, if sex ever comes up all that you need to say is something along the lines of “oh, what happened to that vibrator that I gave you?” Please don’t get me wrong, sex isn’t everything in a relationship but more that a few have been built on sex alone. Either way, there won’t be any of that business going on in 2006.
Update five minuted later:
Oh, to all of the people that called or texted me today, thank you for you kindness and I’ll get back to you today.
Well, the TWU has decided that they’ll go back to work and back to the negotiating table with the MTA. I’ll be glad to be able to get around again but if the pension issue is supposed to be dealt with in the State Legislature, then it seems like the union is back to the 3/4/3 offer that the MTA initially gave them. So what was the point of the whole thing??? Any one care to answer that for me?
So, as any of you who know me know, I change my mind more often than a 42nd street hooker drops her drawers. Instead of heading into Brooklyn to look at the TWU picket lines, I went shopping for Christmas gifts. When I got to Target and spoke to one of their workers who was riding the elevator with me (nothing like a captive audience!), I discovered that they were paying for their employees rides there and back home. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many employees there. This I discovered from a supervisor who was lamenting about her lack of staff…maybe this is an everyday thing though because I saw more than a few groups of Target elves hanging about. Either way, I’ve decided to stop and get my drink on in Park Slope after which I will return home to recharge and come out for more fun. Drink up ladies and gents, it’s going to be a long one!!!
The cop in the foreground looked at me like she wanted to frisk me after I took this picture. Luckily there was a guy soliciting illegal cab fares that seemed a bit more appealing to her.
An empty Target is my dream come true…
So I went outside and after walking around for a couple of blocks and seeing a couple of quite interesting thigs (mostly people standing at bus stops) I realised that my toes were frozen. As you know, my body pretty much shuts down once the temperature goes below 90. That being said, I came back home to put on my industrial strength Napolean Dynamite moon boots (hot shit). Anyway, I’m going back out, here’s a picture of someone with a bike.
Off to the picket lines…
OK kiddies, as I’m sure that you know (and you in particular Beanie…sorry but there’s nothing like some 5AM gloating) the MTA is on strike. So for all of you that would be going to work today you will most likely be heading to your nearest local bars. Thankfully for me, I live within walking distance of Williamsburg so I’ll be able to hit a couple of cool places. Additionally, I’ll probably be able to meet a couple of transit workers at the Turkeys Nest tavern. Here’s a quote that I got from my boy (and fellow Trini (no one call me on that)) Roger Toussaint who, if you don’t know, is the President of the TWU:
Dec. 20 – With a one billion dollar surplus contract between the MTA and Transport Workers Union Local 100 should have been a no brainier. Sadly that has not been the case.
Our contract expired midnight on Thursday. In an attempt to save Mass Transit an in deference to our riders, we postponed our deadline and attempted to continue talking to the MTA.
From the beginning, the MTA approached these negotiations in bad faith, demanding arbitration before even trying to resolve the contract. Hours before contract expiration, the MTA got rid of its one billion dollar surplus — a surplus which we believe continues to be understated by some one hundred million dollars.
The MTA knew that reducing health and pension standards at the authority would be unacceptable to our union. They knew there was no good economic reason for their hard line on this issue – not with a billion dollar surplus. They went ahead anyway, supported by the Bloomberg administration which wants to overrun Municipal Labor Unions and all City workers with down pressed wages and gutted health benefits and pension plans.
This has been combined with continued attempts by the MTA, joined by the Governor and the Mayor, to intimidate and threaten our members and their families.
This is a fight over whether hard work will be rewarded with a decent retirement — over the erosion or eventual elimination of health benefit coverage for working people. And it is a fight over dignity and respect on the job. A concept that is very alien to the MTA. Transit workers are tired at being under appreciated and disrespected.
The Local 100 Executive Board has voted overwhelmingly to extend strike action to all MTA properties effective immediately.
All Local 100 representatives and shop stewards are directed to report to their assigned strike locations picket lines or facility nearest you immediately.
To our riders, we ask for your understanding forbearance. We stood with you to keep token booths open, to keep conductors on the train and oppose fare hikes. We now ask that you stand with us. We did not want a strike. Evidently the MTA, governor and the Mayor did.
We call on all good will New Yorkers, the Labor Community, and all working people to recognize that our fight is their fight, and to rally in our support with solidarity activities and events. And to show the MTA that TWU does not stand alone.
-Roger Toussaint, President, TWU Local 100
OK, I’m going out to take some pics of walkers. More later today…
Anyone want to get together today???
