Strike! Strike! Strike

Only three weeks in and already I am experiencing New York City history. This morning at 3am the NYC transit workers went on strike. No subways, no buses. The last time this happened in 1980 the strike lasted 11 days. It so happened that I had planned to meet a friend for lunch on 55th St today. So, I dressed in layers (it's in the 30s today), put on my comfy sneakers, plugged in the iPod, walked out of my apartment in the Village and off I went. It's a beautiful sunny day and most people seemed to have a pretty good sense of humor about the whole thing. However, I think that good humor will only last a day or two and then people will begin to get grouchy. I'm not sure how I feel about this politically. I believe in unions but it just feels wrong to do this right before the holiday. I know that's the way to get the most leverage but it hardly serves the greater good, which, to my mind, is part of the original mission behind the creation of unions in the first place.

So, I walked up to 55th - it only took me about an hour - had lunch with Maren and then turned around and headed home. I walked through Times Square for the first time since being here. It's so dense and there is so much media leaping out at you but I kind of love it. On my way home I turned my iPod back on and as I hit 42nd Street in Times Square again The Decemberists song "I Was Meant for the Stage" came on. I am choosing to take that as a good omen.