It Happened Last Night

I submitted this listing to Craigslist’s Missed Connections:

Downtown D Train around 7:45 p.m., Thurs., 4/6 THANKS
Reply to: pers-306975493@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-04-06, 1:13AM EDT

Tonight, I found out the hard way that projectile vomit isn’t just a special effect from “The Exorcist.” I thought I’d be able to make it off the D train at Broadway-Lafayette but trying to hold it in just made it worse. After I threw up (explosively) on the train, a few passengers scurried away in disgust.

But some of you came through for me. I would like to thank the woman who gave me a plastic bag so I could clean up, the men who handed me wads of napkins, the train conductor who came out of his compartment to ask if I was OK, and above all, the red-haired guy who actually helped me clean up my mess. Your kindness was unexpected, and I can’t thank you enough.

And for those who were wondering but chose to mind their own business, I apologize for having overdone it. I’d given blood for the first time only half an hour earlier. I thought I was good to go but apparently losing one pint of blood does take a toll on one’s body, and I should have rested more before returning to my feet. (Not to discourage anyone from donating blood–just remember to give your body time to recover!)

*Location: D Train

No, it was not a fun experience. Yes, I’m feeling better.

Movie Plugs

Twin Peaks: The Second Season is finally available on DVD, five years after The First Season came out. The season one DVD set got me hooked on the series, but in the intervening five years, I had to scrounge for VHS copies of season two. Maybe this release will foster a new legion of fans. “Damn good coffee!”

For fans of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, directed by Edgar Wright, will be in theatres Friday, Apr. 20. I’ve always enjoyed movies with recurring casts. Although Simon Pegg plays a much more competent guy in this movie than he did in Shaun of the Dead, it’s good to see Nick Frost again cast as the bumbling sidekick and Bill Nighy bring a faintly sinister edge to his character.

For fans of the Russian fantasy thriller Night Watch comes Day Watch, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, opening on Friday, June 1. Night Watch reminded me of The Matrix movies in its epic scope and action sequences. I know some people thought it was cheesy, and I agree that its story about the eternal struggle between good and evil isn’t masterfully original. Still, the movie had some gorgeous cinematography, and I expect to be awed by the effects in this second movie in a planned trilogy. (The final movie will be Dusk Watch.)

Happening: High Line Festival 2007

What: Inaugural High Line Festival, a multidisciplinary arts festival. David Bowie is curating this year’s edition.
When: Wed., May 9-Sat., May 19, 2007
Where: Assorted New York City venues, including (but not limited to) the following:

May 9 | Arcade Fire, Radio City Music Hall
May 10 | Air, Theatre at Madison Square Garden
May 11-May 18 | Bowie Picks, 10 Spanish Language Classics of the Last 100 Years, Clearview Chelsea Cinemas
May 19 | Ricky Gervais, Theatre at Madison Square Garden

Cost: Varies

A portion of the proceeds will go to Friends of the High Line, which is working with the City of New York to convert an old elevated railway in Manhattan into a park.

A Conversation at Work

Me, standing on scale: Is this number right?
Ricardo: Well, you might want to take off about four pounds from whatever the scale says.
Me: Oh, is the scale off by a little bit?
Ricardo: No, because you have a box in your arms.

I had a box of Mini Moos (creamers), which I’d just grabbed from the supply cabinet. It totally slipped my mind that I was still holding onto that box when I stepped onto the scale. I can be an idiot sometimes.

Happening: The Changes

What: The Changes
When: Tues., Mar. 20, at 10 p.m. | Wed., Mar. 21, doors open at 8 p.m.
Where: Pianos, New York, NY | Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: $10, both shows
The Changes are a great little indie group from Chicago. I’ve only seen them play live once, about three years back, but they’ve since become one of my favorite bands because of their smart, earnest lyrics and fun sound. Reminiscent of The Sea and Cake.