The best laid plans...

So here was our grandmaster plan for today. My friend Kristy and I were going to meet up at 9:20 to catch the 9:34 train. We had figured that the 9:34 train would be good because we'd probably miss most of the rush hour commute crowd, but probably not a lot of people would be heading to the parade just yet. We would buy our tickets at the platform to save a few bucks. Once we got on the train, I was going to text my friend who was getting on a few stops later to let him know where we were sitting, so we could all sit together. We'd get there nice and early before the parade started so we'd get a good place to stand. We'd watch the parade, and then try and get on a train around 3 or 4 so we could beat the rush hour traffic going back. We'd be home by dark. What a great day we'd have!

Boy, were we naive.

We got to the train station at 9:15 and the platform was swarming with people. I've never seen anything like it. There must have been at least 250 people there, if not more. I've never seen more than, like, six people at my train station. We waited for two hours. They sold out of tickets, and you had to buy a ticket on the train, but all of the trains were filled to capacity by the time they had reached our stop (and we're, like, the third or fourth stop on the line), and the trains were just whizzing by. They had to bring in the cops because people were pushing and shoving on the platform, and they were concerned about the safety of everyone, especially children, who were pushing people right near the platform where trains were whizzing by without stopping. We couldn't even get physically near the platform anyway. We were told to expect at least an hour delay for a train, if not more.

We were there about two hours (we took a break to get coffee) and we got back and there was no sign of improvement (We found out later that while we were out getting coffee, they were actually telling people to go home because they were most likely not getting on a train, and possibly not able to get a train back because they were shutting down the line. This was only 10 AM, and the parade was not even due to start until noon). I had texted my friend, and he said the same thing was going on at his station- complete and utter chaos with no chance of improvement. He was giving up and going home. Since we realized that we'd been at the train station for two hours and the chances of getting on a train were slim, and the chances of getting home were even slimmer, we decided to give up. We went to Trader Joe's instead and each bought groceries, and then came back and watched the parade at my place. We probably got a better view from my TV than we would have if we had actually been down there. In fact, we'd still be trying to get there and miss the parade altogether, and that would have upset me a lot more than not going at all. I'm actually not really that upset by it. It would have been nice to go, but it was complete and utter chaos. They estimated that THREE MILLION PEOPLE were down there. I don't think they were expecting that magnitude of a crowd. We agreed that this was much better! We watched part of the parade on TV, and then we ate lunch outside on my balcony because it was a beautiful warm day, and then we went to Wegmans, and then we went our separate ways. And that's fine by me! I would have loved to have been there, but I think it would have been more trouble than it was worth. I would have gotten down there, missed the parade, and been stuck in the city without a way to get home (they've actually SHUT DOWN the trains, the last I heard). That would have upset me a hell of a lot more, I assure you! Oh well... at least I'm safe and sound in my own home!

I still have a lot of book news to post, but right now I'm on trick-or-treater alert, so it will probably have to wait until tomorrow. Since I ended up getting all of my grocery shopping done today, I don't have to go this weekend, and that opened my weekend wide up! Fine by me... I desperately need to catch up on sleep (I got up at 7:45 today to essentially walk to the train station and stand for two hours, haha), and I need to just relax and chill. The past few weeks have been absolutely insane, and the mental and physical exhaustion is finally starting to creep on me a bit! :-D

If I get a little more energy, I might post book news tonight, but don't count on it. :-)

Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! :-)