'Round the neighborhood

Taking the commuter rail out to the 'burbs a few times a week is always a good time. I get to enjoy the nice walk downtown, the picturesque vistas from train, and the last minute sprint to make it onto the platform before the train pulls out of the station. I've discovered that regardless of what time I actually leave my apartment I get to the commuter rail within 30 seconds of train departure. It's gotten to the point that one of the regular conductors, Bob, has taken to calling me 'Lucky,' as in the lucky girl who reliably almost-misses-yet-still-makes-the-train three days a week. He says it endearingly and with a slight bit of awe (most likely because the probability of me missing the train is so high in theory and so low in actual occurrence) so I'll take it as a compliment. I am, if nothing else, consistent.

Also, before my phone departed to the big cellular tower in the sky I downloaded some photos off it from adventures around town. This is what I saw.

The first is taken off an electrical box in Cambridge. It's a reindeer sticker, with the words "You Need News glasses" taken out from its sticker body. I'm not sure what it means, but the juxtaposition of reindeer and that phrase could be anything, but it is something we can all agree on: very deep.

Then there was a sign near downtown that was clearly put up with care and consideration. It reads "Trucks Excluded." Or rather, it would "trucks excluded" it were put up in not upside down. Your tax dollars at work here, people! Oh, how we laughed.

Lastly is what very well may be my favorite camera phone photo in the history all history. Some background for those not Massachusetts savvy: Boston has many brightly different colored train lines that get you where you need to go. One of my favorite (and perhaps the most superfluous) is the Blue line, which has many stops that seem made up (Maverick and Wood Island, por ejemplo.) The last stop on the Blue line lies Wonderland, sounding all magical and disney-esque. I'm told it is a pretty typical outer-city suburban area- I do not care. Wonderland sounds fantastical.

The other day while waiting for the blue line train to take me home I noticed a new addition to the subway map. Someone had added a sticker of a horse and, to add joy to the magic, had drawn on a pink horn on the horse. Thus it became the unicorn of Wonderland. Someone should write a book. It makes me want to go experience Wonderland even more. Bring the kids!