update

by the way, I still have not gotten my reduced fare metrocard... it is now into the third week from mailing, but who's counting? Me, that's who! I just had to put MORE money on my regular priced metrocard to go anywhere.

Comparison Shopping for Public Services for the Antique Citizen:

DMV -- Elapsed time doing the paperwork - 15 minutes, replacement Driver's License door to door in 8/9 days.

Social Security Administration -- Paperwork online in 10 minutes or less. Deposit began on schedule, no problems.

Medicare -- Paperwork - even less than Social Security since it was covered when I did my SSA application and I just didn't realize it. One hiccup in qualification but it was resolved as promised in 30 days.

Metropolitan Transit Authority -- Paperwork took DAYS, photography required, notarization required and more information than any of the above. Delivery -- not yet at 16 days and counting.

More sightings of a visual nature

I know that I have an unusual view of the world. I am the one who saw frogs in the 181st street subway station and Bambi in my hummus.

So I now give you what I saw at the train station at 168th Street yesterday.

Nothing! you say. You got nothing....

I say ... a cat sitting behind a dog who is barking down the tunnel at the train. The cat, undoubtedly female, is waving her paw above the back end of the dog.

I know there are people out there who are very worried about me right now. I am just fine thank you, I have a very visual creativity sometimes.

Titanic Memorial at 106th Street

The Isadore and Ida Straus memorial is located at 106th Street and Broadway in a V-shaped park. The reclining woman has a small fountain at her feet and a bench behind her. The lore about Isador and Ida is that he was a department store millionaire when they sailed on the Titanic. Mrs. Straus was offered a seat in a lifeboat, but she said: “I have lived with him for 50 years - I won’t leave him now”, and they sat on deck-chairs until the end. Widely reported and probably a true story

Just a quick one....

New York continues to amaze me ... both in the good way and in the "what were they thinking" way. I got my driver's license yesterday in the mail. 9 days from application for replacement day! Pretty amazing.

Now, that said, getting a reduced price Metrocard (because I am OLD, people, and I have earned it) is harder than getting Social Security. I have already talked about how easy it was to get Social Security. A reduced price Metrocard, however requires everything except fingerprints and number of fillings in back teeth. The application ... notarized, photo attached, copy of all possible documentation attached, went out last Wednesday. Stay tuned but do NOT hold your breath.

Comfort over style

We all --- those of us who know me --- know that I have never had a run at having Bill Cunningham stake me out on the street as someone trendy to photograph. That said, I do NOT wear my pajamas or, worse yet, a pink flowing sheer nightgown covered by a fur coat in April out to walk the dog. I swear that when I clear the front door, even to run Sienna out for a quick pit stop, I am dressed for the street.

My feet have always been problematic. About 8 years ago I was told that the main pain was due to a neuroma between the bones of my right foot and given a prescription for an orthotic which I dutifully wore for the ensueing years. However it was getting a bit worn and I was contemplating getting a new one and then I discovered these!

and these

and for summer, these!

Danskos makes the most comfortable clogs I have ever put on my feet. EVER! Full stop. I have been wearing them for a couple of months. NO foot pain, not even a twinge.

However, according to Poppy Buxom over at the Beauty Boomer, they are now TRENDY!! I refuse to stop wearing them, and I guess I will just have to grin and bear the acclaim. It wasn't clogs that I discovered, actually. I used to wear Dr. Scholl's wooden flip flop style clogs back in the 60's. It was Dansko's clogs I discovered. Perhaps they will fade from trendy like a hula hoop so perhaps I should get 3 or 4 more pair to stash away for the rest of time...................................................................

The books, by the way ... Girl just came back from the 3rd person I lent it to and Homer and Langley was the book club book for the Heights Book Club. I loved it and it just served to feed my hoarding obsession (am I or amn't I?) about which more later.....

I went here on Tuesday

Everyone in the world has heard the horror stories of the DMV. Hours in line, surly staff, dirt, lost records, endless forms to fill out. I had heard them too. I remembered going there once long ago before 9/11 when things were easy breezy and it wasn't bad but I figured that in this new world things would be as common knowledge described. I lost my driver's license when I lost my wallet right before Christmas. I kept putting off going down here to brave the DMV, but when Gill gave me an assignment -- "Ah ha Jordi, you can choose to take this assignment, this tape will self destruct in 2 minutes." Or words to that effect ... I decided it was a sign that since I would be in the neighborhood I should try the DMV.

This is the end result --- INANDOUTINLESSTHAN15MINUTES!!! I couldn't believe it and it would have been less had the guy at the window next to me been less funny. He kept me laughing and I forgot to check 2 boxes so it took a bit longer than it would have.

I said what I needed, got a form to fill out from a smiling woman who laughed at my lame joke and when I had filled it out gave me a number and said "Listen for your number." As I looked down to read B304 I heard a voice over the intercom say: "Now serving B304 at window 7". I had to be fanned to prevent fainting!

In, out temporary license in hand in 15 minutes and if I had filled out the form better and the guy had not been funny it probably would have taken me 10 minutes. Sometimes New York amazes me!

part 2

and then....

1. I was about to leave for the post office when it occurred to me that they wouldn't GIVE me the package without the pink slip that I don't have.  
2. I went and looked in the mail box, just in case.  No pink slip.
3. So I called Amazon and asked if they could request redelivery.  They can't unless I am on the line but they managed to do a conference call and got me and the post office on line at the same time. 
4. I explained the situation and the post office person said "What reason does it say on the slip that it was not delivered?"
5. That was the point at which I think I lost it and said "I just told you I don't HAVE a pink slip!!!"
6. And she replied "Oh, right! Now what is the number on that slip?"

Perhaps they will deliver it tomorrow.  Perhaps they will not.  The only good thing is that I did not walk all the way across town (without Sienna - they don't allow dogs in the post office - might slow things down I guess) and THEN discover that they would not give me a package without a pink slip.

There are pink slips I would like to deliver.  Amazon, on the other hand, should perhaps take over the post office.  There would be service and delivery on Saturday and people who actually talk to you.

Why the US Post Office should just give it up.

OK, this is a rant so there are no pictures.

1. Amazon tried to send me a package. Their only mistake was in sending it via the United States Post Office.
2. At 4:30 pm yesterday -- while I was sitting in my living room on the computer and the part time doorman was at the front door..... they said they tried to deliver my books but were unable to find a "safe" place to leave them. (Needless to say, I can think of two, my apartment and with the doorman.).
3. I wouldn't have known a thing about this had Amazon not notified me that the package was at the post office.
4. Through the tracking number on Amazon, I used the USPS "tracking" process to try to find the package.
5. USPS website says that there are two post offices that serve my area and that they left a notice telling me which one it was at, but since there was not a notice anywhere that I could find I still had no clue where to go to get the package.
6. When I entered my zip code and my address the site said the zip code was wrong and I couldn't get the information. They gave me this zip code, but I guess now they have taken it away because I don't exist.
7. So I tried to phone.
8. Do you know that if all you are given for a phone number is 1 800 ASK USPS and you have only a blackberry for your phone that you CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHICH NUMBERS ARE ON WHICH LETTERS???????? (there is probably an app for that).
9. Well, I don't have the app and since the 1 is over the W and the 8 is over the X and there is NO number over the A, the K, the U or the P and I don't have a "real" phone, I was sort of out of luck.
10. Smart phone, huh....... Big Sigh.
11. USPS does not choose to share their phone number in anyplace obvious so I had to go on an Easter Egg hunt early. After 7 pages I found it and called them.
12. They asked me if I wanted to speak to them in Spanish and then spent a full minute telling me when my taxes were due, where to get forms and how late the post office was open on April 15.
13. My choices when I finally got them were to order supplies, get postage amounts and FINALLY, track a package. They then asked for my tracking number ... by the way, that number is TWENTY-THREE digits.
14. Then they told me that they couldn't track that package on the phone and said "good-by" and HUNG UP ON ME.
15. Seriously people, I finally called Amazon .. or gave them my phone number and they called me.
16. They found my package in less than 10 minutes and I now know which post office I have to hike over to in order to pick it up.
17. Do you think, when I go, I should ask for the station Manager? Do you think there will be a manager on site when I get there?
18. The USPS thinks it should drop Saturday delivery. I think they have already dropped delivery. I think the goal is to have us go TO the post office and just pick up our mail there. That worked in the olden days didn't it?