i am back at work. i have new highlights. i have clean sharp clothing. i wore heels to work this week. and did my hair. today is the first day i am wearing sneakers.

i read a book this week. a whole book. and then started a new one. the first book was a bit of fluff to get me back in with the reading concept (forget any idea of new moms laying in bed all day nursing and reading...even if i could do that, the brain doesn't work well while caring for a newborn...). now i am reading a book on women's history.

i mean. a REAL book.

and. i have a fabulous new subway story.

so on monday, my very first day back, i was coming home early since i am doing only half days. i'm sitting across from a middle aged jewish guy and a young african man. they're talking about business stuff.

at chambers street, 2 older women in matching orange tennesse volunteer t-shirts, white capris, white tennis shoes, and socks, get on the train with a young black woman. she is holding the map and pointing to something for them.

they sit next to me and are talking to each other loudly.

the jewish man, proudly displaying that he knows where tennessee is, says to them "i was in johnson city once."

one of the women says "that is a nice part of the state over there."

he says "i went to dollywood. where are you from?"

and he looks at me and grins.

they answer some place in tennessee that i have never heard of but am sure is western TN since they said johnson city was nice - OVER THERE. they explain further that it is a suburb of some other place and the jewish guy, the african guy, and i all just smile and nod.

jewish guy says "dollywood was nice."

then i get into it and turn to the woman and say "my best friend's [aka cubicle girl] parents live in paris."

and she says "that must be expensive."

i furrow my brow because i don't know what rent is like there and say "i'm afraid i don't know anything about rents near nashville."

and she says "OHHHHHHH paris, TENNESSEEEEEEEEEEEE." and nods vigorously and continues, "i thought you meant FRANCE because we're here...and oh heck..."

i nod and say "her parents saw johnny cash at the piggly wiggly."

which. for the record. is relatively true. if the true story must be told, it must be told by CG.

she says "that's very nice!!!" and then says "i think this is our stop!!! don't want to go to brooklyn, right?"

and i say "it is scary there."

and she gets off the train with her friend and the jewish guy and the african guy who by now is laughing rather hysterically. the jewish guy winks at me and walks away.

i get home and immediately call CG.

i'm back.

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