Things You Forget

I headed out Tuesday at around 5:30 from my office. My thoughts ranged from "Should I go to the gym?" to "Man, I'm hungry" to "Maybe my apartment will have finally collapsed and I'll be able to move".... Not once was I thinking "Did I leave anything at the office?"

The subway ride was relatively uneventful, and as I'd had quite the day from hell already, my main focus was just getting home and trying to forget about the day. As I was walking from the hole in the ground toward my apartment, I saw some guy take his keys out, so that he'd be READY TO GO once he got to his apartment. My initial thought was "Are you afraid someone is going to attack you?". Then I thought "I hope I put my keys in my bag/pocket/shoe/anywhere accessible now and didn't leave them in the office." After searching my bag/pocket/shoe/you get the idea, I realized I'd left my keys ON MY DESK in MIDTOWN. The subway ride is only about 35 minutes, but after a bad day, it's the last thing I want to do. I quickly try to think of anyone who's still at work who lives near me: not a soul.

Back down into the hole in the ground, headed toward Manhattan when the rest of the world is headed out. "At least I'll get a seat", I thought to myself, somewhat sarcastic, but somewhat hopeful. (Note to all reverse commuters: You're insane.) For every train heading into Manhattan, about 5 are headed out, at this time of day. So, sure as f*ck, I didn't get a seat. SON OF A BITCH. Now I'm trying to think of a dinner situation as I won't get back home until well after 8. I call a few friends, none of them are answering or available (the F goes above ground for a few stops).

I get to the office, grab my keys, and again, head back out. Now I look like one of those people who works late everyday and does so just to get on a less crowded train. Mind you, it's 7:30 and I should have been home by now, probably already watching TV or playing guitar or doing something to make this day go away. NO, I'm getting on another F train. I finally got home around 8:15 after picking dinner at some local "Italian" restaurant.

Now, without fail, I put my keys in my briefcase, EVERY MORNING, after leaving my building so as not to recreate this awful evening. On another funnier, universe-getting-me-back note, I left my iPod earbuds in the office yesterday and was music-less for about 14 hours.