The Good News is . . .

Julie and I were busy putting our Metro cards back in our wallets and shuffling the several bags we were carrying. We were close to home and had just one more train to take: the train that goes past our apartment. The train that we have taken a hundred times already.

As is often the case, the girls had run ahead. From the top of the escalator, Annika and Elise we hollering down at Julie and me “The train is here! Hurry up!”

Well, that was all the challenge I needed. “Come on Babe, let’s do this! We can make this train!

Annika and Elise were waiting on the platform right next to the train doors. The girls were waving us on like a third-base coach waving a runner around third toward home plate. Julie and I were just a huffin and a puffin. Shopping bags flapping. The four of stepped on the train just as the doors closed.

Yes! We rock. We are the coolest people I know. And they said it couldn’t be done. Who’s the man now, huh?

We sat down, reorganized our packages, and caught our breath.

Thirty seconds into the ride, I turned to Julie and said “This train is going in the wrong direction.”

We both started laughing. This was the line that runs past our apartment. We’ve ridden it a hundred times. It was a greenhorn’s error.

Oops.

We switched to the north-bound train at the next station.

-Jack

Picture: I was absolutely taken aback by how completely focused this little girl was on her pantomiming. With undetered focused, she kept this up the entire time we were on the train together. Notice that she is eating with chopsticks -of course.