Mobile disease incubators

With cold and flu season at it's peak it's only natural that I would take the time to complain about those people who for the sake of saying "I HAVE to be at work" will get on public transportation and spread the "love."

It usually takes a lot for me to get sick but if I do I can usually get over it in a couple of days without too much discomfort. A year ago I was sitting on the train in a 4-seater with two people facing me and one right next to me. The guy across from me starts hacking right in my direction and there was nothing I could do about it. Sure enough about 2 days later I was down with a 102 degree fever. I was out for 3 days before I managed to make it in to the office confident that I wasn't contagious anymore.

So here I am again, a year later and now I have a 7 week old baby at home to consider. There is no way I'm going to bring some nasty flu home this year. So on the train this morning, the man in the row in front of me keeps hacking, this time I get up and move. I hope he noticed.

There is something called "the strap" that people use in the subway. It is a piece of leather that goes over the handrail in the train so they don't have to touch it to hold on. Maybe if it gets really bad I can start carrying SARS masks and hand them out to the coughing people.

Sick days are not just for you, they are for the courtesy of the people around you. Don't go to work and spread your cold to everyone you come into contact with along the way.

Frozen chunks of Hudson

This is the view of the Hudson river from the Beacon train station in the middle of winter. I know it's small but notice how the river is frozen. The only exception is a tiny path in the middle cut by the large ships on their way up the river to Albany.

Across the Hudson lies the ghetto (no joke) of Newburgh, NY. A small passenger ferry brings commuters across the river to the train station during rush hour but when the river looks like this the ferry can't make the trip and the commuters have to take a bus across the river.

I personally think that the ice chunks floating down the river are very cool. When my mother-in-law came to visit from Tennessee I went out of my way to show her the river, things don't freeze like that down south.

What I've liked the most about the river freezing is the train ride into the city. The tracks go right along the river and you will see ducks and geese and all sorts of birds sitting out on the ice. There are even a few Bald Eagles that like to sit on floating ice chunks and watch for fish to swim by.

It's one of those things that makes you forget that you are surrounded by a bunch of New Yorkers and lets you appreciate the beauty of the area. Then when you are in the midst of appreciating the magic of nature two old ladies in front of you start in... "Did you see all the ice on the riv-uh? I know, I've never seen so much ice in the riv-uh before. I told my daw-tuh that she has got to see all the ice on the riv-uh. Oh look a Bald Eagle!! Out theh on the ice!"

At this point I just put on my headphones and crank "Where the streets have no name."

Repair vs. Trade

Last week I took our Subaru to the dealership because there was a small gas leak in the engine and fumes were coming into the car, not the best thing to have with a newborn. So the shop said they could fix it, oh and by the way there's all this other stuff wrong too and it will cost you $2700.

The Kelly Blue Book value for the car is $3250, only $550 more than the cost of the repairs so I decided that it didn't make much sense to dump that money into repairing it but it would be better to put that money towards another car.

Dealerships in my area of New York are a lot like other places in the country only it has New Yorkers as the salesmen. So imagine a car salesman with New Yorker attitude showing you cars that you sort-of like and telling you that they are making you a huge deal on it and that you would be missing an opportunity if you don't act on it right now.

I went to five different dealerships and each one of the them want your contact information before they will talk to you about a car. This way if you leave without buying something they can send you a letter in the mail and call you to try and get you to back in there to sell you a car you don't want.

I finally found what I was looking for on day 2 of looking but it was a lot more than I wanted to spend. I couldn't get them to budge any further on the price so I left and told them I would think about it. This gave them license to call me twice the next day to see if I was going to come back.

I waited 2 days before heading back and making the deal. In the long run we decided it was better to spend the money on something that we really liked and that would hold it's resale value longer than the cheaper cars out there. I bought a certified used Nissan Murano from the dealer in Newburgh, NY.

I signed the papers on January 20th and in the middle of the process we stopped to watch Barack Obama take the oath of office. It will be an experience I won't soon forget.

The best Wednesday yet!!

Yesterday was the best Wednesday I've ever had. I was running on less than two hours of sleep when someone knocked at the door waking me up once again. This time it was somebody new, a nurse named Maureen. Maureen said that she was just in time, reached up and said "Ok little one, just where are you?" She said that the head was right there and it was time.

About 6 pushes and 20 minutes later my daughter Josie was born. It was 7:58 am on Wednesday January 7, 2009. She came out and cried immediately. The nursed put her on the warming bed and she let her bowels flow, a little black bubble coming out between those little pink cheeks. I said, "I guess YOU get to change the first one."

When that little person came out I felt this rush of emotions, I thought to myself, "look what my wife just did, I can't believe that was living inside of her." I then felt a sudden realization that this little person is my daughter and a great sense of love came over me and I knew that this amazing event was going to change everything.

I know that New York can get the best of people, but this one event is going to live on in my memories as the greatest part of my life here. I will always be able to say my first child was born in New York.

Josie Jeanne Swertfeger - Day one

Happy New Year

Last night I was watching Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve as I was all cozy in my apartment 65 miles away. I sat there thinking that those people must be idiots to want to freeze themselves just to watch a flashing ball slide down a pole 60 stories above their heads.

Yesterday we had two inches of snow and in the city there were 30mph wind gusts ripping up the avenues causing a wind chill of 0(zero) degrees. The people on TV didn't seem to mind too much. They were just happy to be in New York for New Years Eve. I think that when you live here things begin to lose their luster, the magic is gone. I've always thought New York is a nice place to visit, especially when you want to go out and you don't care how much money you spend.

Christmas time in New York is awesome though. The tree at Rockefeller center, the window displays up and down 5th avenue, it is truly something to see. If you ever get the chance, don't pass it up but be sure to bring a warm coat, hat, gloves and a scarf. You're going to need them.

Was möchten Sie essen heute?

Finding something to eat for lunch in New York can sometimes be an overwhelming experience. I'm not very adventurous so I usually wait until someone recommends a place. Any of you who have spent time in New York will know that sometimes the best food can come from a little cart on the street.

Street vendors are everywhere in the city and while some you wouldn't go near if they were giving out the food for free, others are so good that people will line up around the corner. One of these carts where people line up is the Hallo Berlin cart on 54th St. and 5th Ave. It's run by some German guys and they serve up the best sausage, kraut and potatoes I've ever had.

I went yesterday with a co-worker and for $11 you can get the "Barack Obama" or "Democracy Special" which includes a choice of two different sausages, a Bavarian meatball, potato salad, red and white kraut. and a roll. It's probably way too much food, but I ate it all anyway.

So if you are ever in the mood for some excellent German food and you're in midtown, check out the Hallo Berlin cart on 54th street at 5th avenue between 11:30am and 3:30pm Monday through Friday. Look for the Lufthansa umbrella.

Was möchten Sie essen heute? ( What do you want to eat today?)

Birthday Burgers

I think it's really smart for companies like restaurants and theme parks to lure you in on your birthday by offering you free food or admission. Disney is starting this in January, just think they get the whole family there because one person has a birthday and can get in for free. What if you have 4 kids and they all want to go to Disney World on their birthday? That would be 4 free tickets, but 4 trips to Florida and admission for 5 others. So you spend about $250 just to save $50 each time you go. Oh and don't forget about staying in their hotel and eating their $10 hot dogs.

I'm not immune to getting excited about free stuff though. I signed us up for the Red Robin birthday club. A week before your birthday you get a coupon by email for a free burger. So I took my wife to Red Robin on her birthday and we chowed down on some high quality burgers. When my daughter is born next month I'm going to sign her up right away so I get a free burger on her birthday... it doesn't say that YOU have to eat it for it to be free, you just have to be there.

I wonder what other companies offer free stuff on your birthday... I should sign us up for all of them.