remember when i...

used to write stuff here? yeah, neither do i. it seems like such a long time ago that i was preggo and not being given priority seating on public transportation.

so i really don't have anything to say that i don't already say on facebook, or the gastronome or twitter, but DMR was bugging out cause he was sick of looking at my last post for the past 7 months.

isn't this album cover awesome?

The Pregnant Straphanger is REALLY falling behind

Oh dear, I can't keep track of anything anymore, but these happened the past week or so. At this point I need a seat at all times and don't say no to anyone. Standing for more than a few minutes at a time is uncomfortable and tiring. The doctors tell me they won't let me go beyond 38 weeks, but that's still 3 weeks away. I need a Jazzy.

17.
Q train
White woman, late 30s/early 40s maybe, with a head wrap noticed me at the Canal St. stop so I got to sit from Canal to Union Square.

18.
B or D
Eastern European couple in their 50s.
I'm not sure who saw me first, but I think the wife made the husband get up and give me his seat.

19.
4 or 5
African American lady in her 50s.
The commute home from my uptown doctor's appointment sucks. I start at the 4/5, one of the least pregnant lady friendly trains. I then transfer at Fulton to the A or C where it's always a scene and it's pretty much guaranteed that I won't get a seat. I did manage to get a seat for the first stage of this commute thanks to this lady.

20.
Q train
Got on the train and initially stood in front of an Israeli guy who proceeded to look at my belly and then up to my face. He did this about 4 or 5 times, then the twentysomething Eastern European guy next to him got up and pointed to his seat.

The Pregnant Straphanger is falling behind

15.
January 28
Q train / Dekalb
Asian woman, 60s

I honestly felt terrible about taking this seat and was very close to declining. The woman looked like she was a few years older than my mother. She did look to be in very good shape though which made me feel a little better, I think. Without words, she communicated that I should take her seat and so I did.

16.
I can't remember
B or D train / Bryant Park 42nd Street
European dude in his 40s perhaps?

Molly and I were taking the same train after work one day. I think it was Friday the 30th. Some dude offered up his seat, but I think it was only because Molly said something about no one offering me a seat and he happened to be sitting closest to where we were standing. Haha.

The Pregnant Straphanger needs to keep her coat unzipped

14.
January 27
Q train / Dekalb
Caucasian woman, late 20s

Though I usually take off my hat and scarf, and unzip my coat when I get to the subway platform because I'm about to pass out from heatstroke, there are some super frigid mornings where I choose to stay bundled up. This morning was particularly cold and there was a long wait for the bus, so I kept my jacket zipped. The train wasn't packed but of course I wasn't quick enough to grab an empty seat. About 1/3 of the way over the Manhattan Bridge, the woman noticed me and got my attention to offer me her seat. She was a crunchy, outdoorsy type who probably knew about Sigg bottles way before anyone else. She smiled and told me I should keep my coat open as she got up. I wanted to tell her that an open coat rarely makes a difference, that there are too may commuters on the train and bus who are douches and just don't care. Also I think even with my coat zipped I look pretty big.

Instead I thanked her and happily took over her seat.

The Pregnant Straphanger - I won the seat lottery

10, 11 & 12
January 13
B38 bus
African-American woman, late teens/early 20s
African-American woman, 40s?
Caucasian woman, 40s?

I am getting really bad at guessing people ages so bear with me. On this Tuesday morning, I won the seat lottery. I boarded the B38 and a young person offered me her seat. I declined because she was wedged between two fatties. The lady to her right was big, the the man to her left was huge and also taking up half her seat. The poor girl only had the front few inches of her seat and still had to lean forward to sit. She was little and looked uncomfortable herself. At the next stop, someone got off and the woman standing next to me offered the empty seat to me first before taking it for herself. I declined because there were just a couple more stops to go and not much traffic. More people got on and I had to keep moving to the rear of the bus (something that a lot of B38 riders seem incapable of doing). So at the following stop I was standing at a different part of the bus and another lady offered me her seat.

13.
January 13
Q train / Dekalb
A DUDE! Late 20s/early 30s?

I have no idea what his ethnicity was. He looked like he could be half Asian or Mexican. I really don't know. But anyway, he was the first dude and only dude to ever offer my pregnant ass a seat on the subway, although yesterday an older Hasidic man moved his coat off the unoccupied bump seat before I could even ask him to. That request is usually met with a stare or a glare. I think all my chips have been used up because no one has given me their seat the last 10 days and I think I might have gotten twice as big. Also more people are bumping into me or making me walk around them (like the idiot lady this morning on the subway platform who stood right in front of the doors as they opened, blocking my path out). Maybe I should rename these posts to the Pregnant and Cranky Straphanger.

The Pregnant Straphanger - I think Carla from Top Chef gave me her seat

9.
January 12
Q train / Dekalb
African-American woman, late 30s/early 40s

She didn't have the kooky frames and hair, but this lady reminded me of Carla from the current season of Top Chef, mainly because she was wearing a coat that I imagine would not seem out of place in Carla's closet. While we're on the subject of Top Chef, I am glad Carla wasn't sent packing last week. Eugene and whatsherface had both long overstayed their welcome. Eugene, I had high, high hopes for you, but man, you had a really warped sense of creativity and originality. Whatsherface, how did you even manage to stay on this long?

The Pregnant Straphanger forgot to write about this one last week

8.
December 16
Q train / Dekalb
White woman, late 20s

This lady reminded me of Shawn Moriarty and I would like to think if it were the real Shawn, she would have given me her seat, too.