"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense"

Oh wait. That's how it's been so far.

The alarm clock in my room is relatively new and--just like the White Rabbit's watch--it doesn't show the correct time. It's not two days slow, though, just 23 minutes behind schedule. No matter what I do, I can't get the minute hand to move to the proper number. I suppose the only way to fix it is in the tool box, though I have looked and Deacon does not own a mallet.

So every morning, I try to remember that I don't have 23 extra minutes to faff around the apartment while watching the Today show. I do miss Katie Couric, by the way.

Yesterday, I was running so late that I was dashing through the park and surrounding streets, not really that attentive to whether the lights were actually green... until I saw a city bus coming from the left. I didn't want to be involved in an urban version of running with the bulls, so I stopped. Of course, the bus had the light so I wasn't being accomodating, just not eager to be flattened.

As the bus stopped in front of me to pick up passengers, I looked at the people seated by the windows. They all had similar expressions of resignation, not the look of happy tourists eager to explore a new city but, rather, the condemned demeanor of workers headed for...well...work. Then I saw her. A woman with a rather thin face, slightly protuding top teeth, and short hair with wispy ends that were fanned out from under a grey oversized top hat. She was smiling at me and winked.

When I finally arrived at the office, Joanie was waiting for me...with a cup of tea. She knows that I prefer Earl Grey in the morning rather than the dregs of coffee the doctors drink, but she has never made tea before.

I sat down, drinking my tea and thinking about the woman on the bus. I should have looked to see if there had been a 10/6 on the side of the hat.

Nuh uh. Not with the prices in New York City.