Today I took the Long Island Rail to Mineola.  A first.  The end station on the route is Ronkonkoma.  Can you pronounce that?  Ronkonkoma.  Then, on the way back, I walked several blocks with a guy I'd stopped to ask directions.  He pulled out his map and we walked together.  Turned out he was looking for the station too.  Another First.  Add to that - we both live in Fort Washington.   It's not the farthest I've traveled to meet a neighbor.  It was how ordinary it felt that was satisfying.  All in all, a pleasant little mini-journey, deserving of a gold star.  Of course when I got to Penn Station, I lost no time running into a stack of crates being hauled on a dolly.  This is not a first.  I helped the guy stack them back up and a policeman came to ask if we were okay. 

"I'm fine.  Just very tired."  I said.

"It happens." He said, and wished us a nice day.