One more nickel

Tuesday 2/6/24

I should write a piece on the Beatles' "Tell Me Why."

Ran three miles, did 200 push-ups.

Texted friend's wife who had a birthday yesterday, wishing her a happy belated one.

More work on "Why I Hate My Friends."

My mother calls me today, starts talking about Joni Mitchell for some reason, and tells me she's ninety. I say she's not. My mother maintains that she is, then tells me how much she likes the song "M.T.A." (which is referred to in the Boston area--or it was--as "Charlie and the MTA" or "Charlie on the MTA") as part of what I guess was her survey of folk music.

What has always bugged me about this song is that the guy can't get off the subway because of a fare increase and he doesn't have enough money, so he rides every day, never to return, and his wife shows up and brings him lunch which she passes to him while he's still on board.

This lady couldn't bring the fare in order to get Charlie home? Maybe she was fooling around with some other fella. Ever think of that? And she preferred his touch to this husband of hers she could keep salted away "'neath the streets of Boston." That's my theory anyway.