You Don't Know What You Got Till it's Gone

Well, it's been three weeks now. I've got to stop making excuses for him. He's not on vacation. He's not on sabatical. AM New York Guy is gone.

Things got a lot better between me and AM New York Guy once I realized that I could just take the damn paper. Yes! I could just take the paper and throw it in the trash can on the corner, out of AM New York Guy's line of sight. Suddenly, I didn't have to take the train to Rock Center to avoid him, nor try to sneak out the other exit (only to be preyed upon by a far less charming Metro NY Guy). So AM New York Guy would greet me with a smile, and gently touch my elbow and I would take a paper, and smile and say "Good Morning", and he would wish me all sorts of kindnesses for the day. Also, he smelled good. I decided that if one of my friends sprung a surprise wedding on me, I would ask him to be my date.

"Congratulations! You make a beautiful couple! Have you met my date? This is AM New York Guy. Oops, careful of her gown! He always has newsprint on his hands. Somedays I can read yesterday's headlines on my ass before I climb into the shower in the morning."

Then one morning, he wasn't there. I was running late and thought maybe I missed him. He wasn't there the next day. Maybe he's sick I thought. I decided to give him a week, hey, maybe he took a week's vacation, good for him, you know? The next week there was a new guy there. A substitute? No. My AM New York Guy has been replaced by another AM New York guy. He was so good at his job, I sure he wasn't fired. Maybe he transfered to a new station. Or maybe someone with a keen eye for talent offered him a job outside the realm of free newspaper distribution. The new guy is ... okay. But he just doesn't have the same je ne sais quoi that drew me to him like a cartoon cat to a pan of lasagna. One thing is for sure, I will not be taking a paper from the new guy.