Garbage Day Mystery* 

So around here they pick up the garbage on two days in the morning. Tuesdays and Fridays. The way it works for me is I bring my garbage down to the garbage cans and my landlord drags the cans out to the curb the night before garbage day. I usually don't remember when garbage day is because for me I just bring the garbage down whenever or when my apartment smells or whatever. But once in a while on a Monday night I'll remember that tomorrow is garbage day and bring my garbage down.

Something weird happened this week though. I was walking out of my apartment last night and I saw someone dragging their garbage can to the curb. Garbage cans were out by the curb up and down the street.. I was like, 'Oh! It's garbage day tomorrow! I should go up and get my garbage so I too can participate in the garbage day! And on my way up the stairs I started thinking, 'Isn't today Wednesday?' I was sure it was Wednesday. Wednesday night isn't garbage night? Monday night is! Isn't it? Why was all the garbage out on Wednesday night? It's always brought out Monday night for Tuesday pickup or Thursday night for Friday pickup! Is this making any sense so far? Sorry if it's not.

I started to wonder if I was crazy and if I've somehow had it wrong in my head all this time that Monday night isn't garbage night. That Wednesday is. I've been living here for a year and a half. Could I have been so crazy? So I called 311 for the first time (it's this new information line here in New York where you can ask dopey questions like "when's garbage day?") The lady told me my garbage days are Tuesday morning and Friday morning. I went back outside and saw someone else dragging their can to the curb. It was Wednesday night! Why? Did I not get the memo?

Meanwhile it's Thursday afternoon and the garbage on the street have not been picked up. I know this isn't totally weird and there's probably an excuse for it. But what is the excuse? If for whatever reason garbage day was changed to Thursday morning for a "special occasion." Why wasn't the garbage picked up this morning? And why was I not informed that garbage day had changed? And why did everyone know but me? And why is all the garbage still sitting there? People are serious about their garbage around here. You're not supposed to bring it out before 5PM the night before garbage day. So it's not a lazy thing. Was it a mass screwup? On which side? Why? How?

For arguments sake lets say the garbage had been brought out on Monday night and garbage day was cancelled... why were some people still dragging cans out to the curb on Wednesday night? Why wouldn't they just wait till Thursday night for Friday garbage day? And I think I would have noticed before Thursday that garbage has been out since Monday night unpickedup! And garbage day just doesn't get cancelled anyway! 

Here's a picture of my street today. Thursday. The garbage has been there since Wednesday night (as far as I know). NOT garbage night.

ok bye!

tOdd

*Solved (kinda. sorta)! and i'm embarrassed. thanks for all the email telling me that it was Election day this week. duh. (shows how politically active I am) and thanks the emails pointing out my dumbness. things get screwed up on holidays.. i get it now. i'm embarrassed.)