great unexpectations

I adore this song. It prominently features an oboe and two striped shirts in the video. What's not to like?



Speaking of unexpected accompanying instruments defining a song, this cover has been in my head for days.

haNdFuL

Every NFL Sunday I watch Troy Aikman commentating, and think, "Holy NIGHT! Troy Aikman's hand's are HUGE. They look like baseball mitts!" Then every once in a while I see a photo of myself and think, "Holy NIGHT! My hands are HUGE. They look like Troy Aikman's!"

That beer looks like it's in a Dixie cup, for pete's sake!

shore thing

And on the topic of cycling: This morning I met my bandmate Gary and friend Ana for breakfast and World Cup viewing at Tulcingo Deli in Sunset Park. I ate a completely delicious breakfast which I could handily rhapsodize about here, but as I am no food review hot shot and the kind of lady who favors the "a lot going on" approach to meals (aka a plate full of snacks), I will save my breath. Rest assured, it ruled.

After watching Mexico outplay Uruguay...except in the One Goal Department...we parted ways and I set out on my bicycle toward a long time goal of riding the Shore Road Park path. I always stare longingly at that route from the van when we head out on tours thinking, "Sometime I need to wrangle someone to explore that trail with me." I bet Nerd Bird would have been game. If there was an elevator line directly there.

Anyway.

Yesterday, when the World Cup venue was selected, I had a bright idea to seize the opportunity solo. That was good thinking.

I rode down through Sunset Park, along Owl's Head Park, and onto the path.

It felt like a different coast along the promenade. Sail boats, ocean smell, very few people, tidy park side...

See what I mean? I busted myself smiling along the way. I actually felt like Goldie Hawn in the beginning of the movie Foul Play, steering along the California coast in her lil car on the way home from a party where she blows off Chevy Chase.




Just like Goldie, I was an independent blonde gal, driving along a shore, feelin' free. Except that at the end of her trip, she picks up that drifting hitchiker who's on the run from a bunch of thugs. And I turned around once I approached Coney Island and rode back toward my house. On my way I stopped in Owl's Head Park to fill up my water bottle at the self-same fountain where kids were industriously pumping up water balloons. Serious business. I glanced at the ground and notice a rainbow of water balloon shrapnel confetti-ing the path. Fortunately they were totally uninterested in me as a bull's-eye. I also noticed these guys around the premises:

Aw.

Verdict: The field trip was a hit. Invigorating, even. I will say the to-and-from Sunset Park commute was a bit harrowing as 5th Ave. above 20th St. is very torn up, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Aves are video-game-hell-ride nail-biting thoroughfares, and 6th, 7th, and 8th Aves. cease to exist for a while due to Greenwood Cemetery. If you plan on tackling this outing, I emphatically encourage charting your course prior.

guess who's back. back again.

Know who I ran into when transferring from the 2 train to the L train the other day? Oh, just Biking Nerd Bird.

(Insert one thousand exclamation points.)

Oh My Word. What a classy dream boat. A helmet AND a tie? Come ON! I am officially standing in a swirling snow globe of cartoon hearts. It's enough to drive me to decant my soul on craigslist missed connections. (Or on my website. Er...) [nervously loosening own tie].

It's a little confusing that he's riding a bike AND an elevator (not very energy saving) when arguably the guy could fly everywhere, but let's not make petty distinctions. This guy has more tricks up his little apple slice wings than I imagined. And it also answers reader Dave's question about what sorts of energy saving tricks the Bird busts out during a night out. He bikes to his to-dos!

If anyone catches him showing off any other talents, please alert me.

In the meantime, on the matter of cartoon hearts, here is one of my favorite Pepe Le Pew cartoons. A disclaimer: Pepe episodes used to make me really uneasy for all the obvious reasons: Total pest relentlessly chasing freaked out kitty cat dipped in paint, and not taking "clawing you to bits means NO" for an answer, for starters. That said, watching this now, I find his indomitable snuggling and smooching spirit pretty charming, in an "I wouldn't want to date him, but how can you hate him? He's just Pepe!" way. His bouncy, singing entrance alone at minute 2:45 redeems any residual "what a scum bag" sentiments I have about the guy. However, let's be clear, Pepe is no Nerd Bird.

U2be

I accidentally came across this U2 parody video while searching for a totally different U2 parody video. Is it so wrong that I greatly enjoyed this social commentary/send-up?



"Your tweets, make a circle."

This production has a little something for everyone: Heartfelt home recording by a young fella with an acoustic guitar and a sweet unaffected voice, crappily assembled graphics, U2, handsome stills of old haircut Bono, a message on point with the call-to-arms-against-oppression/despotism of classic U2 anthems, and a message on point with my general pump-down-the-volume attitude toward motormouths.

hangin' on the telephone

I'm not sure how I forgot to write about this moment I bumped into a month ago:

Some wiseguy must have stopped at the market across the street and decided, "You know what? Why prepare these guys or put them in a new home tank because I feel too guilty to prepare them, when I can put them to work manning the switchboard on the corner of Union and 6th Ave?"

When I came face-to-face with this still life I was at once startled, amused, worried, sad, and a photojournalist! I was also a little concerned some prankster had dosed my ginger beer with angel dust.

birdie brain

You know what makes me happy? Walking the streets of New York and running into posters of the GreeNYC bird, leading his busy, conscientious life.

Sometimes he wears glasses and teaches.

Sometimes he demonstrates how to operate lamps.

Sometimes he grooms by the glow of a sensible light fixture for a night out on the town.

Sometimes he's a model.

Sometimes he's just simply at attention like the Queen's Guard, standing by his message.

 

His 1970's-style spare collagey body and his succinct directives ensure that he's never too flashy and always on point. Nerd Bird just wants you to give a hoot about energy conservation. Plain and simple.

Hey, if it involves a smart, adorable, green animal with big ideas, I'm listening. His command is my command.

This one's unfortunate, but noble:

NB will take one for the team if it's for the greater good.

I do, however, have a complaint about his initiative's name. While "GreeNYC" is an obvious and convenient mash-up of message and demographic, it's a completely clumsy presentation of upper and lower case letters, and, frankly, unpronounceable (Gree NYC? Green-Y-C?) While Nerd Bird's wearing spectacles and packing chalk, maybe he can shuffle over to that name and organize that mess as well.

This just in: Holy mackerel. I just found the real show-stopper:

THERE IS A NERD BIRD MASCOT?!

If they are hiring, I'm in. I will deliver the bird's good word!