June 3, 2011
Okay, not a good night at work again, and I actually contemplated going to the Fortress of Solitude, for a second night in a row but I just couldn’t do that to my former co-pilot, Al! So I’m going to do something that I’ve been meaning to do for awhile. I’m going to go to a certain part of the city and wander around and try to get photos of people and ask them a question. This is the kind of thing that can fall flat on its face if no one will play along, but you never know till you try. We haven’t been to the West Village for awhile, so that’s tonight’s destination.
Okay, here we go. It's a little chilly out tonight. It was blazing hot this afternoon and now I'm stuck outside in short sleeves. It's kind of a short-pants, dime-a-dance moment. Whatever that means.
Okay, here we are in the West Village. Through the magic of the internet you're spared a subway ride which included four teenaged girls all screaming at each other with iPods plugged in their ears and texting nonstop as they all tried to talk louder than each other. God I hate the world. And here we are.
I almost bagged the whole idea because I'm really beat and wasn't really into it, but I ran into Ana on the corner and decided to give it a go. I asked Ana what she'd say to Mayor Bloomberg if she could and she said: "I'd like to tell him it should be legal to drink alcohol on the streets if you're doing it responsibly." Good answer, Ana!
I had trouble getting other people to pose for me on the street and a lot of people were traveling in packs and that was no good for this reporter on the street, so I wandered into a liquor store and found Peter. I asked him what he thought of the new law where you can't smoke in the park. His answer? "It's bullshit." Another perfect answer!
I have to confess as I wander down this lonely street, I'm just not that into doing this. I'm really tired and kind of feel like just going home and drinking some beer.
There was a video playing in this store window of a man getting a massage. I decided to move on before the "happy ending" happened.
Here's that door the Rolling Stones sang about.
Okay, I went full circle and ended up back at Christopher Street and Ana was talking to Boris on the corner. Boris agreed to have his picture taken and it was then I realized I only had two questions prepared and I had asked them already. I need to be better prepared next time I do this. So I had Ana ask Boris a question and she asked him what he liked about New York and what he disliked. His answer: "I like the fact that there's everything you could want in this city, but I don't like the fact that you can get lost easily in the West Village."
I started to ask this fellow a question and then realized who he was. Aaaaahhhhh! There's no escape!
Okay, I need to try this again when I'm not so tired. I decided to head homeward bound.
And for those of you keeping score, there's only one giant Budweiser left, so it looks like the orphans are going to have new home soon. In my stomach! Sip ahoy and see you tomorrow after dark. (Sip ahoy is a patented catch-phrase invented by Uncle Waltie. Use with permission only.)
Further reading: eHow, ? and the Mysterians, IMDb and James Shelley.
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19 Comments
Reader Comments (19)
Thanks for not doing Papaya two nights in a row,,,,though a few of my fellow commentators don't get it,,,that's ok though. My favorite picture today is the heavy black wooden door,,,,beautiful. Also "Holiday Road" video, a simple song with a great beat. Buckingham is a musical genius and an unbelievable guitarist,,,everyone should see him live,,,he is the show.
You know, I was beginning to wonder if there were any people at all like Peter left in N.Y. or even the world for that matter. The God damned health nazi's are going purely out of their minds nowadays and turning the whole damned world into a police state...for your own good of course. Laws like the smoking ban in the parks always seem to happen first in either New York or California, and then some asshole politician here in the Twin Cities (usually a Democrat, they always seem to know what's best for you weather you like it or not) says "Oh, how cool" and then they do the same thing here. Serve them all right if some mutated virus came along with Andromeda strain like qualities that only replicated in the bloodstreams of people with no nicotine or alcohol residue in them. I'd stand cheering while they dropped in the streets.
@Al: Lindsay Buckingham is a musical genius who gets simplicity in music like Brian Wilson. That song reminds me of the guitar solo in "Don't Worry Baby." Simple but genius.
@Jaws: Nice rant!
@ M.A.D.; grrrrrraaaarrrroooowrrrr!!!!
Two wretched flags red and green closely stood,
And sorry I would have to do both
And be one worker, l do all I could
And again looked down and saw the falsehood
The twain due on the morn. On my oath.;
It's true: You CAN get lost easily in the West Village. It's all wagon-wheelie Wash. D.C.-ey and shit. BUT, if you walk long and far enough, you eventually wind up at a road that will take you home again. And, along the way, you end up seeing and tasting and drinking a lot of stuff that you wouldn't have otherwise even known was there. My point is, I think everyone should go get lost in the Village every once in a while. It does a body good. As evidenced by the photo of Boris up there. Hubba hubba.
@Jaws: You're fired up today!
@csp: Here I sit, broken hearted...well, you know the rest.
@Biff: We had the same conversation last night! I said that it's easy to get lost in the West Village, but then you always find something new and interesting. Great minds think alike!
Nice to see "Boxface" creeping out of the darkness.
I think I may have a new idea.
Also glad your one interviewee didn't use quotes.
"Boris"
@Marty: Wonder Twin powers, activate! In form of an ice bucket for my beer!
That made me homesick. Two more months in London, and I'll be back home on Bedford Street.
Why I married me a bad girl, tell you the reason why
Bad girls will even do things on the sly
Look for your supper to be good and hot
She never even put a stew bone in the pot
She's on the road again, sure as you're born
Natural born easy on the road again
@"Boris:" I had a laugh when he told me his name was Boris. I though about using quotes, but didn't want to suffer the wrath of "Boris!" Looking forward to the new idea!
@Biff:To ice buckets and beer!
@Harry: I look forward to your return and a night out on the town with you! I've always loved the Lovin' Spoonful's version of that song, sung by Zally!
@MaD &csp: There once was a farmer from ngambi
who used to fuck a midget named Mandy.....ok...I'm not gonna finish that one.
Marty, PLEASE put some beer in that fridge.
If I come back to NY, how can I be assured I'm not going to get stalked by CBBM?
Hey, I like these kind of meandering outings - impressive after a shitty work day. Peter & Ana - good people. Nice to see Mitchum up there, but Night of the Hunter still freaks me out!
And sometimes you can even get lost in your own neighborhood ;)
still jealous of Harry!
wow...first i was sorta amazed that MAD only had two questions "'prepared"...ah like when has MAD ever really prepared?...'cept when he dons his certified snackologist hat...then i was really stopped when Jaws went on a rant...damn must be the pollen in the air...
Good food, good sex, good digestion, good sleep: to these basic animal pleasures, man has added nothing but the good cigarette.
~Mignon McLaughlin
rr
@Clacky: I will stock up this weekend and put up a picture to put your fears at ease. Oh and I heard on the street that Cardboard Box Man has a passport! Be very afraid!
@onemorefoldedsunset: Thanks, it's really been a shitty week at work and tonight's just as bad!
@kari: You know my directional skills all too well by now!
@rr: Yes, for once I prepped! Smoking good quote there!
Marty, your refrigerator's shelf space to bottle ratio needs to be improved. I'll send you a care package. 4 cubic feet of emptiness versus 6 bottles of domestic (or minuscule West Indian) brews is an unfair match-up. Looks like you need help. Sip Ahoy.
@Uncle Waltie: I'm going to stock up this weekend and post a picture, but I'll probably still need help. Sip ahoy and let's try and arrange a meeting of the minds at the International sometime in the next couple of weeks!
"I'd like to tell him it should be legal to drink alcohol on the streets if you're doing it responsibly." Good answer, Ana!
AMEN TO THAT!