it must be tuesday

I woke up this morning and decided to fulfill my Central Park Reading Day plan. Around noon, I began riding up the East Side on my bike. My apologies for the quality of these photos -- they were taken by a) my iPhone or b) my old digital camera, which is all kinds of fucked up, as you will see. I am getting a new camera soon. Regardless, you can click on these photos to make 'em bigger.

The view from the East Side bike path:

The East Side bike path sucks, by the way. It ends around 30th street, so I had to ride up pothole-covered First Avenue. But before I got off the path I saw this piece of sensible graffiti:

I agree with that, and I also agree with a not-too-crowded sheep meadow, a 78 degree day and not a care in the world. Man this HIATUS is good.

I was already deeply, deeply happy, and then I remembered that I didn't have a beer. Nobody came around selling it, so I hopped on the bike and made a deli run. I returned with a couple of cold pals. The only company I would need.

Everybody was feeling right. Frisbees flying, girls pulling their boyfriends' pants off, the whole deal.
Below: my formula for satisfaction. It was a great New York day and I didn't need to add much to it. This book Cruddy, by the way, is incredible. I am only about 80 pages in but I feel a deep connection with it.
I decided to head home down the West Side, and stopped for a Gatorade in a depressing deli on Amsterdam. This guy looked like he could use a Gatorade, too. Maybe Fierce Melon flavor.

The West Side bike path is so much nicer it ain't even funny. I rode all the way around the tip of Manhattan and then back up the East Side. When I ride by myself I play a little asshole game where I sort of pretend to get pissed when other cyclists pass me on the bike path. I don't ride very fast, until I get passed. Then I take it as a mini challenge. I wait until the moment is right, when it doesn't seem to be intentional, and then I retake the lead. When I stopped to take a picture of this duck some completely unathletic looking hausfrau in blue jeans passed me. I made it my mission to pass her. But somehow she just kept pulling further away, and her legs were barely moving. She must have been in some supersonic cosmically aligned gear. I continued following her down the path and shifted to a higher gear. Finally, after like 60 blocks, I passed her. Man I bet she learned a thing or two. She was probably genuinely concerned that I was following her with malicious intent, and decided to just let me pass. Whatever, I'll take the win, baby!

Look at these working stiffs! Ha ha ha! Hey guys, don't forget to set the alarm tonight!

I bet Deion knows what building this is. There was a guy in an Orioles hat fishing off the path right around here but he didn't want me to take his pic (I asked). I did ask if he was a fan and he said no.

It was a great day. If I die in my sleep tonight, I went out on a high note. I may do it again tomorrow, if the soreness in my verbungle subsides. And on Thursday crsmal is coming in to the city for a samwich and a beer. You're invited. No, not you. You!