Today was a day fit for a photographer, and I realize I ought to be riding with a camera in tow. But I also don't have a ton of time and I fancy myself as a writer, so my memory and keyboard will guide me.
I worked out my abs thoroughly this morning and re-fueled with some coconut water (with chunks), which I figured was better than the protein shake I'd had as I would save the protein for the post-ride. I need to keep tightening the abs when I ride to keep them on edge.
It's a day worthy of falling in love with life, and when the weather is as such, of course I'm going to revert to my favorite band. I put on some tracks off By The Way, which, though I love it, is not even in my top 5 fav albums (of theirs). So I started with "Can't Stop" and made my way under the post office with "Throw Away Your Television." I had written draft 1 of an essay about the RHCP and Friendship a few months ago, which I'd planned to revisit and I think I will now, as I figured out another, more interesting characteristic to delve in to.
I had a counselor at camp named Doug who was a really funny and cool guy. I often think of him when I think of Flea -- I think it's because physically they are somewhat short and all over the place and full of good humor. From what I've read about Flea, he can be a big baby, which Doug had the tendency to be in a "little shit" sort of way. If Doug liked you, you were spared. If not, he just picked on you relentlessly. Thankfully we had a really good relationship and we, during Work Group summer really got along well because he saw me as I was -- a hard worker who had a longer walk from the kitchen to my tables (the entire perimeter) and I was dependable. I saw him once or twice a few years back in front of the NJ Transit level and it was not the same guy. Someone extinguished the fire -- he seemed exhausted and his lust for life had been diminished. So I leave the past in the past and remember it for my own future. A life behind a desk can do that to you, if you let it.
A truck driver trying to pull out and maneuver didn't see me but eventually did and let me go. Re-emerging into the sunlight, at the corner, I see a graying, mustachioed man and his passenger (his wife?) taking pictures of their white sedan in the right lane which had been hit by the mail truck in the middle lane making a right. This might have transpired 10 seconds earlier, and they figured they'd get out and get their visual proof that the mail carrier did not/would not see them and turned from the middle lane. The drivers were still in the truck.
At the Highway crossing I realized I had at least a minute before I could cross, and made my way. There's something on my side most of the time, because there are some garages that exit on a decline and one guy would've killed me had I been 5 seconds earlier. But I'm on the sidewalk and I am not in a rush if I'm on the sidewalk.
I cross at 27th and one guy (who worked for the PO?) crossed on motorized not-quite-forklift. He tried to make it look cool, but it was more confusing than anything else.
I have the Hudson on my right, looking at the Erie Lackawanna port and it's a nice sight. I wonder if I could swim to there. Probably but not doing the crawl -- back and breast stroke for sure. There are some oldies-but-goodies like "Cabron" which I don't make it a point to put on so it's nice to hear it and it complements the ride nicely while also reminding me of the day I bought the album and brought it to the beach. I was temping at a legal service firm that summer (02) and that was not stimulating work. Still, I ended up picking up an extra week there the following January due to lack of anything else to do.
As I made my way beyond midtown south, I saw a little person in a hoodie holding a dog's leash and talking to a full-size woman. Instantly I recognized that the man was Peter Dinklage, an actor who I have met and interviewed, as he played the lead defense counsel in "Find Me Guilty." I met him on the set and we spoke briefly about how I wrote a college thesis about his first film, "Living In Oblivion." That was Nov. 04. In March 06, the film came out and I got him on the phone for my first NYLJ article, which was a feature about the film.
And so it continued. Still waiting on a couple of calls and things of that nature. I'm sure I will be tired (groggy, not sore) but I will run today and make sure I will not eat a Balance Bar prior. "Minor Thing" and "Warm Tape" rounded out the list today.
The ricochet of the WFC's powerwasher's work is a wonderful way to mark the end of the ride here and I'm a pretty happy guy.
Hopefully the folks in the car accident get it all worked out with a minimal fuss.
Thank you for reading.
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