Surf Ninjas: NY Style

In a moment of great uncertainty where doing nothing would certainly cost them their lives, a Delta Force operator told his comrades, "We will plan it on the move" and action on instinct certainly preserved their lives.

Tonight was almost exactly like that for me...well in its own right.

The mission was 173rd st and Broadway, NY, NY. What was it?

Only the baddest, sturdiest coffee table on the market and its GONNA GO FAST! Swift action to a highly coveted IKEA item was the only response. I felt like Jordin Sparks and her call to action in the song Battlefield to "GET YOUR ARMOR, Get your armor!" Immediacy was the only solution and armor up I did.

Armed with a dolly and a $20 bill I set off on foot to bring back an item of such great importance that inaction on my part would certainly cost me dearly...where would I put my magazines, junk mail, and the free newspaper this guy gives me on the subway everyday. My pride, ego, and manhood were all on the line. Normally, this would be "just another job", but I was short my usual partner in action who once almost single-handedly pulled a sofa-bed couch (which weighs a bunch) off a truck into our apartment. This night she was training cub scouts the great art of a Christmas Party. All I had was my dolly:

I ventured out walking through the blistering 20 degree weather as it bounced off my jacket, already fighting against me. I knew there was more to come. My insertion point took me a .6 mile move into the northern region of Washington Heights. I moved in the cover of night, as only it new my true mission.

I arrived uneventfully only nursing a sore ankle. My anxious seller at 173rd was eager to rid herself of the item and as I loaded it onto the dolly I knew it was not going to be a "Party In the USA" as Miley Cyrus was long to say. I looked down the concrete path and had faith it was going to be alright.

I jumped on that table and surfed down 173rd st with one casual onlooker becoming not so casual as he stopped and stood there staring as I boogie boarded down to Fort Washington St. The cracks in the side walk challenged me but I navigated through them. Thank goodness I watched Hollywood movies showing me that things like that were possible.

I continued down Fort Washington and was cheered on by some inner-city youth jeering me into further action. Midway through the journey a broomstick from a local garbage can served as my rod of direction and "planning as I went" I made it to my destination.

I have great news, no damage to the asset and it now resides in a safe house under the witness protection program.

This is one of the guards in the safe house.

Elevator is the NEW Media Medium

I love it when things like this happen, companies just decide to impose something on short notice. For instance, a favorite website will be inoperational for hours on end "for upgrades", or the famous Cali rolling blackouts, or the teacher who cancels class known only when you've traveled, parked and walked to the classroom sign that says "PEACE OUT SUCKAS"

However, chaos and frustration are seeds from which hilarity comes, as noted in the picture below.
As Leslie and I were leaving our friends house, Jordan and Erin, we entered their elevator. There was posted a sign for all to see:

Of course this is absurd, but you know, it happens. I definitely like everything that some of the angry residents wrote on the notice though. And how about the time frame for the work they are doing, "Yeah, I can have a guy there to fix 'ur water prol'em, sometime between Monday and Wednesday, good luck showering." I think the cable company pegs down a time better than that.

Unfortunately, how about those people who live on the first floor, who had no idea, they just woke up and had the shower of a lifetime. Yep, superintendent, you boo-yah'd everybody!

Macy's Day Parade Panoramic Pix

I totally dig panormic pictures. While at the parade I perfected the art of it:That one is one of my favorites, even though it was my first try. The guy in the middle has a cone head, couldn't have even planned that. Oh yeah, and that's Mike over there on the right looking up.

So my second try I did a little better.

However, that guy with the alien head was too prominent for my liking so the next one I tried to get him not to be the main character of the picture "it's like an orange on a toothpick" (Mike Myers).

Now this is not a panoramic picture, but I couldn't help myself, this was the Doughboy's Premiere to the Parade, his first year and he NAILED IT! Check out his enthusiasm!

So this is the final panormic try and it was my favorite and also my persuasion of why to use a panoramic pics. The below is right after the parade and is a normal city shot of NYC at Central Park West and 73rd St.
However check it out with a panoramic try. It just takes in so much more.

All in all the parade was cool, but we did get a little bored...just one moment is below.

I did finally get that panoramic picture I wanted: