Best American Afternoon

After the Dark Knight Rises we headed for Prospect Park as Jeff was holding his first major campaign event.  "Major campaign event", what do I mean?  What I mean is Jeff is running for Congress.  He reached out to his constituents with a Brooklyn District-themed Bean Bag Toss.  The game was a gigantic hit with the kids in the park that day.  They came screaming across the lawn from their family reunions at the sight of it.

Best actual quotes re: Bean Bag toss: "This game is wicked awesome!" and "My favorite sport is Bean Bags!"

The band of Jeff supporters was scrappy yet strong.  Like the Rebel alliance.  So, in other words, perfect.

We certainly did not suggest to anyone that they put their face in any of the holes to be beaned.  The kids came up with this themselves and, yes, a couple got beaned.

Maybe I shouldn't be calling a game where bean bags are chucked as hard as possible from point blank range a "toss."  Doesn't "toss" suggest underhand lobs?

As the game transformed into a swirl of kids diving for loose bean bags to be next to hurl them at someone's fact we tried to institute a little order by making them line up to get to throw.  This line did not last long.

Eventually we put the toss on hold for Jeff to give his first campaign speech.  I wish I had taken notes, but my primary takeaway was he's running on a platform of Liberty and Responsibility, and that you can't have the former without the latter.

Some audience members' attention wandered.

My favorite part of the speech was learning about Prospect Park's role in the American Revolution.  They fought there!  Jeff is not making a Cub Scout salute here, he is pointing to an important ridge.  The speech also included a recitation of the Gettysburg Address.

Post-speech Christian and Reghan and child stopped by.  They're Brooklyners now.  And parents!

By the end of the event some attachments had formed.

This fellow took an interest in my camera.

My first lesson for him was on framing.

Next time: Focussing.

Almost as popular as bean bag toss: The game where Pearl guesses how old you are and what month you were born.

And was that all that Saturday offered?  Definitely not.  It just kept going and going.

Best the Handsome Gentleman in Action

Let's return now to the cat inside the Italian Restaurant at night time.  In this video, you will learn what  this guy lives off of.

Best Early Morning Rose for Some Dark Knight Rises

I still don't know how to tackle the whole weekend, but let's start with seeing the Dark Knight Rises?  Roughly a month before it opened we snatched up some tickets to see it at the Lincoln Center IMAX on Saturday morning at 10:25.  And when Saturday finally came, Emily arrived to get in line at 8 on the dot, the rest of us a little after.  The IMAX lobby had already been filled with one segment of the line, but those sorts are the people you just can't beat.  The people who got there before the 6:30 AM screening.  We still got dead center seats.  So great work, Emily.

The 2+ hour wait flew by.  We passed the time doing stuff like trying to make bat-symbols with our hands.

This seemed like the closest thing we could get to a bat at the time. 

And what did I think of the movie?  Oh it was awesome, that is for sure.  I feel it isn't time yet to get into all the details?  Like what if you're actually reading this and you haven't seen it yet?  There certainly were many moments that really socked me in the gut, I had been on a pretty good No-Spoiler lockdown and had a few pleasant surprises (and the even more pleasant feeling of figuring out a surprise or two before they happened.)  But here is one thing that I think: I think that when I see this movie again I will notice things that bug me, I feel its enjoyment will be diminished by 7 to 8% with repeat viewings.

Leaving the theater we beheld with our own eyes what happens if you aren't in line for IMAX Batman two and a half hours before it starts: You line up all over the place.

And what do I see as I leave the theater?  A pair in line for the 6:15 screening five hours ahead of time. Like I said earlier, there's some people you just can't beat.

Post-show outdoor congregating and discussing and sign-flashing.  There's a lot to talk about after watching the Dark Knight Rises, you're really going to want to have some friends around to discuss it with.

Eventually we started making our way down Broadway.  As you may have noticed earlier, Pearl was in town from Provo (or Costa Rica, actually) as she sometimes is.  And on the right, that's Lemon Verbana.

Saw a Salvation Army setting up to play . . . the Christmas Creep comes earlier every year. 

Dipped into the Time Warner center for some macarons from Bouchon.  I had a PB&J.  It truly was a PB&J macaron.

Major stroller-parking situation outside Landmark, that's the brunch rush you're dealing with right there.

Much further down Broadway enjoyed a couple No. 7 Subs subs.  Roasted broccolli with lychee, pine nuts, and ricotta.

Cheese steak with Funyuns, pickled jalepenos, and "Miso Whiz".  These sandwiches hit a lot of spots. 

I bet you didn't think this Batman post was going to end with close up photos of sandwiches.  But in a way, can you really say you're all that surprised that it did?

Best Rest At Last

Ever have a weekend of so much relentless awesome that by Sunday night you're relieved to think you'll be going back to work soon?

When I get the strength, Stories.  But for now, look at this cat who lives in an Italian restaurant at night.  What a handsome gentleman!

Best Back to the Beach

Do you know what happens every four years?  Besides the Olympics?  I have a New York City beach day.  This time, thanks to Evan, I hitched a ride to Rockaway Beach.

Rockaway Beach has had a lot of buzz lately.  I guess word is out about its abandoned cat houses (not "cat houses" but houses apparently owned by cats)

We staked a claim on the sand and set down the beach's most stylish towels.

And then I grabbed a little lunch from the Rockaway Tacos beachside satellite outpost (believe me the genuine Rockaway Tacos will be talked about before the end of the post)

Got some flautas and a watermelon water to take back to the sand.

We were supposed to be celebrating Evan's birthday but somehow the group conversation couldn't move far from a certain recently announced engagement.

As the Rockaways are JFK's back porch there's a lot of low flying aircraft on its way out of town.  This is one of those new beluga whale double decker jets.  Headed to Dubai or something.

Beach.

After a solid four or five hours, we depart.

But the day is not through!  We have dinner to eat!

At Rockaway beach's famous Rockaway Tacos.

It is a hopping joint with music blasting through the kitchen.  Somehow we showed up in a lull where we could just walk up and order.  A lull like that is shortlived at Rockaway Taco.

Everyone's favorite taco?  Fish.

Nice and homey salsa bar.

Easy to understand seating arrangement in back.

A tradition of only a few years, but an excellent one indeed.

When we finished the place was packed.

Heading for transportation.  Some to trains, others to the car.

Don't worry, Chris.  We won't leave you!

Leaving we saw terrible automobile/bus misfortune.

Aspirational inspiration.  Go to Harvard and all this could be yours, too.

The mysteries of the Rockaways.

Packing in High School style. I mean, I've heard that sometimes in High School a whole bunch of kids will cram in a car, sometimes even exceeding the number of seat belts in the automobile.  That's what I heard.

We received a call that Sylvia had left her bag on the subway platform.  And do you know what I find on the platform when I go looking for her bag?  Her bag!  New York miscreants, your game is getting weak.  

Riding back to civilization as I know it, see New York sights I've never seen before.  Ever ever.

And in downtown Brooklyn, the house that Jay is building.

Epilogue: Just look at the line for Big Gay Ice Cream.  It's like no one realizes there's about a half dozen (or quarter dozen?) other ice creameries on 7th street.