A Pet Peeve

One of my pet pevees is when someone leaves you a message, and they just go on and on repeating the same thing over and over. Here's a transcript of the message:
(name and numbers changed to protect whatever innocence is left.)

"Hello, Gerk? This is James. Is this Gerk? Kenny? Is this the right number? five five five... four four... five five? I mean, two one two... five five five... four four... five five? Gerk? Ken? Kenny? This is James... from Astoria. Kenny? Gerk. Hey. I'm just calling to get a number from you. Is this you? Gerk? Hello? Kenny? Gerk? So yeah, Gerk.. Is this you? Anyway call me when you get this. My number is sevenoneeightfivefivefivetwothreetwofive. Call me when you get this. This is Gerk, right? I hope I have the right number. Ken? Gerk... from Astoria? Kenny? I hope I got this number right. Gerk. Ken. Kenny... Gerk. I think this is the right number. Hello? Gerk? Anyway, if this is you, call me when you get this. Okay? Kenny? I mean, Gerk. Okay? Call me."

By the end of the message, I wondered what I had done that God would punish me so.

And, if you notice when he left his number he talked faster than that fast-talking guy on TV. I had to play the message four times to get the number! He says it ONCE, and FAST, but my name.. that he HAS to say at least a thousand times.

How Awesomely Lazy is That!?

Okay, seriously... At first it was leaning up on against a parking meter, and I just thought it was funny looking. But when the chick saw me pulling my camera out, she went to put it away. She had to unlock the door, but didn't want to use two hands (she was on the phone), so she rested it up against the bumper, which made for a funnier picture. Don't you think so?

Anyway, why do they need a ladder that short? I think it's almost more work to take those two small steps than one slightly bigger one. Hey... God bless the unions.

What a trip

Coming back from Florida, via air travel, on Thursday no less, my trip became a longer journey than I had planned. My 2.5 hour trip turned into a 13 hour journey.

The terrorist planned to attack a London Airport, so delays are to be expected. My flight was originally planned for noon, which got delayed about 40 minutes. That 40 minutes turned into into about 50 minutes, while still at the airport. A lot of flights were delayed.

The flight felt longer than 2.5 hours, as I realized we still weren't in NY. Then the pilot made an announcement, New York, LaGuardia wasn't taking flights for two reason: 1) there were too many other delayed flights, and 2) the weather was too stormy for flights to take-off/land.

So were were routed to Virginia. The delay there was supposed to be an hour, but turned into almost two hours. Now, the best part (note: there is a lot of sarcasm in that last part), was that we got in just after 7pm, and the only place to get something the kids would eat is just outside the "security area", which they told us not to leave in order to avoid any delays.

A security officer told me that it would be okay to go out, but to be back on line before 8pm, or else I'd be staying in Virginia for the night. He said "We usually close the line at 7:30 and close at 8. But we're making allowances for you guys since you have been directed here."

I got the kids and I something to eat, and was back in the secure area before 8. But no everyone was so speedy. I heard a few people make a stink because they weren't being allowed back in. After a bit of arguing, they were allowed through.

NOTE: Best way to deal with ornery old people, is the "path of least resistance".

I felt bad for this one old guy who recently had heart surgery, and had packed his medication in his checked luggage, for fear of having it confiscated at the security check back in Florida. They wouldn't let him get to his luggage because 1) it would delay us at least 3 hours, and that would cause us to miss our return "window" which in turn could delay us MUCH longer.

We finally get back to NYC, and after a quick drive home, I find out my entire neighborhood is SHUT DOWN.

They're repaving the main street, and there are film crews on the two other streets that you can enter through. One a film crew, the other a TV crew. Effectively, cutting my block off entirely.

Vilz talked with a police officer who led us to our block. Otherwise, we would have probably had to wait until 6am.

I got home a little before midnight. Whew! What a journey.

Photos: The Warriors screening

Just wanted to post some pics for those suckkas that didn't bop down to the screening.

My Kodak photos

Someone's photos of the scavenger hunt

Just a photos

UPDATE: More photos...

Photos from one of the Electric Eliminators

A shot of the cast

Photos from one of The Orphans

A couple of photos from the High Hats

The Lizzies Won!

The winning teams from last night's "Warriors Scavenger Hunt" were (in reverse order):

3. Turnbull AC's
2. The Punks
and
1. The Lizzies

The Lizzies were a group of girls from the Gamma Nu Delta sorority at CCNY. They told me that a few teams kept talking shyt to them, and those teams didn't even make it to the top three. They JUST barely beat out The Punks by THREE POINTS!

Note: I pat myself on the back here for telling Tsunami (another Warriors fan) about the movie and hunt, who organized some of her sorority sisters to form The Lizzies.
pat.. pat.. ow! almost broke my arm there.

It was a hard it was a foot race with some train riding (of course) on THE hottest day of the year. Yesterday's temperature was a record high of 100 degrees, with a heat index of over 115 degrees!

One team (The High Hats) was disqualified when one of it's members got sick and couldn't continue the race.

But amazingly, all the other teams finished the hunt.

Afterwards, right before the screening, all the teams had to perform a rap. I think the Lizzies clinched it with their rap/dance. The Savage Huns were pretty good too. But I think it came down to lyrics. It was all great. The Lizzies won "Warrior" vests, posters, hats etc.. AND.. a sit-down brunch with the stars! How bad-ass is that!?

Most of The Warriors were there: Swan, Mercy, The Fox, Cowboy, Cochise, Cleon, Snow, Vermin. As well as Cyrus. They answered questions after the screening.

Two of the actors work as police, two work for the MTA, and Roger Hill works for the NY Public Library!

I wish I had stayed and gotten some swag. They gave out hats and posters. But one of my fat-boy friends, Pugsley, wanted to "beat the rush" to Nathan's to GET A HOT DOG! Yes, he said "beat the rush". Swet Christmas.

Anyway, thanks to Netflix, The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, The Warriors and all the gangs of the 70's who inspired the movie. And a big congrats to The Lizzies (GND) for winning.

WARRIORS!

Tomorrow night, it's on!

On Wednesday, August 2nd, the Netflix Roadshow kicks off with an outdoor screening of "The Warriors"... AT CONEY ISLAND! How cool is that? The movie shown at the location where it's set.

time: 8:30 PM (sundown)
place: Asser Levy Park Amphitheater
btwn Sea Breeze and Ocean, at 2nd Street
The Big Coney (Coney Island)

Some of the cast will even be there for Q&A afterwards. Here's a list so far: Deborah Van Valkenburgh (Mercy), Michael Beck (Swan), David Harris (Cochise), Terry Michos (Vermin), Brian Tyler (Snow), Dorsey Wright (Cleon), Tom McKitterick (Cowboy), and Thomas Waites (Fox).