Candy Bars and the Knicks

Car(a)mel(l)o

Since I live in the Rotten Apple I suppose I should be ecstatic about the Knicks signing Carmelo. As reality has it, basketball does not capture my attention in the least bit. Though, now when I hear Carmelo's name, instantly I crave Caramello's. Caramello's are those succulent Chocolate candy bars filled with chewy caramel. Caramello's should not be mistaken for Carmelo, who incidentally, not filled with caramel, but with blood, organ, and bones, like a hunter's garbage can after he has gutted a deer and thrown away the entrails, but both I assume are of equal chocolatey goodness.

I will say, New York is a large city. I'll even go as far and say that according to wiki, Gotham is the most populated city in the United States. So it's about time Gotham has the calibre of a player like a Kobe beef or a Shake Shaq dribbling that orange ball up and down the lane for the Knicks. For this, I extend a congratulation to New York!

As all this excitement over a basketball player whose name conjures thoughts and cravings for the before mentioned candy bar, New York continues to trudge through a rough winter. Today's no different, it's literally 17 degrees outside and this really makes me wonder why any of us would continue to live this far north. I guess we all have our own reasons: the culture, the night life, job opportunities, running from the law, too broke to move out of the city etc...

Since the snow has finally melted from the blast we received the day after Xmas, I have continued to ride my bicycle everywhere. Is riding my bike a love, or an addiction? I definitely love riding my bike. On the other hand (it would be my right hand since I'm left handed), could say I am addicted to riding, not in a Charlie Sheen addicted to coke and hookers addiction, but in way where you just have to do it because it just makes you feel good (though that sounds similar to a coke and hooker addiction). Plus, as we all know, you don't have to deal with tardiness of the MTA. Besides, it's enjoyable, to watch the city wake up as you ride to work, as opposed to being stuffed inside a cattle car like box, knowing you will most likely wind up late for work.

Like I said, people are addicted to various things. Like I mentioned before, I am addicted to riding my bike and Charlie Sheen is addicted to hookers and coke. Some people (as am I), are addicted to chocolate. Chocolate is considered an aphrodisiac. Now, as I satisfy one addiction by cycling work every morning, I will also satisfy, not only my chocolate addiction by eating a Caramello, but I will think of Carmelo and the Knicks as well.

And so as winter rolls forward, I will ride my bike and more New Yorkers will be watching more basketball because of the newly acquired addition of Carmelo. Everyone will be happy, well except for those people riding the MTA who will most likely be late for work.

Brrr, Saturday, you were cold.

Ahh, Winter, old friend, you have returned once more. I knew that everyone (myself included), joyous over the Spring like weather, were about to have our realities reintroduced to us. See, it's still February and we still have at least another month and a half of winter ahead of us. We still have March marching towards us and sometimes, actually most times, this is not a good thing, since March is one of the coldest months of the year.

This past Saturday, indeed Winter returned in all it's glory. The wind, strong enough to push a boat crafted from an old Volkswagon from Cuba to the sandy shores of freedom known as Florida in one mighty blow, blew upon us all day long. This wind created tiny tornado's of trash that twisted itself down the streets of Greenpoint in amazing fashion, spreading itself about to only beautify the neighborhood that much more. This scenario made the bike ride from my house over the Williamsburg bridge into the East Village even more enjoyable, though I complete my journey unscathed.

As the sun set and day faded into the night, so too did the temperature drop only making being outside that more unbearable. After eating Ramen and traveling to Whole Foods with my girlfriend, we slowly navigated our way back towards her home. On the way back we stumbled upon a group of girls not from the city, but from Jersey. I knew they were from Jersey simply because the tags on their car stated they hailed from the garden state.

There is nothing wrong with traveling to the city to enjoy an evening out on the town, even if you traveled via bridge or tunnel, my friends from Long Island do this all of the time. What amazed me about seeing these girls was that even in 20 degree weather, with the wind blowing as it was, these girls were in mini skirts and high heels. I was amazed at these girls, because even if I was nuts, which I am sure I am at least semi nuts, I would never be able to walk around like that. I don't mean walk around in skirts, I mean I would never be able to walk around in this weather with my legs exposed.

This made me realize how badly people want Spring to arrive. Trust me, Spring will arrive, just not as quickly as we would like it to arrive. I think people are simply fed up with winter, and like an ex lover that continues to cling to you after you have broken up with them, we just want winter to move on and find happiness elsewhere. So people, please stay warm, and Spring will be here shortly.

Winter's hidden gems

Picture via http://www.mommygoggles.com

I am a dog walker, in as much that when I am at my girlfriend's house I walk her dog. As I walk the love my girlfriend's life (which isn't me by the way), I tend to look at the ground a lot since my girlfriends dog is small. I would say she is small as in the size of a chihuahua is small. I have noticed, along with the Gothamist, that as the snow melts away from December's post Christmas snow dusting, many a things are being uncovered.

As Zeus released the Krakken, so too as the snow has melted, released hidden gems buried beneath it's white fluffiness that's now covered in filth and grim. It reveals that people are more dirtier than a sow rolling around in it's own feces. Garbage, a glove now missing it's significant other, and used heroin needles are just a few of things that you will find under the melting snow.

What gets to me most about whats being discovered under the snow, is that when it snows, people forego picking up after their pets. As embarrassing as it can be, I will pick up after my girlfriends dog after she does her business. Not only do I want people not to step in it, but it's the law to pick up after your dog. No one wants to step in doggy deposits, and I'm sure this includes those who don't remove their own dog's deposits from the streets. Don't the soles of peoples shoes suffer enough?

It's almost as if people will let their dogs do their business and then simply brush their pets deposit under nature's winter carpet of snow. This is just disrespectful to the people around you, like when Urban Athelete's go to the Turkey's Nest, then leave their styrofoam cups littered about McCarren park after an adult game of kickball. Better yet, like when someone is eating Mc Donald's on the subway and then simply tosses their garbage under the seat. I'm sure they frown at people doing these things, so why do it themselves?

I would love to ask everyone, if you are going to own a pet, take responsibility and clean up after your pet. Karma is like a woman, in that she will take something that you did, store it away in her mind for months, maybe even years, and then when you least expect it, she will pull it out of the blue and make you suffer for it. So, to the people who think the sidewalk is their trash can, when you aren't looking, Karma will be paying you a visit.