Phantasmic Links 10.9.05

When I woke up this morning, I didn't think I'd end up lost and alone in the Bronx.

It's funny the way life works out sometimes. When the phone rang at 8:30 this morning, and my mom got the news that the local parade was canceled due to bad weather, I was relieved. I've been feeling lousy all weekend, and still felt pretty weak and congested this morning. I was looking forward to resting today and getting over my cold, and enjoying a vacation day I'd taken tomorrow. My dad however, upon getting home from church and hearing the same news, was pretty disappointed that it had been called off, especially since it wasn't really raining that hard. We had turned down another job up in the Bronx today because we were already booked for this one, so he called that guy to see if he could still use us. He could, and suddenly I had fifteen minutes to take a shower, get into a black suit, and get out the door. We didn't know where this parade was, so the other band leader asked us to meet him at his house in Queens rather than at the site. So we drove a bit out of our way South, and then followed him North into the Bronx. I brought my camera along and snapped pictures along the way, on the off-chance pneumonia kept me from taking any pictures tomorrow. The police let us through a barricade, and we had a REALLY good parking spot. As I noticed the microphone and podium five feet from the curb labeled Mike Bloomberg, I wasn't surprised when a police officer said we could unload but not park there. I asked him where to move to and he said any of the side streets.

That wasn't as simple a task. I left my dad and the rest of the band and decided to give him a break and park the car. I also didn't trust him because, on the way to Queens, he was so worried about being late he brazenly shot through a red light at an intersection despite the fact that I was screaming for him to stop. On the way home tonight, he kept insisting it was still “amber” and denying the fact that it was red while we were still a good fifty feet away. At any rate, in my stubbornness, I didn't fare much better behind the wheel. Every time I thought I saw a space, it was either a fire hydrant or a hidden driveway. I spiraled out further and further away, and when I saw the Bronx Zoo I knew I was in trouble. I continued along its perimeter, at one point passing Fordham University and finally finding a road cutting through The New York Botanical Gardens. I saw a street name that seemed familiar, and soon found myself at the end of the parade route. The road was blocked off, and I took the first spot I found, then RAN back to where it was supposed to start, since I'd killed a half hour. I made the trek, just over a mile, in about fifteen minutes, which is more impressive given the fact that part of it was uphill, it was drizzling, and I was sick. I missed the mayor's speech and the start of the parade, but our group was still waiting and only the first band or two had gone out so I hadn't missed out on any playing. When it was over, it turned out for the best since the car was not far from where it ended. Best of all, the run actually seems to have cleared my sinuses, though who knows how I'll feel tomorrow morning. I'm just glad I took the day off.

I guess it all goes back to what I was saying yesterday. I'm not as strong or persistent as my dad, and I don't know if I'll ever be. If it was up to me, when the first parade was called off, I would have just gone back to bed and given up. Instead, I had an adventure, got some exercise, and got a great anecdote to share before diving into this week's PHANTASMIC LINKS:

0 days remain for you to send me your votes and guest posts for Cloakfest 2005. Today was the DEADLINE. If you didn't pick the best party from the list, and didn't pick the best individual participant, then you can't complain if your favorites don't win. The rest of you rock, including both readers who submitted guest posts. This should be a fun anniversary week here at the Nexus; I hope everyone is looking forward to it as much as I am.

While I may have accidentally circumnavigated the zoo this morning, Rey took his family there on purpose earlier this week.

Darrell decides to unmask me, and hilarity ensues, but I get the last laugh(as usual, at my own expense).

FawnDoo discovers a Stargate in Scotland! I can't wait until the day I find one. Be sure click on over to congratulate him, if you haven't already!

Is HDTV revealing the ugly truth about my former favorite Lois Lane? Hat tip to Rey for the link.

Whenever this has happened to me, it has never been as cool.

This just in: Smurf village bombed by UNICEF?!

Role players sing about unicorns, and I feel marginally cooler watching them. Here's their video collection.

It takes a little too long to get to the payoff, but the consequences of Kanye are damn funny.

Here's the latest from the ”You Can Find ANYTHING on the Internet” department....

Jamie Dawn ponders hypothetical Hollywood May-December pairings.

Neil offers some good advice on writing dialogue.

Flying cars are closer than you think, and just a bit later than works of science fiction predicted. Link found via The Hidden Blogger.

Remember those edited G.I.Joe Public Service Announcements? No? Well I found the full collection of PSAs over at Ebaumsworld. Now you can relive 80s animated cheesiness with such old favorites as Reggae, Computer, or Shipwreck's Return.

The What Pulp Fiction Character Are You? quiz, found over at Sean's:

I'm paranoid, and perhaps a bit whacked. My life experience has made me an introvert. Though I'm a true friend, who retains promises and the past in the palm of my hand, I need to let it go—staying anal retentive forever is not the answer.