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Sunday, January 29, 2012
In Winter It's a Marshmallow World. All the Better for S'mores.
The Yankee Chicken eases his offseason ennui by attempting to go into sugar shock (and indulging in some seriously terrible Bad Movie Night fare), but not before he does his duty as a countdowning, good-luck chicken and all that.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
It's Not Much of a Conversationalist, But Still.
Confession: I've worked in NYC for almost 13 years (egads) and I still manage to get lost in lower Manhattan. For serious, take me off the grid and I literally have to load up the GPS on my phone to help figure out where I am. While walking. That's probably because up until this summer, when my office moved downtown, I'd rarely have to find myself down that way.
Yet, back in the day, all I needed to do was look up, find the World Trade Center, and figure myself out. Those two buildings were like beacons when I'd get lost down there - just gaze skyward, find them, and know which way was south and north, like a giant compass of sorts. Obviously, this has hardly been the case the last ten years. Until this evening.
But let me back up and talk a little about the new 1 World Trade Center. When my office moved down to the Financial District in July, I was glad in that it was getting me out of midtown for the first time in all my years working in NYC. A change of scenery (with A LOT less tourists), if you will. The PATH train comes in under the World Trade construction site, so since then, I've been seeing first-hand all the re-building that goes on down there. It wasn't till about a week into the move that I figured out the building going up almost directly over the station was the new 1 World Trade Center - I'd caught glimpses of it from across the river as it slowly rose, but being right under it was eye-opening. Seriously, when you stand under that thing, you get a total appreciation for its gargantuan height, something you really can't get even from a few blocks away. You just kind of stare up at it all, "Okay, you win. I'm never going to be as tall as you."
This was how it looked in September. It's much taller now.
Anyway, you know how I started talking to the Empire State Building post-9/11? Well, I started doing it with this guy too, because I want to be neighborly. Whenever I go into the PATH station to make my way home, I offer it my salutations (in my head - not out loud. I don't need my ass dragged to Bellevue or anything), like "Hey there, friend!" Sometimes I'm like, "You will NOT believe the day I had. Hope yours was better." I wished it a happy new year when I was coming home in the early hours of Jan. 1. And I'm pretty sure we're both psyched the Giants are in the Super Bowl.
So what does this have to do with getting lost like an idiot in the Financial District? Well, this evening, I decided to walk to the PATH, instead of take the subway. I've pretty much avoided this the last few months since I TWICE ended up walking in circles (and, really, who wants to end up back at their office?), but tonight I figured I could swing by the local Gristedes and then head home without incident. I kind of thought I was going the right way up Maiden Lane, but I had this nagging doubt that comes with being burned before by lack of a street grid.
But then it happened. I looked up and there it was, juuuust peeping up over the tops of the other tall buildings in the neighborhood: 1World Trade Center. For the first time in 10 years, I knew I was walking in the right direction.
"Thanks, new friend," I said. "Nice to see you, too."
Yet, back in the day, all I needed to do was look up, find the World Trade Center, and figure myself out. Those two buildings were like beacons when I'd get lost down there - just gaze skyward, find them, and know which way was south and north, like a giant compass of sorts. Obviously, this has hardly been the case the last ten years. Until this evening.
But let me back up and talk a little about the new 1 World Trade Center. When my office moved down to the Financial District in July, I was glad in that it was getting me out of midtown for the first time in all my years working in NYC. A change of scenery (with A LOT less tourists), if you will. The PATH train comes in under the World Trade construction site, so since then, I've been seeing first-hand all the re-building that goes on down there. It wasn't till about a week into the move that I figured out the building going up almost directly over the station was the new 1 World Trade Center - I'd caught glimpses of it from across the river as it slowly rose, but being right under it was eye-opening. Seriously, when you stand under that thing, you get a total appreciation for its gargantuan height, something you really can't get even from a few blocks away. You just kind of stare up at it all, "Okay, you win. I'm never going to be as tall as you."
This was how it looked in September. It's much taller now.
Anyway, you know how I started talking to the Empire State Building post-9/11? Well, I started doing it with this guy too, because I want to be neighborly. Whenever I go into the PATH station to make my way home, I offer it my salutations (in my head - not out loud. I don't need my ass dragged to Bellevue or anything), like "Hey there, friend!" Sometimes I'm like, "You will NOT believe the day I had. Hope yours was better." I wished it a happy new year when I was coming home in the early hours of Jan. 1. And I'm pretty sure we're both psyched the Giants are in the Super Bowl.
So what does this have to do with getting lost like an idiot in the Financial District? Well, this evening, I decided to walk to the PATH, instead of take the subway. I've pretty much avoided this the last few months since I TWICE ended up walking in circles (and, really, who wants to end up back at their office?), but tonight I figured I could swing by the local Gristedes and then head home without incident. I kind of thought I was going the right way up Maiden Lane, but I had this nagging doubt that comes with being burned before by lack of a street grid.
But then it happened. I looked up and there it was, juuuust peeping up over the tops of the other tall buildings in the neighborhood: 1World Trade Center. For the first time in 10 years, I knew I was walking in the right direction.
"Thanks, new friend," I said. "Nice to see you, too."
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Writers of Downton Abbey are Baseball Fans
How do I know this? Because how else do you explain Mary's throwaway line of "Granny Being Granny" in tonight's episode?
Maybe the Dowager Countess will profess a desire for a comeback and have teams like the A's interested in her? I think she'd love to learn all about Moneyball...
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Merci, Bed Coup
In an attempt to show the cat who's the boss of the non-human portion of the household, The Yankee Chicken takes over her (yes, completely tacky) bed. But he always remembers his duties as a luck-bringer and countdown enthusiast first.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Because Croissants Should Be Flaky, Not Countdowns
The Yankee Chicken apologizes for the delay in this week's countdown. He was too busy trying to figure out how this tiny little frozen slab became a real-deal croissant over night. All the more reason for baseball season to hurry up and get here, as hot dogs don't have this kind of mystery.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Gotta Get Those Nicknames Ready...
After a long day of making changes to my current work-in-progress (and, let's be real here, catching up on the DVR as I hide from a roach that is loose somewhere in my the vicinity of my bedroom) I walked away from my computer to heat up a Trader Joe's frozen chocolate lava cake (Yes is the answer to whatever you're thinking right now) and eat said lava cake. I go back to my computer in what must be a little less than a half hour and my Twitter feed has exploded with the Montero trade news. My first thought "BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE AWESOME JESUS HEADLINES THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN?" followed quickly by, "Wait. They have to know something about Pineda and Campos that makes this worthwhile." And while I don't believe AT ALL in playing baseball on paper, Pineda does have what looks like really decent stats for a 22-year-old, and it sounds like Campos has been showing some promise. And I've always trusted Brian Cashman.
I bring that up, because this whole winter thus far, all I've been hearing is Yankees fans whining about the Yankees being cheap and not pulling the trigger on any big stars, when the ones out there weren't exactly Cliff Lee caliber. Also: I didn't realize there was a deadline on making big winter moves. The Yanks signed Thumper in January; the A-Rod deal went down on Valentine's Day. My point is: Don't complain about lack of moves until it's spring training. And even then, you never know. So, yeah, don't doubt Brian Cashman.
Anyway, I'm heartened by what I'm seeing from beat writers quoting other MLB executives who think the Yankees really did get a great deal here. While commiserating with my father on the deal (we are most excited about Hiroki Kuroda, whose name sounds a lot like Rookie Carroca, the character from My Favorite Year, whom our late Labrador Rookie was named after, but I digress), he brought up the point that no one was really sold on Montero as a catcher anyway, so where were they going to play him? So that's one little consolation in losing someone who may end up being an elite power hitter in a few years.
Also funny is that this all goes down on Friday the 13th. And that 4/5 of the rotation have a last name that ends in the letter A, 5/5 if Garcia is the fifth starter. And that the Twitter trending topics looked something like this an hour ago:
The Walk to Remember juxtaposition kind of cracked me up, but then I am enjoying a bit of a post-lava cake sugar rush at the moment.
I bring that up, because this whole winter thus far, all I've been hearing is Yankees fans whining about the Yankees being cheap and not pulling the trigger on any big stars, when the ones out there weren't exactly Cliff Lee caliber. Also: I didn't realize there was a deadline on making big winter moves. The Yanks signed Thumper in January; the A-Rod deal went down on Valentine's Day. My point is: Don't complain about lack of moves until it's spring training. And even then, you never know. So, yeah, don't doubt Brian Cashman.
Anyway, I'm heartened by what I'm seeing from beat writers quoting other MLB executives who think the Yankees really did get a great deal here. While commiserating with my father on the deal (we are most excited about Hiroki Kuroda, whose name sounds a lot like Rookie Carroca, the character from My Favorite Year, whom our late Labrador Rookie was named after, but I digress), he brought up the point that no one was really sold on Montero as a catcher anyway, so where were they going to play him? So that's one little consolation in losing someone who may end up being an elite power hitter in a few years.
Also funny is that this all goes down on Friday the 13th. And that 4/5 of the rotation have a last name that ends in the letter A, 5/5 if Garcia is the fifth starter. And that the Twitter trending topics looked something like this an hour ago:
The Walk to Remember juxtaposition kind of cracked me up, but then I am enjoying a bit of a post-lava cake sugar rush at the moment.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
If Cheese Is Wrong, Pass the "I Don't Wanna Be Right" Crackers
Confession - okay, it's not really a confession, because if you've read this blog the last 10 years you'd know it already — I like cheesy music. And I've gotten to the point in my life where I don't feel the need to qualify that with "But I like good music too" because I'm tired of labeling things as "bad" because it's a "guilty pleasure." Like, why would I have to feel guilty about liking a song (albeit one that involves a singer who was quite well-known for his mullet)? I didn't murder anyone. I didn't steal someone's prized lawn ornaments. My liking said song does not inflict pain on you in anyway (unless you don't like it and press play...and, well, then that's your problem for watching it knowing full well what's about to happen, not mine). So why should guilt be involved in any way? Oh, right, because music snobs exist. Or should I say, people with limited imaginations who haven't learned the whole notion "To Each His Own" exist.
ANYWAY. I enjoy the hell out of this song. I mean, Tonya and I saw him in concert in 2005 (Remember? And what's up with Flickr not attaching old photos anymore. Hmph) and it was pretty awesome then, nearly 20 years after it was released. I mean, there was actual thought put into the lyrics and they aren't just thrown together in rhyme-y fashion, and it's sung with feeling. There have been moments when it's come on in, like, a Duane Reade and I have this incredible urge to belt out "I don't know howwww, to stop feeeeeeling this wayayayayayyyyy" from my spot in the shampoo aisle (I don't though. It IS New York and all, but I don't want to ruin anyone else's experience as they stock up for their medicine cabinets). Hence, it's a GREAT karaoke song.
But still. I'm not going to feel bad about it, and I'm planning on more posts like this, where I fully intend to lose street cred with the cool kids... and not give a flying crap.
ANYWAY. I enjoy the hell out of this song. I mean, Tonya and I saw him in concert in 2005 (Remember? And what's up with Flickr not attaching old photos anymore. Hmph) and it was pretty awesome then, nearly 20 years after it was released. I mean, there was actual thought put into the lyrics and they aren't just thrown together in rhyme-y fashion, and it's sung with feeling. There have been moments when it's come on in, like, a Duane Reade and I have this incredible urge to belt out "I don't know howwww, to stop feeeeeeling this wayayayayayyyyy" from my spot in the shampoo aisle (I don't though. It IS New York and all, but I don't want to ruin anyone else's experience as they stock up for their medicine cabinets). Hence, it's a GREAT karaoke song.
But still. I'm not going to feel bad about it, and I'm planning on more posts like this, where I fully intend to lose street cred with the cool kids... and not give a flying crap.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Because There's Always Room for (Home) Improvement
The Yankee Chicken takes a break from thinking about some looming home-improvement projects to remind you that the best "fix" for January blahs is the knowledge that baseball season is somewhere on the horizon.
And this is just so you know what I'm up against when shooting these photos:
My god, the cat has to know everything about everything that goes on in this apartment. It's amazing I got even one shot without her being nosy in the frame.
On Jorge Hanging It Up
You remember what you were doing on Oct. 16 (into the early part of Oct. 17) 2003, don't you? Because there's no way in hell I'll ever forget.
And while many people will forever associate that game with Aaron Boone (and, yeah, he deserves that), I think what a lot of people forget is that incredible 8th inning. Down by three runs, the Yanks mounted a comeback in what may have been the most adrenaline-filled half inning that I've ever had the pleasure of watching. The crowd was practically manic in its glee as it was all unfolding, but when you saw how into it the players were, how much this mattered to them as much as it did to the fans and how they were all feeding off each other's excitement, it was pretty much the most perfect sports moment I'd seen till that point (topped only by what Mr. Boone did three innings later).
In all of that, the player I remember most was Jorge Posada. He comes up with the score 5-3, two runners on and the crowd practically unable to contain itself (I was watching in my parents' basement and I could literally feel my heart beat...in my eyes. Seriously, I probably came really close to giving myself a stroke that night), and you know everyone's thinking "home run." But he drops in this little bloop single. And both runners score. An the game is tied. And somehow he manages to get to second base and has this unforgettable cathartic burst of primal "YES"ness, like so:
In that moment, you saw that not only did the however many millions of Yankee fans want to beat the Red Sox so, so badly, this guy did too.
That is how I will remember Jorge Posada. And for that memory alone, he gets a lifetime of gratefulness from me.
Oh, okay. Maybe I'll remember him for this, too:
And while many people will forever associate that game with Aaron Boone (and, yeah, he deserves that), I think what a lot of people forget is that incredible 8th inning. Down by three runs, the Yanks mounted a comeback in what may have been the most adrenaline-filled half inning that I've ever had the pleasure of watching. The crowd was practically manic in its glee as it was all unfolding, but when you saw how into it the players were, how much this mattered to them as much as it did to the fans and how they were all feeding off each other's excitement, it was pretty much the most perfect sports moment I'd seen till that point (topped only by what Mr. Boone did three innings later).
In all of that, the player I remember most was Jorge Posada. He comes up with the score 5-3, two runners on and the crowd practically unable to contain itself (I was watching in my parents' basement and I could literally feel my heart beat...in my eyes. Seriously, I probably came really close to giving myself a stroke that night), and you know everyone's thinking "home run." But he drops in this little bloop single. And both runners score. An the game is tied. And somehow he manages to get to second base and has this unforgettable cathartic burst of primal "YES"ness, like so:
In that moment, you saw that not only did the however many millions of Yankee fans want to beat the Red Sox so, so badly, this guy did too.
That is how I will remember Jorge Posada. And for that memory alone, he gets a lifetime of gratefulness from me.
Oh, okay. Maybe I'll remember him for this, too:
Saturday, January 7, 2012
I'm Going to Talk About Rock Formations and You're Going to Like It
So back when Ken and I visited Erica in California in November, my only sightseeing request was to go to Leo Carillo State Beach in Malibu, aka the beach where the movie Gidget was filmed, because that is, like, "the ultimate." While we weren't exactly on the right part of the beach (the filming location part wasn't near the parking lot and would've required climbing over some rocks to get there), I could at least get a feel for it and could see the exact beach/rock formations from where we stood.
The other side of these rocks? Was where Kahuna and Moondoggie hung out with the Gidg. Like so:
Anyway, cut to tonight, when I'm watching one my fave utterly delightful movies, That Thing You Do! (thanks to Jamie for the heads up that it's now streaming on Netflix), and the scene where the band is filming the Frankie and Annette type movie comes on and I'm like, "Hey! I've seen rocks like that before!"
So I google it and, lo, it's the same beach as Gidget. Again, though, on the other side from where I was. Doh!
And that is my unnecessary but still awesome (to like three people) factoid of the day.
ETA: Hold the phone. It's also the beach where Daniel-San played soccer much to the delight of Alli with an "i". Although, in all fairness, the rock formation does look a little less impressive. Hmm.:
The other side of these rocks? Was where Kahuna and Moondoggie hung out with the Gidg. Like so:
Anyway, cut to tonight, when I'm watching one my fave utterly delightful movies, That Thing You Do! (thanks to Jamie for the heads up that it's now streaming on Netflix), and the scene where the band is filming the Frankie and Annette type movie comes on and I'm like, "Hey! I've seen rocks like that before!"
So I google it and, lo, it's the same beach as Gidget. Again, though, on the other side from where I was. Doh!
And that is my unnecessary but still awesome (to like three people) factoid of the day.
ETA: Hold the phone. It's also the beach where Daniel-San played soccer much to the delight of Alli with an "i". Although, in all fairness, the rock formation does look a little less impressive. Hmm.:
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Year, Same Chicken
The Yankee Chicken takes a break from re-watching Downton Abbey (a bandwagon he was part of looooooong before it became hip to watch it. He just wants to make that clear) to offer news that will make the upstairs AND downstairs quite happy. He also apologizes for having only a black tie for dinner and not a white one. Alas, he only fancies himself a part of the aristocracy.
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