[Cathy]

Missed the Saturday BBQ. :( Husband's silly car overheated in a traffic jam approaching the Triborough. Three hours and a series of comic misadventures later, the car was on its way to the dealer for service and we slogged back to the city on the subway. The closest I came to BBQ this weekend was a rare burger at the Redeye Grill - pretty good, actually.

The car is fine, except for a bad relay. Turns out that once the engine cooled down, we could have driven on without incident, but who knew? We did enjoy the company of Officers Blue and Crespo, the nice Bridge Authority cops who bailed us out, and I'm sure we provided much schadenfreude for passing motorists in humdrum but functioning cars.

Moral: Always check traffic conditions before starting out. We weren't aware that a section of overpass had collapsed, closing the Grand Central Parkway and gridlocking the Triborough.

[Wilfrid1]

Your absence was noted. What bad luck.

[Lippy]

Cathy, on Jul 26 2004, 10:35 AM, said:

Husband's silly car

Silly? What's silly in NYC is an SUV.

[Cathy]

In that case, how silly is a Dodge Viper?

[Melonious Thunk]

Cathy, on Jul 26 2004, 09:51 AM, said:

In that case, how silly is a Dodge Viper?

Not silly at all. You must vash the vindshield, yes?

[Cathy]

Thunk, trust me. The car is electric blue with white racing stripes, and more overtly phallic than Joe Camel. Silly!

I don't do vindows. ;)

[hollywood]

Cathy, on Jul 26 2004, 09:51 AM, said:

In that case, how silly is a Dodge Viper?

Where does he drive to wind out the engine?

[hollywood]

As an alternative, a car with feelings. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/26/technolo...tner=ALTAVISTA1

[Wilfrid1]

Slowly awakened at six on Sunday morning by the sound of a lot of people moving heavy furniture upstairs. Couches, pianos maybe. On and on it went. Eventually, as I returned to consciousness, it occurred to me that there is no "upstairs". We're on the top floor. So - attention-seeking burglars? SWAT team?

Staggered up the stairs and out onto the roof. About twenty or thirty burly guys. They looked at me, and I looked at them. Pause.

Eventually, the "leader" came over and explained that they were moving, or trying to move, the huge air-con unit on the roof, which belongs to the supermarket on the ground floor, and has long been in violation of city reg.s.

At six o'clock on a Sunday morning?

"Very sorry. The Attorney General is pounding on us."

You're pounding on the roof.

"Sorry. We could not bring a crane here."

Six o'clock on a Sunday morning?

"Sorry, sorry. The rain has not been our friend."

Whatever. Back to bed. I can sleep through anything once I know what it is - although the why seems destined to remain a mystery.

[Stone]

Poison Ivy.
'nuff said.

[omnivorette]

Grrrrrrr. I wish you woulda taken the subway with us...

[Cathy]

omnivorette, on Jul 26 2004, 11:28 AM, said:

Grrrrrrr. I wish you woulda taken the subway with us...

We wish so too.


Hollywood, Roy has found several long stretches of highway that are relatively free of lurking radar-equipped traffic cops. :rolleyes: He's also taken it out on racetracks.

[hollywood]

Wilfrid, on Jul 26 2004, 10:28 AM, said:

"Very sorry. The Attorney General is pounding on us."

Like Eliot Spitzer has nothing better to do? Right.

[Wilfrid1]

I assume it's someone down the food chain from Spitzer. It's remarkable that a supermarket can randomly install its air-con on top of a residential building with absolutely no planning permission, and defy authority for two years. I'm glad they got pounded.

But why six o'clock on a Sunday morning?

[Wilfrid1]

(This is not a political point, it's a media point) Networks cover the convention by telling you that someone or other made a good or interesting speech, then show footage of the speech with the network commentators speaking over it, so that you can't hear a word. I have seen most of the leading Democratic speakers mouthing silently over the last twenty four hours. Perhaps they could set it up so that they have secondary commentators to tell us what the commentators are saying about the speakers? :angry: