Thursday and Friday

Day Five. Thursday, July 26
Finally bicycle day! I could tell that Patrice is anxious to get back in the saddle after all the walking.

Of course we got off to a late start again. I didn't mind. We went for brunch at Egg. Seeing a pattern? I have this thing about going to the same places over and over. It was yummy. Vanessa Bayer from Saturday Night Live was there. I stared a bit.

We rented a couple of single speeds and head off towards Prospect Park, which was lovely. We didn't spend much time there but it was nice and calm. Heading back we ended up in a high traffic zone with drivers that made me anxious. (Of course it really doesn't take much to get me anxious when I ride in traffic, no matter where I am.) I quickly turned into Eva the NotMuchFun Stress Monster. We had to stop for a snack or something. Right away. So we stopped at this place that looked promising and turned out to be a huge overpriced disappointment. Oops. As we rode away, Pat spotted one of the places that had been recommended to us, just one block away. Rrrrrrrr.

Duck family at Prospect Park

So yeah, probably you know that Brooklyn is across the river from Manhattan. There are a lot of bridges. For years and years people have been telling me I should really walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, such a nice view bla bla bla. So Mr. Keener suggested that we ride across one bridge, cross lower Manhattan and go back over the other bridge. I was not so sure about this. And as the sky darkened I lost whatever little bit of nerve I had. Go on, I said, don't get hit by lightning. I'll see you at the apartment. So we were off in two different directions, to reconvene shortly. And then boom, the storm hit. When I got back to the apartment I was completely sodden.

We changed into dry clothing and leapt into action. The very most amazing David had gotten us tickets to hear Pablo Ziegler (at Birdland, no less). Whoa. I'm sorry, I'm no music writer. It was fabulous. Whoa.

Day Six. Friday, July 27
More biking! We biked to Greenpoint, which I really liked. The more I see of Brooklyn, the more I like it. Especially the parts near the water. We ended up close to a bridge, which of course Patrice wants to ride over. The problem about bridges, you see, is that they usually have pretty long inclines. We were riding single-speed bikes, and it was a bazillion degrees out there. I was not interested in inclines. Call me weak. Call me chicken. I don't care.

Along the river in Greenpoint are a number of interesting spots, including a neato furniture warehouse filled with lovely items we were relieved to not be able to drag home.

Now had come the moment I had been planning for months! Fuerza Bruta! I didn't mind seeing it twice. I would see it again and again. It's such a visually striking show, with non-stop surprises. You shouldn't find out too much before going. Just go. Oh yeah, and the music is amazing.