Ooo, That Smell

Does anyone know why it smelled like sour diarrhea all along Houston and Broadway this morning? On my way to work this morning I stood nearby the adidas store waiting for the light to change when an awful stench hit me like a tons of stinky bricks. We New Yorkers are used to putrid smelling garbage, people, etc., but let me tell you: it absolutely reeked. I braved the still green light and crossed over to the island in the middle of Houston attempting to escape the smell which I believed was emanating from the sewer. But I soon realized the stink was covering hanging over the entire area. I'm assuming it originated from all the construction going on in that area but I guess it could have been anything. Being a glutton for punishment, I was curious if it still stunk after 5pm that day so I walked the exact route home. To my surprise (and relief) it no longer smelled like 50 public toilets. Still, I wonder what the hell that was.

Nothing To Look At, Move Along

I've dragged my sorry carcass back to the gym after slacking for awhile. When I was there on Tuesday night I remembered something that really annoys me that some people. I get out of work at 5pm and immediately head to my closest NYSC. Anyone who goes to the gym during the "rush" hours of either early morning or just after work around 5:30pm knows that you change your clothes and get thee directly to the treadmill, if that's the machine of your chose that day. For some reason, the treadmills are in high demand and at the peak hours it's virtually impossible to nab one unless your timing is perfect. Then there's the rule of "30 minutes maximum during peak hours" at the gym, which is just another rule that no one pays any attention to (see "No cell phones while using equipment" or "Do not touch the temperature gauge in the sauna.") I'm approximately a third of the way through my 60-minute (yeah, that's right I said one hour) workout at 5:30pm when suddenly I realize there's three or four people standing around, towels over their shoulders, waiting for a treadmill looking very impatient. Because of the 30-minute rule, I'm forced to hide my timer with a towel, lest someone cause a scene because of my "selfishness." Let me point out why it's not selfish. I arrived at the gym before you did. Is there another machine that you can work out on while the treadmills are in use? How about the StairMaster, the Elliptical or a bike? How about those weight machines? I have never stood around wasting time waiting for someone to vacate any machine so I can jump on. Personally I've never once stood around waiting for any one machine. Plus it's just plain rude to stand around and stare at other people's tushes. But above all I have 97 reasons why I won't abide by their 30 minute rule, and that's 97 dollars per month as in that's how much I pay for my gym membership. So you are not going to tell me to get off my machine because my "time is up." Move along to the stationery bike, fellow NYSC member. I'll be done when I'm done. If you choose to stand around and be annoyed, stop fixating on my rear. I'm working on it.

I Love Pee&Poo

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. My brother John came downtown to the West Village with my sister-in-law Christine and my niece Victoria. We walked around window shopping for awhile and came upon a store on Christopher Street called [hus] a scandinavian store. Looking in the window we saw two stuffed dolls packaged together called "Pee&Poo." Pee is shaped like a teardrop and is yellow (I guess a long yellow toy just isn't as cute), while Poo is a cute brown pile of, well, crap. Considering that they are based on disgusting bodily functions, they're awfully adorable. Save for my brother, the rest of us were absolutely nuts over the cuteness of Pee and Poo. I excitedly showed Christine the stationary set you could get with Pee and Poo's likenesses on the envelope and look, it comes with stickers too! Christine pointed out that the baby clothing was almost enough to have another child so you could justify buying some of the items. And there was Pee and Poo keychains, as well as baby t-shirts, underwear and socks. I was very tempted to plunk down $12 for the Pee keychain but I would have felt bad leaving Poo behind. Sadly, I'm still second guessing my choice to not pick up the Pee&Poo duo that are pictured with this post. I was curious about these toys so I checked out the company's site and found that the brand, from Stockholm, has been around since 2004, and is designed for both adults and children alike (that makes me feel alot better). Regardless of whom they're designed for I think they'll make a welcome addition to anyone's bedroom. "Is that pee and poop on your bed?" "No, that's Pee and Poo. Aren't they cute?"