Pete and Ash: Official New Yorkers at last

I want you all to try a little experiment: glance at this sign above. No, don't study, just glance at it, like new york trains us to do with all signs. In the city of sensory overload we can't afford to do anything more than just glance at signs. Okay now heres the test:

My first thought upon glancing at the sign was:

1. Be back in 60 min or I'll get a ticket
2. Back the car in at a 60 degree angle or I'll get a ticket
3. Back in the 60's people didn't get tickets
4. Other

Please reply with your answer. If you chose other, please fill us in on what you thought the sign meant.

Well Ashley and I decided that we've been adequately indoctrinated into the NY method of glancing at signs, making us, as far as we're concerned, true New Yorkers. We chose ansewer 1, which I'm sorry to inform you is the wrong answer.

The correct answer is 2. Why 2? Well consider the little circle in the top right corner of the number 60. Anyone who's taken science knows that a little circle by a number indicates degrees. Of course, that arguement alone isn't all conclusive. In most science classes degrees is refering to temperature. In which case the sign would indicate that parking is only permited in the spring and the fall, and those few random days in December when it gets really warm. On the other hand, all sailors know that degree's refer to a specific location based on polar coordinates. This would indicate that parking in these spots could only be accomplished upon a drastic shift in our plate tectonic to a location North or East of here. But sailors, as do many others, know that the little circle is diminuated by a symbol that looks like an apostrophy. This symbol indicates minutes. Minutes are frequently used both as a measurment of angle and of time. And a lesser known fact is that the little circle, in like manner, is used on occassion to measure time as well, and is referred to as hours. In such a case the sign would mean that parking in this spot would be permitted for a period of 60 hours. And finally there is a geometric interpretation to the little circle, which equates degrees to an angle. And it would appear that the New York Committee on Making Parking Fun has precluded all other interpretations of the little circle and in fact interprets that above sign to indicate that they would like all parkers to drive the car to the curb in reverse at an angle of 60 degrees to the curb, in a North-East/South-West orientation. Silly us, why didn't we realize that?

Well we'll be paying a doller for every one of those 60 degrees, but hey, at least now we're official New Yorkers!

My favorite thing about Christmas is ASHLEY

Twas the month before Christmas and all through the kitchen

Ashley was singing, and not thinkin' of quitin'

And I in my PJ's had just said 'Bon giorno'

to a long song filled Christmas with Ashley Bontorno

When suddenly Ashley stopped all her chatter

So quick that I jumped to see what was the matter

"Pete, this Christmas might not be any fun,"

She said, "If we don't have a tree of our own!"

So I said, "Don't you worry and we took to the hills

By some guy's house with a saw and a place to drop bills

And we found us a tree, 'Twas a cute one,' she said,

I think 'cause it wasn't much over her head

And she named him Charley and we drove him home

And decorated him up and that's the end of my poem.

Chicken pikin' yiken lickin' eh?

Ashley ate real chicken eggs! Just ask her, they taste nothing like Bronx eggs. These eggs come from chikens, and happy chickens at that, 'cause Ashley fed them.

Ashley loves chickens, and chikens love Ashley.

These pics are from our trip to Elmira. My parents own the chickens. Ashley and I collected eggs, caught and held chickens, and of course, fed them.