Freaks And Fake Nudity In This One

Last Saturday, Kerri and I went to the Lower East Side Art Parade, which was... totally freaking weird. It was like a mixture of the Mermaid Parade and the Halloween Parade, but with less of a theme. Kerri wanted to go for the photographic opportunities and I, blogger that I be, couldn't help but do the same. We arrived on the scene as the marchers were getting ready to begin, suiting up and, well, mounting their bikes.
















They even had a rockin' marching band (I was surprised the Hungry March Band wasn't there, to be honest).






Spectators gathered from blocks around.




(and even from windows above)


I showed this pic to Dustin and apparently he knows this chick from Wesleyan. Small world.


These old dudes were at the front of the pack, unofficially, and carried this sign ahead of everyone. They weren't signed up, so parade officials tried to kick them off the street. Ironic, for an art parade.



Then the real parade began, with dancers, protesters, glitter-throwers, and all kinds of other crazy crazy loco peoples. Observe:




















This one was especially freaky.








Zombie schoolgirls... hmm, okay...






I don't know what this is, but this guy looks pretty happy about things.


There were even kids there!


This van towed behind it a giant see-through cabin, carrying this cute kid:



And then came the naked bikers! (not truly naked)




We had a really good view.




















Kerri said, "Where do these people come from?!?!" and I looked at her and said, "They come from here, Kerri. They come from New York."




This awesome kid led the marching band.


Rain girls throwing confetti and shooting squirt guns.


These folks repeatedly ran over a cardboard cut-out of President Bush.


I'd be happy too.








I... I don't even know what this guy's deal is.


Then came the greatest spectacle: a giant float with gyrating silver people flinging glitter and confetti to all the masses of West Broadway to loud, loud music.










We definitely got our fill. Kerri ran through 3 rolls of film and my camera battery died.


The next day, Dustin and I went to the Intrepid Air and Sea Museum (or something to that effect). This is a place that we see every time we take a cab to the Upper West Side. From the West Side Highway, you can see it towering majestically in the Hudson River, a shell of what once was a seriously powerful WWII aircraft carrier. Every time we go past it I exclaim that we should have a picnic on the landing deck someday, and when I found out that it's closing for renovations at the end of the month for the next 2 years, I knew we had to step on it. So step on it we did.


It was pretty cool up there, with all kinds of fighter planes you may recognize from WWII or "Top Gun."




The runway was vast.


We looked out upon the Hudson, wind in our faces.


You could even see the rolling hills of Weehawken from there.


There was a stairway to heaven, or something.


You could go inside and see the sleeping quarters and captain's commanding area.


It was a nice way to spend the afternoon before Dustin has to delve into post-production for the music video he's directed.




Monday, of course, was September 11. The whole city seemed somber, though I think it helped to have the workday for people to focus on. The firehouse in my neighborhood, and probably ones all over town, had piles of flowers outside by 9am.


But there is always a job to do. Just one block away from PS 260 there was a building on fire as I got to work.



love,
*jenna*