riding the mighty hudson (and living to tell about it)

it's currently 78 degrees in our office today. it doesn't sound so bad, but really it is. hot and digusting and annoying and it makes everyone cah-ranky.

so, who wants to hear about my amazing day of fitness?

(crickets chirping)

anyways, on sunday i got up EARLY (for a sunday) at 7:30 and headed to the sexy Greenpoint YMCA to go swimming for the first time in a forever. it was great. except for the fact that swimming is hard.

i couldn't do that many laps in a row, but it was a start.

after that, i went home and installed my highly ineffective air conditioner.
in case you didn't know, it's been in the 90's for over a week here. but the "real feel" (thanks Sam Champion!) temp is pushing 100.

Dear God/Mother Nature,

It's only June. Please have mercy on us.

Thanks!
anthony

after a succesful (and quick!) installation, i decided to go on a bike ride into and around manhattan.

here's a crappy map of my trip:


i only went up to about 57th street on the west side because i was sweating to death. on the way back down, near the tribeca area, i saw the Downtown Boathouse where they let you kayak on the Hudson for free.

i have always wanted to do this, but nobody else did. so....those bluish lines are my (approx) kayaking routes. i had never been on a kayak before, but it was super easy and fun.

the only bad part happened when i decided to get close to the shore to watch people from the water...

i was all, "la la la dee da, i'm cruising around on the river in my free kayak and you aren't and everything is perfec....HOLY SHIT!!!! I AM SURROUNDED BY TONS OF USED CONDOMS FLOATING ALL AROUND ME IN THE WATER! OHMYJESUSGODDAMMITHELL!!!!"

i did the fastest 180 spin away from shore ever to get back to the open (and marginally cleaner) water all the while being careful not to splash any of the water onto my legs/eyes/open freaked out mouth. i just kept staring at new jersey thinking, "just keep paddling tony. be slow, be steady, get the hell away from the bio-horror that is floating all around you."

jersey never looked so good.

once i was back out into safety, i layed back onto the kayak and made myself forget about my stupid mistake. the rest of the ride really was fun (i swear!).

next time, i am going to try to go on one of their guided (and also free!) tours out to the statue of liberty and around the new york harbor. that sounds just so badass to me. anyone who's up for joining me is more than welcome. just stay away from the shore is all.

after kayaking, it was back on the bike to head home. it was now almost 5 and i was starving so i decided to get some pad thai at Planet Thai and then an ice cream cone at Tasty-d-Lite.

it was right about here that i realized i was sunburned again. the only thing to do was to go buy some more ice cream and go take a nap while watching Arrested Development.

i woke up around 10pm, just in time to take my contacts out, play a little guitar, and go to sleep.

ahhhh, Sundays.....