Yesterday was my birthday, but I went to work anyhow. I work on the 34th floor of a rather tall Manhattan skyscraper. I looked out my window and my heart bled when I saw what a beautiful day 9/12 was. I promised myself not to go to work today (celebrate my birthday a day late). So I called in sick. Both my supervisors are on vacation anyhow. :)
Today I took the motorcycle out and tooled around Brooklyn. The idea was to go to Coney Island and grab some Nathan's hotdogs, but I never made it. I found a Hispanic part of Bay Ridge (I thought it was only Italian!). Walked into a taqueria.
Waitress was a beautiful seniorita. Beautiful copper skin and straight jet black hair. The typical Latina butt. I asked for a taco and horchata, but she didn't understand everything I was saying.
I asked her if she spoke any English (I switched to Spanish, of course). She shook her head and said "No hablo...".
I had a huge grin on my face and asked her to sit next to me.
I asked her what her favorite food was. I asked her how long she was a waitress for (at first she was confused because I only know how to say "cashier"). I asked her if she had any brothers and sisters and to tell me about her family.
People started to walk in, so she had to get up and take orders. She gave me my taco.
The taco was only to tide me over until I made it to Coney Island (I was taking side streets, so it was going to take a long time to get there). But I wanted to speak more Spanish, so I called her over and ordered a tamale.
Again, I started to talk with her. I asked her what she watched on TV, where she went to school (she doesn't) and where she was born (Mexico). I showed her my Spanish verb book. I showed off my imperative tense by asking her to give me a glass of water. I asked her where the bathroom was (I didn't have to go).
Again she had to get up. This time, I ordered a "quesedilla con queso y carne de vaca" and she got a good laugh out of that. She stayed with me until I finished eating and I asked "Puedo pagar con Visa?". She shook her head no, and said something I couldn't understand (I assume it was something along the lines of "We don't take credit cards") and I replied "esta bien".
As I walked out of the restaurant, I noticed I was totally stuffed. Couldn't eat a bit more, so I modified my plans: Coney Island another day. I was busting at the seams after only 6 bucks worth of food -- true, I only got the food because I was excited to speak Spanish with someone, but it was still good food.
I enjoyed the rest of the day tooling around NYC on bike and trying to figure out the best riding strategies to stay alive on a motorcycle in NYC.
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Tunes4u
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Sep 13 @ 9:25PM
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P
Happy Birthday....wish we could have had a shot of something good from Mexico to celebrate....I would name it, but I can't spell worth a hoot.....
Sounds like you did fine on yer own, as usual!
Cheers P
T
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xoSweetAngelxo
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Sep 13 @ 9:36PM
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Happy Birthday! Sounds like you had fun! 
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Cynbaby
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Sep 13 @ 9:40PM
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ...Kudos for not doing the typical "its my b-day blog"yesterday
I won't ask location of this one, don't like Mexican food  , just one day it would be nice to actually get a damn hotdog at Coney Island, lines too long everytime I go, I leave starved... but always end up at a really nice restaurant afterwards 
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koyaanisqatsi
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Sep 13 @ 9:43PM
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Cyn -- that's the reason why I decided to go get some hotdogs today. Every time I go to Coney Island the damn lines snake out half the way to Williamsburg. It's crazy. They're the best hotdogs in the world, but they're still just hotdogs! LOL!
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BandTMom
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Sep 13 @ 9:44PM
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Happy belated Birthday. If I would have known, I would have baked you a cheesecake.
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ChipP
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Sep 13 @ 9:47PM
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Last time I was at Coney Island i was like 4 years old and I never got any hot dogs cause my mother was afraid I'd get sick on the kiddie rides which I of course never did. but Oh well.. You can buy Nathan's at some grocery stores and online though can't ya? happy Birthday 
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Cynbaby
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Sep 13 @ 9:49PM
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Well you'll have to drive on over to Yonkers (second or third Nathans built, forgot but they put the history on the little place mat) with no lines and I should not admit to this but,but you know who can vouch I eat as much as him, 2 hotdogs one w/ kraut the other w/onions then I go into the game room and show off my skills at the boxing game,which is all in Japanese so I have no clue what it's called. Then I don't eat another hotdog for 6 months and swear were never going back.
Oh and on another note I saw Abe Vigoda having a hot dog once at Nathans
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koyaanisqatsi
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Sep 13 @ 9:51PM
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Bandt, cheesecake and pecan pie are my favorite cake and pie respectively. Did I ever mention that to you before? I'm a cheesecake fanatic. :)
Chip, the hotdogs you buy at the store are nothing like the ones you get at Coney Island. Are you originally a New Yorker? You should know that! :-) I also confess to loving the French fries as well, but I draw the line at fried foods.
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Cynbaby
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Sep 13 @ 10:12PM
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Good thing you draw the line at fried foods, I don't like fries...BUT for only 99 cents more you can add some fried shrimp to your order  ummmmm, not that I eat that on top of the hot dogs.
Chip the hot dogs at the market are disgusting, although they bear the name, no comparison.
Damn, I didn't eat dinner and this blog is making me really hungry now, thanks.
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hammertime
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Sep 13 @ 10:24PM
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I should upload my Coney Island video I took on my cell. It looked like freak show. Complete chaos. I was afraid they were going to flip my car over.
There's a real freak show on a side street. One girl deep throating swords. Another girl doing strange things with a snake. Some wolfman looking dude walking on a tight rope. Another dude using a drill to pick his nose. He says something smart to some kid, "Don't major in liberal arts" 
**** HAPPY BIRTHDAY KOY!!!! ****
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koyaanisqatsi
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Sep 13 @ 10:28PM
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Yeah -- I saw the show twice now. :) I hear that it's going away. Sad... sad...
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whatagal
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Sep 13 @ 10:34PM
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Happy Birthday!!
Donde esta el bano? 
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TallBlonde1
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Sep 13 @ 11:06PM
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!Cumpleaños felices!
And wishing you many more to come!
 Cow quesedilla
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hammertime
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Sep 13 @ 11:12PM
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If the show goes away what are those people going to do for a living? I mean some are completely covered with tattoos and metal. What the hell goes on their resume?
2001-2007 Freakazoid. Talents include nose picking with a 6 inch nail. Swallowing light bulbs. Eating fire. C++ Magician Sybase. High wire act. Snake Handler. HTML, XML, Juggles chainsaws while blindfolded.
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koyaanisqatsi
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Sep 13 @ 11:30PM
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I spoke to the guy who juggled the chainsaw (I figured out how he does it safely). He seemed like a really really intelligent guy. Very dynamic. I'll bet he'd do well at an ad agency.
The whole show is about 20 minutes. In a 7 hour work day, that 3 shows per hour for a total of 21 shows. I'd estimate there's about 50 people in the room on average at any given time who pay 7 dollars (I'm guessing most people look inside the Chinese blade box for $1 and maybe half pay another $1 to see the mummy).
I'm guessing they clear about 8k on a typical work week day, and over 11k on a typical weekend.
Sounds smart to me! 
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KUPUNA
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Sep 13 @ 11:32PM
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Happy Birthday 
My daughter told me that some wealthy dude bought Coney Island concessions and will make it a huge indoor playground. On that note properties in the area was also very hot.
There is nothing like Coney Island Nathan's and fries. It's the ambience and plus someone else is making it.
I got a wonderful cheesecake recipe with 19 ounces of cream cheese but so light when eaten. There's a trick to making it. Email me if you want it.
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Cynbaby
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Sep 13 @ 11:39PM
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(I'm guessing most people look inside the Chinese blade box for $1 and maybe half pay another $1 to see the mummy).
You guessed wrong on us, LOL, it was about 100 degrees in that smelly room I wasn't moving off the seat when I finally got to sit down. Being the skeptics that we are we knew that a mummy could not possibly exist, least not in Coney Island so no interest in that. The only one I enjoyed was the fire eater girl. The snake girl was scary looking, as well as chainsaw guy. Wolff boy looked like a fake 
Do tell Koy...for us non $1.00 paying customers..was it a real mummy?
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koyaanisqatsi
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Sep 13 @ 11:43PM
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Yeah, he did look like a fake, but I went up close to him, and it's real. He doesn't have "fur", but "hair", which makes it look fake (he's not a wolfman at all -- he's just some dude whose beard extends waaaaaay passed where it should).
I think you'll just have to pay the $1 to find out.
Just kidding. I dunno. I guess it looked real, but who knows? I can't see a sideshow keeping a dead body. Seems like the city would have to step in. Yanno?
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steveemac
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Sep 14 @ 6:58AM
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I was busting at the seams after only 6 bucks worth of food
Dude-if/when I ever get to New York, you gotta tell me where the heck this place is! 
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steveemac
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Sep 14 @ 6:58AM
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Oh, Yeah-Happy Birthday! 
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cancun1999
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Sep 14 @ 9:38AM
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BandTMom
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Sep 14 @ 10:51PM
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Koy, I make an awesome Maple-Nut cheesecake.
As for pecan pie...well I do live in Oklahoma, the pecan pie capital of the world. 
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misschoos
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Sep 15 @ 12:39PM
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Penblwydd Hapus
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koyaanisqatsi
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Sep 15 @ 1:02PM
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Diolch yn fawr iawn! 
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