LeBron to Make his Announcement in Greenwich. Knicks fans Rejoice!

LeBron James will announce his team choice tonight at 9pm on ESPN, live from the Boys & Girls Club of.... GREENWICH, CT.

Not only is Greenwich about a half hour away from Madison Square Garden, it is also the hometown of Allan Houston and an 18 minute drive to the Knicks training facility in Greenburgh, NY.

Is there really any doubt left that LeBron will choose the Knicks? I can't help but think the latest rumors about Miami are just an effort to throw people off and avoid asking the obvious question: why would he make the announcement from Greenwich if he WASN'T going to the Knicks? There are Boys & Girls Clubs all over the country, and if he was really looking for a 'neutral' site, why would he choose a suburb of NYC?

Sorry Cleveland, he's Big Apple bound. And like so many other NYC athletes, I'm sure he'll be shopping for Greenwich real estate soon too! Welcome, LeBron. I hope to see you on the Avenue real soon...

Alternate-Side Parking and a Near-Death Experience

One of the things I miss about living in the suburban CT town of my youth is the simple luxury of having a place to park. I'm not talking about when I drove to school, work or the store -- I mean when I went to my house.

Having a driveway is a luxury 99.99% of New Yorkers do not have, so twice a week the husband and I have the pleasure of circling Park Slope and Windsor Terrace in search of a spot before getting stuck with an alternate-side parking infraction. I usually bring Riley the pup with me, my co-captain if you will. Last month, that proved to be a bad decision.

I had just found a great spot on Windsor Pl near Prospect Park West and was feeling pretty proud of myself. I grabbed my bag and the leash, got out of the car and walked to the back door next to the sidewalk to let Riley out. Well, damned if the little fucker didn't jump over my arm and out onto the sidewalk, unleashed.

He looked at me for about two seconds before he took off down the street like a prisoner on death row who just found the warden's keys. I dropped my bag, my keys, tripped out of my flipflops and left the car door open as I took off after him, screaming "Riley, Riley, STOP!!!" as onlookers stared, laughed and tried to grab him as he ran past them.

At the corner, he actually stopped and crossed Windsor in the crosswalk before darting across Prospect Park West in 7pm traffic. Maybe the proximity to Holy Name kept him safe, because he made it across unscathed and continued up the block and right into the fucking Pet Store! Thank God for that pet shop owner who held my wild beast of a dog until I got there (and God of course, thank You too).

The guy had to take the leash from me as my hands were shaking too hard to attach it to his harness. I took a few seconds to thank him and catch my breath during what turned into a full-blown asthma attack, before realizing that A. I was barefoot B. I had left my car door wide open and C. I did not have my shoes, purse or car keys.

I cursed Riley as I walked him back towards the car, smiling at all the people who said "Bad boy, Riley" as we walked by, hoping that my car/shoes/purse hadn't been stolen to put the icing on the cake. But quite the contrary...

The guy who works at the shop near where I parked had my flipflops for me. A lady walking by had my keys and handed them to me. My purse was still on the sidewalk next to the open car door, where a man sitting on a stoop was watching them for me.

You don't hear about the kindness of New Yorkers enough -- on that day, my faith was reaffirmed. Thanks, Brooklyn.

ATTN South Slope/Windsor Terrace: There's a Thief in Our Midsts

Not too long ago, I wrote about my beloved black and pink polka dot rubber boots, and how they were saving me from the slush puddles of NYC.

Well how's this for a kick in the ass? Last week, after getting home from work I decided to take a quick jog in the park. I'm not much of a runner, so I was gone no longer than 20 minutes. In that 20 minutes, a thief walked into my building (someone left the downstairs door open) and absconded with my husband's 20 yr old bicycle, my dog's Lion King towel, and my friggan boots!! I get stealing a bike, but seriously, a dirty towel covered in dog hair and used, muddy boots? WTF?!?!?

During this week's deluge, I repeatedly cursed this brazen loser while keeping my eye out for anyone wearing my boots, but to no avail. I'm going to put off shopping for new ones for a while, but if anyone has suggestions on where to purchase new wellies, let me know.

Do You Skype? Take the survey!

I just downloaded Skype software onto my computer after finding out that it was really quick and easy to do (and free). I still need to pick up a little camera to clip on top of my laptop, but then I'm good to go! Am I the last blogger on Earth who isn't using skype already, or is it a slowly growing trend that not everyone has caught on to yet? Let me know what you think:

A> I use Skype all the time to talk with friends, conduct interviews and more
B> I recently added Skype to my computer; I like it but rarely use it because I don't know many other people who have it
C> I have Skype on my computer, but I don't like the audio and/or video quality so I choose not to use it very often
D> I've heard of Skype but don't have it on my computer and am not sure I want to
E> What's Skype?
F> OTHER (expand, if you like)

Thanks!

Black & Pink Polka Dot Knee High Rubber Boots

I hate shopping for clothes. I just don't have that 'girly' gene I guess. I dread malls, department stores, outlets et al. I always end up feeling hot, exhausted, claustrophobic and a little bit nauseous. BUT, today I learned to appreciate the benefits of actually making a purchase on one such dreadful outing: the day I bought these - my black & pink polka dot knee-high rubber boots.

I took my Riley-bear for a walk to Prospect Park this evening and spent 20 minutes dodging people sliding all over the sidewalk and hopping over 4 inch deep slush puddles. But not me. I happily trudged through the wet snow unfazed, knowing nothing could penetrate my ridiculous yet efficient black & pink polka dot knee-high rubber boots. Thank you, J. Crew outlet. Thank you very much.

PS
WTF, the city hasn't suspended alternate side parking yet??? GRRRRR.

I can't stand the suspense...

Applewood, please post your Valentine's Day menu!

It's our first year going to our favorite restaurant for V-Day, hoping that the meal is as fantastic as it normally is.

Yesterday Was A Jumper, But What About Today?

Yesterday morning, every Brooklynite living on the F/G line was diverted and delayed because a man jumped in front of the G train at the 7th Ave stop in Park Slope. When you find out that the reason the trains are srewed up is a death, and not the result of the MTA's ineptitude, it kind of makes you feel like a dick for complaining.

That said, does anyone know what the hell happened this morning? B train re-routed to the M, F train moving at a crawl until sitting at Jay St for 10 min, and the C/E running express from Canal St in Manhattan? Commuting week from hell. Maybe we'll get lucky this weekend and we'll have trains again instead of shuttle buses!