Run a Mile in My Bedroom Slippers

While I knew that the New York City marathon was coming up, I didn't have much of a vested interest in it. I certainly wasn't training for it, (you don't feel so inclined to go for long jogs after you fall off a treadmill, as it leaves emotional scars and twenty stitches of physical scars in the shape of a smiley face on your knee.)

But that all changes when the marathon actually races by your window. I woke up on a Sunday morning to cheering. I stuck my head out the window and saw a few guys in wheelchairs race by. This struck me as odd.

Granted, I just moved to Bed-Stuy, so Sunday morning wheelchair races could be all the rage here, but I found it dubious. But the crowds continued to grow, and the runners kept racing by until the street was absolutely covered in them. Big runners, small runners, a runner in a tutu, two German runners with matching German flag-colored mohawks.

Perhaps my favorite runner was the one that was walking but on his cell phone, who I overheard say “Yeah, I’m really not running as fast as I’d like.” Truer words were never spoken.

And here I was, watching (most of) these people run their asses off from the comfort of my bed, in my pajamas, just sticking my head out the window. The only way I could have felt lazier is if I was also eating bonbons.

Now, I know my neighborhood is pretty diverse these days but nothing hit it home more then the portrait across the street of some of the onlookers: four white kids, in various shades of Emo dress, looking like they dropped right out of Williamsburg (and yes, for the record, they ARE in a band). They were standing next to two huge black guys, with copious amounts of bling and the quintessential winter coat with fur hood. It was a crossroad of stereotypes, people.

Even better, the two black guys decided to bring out their stereo and play every album that Jay-Z has ever recorded. I thought this was a brilliant idea, as I love having a soundtrack, and Jay-Z has pretty much lived my life in a nutshell.

Yup, it was pretty much a perfect Sunday morning. I had live entertainment streaming past my window and good tunes to listen to. Now if someone would just deliver some bonbons to my bed.