Mr. Plea Pants

Isn't that the name for a lame public defender? "Step up to the bench, Mr. Plea Pants."

This morning, on my way out to pick up the laundry, I stopped at the side yard. I see a cat resting happily on the plants (what else is new). I go in to chase the cat out and I notice something squishy under my foot. Looking down, lifting my rubber (thankfully) shoe, I see that I have put all my weight on a dead baby pigeon -or was it alive before I blindly stepped? Ack.

Upon my return from the corner laundry, I see sanitation workers yelling up at our building. Then they ask me if the pile of hypodermic needles in the truck came out of my garbage. Does it look that way? We have a neighbor on dialysis, but I have never noticed needles in the trash before. Finally, she hobbled out and denied they were hers. I told the sanitation worker that there is a clinic on Coney and the users pass by our place every day, and maybe they threw it in there. Who knows, and I get why he was upset. I would be too if I accidentally got stuck with one of those needles when I threw my trash in the pail. Sheesh.

The purple mic.

Fortunately, I had my taping at WNYC to look forward to, which I think went well, although I did have some issues. I may have said plea pants a dozen times. I also think that any dates I gave probably do not match up with any dates in reality. And a thought on taped interviews: do not make explanations overly complicated. It throws you off your game when the host looks at you as if to say, "I do not understand your explanation, are you aware that we are taping?" For example, when she asks you how you found the community garden your plot is part of, just say, "I was walking around and stumbled on it." Don't say, "My wife was away, I was bored, I saw the park in the Times, went there, stumbled on the garden, contacted the administrator, proposed an art project, I am an artist, they didn't know what to do with that, put me on the waiting list, then we got the plot." I'm what editors call "job security." The host makes it real easy for you, so keep it simple.

We didn't mention the blog at all, or I don't remember it coming up. If it hadn't come up, I think I understand why, now, as I thought about it afterward. Media isn't interested in media stories, it's interested in people stories. Talking about blogging is a little 2007, and WNYC doesn't really want to talk about that. What they really want is the personality and their story, revolving those around a central motif. The blog may be linked on their website after the segment airs.

Pre-tape photo op.

Amy is very personable and made me as comfortable as I could be. She read her lines the way butter melts on hot bread and said my tricky name without pause. She smiled when I stumbled over pea plants. The producer, Joy, is a lovely, cool-headed professional, who was apologetic about a minor delay in our taping time. For those of you in on this, I wrapped it up with "Thanks for having me." Not my favorite, but does happen to flow right off the tongue. 

And I just made my pledge.

Afterward, I was in a bit of a conversation with myself, and somehow found myself training over the Williamsburg Bridge. What? I've never gotten on an M (or V) train unintentionally. I saw that it stopped short of the front of the W4th St. station, but just got on anyway. Oh, well -I decided to get off at Marcy and walk to the G train since I would have to pay again anyhow. Has someone else I know done this recently?