Do You Have Any Requests?

It's an absolutely beautiful day in Brooklyn. C. and I went to the bakery to get almond croissants and cafes au lait before heading to the park with the Sunday Times and Daily News. While in the park, I was amused by two performing couples.

One couple was doing the word puzzle in the Times magazine, both chain smoking. They alternated cigarettes. He'd finish his, and she'd light another. When she stopped, he'd begin again. She was polite enough to hold her cigarette far away from her so her secondhand smoke didn't waft past him, but the rest of us in the park benefited mightily.

We also benefited from a duo of young girl violinists. They came into the park, set up a music stand, and laid their cases open on the ground in front of them for the deposit of dollar bills and coins. I was quite looking forward to their music in the park on a Sunday, but they were horribly out of tune. Catch 22: You can't really ask them to stop playing because it'd discourage a behavior worth encouraging. Besides, others in the park might have been appreciating them more than I was. Regardless, next time, bring a tuner, ladies.

Reminds me of an old Archie comics gag: "Do you have any requests?" "Yes. Could you play as far away as possible?"