Death by Bicycle

Things we didn't realize when we decided to do this project: how little money we have, how little time we have, how large this city is, and how ruthless people on bikes can be.  To give our bank accounts a break and to give our bodies some exercise, we decided to make our way to Riverside Park to see spring in all its splendor.  After passing a men's rugby team practicing, then a women's rugby team practicing (not our teams), we thought seriously about starting our own rugby game with a group of small yippy dogs, toddlers on scooters, and a beach ball, since apparently rugby is all the rage these days. Another discovery from this day's adventure: dog parks in New York are segregated by size of dog. We decided the rule must be: "if your dog could eat other dogs, go to the separate enclosure" (otherwise known as the antisocial dog park). Our future rugby team will recruit solely from the social dog category.

Finally, after seeing sports in action (a rare sight at Columbia), we were overwhelmed by the team-i-ness and decided to make our way down to the river. With breathtaking views of the Hudson river and the coast of New Jersey (cue booing), we took a leisurely stroll out of the bubble and down to the boat basin at 79th street. Little did we realize (by which we mean, little did Rebecca realize), the pathway is a favorite among bicyclists who mean business. They should really make a club called that: bicyclists who mean business. Off topic. Sorry.  In an effort to provide you, dear readers, with a photo of both of us, Rebecca was an annoying tourist, failing to look ways before crossing the sidewalk. End result: Rebecca nearly got run over by a furious man going about 70 miles per hour (impressive for a bike, no?) and we have no photograph (but Rebecca does have a creepy old man friend who did not end up taking a photograph). Never fear, dear readers! We did end up with a duck as our new security guard: who knew ducks were so good at warding off creepy old man friends? (Turns out, they're actually not, as we had the pleasure of running into our friend AGAIN as we left--fled--the park).

While we don't have photographs of said creepy man friend, we do of the duck, ourselves, and the boat basin:

 Our trusty avian friend: Quackers.

 Zoë tries to be artsy and fails.

Why, yes, they do have boats at the boat basin!

(We're considering selling this one to a paint by numbers company) 

Street smart. 

Almost roadkill.

So, to summarize. Zoë and Rebecca are pro rugby players and will only associate with small and social dogs. Rebecca risked her life to get one photo containing both Zoë and Rebecca (so much awesome in one small frame), ending up with a creepy man friend instead of said awesome photo. Both are still alive, and will be continuing with off campus adventures tomorrow (though Rebecca might avoid Riverside Park until the end of the year...)!

Athletically yours,
Big Z + Reebok (just for you, Kelly)