So yesterday was the day when, at long last, Phoebe the Bunny Went to Coney Island.

I know you're all shocked, I know that you thought that this was one of those ideas that I come up with and then never follow through on, but you were wrong, o ye of little faith. Or rather, none of us counted on the fact that Omar has the follow-through that I ain't got, and before he went to Lancaster he said, "What ever happened to that bunny book?" and we decided that yesterday would be the day to go to Coney and do it.

It was terrific. And I remembered the camera, the film and the rabbit, though my batteries ran out and I needed to buy more, which only hurt because of the nine hundred batteries I have in my desk drawer, but as far as forgetting things goes, that was the best one to do.

We met by the post office, and then grabbed breakfast at McDonald's, because if I am up before they stop serving breakfast at 10.30a, I'm getting some. And then off to Coney.

I started out by taking pictures of her on the subway, and this is exactly why I wanted and needed an assistant, not just to help position and hold up the bunny, but because it look much less weird if it's two people taking pictures of a stuffed rabbit on the subway than just one.

We got there before anything was really open, which was fine, because we could get some shots without worrying about people being in the way and so on, and decide what to do.

I love Coney, I really do. Omar said that they should fix it up, but I am very anti the fixing, I think that it's better just a little shabby like it is. It's not Disneyland, it's not The New 4snd Street, it's Coney Island and it's exactly the way that it should be. It's not scary or awful, it's just real.

After making a circuit of the place, we decided to go to the kiddie rides first, what it them being fairly Phoebe-sized and so on. Also, it was just opening, so I was able to fling her onto a couple of rides that weren't actually spinning around yet.

I decided that I really wanted her to ride on the carousel, so I bought a ticket and got on it. It was just me and Phoebe and the ride operator, who, when I strapped Phoebe onto the horse, started laughing and said, "O no you didn't! O no you didn't!" and I took a bunch of pictures, practically falling backwards off of the ride.

She asked me, "Why are you doing this?" and I explained about the book and everything and she said that she'd buy a copy to give to her grandchildren. I said that I appreciated her faith that I would sell the darn thing!

After the kiddie rides, Omar and I went on the Cyclone, the big wooden roller coaster. Phoebe didn't go on, she's too little.

I love roller coasters, and I love the Cyclone. Omar and I were holding hands when is started, but as we started going up that first big hill he, without thinking at all, grasped the bar, crushing my fingers to hell before I yanked them out. Then, when we went down that first hill, he shut his eyes, hid his face on my shoulder, and started screaming like a seven-year-old girl.

I screamed too, but I did in fact scream like a grown woman. It was completely hilarious.

After staggering off the ride, we went to Nathan's for lunch, and I took Omar's cameo picture for the book, eating lunch at the same table with Phoebe as she had her chili dog and cheese fries. Omar had the idea to put a napkin around her neck, which really worked.

After that, we all went on the Wonder Wheel, all including Phoebe. This was a mild mistake, as Omar didn't realize that the cars were on tracks and swung around. Or he did realize, because I told him, but didn't entirely realize how sick it would make him.

This is Omar saying, "Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts!" as he tries very hard not to puke. In case you're wondering, I'll break the suspense: he did not.

After that, we had pretty much done everything that we wanted to do at Astroland/Wonder Wheel Park, so we made our way over to the Aquarium, stopping at the games and letting Phoebe try her strength at one of those machines where you squeeze the lever.

I've never been to the Aquarium, which is totally great. There are rays and sharks and millions of tiny jellyfish and penguins and otters and seals and so on. I tried to get a shot of Phoebe and a shark in the same shot, but I won't know until I get into the darkroom.

And otters are terrifying creatures! You think of them as being these sweet, cute, fluffy animals who wrinkle their noses and lie on their backs in the river with clams on their chest being all cute, but actually they are about four feet long with huge slavering fangs. Two were having a fight and I expected the water to run red with blood, they were so vicious, but apparently they were only playing.

It you see an otter, though, keep your extremities away from his gigantic tusks. Also, while we're at it, I'd stay away from the sea lion with the enormous erection.

The penguins were adorable, though Omar was surprised to see them being fed fish. "Penguins don't eat fish!" "Of course they eat fish,what do you think they eat, cheeseburgers?"

It's not possible to read this, but it's a map of a section of the Hudson River. Omar is posing next to the town name "Coxsackie", which he thought was the funniest thing that we saw all day.

We stopped and rested and Phoebe had some ice cream (I helped her a little), and the sun came out at last, which was nice. It's actually easier to take pictures on a day that is overcast, because you don't have to worry about shadows and so on, but since this is a book about a summer's day, it would be nice if there was a little bit of sun!

We had gone down to the beach earlier and I lamented the fact that I had neglected to bring a bucket and spade so that Phoebe could dig in the sand and build a castle and so on, but when we went to the gift shop at the Aquarium, they had a bucket and spade! And a crab shape to make sand crabs! And the best part is that they were small-sized, bunny-sized. Not to mention that it only cost $6.

Then we went down to the beach and she dug in the sand and I got some good shots, and that was that. Except for the subway going home shots.

Really near the end of the day, Omar looked at me and said, "You have a little bit of a burn!" and by the end of the day, this is what I looked like:

How old am I? How have I not learned yet that when a day is overcast, the sun is still there! Omar said that I should lay out today in order to get rid of the tan lines. Omar doesn't like tan lines. Omar doesn't know what it's like to be white and burn, not to mention to be a woman and find it much more difficult to sunbathe without a shirt on.

What I say is that when you are as white as me, you need tan lines in order to show that you have a tan at all. And also, if you are white as me and you are burned like this, you don't go out in the sun again for days.

Then, when I got home, I had a rehearsal for my new show. Did I mention my new show? It's a nice little ten page one-act for the Samuel French Festival. The playwright is someone that Cynthia and I have both worked with, and he asked her if she would do it and if I would direct it, and I asked Al to play the other role and he said yes. And we started last night.

The show is called Shoot Me, it's cute as hell and will be easy as pie. And if we win the evening, we might be published and then my name would be in the book, so that would be cool.

Today's horoscope:
While control is out of the question, guidance may still be possible. Let the Stars change your patterns and then see what sense of them you can make. These are momentous times to be a Virgo.

One year ago today:
I just accidentally wrote that they "walked on walter", which I have no idea whether they do or no. I hope not. Poor Walter.

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Last Updated Mon 28 July 16:00:09 2003