FIRE!

I was walking through Central Park this evening around 8:30p. I was near the Delacorte Clock by the zoo when I saw a metal trash can with orange flames coming out of it.

As there were no Park Police nearby to call, I called 911.

I waited while the fire trucks drove past me, answered a callback from FDNY and told them AGAIN where the fire was.

A firefighter then walked by me to the still-alight trashcan.

He had a cigar in his mouth.

I am glad I did my duty as a citizen (so many people walked by and laughed about "toxic garbage" as smoke filled the sky), but really?????

The result of HOPE - number of NYC homeless up 34%

This article was published in the NY Daily News today, with the results of the night of HOPE, during which I helped count homeless people on the streets of NYC (see "A night of HOPE", Jan 25, 2010).

34% more homeless
people sleeping on
New York City streets
than last year, survey
shows

By Kathleen Lucadamo
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Saturday, March 20th 2010, 4:00 AM

Platt/GettyA woman named Jennifer who has been
homeless panhandles on October 23, 2009 in New
York City. New York experienced a 34% surge in the
number of homeless people on city streets last year.

New York experienced a 34% surge in the
number of homeless people on city streets
last year - the first increase in five years,
according to data released Friday.

The city counted 3,111 people sleeping on
streets and in subways during its annual
survey of the homeless this January - 783
more than last year.

"These are challenging times that have had
an impact on our street homeless
population," said city Homeless Services
Commissioner Robert Hess.

Advocates for the homeless have long
argued that the city undercounted the
street homeless. Each January, an army of
volunteers canvasses the city during one
night to count how many people are
sleeping on sidewalks, subways and other
public spaces.

The figure does not include those staying in
city shelters, which were filled with 37,000
people as of Tuesday.

Despite Mayor Bloomberg's pledge to
reduce the city's homeless population by
two-thirds, the number of people in
shelters hit an all-time high of 39,000 last
year - 3,000 more than when he took
office.

A Hallmark moment

I was at the CVS on 8th Ave and W 59th Street, waiting for my passport photos to develop, when an older Latina lady asked me in Spanish: "Do you speak Spanish?"

I said "Si un poquito" (Yes, a little).

She asked me, "How do you say "tia" in English?"

I said "aunt".

She asked me to help her pick out a birthday card from a (little kid) niece to an aunt.

So I translated a card for her (there was only one kid-to-aunt card).

Then she said she neede to buy the person a card herself-- it was her daughter's birthday.

So I found one and translated it to her:

"My daughter, I hope you for you that your dreams are realized, that you have a great future, and realize that above all this, you are loved by me."

She got very emotional when I read this (as did I because it was sappy-sweet) and then, with a catch in her voice, said "Es perfecto!!! gracias!"

That beat all those fake ads Hallmark had -- I bet they wish they could have seen us!

Team UmiZoomi!

Today, I was an extra in a new kids' show on Nickelodeon called "Team UmiZoomi!"

I played a "Woman in Pizza Parlor". So I waited in the holding room for 5 hours for 2seconds to act surprised that a cartoon robot has landed on my table.

I saw none of this as we shot on a greenscreen, and they would project the pizza parlor and robot on later.

Still, not a bad way to spend a Friday and get a bit of $$$ while I am at it.

The kids on the show were very entertaining, as they figured out how to play soccer with the cap from a bottle of water. Gotta love it!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1594381/episodes