Animal therapy.
It's been a tiring day by virtue of it being a long one. I got up early enough to get to Ellis on time, but went to bed too late to be rested enough to do any cataloging, so I just greeted people for a few hours and answered questions about where they could go in the library. I tried to start One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich but couldn't focus, so I'm letting that go for a while.
Still, today I cuddled a snake for twenty minutes, so going to Ellis was worth it in the end.
New York City buskers are nothing if not inventive: someone at the Bowery today was making money from people paying him to take pictures of his huge boas. When I saw them I made a beeline right over and started cooing and asking if I could hold them. It was the same going rate for photos, and I knew I had a bit of cash with me, so I went for it. The busker handed the male over to me, a huge boa about as long as I'm tall, and I settled him down on my shoulders and arms, and let him squeeze me as much as he liked. I didn't move much except to kept petting him as much as I could. People came by and asked about the busker's snakes - I guess women handling snakes is always attention-getting - and I was happy to play the amature herpetologist once more, telling people he wasn't slimy, wasn't venemous, didn't want to bite, and was just curious, see, he's smelling with his tongue. I got a couple of people to touch him and realize snakes aren't slimy at all, and a couple more got into the petting when they realized how sleek and strong he was, too. He kept moving off and all over me, and I kept pulling him back, and at one point he slithered right up my face, licking at me a couple of times as he went.
I paid five dollars for twenty minutes of snake cuddles. I got my money's worth.
And then the busker's assistant brought out an even bigger snake and I'd have stayed for that one too if I didn't need to get dinner ready. Duck needs at least four hours to marinate.
Still, today I cuddled a snake for twenty minutes, so going to Ellis was worth it in the end.
New York City buskers are nothing if not inventive: someone at the Bowery today was making money from people paying him to take pictures of his huge boas. When I saw them I made a beeline right over and started cooing and asking if I could hold them. It was the same going rate for photos, and I knew I had a bit of cash with me, so I went for it. The busker handed the male over to me, a huge boa about as long as I'm tall, and I settled him down on my shoulders and arms, and let him squeeze me as much as he liked. I didn't move much except to kept petting him as much as I could. People came by and asked about the busker's snakes - I guess women handling snakes is always attention-getting - and I was happy to play the amature herpetologist once more, telling people he wasn't slimy, wasn't venemous, didn't want to bite, and was just curious, see, he's smelling with his tongue. I got a couple of people to touch him and realize snakes aren't slimy at all, and a couple more got into the petting when they realized how sleek and strong he was, too. He kept moving off and all over me, and I kept pulling him back, and at one point he slithered right up my face, licking at me a couple of times as he went.
I paid five dollars for twenty minutes of snake cuddles. I got my money's worth.
And then the busker's assistant brought out an even bigger snake and I'd have stayed for that one too if I didn't need to get dinner ready. Duck needs at least four hours to marinate.
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Oh Hai! Do you need a volunteer assistant!?!