It is late August, kids are either already back in school or headed there soon.
It is hot outside and the young (and some olds) are looking to cool down and enjoy that last splash of summer. In NYC there is a tradition that goes back decades. Opening a fire hydrant and enjoying a blast of cool water. Which is also a very nostalgic view on something that was a problem for the FDNY. Opening hydrants could lead to drops in water pressure that made it harder for them to fight fires. It was also a waste of water as an open hydrant will pour out 1,000 gallons of water a minute. They found a solution that worked for everyone. Spray caps, available for free from the FDNY.
With over a million views on TikTok it is Bee & Lin.
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Bee (Belinda Buras) and Lin (Linda Simeone) are a married couple and a comedy duo who have found unexpected success in telling corny jokes. They live in Delaware and have been together for more than 40 years. After going viral on TikTok in 2020, the couple has continued making videos for fans all over the world. Bee tells the joke, and Lin’s exasperated reactions are always interrupted by Bee’s giggles as she tries to deliver the punchline. In this podcast they talk about falling in love; dealing with Lin’s cancer; how much they enjoy sharing their humor and that laughter really is great medicine.
We all know that having pets relieves stress, brings joy, and helps fight loneliness. It has been found that humans having a pet can go back as far as 14,000 years. From the NYT and ecologist Zoë Goldsborough: “There are theories that pet-keeping began either because animals were useful for tasks like hunting and protection or because humans have a natural tendency to care for and bond with other living beings,” they are also finding that animals do this with other species. It is thought that animals do this for the same reason humans do, companionship.
Some pets also make good business partners. Doug and The Business Cats share their takes on the world, with Doug, Newt, Frog, and Toad being voiced by comedian Drennon Davis. The humor can range from silly to edgy, and they are not afraid to say Fuck ICE!
It can be easy to assume that young people have no interest in things from the past unless a smart phone is somehow involved, but Autumn Mowery defies that notion. At the age of 18 she worked at the local candlepin alley and learned how to keep the old machinery working, but the owner let it fall into disrepair and the alley was going to be razed.
Autumn asked the owner to let her try running the place and poured her heart into it. After helping a battered woman escape her abuser she realized the space could also be used to help people find community beyond the sporting kind. Now at the age of 24 she is in the process of taking ownership and buying the alley.
Nice Times from Wonkers!
From Up Here in the Clouds: “I do not have breast cancer! Got the super fancy diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound and came back benign (ok, BI RADS 3, but I will take it). And my hibiscus plants decided to celebrate by blooming today.”
From NatalyaSResists: “Last Friday, the MRI of my head revealed...A Brain! Plus, the platinum coil used to fill a cerebral aneurysm in 2023 is still doing its job. Yay, head!”
From Mad Ophelia: “I finally finished knitting my very first pair of socks! They actually match and are foot shaped and are comfy and fit and everything, which is way more than I was expecting for a first try.”
From memzilla: “I have a home healthcare aide, she has a son with autism.
After I asked how her son was doing, she told me that he was scheduled to go to Slime Town, but because her check wouldn’t come until Friday, he couldn’t go. She needed $15.
Now it is frowned upon by their employers to tip home health care workers, but I tip her $5-10 a week.
So I said “OK. Here’s $20, but this is your tips in advance for next month.”
She gratefully accepted. Afterwards, I asked how he liked it.
HE HAD AN EIGHT-CYLINDER BLAST! And a tub of slime candy to leave with.
Best $20 I ever spent.”
I got so many Nice Times from Wonkers, look for more next week and keep sending them! (Might be edited for space limitations but not content.)
Send to ziggywiggynicetimes@gmail.com or DM me here on Substack.
This week’s recommendation from the Movieboss is Everything, Everywhere All At Once. Which has my favorite movie quote, which should be the Nice Times motto:
When I choose to see the good side of things I am not being naïve, it is strategic and necessary. It’s how I’ve learned to survive through everything.
This is how I fight.
It is available on Disney, but also worth a $3.99 rental. Although it does seem to need a second watching to really get it.
We end with music that is spirited, hopeful, and unique. It is Celtic-Indian folk music, with bagpipes played by the performer The Snake Charmer. She infuses Bhangra with her own take on the song Toss The Feathers, a traditional Irish folk song. So danceable and I also find the lyrics to be inspirational, “Jeet ke aaya” (I came back victorious.)
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I used to love the Sesame Street thing where they would show the children playing in the fire hydrant spray water in NYC and I wanted to be able to do that, too!
I think this might be the first time you've had two pieces up back-to-back here. Nice work.