Marry Me, Puppet-biker!
There are a lot of reasons to love Chicago, and no matter how long you live here, you can always find new ones. Take this weekend, for example. Natasha, Farnsworth and I were at our usual Friday sushi dinner where we have become regular fixtures. Although unlike Cheers, no one actually knows our names there, but they do know who we are. Farnsworth is “Jalapeno Bomb,” (so named for the special dish he always requests), Nat is “Jalapeno Bomb’s girlfriend,” and I am either “That Other Girl,” or preferably, “Allergic to Sesame.”
But back to why I love Chicago. It’s been an annoying week, and Nat and Farnsworth had been listening to me spout my “People are the Worst” tirade for the past four days. As we headed down the street to cap off the evening with a martini, we heard some music and noticed a couple people gathering on the street corner.
We saw what appeared to be puppets and I squealed a little. It was the Chicago Puppet Bike!
I had never seen anything so wonderful in my life, and I was absolutely transfixed. The crowd started to get bigger and bigger, and eventually, there were about 30 adults being completely entertained by dancing kittens and penguins and alligators. At one point, Natasha and I started yelling, “Kittens! Bring back the kittens!” Then another woman chimed in, “Yeah! We want the kitties!”
When the kittens suddenly appeared, the entire crowd cheered and laughed. I dug through my purse for all remaining singles. A man gave the monkey a $20 bill. My face hurt from smiling. I have the song “Ragg Mopp” stuck in my head. I am going to marry the Puppet-biker and have all sorts of puppet babies.
So sometimes when you begin to fantasize of moving away to that cabin in the middle of the wilderness in Wyoming, you find someone in a box attached to a bike playing old-timety music and performing the most glee-inducing puppet show you could ever imagine.
I love Chicago, but I am in love with the Puppet Bike.
Filed under: General on July 13th, 2008
July 13th, 2008 at 11:48 am
First the Disco Cab, now the Puppet Bike… *sigh* Having you for a friend is like having my very own wishing star to tell me stories!
July 13th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Those kittens are DAMN cute! It’s a good thing my cat didn’t see me going ga ga for them…he’d have scratched the heck out of my MacBook.
Puppet Bike is the b-o-m-b.
July 13th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
How very cool!
When I lived in Mass there was a deli I’d go to in which the knew me as “Ohio.” Which sort of lacks something. Just about any other state has more ooomph to it when it come to nicknames. Well, Iowa would suck too.
July 13th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Yay for teh kittehs. Oh hai, I can has this dance? haha
Catchy little song too.
You should find someone to recreate the kitten dance in human form with and post the video. haha
July 13th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the puppet bike! I have only seen it once, but I was also fixated on it
July 14th, 2008 at 3:48 am
Sigh. I’m afraid I have no choice, now, but to visit this ‘Chicago’ and see this puppet bike of which you speak.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:52 am
This raises what I believe is an obvious question:
Why is there no puppet bike in hospital wards throughout the land? This would heal better than any white-coated biped scribbling indecipherable prescriptions on a little white pad. My cure for cancer is going to be ‘Puppet bikes; kittens hugging.’
July 14th, 2008 at 9:52 am
This raises what I believe is an obvious question:
Why is there no puppet bike in hospital wards throughout the land? This would heal better than any white-coated biped scribbling indecipherable prescriptions on a little white pad. My cure for cancer is going to be ‘Puppet bikes; kittens hugging.’
July 14th, 2008 at 10:44 am
shari: sometimes this city really is magical. this was one of those times.
pants: yes, do NOT let jack-jack see the dancing kittens. especially with his weight problem… he might be hurt.
delmer: i don’t know about that – OHIO sounds like a friendly greeting to me.
dave: that’s a brilliant idea! should they be dressed up like kittens, though?
kilax: you’ve seen it too?! it’s the best!
vahid: FINALLY! i found the right combination to lure you to chicago.
sir: i think you’re on to something. it certainly cured everything that was ailing me, and watching the video over and over is like getting a booster shot.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Those animals have some great moves! Love the little disco ball. The kittens are very cute, but I’m partial to Clover and Lefty.
May just go play with my finger puppet shark now…
July 16th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
claire: i know – the disco ball is great. it was all lit up at night. the monkeys were super cute too!
July 17th, 2008 at 11:54 am
I too was entranced by the magic of the Puppet Bike this weekend at the F&R fest on Lincoln. Until…. when the dancing dog puppets come up, and start doing that part of the dance where they’re yanking on each others’ ears, I noticed that one was missing an ear. It was disturbing. The puppet biker got a little rough (ruff, ha! or not) in the routine.
This was made even more disturbing when walking my dog last night I came across a fluffy brown ear torn from a stuffed dog. Is it the work of the Puppet Biker? Or was the Puppet Bike’s dog merely another random victim? Is there as serial dog-ripper on the loose in Chicago?
July 18th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Oh sure… it’s all cute fun and games… UNTIL THE PUPPETS ATTACK! Then where would you be?!?