most valuable posterior

I stayed up late on pre-Super Bowl Saturday catching up with an Angeleno for whom I particularly pine. Again, as the slovenly trend would have it, I rose after the lunch hour to find Karen and Nate in front of our absurdly giant television. Law and Order, a most bewitching program had hypnotized the two of them for at least an hour. I declared that I needed to eat and be back by 6pm in time for the kick-off. They were complacent and easily swayed. It was Sunday.

We found ourselves at Miss Mamie's on 110th Street at around 4pm. The dining room was quaint with red vinyl chairs, a red piano and white wainscotting along the walls. The curtains in the window were of a strawberry pattern and the sweet tea and lemonade served in mason jars. Karen and I both ordered southern fried chicken with an assortment of sides between us: mac and cheese, cornbread stuffing, potato salad and candied yams. Nate ordered ribs with black eyed peas and collard greens. We wolfed down our food stopping only for hysterics as Karen recalled a man she saw on the train. The man wore particularly fitted trousers and Karen found it difficult to avert her eyes from his, clinically speaking, "junk." To be candid, she said it looked like he had a soda can in his pants. Mr. Pibb? Dr. Pepper? I laughed so hard I could barely breathe. It's delightful when that happens.

The service was slow on that Super Sunday afternoon and sensing our growing annoyance with Toni Braxton's greatest hits blaring from the sound system, our waiter comped our coconut cake and peach cobbler. Ken, we salute you and your dancer's physique. We will see you both again very soon.

6:00pm. Back in front of the electronic window. It was the first time I truly enjoyed the life-like quality of HD programming. Little Eli Manning looked crisp and forlorn. Every hair on Randy Moss' face was defined. Bill Belichick furrowed that brow and I felt it in my basal cortex. And Tommy Brady...that face paint was FIERCE, GIRLFRIEND! Nate and I forced ourselves to pay attention through the first half. Karen dozed off before the game started but came to after halftime when things got good. At the conclusion of the game, after Lil Eli spun out of the dog pile and passed the amazing pass and eventually ran out the 1 second remaining, New Yorkers outside my window cheered. I don't like to take credit for bringing luck to this city, but I will.