Brooklyn and some Racing In The Rain...

Copyright Tim Brown / TAB Photographic

Brooklyn NY... Yes Brooklyn. Ever been to New York City??? I bet many of you can say yes. I mean come on, it's "the city"... Not just any city but again "THE CITY".... Buildings that have grown into the clouds, trains that have tunnelled the earth, and people that have filled all spaces high, low and everything in between. With out question, it's just a great city!

But stop for a moment, what about all the culture, pieces and parts that are wrapped around this city??? Ultimately making NYC what it is? Like the Bronx, Queens, Long Island or maybe, maybe even Brooklyn.

Copyright Tim Brown / TAB Photographic

Quite possibly with it's pieces and parts Brooklyn could be considered "the place". I know a few people close to me that feel this way and I sit here in positive agreement. Because Brookly is filled with this great energy. This calmness that must rest just outside "the city"... A place where people run home to after being in the hustle and bustle all day long. A place where the kids play on the streets, the markets are filled with smiles and the brownstones tower over with such beauty and grace.

A place where a couple bikes locked up have seen so much. Probably raced down the street with the Statue of Liberty watching over in the distance, past the (F) stop and back around the block.

Copyright Tim Brown / TAB Photographic

A place where a van has been touched by so many, or in some cases painted. Though I look at this van and see so much. Really, I want to blow this picture up to about 48 inches and cover an entire wall with it. Maybe put the bikes on the other wall??? I guess what I'm getting at here is that Brooklyn is the place. Really, the place... Manhattan is great and all but if you want the city feeling with a more relaxed atmosphere and some great stores... yea, try on Brooklyn for size....


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While I'm here I just feel another need to share one more thing. That one more thing is a great book I read over the summer. I saw the cover, which had a simple picture of a dog, picked up the book and saw that it was about a dog and a race car drive... Hence the title, " The Art of Racing In The Rain"... There I am, 24 hours from that point I would be on a 6 hour flight to Portland Oregon, picking up this great book about a dog, and racing cars. I mean come on, talk about a guys novel. No, I'm not saying guys read one type of book while woman the other... I just didn't want some romance filled, love on the beach book... So damn it! I would buy a book about a dog and race cars!!!

Well..... Let me tell you, this book, simply filled with so much. From laughs, to love, to anger and tears. Yes, tears. What? I'm not allowed to tear up over a book? And more so, I'm not allowed to tell people about that fact??? It's a great book!

There are so many lessons that can be learned along side of the feelings felt. How to over come the odds, never give up and stick to your guns!!! So much about life... All, generally, from the eyes and mind of a dog. As far as I'm concerned, it's a must read. Just know, you'll tear up too. Maybe even sob......

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.




Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.




On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.




A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.