There are some advantages to working on Central Park West.

Right outside the door of my building on 77th Street, they're inflating Macy's Thanksgiving Parade balloons!

I just stood on our steps and watched the crew blowing up giant Scooby-Doo, scrambling around under his container netting as he unwrinkles and takes bulbous shape.

Meanwhile, right next to me with Scoob rising Gulliver-like in the background, a one-man-mobile-uplink-unit (well, a guy with a digital videocamera and a tripod) was recording an on-the-spot report for the, uh, what does his mike say? The "Regional News Network." He struggled comically with his 3 lines, attempting the report over and over again, and over again: "Here's where the magic happens...three, two, one...here's where the magic...three, two, one...here's where the magic happens, these...three...two...one...."

Awesome, they're unrolling giant Dora the Explorer!