Casey in Central Park

Thinking about my best pal, Casey, as I walk through snowy Central Park - her favorite place on earth.

Best time: 7am to 9am, weekend mornings, off leash, swimming in Bethesda Fountain, ten months a year.

Here's a photo album of Casey & Central Park.

I'll add more photos tomorrow...

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Story behind my Central Park head gear earlier today in the snow.

On December 15, 1968. I, 14, and Tommy McNamara 11 (true story, Maria Gardner) copped two free New York Giants tickets for the last game of year vs. the Dallas Cowboys. Jack Loftus gave us the tickets in his bar because two season ticket guys had hangovers (they called Jack and said give it to a kid) and the Giants as usual were out of playoff contention. Jack kept the set of 5 tickets behind his cash register in Loftus Tavern. We ran up 86th Street to the #4 train. Got there just in time.

1968 nyg hat found on the field of old Yankee Stadium

Long story short... Giants lost 28-10, and the last game of the year tradition at old Yankee Stadium was fans could go on the field after the game. Tommy Mac & I ran out to the 457 sign in left center. I nearly tripped over something and looked down on the grass and found the hat you see on my head here. We rolled it up into a football shape and began throwing short post passes to each other in the right corner of the end zone near the monuments, over and over, it started snowing, as the flakes passed the Stadium lights up over the hanging facade, us on the sacred grass, throwing our fake ball, getting chalk on our sneakers from the lime marked back of the end zone, I could have died right then and there, at 14 years old, a happy man.

ps the hat celebrated its 46th birthday on my head last month.

Cooling Off in Bethesda Fountain

This has been the coolest New York City summer in my memory. One of the hottest summers that I remember is 1961. Each scorcher my brother and I tortured our parents for relief from the heat. Late August that year, in the middle of Central Park they gave up.

Here's the story as it appeared in The New York Times.

Dad had a thing for Bethesda Fountain. Mom loved any reason for getting out of our tiny apartment on East 83rd Street. Our countless adventures in Central Park always included a pass through the plaza and a stroll down Poet’s Walk.

Fifty-three years ago, August 1961, Dad; Mom; my brother, Rory, 5; and I, 7, death-marched through Central Park on a miserable 100 degree day. Fed up with the heat, Rory and I tortured our parents into letting us swim in Bethesda Fountain. They gave in, sick of our whining. We stripped down to our briefs and vaulted over the stone into the water.

The swim lasted a long time. There was a patrolman watching us, and he left us alone. Then his sergeant came by, and the patrolman had to be a cop again. “O.K. kids, get out of there, and stay out,” he said with a grin facing away from his boss. Thanks to Dad’s Yashica 44 camera, here are photos. As we swung our soaked bodies out of the fountain, Bobby Lewis was singing “Tossin’ & Turnin’” on someone’s transistor radio.


Barnes & Noble confirmed, Friday, October 17th, book event at the East 86th Street Yorkville store for "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood."

Cooling Off in Bethesda Fountain

Tommy First Grade Beau Brummel

After an exhaustive scholastic year in First Grade at St. Stephen's of Hungary I needed a good swim in Central Park. Dad had his Yashica 44 camera with him and caught Rory and me doing our thing in Bethesda Fountain.

Yesterday, The New York Times published photos from that one hundred degree August day in 1961. Here is a link to story with photographs.

Yashica 44

Tommy Rory in Bethesda Fountain August 1961

Bethesda Fountain Angel Protects New York Giants

Early this morning walking through Central Park, I asked the Bethesda Fountain Angel to fly out to San Francisco today to watch over the Giants during their NFC Championship game. The angel agreed on one condition, I have to lay off Hellman’s mayonnaise for one week. I asked her to give me a few minutes to think about it. 

I headed for Sailboat Lake where I saw Fifth Avenue upside down in the water, then I strolled over to The Boathouse and spied the Ice Queen sipping ice tea at a cafe table, then I returned to Bethesda Terrace and told the Angel, “OK."

Before lifting off, the Angel promised to closely watch our punter today figuring the game will be a chess match over field position. The Angel plans to open an old fashioned party line for the Giants secondary so they don’t miss assignments. 

As the Angel flew away, I shouted, "Go Giants!"

She curled one wing back towards me, then cleared the trees heading west.

Central Park Slipping Into Darkness

Photographing Central Park is like fishing with sticks of dynamite. I love when the park slips into darkness best.

The next City Stories: Stoops to Nuts show is Tuesday, November 15th @ 6pm @Cornelia Street Café.  

 

November’s storytellers & songsmiths: Cris Beam, Michele Carlo, Taffy Jaffe, Thomas Pryor, Lianne Smith & David Terhune.  Large family gatherings will be discussed. The $7 cover includes a free drink.  A swell deal, please join us! 

 

Bird Meeting at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park

Feeling lousy today, seven days into strep throat without improvement. It’s cool and rainy outside, my mind is wandering. I found a picture I took of two pigeons flying into each other in front of the angel at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. Here it is with a few other Central Park pictures.

I’m putting on an Lp record, “Dark Side of the Moon” and letting my mind drift where it will.

Who knows which is which, and who is who?

Pink Floyd

Spooky Central Park

When the light fades, Central Park gets frightful. If you want to be terrified, come hear me read "Murder by Dusting," a story about childrens toys vanishing at an alarming rate.

This coming Friday, May 27th @ Happy Ending Lounge @ 302 Broome Street @ 8pm. Part of Mr. Beller's Neighborhood's Reading Series. Scary stuff.

http://www.happyendinglounge.com/

More spooky Central Park pix here.

Stories related to:

Why I Quit My Day Job ~ First November Bike Ride

I love to do chores on my bike. Today, I pedaled to Astor Place to meet two of my guests on tomorrow's Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts radio show ~ Stefanie Demas & Stacey Kahn. Stef, Stacey & Marie Sicari will join me Tuesday night at Giovanna's Restaurant on Lexington Avenue & 100th Street live @ 9m on the Centanni Broadcasting Network. We're talking writing, storytelling, improvisation. Here's the link for live show & the archive:

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/id56.html

Here are our guests bios:

Marie Sicari, MD ~ native lover of New York City, it's food, art, history and eccentricity. As a first generation American of European heritage, I have the spirit of a wanderer with a penchant for world travel and adventure. I've delved back into my childhood love of the arts. I consider myself a re-born creative, liberating my true voice through spontaneous painting and writing, song, improvisational theater and laughter. I am a dermatopathologist, New York City trained.

Stefanie Demas graduated Magna cum Laude from Skidmore College in 2009, with a major in English and a membership in Phi Beta Kappa. While at Skidmore, she was editor in chief of Folio, Journal of Arts and Letters, for two years. She received the English Department Distinguished Work of Fiction Award (2009), the Denise Marcil Prize for Fiction Writing (2008), and the Joseph C. Palamountain Jr. Prose Award (2008). Her work has appeared in NY Press, and Hunger Mountain and she currently writes forlemondrop.com.

Stacey Kahn is a graduate of Skidmore College and currently an MFA student in nonfiction at Sarah Lawrence. She's been published in Epiphany magazine, among other publications. She is the assistant editor at Epiphany and is a contributor to the music site Play Me. She is currently obsessed with Rice Kripsy treats and the band Pavement. Stacey Kahn is not a descendant of Genghis Khan.

This song was playing when I passed a tree on the river exploding with color and releasing it's leaves like a slot machine paying off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMmA8PsTvPA