A Park In The Borough Redux

Now playing: Nick Drake - Northern Sky
via FoxyTunes
I know it's been a while. While I'm spending my days feeling like Goldilocks in a suit "no this one is too big, and this one is too small!" I haven't been keeping up my touring duties in The Borough. I was able to spend a whole day back in Prospect Park - basking in the sun and continually amazed by vistas and hues. The walk that we took, is my favorite up and down route through the park - starting at the Vale of Cashmere- taking the back route over to the pond and up and down and around the hiking trails (Lullwater is one of my favorites)- eventually ending up at the boat house. Then the most lovely part are the new hiking trails (complete with markers) that take you down to the carousel. I love that Audubon has taken over the boat house as some kind of real facility - but I still wish there was a restaurant there, or at least a 24-hour bathroom of some kind. Check out the hiking trail infoby downloading the pdf park map from their website - the trails are all in ocher dots - in reality there are a few of them and my guess is eventually Audubon will produce a better quality - more detailed trail map - that would be cool, right?

I say, even though there is big damp out there - every day the leaves are still bright and blazing - and maybe a bit mushy - but dying to be made in paper mache or centerpieces or simply arranged in a funny way. It's not just the tress and leaves that make me so ga-ga. It's all the freakin' animals.

During part of my hike I had some close encounters with mallards and other duck like creatures, and then I managed to creep up on a giant blue heron near the carousel, standing in the reeds. sweet.

Gobble. Gobble.

That Other Borough

Now playing: Slayer - Human Disease
via FoxyTunes So it was a busy weekend in that other borough (aka Manhattan). It is a well known fact that life in The Borough is deeply and directly connected to life in that other borough. I don't usually drop names, in fact I usually prefer to keep it all pretty anonymous - but I don't think MetalJohn would disapprove of being featured for the wild and wacky in the city posting.

It was a very metal birthday for John. Since it was across from Stuy town - I did manage to invite some of my local yokels to come by for a drink (or 5) and it was good. The bar is what used to b a neighborhood pharmacy, then turned into a bar (aptly names Barmacy) now converted into a tiki hut in Alphabet City called Otto's Shrunken Head. Other than some Hawaiian and Hawaiina decor and some rather festive drinks on the menu - its pretty much still basically a bar with a back room (really tiny) for bands and some games. It has a comfortable feel and still retains some of the downtown vibe.

John enjoyed my gift of old Iron Maiden LP's from the back of my closet and I played some pinball which I have been yearning to do for some while now. The flash of the lights, the sharp skills commingled with cunning reflexes. That's what I miss most about hanging out in bars, aside from the loose men and free drinks.

Now as if one big party night in the city wasn't enough, last night was the monthly meeting (read: drinking) of native new yorkers that I always enjoy. This month my cohort was going to be in full effect - it wasn't as huge a turnout as I had thought might happen (based solely on emails and the sheer number of people forwarded the info) but it was a solid group of people that I was really psyched to see.

I still find it amazing that people who maybe I haven't seen in many, many a moon, after a few minutes -the time seems to melt away - and for bad or good - I am stripped of everything except me. I am 14 again. I smile and hug everyone as much as possible. Of course it was like 85 degrees and 100% humidity at 11pm and with all the alcohol consumption after hugging so many people my shirt smelled like a gym towel by the time I got home. That 3 am shower felt good too.

Limited by the amount of time an evening can hold, by the time you've finished having a long conversation with one person - someone else has left and you can only hope they'll show up next month so you can catch up with them.

Life Goes On In The Borough

Ah yes, I've been thinking alot lately about so many different things - aside from the actual tasks that need to get done: finding a job and growing up. I'm constantly amazed at how much time it takes me to do anything. The curtains are finally up in my bedroom - it only took a little over 4 months to go from concept to done. So with that time frame in mind, something more serious, like finding a new job and changing the direction of my life - well I don't think I've exceeded my boundaries of allowable time yet.

Here in The Borough, and in the rest of the city as well - it seems noone ever has time for anything that isn't directly related to what they need to do in a day, as much as they may say otherwise. I'm talking about not returning phone calls, not answering emails, canceling lunch or dinner or drink plans "I just don't have time". How often have you said "I wish I had time to do that" or "If only there were 2 of me, then I'd have time for fun things" Well I'm here as your wake-up call. You have time, all day everyday, it's how you choose to use it, what is really important to you and a bit of how you manage your time.

Please don't get me wrong - identifying a modern social condition and placing a value judgment on that condition are two completely different things. I'm not trying to send out a secret message to anyone about their ability or inability to respond to modern communication. It's purely an observation.

I've decided that today we should all ponder the passing of time and take stock in what we can and do accomplish everyday, even if you've left a trail of unanswered communication or unfinished projects. So take some time and reflect on these words of wisdom, some coincide with my view, others are reminders that it is most difficult to exist within a time frame:

"They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." - Andy Warhol

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." - Annie Dillard

"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else." - Emily Dickinson

"By labor we can find food and water, but all of our labor will not find for us another hour." - Kenneth Patton

"Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save." - Will Rogers

"To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing." - Eva Young

"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely"- Auguste Rodin

"Time is the most valuable thing one can spend." - Theophrastus

"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." - Groucho Marx

The Last Days of Summer

Now playing: The Police - Bring On The Night
via FoxyTunes

Justice In The Borough

Now playing: T Bone Burnett - Humans From Earth
via FoxyTunes I was going to do a whole expose on the justice system here in The Borough, having served my jury duty for the next decade this week. But after alot of whining about being stuck on jury duty, for a whole 8 hours, - I talked to a friend who is very serious minded about these things. In his mind - it is not only a civic duty to show up - but you should do everything possible to sit on a jury. After hearing him go on and on about how the educated citizens of our country need to take a bigger role in the dissemination of justice- I was almost sad that I didn't get picked - "I feel gypped".

Being called for jury duty is not what it used to be. In the old days once you reported in, you were stuck in the room until they decided it was time for a break, you can leave the building now, of course you have to go through security screening each time - which is not all that fun especially for the guys wearing belts who had to take them off each time. But you can leave!!!

The room where you wait to be called, is large, with fairly comfortable chairs (no more wooden seats!), many tv's showing CNN and there is even a free internet room (ok so your time is limited to 10 minutes and when that is over the browser window resets itself and most sites are restricted - including things like social networking sites) but to be able to check email while you are waiting is a glorious modern convenience.

I still found the whole system, even with its modern conveniences, to have many faults - including making us rush to form a line - then calling our names in alphabetical order - and the whole idea that there was ONE case on the docket for the afternoon - seems like the court is under scheduled. And the number of people that got up when the the exclusions were called because they had children at home (hello its called a babysitter). I hate it when breeders get preferential treatment.

Now that's its over I realize that it was not a huge imposition of my time or even that much of an inconvenience. I suppose if I had a job and my boss was annoyed that I was going to be out of the office - I might have been a bit stressed out. As it as, it was more about keeping my brain occupied for the endless hours of waiting and finding something I could afford for lunch.

Ramblings in The Borough

So I realize that I have not updated anything ina little while here, it's been pretty quiet in The Borough. With summer ending and most of the summertime festivities done and over for the season - there really hasn't been much to report.

Gives me an opportunity to do some ramblings about job hunting and taking naps in The Borough. But how boring is that? Yes, I continue to search for a job and clean my house.

There have been a few things I've taken part in - I continue to volunteer when and where I can for environmental causes, but my main focus has been writing those sharp cover letters and scouring job boards for suitable opportunities. Not the most exciting thing to write about.

For those who care, I'm still somewhat torn between selling my soul to corporate america for lost of cash and a job I can probably do with my eyes closed - and making a big change and getting into something a bit more socially meaningful and a much lower rate. It's a hard sell to change fields at this point - which is why I keep going back to what I know and do best. Meanwhile I'm painting - making new art all the time and having immense fun with the digital cameras (have I shown you my 700 underwater photos yet?).

I had dinner with some friends for Rosh Hashannah, and we ended up taking a walk through the Slope playing one of my favorite games "Remember when" trying to remember what storefronts had been there and me pointing out spots where I had spent time as a teenager. We perused the used book shop and strolled the avenue. It did give me warm and fizzy recollections of life here, even in the 90's when there was a large extended group of friends and we spent alot of time hanging out in various bars and locales in and around the slope.

Those nights at "The Toy Bar" with clanging noise makers and over-priced Yuenlings is over - the building looks like its been condemned and I wonder where the family has gone to. A number of the daughters were about my age and I remember running into one of them somewhere else and she smiled and came over, even though we had never really known each other - she took the time to come say hello. There was this camaraderie that made you feel like you were part of something special - and everyone knew you and your family.

The Slope is not like that anymore - well not for me anyways - most of the young urban hipsters live in that other borough called Williamsburg (but don't tell them they really live in Bushwick) and the Slope is filled with out-of-towners (we call them foreigners) that say "yes I live in Brooklyn now, we left Man-hattan for Park Slope, it's so lovely". If only I could beat people up for being pretentious.

Now I know I said I was not going to rant at all - the whole point of writing about life in The Borough was to go and see and do things and talk about them - shine a light on the positive but when your home (aka: The Slope) has turned into a baby-stroller nightmare. I miss the way it used to be and that's probably why I do all of my grocery shopping in Prospect Heights.

So I guess the point is that it's better to say nothing when you have nothing good to say.

Life Outside The Borough

Sometimes you just have to leave The Borough, y'know? It becomes imperative to commune with nature and visit with friends who live outside of the city limits, and you just gotta go! Those who know me, know that I love to travel. More often I travel to far flung places, but also to more local habitats.

This particular visit was to the other tri-state area near my tri-state area - Falls Village (Canaan) CT. Twenty minutes in one direction you're in NY, 20 (or more) the other way you're in MA.

Aside from clean country air and delicious food - I was lucky enough to get an agricultural primer - going to the Goshen, CT State Fair. This was such a great experience - art displays, period crafts, wood splitting contest, a smithy and barns housing all kinds of animals including rabbits, cows(heifers) and pigs, chickens and horses. There was even a tractor pull - with all kinds of vintage tractors. - Plus as a bonus seeing the largest pumpkin I have ever seen - 461 lbs. Having never been that close to farm animals in my life and having no idea what an FFA was it was quite educational- even with all the smells.

Now on the down side, the food was overpriced (a sausage sandwich which is like $4 here was $6.50 there), and though most of the people really looked like they needed a salad and a good run on a treadmill - on the upside there were some amazing choices - fresh pulled pork sandwich, onion rings, mexican, cinnamon buns, kettle corn and any number of hamburger, hot dog and french fry stands. The smells wafting over the crowd of people with double and triple strollers.

Considering that for a two hour train ride out of NYC, you can be in rural America is amazing, but having spent many summers up that way, I see how the suburbs have encroached in the farmlands - civilization is much closer these days. Luckily Falls Village is removed from all that.

Falls village doesn't have much - its a town that seems to have had a heyday sometime in the past - in fact if you were speeding along from Cornwall to Canaan, you might pass through Falls Village and not even realize it. There is a post office and a sandwich shop, some beautiful Victorian architecture and some fabulous estates. The amazing thing is that a lovely stroll takes you to this amazing waterfall..thus the name Falls Village. A sleepy little town, where most people have to drive 20 minutes just to get milk.

It felt good to see the sky full of stars, one thing that you can't get in The Borough (or anywhere near), due to the city lights. So get out of town - see the stars, breathe in the air and take it all down 5 or 6 notches - you'll be so glad you did.