Only In New York

I was born and raised here in New York. So, with that being said, it takes a lot for me to be shocked or surprised by the behavior of someone in public. On Sunday, I sat in Central Park with Caren in "Strawberry Fields" and we people watched and were greatly entertained.

Our day started about noon when we met up in Penn Station. We hopped in a taxi and headed to my favorite part of the city, the west side along Central Park. We had brunch at a really great place named Isabella's on W 77th. We had a few mimosas while we waited for a table and chatted for a bit. After about 20 minutes, we were seated at a great table right by the windows where we chatted, people watched, and enjoyed a great brunch. Sugar V and his wife called us during brunch and said they were on their way to the city....

After we ate, Caren and I strolled a few blocks to W 72nd where the John Lennon memorial "Strawberry Fields" is located. It's a mosaic tile which reads "Imagine" which is down a wooded path about 100 yards from the street. We sat on one of the dozens of park benches around the memorial and just took in the sights and sounds...and boy were there plenty.

Our attention was immediately drawn to Gary (picture below). Gary is quite a colorful character. Gary "works" at the memorial. Each day he does something different to decorate the "Imagine" tiles. Sunday, he had flower petals around the exhibit in the shape of a peace sign, It was nicely done. Gary was very drunk on red wine he was "secretly" drinking out of a clear Sprite bottle. Gary would give the same speech every 5 minutes for the two hours we were there. He would say, "Welcome to New York, welcome to the jungle, welcome to Strawberry Fields, I've been coming here for 13 years, been here everyday for the last four, enjoy folks, peace." Then he'd yeall "Where's everyone from?????!!!!!!!" Some people would answer, some would run.....Gary was a riot. Caren and I couldn't stop watching him and his antics. Gary had a miniature guitar near the exhibit for "donations." I thought perhaps the money people tossed in the guitar was to purchase flower petals and items to decorate the exhibit......we found out quickly it was Gary's booze money, as he paid someone withmoney from that guitar for a bottle of red wine they brought him. He carefully poured the red wine into Sprite bottles for "discreet" consumption.

We kept each other warm on the park bench, it was brisk and somewhat chilly on Sunday. While relaxing we noticed another colorful character. This dude (pictured below) had a bag of "sporting goods" that he was trying to sell some folks, including Gary. He was saying how great the stuff he had was, that is was "vintage." It was then that the ball dude, walks like 10 feet from the people he was trying to sell this vintage "memorabilia" to, and started signing the stuff himself......great vintage stuff indeed. The pic below shows our pal signing the stuff with God knows what star's name on it........

As Gary stumbled and played air guitar to the music blaring out of his 1983 boombox, Sugar V called and said he would be to the park in a few. It was then that Gary yelled. "GO AHEAD, KISS YOUR HUSBAND!!!!!!" So Caren and I look over and he was gesturing to Caren. Apparently Caren and I had been recently married in a drunken stuper last Saturday Night in between the pizza and "club 69." So we amused him with a kiss.....

Moments later we see Sugar V and Nebraska girl heading deep into the park, apparently Sugar V wanted to head into the woods to make a move on wifey, or to expose himself to some boy scouts. We called him and told him he was going the wrong way........he then got on the right path and met us with all of our new colorful friends.....

After 20 minutes or so, we walked out of the park, towards Columbus Circle (pic below). We went to Columbus Mall and browsed the shops. After a while we decided to go have dinner. We headed towards 9th Ave where here are hundreds of great restaurants. Why we chose "Ralph's Italian Restaurant" or whatever the dude's name was is beyond me......

We walk in and get seated, the lighting was so poor, I needed a flashlight to read the menu. They were one Mexican short of a Mariachi Band in that fine Italian establishment. The food was awful. I think Chef Boyardee makes better sauce.....we high tailed it out of there quicly. Sugar V and I were still so hungry, we stopped at "Grey's Papaya" for one of NYC's finest and most famous hot dogs.....as we strolled back to Penn to catch our trains.....

It was a quick "goodnight" as my train was ready to leave....I had wished it was a Saturday Night so I could have lured Caren back to "the beach." Sugar V, Nebraska Girl, and I boarded the Long Beach Train and continued our insanity......

I decided I was going to make loud growling sounds every 3-5 minutes the whole ride home on the train. This annoyed many people, but intrigued quite a few. We called Caren on her train to get her to hear the craziness we were causing. Mrs. Sugar V was laughing so hard, I thought she would pee her pants......

It was another great time with Caren and the Sugars. I've really gotten to know Caren a bit more the last week or so and she is just great. It's nice to be "in like" again. (is that a term???) I like that I can be myself around her and around Sugar V and Nebraska girl. I am very at ease with all of them. The last two weekends have been so much fun........

So, here are three pics from Sunday......

  

Columbus Circle. Sugar V kept having to say "Hey, is that Columbus???" Referring to the large statue of the famous explorer.....

  

Get your Holiday orders in now...sports memorabilia man has all your favorite sports stars' autographs in stock!!!!!

  

And last but not least...our boy Gary........taking care of Strawberry Fields and keeping things in order down on W 72nd.....