It has been a very happy week. Yesterday evening I re-discovered Riverside State Park one block from my apartment. I first discovered it soon after I moved here in early January, but
it was night time then, and the gates were closed. Since then it has been incredibly cold and often cloudy, so I haven't been in an exploring mood. Instead it's felt like more of a hibernation mode, in that I've been adjusting to the job and life in NYC again, and waiting for the cold to subside before numerous adventures around the boroughs resume. And I do love bear metaphors.
In the afternoon I finally moved my car from Queens to Harlem, and then decided to keep walking after parking. Just before sunset I saw the park gate open, crossed a bridge over the highway, and saw at least four basketball courts, a baseball diamond, and plenty of spots to look over the railing (as opposed to the large fences on the rest of the road to prevent jumping and clear visibility of the water). I walked over to the railing and was greeted by the vast expanse of the Hudson River, the same river I often ride along when traveling between home and the city. And of course, after listening to Broken Social Scene's "Capture the Flag" and "KC Accidental," Sigur Ros's "Untitled 4" came on. I can even see the final bridge in the NYC area before the river curves around the bend and leads the way home, connecting the city to Albany, where my father used to work and many of my friends used to live. Right now there are many leafless trees in the park, and spring is just around the corner. It looks like I found this place just in time.
Later I took a ride down to the Empire State Building to listen to a few songs and take a few pictures of photographs. I got the idea the previous night while walking home from happy hour and seeing the most iconic skyscraper in the world all lit up bright blue and green, my favorite color combination. As I've said before, they are the Seahawks' colors, which also happen to be the Earth's colors when viewed from space. The Seahawks are from Seattle, just like two of my favorite artistic heroes: musician Jason Webley and writer Tom Robbins. In fact, Robbins, now in his 70's, still lives in and around the Seattle area, where he has been for decades. That means many of my favorite books were created in the Seattle area.
In the afternoon I finally moved my car from Queens to Harlem, and then decided to keep walking after parking. Just before sunset I saw the park gate open, crossed a bridge over the highway, and saw at least four basketball courts, a baseball diamond, and plenty of spots to look over the railing (as opposed to the large fences on the rest of the road to prevent jumping and clear visibility of the water). I walked over to the railing and was greeted by the vast expanse of the Hudson River, the same river I often ride along when traveling between home and the city. And of course, after listening to Broken Social Scene's "Capture the Flag" and "KC Accidental," Sigur Ros's "Untitled 4" came on. I can even see the final bridge in the NYC area before the river curves around the bend and leads the way home, connecting the city to Albany, where my father used to work and many of my friends used to live. Right now there are many leafless trees in the park, and spring is just around the corner. It looks like I found this place just in time.
Later I took a ride down to the Empire State Building to listen to a few songs and take a few pictures of photographs. I got the idea the previous night while walking home from happy hour and seeing the most iconic skyscraper in the world all lit up bright blue and green, my favorite color combination. As I've said before, they are the Seahawks' colors, which also happen to be the Earth's colors when viewed from space. The Seahawks are from Seattle, just like two of my favorite artistic heroes: musician Jason Webley and writer Tom Robbins. In fact, Robbins, now in his 70's, still lives in and around the Seattle area, where he has been for decades. That means many of my favorite books were created in the Seattle area.
"There has to be magic, and poetry, at every level."
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins
Now I am at home for the weekend, about to go to sleep
in a room without heat on a night when the temperature is supposed to
reach -5 on the Fahrenheit scale. Blankets galore. And I'm very happy that I wasn't involved in any of the five car accidents I saw and had to drive around on the way up here through the snow. Even so, it felt great to drive again.
Thank you life for keeping me alive.
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