Saturday in the Park

Up bright and early, Andrew and I set out to do one of our favorite activities - running and exploring new routes while on vacation.

In this case, it was heading into the biggest green space in New York City - Central Park, home to some Strawberry Fields Forever, and the sight of the most important question of Jackie and my quarter-century long relationship.

We entered Central Park through Columbus Circle, named after Christopher Columbus and located at the top of Eighth Avenue, which was how we accessed the park from our hotel.

Fun fact: it's the point from which all official distances on the island of Manhattan are measured.
So there you go, your new news for the day courtesy of a Wicked Good Blog.

In 1992, my fellow E Streeters kidnapped me for a weekend and took me to NYC for a Bruce Springsteen bachelor party weekend, capped by a Bruce show at the Meadowlands.

During the weekend, we ventured into Central Park and took some epics photos, recently resurrected by DJ Cassidy for Mike and Marcia's 25th wedding anniversary party.

Andrew and I attempted to find some of those spots during the morning's run.

Around the corner lies Strawberry Fields, across the street from the Dakota where rock legend John Lennon was gunned down in December, 1980.

Tourist tip: visit the site in the morning, there's virtually no one there, and you get a chance to Imagine lots of things without anyone around to bother you.

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will be as one

- Imagine, John Lennon

 

That morning happened to also be the day the Big Apple decided to host a 5 mile race through the park to celebrate Gay Pride month.  The race boasted more than 20,000 runners, and like a pair of salmon, Andrew and I were swimming against the stream the whole time.

In the middle of Central Park lies Belvedere Castle, with a different spelling than our Lowell neighborhood.

Calvery Vaux, a designer of Central Park, created the castle in 1869, providing the highest and best views of the park and the city landscape.  Its name means beautiful view in Italian.

The highest point in the park?  Naturally we had to run up it.

While we didn't scale the large rocks that flanked the paths along our exit toward Fifth Avenue, I couldn't resist posting this E Streeter classic pic.

Before we left the park, time for one more picture and a flashback to December 19, 1991.

It was a cold night, and in a hansom cab carriage pulled by a horse named Irish Joe, I popped an important question to the wonderful angel I met just five months earlier.

As you can surmise, she said yes, and the rest has been history.

This one's for you, babe!

Out onto Fifth Avenue, which mercifully was still devoid of the day's shoppers, being so early in the day. On to Rockefeller Center and 30 Rock! 

Here's Andrew in front of one of New York's most historic spots. 

And here's the original E Streeters there in July,1991

Andrew was ready to get jiggy with Jimmy Fallon 

In case you haven't been to Times Square of late, another tourist tip: beware the costumed - and not costumed - clowns working the square.  Topless showgirls wearing nothing but body paint prance about, along with Spider-Man, Batman, Mario and Luigi, Olaf, and a host of other characters.  But when they're not shooting pics with tourists - and expecting handsome tips for their efforts - they flip their masks up.

Which led to a moment of great consternation for Andrew when his childhood hero Woody revealed the face beneath the cowboy hat.  A scarring experience for the lad.

Andrew just can't wait to be king, but he's only got a few hours left 

Just about to wrap the run up, Andrew had a street corner encounter with a frequent source of conversation on E Streeter weekend runs - Jennifer Aniston.  Don't ask, just let your imagination take you there.

And for those who've been part of those conversations, you'll understand Andrew's scowl.

A fabulous 6.5 miler in the books!  What a blast!

We're ready to see more of Manhattan!

People reaching, people touching

A real celebration
Waiting for us all

If we want it, really want it

Can you dig it? Yes, I can

And I've been waiting such a long time

For the day

- Saturday in the Park, Chicago