My Friday Off
I was so excited for my day off this Friday. I have been working non-stop since we arrived in New York City and I badly needed a break. Also, I got a great deal on a new camera lens and I wanted to use my Friday off to test it. Knowing the best light for outdoor photography is right around sunrise, I decided to leave the house at 6:30 am for the famous Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. The old crypts, dusty mausoleums ($250,000-300,000 plus fees, according to www.green-wood.com) and weathered grave stones were going to be so magnificent in the soft orange morning lights. This was my intention when Kate and I climbed into bed at midnight.
The alarm snooze went off twice before Kate poked me in the side, “Neil, it’s 6:30.” In uncharacteristic fashion, I jumped out of bed, ran through the shower, grabbed my camera and was out the door. I made my way to the Union Turnpike station to catch the F Train to Roosevelt Ave for the 7 Train to 52nd Street. The light was perfect. I was even inspired to snap a shot of a random tree basking in the light. When I stopped to photograph the random tree, it was about this time I noticed my body was a little achy and my head kind of hurt. “It’s because I woke up so early,” I thought, “it’ll go away after I eat some breakfast.” I hopped on the F Train and opened my copy of, “The Sun Also Rises,” and turned to page 14, were I’d last left off. I love taking the subway. I love having some time each day when there is nothing to do but read. I’m going to read a lot of classics this summer and all thanks will have to go to the New York Subway. So anyway, I was reading my book, made my transfer and arrived at 52nd Street.
I stumbled down the exit stairway to 52nd Street. The 7 Train runs above ground. I’d lost a lot of energy and felt drained to my core. My head ached really bad. While I was on the subway the sky had darkened and the sun had disappeared behind heavy rain clouds. My glorious golden light was now mucky dull gray. And I didn’t have any cash for food. A Rite Aid next to my stop opened in 45 minutes and I planned to return for some cash. I crossed 52nd and worked my way to the grave yard entrance. The Green-Wood Cemetery is really cool. At one point it was attracting more visitors than Niagara Falls. Except today it seemed dull and a hassle. I strolled around a much as I could bare, snapped a few shots and tried to avoid a drizzle. I only lasted 45 minutes before heading back straight to the Rite Aid. I got some cash and bought a bagel with cream cheese and orange juice. My one stroke of luck for the day came as I bought my breakfast and it started to pour. I eat inside the small convenience store and when the rain died down I ran up the stairs to once again catch the 7 Train. This time for Manhattan.
By the time I got to Manhattan I basically felt like death. I had a lunch appointment with Kate and 1 pm, but since it was only 9 I didn’t really know what to do. In New York City, unless you spend money, there is nowhere to sit when it rains. I decided I would try to catch a movie to burn some time before meeting Kate and trekked to the Regal Union Square Stadium 14 Theater. I didn’t really care what I was going to watch, “Up,” “Transformers 2,” or “Angels and Demons” would have been fine, just as long as it finished before 1 pm. “14 bucks for a matinee! You’ve got to be kidding me!,” I said to the electronic ticketing machine. “Do you have a student price?,” I asked. The ticket machine said nothing. Hollywood movies are crap anyway, so decided to find something else to do.
Something else turned out to be walking to the Grace Church on Broadway, finding an empty pew in the back row and sleeping for an hour. It wasn’t the best sleep I’ve ever had, but I was glad for it.
I had lunch with Kate at an okay vegan diner, met up with my brother Jesse who had just finished his shift at work, and then realizing I had the flu I headed home. By the time I climbed into bed my muscles were so sore and my body so hot that I thought for sure I would never get to sleep. I did. I slept for 4 hours before Kate came home, where she found me in toasty feverish delirium. She gave me some meds and I fell back asleep.
The day ended well enough. Kate and I walked to a little pizza place close to our subway stop and split a slice of salad pizza, spinach pizza and roasted vegetable pizza (none were my favorite). We came back home, watched a movie that had John Travolta as a lawyer (A Civil Action) and went to sleep.
I guess that I am trying to say through this story is don’t let your spouse poke you out of bed…especially on your Friday off.
**Spouse note: DON’T SET YOUR ALARM FOR 6AM & IGNORE THE SNOOZE 2 TIMES!!
Fab fotos, Neil!
I love the journalling you do from time to time – give us MORE!!!
Just curious – you don’t have the swine flu do you???
Oh Neilie,
Sorry you weren’t feeling too well, but you tell the story so well. Congrats on your raise. We can’t wait to see you at the end of the month!
ugh. That sounds utterly miserable. But hey – you got one awesome picture out of it at least!