104 degrees in New York City
Oh I have seen things; otherworldly demon heat seeps up through the pavement vaporizing pedestrians in mid-step, vanished, Rapture -like; old Chinese man whirling, dancing for atonement yelling, "It's hot out, it's hot out;" girls in pink hair and cowboy boots like Annie Oakley on acid; possessed woman on the street corner with a toilet plunger in her hands plunging at people in the crosswalk, stabbing with the plunger between the shoulder blades like she was sucking the soul out of you; the sweat in your eyes, stinging, visions in Times Square not really what you see in the digital billboards devils appear in brilliant color; young man motionless, standing in the subway car in a t-shirt, hat and pins that all read "Free Hugs" but no one takes him up on it, no one, they see the look in his eyes, like he knows something, knows the end of days is here but I ask for my free hug as I step out of the train and he obliges and we embrace and he smiles and I tell him it's okay, it's okay, you can finally go home now and be with your family, prepare with them. This is the end of the line, the last stop. All passengers must exit.
It was indeed a hellish day in NYC as we travel back into the city over another hundred bridges. The plan is to walk the city and then see the Yankees that night. We park near Yankee Stadium (all-day parking, $35.00) and take the subway to Grand Central Station. It's already 100 degrees by 11:00am. The subway is air-conditioned and offers respite from the heat. After checking out the station we stop at the Kosher Deli for a tuna fish sandwich and Dr. Brown's Cream Soda. After lunch, we walk. Times Square, 42nd Street, Fifth Avenue.
Chrysler Building
Grand Central Station
Times Square
We take the subway again, farther south. Back above ground in Greenwich Village, through Soho, The Bowery, Chinatown, Little Italy. Four bottles of water are not enough to save us, Wall Street is way too far, we pass, we do not visit Ground Zero or The Explorers Club. Maybe some other, less life threatening time.
Chinatown
Yankee Stadium, The Bronx
The subway ride back to The Bronx is suffocating, Yankee fans jam the train all elbows and knees in your back the air conditioning resigns, gives up, the sweat rolling down your neck and dripping on other people's shoes. No way we go to the game. 104 degrees at game time, 120 on the playing surface, $150.00 per ticket. No thank you. Ride out, just go, just get the hell going. Dinner at the I-84 diner, the diner on crack.
Random 0bservation from Randy:
"I'm thinking we shouldn't pay $300.00 to sit in our own sweat. It isn't safe."
Favorite sign: Greenhouse: Closed for the Summer
Favorite City Names: Suffern, NY
New City, NY
Back at the Ramada that night, the lounge is jumpin' wedding party revelers up late disco ball and a bartender looking very Tony Manero makes time with the girls. Another hell, another set of visions.
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