NYC day 7 - Stamford, CT

It was super cool, the weather forecast for today (Saturday) was basically perfect - 72 degrees, blue sky, a light breeze. The coolest thing was East Coast Mike sent me a message last night and the session was on.

I decided to drive out and it was surprisingly fast. I think I made it in less than 40 minutes. I got to skate with the Vigilante dudes from Long Island too!

Scalzi Park in Stamford is one of my favorites! The big bowl is basically a flow with nearly every type of feature you could think of. A flat wall deep end with pool block, a oververt taco with brick coping, a vert tombstone with granite coping, a key hole with rock tile and pool block and several pump bumps and hips and black pipe corners for all kinds of fun.

It is a super cool place and the people there are even cooler. Always friendly people and good sessions!!

I got back and got to visit my brother's cat Niko. She is super cute!! We went for NYC pizza and gelato afterwords. We took a nice long walk with Ethan, Chris, Kerry, Joe and Chloe and it was my good bye to NYC for a while. I hope to get back soon!!!

Thanks to my family for putting up with me all week! I am glad I had my car because I could keep all my stinky pads and clothes in there! ha

NYC day 6 - Friday - shred

As I left the Gugg the sun finally began to shine through the clouds. So I had to get back to Riverside park for a second session. Unfortunately it took more than a half hour for the bus. But I made it back with plenty of time to get to the park. The ramp was in great condition today accept for big puddles on the deck. So dropping in was a bit of an issue but I had a good sesh.



I just kinda needed to man up a bit more. I really thought it was going to be more of a learning experience riding that ramp. But everything helps. There were rain issues the first day and today I was just kinda tired from all the events of the week. I did ok though and now know what to expect for next time.

NYC day 6 - Friday

I woke up a bit late today, watching vampire movies all night did wonders for my dreams. I had some good ones!! My sister was heading out for a doctor's appointment so I got my butt off of the couch and out the door. We rode the bus downtown together. She needed some help getting Ethan and the stroller on board. So we did that and parted ways.



I headed over to the Guggenheim Museum for attempt #2. When I got inside there was a huge line like Disney World or something. So I decided to wait a bit and headed over to the Cooper-Union Design Museum. This was a very good choice. Unfortunately half of the museum was under renovation but there was a good show called Re: Design. Each gallery had a different artist/designer making things out of sustainable material and how these objects could be produced without waste and with efficiency, etc. I hate to use the "G" word because it is such a BS term these days but yes.



After that, I tried to Guggenheim for a third time, the line was half as long so I decided to go for it. It was well worth the wait. They had a special exhibit about the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. As he is the architect that designed the museum, it was very cool to see a exhibit about an artist who designed the space that housed it...





Also, being from Chicago, I have a bit of home town connection to the great Architect. I was happy and sad to learn about some of the things he designed that are now gone and so many other things that were never built. His ideas are still ahead of their time and maybe, just maybe someday people will actually listen to his wisdom. His projects were often turned down due to the ballooning costs and it seemed like he would go so far beyond what the original commission, kind of like Michelangelo and his "Sistine Chapel" ceiling... Well if he would have been removed from duty or if the Pope would have stopped the project, imagine a world without that ceiling..




Maybe looking at the world we live in today with a cynical eye may have been much better if some of his projects would have gone through... who knows and maybe some day it will - check out the Birj Dubai tower.. cool stuff.

NYC day 5

I was pretty spoiled with the events of Wednesday. SO you can never expect greatness every day. But I was really really really hoping that it would not rain so I could ride that damn vert ramp at riverside park!! I could barely get to sleep last night thinking about it!! Like a little kid or something. More like a brat.



I headed out this morning with hopes to hit up the Guggenheim museum and the Neue Gallery. I got back on the M4 like yesterday and cruised up with my coffee. Once we got on Park Ave. there was a big traffic jam so I got off at like 101st street. Big mistake. The traffic eased up and the bus passed by. That was dumb. SO I had a nice walk not bad. Its good to get air and see the peeps.




It was so far so good with the weather, very cloudy but slightly threatening.

I got to the Neue Gallery and was sooooo happy to see that the had a special exhibit on the Brucke or Die Brucke - German Expressionism. There were works by Kirchner, Nolde, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff. There were prints, drawings and paintings. Kirchner's "Street Dresden" was there, as well. Such good stuff. Unfortunately there were not very many paintings by Nolde as the Nazi's destroyed many of them or horded them they may come up on auction someday..





As I exited the Neue I was invigorated. It felt like I was getting back to my old self. It all works and is best to be immersed in many things than only one thing. So ping, pang it was kinda dry out on the street and I immediately switched over to obsessed skateboarder. I walked up about 15 blocks to the M4 stop and headed towards my car.



I was in such a rush to get to Riverside park! The mist was ever looming so I could not waste any time. I had to talk the park monitor to let me ride the ramp. They had everything locked up still. So I swept off the ramp and dried the puddles up and got myself ready to ride.

I was so surprised the first time I dropped in, I ended up about 2 feet over the coping and did the panic run out. This ramp is deceaving, it looks super slow and bumpy but the ramp is smooth and fast. It is a metal surface that has been painted over 100 times. So it has a strange texture to the surface. I got some runs in and was feeling pretty good and ready to start trying stuff when the mist came in. I politely waited for it to end and dry up and took some more runs. I skated for about an hour but it started to mist again.

I waited for what I thought was enough time but not. I dropped in and slid across the flat, up the other side and slammed back into the flat. Not fun. So my wrist was tweaked and a slight swellbow. I guess I should have walked down and felt the flat. I checked it from up top but you just never can be too careful. So after that it was time to go, the rain came in and I walked back a little defeated.

I was just kind of mad at myself for being so dumb trying to ride painted metal a vert ramp in the rain. I learned my lesson.

It was all good though because my sister made a kick ass dinner. She made steak fajitas with home made guacomole. It was sooooooooooooooo good! My brother brought over the True Blood series and we watched episodes 3-5 and I stayed up to 2am watching up to episode 9!! I was gonna just finish it all but I had stuff to do the next day.

NYC Day 4 da' banks

I walked over a few avenues to the 456 and jumped on a subway train - last stop - Brooklyn Bridge. After I got of the train, there was a nice little park near City Hall and I got some coffee and a muffin and waited to hear from Oscar. Oscar from Chicago is also in NYC and we had hoped to meet up. Luckily he sent me a message and I told him 10 min. be there!





I started walking over towards the bridge, I love this classic NYC spot. Mostly because of the banks, I am not much of a street skater and I know that if I just tried that I would have a blast street skating here but I do what I can. It is almost like entering into the Roman forum in Rome, Italy when you arrive. The underside of the bridge and the brick walkway gives you that feeling of an ancient city!






I skated here for like 2 1/2 hours. It was pretty mellow, not too many people. Last time I saw that dude from 5burrow or whatever that is, he runs the contest every year. This time there were a bunch of bikers and a couple of kids at the end skating. It is so funny that such an epic spot could ever be empty but that is how Burnside was and Washington Street and so many other great places I have been to. You just have to go at the right time, otherwise the bros would just ride all over you and say get outa here dude. (kidding)











Unfortunately Oscar never made it out. Next time man!! My legs started to fall off after a while but I had a really good session. !



Riding my ramp all winter even helped me on the banks? It's hard to believe but alley oop slides can be applied anywhere. I got to ride that spine wallride thing again, they re-surfaced it and I was able to grind frontside and backside so that was cool. It was a fun session and I was glad that I made it. Yesterday I just felt like doing nothing and today it was like - shazammmmm





I got home just in time for dinner! My sister was nice enough to cook some damn good vittles. My brother Chris stopped in after work and we watched the first two episodes of True Blood (the vampire series). Just about a perfect day!

NYC day 4

So it is Wednesday and after yesterday, I really needed to get out. So I did. I had the best day here yet. I got up at a mega-good time, like 9:00am or something and slept really good. The couch here is better than my bed at home.






I got to see lil' Ethan in the morning and we walked up to the bus. I got some coffee and waited for the M4 to the Met.





I arrived near the Met around 10:30 and walked down to the Frick Museum. This is a great collection of art that the Frick Family had hoarded for many years. The family home/mansion is now the museum.




It is hard to believe that this place was someone's house. They have some serious stuff. My faves are a Van Eyck "Madonna and Child", an El Greco, Ingres, and some rad Whistlers. there are all kinds of other stuff like the Rococo room that Madame du Berry commisioned Fragonard to do, everything but "The Swing" is there. Not that I am a big fan of the Rococo period but I like the pervy-ness of that series.










I also spent hours in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is one of my faves in the US and houses a wonderful collection. This is the museum with an entire Egyptian tomb in it... I was so glad to get back into going to museums and galleries again. I really kinda lost the flair for it. I guess after deciding to close my gallery, I needed a break. I teach art history and when you do that for a living it does get to be a bit beyond. But now that summer is here I can enjoy it for myself.






I found all kinds of cool evil stuff. Luca Signoreli is one of my faves for evil imagery. This demon came from a composition by him regarding the last judgement. As well as the detail of a Van Eyck workshop "Last Judgement" wing.




My feet were feeling like they were about to fall off and my light headedness had kicked in. My brain was swarming with images and I could barely walk straight so I knew it was time to go. I saw some hipsters eating a chili dog as I walked in so I was hoping to get one on the way out. All they had left were the regular hot dogs so I snapped one up and ate it on the steps. It was already a good day.





And better yet, there was a 60% chance of rain but by 3pm the sun was shining so I knew where the next stop was - Brooklyn Banks.

NYC day 3

I should have gone to Riverside skatepark that night because the next day, I woke up ready to shred. When I got to the park, it was friggin' closed! I was soooooo let down by this. My plan was to mostly hang with my family but also get a little sesh time in too! This ramp in theory is perfect for me right now.




It is 32 feet wide, 9' tall with 8' 1/2"' transitions. So it has just a little bit of vert and the extensions are like 10.5 or 11'. My theory is that this ramp is taller than mine but a bit more forgiving. So maybe, just maybe if I rode it all week then I could come back to my ramp with some improvement? Well, not now because the thing is closed Tues, Wed.



It is also threatening to rain all week so I am currently a little bummed on this trip. Just on the skating part, I am super psyched to see my family and that is most important. I needed the break anyway. I've been skating way too much. Monday night I was soooooo tired, that I could barely walk let alone skate and I kinda felt that way today. I guess that 12 hour drive took it out of me.

I decided to spend the rest of the day working in my online class. Well, it started today and we had a text update so I had go through the entire class and change page numbers, chapter numbers and stuff like that. So it was a good day to do that. Plus, I get to look over at my little baby nephew and take a break every now and then to play with him. he's so cool!!!

NYC day 2

I was Memorial Day and my sister had lots of things planned. We went to Edgewater New Jersey where they do a lot of shopping. You see, in NYC you have corner bodegas and little grocery stores where everything costs twice as much for half as much. SO to get a Target you either need to go to Park Slope in Brooklyn or get out of the city.







We went to Mitsuwa for lunch which was awesome and they did some shopping. I was just glad to finally hang out with my sister and baby Ethan!! my buddy!





Kerry had planned a picnic in Central Park so we got back and immediately headed out to get our spot. It was nice and relaxing. I hadn't done that in a very long time. I am mostly on the go and to just chill for a few hours was a foreign feeling.

We met up with some of Kerry's film friends and my brother Chris.



These dudes have a movie coming out this fall!!



We ate and ate and then got back home and went out to dinner.. Ugh, soooooooo much fooooood. My belly grew a few inches already. When I get back to Chicago, I'll be like the Stay Puff Marshmallow man attacking the city!