Don’t Cross The Streams

Did you ever see Gangs of New York?

After my experience with seeing Annie Hall in Bryant Park on June 18th, I swore that I would take a half day and get to the park early to get a great spot. I did one better: I took the whole day off. I knew if I tried to take off early, I’d end up leaving later than I wanted to.

So Monday afternoon, me and my frequent partner in crime, Andrea, went to Bryant Park at around 1:45 PM. Much to our surprise, they really don’t let you onto the lawn until 5 PM. So we grabbed a table on the edge of the lawn which was lined up to the spot we wanted: dead center of the lawn.

We ate our lunch and waited with our reading materials. Slowly and surely, people started showing up with their big bags and blankets. As it got closer to 5, people were lining up around the edge of the lawn. Initially, we felt silly having gotten there so early but it really was for the best as we were right where we needed to be.

I know this sounds a little more serious than it actually is.

So at about 4:15 PM, a woman got on the microphone giving us the rules and telling us not to run because there was plenty of room. She kept annoyingly giving up five minute warnings. By 4:30, I stopped sitting down. 15 minutes until 5. We started unfolding blankets. 10 minutes until 5. Five minutes. I wrapped two blankets around me like a boa constrictor. Everyone was lining up, blankets in hands with bloodthirsty look. I’m serious. It seemed silly that all these people were lined up around the edge of lawn just to put down blankets. If a fight had broken out when the right side and the left side of the park had met in the middle, I wouldn’t have been the least bit disappointed. Anyway, I digress…

At 4:59, a bunch of guys who were waiting there almost as long as Andrea and I jumped the gun and started running and battle was on…

Andrea ran ahead of me because I’m still limping from my sprained ankle from kickball (yes, seriously). This guy hooked onto my shoulder and made me lose a blanket. I promptly shoved him away from me sending him stumbling. Andrea laid down the first blanket. I threw the second down and then ran back for the one I dropped. We got to the exact spot we wanted and were able to spread out all our blankets. This was about 5:03 PM.

After that, we just laid down, read our magazines and waited for our friends until the movie started. They got there around 6-7. We ate snacks, drank wine and relaxed until the movie started. Every once and awhile, Andrea and I would look around at all the space we had amassed, our perfect distance from the screen and then we would look each other and nod because we were thinking the same thing: We rock!

(Casablanca was great but if you didn’t know that already, there is nothing more I can do for you)

Photo from Flavorpill

Photo by whatisee.org
I finally went.

Number two on my summer to-do list.

So I left work 15 minutes early because the website said that the lawn opens at 5 PM.

I got there at 5:05 and the place was completely packed. Mental note: When I go to see Casablanca, take a half day at work.

Luckily I happen onto a good spot towards the front and lay down my blanket. My friend was meeting me there with her own blanket so I had to sit on the wet grass to save her spot.

The movie didn’t start until 9 PM.

I have to say, if you don’t have patience for people talking during movies, this isn’t for you. Because this was like a who’s who of annoying moviegoers. There was a guy who kept standing up in front of the screen to take pictures of someone in the crowd (stalker?). There was an incident about 30 minutes into the movie where some frat boy realized that the guy laying up next to him was a homeless Hispanic dude and he caused a commotion until the homeless guy left (which is a shame because I saw that guy arrive at 5 just like me and he held his spot down for as long as I did. Who said you needed to have a home address or a shower to participate?

It was also cool seeing the original HBO feature presentation intro from the 80’s:

All in all, it was a good time. My knees hurt. My butt is sore but I enjoyed it.

Next time, I’ll know to come earlier, bring two blankets and some wine.

Remember in grade school in the fall when the teacher (who you would grow to hate because if she was making you do work on your first day back to school, the rest of the school year was going to be a bitch) would make you write that “What I Did On My Summer Vacation” essay?

I always labored to get three-paragraphs out of it because except for a couple of occasions, I didn’t go on family trips or anything. I spent the entire summer hanging out with my friends, riding my bike and going to the pool. No road trips. No Disneyland/World (I still have never been)

(What was the point of all this again? Oh yeah)

This summer, I want to do some shit aside the usual (although I’ll still be doing plenty of that):

Shakespeare in the Park I always want to go but never do because of the ridiculous process of getting tickets. This is the summer I go. I have off one week and I am getting up at 6 AM, grabbing my iPod, PSP, a book and a chair and waiting on line until I get tickets. They are doing Romeo and Juliet with Lauren Ambose (Six Feet Under) playing Juliet.

2007 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival There really is no excuse that I haven’t done this yet. It is a train stop and a couple of blocks away from work. I’m definately going to either Annie Hall on June 18th, Wait Until Dark on July 9th or Casablanca on August 13th

Bike Riding Yes, I did end up getting my bike. To sum up my Fuck UPS (Parts I & II), I ended up having to go to UPS, pick it up myself and carry the 35 pound box back home from the Bronx. Anyway, I put it together and am ready to ride except for the facts that 1) I’m terrified of cars and 2) I’m terrified of riding something I had to put together myself. I’ll get over it.

Kickball I’m a part of a ZogSports Kickball team consisting of friends, friends and friends, co-workers and ex-coworkers. I was in a Touch Football league during the spring (we finished 4-3 and lost in the playoffs). Our first game is tonight. I can’t wait.