Another NYC drinking expedition report

“Going to New York with Maple and tree is always an adventure. On a previous trip, they took Creek Dancer and me to the famous New York auto impoundment lot for a fantastic evening of entertainment, graciously footing the $185 bill to get the TreeMobile out of the car slammer.

So it was with high expections that I set out to join them for another soiree in the Big Apple.

I arrived at the new TreeHaus on Staten Island just after 6 p.m. Saturday, just at the moon was going into eclipse.

We set out for the Staten Island Ferry 15 minutes ahead of its departure time. Had we missed it, it would have been another hour before the next boat left.

We arrived at the ferry dock and finally found a parking space with 7:57 showing on my atomic time watch. We had three minutes to spring about a quarter of a mile to the boat.

There was no gunshot to mark the start of the Staten Island Marathon. I did not even have a number pinned to my jacket. I think the organizers need to work on these things before next year's race.

We sprinted down the ramps toward the waiting ferry and made it through the gates just as they began to close. Whoever was keeping time failed to give me mine. Another glitch they have to work on.

The 20-minute crossing at night on the free ferry was wonderful. The Verezzano Narrows bridge stood off to the right. Ahead was the Manhattan skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge that I bought some years ago to the right of it. We passed by Lady Liberty. The nearly full eclipse was overhead.

After docking, we tumbled onto the subway train, which was just pulling into the station as we got there. Jeez, New Yorkers have so many ways to keep fit it's just amazing. Sprint for this, jog for that, and don't any little old ladies get in the way 'cause you're going down!

We got off the train in Soho, or somewhere near Soho. I got ready to run again, but the trees were just walking. Just walking, ... what a novel idea! In New York. Just walking. I expected the running police to nab us at any moment: "Why aren't you running fools? This is New York!"

We got to the restaurant where the soiree was to be held. Maple's friend Mark joined us. The restaurant was totally crowded. You needed to get somebody to move so you could get space to expand your chest when you inhaled.

About that time, Twinks showed up and breathlessly went into a rant about her confrontation with a wheelchair-bound perv on the subway. I felt sorry for the poor guy, getting tossed from the train into a jumbled heap by our resident Ninja Girl, but what the heck, everybody in New York knows you shouldn't put the leer on Twinks.

We decided to go to the restaurant Mark manages after he made a quick phone contact to make sure there would be a table.

Meanwhile, Twinks' friend Catherine (or Katherine, or Kathryn) showed up and hastily called her boyfriend, Andrew, to advise him of the changed plans.

We got to Mark's restaurant and took our seats. Twinks got a wine-tasting event going and sampled every bottle of wine in the restaurant before settling on her chosen wine.

Maple broke out plastic tiarras for the birthday girls, herself and Twinks.

The meal was fantastic, if pricier than we had hoped for. But if you can't splurge once in a year, life ain't worth living.

The restaurant staff came out with a strawberry confection and candles, singing Happy Birthday to the two queens. The rest of the patrons joined in and clapped. Some even stopped by to congratulate the two.

You'd think everybody in New York knows everybody else in New York. Those people would kill on the highways, but when they meet they seem to act like old friends. Go figure!

The meal over, We headed back to the subway. The train arrived and we made our way to the ferry dock, arriving just as they opened the gates. On the trip back, I was standing on the deck when two drunks came out. We discussed Philadelphia sports fans, the sights, and the ferry crash a few weeks back. They eventurally went back inside.

At the dock, the ferry crew opened the gates and stood aside to avoid being crushed in the stampede. If they built cattle chutes at the ferry dock, leading onto a cattle truck, New Yorkers would compliantly follow the crowd onto the cattle truck wondering what had gotten into the MTA to conceive such a strange scheme.

We got back to the TreeHaus and sat up until 4 a.m., discussing windmills. Next day I took my leave of the trees and drove to the Staten Island Lighthouse.

Friends of my mother lived on the street below the lighthouse when I was a kid. I got some photographs to send to her friend, who now lives in Florida, and made my way home.

I must say that visiting the trees in New York is becoming a fun way to spend time. They are gracious hosts and great friends. On two trips now I've toured the auto pound and run in the Staten Island Marathon. I can't wait to see what they have up their sleeves on the next trip.

Photos will be posted later.”

“Excelllent report Geo! Yes, New Yawkers' sense of adventure seems to elude just about everyone... except New Yawkers! Did they have water stations at the marathon? Looking forward to seeing the lovely birthday princesses in their tiaras!”

“Great write up, Geo! What can I say, but ...

...incredibly well put! I laughed all the way through...”

“I must add, seriously, that the view of the blood red moon during the eclipse was spectacular from the deck of the boat. It was hard to keep the camera still (not being in any position to use a tripod). Hopefully, Geo will have some pics worth a dang when he posts them...”

“I had such a good time. The ferry ride with the red moon was so cool! the only way to view it!

geo is a brave soul. he stayed outside for the entire ferry ride. Brrrrrrrrr.

we thought we was nuts.

sorry geo for yakking about the sods for so long. what can I say, 1 bottle of sparkling wine and 1 bottle of white wine mixed with a good dinner and a ferry ride made me for some reason DRUNK.
but it was a blast!

I want to see the pics with us wearing the tiarras.

Big thanks to Mark for helping us out at the last min and being able to get us a table on a Sat night in the village.
good food, I would go back...

waitress was very good!

all in all it was a blast, but then again when ever we get together with twinks and geobeet, its always a good time.

Thanks for making the ride in geo!

ps, how did sunday go to the lighthouse?”

“I am going to have to plan a trip to NYC.


Great report.”

“Chils, we will make sure you don't regret it and also send you home with fodder for a killer trip report!”

“Ya rats!

Next time I'm gonna get permission to go to NYC!

Saturday night I at least got to go to downtown Baltimore.
I saw Brett Butler at The Improv there.
Wow, is she ever a potty-mouth >:^O”

“Saturday night I at least got to go to downtown Baltimore.


WOW thats impressive there tom!!!”

“Yeah it is :^P

I was all of ten miles from home!

Hmmmmmm, a full lunar eclipse on Satan Island!
You guys musta been dancin' naked!”

“boy tom, you sure now how to live.....



bring your butt to new york, and we will show you how to do it the right way.

it was to coild to dance naked.”

“How to do WHAT the right way?

Do I have to watch?”

“umm no but you can watch tree if thats the kinda thing your looking for.

mooowwhaaww”

“Giant steps are what you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my legs don’t break
Walking on the moon
We could walk for ever
Walking on the moon
We could live together
Walking on, walking on the moon

Walking back from your house
Walking on the moon
Walking back from your house
Walking on the moon
Feet they hardly touch the ground
Walking on the moon
My feet don’t hardly make no sound
Walking on, walking on the moon

Some may say
I’m wishing my days away, no way
And if it’s the price I pay, some say
Tomorrow’s another day, you’ll stay
I may as well play

Giant steps are what you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my legs don’t break
Walking on the moon
We could walk for ever
Walking on the moon
We could be together
Walking on, walking on the moon

Some may say
I’m wishing my days away no way
And if it’s the price I pay, some say
Tomorrow’s another day, you’ll stay
I may as well play”

“Tom, you can wear your Orioles cap to NYC. I've worn my Phillies and Flyers caps up there. Nobody said a word. It's cool!”

“geo, great pics.

ohhh my treehouse looks sooo cool. umm did you take them while I was still sleeping it off?


the park is right across from our house. the patio is where i want to put the outdoor grill.”

“Oh my gawd - What a Lush !!!!!

Who payed for all that booze?!?”

“The bar bill was a few dollars short of the food bill!”

“She finagled it for free under the guise of tasting the wine. When she finally made her choice, every bottle in the wine cellar had been opened.”

“If we had been charged for all of that, the bar bill would have been close to the national debt!”

“"If we had been charged for all of that, the bar bill would have been close to the national debt!"

Yeah, you guys mighta ended up in some other kinda impound!

Nice house!

Sycamore is close to being a maple.
The leaves look like giant maple leefs.”

“Tom, running up debt like that could get Twinks a job with the Bush administration!”

“Nice Job Twinks!

But you're still a Lush!”

“"Tom, running up debt like that could get Twinks a job with the Bush administration!"
Treebeard

The Healthy Wine Initiative???”

“i like your-all's new house, Tree and Maple! good pictures.”

“They're trying to get used to the idea of eating meals without sitting in each other's laps.”

“Hey, I like that, "Healthy Wine Initiative".

Winos, like Twinks, could get tax cuts or even subsidies.
The wine makers could get on board with that......creating more grape-pickin' jobs for illegal aliens.”

“We have two bathtubs to stomp grapes in!”

“And two kids to do the stompin!”

“You start-a stompin da grapes and-a da Twinks will want to be a taste-a-tester!

spoken with Italien accent”

“Did you notice the guy working at the ferry entrance?


”

“No, everything was a blur from running.”

“I guess a "Ferry of Death" joke would be in poor taste here, right?”

“What is Your Quest????

- to partake of some wine, before Twinks drinks the entire city dry!”

“more of a blur on the ride home.”

“lmao @ Bobo”

“Yeah, Bit. You may be right..”

“I should have mentioned in the report that the Staten Island Ferry ride is free, perhaps the best bargain in the entire universe.

Also, they sell beer onboard.”

“Sometimes the captain even sends down for beer.

Pardon my slip-up.

That was a ferry bad pun.

But it was well anchored.

Don't deck me.”

“yes sir re bob.....beer on a boat. good idea!”

“Did you read what Geo just posted???”

“I harbor bad puns. I'm a bad buoy!”

“Why do I bother worrying about it?”

“Okay, I'll channel my energies on another course. I'd hate for somebody to come out of their davits.”

“The ferry is free?

Givin' it away?”

“No Tom, you are dyslexic. That's not what I said at all.”

“Hmmmm, Twinks hasn't checked in yet. Must be out throwing pervs off the subway train again. Or else tasting wine somewhere.”

“hahahahhahahahahha!

those pictures are great!

Maple and Tree - your house is so sweet! I can't tell you how happy I am for you guys!

Man.....I'm a real lush, huh?

Good time ya'll!”

“I'm trying to figure out whether t'is better to be a real lush than a phone sober person.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.”