Uncategorized – Page 14 – Mitchell's thoughts, photos, etc.

The Police Arrive

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Cellular service was not great at the dam. In other parts of the camp, cell towers were installed. It was easy to get a wifi connection. Out at the dam, there was nothing. Jay was shaking. Alana, Anat and Marc stood over him. The three were not friends yet. They didn’t speak to each other. They just sort of nodded. Anat mentioned that she knew an NYPD officer. She would text him. She figured Dan would tell her how to handle this situation.

Escorted by a camp ranger, a Narrowsburg sheriff’s car parked by the dam. Two officers emerged from the car. They saw the three “superheroes.” Before the cops arrived the three decided they would say they found Jay at the dam. They’d say he was probably hiding here and had some food, such as apples, barley and pomegranates. And he was drinking wine, which he spilled all over as a result of his intoxication. Dan told Anat just to let the police come and do their work. He said they would probably run drug tests on him. This reassured the three.

They pushed some of the food, their weapons into the dam. Some fish swam by and gnawed at the honey and raisins. Jay was mirandarized and cuffed. The ranger was chatting with Marc. They had been campers together back in the day. The ranger said next time we meet to sip Genny and wolf down Freihoffers.

The ranger jumped back into his truck and the police followed him out of the camp. Jay was taken to the local prison, where he was booked. He was going to be transferred to an NYC prison shortly.

Marc and Alana kissed and held hands. Anat just stood there. She was shaken up. But she felt good. She sensed her path to get Jerry would grow stronger. Marc and Alana took a walk up to a picturesque window and the cliffs a few yards away. Anat followed them. They did look over their shoulders but weren’t worried. Marc and Alana held each other at the cliffs. Anat was walking in the woods. On the alumni site where she found the map, she read stories about a great man who once attended this camp. She wanted to walk along his trails.

Shattered glass

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Marc and Alana belted Jay with their weapons. They saw Anat racing down the trail. Dried fruit was flying. All aimed at Jay. The two looked at each and smiled. They knew Anat wasn’t going to attack them. She wanted Jerry more than life itself. For some reason, Marc and Alana were going to do everything they could to stop Jay. They knew Anat was going to fight harder than ever.

Jay was wobbly. But he was still able to shoot glass. He aimed at Anat. He hit her in the boots. She went nuts. Raisins rained down on him. He was drenched in wine. An apple landed in his mouth. He looked like a stuffed pig. Barley was lodged into his eyes. Honey was dripping off his nose. Bugs were eating him.

An apricot shot into his ear. Blood-curdling screams were heard. He tried to lift his arm to shoot glass. As his arm went upright Alana saw he was bleeding. She shot wine right into his wounds. The alcohol stung. He fell to the ground. The three surrounded him and kept firing. They knew he could probably get up.

They took some fallen branches and placed them on top of him. They thought they should alert the police. But had no idea how to explain how he was taken out. Then they wondered if they should? They could say they were searching the camp and found him at the dam. Damn that dam.

Broken Glass

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Anat slowly hiked the trail. She passed the old dining hall, overgrown ballfield and shower house. She managed to walk in the direction of Marc’s campsite and saw his leanto. She didn’t know it was his. But she went inside and saw his name plastered all over. Many other names, too. In her heart, she felt bad. She could have had a nice time in her camp and went up for alumni weekends. But due to her craziness and her lack of paternal love she was a psycho.

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Alana and Marc were being pelted with glass. Jay was in top form. He was still in the lake. Alana ducked away. Marc got on the floor and rose and started firing pomegranates. Once caught Jay in his left eye. Alana jumped up fired several apples. She was holding back on the wine. She wanted to knock him down and then drown him in it. She wanted him out of the lake. She figured Marc could trap him with honey as he was emerging.

Anat decided not to go up the hill. It looked too scary to her. She was afraid a bear might attack her. She had no idea if bears could be taken out with dried fruit. She didn’t want to find out. She started walking along the trail to the waterfront. She got to the main site by the docks. She snapped a photo with her phone and kept walking. As she got closer to the dam she heard screams.

Alana was pelted in the knees with shattered glass. She went down to the ground and was bleeding. Marc looked at her. She told him to leave her alone and keep fighting. She said she’d stay grounded for a few minutes and jump back in. Jay started running out of the lake. Marc hit him in the neck with pomegranates. He shot honey into his eyes. They shut. Alana jumped and unloaded gallons of red wine all over him. His nose and ears were full out of it. She hit in him the eyes and blurred his vision.

Anat’s 20/20 vision saw what was going on at the dam. She started running in that direction. She saw Marc and Alana battling Jay. She wanted to join them. She feared when she got there they’d attack her. She could fight them. She remembers when they trounced her in Flushing-Meadows Corona Park. She knows she and Alana bumped into each other several times at Alana’s aunt’s apartment building. But they were not friends. Doubt they ever would be. But Anat would give it a chance.

Jay was falling. Alana was pelting him with apples. Barley flew out of Marc’s eyes.

Jay took a breather and got back into form. Marc and Alana were being smacked. But holding steady.

Then all of a sudden out of nowhere, Jay was hit in the back of the head his neck with cannonball sized raisins and dates. Apricots, too.

Pandemic Watch: Trashy Parks Part II

Perhaps you read my earlier posts, “Trashy Parks” and “Masks and Gloves.” Both posts discuss my disappointment with how we treat our environment.

Thanks to Covid-19 most of us have had much to do. To alleviate our boredom of being chained up in our NYC apartments we go for walks. We put on our PPE and stroll down our blocks. On one of my walks, I discovered Barrier Playground, a tiny cute park off the Horace Harding Expressway Service Road. It has a small green area with some benches. Basketball and handball courts abut the park area. In terms of discovered, I knew it was there. But never visited it. I only saw when I exited the expressway and made a quick right. After that turn, the park was a distant memory. But on my strolls, I walked into it. I decided to go back with my camera.

The only good thing to come out of Covid-19 is the parks are so green. That’s what you get when you don’t have people running around in them with their cigarettes and trash. As I entered the park, I noticed how green the bushes were and some pretty red flowers. An allergy sufferer’s “torture chamber.” With an itchy throat and watery eyes, I carried on.

I looked at the grounds of the park and saw water bottles, cigarette butts and bags of trash. The plastic food containers were an added touch. I posted these shots to Facebook. A friend, said “bears?” I said, “no.” We don’t have them in Queens. He responded he thought they were camp pictures. He went to camps in New Mexico and elsewhere where you had to tie your food and garbage up into trees to keep the bears out of your site. They always removed them when they broke camp. Didn’t always work. Sometimes the items fell off the trees or the bears just waltzed in. Perhaps, they were related to Smokey and checking the fire safety?

Back to Barrier Park and its trash. I don’t think the cute squirrels wanted the trash. They certainly don’t want your PPE. It is amazing how people are so worried about protecting themselves. But are they thinking about others when they dump their masks and gloves in the park? It is not fair to the birds, chipmunks and other wildlife that resides there. And it certainly not fair to the parks department workers who have to clean up your mess. Let’s keep our parks clean and green.

Camp Time

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Alana parked at the base of the hill that Marc lived on for many years. Sadly, a fire many years after the site closed destroyed much of it. Thankfully, nature is taking its course and it looks better. It will never be what Marc and his boys knew as teens. But it is something. One of Marc’s most favorite artifacts survived and is in the back of the site. If only the whole structure that this small piece of metal supported was still alive. Marc cries every time he nears it.

The two lovebirds had no idea where to search. They thought of going back to the area of the throne. Or maybe to the cliffs? Alana suggested they start at the lake’s dam. Marc laughed. He has great memories of BBQs at that site. The cookouts were infamous.

Meanwhile, Anat was shivering in her rented BMW. She vowed never to return to the area near her camp. She drove right by it. Many tears were shed as she passed its closed gates. If it weren’t for Covid-19, the camp would be open and humming with lots of kids. She could have parked by the gate and went in. But she knew she’d pass out. The good thing is she was wearing her new Timberlands.

And these days no one would be strong enough to take them from her.

She drove to the gate of Marc’s camp. She knew it had been closed for too many years. She was still nervous. She had no idea what to do. She was not a girl who liked hanging out in the woods. She sat in the car with Bauhaus cranking. She thought to herself how she totally transformed and even has a guy that likes her. Why did she want to go into this place? She could get lost, hurt, or eaten by a wild animal. She knew she could fight. But she never fought wildlife. Marc and Alana don’t count. Those two have never fought wildlife, either. But she knew if they were in this section of the camp Marc knew it like the back of his hand. He’d be ok. And his little goth princess would survive.

Marc and Alana were at the dam. They looked across the lake. Everything was quiet. Many canoe strokes away, the docks that Marc used to jump off of were still there. They sat on the small wooden footbridge and started kissing. While their lips were locked, Anat got out of the car and walked into the camp. She was shaking but feeling better. She had no idea where to go. She found a map of the camp on an alumni website. Sadly, the site was not searchable. Despite having the map to follow she had no clue, which trails to go on. She figured if Jay were still in the camp he’d be by the lake. People are drawn to water.

The other two were so into each other they didn’t hear the loud splashes feet away. They wound up getting soaked and broke out of each other’s arms. Standing 10 yards away was Jay.

He looked more disheveled than usual.

Pandemic Watch: Facial expressions

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Sadly our concert, theater, and sports events have been canceled since the virus took hold. It has left us bored. As we know, baseball and basketball are coming back. Sadly, it’ll be TV only. I won’t get to sit in the Stadium and boo Boston. I will have to yell at my screen.

As for theater and concerts, some artists have turned to live Facebook or Zoom performances. They are fun. The other day, Live Nation streamed a Depeche Mode show from Berlin that performed live about two years ago. It was the first time it was shown to those who were not at the arena in Germany. Watching the stream, the first thing that came to mind was the facial expressions of David Gahan, Andrew Fletcher and Martin L. Gore.

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Over the last few weeks, I’ve watched a friend’s theater company, the Synergy Theater do several live improv performances on YouTube. Again, I got a bird’s eye view of the cast’s facial expressions. I’ve watched some great new bands, such as Brewster Moonface and the Weird Wolves. The shows were up close and personal. You can really see the emotions of the actors, singers, guitarists and drummers. It is an added touch that we didn’t have before.

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I’ve had floor seats at the garden and orchestra seats in Broadway theaters. But I never felt so close as I do now. In the old days, I purchased many DVDs of my favorite bands live shows from all over the world. Both highly produced and bootlegs. The bootlegs always offered better quality in terms of the feel of the show.

But they didn’t seem to capture the views that I’ve been seeing on the recent pandemic streams. Is it fun? Yes. Does it replace being at the arena? No. The emotion of the band and crowd together is tops.

Anat and Danny stroll Riverside Park

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Wearing masks and gloves, Anat and Danny took a nice long walk in Riverside Park. They social distanced the whole way. For Anat this was easy. She’s been distant since she was born. They had a pleasant conversation. At the end of the date they sat on park benches. Anat gave Danny a box of raisins to snack on. Of course, she had a box for herself. They blew kisses at each other and decided they’d go out again.

Anat didn’t know what she was feeling. She had memories of when Jen swamped her canoe in camp. And when the girls pulled off her boots. This afternoon marks a new path in her life. Plus she knows if anyone tried to do that to her again they wouldn’t stand a chance.

She went to the child protective services agency. She saw Jerry. She told Ann how things went. Anat knew the city moves slowly on things so she didn’t even ask about her foster care application. She figured there’d be no news. And if something negative happened, why ruin a great day? It can wait. Anat still knew she had to take out Jay. Diane was still in prison. With the courts closed no telling when she’d see the judge. Anat knew where Marc’s camp is located. She was thinking Jay might still be hiding there. She was never there and had no desire to go there and get lost in the middle of the woods. But she was contemplating renting a car and driving up. That camp wasn’t too far from hers. She would never step foot in that place.

Alana and Marc were arriving at camp. They decided they were going to find Jay and take him out. Of course, they had no idea if he hiding there. And they really weren’t sure why they were doing this.

Finding the giraffe

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Father’s Day came and went. I did nothing. My father’s been gone for a few years. My maternal grandfather has been gone for nearly a decade. My paternal one left us about three weeks before I turned two.

For business reasons, my dad moved around a little bit. We were all born in Brooklyn. The real Brooklyn. I was raised on Staten Island. We moved there shortly before I turned eight and entered the third grade. Dad went from Staten Island to San Francisco to Houston to Tampa. Six years ago, he left us in Tampa. He probably spent most of his time with us when he was on Staten Island. We visited him in the other locales.

Because of me, my dad started collecting giraffes. His Tampa house had a giraffe room. Other rooms had a few, too. After he passed away, I cleaned the house. I took a few home and some Disney giraffe artwork.

This is how it started, my paternal grandfather, Sam or “Jimmy” and his brothers owned a few juvenile furniture and toy stores throughout Brooklyn. When I was born, he gave me a small giraffe toddler bike. I could sit and it move along with my feet. I called it and any other giraffe, “affe.” I guess I couldn’t pronounce the “g.” I was told he got his name, Jimmy from the vaudeville acts he used to participate in.

My maternal grandparents gave me an amazing bear. I still have the bear and affe. The bear is with me. The giraffe is at mom’s. Years ago, I saw my cute little nephew ride it. He was about three. I was so happy. Bears and giraffes are my favorite animals.

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I remember in 1976 a new Toys-R-Us was opening near Kings Plaza. My dad took me to the grand opening. Mom was pregnant with my sister. I wished for her. Geoffrey Giraffe, his wife Gigi and Baby Gee were there. We went into the new store and got Baby Gee. I gave her to my sister.

As the years progressed, we always looked for giraffes in zoos. Years ago, dad and I were at ZooTampa at Lowry Park. One of the attractions is to climb up way high, buy some grass, (not the kind you smoke) stand at the edge of the deck and hope the giraffes come and eat out of your hand. We tried. The giraffes were grazing from the trees and never acknowledged us. We returned our grass, hiked down and went on the merry go round. I was disappointed.

It seems that whenever my sister and I go somewhere either together or independent somehow we encounter a picture of a giraffe. It could be on an ad on the subway, a store selling them, etc. Once I was boarding my EL Al flight to return to NYC, as I was walking to the gate, I saw an ad for an EL AL flight to South Africa. What animal do you think the safari ad showed? Yep, a giraffe.

On the first Sunday of May 2015, we dad’s unveiling. I ran it. I did my maternal grandfather’s, too. Not sure I am as good as some of the elderly men who hang around the cemetery and ask if you need them to join your minyan or run the service. Years ago, my dad told me about these guys. He said they’d hit you up for $5. They used to hit me up for $10 when I would go. Inflation. I work for free. Well, not free. To quote Collins from Rent, “That boy could use some Stoli.” It gets you in the mood.

No baby sitter was available for my then 5.5-year-old nephew. So he attended. At the end of the service, he placed a small giraffe on the tombstone. We left the cemetery and had lunch at Chosen Gardens. Everyone went their separate ways. I went to see Avengers: Age of Ultron, which opened that weekend.

In the few months after the unveiling, I visited dad many times. Each time I went the giraffe was still sitting on the tombstone. He was kind of guarding it. A few times he must have jumped off. He’d be in the grass in front or behind it. But he was always there. Maybe he was hungry?

Around a year later, I didn’t see him. I searched and searched to no avail. Every time I visit dad I talk about the Yankees, my sister and giraffes. I continue to search for the giraffe. One day, I hope I can report I found him.

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Pandemic Watch: What will we do with our masks and gloves at the end?

We all have our masks. Some are homemade. Some are store bought. Some we received from the NYC Parks Department, other government or civic-minded community organizations. Mine include several from a box I bought at least five years ago, one from the Parks Department and the ones I ordered from the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation and Lacoste.

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is probably already working on a Covid-19 exhibit. You can be sure there will be a collection of all types of masks and gloves. Hopefully, it mentions how people who were so worried about not catching the virus tossed their PPE on the floors of our nation’s streets. Many lessons can be learned when this pandemic passes. Likely there will be plaques and monuments of the hero first responders on the Mall on Washington, DC, our parks, government buildings, police, fire departments, etc.

I’ve washed my masks with the laundry. Sometimes I wash them in the sink with warm water and dish-washing detergent. So do you want to save your mask as a memento? I don’t. Once the restrictions are lifted and it is truly safe to walk freely, I will jump up and down. Party Time.

What about those “lovely” masks and gloves? Well, the gloves I will keep. I always have a stash of those. I wear them when I am cleaning. I clean nonstop. So they will go to good use.

As for the masks, I encourage mask “retirement” bonfires. I will happily build them. People can drop off their masks in a sterile box. We can truck them over to the bonfire site. Light the match, dump the masks, sing some songs and sip whatever drink you like. And if I can burn up Dystonia when that mask is ablaze and rid us of that in the fire, all the better.

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Other posts can be viewed at:

“Pandemic Watch, Staying in Shape,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/17/pandemic-watch-staying-in-shape

“Pandemic Watch: Community groups stepping up,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/15/pandemic-watch-community-groups-stepping-up

“Pandemic Watch: Have masks replaced fuzzy dice in windshields?”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/09/pandemic-watch-have-masks-replaced-fuzzy-dice-in-windshields

“Pandemic Watch: How will we be entertained?”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/08/pandemic-watch-how-will-we-be-entertained

“Pandemic Watch: Communicating via video,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/03/pandemic-watch-communicating-via-video

“Single Life,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/02/pandemic-watch-single-life

“Pandemic Watch: Seniors and lifesaving phone calls during the pandemic or other times,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/01/pandemic-watch-seniors-and-lifesaving-phone-calls-during-the-pandemic-or-other-times

“Pandemic Watch: There are places I remember.”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/28/pandemic-watch-there-are-places-i-remember

“Pandemic Watch: Creating a new fashion statement,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/27/pandemic-watch-creating-a-new-fashion-statement

“Pandemic Watch: Sitting on your stoop,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/26/pandemic-watch-sitting-on-your-stoop

“Pandemic Watch: What does a four-year-old think about our situation?”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/21/pandemic-watch-what-does-a-four-old-think-about-our-situation

“Pandemic Watch: Will my nephew ever know how good it was?”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/19/pandemic-watch-will-my-nephew-ever-know-how-good-it-was

“Pandemic Watch: What will happen when I get released on parole?”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/15/pandemic-watch-what-will-happen-when-i-get-released-on-parole

“Pandemic Watch: We live in interesting times,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/14/pandemic-watch-we-live-in-interesting-times

“Pandemic Watch: Dressing during the Covid-19 pandemic,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/13/pandemic-watch-dressing-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

“Pandemic Watch: Yes, it is Monday,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/11/pandemic-watch-yes-it-is-monday

“How skills I learned as a teen in the scouts help during the Covid-19 pandemic, “

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/04/how-skills-i-learned-as-a-teen-in-the-scouts-help-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

“How the Covid-19 pandemic causes us to rethink old habits,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/how-the-covid-19-pandemic-causes-us-to-rethink-old-habits

“Grocery shopping during Covid-19. Or anytime,” https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/28/grocery-shopping-during-covid-19-or-anytime

“I want to help restaurants during the pandemic. But…,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/27/i-want-to-help-restaurants-during-the-pandemic-but

“Masks and gloves,” https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/03/30/608

“Trashy Parks,”

https://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/trashy-parks

Anat contemplates a date

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Anat is thinking about a date. Not the kind she fights with. Over the last few days, she did a few Zoom calls with Danny, the cop she met when Alana took out Diane. Anat had no clue what she was doing. She never went out with anyone. She never had friends. Not even as a kid. She was a complete loner.

Danny suggested a social distance walk along Riverside Park.

She said yes. She wanted to go. She was so scared. Who would she ask if her hair looks ok? She never got a mani or pedi. All the nail salons were still closed. She watched a few YouTube videos and did her nails. Then she thought, I’ve been chatting with him on Zoom. He only pretty much got a headshot. But he met me when he was arresting Diane. He must have seen something he liked about me.

She was still in a tizzy. She wished she had a female friend or two to ask about her outfit, and what she should say. YouTube and Google are great. But she needed real advice from people that know her. Marc and Alana, the only people that know her fight with her. Her co-workers don’t talk to her. And they’ve all be QT for weeks. Anyway, they all think she’s nuts.

She decided to call Ann. They were getting along great. Ann recognized her caring nature when she visits Jerry. Ann would be able to advise her.

Everyone has their advisors. Alana has Tzipora and others. Marc has a few. No one stands taller in his mind than a man he calls his leader.

Alana went to the center to chat with Ann and see Jerry. Ann was in tears that Anat asked her for advice. They spent several minutes chatting. Ann told her she’s smart and pretty and not to worry. If only she knew of the old Anat. She said maybe she should wear a pair of sneakers instead of boots. Those and comfy pair of jeans and she’d be fine. But if she’s comfy in her boots so be it. Anat smiled. She wondered if Danny ate raisins? She was planning on bringing some to nosh on during their walk. And if he upset her, she knew her powers.

Meanwhile, Marc and Alana were planning another trip to camp. They believed Jay was still there.

They thought he was hiding somewhere on the sacred grounds. They packed a few things and jumped into Alana’s car.