Asbury Park has what I think is the nicest stretch of boardwalk here on the northern shore of NJ - too bad most everyone is too afraid to walk it. It's empty like this even in the summer, except for the homeless people who sleep below it and then sit around leering at passerby during the day.I'm caught deciding whether today felt more like an episode of The Twilight Zone or Candid Camera... ever have one of those days? Today's field visits were going fine until I ran over a gull - that jinxed me, I think. Silly gulls were fighting over a bit of bagel or something along Ocean Ave. and this one decides to drop down and grab it just as I was accelerating at the green light... I think it tried to fly underneath, but didn't make it. I hate killing things with my car!
I went by some of the local ponds to look for ducks at lunch time and every one of the good ponds is frozen. I was wandering around with my big lens looking for some open water and one of last week's redheads or hoodies when this lady in a car stopped me and asked if mine was a good camera. I started to explain to her that it was reasonably ok for the type of photos I'm capable of and blah-blah-blah when I realized that she was trying to take pics of the Canada Geese with one of those cardboard throw-away cameras from Walmart. Pfft! Shut me up quick.
My next visit was with a lady who was off-her-rocker-crazy. Before I even got in the door I knew I was in for something interesting. I'll just say it was a very short visit and I kept the door in clear view at all times.
;-)
This evening I went to the Y for a yoga class and then tortured myself for a bit with the weight machines afterwards. There's this guy that I see there pretty often, old with a really bad dye-job and he wears those ridiculous spandex exercise things that show every possible ... nevermind ... you know what I mean. He really works himself hard and wears earphones the whole time, so I guess he can't hear all the grunting and moaning he does with the strain of it, but the rest of the weight room hears it all. I sat there on the leg press listening to the obscene sounds he was making, trying to keep a straight face myself, and watching all the women in the room doing the same. At one point, all us girls were laughing openly at him, but every single guy in the room was staring straight ahead pretending not to notice. That just made it funnier to me!
What a weird, weird day.
11 comments:
Whew. What a day :o) Filled with nuts and fruits. Did the laughter in the gym start when he passed gas?
That's a pretty picture there of the boardwalk.
The gym, yes. Don't get me sarted about the Gym. I'll have to tell about Earl ...
I loved the Asbury Park boardwalk when I was young. It was one of my favorite places in the mid '60s. I heard the Jefferson Airplane there in 1969. I flirted with lifeguards there in the summer when I was 16. How sad it is to read that it has fallen into such bad times and emptiness. It was a very lively and kid-friendly place once.
Yes, that does sound like a weird Monday. Very interesting observations.
Hmmm...empty boardwalks, homeless folks, dead gulls, Laura-ready-to-escape-at-any-moment, cardboard cameras, and grunting, sweaty man-packages. Now THAT'S what I call a blog post!!!!
What Susan said. Weird day = memorable blog post.
Susan: Only slightly random, right?
;-)
Robin: I remember Asbury from the early 80's and spending Easter Sunday at the boardwalk - nice times! There is a lot of *redevelopment* taking place now, but it's from outside - from people with millions to spend on a weekend or summer place and won't benefit the community at all, I don't think.
Rabbit's Guy: Earl - who's Earl?
;-)
Mary: Oh.. no.. he needn't have ... just too funny!
The treatment you gave the photo adds to the eeriness (is that a word) of your day... I like the ghostly, other-worldly feel of it!
Hi Laura,
A visit to the boardwalk area of Asbury Park always leaves me feeling sad. I remember it from when I was a little girl, when it was in it's glory, before it deteriorated into what it has become now. Your day sure was a hodgepodge of experiences, topped off by the guy at the gym... Thanks for reminding me why I prefer to exercise in my basement instead of at the Y. ;o)
What a surreal gym experience!
Heard in the gym locker room ....
Guy 1 (in the shower) ... "Hey Earl, is this your suit left in here?"
Earl (in the room) ... "I don't know, what color is it?"
Guy 1 ... "It's blue Earl."
Earl ... "Could be, I haven't got mine on."
Guy 2 ... "Hey Earl, ... when ya leaving for Arizona?"
Earl ... "I don't know, my wife hasn't told me yet."
Woman's voice ... "Hey Earl, come on out of there."
Lot's of Earls at my gym!!!!
Winterwoman: It was a strange day, at any rate!
Dorothy: Hi! Yes... Asbury is trying very hard to come back, but well, I don't guess it'll be what either of remember if it ever happens.
Regarding exercise in the basement: I think I need the routine of having to go somewhere to make sure it'll happen.. plus there's all the added entertainment.
;-)
Island Rambles: Yeah... I felt bad.
Amy: Um.. yeah, I guess.
Uggh!
Rabbit's Guy: :-)
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