Tuesday Quote of the Week: Marco Vassi

The erotic ambiance, the erotic communication, the erotic mood is the source of beauty and art. Our painting, our poetry, our filmmaking–and in my head, even our state of consciousness–are all variations of that feeling. And that feeling is nothing more than the healthy body in its full sensitivity, vibrating to the fact of being alive.”

~~Marco Vassi as quoted by David Guy in The Red Thread of Passion: Spirituality and the Paradox of Sex

Tuesday quote of the week: Marco Vassi

My feeling is that life is once around for each of us, and there is something amounting to a sacred trust for each of us to live it most intelligently, most lovingly, most honestly. I am given the creeps by people who think, somehow, that death isn’t real. It indicates that they think life isn’t real.”

~~Marco Vassi as quoted by David Guy in The Red Thread of Passion: Spirituality and the Paradox of Sex

The Great Saunter: May 4, 2013

This past Saturday was The Great Saunter. And great it was, all 32 miles of it. Sponsored by Shorewalkers, a group dedicated to protecting and providing access to the shores of New York and New Jersey, the event is an annual walk around the island of Manhattan. Did I mention that it’s 32 miles? The walk started at Fraunces Tavern downtown, then up the west side, around and down the east side, then back at the bar. I started at 8 AM and, yeah, all but crawled in 13 and 3/4 hours later at 9:45 PM. It wasn’t pretty, especially at the end, but I did it. And made some new friends along the way. Following are the pictures that I took along with the captions used when I posted them originally on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook. (The 20-mile mark warranted a post, but no picture. I was conserving my phone battery and my energy.) Did I mention it was 32 miles?

Battery Park: Zero miles down, 32 to go.

Battery Park: I’m pacing myself behind these guys. How can I go wrong?

Chelsea Piers: Not tempted yet. A bit too early to be plotting a Rosie Ruiz finish.

Harlem Piers: Hey, Dude, I think I’m lost! Greetings from the Great Saunter on the Harlem shore. Ten miles down!

Fort Tryon Park: From the outside, as seen from the highway.

FINISHED!

George Washington Bridge Park

The Sunday before last (April 28), in preparation for the Great Saunter, I did a mini-walk to George Washington Bridge Park and down the Cherry Walk to 96th Street. While it helped me figure out logistics (what I should wear and bring), nothing could prepare me for the big walk. But, anyway, here are some pictures from the park and the bridge. The lighthouse is Jeffrey Hook’s Light–the only lighthouse on the island of Manhattan. The subject of a beloved children’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, it was saved from the wrecker’s ball after being decommissioned in the 1940s.

Tuesday Quote of the Week: David Guy

The key to living is to tune in to this flow [li]. We tend to use more energy than we need to, straining against things as they are, especially straining the mind. If instead we give in to our feelings and go with the stream of experiencing, things work themselves out in a natural way.”

~~David Guy in The Red Thread of Passion: Spirituality and the Paradox of Sex talking about Eastern philosophies, particularly Zen and Tao, as interpreted by Alan Watts.

Artsy Pic: The Little Red Lighthouse

Jeffrey’s Hook Light has the distinction of being the only lighthouse on the island of Manhattan. The George Washington Bridge, which looms over and around it, made the lighthouse irrelevant and it was decommissioned in the late 1940s. Public outcry saved the lighthouse from being torn down as it had been the subject of a beloved children’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and The Great Gray Bridge still talked about today.

Artsy Pic: Puppy Love

OK, so at three Miss Lacey is no longer a puppy, but today I was reminded that in April 1972 Donny Osmond’s cover of Paul Anka’s 1960 hit “Puppy Love” made it to #3 on the US charts. This song (the Donny Osmond version) caused LAPD to raid a LA studio in 1972 after a DJ played the song for 90 minutes straight. Listeners were concerned (probably a bit crazy, keep in mind this was before satellite radio–fewer choices) and LAPD apparently left the studio “confused.”

Artsy Pic: Underground Manhattan

Just another night on the A Train.

TV Taping Saturday March 9

Artsy Pic: It’s a dog’s world

My point of view. What’s wrong with this picture?