Starting at Prosebox / New York City Continued

              It has finally happened. I’m moving to Prosebox. The time-outs and glacial pace to navigate Open Diary has forced me to open an account. My last good nerve got worked this morning. I’ve kept the Brickpaver name so hopefully my friends here at Open Diary can easily find me. Soon as I can access my journal at Open Diary I’ll add this information to my page.

The weather is turning colder. Sunday night I turned on the gas lights and gas logs for the first time. Once again I realize now how much I miss my little Dagney. On such nights she would always be on my lap as I would try and read in the Morris Chair. What magic we enjoyed together under the flickering gas lights. That feeling of pure happiness is one of my most precious memories. Stumpy will set with me for a bit, but he is too active. Daggy was content to join me and force me to relax for hours on end. What a special relationship I had with my old cat. I think I owe my low blood pressure to her!

One of the things I appreciate about being in the south is there is always something in bloom. The marigolds which survived the heat of the summer now flourish in the cooler temperatures. The Sasanquas are in bloom as is the last of the tea olive. The tea olive has tiny blooms, but the fragrance those flowers emit is intoxicating.

I had to take this picture of Stumpy soaking up the sun atop street brick which originally saw service on Clinton St Hill in Lockport, NY. The lantana looks out of control, but believe it or not, I cut it way back in July. The butterflies and hummingbirds love the prolific blooms on these plants. There are still butterflies passing through, so I’ll not do any trimming till they are gone.

This weekend I head to Natchitoches, LA for the brick swap. It should be a good time. I had the cooling system flushed out again as was recommended and the oil changed in the truck. I will be close to turning 200,000 miles on this trip. I have never been able to keep a vehicle for so long, or put on so many miles. I’m in unchartered territory for me!

Let me get back to documenting the New York City Trip.

Friday I boarded the bus to Wayne, NJ at the Port Authority at 4:00. Traffic was pretty bad so it was slow going. There are three different stops for Wayne at this peak hour: The Transit Center at rt 23, Willowbrook Mall, and an overflow lot known as Mothers. I had forgotten I E-mailed Bill I’d get off at the Mothers lot and got off with most of the Bus at the Rt 23 stop. This is the new bus and train stop for Wayne. Being New Jersey, this new stop was very poorly marked out and it was a bit tense to finally rendezvous.  We will be staying at Willy and Diane’s. Diane is Bill’s sister in law. She is such a great person. Her live in boyfriend of decades is a real piece of work. I could write a book, but I was just thankful for a place to crash.

Saturday morning was the parking lot show. We stopped so I could get a coffee on the way the Crossroads. This is a little hole in the wall luncheonette which is such a dying institution anymore. Located across the street from the now unused commuter train station it is just barely hanging on. The times I’ve eaten Taylor ham and eggs here in the past!

Billy had to drop off some repair stuf

f to another collector at this show. He drove up in his wifes Honda Element which he can pack to within an inch of its life. Billy made the purchase of the show, an Edison Amberola 1A from a radio collector who pulled in late. He will barely have room to breathe on his return to Florida!

Saturday night was the open house at Charlie’s place. Charlie has a phonograph collection of rare machines which he opens to the show. This is the reason for my trip up as it is like old home week to me. I get to see collector friends that go back decades. There is quite a contingent of German collector friends of Charlie who are quite enamored with my Utilikilt! The stories I picked up on…..

There was good German wine, beer and real pizza. Not the cardboard Dominos, or chain crap.

On the way back to Willie and Dianes we stopped at the American Legion where Diane was bartending. She was so glad to see us. I have to admit my Utilikilt was quite the hit! It has been a long time since I’ve been in a bar crowd of “regulars” like tonight. Because I was in with Diane, there was nothing to worry about. The intermingled lives and all are just too much. The more I’m out and about the more I appreciate my life which I do my best to keep drama free….. Jim who was feeling pretty good at the bar kept showing pictures on his phone of his property in Western Kentucky, “This is my valley, and this is my lake” he kept repeating showing the same pictures over and over. His second wife was scowling across the bar, while his adult son was putting the moves on a drunk chick.

That was just some of the minor drama going on……. Enough said!

To be continued…..