New York, July 2006:
I strutted into Central Park with a small sheen of sweat on my brow, an ice cream, and a smile. It was gorgeous out! Sunny, with a slight breeze to keep you cool.
I strutted into Central Park with a small sheen of sweat on my brow, an ice cream, and a smile. It was gorgeous out! Sunny, with a slight breeze to keep you cool.
Glancing around, I saw a photographer taking photos of a wedding party in the trees and offhandedly thought how it might be nice to make money with a camera. My ice cream, melting rapidly, almost dripped onto my hand and I chided myself for becoming distracted, Focus, man! While it was unlikely that even a single drop would escape from Waffle-cone Alcatraz, I had to remain vigilant! Jealous joggers and whining, covetous children walked by at whom I smirked and stuck out my tongue when their parents weren't looking. Ice cream and a nature walk, a wonderful combination. Even the tangy musk wafting from the nearby Central Park Zoo couldn't overpower Peanut Butter Fudge Crunch, the ice cream of the gods.
Knowing the Museum of Natural History to be along Central Park West, I headed north along the path accordingly. It was hard to believe that this park was in the middle of the most densely populated city in the United States. You could probably visit the park every day for months and never meet the same person twice! Blissfully, I strolled along, in my own little world for a while, thankful for the break from the crowds.
It was when I was down to the bottom third-of-a-cone nub and I was entering the usual sugar-induced, panicky state of acute hyper-awareness that I heard her voice.
"Is that Peanut Butter Fudge Crunch?"
"It's mine! Get your own!" I turned to hiss defensively, Gollum-like, at the voice.
It was Jessica again. She was grinning at me, her blonde hair gently kissing her cheek in the breeze.
"I'm Heidi, we met in passing an hour ago about a chair."
I remembered. I hated that chair.
I was impressed that she recognized the flavor of ice cream though, and said so. This was followed by an awkward silence.
A small child ran between us and down the path toward the Wildlife Center. A young looking, dark-haired woman, presumably his mother, was giving chase but looked haggard and out of breath.
I popped the last bit of cone in my mouth frowning. Jessica giggled.
"Well," she said, "I'm heading over to the history museum, just thought I'd say thanks for earlier." She leaned in closer and lightly touched my arm.
"Thanks? For what?" I arched an eyebrow.
"Yeah," she grinned, crinkling her nose, "for not giving me up to Leo." She brushed her hair back behind her ear and turned to walk away. "Maybe I can repay the favor sometime?"
"But," I stammered, accurately recalling an hour ago, "I didn't do anything."
I stood on the path for a moment longer, confused, as she walked away. With my acute hyper-awareness quite obviously fading fast, I realized that she was probably heading to the same museum as I was, but I hesitated in catching up with her.
Knowing the Museum of Natural History to be along Central Park West, I headed north along the path accordingly. It was hard to believe that this park was in the middle of the most densely populated city in the United States. You could probably visit the park every day for months and never meet the same person twice! Blissfully, I strolled along, in my own little world for a while, thankful for the break from the crowds.
It was when I was down to the bottom third-of-a-cone nub and I was entering the usual sugar-induced, panicky state of acute hyper-awareness that I heard her voice.
"Is that Peanut Butter Fudge Crunch?"
"It's mine! Get your own!" I turned to hiss defensively, Gollum-like, at the voice.
It was Jessica again. She was grinning at me, her blonde hair gently kissing her cheek in the breeze.
"I'm Heidi, we met in passing an hour ago about a chair."
I remembered. I hated that chair.
I was impressed that she recognized the flavor of ice cream though, and said so. This was followed by an awkward silence.
A small child ran between us and down the path toward the Wildlife Center. A young looking, dark-haired woman, presumably his mother, was giving chase but looked haggard and out of breath.
I popped the last bit of cone in my mouth frowning. Jessica giggled.
"Well," she said, "I'm heading over to the history museum, just thought I'd say thanks for earlier." She leaned in closer and lightly touched my arm.
"Thanks? For what?" I arched an eyebrow.
"Yeah," she grinned, crinkling her nose, "for not giving me up to Leo." She brushed her hair back behind her ear and turned to walk away. "Maybe I can repay the favor sometime?"
"But," I stammered, accurately recalling an hour ago, "I didn't do anything."
I stood on the path for a moment longer, confused, as she walked away. With my acute hyper-awareness quite obviously fading fast, I realized that she was probably heading to the same museum as I was, but I hesitated in catching up with her.
Heidi? Hadn't she said her name was Megan? I really hadn't been paying that much attention, I suppose I could have mis-heard her. Besides, now that I wasn't being irritated by modern art and wasn't focusing on ice cream, I noticed she had a kind of 'Diane Kruger with brown eyes' look that wasn't unappealing.
And with that realization in mind I decided I would not chase her, as running is not my style, but instead would just watch for her when I arrived at the museum...
And with that realization in mind I decided I would not chase her, as running is not my style, but instead would just watch for her when I arrived at the museum...
(Nikon D300, 42mm, f/4.5, 1/60, ISO 800, changed white-balance to fluorescent)
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