As you may have heard (^) Fran & I took a short daytrip to Coney Island yesterday as a sort of one last hurrah before next week comes and changes our lives forever. It shouldn't be a surprise to hear that the island, which is actually a peninsula, has not maintained the sense of purity and wonderment that turned it into the famous landmark it's known as today. I don't think Lou Reed would write songs about the modern day Coney Island, but maybe he would. I'm getting off topic.
We showed up around 2 on a bit of a high after finally ending our relentless search for a duvet at Ikea and took right to the boards. The place was packed for this early in the season, but it was a Saturday and most everyone was on their best behavior. We snaked our way thru the different amusement parks; Astroland, Wonder Wheel, mainly just taking in the sites and enjoying the seabreeze. There seemed to be an inordinate amount of "haunted house" type rides, with names like Dante's Inferno & my personal favorite, The Ghost Hole (which featured a man who simultaneously loses control of every bodily function available), so it encouraged us to head back to the boardwalk rather quickly.
We strayed toward the depressingly inactive Parachute Jump tower and watched a few fleeting moments of a Brooklyn Cyclones game from the best seat in the house.
A new feature for Coney Island this year is the BeachDozer. For a small fee you and a friend can ride a bulldozer up and down the beach, causing havoc and redesigned the shoreline as you see fit.
We made our way out onto Steeplechase Pier where our life was threatened by rogue fish hooks and mighty winds that almost claimed my Expos cap.
And who goes to Coney Island without eating at Nathan's Famous?? No one! That's who.
Then we visited one of the last remaining reminders of Coney Island's glory days, the Cyclone, but due to full bellies & money/time restrictions we settled on living vicariously through the people who were already on it.
We got back on the road and headed for NJ, but not before we were involved in what seemed to be some sort of action filming, complete with race car stunts, multiple close range helicopters and traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel. We arrived a little late for April's baby shower, but no one seemed to notice. We sat at a table with birds of our feather, the non-relateds, and managed to have a little party of our own. When you put Johnny & Greg together in any room it's always a scene.
We participated in many of the games such as baby lottery, baby bingo (which Greg won twice!), and the all-time classic "Who's Got the Dirty Diaper?". Fran even got in with the macho men and competed in baby bottle beer bong where she placed 11th out of eleven. I am very proud.
It was a fun night, and April looks happy as I've ever seen her. We had tons of delicious food and we got to spend quality time with quality people. Too bad more of them aren't getting pregnant, altho I understand that is now all the rage.
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