Posts Tagged ‘Pickman’
revenant mother
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
November 15th found Alternate Side Parking regulations working against a humble narrator’s happiness again, and the Mobile Oppression Platform – as I’ve nicknamed my car – needed to be somewhere other than where it was. Thereby, one planned out yet another trash run, heading full bore at both the paper recycling guy, and the metals and electronics guy. One deleted roughly a third of all his material possessions during the ramp up to moving.
Since I was already out and about and at Newtown Creek… why not?Every time might be the last time, after all.
First up was DUPBO. Down Under the Pulaski Bridge Onramp. That’s the Vernon Avenue street end. Not Boulevard, mind you. This street end is a one block avenue.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One navigated the ‘MOP’ or “Mobile Oppression Platform” about, shooting out the window of the vehicle with my zoom lens like some common paparazzi. Free time like the interval experienced on this particular day became increasingly rare for a humble narrator right around this part of November.
The big move to Pittsburgh loomed. Suddenly, an avalanche of “have to’s” erupted and all my attentions were drawn to the exigent circumstances thereby presented.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Every time might be the last time, as I’ve been saying, and you know what? As it turns out, this was pretty much the last time for DUPBO, and for visiting First Calvary Cemetery in Queens’ Blissville section.
I’m totally faklempt about this fact. More tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
severed aspiration
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
November 12th, and I was hanging out with none other than the webmaster of Forgotten-NY himself – Kevin Walsh. If you don’t follow the fellow, you’re missing out. Kevin practically invented the genre of urban history blogging here in NYC back in the dial up days, and I’m honored to consider him as being my friend.
One of the people whom I had to spend some of my last time in NYC with was Kevin Walsh. Thereby, I drove out to the Forgotten Cave’s secret entrance nearby the Forgotten mansion, and offered to take him wherever he wanted to go.
Kevin wrote about the day we spent at his Forgotten-NY site, which you can check out here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I should mention that the car I got, and I had virtually zero choice in color or trim – it’s what the factory sent us, take it or leave it, due to the whole supply chain thing – looks a great deal like the sort of thing you’d expect Star Wars Stormtroopers to drive around in. It’s white with black trim. It looks like Empire or First Order technology, so I decided to fashion a nickname for the vehicle as being the ‘MOP’ or “Mobile Oppression Platform.” Someday, I’ll mount a laser cannon on the roof bars… someday… right now, I’m debating whether the “MOP’s” all season radials will get me through the winter or if I’ve got to drop a bunch of money for snow tires.
Decisions, decisions. Despite what literally every New Yorker thinks, Pittsburgh actually get’s less snow than NYC does. It’s because of where they are in relationship to the Appalachias, and the fact that NYC sits next to… Y’know… the ocean. It does get colder for longer periods, apparently, with deep freezes persisting a bit longer than they do in the coastal areas of NY and NJ.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Kevin Walsh hungers occasionally, which is a dark and terrible moment for any nearby. Thunderously, He demanded entry to the Bantry Bay Inn on Greenpoint Avenue, and so did the trees of Calvary tremble as he passed. Within the establishment, Innkeeper Clooney answered his demands for sustenance and grool. Soon sated, the webmaster of Forgotten-NY returned to his normal state of geniality. We returned to the Mobile Oppression Platform, and a humble narrator did convert the webmaster back to the Forgotten Cave in Eastern Queens.
The Forgotten Cave isn’t in Little Neck, which Kevin’s propaganda would have you believe. It’s location is secret. It’s where the Forgotten Computer, the Forgot Alert, and the Forgotten Cycle are stored. Several of the specialized Forgotten costumes may be observed – the underwater one, the space one, and the Iron Forgettatron are – in particular – deserving of the attentions of his few visitors.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
ruptured hopes
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
November 9th, a humble narrator was once behind the wheel of the car, and after running a few move related errands, I had a couple of hours to kill. There’s a whole outer ring of seldom visited Newtown Creek views which are now in reach. While pulling into Mount Olivette Cemetery in Maspeth, a chance meeting occurred and I ran into an old friend – Tony Nunziato. Having not had a chance to say goodbye, I was glad of the chance to do so.
As you’re reading this, if everything has gone according to plan, all of my worldly possessions have been loaded into a moving truck which is heading towards Pittsburgh. Additionally, as you’re reading this, I’m likely cleaning the toilet and or pushing a broom around an empty apartment in the Astoria section of the Borough of Queens.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As tomorrow’s post publishes, I will be about six hours into my own journey to Paris of Appalachia. Last week, I drove Our Lady of the Pentacle and a carload of gear out to the new house. We set up a quick and temporary state of housekeeping, and on our first night there we were standing out on the deck and admiring the town.
Something pretty cool occurred, when a Doe – as in a female deer – wandered into our driveway and looked up and at us. It huffed out a grunt, and continued on its way. Also, we’ve got bunnies living in our back yard. One of them is a white rabbit. I haven’t noticed a hookah-smoking caterpillar yet.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My little drive around Newtown Creek’s environs included a couple of other cemeteries in addition to Mt. Olivette. On my way home to Astoria, I decided to also take a ride around First Calvary Cemetery in Long Island City’s Blissville section as well.
Last week, when I was in Pittsburgh, a visit was paid to their Calvary – Allegheny Cemetery. I was only scouting, but… wow.
More tales of my last weeks in the City continue, tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
myriad other
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
November 7th, and one back in NYC – I had to move the car for alternate side, so I went to a point of elevation nearby HQ for an hour and shot a bunch of train photos not unlike the one above. I also ran out a pretty large panorama shot, which you can look at here.
I’m working on a City focused transliteration of the Bible which I dub “The New Yorker Testament” wherein the lord rests on the third day as there’s no alternate side, and it’s got a “good spot.”
– photo by Mitch Waxman
November 9th, I had a few minutes to spend on my own pursuits and needed some “head space” from all the have-to’s of moving out of the City, after making my last run to the scrap yard. I hopped in the car and headed over to my beloved Creek.
While in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint section, at Apollo Street and while shooting the photo above, I noticed a freight train moving westwards along the Lower Montauk Tracks of the Long Island Railroad, on the Queens side of Newtown Creek, and thought “hey, I’ve got a car now, I can do this.”
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Using routes familiar and loved, one zoomed over to Maspeth’s Haberman siding and got there just as this GATX freight unit was heading back towards the Fresh Pond yard. Win!
More next week, at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
crystal stream
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On Halloween, Our Lady of the Pentacle and myself went to the local saloon here in Astoria for a spooky drink, and then headed back to HQ for the now daily ritual of packing boxes for our impending escape from New York.
It was raining, and one set out to capture the local milieu from up on the porch. That’s the bodega across the street from me here in Astoria, which I’ve shown you countless images of over the last decade. I couldn’t put much time into this sort of pursuit this time around, as on November 1st I’d be climbing in behind the wheel of the new car and driving it to Pittsburgh. We had a week’s worth of real estate listings to see, and the goal was to sign a lease in Pittsburgh before we came back to NYC.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The 1st of November was a travel day. With piss breaks and a meal or two factored in, the 370 miles or so to Pittsburgh from Queens is about a 7-8 hour long day of driving. 90% of that interval are highway hours, on fairly good roads with 70 MPH speed limits. From Astoria in Queens, it’s Triborough to the GW Bridge, and crossing the heavy road volumes of the Hudson River coastline of New Jersey will cost you a minimum of an hour’s worth of stop and go traffic. Once you’re about a third of the way into New Jersey heading west, it’s pretty clear sailing. The only thing that makes the drive concerning are the numbers of semi trucks encountered and the reckless abandon of about 50% of your fellow drivers who think 70 MPH isn’t fast enough.
Long story short, we drove to Pittsburgh. We stayed in an AirBNB, which we arrived at after picking up some groceries at a convenience store, drank a bunch of the wine we bought at the aforementioned shop, and woke up very early the next morning – November 2nd – to a heavy blanket of 1/4 mile visibility fog which had suffused into Pittsburgh and it’s suburbs.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While drinking my morning coffee, I couldn’t help but record the scene from the AirBNB’s back yard deck. This was in an area which I’m told is called “the South Hills,” which is basically the sloping side of the highest point of elevation in the city’s center – Mount Washington.
We had a full day’s worth of realtor meetings, Zillow appointments, and all sorts of far flung destinations to visit. We literally had to drive to Moon, and Mars, and I had the desire to visit Carnegie sometime during the week’s time we’d be here.
More to come next week, from the misty mysteries of Pittsburgh.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 