When i emerged from the theater, much to my delight/annoyance it was snowing a bit. Not letting a few flakes stop me, it was off to Central Park. Being that it was the 33rd anniversary of John Lennon's death, I was headed to Strawberry Fields. I had been in the past, either on his death anniversary or in October for his birthday, but it had been awhile. I took a round about way so that I could walk past The Dakota (the scene of the crime). I had only ever seen it from afar so to see it up close made it real. I stood for a few seconds, the snow picking up a bit more, and reflected on John and his music and message. As I walked across the street and closer to the park, the sound of guitars, and tambourines, and singing began to fill the air. My heart began to race, the excitement building as I entered the park and saw the crowd. I tried to get as close as I could to catch a glimpse of the famous Imagine mosaic, but unfortunately there were just too many people. I asked a taller gentlemen standing in front of me if he would mind just snapping a picture for me of the shrine. He obliged and I had a new friend. I stood with my new friend and we sang. We celebrated Mr. Lennon and honored his works by belting out his songs like "Revolution", "In My Life", and "Give Peace a Chance". By this time it was downright snowing hard. This only added to everything, making it a truly magical experience.
After I tore myself away from the memorial, I continued my trek. Now off to the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. The fat kid inside of me was looking for food so when I saw this food truck I couldn't resist.
I got the #1 with Nutella. I freaking love Nutella. I ate while I strolled. Snow covered my delicious crepe but it didn't stop me from devouring it. With Nutella all over my face, I arrived at the tree. Holy crap load of people there! Crying children, screechy mothers, and snappy fathers occupied the "joyful" space. I tried to appreciate the scene: ginormous tree, twinkling lights, bright colors, and come on it was snowing for cryin out loud! But ultimately I left shortly after annoyed and cold.
At this point I was ready to head back to Penn so I walked. Keeping my eyes everywhere but in front of me, I bumped into a person and looked up. There was Heartland Brewery. Oh hell yeah. I go in and tell them table for one. Lemme fill you in on something awesome I realized. When you are dining alone, people think you are important. I received so much attention from the staff that I had to laugh. Here they probably thought I was a critic or food blogger and in actuality I was just an alcoholic with an appetite.
For the record, everything was amazing. I had the seasonal flight and fried calamari. With a definite buzz, I dragged my body to the train. After missing my connecting train in Newark (not my fault, I swear!) I made it home.
What a great day.
