Once upon a time it was "Morning in America",..about 5:30. I was a young guy leaning my radio chops, and looking to have a swell time while at it. I was doing tons of speed, and cocaine back then.
Before ya starts it was still socially acceptable to be blasted on all that. Heck most of the radio, and recording business ran on that stuff from the 1950's till the mid 80's or there about.
My gawd the insane shit we did.
Oh, but the close friendships those times created. Close friends..actually it's mostly the friends that stay with you to the end. We loved each other, and now we're burying each other.
'But I digress.
Anyway being new at the shop I was given "Transmitter Duty" at the Empire State Building. Regs. at the time required someone to be on site there. Basically you just sit, and take telemetry readings, and sleep.
Being bored I decided to check my environment out. I found that the windows to the ledge would open.
Good grief!
I went out, and looked around..wow! The whole bleeping world literally at my feet.
Unbelievable!!!!
After a while I'd have my lunch while dangling my feet over the edge. I tried to take a walk around the building. I found you couldn't actually go all the way 'round. I ran into a sheer 1500 ft drop.
Look at the ESB pics above. See the second from the top indentation...that was the sheer drop I found. Yep 1500 Bleeping Foot Drop! ...and I don't mean maybe! Anyway all of the Emerald City was laid out before me as I munched on deli heros, and drank cream soda.
The things one can get used to, and call normal.
Gang I routinely hung out on the bleeping ledge of the 86th floor of the Empire bleeping State Building.
Once I was insanely stoned, and sat..feet over the edge looking at the then World Trade Center downtown. It was like a bright silver tuning fork in the hazy distance.
I sang Beatles songs to myself as I peacefully kicked my feet over Manhattan like a baby in a high chair. If they make a movie of my stupid life that scene would be the money shot.
...well okay the time I slammed my fist through a double pained window to slug some rancid asshole would be on the deleted scenes disc.
That's all.
Just that simple event in my deranged life. I was on top of the world for about a year till they found out I was doing that insane bleep, and the bolted the windows on the floor.
Still wotta time!
(Btw click on the images for the full scary heights effect!)
Stay Tuned.
All too well do I remember that fake dawn of Mourning in America, by dismal contrast with the real dawn of the sixties, whose death knell it was, as well as the start of our present downward trajectory into a dark age whose inevitability is now beyond all doubt.
ReplyDeleteToo bad they bolted shut those windows. It's nice to be able to air a building without creating dependencies on complex costly ventilation systems. The whole idea of making windows inoperable strikes me as unerotically perverse.
Z.
I had a hell of a life. Wadda ride! Yep the stuff ya gets used to, and call normal. As for them bolts. Always have a pair of pliers, and a screw driver...don't leave home without them!
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