The Castle in north Jersey

Directions to the castle
I never seem to share how I end up at the random places I seem to wind up. A note on these directions - they're great if you can read Brian Sniatkowski's mind. Unfortunately, he blocked my attempts at the Vulcan Mind Meld. Therefore, the secret to avoid random wandering is when the directions say 'the road that skirts the lake', it is not the paved one. Essentially, 3 roads/paths converge near McEvoy Trailhead - follow the road that keeps Lake Ramapo on your left for approximately 500 yards instead of the 50 he describes. Otherwise, his directions are very useful and, aside fromn the weather, the hike described was enjoyable.

Now it's time for what everyone really wants to see...

Me blocking the view of some stuff!!!

In this instance, that is 240 pounds of Kyle in front of the ruins that put the castle in the Castle Point Trail in Ramapo State Forest. The ruins, also known as Van Slyke Castle, were once a mansion known as Foxcroft built around the turn of the century, abandoned, and eventually burnt down in 1959. Currently, the ruins of Van Slyke Castle stand on top of a mountain in Ramapo State Forest near Oakland, NJ. Sorry, Pirates fans, no direct relation to Andy Van Slyke.

Melissa and I wandered through the forest cursing both the directions we had as well as the wet weather and the gathering dark. The mist and clouds added mystique to the ruins and if we were living in a movie we would have been scared off by the ghosts of the Van Slykes. However, we do not live in a movie so we hiked past the ruins and through the rain with little incident aside from slipping on the wet, leaf covered trail.

BE DOUBLE-E DOUBLE ARE YOU IN, BEER RUN?!

Holy crap, this looks likes it hurt, doesn't it?

That is what happens to me when a 5K turns into 6K as the Beer Run at Rahway River Park did on Saturday. Just like Bugs Bunny making the wrong turn at Albequerque, the race volunteers had all of the participants make a wrong turn after the duck pond. Unfortunately, I did not realize the race was longer than intended and a feeling of disgust filled me after such a long, slow '5K'.

Fortunately, there were beer and hotdogs to help alleviate the pain.

Hooray Beer!

(...and hot dogs!)

World Champions...World Fucking Champions!!!

That's what Chase Utley said at the ceremony following the parade or as ESPN puts it 'Second baseman Chase Utley approached the microphone and proclaimed, "World champions!" Then he repeated the phrase, with a profanity between "world" and "champions," drawing cheers for minutes.'

I was there.

I had missed out on being present for the conclusion of Game 5 on a mere coin flip, but ever since the Eagles had made the Super Bowl almost 4 years ago I had promised myself I would see a championship parade in Philadelphia...if there ever was one. I found myself among the hundreds of thousands of people along the parade route in Philadelphia leading to the sports complex.

Unfortunately, those throngs of spectators also had to leave Philadelphia and I was stuck in city of Brotherly Love until well into the evening. SEPTA, you suck! Though I missed Halloween, it was well worth it because who knows when an event like this will ever happen again! Also, I sat in between the Joker and Minnie Mouse, both protrayed by dudes, at the 30th Street Station bar in Philly. That was enough Halloween for me!

Go Phils!