The March On 5th Avenue & The Party, Later On

It was cold, a bit damp, Windy north of East 66th Street & interesting, for you see, I carried the Stars & Stripes, for the Queens County Board of The Ancient Order of Hibernians. It was a proud moment to carry The Flag Up 5th Avenue(God Bless America In The Parade which predates the American Revolution by some years);

I was photographed by a a man, who wore a familiar ski cap, with a red B on it @ East 54th Street & 5th Avenue. It was the 1st sign of Red Sox Nation & their Strong Showing on 5th Avenue;

This all started on West 46th Street & various State & County Officials were with us;

Then, more AOH marchers joined us;

It was time to step off @ 1:53PM, or 17 minutes before the time we usually stepped onto 5th Avenue;

The Parade, north of East 66 Street, was more Pre-911 Fun, with glad-handing & High Fiving NYC Firefighters, Members of Red Sox Nation, & the Returning Mets Fans, which made me joyous;

However, there was an equipment malfunction, as one of the banners came off the hinge, due to strong winds. The Banner was re-hinged & things proceeded. This was after the East 66th Street Reviewing Stand, where the Grand Marshal, The Former Ambassador to The Vatican & Former Mayor of Boston, The Fine, Pro-Life Mr Raymond Flynn, was watching, hence my proud wearing of the Red Sox Cap in his honour, as well as of the team. You see, Ray Flynn was Mayor of Boston, during the 1986 World Series;

Someone got a bright idea, as Queens County AOH was falling behind around 69th Street. It was running 2 Blocks to catch the Pipe Band. After a Mile & 1/2, this Rocket Scientist gets this brilliant idea. Of course he wasn't carrying anything, but gets the idea, anyway;

Wait-his child was dissing me for the Red Sox Cap;

I should've figured that a YANKEES Fan would be the perp. Get set for "Gay-Rod" Chants at the Parade, next year;

Around East 70th Street, after the 2 1/2 Block Run with an American Flag, I had cramps in both legs, so my backup guy from NJ, took over. Then it was fun from there;

The Yankees Biggest Fan, he who brings a frying pan to Games at Yankee Stadium, The Great Freddie Schuman, was banging the pan. It has a shamrock on it. We did a knuckle jab. It was great to see him back on 5th Avenue;

The J-E-T-S Girls are back. They told me "Boston Sucks" as the were Yankees Fans, but we Chanted "J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets." It was like old times, Gals. Thanks;

Back to Queens & a ride to Freeport-LIRR to Babylon-Rice Division 2 Suffolk County, with my friend Ed, President of AOH Division 14 in Queens. Both of us are Past Grand Knights of respective Knights Of Columbus Councils in Queens. That order, like The Ancient Order Of Hibernians In America, was founded by men of Irish Ancestry & will be 125 Years Old on March 29th. Great Party, which was $10 to eat Corned Beef, Marinated in beer, making it better than Corned Beef in a deli on Queens Blvd-Rego Park & Flowing Guinness' Stout for $4 per glass & a few more thrown in. There's one drawback to all that stout & that means "Tapping 2 Kidneys" & that's truly "The Pause That Refreshes";

Ed intro'd me to his friends there. One was a woman named Rosemary Brown of Babylon, who, as it turned out, grew up on 112th Street in Richmond Hill, in Holy Child Jesus Parish;

Speaking of which, her old Parish, where she knew many of Div. 14's Members, was the site of the Division's Annual St Patrick's Day Mass, with attendance being quite-light, due to snow-ice on the ground. There was something which upsets me in that Church, & that's where the Tabernacle is located & it's in a side chapel next to the Sanctuary, which is NOT a PROMINENT Place for The Eucharist to be placed. That must be remedied & I hope that Bishop Octavio Cisneros, the New Pastor, addresses this situation;

The Fire Department Of The City Of New York, got the Parade's BIGGEST Hand. The Chairman of The St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee, John Dunleavy, got RAZZED for his "Tinpot Tyrant" Attitude towards The FDNY;

It figures about Dunleavy & his predecessor, Frank Beirne, as both are One Time Bus Superintendents for MaBSTOA(Manhattan & Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority), successor to the 5th Avenue Coach Lines Inc, once noted for a HEAVY Irish Presence. Weren't these guys on strike a couple of times, in 1966 & 1980? & like Beirne did, Dunleavy lives outside of NYC, with Dunleavy living in Dutchess County, in the Northern Fringe of the Archdiocese Of New York, far out of the reach of the NYC Fire Department. (Dutchess County? How ENGLISH Can you get!{LOL});

It wouldn't be St Patrick's Day in NYC, without Controversy;

That's my world from NYC & Red Sox, Mets & Yankees Baseball is just around the Corner;

Slan!

Michael