Murray McLauchlan New York

I invited Murray to come to New York with me for the July 4th weekend and the tall ships. I had to fly down to pick up the van for the SORC sailboat Bonaventure V. The boat was racing in the Onion Patch in Bermuda and coming into New York to go up the Hudson River and Erie Canal etc. back to Toronto and they wanted me to drive the van back. Besides July the 4th is my birthday and where else to celebrate? An added goody was an invitation from the Canadian Norwegian ambassador to have a sail on the Christian Radich. (This was compliments of my sister who worked at harbor-front in Toronto) we were using Murray's agent to book tickets. The trip got complicated, my bartender Laura wanted to go home to New York so I got a ticket for her and then Krash's girlfriend wanted to go to meet Krash who was sailing to New York, so I got a ticket for her. We no sooner were in the air than somebody phoned Murray's wife and told her Murray and Gary were going to New York with 2 women. (this caused serious problems) After much ado we got a hotel room and I went to pick up the van for transportation. As it happened I got a free parking spot around the corner from the Hotel. In New York on July4th weekend etc etc. so we never moved the van until we left and took cabs. Laura took us to her old studio and the bar she used to work at. It was right at the Manhattan side of the Brooklin Bridge which is a great place to hang out. This was beside the Fulton fish Market which was having a fair so we ended up spending the evening at the fair. Spending was the operative word for Murray he went a little crazy. One of the Hanky Panks had a life-sized stuffed bear as a grand prize. Murray decided he had to have it. After about 5 hours and 5 hundred dollars he finally won it. So there we were 2 o clock in the morning going back to the Hotel trying to stuff this giant bear toy into the cab. It wouldn't fit so after 15 minutes of trying Murray took a long look at the bear and said What the hell do I want with this and threw it on the street. As we
drove off the streets were empty.

So on the fourth, we went to see the fireworks

We get a cab he goes to The Battery but all the cars just stop in the road and he can go no further. he stoops gets out No charge lets go and see the fireworks. Street entrepreneurs have emptied the garbage bins and filled them with ice and selling beer. we buy a dozen and walk towards the grandstands set upon the banks of the Hudson. Some guy says "don’t pay follow me!" We go through a hole in the fence and walk through a swamp path of tall bulrushes etc. (thinking this is New York what are we doing?) But we come out on the best spot to watch the fireworks. We are right opposite the Statue of Liberty and the barges. The fireworks were spectacular and then for the finale a huge helicopter towed a monster flag up the Hudson and spontaneously 6 million people start singing The Star spangled Banner' It was something Murray and I actually cracked our heads together grabbing a beer and quickly chugalugging it to try and stop the chills up the spine.

WEIRDOS

funny I watched the movie Weirdos It takes place on July 4th 1976.

Nova Scotia. 1976. It's the weekend of the American Bicentennial and 15-year-old Kit is running away from home. Enlisting the help of his girlfriend Alice, Kit hitchhikes through the stunning maritime landscape towards a new home with his glamorous, artistic mother Laura in Sydney.  Kit struggles with his sexual identity as his mother wishes to go to New York and meet Andy Warhol. the last scene is a dance sequence to Murray Mclauchlan singing Down by Henry Moore. On that Day Murray and I were in new york city