Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Downtown Red Bank

Sunday morning, we met my sister and her husband for breakfast in the hotel. They offered a complimentary breakfast which was much more extensive than the complimentary breakfasts at most hotels. They even had fresh omelets, and there were waffles, too.

The bride and groom came down and shared breakfast with family and friends. It was a nice way to finish out the weekend. The bride's mother came up to me and told me that she'd pictures of me but they didn't look anything like me. She congratulated me on my weight loss. Back at the time I hung out most frequently with the bride, I was about 80 pounds heavier.

After breakfast, we saw my sister and her husband off and then packed up and headed out ourselves. We had plenty of time before his gaming session, so I suggested we do a little sight seeing. The Gryphon consulted a map and figured out that we could stop on the way back at the town where he went to high school, Red Bank. He said he'd show me the sights, including the house where he'd lived.

When we got there, he got a little turned around because a lot of the landmarks have changed. In particular, there's been a lot of new buildings, and he was disoriented. So we gave up on that idea for the moment and just drove downtown. We parked in a municipal lot and then walked down the main street.

The first thing he pointed out was the corner that appears in one of Kevin Smith's movies. I took a photo (above). I also took a picture of him in front of Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, a comic book store owned by Kevin Smith himself.

Then we took a stroll down to a little riverfront park along the Navesink River, where a number of small boats were docked. It was a breezy day but bright and pleasant. The Gryphon told me he didn't usually frequent this little park, but it was still nice to enjoy the outdoors.

Our next stop was at a hobby and game store where The Gryphon used to hang out. It's run by the mother of one of his best high school buddies. After I took a picture of the impressive mural, we went inside. The owner recognized him immediately and greeted him warmly. She joked that he ought to come work for her.

He was clearly happy to see her. They caught up on old times: she told him what his buddy and his siblings were up to, and he introduced me and told her what he's doing. They also talked for awhile about changes in the retail hobby and gaming industry.

I was glad that he got to see an old friend during our visit. They exchanged contact info before we left. She promised to share his e-mail address with his high school friend.

We returned, then, to Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, where I bought an autographed book by Kevin Smith and also the Zombie Survival Guide. We also checked out the display cases that include props and costumes from Kevin Smith movies, such as the Buddy Christ statue from Dogma.

And of course, Kevin Smith's famous black trenchcoat. In this picture, you can see The Gryphon and I reflected in the protective glass.

Then we were hungry, so we decided to grab lunch. We checked out a couple restaurants and settled for one with a decent looking menu. I ordered a veggie wrap with a fresh green salad. It was too big, so I had them box up half for later.

We had picked up a map at a convenience store, so once we returned to the car. The Gryphon looked it over and got his bearings. He was then able to direct us to the house where he lived in high school, designed by his Dad, who was an architect at the time. We also drove past the rental home where they lived while the home was being built, and also some condos that his Dad designed and where he lived while The Gryphon was in college.

The Gryphon moved around a lot as a child, mostly because his dad's work kept him moving around. They lived all over Northern and Central New Jersey, but Red Bank is special to The Gryphon because he had so many good experiences there.

As we drove, he pointed out sites of interest, such as places where people he knew had lived, or his high school. Aside from some additions, it looks the same, he said. It was a large, modern looking, well-kept school.

At one point, he casually mentioned that we were just a stone's throw from Bruce Springsteen's estate, so I insisted he show me. It had been awhile since he'd driven by there, so he wasn't entirely sure, but we ended up in a rich neighborhood of fancy estates. He was fairly certain it was a particular property that had serious fencing and lots of trees planted, blocking a clear view of the house.

We finished our trip with viewing the home his dad had designed. It was in a very nice upper middle class neighborhood, with large lawns and lots of landscaping. There was an SUV parked in the driveway, but I got out and snapped a few pictures anyway. The Gryphon said that the only thing that was obviously different was that there used to be a tree growing up through the middle of the house. That had apparently been cut down.

The Gryphon explained that even though the house looks low and sprawling from the street level, it goes down two more floors on a terraced hillside.

He was in great spirits after our trip down memory lane. He told me was glad to be able to share these memories with me. Now that I've seen these places, it will be easier to picture them next time he tells me stories from his past.

More from the weekend:

May 22, 2006 - Formal Wedding

June 7, 2006 - More Recent Pics

Copyright 2006 by Alyce Wilson

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