June 29, 2013: Apples On Parade

Date: June 29, 2013
Event: MLB Apples on Parade for the All Star Game
Location:  New York City
Cost: FREE  (well, except, ahem, for any props you might want to buy...)
Summary: 34 apples, 8 hours 40 minutes, 15 miles of walking,12.5 miles on the subway, 10-15 flights of stairs, sighting numerous landmarks along the way



A number of weeks ago I saw this big huge painted apple in Grand Central on the way to work. Curious, I went over to see what it was. Well, it was part of the lead up to the MLB All Star Game. I looked it up on line to find that there were going to eventually be 35 of these apples spread throughout the city.

An idea was born: go visit all 35 apples in one day.

A friend, Leigh, was going to be in town and I asked if she wanted to come. She was game. And then we got it in our heads that not only did we want to get our picture taken with each apple, but we wanted to do something special for each one – have a prop or a pose or something that was fitting for that particular apple. THAT spawned a hunt around my apartment for possible props and then a dash to Party City for more and then a realization that to carry all these props I’d need a suitcase. A SUITCASE.

But we were not daunted. So, on June 29 with the promise of decent weather, we met at The Apple Store (we thought that was fitting) at 59th and 5th. At 11:10 am we took our picture in front of the Apple Store and with a map and an Excel spreadsheet of the order we were to go in and what prop we were to use at each apple, we were off on our way.



It quickly became clear that it would be a challenge to get them all in before the sun went down. We made one concession: the one apple out at CitiField would have to wait until the end or not done at all; the subway ride was just too long.

And while Leigh, sadly, succumbed to blisters just over 2/3 of the way through, my final journey (not including getting to our start point or getting home from the last apple was this):

34 apples
8 hours 40 minutes
15 miles walking
12.5 miles on the subway
10-15 flights of stairs
Sighting numerous landmarks along the way

All the while pulling a red carry on suitcase.

I cannot tell you how accomplished I feel.

And I cannot explain what captured my imagination so much about this but I know that I had a blast. Maybe it was that the apples were both artistic and sports related – two of my favorite things. Maybe it was just the idea of setting a hard goal and meeting it.

It was several days later – on the 4th of July – that I made it out to CitiField for the final apple, completing my collection.

MLB, thank you for these Apples on Parade and for this awesome and fun and amazing adventure you sent me on! :) (but if you do look through, my trusty red carry on suitcase that went 15 miles with me will pop up here and there in a few of the pictures below, lol)

What follows is the story of my day… I don’t expect anyone to go through it all, but I wanted this for me. :)