New York City Trip - Day 3 & 4

Day 3, December 29th, we visited the 70th floor of the Rockefeller Plaza, Top of the Rock Observation Deck. Wow, it was a cold and windy day! And we were especially unprotected at this elevation. The sights were pretty, especially the overlook of Central Park.
 

Larry and I left the Rockefeller Plaza and walked through Hell's Kitchen to get to the USS Intrepid Museum. The USS Intrepid is an aircraft carrier commisioned in 1943 which saw service in WW II, space craft recovery, the Cold War, and Vietnam. The tour also included a Growler submarine and many aircraft on the deck of USS Intrepid. While we were on the deck, we were treated to more icy gusts of wind from the harbor.

 

Meanwhile, Rita and Cathy visited Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

After a late lunch at a New York style pizza cafe, Larry and I took the subway to the site formerly known as  Five Points, which I knew about from the movie Gangs of New York. Columbus Park is now there, and we were within walking distance of Chinatown. We picked up take-out Chinese food and returned to the hotel, regrouping with Cathy and Rita.

After dinner, we all enjoyed the Broadway musical "Rock of Ages"- a fun spoof of the '80's hair bands.

Day 4, December 30th, we visited the American Museum of Natural History before heading back to the airport (by taxi). We arrived home around 10pm.

The whole trip was enjoyable, and filled with memories that will last a lifetime. I hope Cathy and I have another adventure with Larry and Rita in the near future!

New York City Trip - Day 2

December 28th, we took a taxi ride from Times Square to Lower Manhattan. The trip turned out to be quite an adventure! The driver weaved, sped, honked and cut off other taxis and pedestrians whenever possible. The amazing thing is he was able to carry on a conversation with his dispatcher the whole time, and his voice never fluctuated, as though he was discussing his day at the breakfast table. Luckily we arrived at our destination without incident.

We walked around St. Paul's Chapel, the World Trade Center site, visited Trinity Church (graves of Robert Fulton and Alexander Hamilton), and Wall Street.

From there, we walked to Battery Park and took the Liberty Harbor Cruise. Sights included the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Staten Island, and South Street Seaport/Fish Market. It was a sunny day, but pretty cold and especially windy! Cathy, Rita and Larry braved the outside cruise deck, while I stayed in the heated cabin.

We returned to Grand Central Station for lunch. The afternoon included more window shopping at Barneys, Tiffany & Co., and Bloomingdale's. We visited Central Park and enjoyed a carriage ride around the south side.

We visited the Trump Tower and FAO Schwarz before heading back to the hotel.
















In the evening, Cathy and I watched the Lion King on Broadway- just a couple of blocks from the hotel. Larry and Rita saw Wicked.

New York City Trip - Day 1

My wife Cathy and I joined her sister Rita and husband Larry for a trip to New York City, December 27 through 30, 2009. Larry came up with the idea the previous May, and we kept it a secret from Cathy and Rita as long as we possibly could! We had a great time together, and hope to do more of the same with them in the near future. I will attempt to log the highlights of our trip by day, starting with Sunday the 27th.

We all awoke around 4am to check in at the Nashville airport by 6am. We arrived by flight to New York City LaGuardia Airport approximately 11am Eastern Time. We took a taxi to our hotel, which was the Doubletree Guest Suites Time Square. Cathy and I stayed on the 14th floor (1407), while Larry and Rita occupied the 25th (2502).

After checking our bags, we toured by foot to see Times Square. Lunch was taken at a street side grill stand (hot dogs, sausages, kebabs, and gyros).


We then proceeded to see the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Grand Central Station (snacks in the basement included Black & White cookies, knish), St. Patrick's Cathedral, and the Rockefeller Center (saw the Christmas tree). The Rockefeller Center area was probably the most crowded of the entire visit, as we departed NYC before the big crowds hit Times Square on the 31st. We saw loads of great architecture, including gargoyles, which held my imagination in childhood from the late night thriller movies.

The New York Public Library featured the original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals, a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, and an amazing wood-panelled rotunda with murals. Larry applied and received his own library card!

We managed to do a little window shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, Lord and Taylor, and visited the Nintendo Store (for Neil and Taylor).

Have you ever had a drink go down the wrong way and spewed it all over? Well, this happened to me that day as I was walking down one of the streets and approached a corner, drinking a cranberry spritzer. I think about 15 or 20 New Yorkers were staring at me as I made a spectacle of myself. It reminded me of a Jerry Seinfield episode featuring Kramer!

We crashed back at the hotel for a short rest before adventuring out for a late dinner. After a long walk to the very popular Carnegie Deli, we decided on a shorter wait for some New York style pizza. The walk took us past the David Letterman's Ed Sullivan Theater.

We had a very eventful day, and I was completely exhausted. I slept soundly despite the late traffic and bustle fourteen stories below on Times Square!

Sickness in the Public Schools Conspiracy

I had convinced myself that it was too late in the season to cover this blog's topic, but now believe this is most timely due to the H1N1 frenzy. Have you ever considered why you are rarely ill during the summer months? Life experiences have led me to believe this is mostly due to public schools being out of session. Children are not as careful as adults to avoid the obvious (keeping your hands away from your mouth & nose), and wind up as the unsuspecting living targets of "The Sickness in Public Schools Conspiracy". Let me illustrate with the following diagram:

1. Doctor Joe experiences less income in the summer months due to schools being out of session. Joe hobnobs with Charlie Lobbyist during a backyard cookout, and influence$ his decision to lobby for more school days at the next congressional session. Year round calendar? Sure, why not.

2. The plan pa$$e$ with flying colors, and the School Board is informed that in order to receive full funding for the new school year, it had better comply with the required attendance increase.

3. Johnny now has little more than two months of summer vacation, and is exposed to nearly ten months of the finest germs available in the Public School System.

4. More trips for Johnny to see Doctor Joe, a good return on investment.

And here is the real proof of the whole conspiracy: the Public School System charges Johnny with an unexcused absence unless he has an official note from.... Doctor Joe!

Seriously, though - I would support and be relieved to have the school year terminated earlier this year to reduce the spread of the H1N1 virus.

John Michael Johnson

Today's entry is dedicated to the memory of my uncle, John Michael Johnson, who passed away April 5, 2009 at the age of 45.

John was the youngest of four siblings of my mother's parents. He lived almost all of his life in the South Bend, Indiana area. John and I were close growing up, as he was just 2-1/2 years older than me. He would come visit our family along with his parents, so we had plenty of good times together. I looked up to him like an older brother.

John's life was the theater. As a young teen, he learned to play piano and developed a beautiful voice. In his late teens, he sang and danced in musicals around the South Bend area. This love of theater eventually led him to directing numerous productions in the South Bend and Elkhart Civic Theatres.

Most anyone who knew John would tell you of his kind and caring spirit. Out of genuine concern he would ask how things were going, and how you felt about life.

I was fortunate to have had a nice visit with John in the hospital the weekend before his death. I thank God that my mother and I were granted this last time together with John. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

On Good Friday, April 10 2009, my hometown Murfrees- boro Tennessee was struck by an F-4 tornado. The picture attached is from my in-law's back yard in the Blackman community. We are grateful that our family and friends are safe. There were two casualties in town - a mother and 9-week old daughter. Please pray for this family.

Many caring people have already pitched in to help clean up - church groups, high school athletic teams, college students, Boys and Girls Scouts, and the Red Cross. It will take many weeks to clear all of the debris and start to rebuild.

Time Change

First off, let us quickly dispel any belief that we are actually saving daylight by simply shifting our timepieces forward one hour this coming weekend. It would be nice to have this kind of power, but the truth is we are granted only a finite amount of daylight each day by the Lord Almighty. We can certainly waste daylight, but we cannot save it. It is our responsibility to use it wisely.

I personally favor the time change, as it gives me an extra hour after my workday for outdoor activities. Why not keep it year round? Come December and DST is a distant memory, there are many days when I leave for work in the dark and return to find similar conditions. I would love to have just one hour of evening daylight on those days!