Got my second Postcrossing postcard today from Brazil.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Officially a New Yorker
Just grabbed the mail and received the envelope I've been waiting for! My New York State Driver's License came today making it official... I'm a New Yorker and I have my husband's last name.Have to say, it was sad letting go of the old one. I actually had to give them my Kansas Driver's License... there goes the state I've lived in all my life up to this point... even harder to part with, there goes the last name I was born with... But I'm happy with the new change and excited to start using my new name!
A Whirlwind Tour with Dad
My dad was able to cruise up to NYC and visit for a while, after flying a plane up from Texas to Jersey for work. We were able to spend time together and enjoy a few sites around the city.
Checking out the progress of the World Trade Center. The construction is to be done in the next 4 or 5 years from what I've previously seen on signs. It'll be interesting to see when it's done.
Dad and I posing in front of the Easter Island statue at the American Museum of Natural History.
Statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the grand entrance to the American Museum of Natural History facing Central Park.
After the museum, we headed through the park. A quick walk through Strawberry Fields to see the John Lennon Memorial. It always looks different, and I've yet to see it without flowers.
Guitar honoring peace and John Lennon. Everytime I walk through Strawberry Fields, I want to break out in song...
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Stumbled upon the balloon that has been taking people on rides over Central Park. It only costs $25 for a ride. The balloon has been here celebrating the 150th anniversary of the parks original design and will be departing for good on the 22nd of this month.
Dad and I walking through Central Park after watching a street performance on the Bethesda Terrace near the fountain.
A very large PSP near Soho and Little Italy. We spotted it on our way to dinner.
Checking out the progress of the World Trade Center. The construction is to be done in the next 4 or 5 years from what I've previously seen on signs. It'll be interesting to see when it's done.
Dad and I posing in front of the Easter Island statue at the American Museum of Natural History.
Statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the grand entrance to the American Museum of Natural History facing Central Park.
After the museum, we headed through the park. A quick walk through Strawberry Fields to see the John Lennon Memorial. It always looks different, and I've yet to see it without flowers.
Guitar honoring peace and John Lennon. Everytime I walk through Strawberry Fields, I want to break out in song... All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Stumbled upon the balloon that has been taking people on rides over Central Park. It only costs $25 for a ride. The balloon has been here celebrating the 150th anniversary of the parks original design and will be departing for good on the 22nd of this month.
Dad and I walking through Central Park after watching a street performance on the Bethesda Terrace near the fountain.
A very large PSP near Soho and Little Italy. We spotted it on our way to dinner.Our evening was topped off with a trip to Sweet Melissa's for dessert and a view of the City lights from our roof.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Caught By the Cause
One thing about walking through New York is someone is always wanting your money... if it's not the homeless guy who is always sitting in front of the grocery store, it's the young girl with piercings and a sign, or it's someone wanting you to support their cause. You get good at not making eye contact or saying no before you hear their spill... but you can still get caught.
I was the first to get caught by the cause. As I walked through my neighborhood, I got stopped by a chick in front of the sweets shop down the street. She was friendly and explained to me basic facts about her cause. Did you know.... There is no federal law protecting employees from discrimination based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. So, someone could be fired from their job for these "real or perceived" reasons. For just $8 a month, I am now a supporter of the Human Rights Campaign working towards equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans.
Seth was caught while enjoying a sandwich in Union Square over lunch. Becca was the name of
the girl who caught him for her cause. We are now sponsoring a young boy from India through Children International. His information came yesterday in the mail. He's 11 years old and loves playing outdoor games and drawing. We'll be donating $22 a month to sponsor him, which will go towards helping with health, dental, nutritional assistance, and educational support. A quote came with all the information, and I feel it sums our purpose up.
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. -- Edward Everett Hale
$30 a month to help causes that need support... we can swing that.
I was the first to get caught by the cause. As I walked through my neighborhood, I got stopped by a chick in front of the sweets shop down the street. She was friendly and explained to me basic facts about her cause. Did you know.... There is no federal law protecting employees from discrimination based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. So, someone could be fired from their job for these "real or perceived" reasons. For just $8 a month, I am now a supporter of the Human Rights Campaign working towards equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans.
Seth was caught while enjoying a sandwich in Union Square over lunch. Becca was the name of
the girl who caught him for her cause. We are now sponsoring a young boy from India through Children International. His information came yesterday in the mail. He's 11 years old and loves playing outdoor games and drawing. We'll be donating $22 a month to sponsor him, which will go towards helping with health, dental, nutritional assistance, and educational support. A quote came with all the information, and I feel it sums our purpose up.I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. -- Edward Everett Hale
$30 a month to help causes that need support... we can swing that.
Monday, August 11, 2008
McSorley's Old Ale House
Our good friend, Aisha, made an appearance in the city for the weekend, so we joined her and her friends for the night out on Saturday... Destination: McSorley's Old Ale House in the East Village. We were told McSorley's was a famous bar and a place to go to so we could say we'd been there. It looked like any other Irish Pub, and I wasn't sure our wait outside was worth it... I'm very happy we waited, the place was more than worth it! Turns out, it's the oldest bar in America that has been constantly opened (must be another one that's older but closed at some point). 154 years!
As we were ushered inside, we were seated at a round table with another group of people. The place was sooo loud... cheers, sing-a-longs, good friends and good times. Turns out, the group that was already at the table said they'd sat with about 3 other groups of people throughout the evening and being seated with random others is to be expected at the bar... A cool way to meet new people. Not two minutes after we were sat down by an older Irish gentleman, he appeared again with two fist fulls of beer mugs. Shocked by the mass amounts of beer slammed down, we all grabbed a mug (either light or dark - the only 2 served at the bar) and began to enjoy our night.
One round. The guy carried at least 9 mugs in each hand.
The Irish guy who kept bringing our rounds by the fistful.
The end of the night.
Aisha, we had an amazing night with you! Can't wait to see you again either in the City or in D.C.
As we were ushered inside, we were seated at a round table with another group of people. The place was sooo loud... cheers, sing-a-longs, good friends and good times. Turns out, the group that was already at the table said they'd sat with about 3 other groups of people throughout the evening and being seated with random others is to be expected at the bar... A cool way to meet new people. Not two minutes after we were sat down by an older Irish gentleman, he appeared again with two fist fulls of beer mugs. Shocked by the mass amounts of beer slammed down, we all grabbed a mug (either light or dark - the only 2 served at the bar) and began to enjoy our night.
One round. The guy carried at least 9 mugs in each hand.
The Irish guy who kept bringing our rounds by the fistful.
The end of the night.
Aisha, we had an amazing night with you! Can't wait to see you again either in the City or in D.C.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Meteor Shower
When life is too crazy, and things are moving too fast, look to the constant stars... and remember, like them, our love will last.
Four years ago, Seth and I headed to the City Park in our college town to lay out in the lawn and watch the night sky. We "cuddled under the cosmos," as the magazine read where I found this romantic idea, to enjoy the Perseid meteor shower. Turns out, there were some lucky stars shooting through the sky that night. Four years later, Seth and I will be heading to our rooftop to see if we can see any shooting stars through our city lights. Although it may be hard for us to see the shooting stars, we invite you to take advantage of the shower and beautiful stars.
We'll never forget that last star we saw before we called it a night... a couple of friends had joined us (Mark and Mel), and we all agreed that we would head in once we saw 3 more stars shoot across the sky... We spotted one, then two... and then the best and biggest one of the night shot across the sky. After being frozen for a few seconds by its beauty, we all yelled out in excitement, laughing and jumping up as we headed back inside to share the stories of the stars.
Perseid comes every year around the same time. Here are the best times to view the meteor shower in the Northern Hemisphere:
Best seen: NIGHT of August 11th to MORNING of August 12th
Best time: Between 2 a.m. to dawn on August 12th (This is after the moon sets so the sky will be darker!)
So grab up your honey and a blanket and head for a dark place to watch this beautiful meteor shower. Oh and if you get the chance, there should be stars shooting a couple days before and after as a result of the annual shower. Start saving up your wishes and begin watching the sky.
PS: Because we may not be able to see the stars that well, leave comments and let us know what you thought of the shower! :)
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Ocean Beach
I could get used to this day-tripping to the beach thing. Today, we headed to Fire Island to take Jace to a beach before they left for North Carolina. We ended up going to Ocean Beach, a great place but a long commute there... the subway to the train, train to another train to another train to a bus, bus to a ferry and walla, 3 hours later we were there.
Seth and his dad
Our umbrella was propped right in the front row closest to the beach. It was a perfect spot. The beach was a bit smaller than Robert Moses, but the water wasn't packed at all, as you can see.... It may have been all the jelly fish out though.
Jace taking in the beach... This was the one thing he seemed to really want to do while he was here. He was completely bummed that the original plan for a Friday trip fell through because of weather, but he was able to convince his dad to stay an extra day so we could make the trip Saturday. We were wondering if he got attacked by jellies though or had a reaction to the salt water. Not sure, but there were hundreds of tiny jelly fish being washed ashore and one large jelly hanging out in the waves for a while.
Love this umbrella. Saves me from suffering the burns of the sun.
P spitting sand out of his mouth while being buried. At one point, while P was warming up in the sand near me, we had a conversation about how gross salt water was, which led to a conversation about how cool it would be if the beach was made of sugar instead of sand. P made a recommendation that I'm all about... Sugar water instead of salt water! I think if this were the case, P would be motivated to come to the beach for more important reasons!
Another round of being buried. This time he was packed in tight and needed a little help out. But before he climbed out of the sand, he was fed some snacks and had a few pictures snapped.
Phoenix laughing at Seth and his "chest".
That's about as close to the water as I got this time around. The breeze was a bit cool, and I tend to get cold.
The location of the beach on the island is not accessible by car, so there are walkways through the neighborhoods, restaurants, and shops. We discussed with Jackie how fun it would be to rent a place and stay a couple days during the week when it's not so packed. We're thinking we'll look into it for next summer :)
Seth and his dad
Our umbrella was propped right in the front row closest to the beach. It was a perfect spot. The beach was a bit smaller than Robert Moses, but the water wasn't packed at all, as you can see.... It may have been all the jelly fish out though.
Jace taking in the beach... This was the one thing he seemed to really want to do while he was here. He was completely bummed that the original plan for a Friday trip fell through because of weather, but he was able to convince his dad to stay an extra day so we could make the trip Saturday. We were wondering if he got attacked by jellies though or had a reaction to the salt water. Not sure, but there were hundreds of tiny jelly fish being washed ashore and one large jelly hanging out in the waves for a while.
Love this umbrella. Saves me from suffering the burns of the sun.
P spitting sand out of his mouth while being buried. At one point, while P was warming up in the sand near me, we had a conversation about how gross salt water was, which led to a conversation about how cool it would be if the beach was made of sugar instead of sand. P made a recommendation that I'm all about... Sugar water instead of salt water! I think if this were the case, P would be motivated to come to the beach for more important reasons!
Another round of being buried. This time he was packed in tight and needed a little help out. But before he climbed out of the sand, he was fed some snacks and had a few pictures snapped.
Phoenix laughing at Seth and his "chest".
That's about as close to the water as I got this time around. The breeze was a bit cool, and I tend to get cold.
The location of the beach on the island is not accessible by car, so there are walkways through the neighborhoods, restaurants, and shops. We discussed with Jackie how fun it would be to rent a place and stay a couple days during the week when it's not so packed. We're thinking we'll look into it for next summer :)
Friday, August 8, 2008
The Owl on the Roof
New York City skyline is a breathtaking beauty I hope I never tire of seeing. One of the advantages of living here: it's accessible to me, not only by taking a short subway ride, but also by climbing two sets of stairs to the roof.
The roof is just simply a roof, not as fancy and pleasant looking as the building's next to ours, with it's deck, grill, patio chairs, lights, and more. Yet, maybe it isn't about what's on the roof, but what's off of it. We definitely have the better view.
Looking down 5th Ave. towards Garfield St. (North) It's especially fun to look down on our street during the night, and even more fun to look around at the buildings to see who else is on their roof enjoying an activity that rarely happens in the midwest.
Painted wall faded with time and weather. A picture I've been meaning to take for a while now.
A friend came over recently and mentioned that we lived in the "Owl Building." They were refering to an owl that hangs from the top corner of our building... an owl much like this one. When I saw this owl sitting on the roof, I thought it had been pulled up. It actually has a friend. I like to think it's our security system... one watching the front entrance from where it hangs out, one on the rooftop. Who knows, maybe there are more!
The roof is just simply a roof, not as fancy and pleasant looking as the building's next to ours, with it's deck, grill, patio chairs, lights, and more. Yet, maybe it isn't about what's on the roof, but what's off of it. We definitely have the better view.
Looking down 5th Ave. towards Garfield St. (North) It's especially fun to look down on our street during the night, and even more fun to look around at the buildings to see who else is on their roof enjoying an activity that rarely happens in the midwest.
Painted wall faded with time and weather. A picture I've been meaning to take for a while now.
A friend came over recently and mentioned that we lived in the "Owl Building." They were refering to an owl that hangs from the top corner of our building... an owl much like this one. When I saw this owl sitting on the roof, I thought it had been pulled up. It actually has a friend. I like to think it's our security system... one watching the front entrance from where it hangs out, one on the rooftop. Who knows, maybe there are more!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
I Weigh 3186 Pounds...
...On the sun. I found this out this afternoon while visiting the Amercan Museum of Natural History. After putting my father-in-law to work (putting in a new deadbolt so we are safe and locked up) late morning through early afternoon, we headed into the city to meet some of the family at the museum for an afternoon of exploring.
Saturn seems to be a place that is about the closest to the Earth. Mars makes you loose about two-thirds of your weight... and Haley's Comet makes you very, very lightweight. I was about .14 pound!
More Jellies! This one was a very large one hanging from the ceiling... in the room right before the very large blue whale hanging from the ceiling. I'm not going to lie, the size of the whale makes me actually scared of whales. (Is there a name for a phobia for whales? I have it!)
In a dark and scary corner of the whale room, is another whale. This whale is fighting a large squid... A whale and now a squid --- gives me quivers just thinking about it. Today, as we visited this dark corner display, Phoenix searched for his flashlight, only to find he'd accidentally left it on and ran the batteries out. If I'd seen this display as a child, I'd probably still have nightmares about it!
Dinosaurs in North America
Jace and T-Rex
P was quite the photographer today, taking pictures with his mama's camera. Rumor is he'll have his own blog up and running in the near future to showcase his photography and adventures from his viewpoint. Seth and I look forward to seeing his photos. As we parted tonight, he explained to each of us that although he might not be with us each day, he can still see us because he has pictures!
Another evening of amazing food. Fondou at the French restaurant. I was so full by the time I got my crepe, I only ate half of it!
Saturn seems to be a place that is about the closest to the Earth. Mars makes you loose about two-thirds of your weight... and Haley's Comet makes you very, very lightweight. I was about .14 pound!
More Jellies! This one was a very large one hanging from the ceiling... in the room right before the very large blue whale hanging from the ceiling. I'm not going to lie, the size of the whale makes me actually scared of whales. (Is there a name for a phobia for whales? I have it!)
In a dark and scary corner of the whale room, is another whale. This whale is fighting a large squid... A whale and now a squid --- gives me quivers just thinking about it. Today, as we visited this dark corner display, Phoenix searched for his flashlight, only to find he'd accidentally left it on and ran the batteries out. If I'd seen this display as a child, I'd probably still have nightmares about it!
Dinosaurs in North America
Jace and T-Rex
P was quite the photographer today, taking pictures with his mama's camera. Rumor is he'll have his own blog up and running in the near future to showcase his photography and adventures from his viewpoint. Seth and I look forward to seeing his photos. As we parted tonight, he explained to each of us that although he might not be with us each day, he can still see us because he has pictures!
Another evening of amazing food. Fondou at the French restaurant. I was so full by the time I got my crepe, I only ate half of it!
Amusement History
Welcome to Coney Island. As I walk this boardwalk, I can't help but wonder how it felt to be in this place in its prime. The boardwalks filled with people and the beaches just the same. Everyone coming here as a way to relax and enjoy the New York summer heat. Women testing the water in suits that showed skin (a shock at the turn of the 20th century), hotdogs at Nathan's, a ride on the Wonderwheel and later the Cyclone. Awww, the excitement.
The Cyclone. World's Fastest Roller Coster 1927-1972.
Phoenix enjoys storytime with Grandpapa.
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