Well one of the things we have been looking forward to has been the holiday season here. Im very much anti decorating before Thanksgiving, but I couldnt help myself get excited about a week before as my city transformed for the holidays.
Although we were meeting my entire family for Thanksgiving in PA, Chistina and I were determined to take in a little of the Macys Thanksgiving Parade. We had several friends staying here and we planned to meet close to the start of the parade at 6:30am. I left slightly late and CY would be about a half hour behind. I set out thru Central Park to make it a bit easier. I was pleasently surprised to find very few people so this seemed like it would be easier than I expected until I got to the exit of the park where we meeting. The police told me I needed to go 4 blocks north to cross. So I did so and began to make my way back down the other side. I passed a couple of ballons and began to get excited. The the crowd thickened then really thickened. After 3 or 4 phone calls I found my friends even though I was only about 15ft away. The twins got a big kick out of me transitioning from sitting on my knees to my butt. I dont ever recall doing a backwards sommersalt but I came pretty close Thanksgiving 2009.
I called CY to warn her about cutting thru the park and crowds. She hates crowds. We even wagered if she would turn back or not. During all this time the crowd really… well got crowded. She called and asked where I was. I explained. Called back again I explained waving my hands etc. Two more times we went thru the calls before she saw me just 30ft away. She was unsure if she would make it, but if you know Christina I had full confidence. I figured she would politely and gracefully move thru the crowd or… it would be like the scene in the Matrix where all the bad guys pile on him and then all the sudden bodies just start flying. Well it was neither people would not give an inch and I finally decided I would leave and we would find another spot to watch. This is where it got annoying. I was exiting the crowd, but they wouldnt let me. I was practically in a mosh pit TRYING TO LEAVE.
Finally I made it out. Then our plan was to head home since we had rented a car and needed to leave early. From home we would backtrack to a safe zone where we could watch the parade then make our escape.
First we decided to take a train only one stop but we had a secret home only accessable from the subway. Turns out it wasnt that secret because the police blocked it off. We were running out of time because we knew we could never cross after the parade started. We went to two barracades before we were allowed thru and it was only because we had mail with our address on it.
Finally we saw balloons from our front stoop a block away. The good news is we were able to leave on time which would never have happened if we stayed in our original spot. There is more about holiday events tomorrow.

So I’m thumbing this from the train again. I’m anxiously awaiting Ben & Jerry’s from the actual store in a waffle cone. On Sat we were showing our visitors around and ended up eating lunch at Grand Central Terminal. I had a ceasar salad from a place called Hale and Hearty. HALE YEAH! it was so delicious I had it again yesterday. With the visitors in town including, a nine year old, we went to Bennihana. Last night I was googling the recipe for fried rice, what is wrong with me?
Then there is Chick-fil-a. I’m going out of town next week and one of the things I’m looking fwd to most is chicken nuggets. Even though I drove by one a few weeks ago but wasnt allowed to stop. Thanx TW. I’ve been known to drive an hour for them. I once planned a road trip to stop overnight at the first sign of Chick-Fil-A. I then woke up and started driving very early. I stopped for gas and there was a CFA. I waited 15 min at the drive-thru for them to open for breakfast.
So what does it all mean. I’m hungry and bored and you had to read about it.

well here goes another stab at the wordpress iPhone app. I was trying to think of a good topic but it didn’t need to look much further than a few weeks ago when my in-laws came to NYC for the first time.
Well things started like my most visitors to NYC that have cable by them asking me if they could get in the “cash cab” from the airport. Also it was the first day of the UN General Assembly so they got to experience their first traffic jam. I was not surprised to learn they were close friends with the cab driver by the time hey arrived. I got to hear all about him and his son, who was not there by the way.
Where to begin… well like us my in-laws enjoy the food network. So we decided to hit some spots. “We heard about this on tv,” my father-in-law would tell them as if it were code for a discount. Quick side note that does work at the Hard Rock Cafe in Vegas. Ask for the steak and shrimp special $7.77, which is not posted. We then took them for authentic NY pizza where they both ordered pasta.
One thing about him is everything is amazing. Even when we play board games even answers are truly astounding. So you can imagine the thrill of a trip to the busiest Whole Foods in America. I’ve never seen anyone so amazed by a grociery store and I’ve been in them after living on a remote island.
Then there was China Town incident. So I wasn’t there but they all were wondering around and went to China Town. Didn’t buy anything and to my knowledge didn’t see anything. However from that moment forward he had to get back to Chinatown much to my wife’s dismay, but like her when he gets an idea in his head it doesn’t leave until completed. it is funny to hear your wife complain so much about traits she has herself. it’s ok she’s not reading.
Another odd thing was how much he did not want to go to Cenral Park. “I can go to a park at home,” he would say. The funny thing is that he’s not the grumpy dad from movies that would utter such a line.
We never made it in the cash cab, however we did watch it every day. Oh and he would tell all the cabbies he was hoping for the cash cab.
I write these things because I still maintain that if I could put them on a reality show I’d be rich. They are great people and we had a nice time.

If you’re reading this blog you probably are well aware that I am a huge U2 fan and have been since the second grade.  Since high school I have made it a ritual to purchase the new CD on the day of its release.  It started out that way because when I was a kid that was the only way you would be able to hear it.  Even though I had a leaked copy I set off into the snow and ice wearing my long underwear to make it to Best Buy.  I had to wait for a bus, ride it with scary people and make it thru eating dinner at Chick-fil-a.  It was obviously well worth the journey.

It was the when I returned that things got depressing.  I have been coping with the fact that U2 will be on Good Morning America Friday, and then reminded they’ll be on Lettermen all this week two blocks from my apt.  I then was watching Acess Hollywood, (I was in a waiting area in a lobby not my choice) and there they were, 2 blocks away naming 53rd st a blcok south of my st 54th “U2 Way.”  Needless to say I won’t be at all shocked to find out they sublet the apt next door to me this week since I’m away.

1.5 blocks from my door

So that is my U2 story for now and if you’re in my neighborhood make sure you say hello, because you’ll probably run into them.  Most of all enjoy the new album I like it quite a bit.  It isn’t my favorite but you can always count on U2 to keep there music moving forward.  The things I do for your freedom… your welcome.

Well being in NY you can get anything you desire, however it tends to be expensive.  After doing exaustive research on the interweb, I set out to a store.  Not just any store, but the wonderful beautiful Target.  First I had to determine if the bag I required was in stock.  I called 3 stores, and was on hold for quite sometime.  I finally confirmed the bag was in stock however it was in another state.  No biggy because it was only 3 miles away.  Or so I thought.

First I jumped on the NY metro train a few stops to where I would transfer.  My only guess is that NY and NJ “PATH” trains don’t get along.  I got off the train where I thought I would be in PENN Station.  I was not and had to walk outside about 3 blocks.  I then found PENN Station and tried to find the PATH trains.  I followed a sign or two for the “PATH” trains.  However the signs stopped showing up, but there was no train.   I finally asked someone.  “6th and 32nd” they said.  I thought to myself, “Oh where I just came from.”  Finally I found the train but it was a bit unclear as to which to take.  So like I have become acustom to, I jumped on a train.  Forunately I was on the correct one.

After an hour of pure bliss and $200 later, I left Target with my new garment bag, filled with other goodies.  I went back to the train station.  It was even more confusing to find the correct train back.  So much so that I got on the wrong train.  It took me two stops to realize I went the wrong way.  I exited and back to the other train platform trying to look like I do this everyday.  Finally I made it back to Penn Station fournd my train home and 3.5 hours after leaving I was back home.  That was Monday.

Well is has been about two and a half weeks since we arrived home in NYC.  I say home because it feels like just that.  After living two years in Grenada and a few months with family, it is nice to have a place that at least has the potential of being a place we can settle for a while.  Plus we both love it here.  Last week I had a chance to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge which was a lot of fun.  I posted some photos on my Flickr photo site.  There is a link to on the right.  I’ve been trying hard to have them show up on the site but not luck yet.  We also went to see a concert pianist at Carnegie Hall with some friends this weekend.  Our friend’s friend was playing there and if you like that kind of thing I’m sure it was fantastic.  I don’t know much about it but that Marcel could really play and a really nice guy.  Christina and I both agreed we think they could jazz those things up a little bit.  Maybe tell a few jokes in between or at least some talking.  I’m sure there is protocol to follow.  Sunday I was up and not tired so since I was in NYC and it was 11:30 I went to the 24hr Apple Store.  I assumed I would be one of a handful of weirdos there at that hour, however it was pretty busy.  Finally yesterday I went to see a dumb movie (The Day the Earth Stood Still) with a friend of mine.  On my way to meet him it was snowing pretty heavily.  As I was walking by Central Park I paused to realize how thankful I was to make it NYC.  Although beautiful, Grenada had quite a toll on us, and it was a polar opposite as I walked through a beautiful snowfall in the greatest city on earth.  That was moment quickly faded when my buddy from Texas appeared from the train with an umbrella.  I explained I was from MN and there is no way he was going to embarrass me by using that thing.  There is a week in what is fast becoming too familiar to seem exciting.  However the next post will be about food in NYC.

As you can imagine food is everywhere in my beloved NYC.  However groceries have been a bit of an adventure.  Much like finding the perfect laundry mat (more on that later) I can be picky about grocery stores.  Living in Grenada has made me know stranger to small stores with big prices.  Yet another similarity between the two places, plus I also took my backpack to carry food in just like IGA.  Our first day here we realized we needed groceries so thanks to the iphone we had many choices in our immediate area.  So we decided to make a short loop and hit a few to see what would be best.  Our first was quaint little spot that had stuff but we kept getting lost and they didn’t have all that we were looking for.  The next stop we were very excited since it was a Whole Foods that was close by.  Well it is in Columbus Circle which is a just what it sounds like.  A big circle on the edge of Central Park.  Well we walked around once with no sign of Whole Foods.  We got half way around and checked the phone again, but it wasn’t adding up.  Christina had the idea of asking someone, however it seemed everyone were tourists.  Finally we aksed one of New York’s finest and explained it was in the Time Warner Center which is a big mall.  There wasn’t a sing or anything until you got inside.  So we took the escalater down to what I am certain is the busiest Whole Foods in the world.  Like most other stores in NYC this too was a bit of a maze slash circle.  I was afraid to separate from Christina and I got turned around more than once.  We gathered our groceries and now it was time to check out.  So we got in the express line.  Have you every been to an amusement park where the line to the roller coaster looks good, and then you walk around a corner and it is a way bigger line?  Well we ended up in a snake line much like at an airport.  They also had a computer to say which register was available, but they also had a person to direct you.  “register 21 is now ready, register 9 is now ready, register 17 is now ready, register 42 is now ready.”  Did she (the cpu) say register 42?  It is nuts, but amazingly efficient.  I recently watched some shows about a cruise ship and a luxury train and all the work that went into preparing them.  I think they should do a special on Whole Foods because the logistics to making that place run would require precission beyond my comprehension.  We made one last stop on the corner and it was ok but overpriced and everyone is in everyone’s way.  Well that is my dumb story about grocery shoppin in NYC.