We had a good time in PA for Thanksgiving where I got to see my family. I also got to show my nephews know how to play backyard football. Being the yougest growing up my brothers gave me a beating in such instances. Still bitter I took it out on my poor nephew Noah. Who was knocked down about a dozen times, but hes a tough little guy who kept getting up.
So on Tues we decided to see the infamous tree lighting at Rockefeller since we walk by everyday. We got around the corner and again stopped. People stopped even though they could not see around the corner. This story isnt nearly as exciting because turned around right away. Especially when we found out it was a 2 hr event. We did randomely see our friend outside St Pats and had a nice chat making the 8 block trip worth it.
The good news it was still lit yesterday morning.
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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.