We had a great first-real-full-day in NYC. It started out with a bang--we spent the night in New Jersey and I'm sure you all remember my harrowing returning-to-the-hotel-after-laundry adventure. Well, different story same ending--Jim was the first to be ready for church and he decided that while he waited for the rest of us, he'd just make a quick run to a nearby grocery store and find us a little breakfast for the road. He left at 9:15am and we had planned to be ready and on the road at 10:30am to get across the river to 12:00 church. The timeline is important here, trust me.
At 10:52, I realized sending him alone might not have been the smartest plan.
He made it to the hotel just about 11:00 and we did a rush loading job while he recounted his adventure getting to and from the hotel (we think New Jersey has a vicious sense of humor when it comes to tourists...) and we made it to church in South Harlem with 4 minutes to spare.
As with all good Mormon people, we had no trouble finding people who knew someone we knew. A guy with the last name of Smedley said that Eric Ehmke from Show Low was his favorite missionary companion. And Jared Bybee (who conducted sacrament meeting) said that Alan Frost was his best friend from freshman year at BYU. Will & Matt got rave reviews as the best obeyers in Primary, Rachel & Jourdan stuck together in Young Women's and are going back to the church for mutual on Wednesday night (they're having manicure/pedicure night), Jim chatted with a life-long resident of Harlem and learned all about the history of housing on this island (which fascinates him to no end), and I worked up a sweat helping in the Nursery (why is it a true principle around the world that on holiday weekends 85% of the ward can be gone but there will still be a full-to-overflowing nursery??). I am proud to say that the Harlem 1st Ward Nursery now knows "Mr. Peanut", "I Had a Little Turtle" and The Bubble-Blowing Game. All in all, just about perfect.
After church, we came to "our" apartment for the first time...and it's perfect! It's way bigger than we thought it would be and the kids had a great time exploring the garbage chute, recycling room, doorman, elevator, & balcony (not necessarily in that order). We learned that our elevator buttons are wired upside down--the elevator gets here much faster if we push the up arrow because it thinks we're going down. Quirky, adorable Harlem.
We rode the subway around the city looking for Count Olaf (another of the figurines Laurie & Adam hid for us). We loved Central Park and had a great time...but didn't find him (we left the clue to his whereabouts--including treasure map--back at the apartment on accident, so we were going from memory as to where the heck he was hiding...which may have had something to do with our lack of success--we'll try again when we have the map!)
We also took the double-decker bus tour down to Battery Park and saw the Statue of Liberty from the tip of Manhattan. We realized that there is a distinct lack of public toilets and the ones that do exist are severely lacking in amenities...like toilet seats or running water.
From our bus tour, we that the island of Manhattan has precisely 12 gas stations. Our best estimate is that there are 2 bathrooms for public use. That means that theoretically, Show Low is equipped to accomodate more tourists than Manhattan...
Now on to the pictures from the day (thanks, Jourdan)
The kids found a life-size human xylophone toy in Battery Park. We tried to play a song...but it was complicated!
Matt on the top of the Double-Decker Bus.
Jourdan (the pirate?) and Matt on the bus.
The statue in Battery Park that was originally at the WTC before 9/11. It was damaged but not ruined in the attacks and moved to Battery Park as a memorial. Pretty impressive how it survived--and was damaged.
Matt and the Statue of Liberty. He was not very impressed with the statue and wanted to know where the OTHER Statue of Liberty was. Jourdan and I were confused until we realized that he was certain that this was the MAN statue and he was really looking for Lady Liberty.
Battery Park at dusk.
Looks like we'll be able to post daily as long as the benevolent owner of this wi-fi connection doesn't lock us out...
Matt on the top of the Double-Decker Bus.
Jourdan (the pirate?) and Matt on the bus.
The statue in Battery Park that was originally at the WTC before 9/11. It was damaged but not ruined in the attacks and moved to Battery Park as a memorial. Pretty impressive how it survived--and was damaged.
Matt and the Statue of Liberty. He was not very impressed with the statue and wanted to know where the OTHER Statue of Liberty was. Jourdan and I were confused until we realized that he was certain that this was the MAN statue and he was really looking for Lady Liberty.
Battery Park at dusk.
Looks like we'll be able to post daily as long as the benevolent owner of this wi-fi connection doesn't lock us out...It was a great day (and late night) in NYC!
At family prayer, I asked everyone what was their favorite thing about the first day in New York. Answers were typical:
Jourdan: Times Square
Matt: the ice cream (we all screamed with laughter...and when we pointed out to him that we didn't HAVE ice cream today, he said he knew that--but he was just wanting some)
Will: looking for Count Olaf
Rachel: riding the subway and figuring out how to get around
Mom: going to church in Harlem
Dad: getting a good parking spot right in front of our building
Speaking of the best part of the day, it was the best part of OUR day to read that last part of the post. That's so Jim. And so Matt.
ReplyDeleteAnd SO Olaf.
I love that you are always the first to comment...and that I always think it's scandalously late for anyone to be online. But it's 3 hours earlier where you are.
ReplyDeleteCrap--I'm going to bed NOW.