Gettysburg on Monday

Trying to figure out what to do today, Mac suggested that we visit Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania.  They have never been, so we drove about an hour to the famous battleground of the civil war.  It was very impressive.  The new visitor center was finished in 2008.  We bought tx for the Cyclorama and the Museum, and spent several hours looking at the civil war, and Lincoln, and all the other generals.  Dinner was BASA, some Vietnamese fish, and Kathy did a great job cooking it.  Very tired, will be leaving tomorrow, sad.......   packed the suitcase to the gill, bedddddddzzzzzzzzzzz

Grand Ceremony (JHU)

Sunday morning Mac cooks great waffles.  We drive to church, which was at Winters Mill High School with two cars as we will be leaving for JHU.  It was COLD !!!!!  We meet ZhiSai, who is the 13 year old girl that their friend Julie and Joe adopted from China.  She refuses to talk to any man, and is angry that they brought her to America.  I tried talking to her, and we actually had some conversation.  She speaks Mandarin ok, but prefers Cantonese, which I don't speak.  So we sat outside the auditorium and talk while they listen to the sermon.

2 rows up and blocking the girl behind him !!!

We then drive to JHU, and arrive at Shriver's Auditorium about 12 30 and there were many people there already.  The ceremony starts with a speech and then one of the CTYer from 1984 and now is an astrophysicist at JHU talks, then they all line up , several alphabet at a time, and get their medals.   Then it is a photo outside, then the mad dash to get some food.  There were lots of sandwiches, and Kurtis scarfs up his share.  We drive thru campus and checks out the town, even looked at the Orioles Stadium downtown, before driving back to Mac's house.  With his GPS, it was very easy.  Mac lives in Carroll County, and very pretty, lots of rolling meadows and small farms.  Kathy is only here for a few days.  She is going back to Hawaii to sell her practice so she can move out to Maryland.  Kathy cooked pork roast, and rice, it was delicious.  Kurtis tried to make a squirrel trap, but did not get any.  We went to bed thinking how this trip was so much fun, and that we had pretty good weather, and the driving was not too bad, and the train was fun, and the subway..........zzzzzzzzzzzz

Saturday

I knew the line for tickets will be long so I dressed and ran to the visitor center for txs to Independence Hall.  Man, it was COLD, I forgot to wear my hat, and the wind just froze my ears.  I saw Penn's Landing by the water, and ran to Chinatown, which was bustling.  Phily does not have as many walkers as NYC or even New Haven.  Maybe it was just that I was early.

 
 Kurtis:

auntie Kathy & uncle Mac

I somehow woke up when mom woke up, even though today was the day that I was allowed to sleep in. So I pretended that I was asleep until mom left and then turned on the TV. After five minutes, I hear the turning of a doorknob, so I scrabble for the remote and to get back in bed, but mom is too quick and is wondering why I am up. She came up to get the key for the building, but since she saw that I was up, she just threw the responsibility on me to go downstairs (six flights of stairs) just to let her in. Like, she can't carry a 3 oz. key??? So she goes on her way to go get tickets to see Independence hall and I watch TV, well, what I can watch with three channels. Channel 5,7, and 9. That was all I had. On channel 5, there was this cooking show, on channel 7, miscellaneous news, and on channel 9, random fashion and movie previews. I ended up watching channel 5 for most of the time, and on that channel, they showed how to prepare a fresh garden salad, a lightly roasted turkey, and a light bread pudding for dessert. To intensify my hunger even more,  all of the hosts and the cook ate the meal at the end of the show. After that cooking show, there was also a gardening show. This "master gardener" was showing the audience what fertilizer to use, what weed-whacker to use, what grub killer to use. He even explained that you have to kill the grubs when they are still young. Then we checked out and went to see independence hall. We walked over there in freezing-cold weather. We first explored the west hall, and then went in Independence Hall. It was pretty close to the photos, and we had a pretty good tour guide/informant. He brought us through each of the rooms and explained the importance/significance of each part. There was the symbolic rising/setting sun chair, and Benjamin Franklin said that it was a rising sun and that it symbolized our nation. We then watched a film in the Independence Hall Information Center about what the founding fathers would say if they saw America today. Then we went back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and head to Baltimore. The innkeeper told us about this awesome local Philly Cheese Steak Place that we tried. IT WAS AWESOME!!! albeit expensive. We then went back to the hotel for the last time, picked up our luggage and picked up the car from the car garage. We had to pay $18 for parking it for 24 hrs. We then proceeded to drive to UPenn, or the University of Pennsylvania. We couldn't go into the freshman dorms because we were late for the tour. After a look-see, we drove to Uncle Mack's house which was in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!!!(in Hampsted , Maryland

breakfast at Thomas Bond, YUM

The Two Kurts (Princeton)

Friday morning arrives bright and cold.  It was very sunny but very cold.  I have some lobby coffee, while Kurtis sleeps on.  We don't eat breakfast, as we are having lunch with Kurt.  On the way from Monmouth to Princeton, we see Hysterical Landmark, and off we go.  It was the farm house where Washington stayed with his army when his troop tried to mutiny, and he squashed them down.  We met Kurt at Dinky Station, and had a great breakfast at PJ's on Nassau Street.  He then gave us a tour of his room, and off we go to Clio Hall for the 'official tour'.  I embarrassed Kurtis to death with a gift of a toothbrush to Kurt with "Drs. Bingemann & Ko" on it.   Princeton is very nice, not as busy as Columbia, but just as nice as Yale.  I had made a reservation at the Thomas Bond house in Philadelphia and we started driving right after the tour.

The drive was short from Princeton, and Kurtis is a good navigator.  We parked at Ritz East parking lot, right next to the hotel, at 18 bucks a day.  We had room 402 where Kurtis proceeded to bang his head on the sloping ceiling.  A quick walk to see THE LIBERTY BELL was in order, and there was no line.  From the way it looked, much had changed since my last visit in 1976.  There is now a whole 'mall' structure surrounding the bell.  We had dinner at the City Tavern, after the wine and cheese social at 5 30.  We had rabbit, and Kurtis had a drink called the Shrub, which he loved.  It was an early to bed, as we are heading to Baltimore tomorrow.

if it is Thursday, it must be YALE

I knew we would not want to pack today, so we packed early, last night, and slept in until time for our last wonderful breakfast at the Woof Woof Inn.  Then it was to Grand Central Station, via TAXI !!!  We have taken all forms of transportation, plane, boat, bus, taxi, train, and subway.  The only thing missing is horse and bicycle !!  The tx to New Haven was 14 bucks, while the taxi ride for 10 blocks was 6.50.  The conductor even let Kurtis rang the train horn, and sat in the last caboose seat.  The train was about 2 1/2 hour, glad I did not drive it.  We arrived at New Haven station and I picked up our rental car at Hertz, which was only about a block on George Street.  Hertz gave us a Nissan Versa, a great car, as we only reserved an Aveo or the like.  Great for the large suitcase.  We saw the Renslo's and another kid name Ben from Chadwick.  It was so weird, as we were saying that we should at least see someone we know, and there was John and his brother, sister and parents.  We went to this great all you can eat pizza/salad place.  Kurtis had chicken fingers and I had all you can eat salad/soup/stuffed pizza bread/rolls.  It was on Whitney Street, just down from Admission/Hillhouse.  There are two kinds of tours, one done by Yale visitor center and one by Admission.  We did not go to the information session, as we were hungry, but we did go on the tour.  It was COLD COLD COLD, but the tour giver was one of the best.  We picked up the freeway, I95, and drove to Monmouth, New Jersey to the Red Roof Inn, once again, for only 45 bucks.  Dinner was yogurt from the NYC Roof, and pizza bread, then good night.

The Day it Snowed (Columbia 3/23/2011)

breakfast of champion, Pepsi and donut

eternal flame, with snow on the ground

missed our tour, but looked around campus, wonder if you can get in????

Mr. Boalt, eat your heart out

we brought our snacks

     Well, if it didn't snowed during the night, and is sleeting lightly when I looked out the window.  The temperature can change 20 degrees from one day to the next.  We ate a light breakfast and took the subway to Battery Park, to board the boat to see the Lady.  There was a light dusting of snow thru Battery Park, about a couple of inches stuck all over, and we were amazed how the city looks partially 'white'.  There was no line, but still took a little bit to get thru security.  There were several groups of middle and high school students on field trips to the island.  We rode Miss Liberty, and the statue looked beautiful, partly in cloud, and mist/rain.  After a hot drink at the cafe, we went to Ellis Island.  I could just imagine how the immigrants felt coming thru in the early 20th century.  It was cold and rainy all day.  We had a fabulous Taiwanese lunch at Bian Dang, which is at the food court right across the street from the hotel.  Bian Dang, actually means lunch, in Chinese  (便當).  We ate it watching TV.  Of course afterward, Kurtis did not want to go out, as it was still raining/sleeting/hailing/snowing.  I made him get dressed and took the subway to see Columbia University.  The rest of the evening was packing and eating left over food.  I also found a great store, Jacks World @ 111 West 32nd Street between 6th & 7th Ave.  Considering everything is so expensive in NYC, Jack's was GREAT !!!!  Too bad Kurtis didn't see it, he wanted to take the subway all the way back, instead of walking a few blocks, I got off on Penn Station & 34th, while he took the Orange line back to the hotel.  It is now thundering, and hailing and snowing.

March 22, 2011 Tuesday

Top of Empire State Building

Capturing Statue of Liberty thru the 50cent view finder

looking down to the tip of Manhattan

what big ones you have !!

me & the shop keeper

      We knew the line for the Empire State Building would be long, so we got up and without breakfast, went to see the tallest building up after 1932.  There was security line check, and the ride to the 86 floor took no time flat, and it was nice and sunny but very windy.  We thought it was going to be warm, and did not wear enough clothes.  It was clear and beautiful.  You can see all the way to Brooklyn, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Staten Island, and all the high rises, people, ships.  Wow, it was a wonderful view.  Then is was the fab breakfast at the Red Roof Inn (nyma), before taking the City Sights NY bus down to the Statue of Liberty.  BUT......  when we got down there, the line was at least 1 1/2 hour long before boarding the boat, so we thought, nay, maybe tomorrow.  As it was a nice day, we walked to the BULL at Wall Street, and HAD to take a pic of the bull's nuts.  The subway took us to Canal Street where we stumbled into The Green Bo, a great Chinese restaurant, we enjoyed our great lunch, and I bought the "piggy cap".  I meant to bring a beanie, but forgot, and as I am a PIG in the Chinese calendar...  bargaining is necessary on Canal Street.  As we did not go see the Lady, we went to the Top of the Rock, at Rockefeller Center.  The elevator took less than a minute to the observation deck.  We had tickets to see the Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway/45th Street.  This is Kurtis first musical, and it was very impressive.  We absolutely thought it was fabulous, with the cast, and the costumes, and the scene changes.  We stumbled back to the hotel for a late night rest.  Tomorrow will be the Lady, but rain/snow is forecasted.

Monday in NYC

free breakfast at the Red Roof Inn on 32nd / 5th

by the Brooklyn Library

D Rock & Meeno

Happy Spring & Happy Anniversary Natasha & Pete !!!!!

YUM

chicken, fries & greens

     We woke up to find that it is raining.  I woke Kurtis up and we had a quick breakfast, and changed room.  The frig in the "old" room makes too much noise, so from 907 we went up to 1402, right in the front with a view of the back side of the Empire State Building.  While we were moving, it started SNOWING  !!!!!!!!!!  We did not bring enough clothes for this weather.  Let us hope that it does not snow all day.  We hoped on the Explorer Bus, City Sights NY and went Downtown, thinking since it is raining, we should just ride the bus all day.  We got off at Battery Park and went on the Brooklyn tour.  It was COLD COLD COLD.  There are @160 Starbucks in Manhattan, and almost all of them let the public use the restroom, and Kurtis took a quick poop at the one.  The Brooklyn tour was interesting, and we hopped off at Flatbush to eat at Junior's
     http://www.juniorscheesecake.com/our_restaurants/brooklyn/
and we shared the half roasted chicken.  It comes with one little dish of great pickled beets, one little dish of pickled cabbage, with three quartered dill pickles, and corn bread with these little rolls.  MAN, it was a lot of food.  The three course chicken lunch comes with salad AND a piece of cheesecake, and a pile of french fries and a side dish, which I chose collar greens.  WE were so stuffed, we barely ate any chicken.  After the fine lunch, we took the subway (line B) to Time Square, where we caught the Uptown Bus to tour Uptown Manhattan.

          It finally stopped drizzling, and we cruised up Central Park.  Passing the Natural History Museum, we decided to hop off and take a look.  Another hour later, we got back on the bus, and finished the Uptown Tour.  Since we were close to Rockefeller  Center we decided to take a look.  It was amazing to see the people skating at the famous rink, and all the flags flapping in the breeze.  It was still cold, at least it was not raining.  We walked through Time Square again to get back to the hotel.  New York is so amazing.  There were a bunch of people with placards demonstrating against our position on Libya.  "GET US OUT OF LIBYA".  We were tired and cold.  Tomorrow's weather is suppose to improve, and we are suppose to go to Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, and Statue of Liberty.  We tried the Empire State Building but the workers said that the top is completely in fog and to come back tomorrow.  The Explorer Pass works well, just show the pass and get your tx, skip the lines !!  We had dinner at this great Korean restaurant called Mandoo Bar, at 2 W 32nd Street, between 5th & Broadway, in the heart of Korea Way.  It is so strange that we happen to book a hotel on the street where there are 24 hour Korean restaurants, and the people here call it Little Korea.  Kurtis had the chicken fried rice, and I had the famous dumplings.

Sunday Roaming

getting lost on the subway

Central Park Jackie Onassis Reservoir

Add caption

On the tour bus

After Kurtis had his fill of donut, milk and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, we boarded the Explorer bus, heading towards Chelsea, West Village, Greenwich Village, Soho, and we get out of at Financial District.  Took a short walk across Brooklyn Bridge, and then to the 9/11 memorial, and Ground Zero.  Then it is back on the bus home, as Kurtis said he was tired of walking.  We take hte bus back, and had a great lunch at Mandoo Bar, Korean restaurant that was actually in the book, NYC for Dummies, and the dumplings were GREAT !!!!!

We were going to see Empire State Building, but it was closing as we were eating lunch, so after a short rest, we will head towards the bus and ride it around again.

NYC half marathon

So I go down to Madame Tussaud's to pick up our Explorer pass, and the noise and people is a little bit too much even for NY, on a Sunday morning.  I ask someone, well, it happens that this is the day for the NYC half marathon, and the traffic and people and the runners and the singers and the people !!!!  WOW, what a place, singing "YMCA" on Time Square has gotta be a high light of this trip !!!

Of course, Kurtis was asleep back at the hotel during this whole thing, and I got back, got him up, and fed him bteakfast (FREE from the hotel), and we are going touring.  Weather is beautiful, sunny and probably about 45 degrees, but Monday and Wed suppose to rain/snow, so we will take the City Tour today, and maybe the line for Statue of Liberty will be shorter in the rain?????  Kurtis lost our hair brush, so we had to buy one yesterday.  We also saw the largest Forever 21 store, with giant neon billboard.  NYC is full of immigrants, and tourists, so many languages are spoken.

WE are here in NYC

Well, finally the day is here and we have arrived.  I had been working at Chadwick this week substituting for Mrs. Lin, while she is in China with the 4 Chadwick kids.  It was interesting to see all the kids in Chinese Intensive, 1B, 2, 3 & 3H working on their books.  Some are really good, and some are really lazy.  Too bad this is a public post, I cannot say who is lazy.  After Friday's work, ROCKFEST was going on for Kurtis.  He didn't want to come home, so I picked him up at 4 PM.  I packed furiously, and still missed a few items, like chapstick. We had dinner with mom and dad at Allioto's, Italian place on Torrance Blvd, VERY expensive, about 200 bucks!!!!

This morning, Romany picked us up and drove us to Delta.  The plane was ontime, they pushed off right on time, and was 40 minutes early to JFK, so there was no place to dock, and we had to wait.  The shuttle thing at JFK is very wonky.  First you have to take the airtrain to station 4, (Delta was at station 3). then you have to go to the ground transportation kiosk and check in and then the guy comes and call your name or number.  THe Supershuttle was very full, 9 of us and he drove and we are at the Red Roof Inn, on 34th/ Broadway.  A very nice central location.  We checked in and had dinner at The Brooklyn Diner, very good food, but everything seems REALLY expensive.  Then it was walking to Times Square, wow, the people, and it was 41 degrees!!!!  What a place.  We are going touring tomorrow, and free breakfast tomorrow morning !!!

There are so many amazing people posting blogs online that I feel so infinitesimally small compared to what is going on in their lives, mission, people dying, working to save the world.  This morning I heard the quake in Japan, and watched a few videos, mother nature is so power, the cars/trucks/houses were just being swept away like toys.  We are blessed here, and it is no use to complain.

 

A Whole Month of Work

After a whole month of work, I am ready to "REST", but alas, no, I have to sub tomorrow at Chadwick.  Well, it is money, and a chance to really embarrass Kurtis.  He attended Cade & Kevin's birthday parth in MB last Friday, and pronounced it "THE BEST", because the cops came and tried to shut it down, too loud.  So, everyone was pretty stoked that the heat came to investigate.

After many hours online, and reading the NEW YORK for DUMMIES, I think I have an idea of where we are going to go on the college tour.  I booked Red Roof Inn, has breakfast, and checked out the places where I need to purchase txs first, so as not to stand in line.  Hopefully the weather would be cooperative, as it can rain days on end, and be freezing.  

Yesterday, Kurtis and dad did some major bee work.

Kurtis' College Tour (a bit early, like 8th grade... yish)

So, we are planning to go on a college tour.  As Kurtis is getting an award at JHU for scoring above 700 before age 13, and we decide to go.  While we are at it, I thought, heck, why not go on a college tour, so that we won't have to really go later.  We will do a video tour, and if he has any desires for the school, we will dig up the video and then decide if he will apply.  So, many hours later, we are booked to fly into NYC and start with Columbia University, ending in Baltimore, at JHU.