Quick Update
I’m back on Facebook and I quit the 365(6) project. Too much pressure and too little time, respectively.
I took a break from blogging, but I’m back. Should have a few entries up in no time.
366 or maybe 125
This 365 project is not really working out for me. I just do not want to take a picture every day. So maybe it will be every third day.
365.in.2012
Hayley and I are both doing a 365 this year. Each day I will upload a new picture to Flickr, and it will automatically appear in my 365.in.2012 page on this site.
Dis-Like
I’m not on Facebook anymore (as of October 3rd, actually). If you’d like to get in touch with me, IM or email msweber at gmail.
New York
Taking the extreme action of quitting my steady job at the height of the financial crisis and moving to a country that I had never been gave me a new perspective on life and how I want to live it. Now that we’re back in the States, that hasn’t changed. I still feel the need to do more with my life. Ending a trip like that is extremely disappointing to say the least.
Hayley and I had the foresight to realize this before moving back, and we knew that planning something fun would keep our spirits high after returning. Our debate about what to do ended upon receiving Tim and Cheryl’s wedding invitation. A few weeks after our return, we cashed in our frequent flyer points and flew across the country to stay in the heart of New York city.
Souvenirs.
We arrived in the late afternoon on Independence Day at Newark Airport, NJ. We took the aging intercity train to Penn Station and rolled our suitcases a few blocks to our hotel, where we were greeted with warm chocolate chip cookies and a room the size of a closet. No matter – we quickly unpacked and changed into 95-degree, high-humidity attire and walked ten or so blocks to the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks on the Hudson River. Hayley was fighting a cold (which I caught a few days later), but she braved the crowds and the humidity. We watched the fireworks in the disgusting heat to the very end.
Macy’s Independence Day Fireworks.
We had an appointment the next morning to see the Ground Zero Museum Workshop in lower Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. Neither of us have family or relatives that were lost on 9/11, but we were still deeply affected by the exhibition. On display are dozens of artifacts extracted from the site, including a chunk of metal from one of the planes, the infamous clock that is frozen at 10:02 AM (the exact moment that the first plane hit one of the towers), personal artifacts such as employment badges and children’s toys, and an XBOX that was used by the firemen in between rescue and recovery shifts. Gary Suson’s photos are the main attraction of the museum, which doubles as a gallery for his work from 9/11 and the months following. That might sound tasteless but it’s not at all. Suson was the official photographer for the 9/11 rescue mission, and the whole exhibition is done very well. His photos are stunning and saddening, but an important part of our history that will never be forgotten.
High Line Park.
After being thoroughly depressed, we took an elevator up to High Line Park for relief. The park is a narrow strip of green situated a few stories above Manhattan’s southwestern shore. The park contains a wide variety of flowers, bushes, and trees that fill in the gaps between buildings, old train tracks (the high line) and the single concrete walking path. People working around the area use the park on their breaks so it was pretty crowded. While it’s nice and charming, it seems like more of an art exhibit than an actual park.
A lonely musician by Central Park.
Continuing on the park theme, we took the subway up to Whole Foods to pick up picnic essentials, and walked across the street to Central Park. I was disappointed by the lack of grass space, which I was expecting from the photos that I had seen. I expected a park comparable to those of Commonwealth countries: huge and spacious grass fields with large overhanging trees and old historic sculptures and architecture. Maybe we would have found that sort of thing deeper inside Central Park’s grounds, but I saw nothing of the kind. In reality it was hot and we were hungry, so we sat in the shade on some rocks and dug in, watching the billions of peons enjoy the only patch of green inside their Gotham-esque metropolis.
Waiting in the Subway.
Afterward we took the subway over to Times Square and purchased half-off tickets to Mary Poppins the musical. Above the ticket booths are steps which overlook Times Square, so after purchasing the tickets, we walked to the top of them and watched zillions of people scuttling across New York’s primary tourist destination. Thousands of people crowd the streets creating a Vegas Strip-like atmosphere without the gambling. We returned to our hotel for a brief respite before returning that night for the show. It was Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (and Hayley’s choice… but she will probably read this so I’ll just admit now that it wasn’t so bad… actually I sort of enjoyed it… sort of 
).
Hanging out in Times Square.
The new WTC.
The next day we did Lower Manhattan. We circumvented the enormous block that surrounds the WTC construction site, where we saw the WTC cross and the new buildings. We visited the church across the street and saw the pew that George Washington used to sit in, still intact! We continued on, observing Alexander Hamiton’s grave, and strolling down Wall Street, home of the New York Stock Exchange. We finished our walk at FAO Schwartz’s Big Piano… actually FAO is nowhere near Wall Street, is it? I completely forgot how we got there. Well, New York is that kind of place- you just never know where you’ll end up or how you got there!
Where it all goes down.
Hayley on the Big Piano.
Afterward, we took a round trip excursion on the Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. It’s sort of anticlimactic to see, but I already knew it would be, so I enjoyed it immensely. So much so, that I took over 40 pictures of it from the boat. This was probably the only OK shot and even it is mediocre.
Lots of tiny people and one huge sculpture.
That night we met with my cousin Alice at her apartment in Upper Manhattan. We kicked back on the roof of her complex, drinking wine and soaking in the absolutely stunning view of the city. During our discussions, Alice opened up to us about her family and her experiences in WWII. We both loved speaking with Alice and were honored that she would share these memories with us. Afterward, the three of us cruised down to a local Japanese restaurant for a bite. We watched the people walk by from our window seats while we ate a delicious meal. We topped off the evening with strawberries and yogurt at PinkBerry, and strolled up to Lincoln Center and Julliard. We had a great evening – one that I’ll never forget.
Knights at the MET.
The next day we visited the MET museum, but retired early since my cold had developed in full force. After resting for most of the day, we walked down the street to see my cousin Shira’s comedy show at Triple Crown. Despite feeling completely drained, we had a blast and were happy to catch Shira’s performance. Her sarcastic bartender role was fantastic. It was great seeing Shira and hopefully we’ll see her again soon.
The following day we picked up our rental car and drove out of the city. Our directions took us through Pennsylvania and up to Seneca Falls, NY. The fresh air and traditional American feel of the region was enough to bring me back to life. We ate out that night at a nice bar & grill and then settled into our hotel for the evening. The next morning we walked around Skaneateles, a charming lake town with a colonial American feel. We had breakfast at a nice café, and perused the offerings at a used book sale.
The wedding cake.
Finally, we suited up (well, Hayley dressed up) for Tim and Cheryl’s wedding. Situated at Ventosa Vineyards and overlooking Seneca Lake, the location was impossible to beat. The ceremony was well done and the reception that followed was equally as elegant, held in the vineyard’s fancy ballroom. After a night of eating, socializing, drinking, and dancing, we returned to our hotel. We had a great time at the wedding, ending our trip on a very high note.
Hayley, looking as beautiful as ever.
The view from the Ventosa Vineyards ballroom in Seneca Falls.