Wow, has it really been 2 ½ months since my last blog post? I have to say life has been quite busy since then. I made a trip to Oregon for work and then stayed for an extra week to visit with family and friends. It was a good time of much needed R & R. After returning, it seems I unpacked only to repack a few days later for our next trip to New York. Instead of flying we took the train from Union Station in DC, I had never taken the train before and found it quite enjoyable.
A week later we had our fall launch of City Groups at the church and our very first City Group Sunday. Wow, was that a lot of fun! I love City Groups!
Just recently I returned from being in Topeka, Kansas which now has officially marked the end of my work travel schedule for the year! I enjoyed traveling but sure am thankful for the break.
We had a great time in New York and unfortunately the Yankees were out of town, yep you guessed it, they were in Seattle. However I thought it was interesting that there was no little coffee maker in my hotel room. I looked at the room service menu and saw that a small pot of coffee (3 cups) was $8. Keep in mind this is New York, it’s expensive. So I thought why not try it just once and ordered a small pot the next morning. Now I have to tell you it was some of the best coffee I have ever had but by the time I was charged tax, room service fees, and a tip, my $8 small pot of coffee ended up being $20! I made sure I drank every drop of it before I left for work that day….lol. Oh the lessons I learn…New York is a great city, but I sure wouldn’t want to live there…SO many people, everywhere, all the time! It is true, it is the city that never sleeps!
You will see some pictures below that I took of New York City and one yes one picture I took from my hotel room in Kansas. I am quite the camera extraordinaire I know. Ha ha
After being here for 9 months now, I am still find things I am adjusting to. For example, when you buy a gallon of milk they put it in a separate plastic bag. I have learned to just say no thanks to the bag and carry it with the handle. Thought that was weird? Try going to the grocery store and using one of those plastic basket things you carry around and when getting up to the check stand you have the checker staring at you instead of scanning your items. You both are looking puzzled until the checker says I need you to take your items out of the basket. Yep, customers have to take their items out of the plastic carry baskets and place them on the belt before they get scanned. Ha ha ha Gotta love this place!
There is one last photo you will see at the very end of all the pictures (saved the best for last)….if you remember in one of my previous blog posts I shared a picture of a my bathroom ceiling that red tape covering the heat lamp socket to keep the cigarette smoke from the upstairs neighbor from coming into my apartment. Thanks to Laurie Satrum, I now have the coolest “duck” tape on my ceiling. Lol I love it….Thank you Laurie!
This blog post wouldn't be complete without a great BIG shout out to my niece Heidi Axmaker and her volleyball team for making it to State! Yahoo!!! Congratulations Heidi! Looking forward to Wednesday.
That should do it for now and since my work travel has concluded for the year, you won’t see so much time between posts.
The best is yet to come!
Patti
Enjoy the pictures below....
This is the entrance to our hotel in Manhattan, yes it is indeed the Waldorf Astoria! That hotel was so big, I can't tell you how many times we got lost. lol
What EVERY hotel should have in it...Starbucks!
Little sight seeing after work at Rockefeller Center.
The infamous Radio City Music Hall.
At Times Square they have this live camera where you can view yourself on the sidewalk....can you find me? (yes I am there)
This was also in Times Square. I thought this was pretty interesting. People sit in it and just hang out to talk, eat or whatever.
This was my third trip to New York and I have never been able to go up the Empire State Building, but finally I did it! It's pretty cool being up so high overlooking the whole city. Here you can see the city and Central Park off to the left a little.
This picture is actually one of my favorites. This is looking directly down on the city from atop the Empire State Building.
No trip to New York is complete without paying tribute to our brave men and women who risked and sacrificed their lives on a day we will never forget, September 11, 2001. Ground Zero is simply indescribable. While I was their, the 9/11 Memorial opened up but I was unable to get tickets. So here is what I could see as they continue to rebuild Ground Zero.
This is it, the one photo from my hotel room in Kansas. Yes the photo says it all, Kansas is very flat! I was literally clicking my heels when I got home....truly there is no place like home!
Thanks to Laurie Satrum, I have the best bathroom ceiling in the DC metro area! I love it! Thank you Laurie!!!
