Wrapping up the weekend in style

The last day on our NYC trip, we decided to take in some history (and avoid the crowds in Manhattan).

Here we are riding the ferry to Liberty Island. 

If you look closely, you can see the Statue of Liberty behind my head!

Normally I like to ride on the top deck of the ferry, which is open air, but today we stayed safely inside!

KG & Debra with Lady Liberty! 

I just found out that they have reopened Lady Liberty's crown to visitors! 

(After Sept 11, 2001, they locked it down.)

You have to have a special pass because just a limited number of people each day (like 150) get to ascend the 20 flights of spiral staircase up the top.  However, starting in October 2011, the entire interior of the statue is closed for renovations.  Maybe next time I will get my crown ticket, and THEN plan a trip to NYC!!

Here's the skyline of lower Manhattan and one of the new World Trade Center towers in progress.

The towers are, once again, going to literally tower over the Empire State Building (which is also pictured on the left side of the photo).   

Enjoying the view of the city.

In case you're wondering, the temperature was cold.  And it was windy. 

Not great weather for strolling around an island...  But on the upside, it wasn't busy there (like the rest of mob-scene Manhattan), and we always had a warm seat on the ferry!

Our second destination for the day was Grand Central Terminal, and since I was missing the public transportation systems of Japan, we decided to take the subway!

Everything was going well... until we ended up in Queens!! 

Oops!  We crossed one too many rivers, but at least we weren't in a hurry.  We just got off at the next stop and then got on the subway car heading back into the city!

As our weekend was coming to a close, Debra and I reflected our the more bizarre incidents of our trip.

My top wacky NYC moment was when I tried to throw something away in a public trash can only to realize that a man (presumably homeless) was currently peeing it in!! 

Ewww... I darted away and decided to find another rubbish bin!

Debra's top wacky NYC moment was seeing a man with a goat on a leash stroll through Times Square at 11 o'clock at night.  Although I am used to seeing farm animals, one does wonder where in the heck this man and goat were heading in a city like NYC...

We also saw Spiderman walking around, and he was really friendly.  He loved giving high-fives and getting his photo taken. 

(Some other characters will only let you get your pictures taken with them after give give them money!!)

Don't forget about the Naked Cowboy!  He was indeed wearing just his tighty-whiteys, cowboy boots, and cowboy hat while playing his guitar in Times Square!  I give him major credit considering Debra and I had on about 4 layers of clothing each and were still shivering!!

Finally, Debra and I had a good laugh about our dirtbag hotel in Times Square. 

We decided to save a few bucks and spend our money on delicious food, cool souvenirs, and sightseeing.  The hotel still ended up being our biggest expenditure (even more than my flight)!

Some of the quirky things about this hotel include:

--no daily service for cleaning or new towels

--no hair dryer

--bad tasting water

--no pictures on the walls, just peeling paint

--a constant 88 F degrees and no temp control in the room

(For real, we were so HOT all the time.  We had to sleep in our underwear.  It was a huge contrast from outside.  We hated getting all bundled up and then having to trek down to the lobby to get outside.)

--the constant noise of what sounded like a bowling alley above us all day and night.  It sounded like pins crashing, pins resetting, balls slamming into the wall, and then getting returned back... we eventually figured out that it was the rickety elevator near our room that was making this non-stop noise!!

But that junky hotel gave me extra money to spend, and that's a good thing since I bought so much stuff, I also had to buy a new suitcase to haul it all home in!!

Here I am with my brand-new yellow hard-sided suitcase!

(And many thanks to Debra and her great price negotiation!  She got me $80 off this baby!)

The Holidays... NYC style!

Day Two kicks off with cheesy sweatshirts that say "I <3 NY" and an early morning trip to Toys R Us!

This is likely the coolest toy store ever because they have a store inside it called Scoops R Us!! 

How adorable and delicious, I'm sure!

Then we went over to Rockefeller Plaza to see the famed Christmas tree and ice skating rink.

It was all very picturesque.

You can't go to NYC without getting a good view of the city,

so we decided to check out the Top of the Rock!

Here's a nice view of upper Manhattan and Central Park. 



Visibility in the winter is good (we could see the Statue of Liberty clearly), but the wind was wicked on those outdoor observatories!! 

There were 3 levels, and here is the middle level--outdoor but surrounded by glass, which cuts down on the wind!

Although it looks nice outside, we were getting pretty cold walking around. 

So why not get chauffeured around Central Park on a pedicab covered with a blanket?!

We went back out in the evening to see the holiday displays in all of their glory, and we met by hundreds of Santas in Times Square!!  It was a mob scene of jolly, inebriated folks in red suits. 

From what we overheard, anyone who dressed up as Santa got free admission to all of the NY bars that day!

Hello, Pop Art!

Check out the jumbo string of multi-colored holiday lights!  This was definitely my favorite display :)

The giant holiday bulbs in the water fountain was pretty cool, too!

Here is the Trump Tower with festive light-up stars, which looked shiny and gold during the day, but only at night did we notice the trees lit up on the top of the building like a stair step... very classy!

Here's another fave--GIANT light-up snowflake over the intersection of 5th Avenue and 47th Street.

The pic doesn't do it justice... it's literally the size of a car!!

There are too many photos to put on here, but we saw:

--giant candy canes

--an apartment building with matching wreaths on every window (at least 50!)

--enormous toy soldiers

--white tree with red dripping lights (several folks said it looked like the tree was bleeding...)

--Empire State Building lit all in red

--and plenty of freaky window displays

We noticed that although the window decor was very fancy and intricate, it had nothing to do with holidays, winter, or children.  Here's an example...

New York City Adventure

Last weekend I met a friend in NYC to take in the holiday sights and enjoy a long weekend together!

I arrived by plane, she rolled in by train, and we were off to hit the town on a beautiful Friday!

First stop was one of my favorite places, New York Public Library, where I said hello to the lions guarding the front entrance.  The lions were nicknamed "Patience" and "Fortitude" by the NYC mayor during the Great Depression indicating that citizens would need to possess these qualities to survive the difficult time. 

Next we decided to stroll over the 34th Street to see if we could witness our own miracle at Macy's.  The only surprising thing we found was a line to see Santa that rivaled the turnstiles at Cedar Point! 

Thankfully they had many cute displays around the line to distract us...

Getting closer... thanks for reminding me how little time I have left before Christmas! 

I better get shopping ;)

Amazingly, the entire line moved very smoothly and took about 30 minutes--Even though there were hundreds of kids waiting!!

The trick? 

Macy's has about a dozen Santas all behind separate doors! 

Quite clever... More malls should consider adopting that policy!

Hello, Santa!  KG and Debra have been very good girls this year :)

Then off to the theater we went to see How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  This is a Broadway musical revival, which started up again in NYC in early 2011 starring Daniel Radcliffe (better known as Harry Potter) and John Larroquette, who won a Tony for his performance.  The narrator was Anderson Cooper. 

It was a cute show with a funny plot and plenty of nice-looking businessmen in suits!  In other words, right up my alley!

After the show we took in the grandeur of Times Square, where both the show and our hotel were located.  The place was packed, but nothing like the infamous New Year's Eve bash!

Here's Debra's favorite billboard...  I'm not really hating it either!

We also did some shopping with the street vendors.

I bought several prints of NYC, and we bartered for a great deal!

Off to get some beauty sleep and prepare for our next action-packed day!!

Exploring GPW

This weekend I took some time to explore my new community. 

I even found a reason to bust out the GorillaPod again to take some self-portraits!

I think I've found all of the essentials for survival in my new neighborhood:

--5/3 bank

--Post office

--Pizza place(s)

--Kroger

--and most importantly, the Library!

Although I don't have a Michigan identification card or utility bill yet, I was still able to sweet talk the ladies at the Circulation Desk into issuing me a card. 

Thank goodness... because after almost 2 months without books, I wasn't leaving that place without a giant stack of reading material.  (I restrained myself and only checked out 8 at this time.) 

I was bummed to discover that the GP library charges a fee to borrow DVDs ($1) or Bestselling novels ($2)!!  Wacky rules... I guess that's what I get for living in an affluent community!  I remember the good times at Evansville library where they didn't even have late fines.

Bizarrely, the library also lets you borrow tools.  To sum things up, the library will loan me hedge trimmers (electric or hand) for free, but I have to pay for a bestselling book...

I also took a walk around the neighborhood, enjoying the fall weather and colors of the season.

Here's a view of my building.

It's nice to live in a neighborhood with sidewalks again! 

Who knows, I might just bust out my folding bicycle for a ride along Lakeshore Drive or take a walk to return my library books!  Both of these things are less than a mile from me. 

I like the coziness of it all!

The street I live on. 

It's two lanes in both directions, but as you can see, not heavy on the traffic.

Look for this sign when you come to visit me!

The back of my building and where most people enter their homes since we park out back. 

We do have assigned parking and take note that my spot is on the end.  Thank goodness because I didn't want to have to parallel park that vehicle every day!

The townhouses back up to the GP North school property, so we can have front row fence view of any high school football or soccer games we want!  Most Friday nights I can hear the band and the crowd supporting their team until 10pm!!

Welcome home!

I haven't met many of my neighbors yet (besides a little boy who introduced himself with this sentence: "I'm five but sometimes I still pee-pee in my pants"!), but I'm sure after this photo shoot outside I will be the gossip of the community! 
(What's the deal with that wacky new girl posing for all of those photos by herself?!)

I also watched the 1996 flick Grosse Pointe Blank, which is a comedy about a professional killer who goes back to his hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan for his 10-year high school reunion!

It's actually kind of funny, with some nice shots of Lakeshore Drive, and

I like all of the references to "buying American" cars!!

Finally, for those of you unfamiliar with the "Pointes", here is a rundown for you:

The Grosse Pointe communities are known as Detroit's first commuter suburbs (primarily to the auto industry folks) and were established between 1910-1930. 

Prior to this time, it was mainly cottages, resorts, and lakefront mansions.

The Pointes are comprised of 5 communities:

Grosse Pointe (City) is 1.2 sq miles with a median home value of $265,759.

Grosse Pointe Farms is 2.7 sq miles with a median home value of $258,734.

Grosse Pointe Park is 2.2 sq miles with a median home value of $258,813.

Grosse Pointe Shores is 1.1 sq miles with a median home value of $448,405.

Grosse Pointe Woods is 3.3 sq miles with a median home value of $196,379.

When compared to the Michigan median home value of $132,200,

sometimes I feel like a traitor in my own community!  (It's a miracle they even have rental units!)

But the scenery all around me is lovely, and I like their sense of community

(even if the prices to "borrow" things at the library is a little steep...)

KG in "The Woods"

Have you missed me the past few months?!

I'm finally settled in my new place in metro Detroit! 

The neighborhood I choose to live in is Grosse Pointe Woods. Or as the locals say "I live in The Woods"!

It's less than 10 miles from work and is pretty safe. 

I am renting a quaint townhouse built in the 1940's that has a squeaky floors, cement walls, and a few other quirks.

Here is a view from the front courtyard.

Welcome Home!  First view when you enter the back door is the kitchen.

Small kitchen, but after my stay in Japan, I'm used to tight spaces!!

Dining room and living room in the background.

View of the living room and stairs leading to the second level on the right. 

The door on the left leads to the front entrance.

Check out the other side of the room. 

Upstairs bathroom. 

Here is my office (where all of this blog magic happens).

Also this is the luxurious guest bedroom ready for visitors!!

It must be pretty nice accommodations because within my first 3 weekends, I've had 5 overnight visitors (one was even a repeat).

The master bedroom. 

Finally, the crown jewel to a tiny home... an unfinished basement!

My sweet laundry area.

 There is also a bunch of other boring stuff down there like extra boxes and my kitchen overflow.

Let me know when you want to drop by for a quick visit or stay for the weekend...

I love visitors :)

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

A couple weeks ago when Mom and Dad were visiting Ohio for a wedding, we had a few free hours to spend at world's largest and oldest military aviation museum. 

The National Museum of the United States Air Force was established in 1923 and with 1.3 million visitors each year it is one of the most visited attractions in Ohio.

We started with the Birth of Flight exhibit and saw a sweet triple-winged plane!!

One of my favorite historical items from the museum was this homemade map, which hung around a pilot's neck on a string, so he was able to quickly look down figure out where he was headed.

Who had the time, space, or extra hands to unfold a map when he was also trying to fly a plane?!

 This may look like a basket for a hot air balloon ride, but it's actually a military Observation balloon.

The observation balloons were generally used in World War I.  While tethered to the ground, a balloon could be floated in the sky to see what was happening over enemy lines. 

I found this particularly interesting because although the balloon allowed one to see over enemy lines, the enemy could also obviously see someone was spying on them! 

Plus, the balloon already had a USAF target on it!!

 Just a cool-colored plane...

A sneaky tactic during WWII...

The Japanese Army Headquarters printed these leaflets which instructed enemy soldiers to surrender and then be safe, but in fact the enemy soldiers who surrendered to the Japanese with this ticket were promptly killed for obtaining the tickets and not surrendering earlier!

It was a confusing time to say the least...

This plane has a real attitude and a fierce look!

The ambulances in WWII were driven by volunteers (such as Walt Disney) and the rear area could hold 3 patients in stretchers or 4 patients sitting up.  

We must have had some tiny people back then! 

 One GIANT plane with an interesting name and icon. 

And I thought this was a family museum...

The second half of our visit was touring the Presidential Aircraft area housing many retired Air Force One units!!

(The entire museum is free--thank you tax dollars--but you have to know the system. 

Only a few people are allowed to sign up and ride the bus to view the Presidential Aircraft each day.

Thankfully, my co-workers who told me about the museum also told me how to get into this special exhibit!)

This aircraft was one of the most recent and transported Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan. 

 Mom pops out of the Independence, which was used by Harry S. Truman.

Not sure which president used this Jet Jeep, but it sure is adorable. 

The sign says it is collapsible and therefore a good choice for mobility, but I think it looks more like a good place for a video game simulator! 

 You could enter most of the presidential planes to get a great view, but the seating areas were protected by plexi-glass.

Some walkways were as narrow as 17 inches wide! 

This little plane had plaid interior like a car and was used for short trips by Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The Columbine III was a jumbo jet also used by Eisenhower for his long flights. 

The gem of the exhibit... the Presidential Hovercraft!! 

I have no idea which, if any, president has been for a ride in this thing,

but it sure looks like a UFO to me!!