Jason's Happenings

Italy Part 2

2009-10-22T22:44:00.006-04:00

Day 5 - Venice

The next morning we caught an early train up to Venice. When I got off the train and saw the canals, it was surreal. We took the water ferry down to St. Mark’s Square.

St. Mark’s Square is the gathering place of Venice and has cafes and gelato shops lining the entire square. The cafes all have mini orchestras that play while you sit and eat, although the orchestras sometimes battle it out. Later that night I sat and listened to Nessum Dorma and Phantom of the Opera. It was like I was in a dream.

After we left St. Mark’s square, we had to do the cliché thing to do in Venice…take a gondola ride. It is a total tourist trap, but still something you have to do. Our gondolier was great as we watched the sunset down the grand canal.

That night we decided to splurge and have a really nice 4 course meal sitting on a dock over the water. It was hands down the best meal I had in Italy.

The next morning I hit up the famous Rialta bridge before we had to board our next train. Our time in Venice was short, but truly memorable.

Day 6 – Cinque Terre

After an all day train ride, we arrived in Cinque Terre. For some, it is a relatively unheard of group of 5 towns right on the northern coast of Italy, but any owner of a Rick Steve’s guide to Italy will know of this enchanting place. We arrived just in time to hike up to the castle before it closed to see the view of the town of Vernazza.

Then we decided to eat at a great place right below the castle that overlooked the ocean. Cinque Terre is famous for their pesto, so I of course indulged (pesto is one of my favorites). I had pesto lasagna which was fantastic.

Day 7 – Cinque Terre and Pisa

All of the towns of Cinque Terre are connected by trails that many of the visitors emback on. We decided to do the toughest but most beautiful hike in the morning from Monterossa to Vernazza. The hike took us through grape vineyards on the slopes of the mountains before Vernazza is back in view.

A boat from Vernazza (the 4^th town) took us to the first town of Riomaggiore. From there I hiked to the remaining two cities of Manarola and Corniglia. The scenery is just beautiful and the day was a nice change of pace from the other cities we had stayed in. I even took a dip in the Mediterrenean in this perfect swimming hole.

After bidding Cinque Terre a fond farewell, I made a pit stop in Pisa. There’s not really a whole lot to see in Pisa, but I figured if I was in Italy, I had to see the leaning tower. So I took a quick bus into town and saw the tower. Everything I had heard said that you would have to wait for a couple of hours to climb the tower, but when I got there, there were tickets available ten minutes later. I decided I would probably be there once, so I had to do it. It was really cool. It was interesting because as you would climb the circular tower, you would feel yourself leaning depending on what side of the tower you were on. (Don’t mind the pictures. I was hiking all day and looked spent.)

After my short stint in Pisa, I was off to Florence for the night.

Day 8 - Florence

Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and a really fun city. Everything is pretty compact and close, so it was fun to walk around. We started off the day with a tour of the Doumo (the big domed cathedral in town).

After the Duomo, we meandered down to the leather markets to purchase some fine Italian leather. We also perused the shops of the bridge that has been home to goldsmiths for centuries, although I prevented myself from making any purchases.

After some more shopping, it was time to tour some of the famous museums in town. First stop was the Uffizi gallery. I was kind of museum’d out, but the Uffizi has some great pieces of art, including the Birth of Venus. After lunch in one of the great Piazza’s, we headed to the museum that houses Michelangelo’s David. I had definitely seen pictures of this statue, but they don’t do it justice. Michelangelo’s work and level of detail is just unbelievable. He even incorporated veins in David’s strong hands.

After some more gelato and more shopping, we headed up the hill for a grand view of the city. (As a side note, we had gelato practically every day, twice on some days, even though I haven’t mentioned it. It was delicious!)

After some more wandering, we were off to Rome for our last night in Italy and an early flight the next morning.

It was a truly great vacation that I couldn’t have asked more from and will never forget. Let’s just hope throwing a coin over my shoulder at the Trevi fountain really does guarantee a return.

Italy Part 1…When in Rome…

2009-10-22T22:02:00.011-04:00

I know it’s only about a month and a half late, but I’m finally getting around to posting about my amazing vacation to Italy. We saw a lot and I felt like I needed a vacation afterwards, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way. So here we go:

Day 1 – We landed in Rome about 8:00am in the morning and headed straight to the hotel to get ready for the day before heading out to explore Rome. Our first stop on the agenda was the Coliseum and Palatine Hill. The Coliseum was just as grand as I imagined it would be. It is amazing to see how sophisticated the architecture was way back then, including an efficient way to get thousands to their seats and a giant retractable canopy. We took a guided tour through the Coliseum and subsequently to Palatine Hill which is where the emperor’s palace used to be and has a great view of the Roman Forum.

After our lengthy tours, the heat and hunger were getting to us, so we decided to embark on our first meal in Italy. We found a quaint back alley restaurant in Trastevere with delicious pasta. It was a great way to start out with food in Italy.

Well fed and rested, we headed over to the Pantheon with its masterful domed architecture and “Angels & Demons” connections. After a quick walkthrough, we headed up the street to the Trevi Fountain.

The Trevi Fountain is quite the gathering place for people in Rome, but is also a wonderful work of art. They say if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, it will ensure your return to Rome. I’m not superstitious, but I figured anything to get me back to Rome wouldn’t hurt.

As sunset ensued, we set off to our final destination of the evening: the Spanish Steps. Let’s be honest, I don’t why this place is so popular, but I wasn’t that impressed. There are just a lot of steps and hundreds of people day or night can be found sitting on them. Nothing too exciting, but when in Rome...do as the Romans.

Day 2

For the next two days, we decided to join an organized tour. That required being picked up at our hotel at 6:30 am. Luckily we were able to sleep on the bus as we headed down to Naples and Pompeii. Naples is definitely a place in Italy that you could skip, but Pompeii was definitely worth it. It was so amazing to see a whole city from 2,000 years ago preserved. You can see hundreds of individual shops and houses. The Romans were a very advanced culture with well painted homes and temples that have been so well preserved.

When they were excavating the city any time they would find a hole, they would fill it with plaster, thus preserving the form of the ash that was being removed. These plaster forms have been kept and put on display. It is very sobering to see these people that were trapped when they saw the volcano erupting.

After touring Pompeii, we were taken to our hotel in Sorrento. Sorrento is a gorgeous city along the cliff-lined coast. Our hotel was gorgeous sitting right on the cliff. We spent the evening watching the sunset, enjoying a nice dinner overlooking the ocean and then exploring a little bit.

Day 3 – Capri

So after enjoying a nice breakfast, we took a boat back over to the island of Capri. I keep saying everything is gorgeous, but Capri truly is: deep turquoise water and cliffs rising out of the water. After touring the town of Capri and Anacapri, we took a chairlift up to the top of the mountain, which provided splendid views of the island. Many of the rich and famous vacation on this island or bring their yachts to the back bay of the island.

We were supposed to take a boat out to the Blue Grotto, but due to poor sea conditions no one was allowed in the Blue Grotto. Instead, we took a boat around the island to see some of the splendor up close. Our trip to Capri soon came to a close and we headed back to Rome.

Day 4 – The Vatican

The history of the Catholic church has always intrigued me, so I was so excited to go see the Vatican. We spent the morning touring the Vatican museum. The museum has a massive collection of Renaissance art, including the School of Athens.

The pinnacle of the Vatican museum is the Sistine Chapel. I walked in and was just stunned. It is absolutely awe inspiring to see the beautiful murals on the walls and ceiling. They don’t let you take pictures of it, but I’ve included one off of the internet.

After the Vatican museum, we went around to the front of the Vatican and entered St. Peter’s Square. The square is something I’ve always seen on TV or in movies, but it was great to finally see it in person.

After waiting in line for a few minutes, we were able to enter St. Peter’s Basilica. All I can say is, wow, that’s a big church. The inside is so ornate and rich with splendor. The only thing I found a little creepy is that they have some of the former Popes buried in the Basilica in glass coffins. And don’t forget that Michelangelo’s famous Pieta is located near the entrance.

After touring the inside of the church, I overcame my fear of heights and climbed up the dome of the Basilica and looked down inside the church from up above. I was definitely not regretful as the view from the dome is probably the best in Rome.

After a nice dinner, it was soon time to say goodbye to Rome…

Italy, here I come!

2009-09-04T12:57:00.002-04:00

Blogging has been on my list of to-dos for awhile now. I have so much to catch up on this summer. But for now, I'm headed off to my last vacation of the summer. I'm heading to Italy for 9 days. It's been very stressful planning it, but now I'm finally leaving. This will be my first time in Europe, so I can't wait. I'll report back when I get back.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-07-20T19:46:00.007-04:00

So Friday was my birthday. It was one of the best birthday's I've had in awhile. I woke up in the morning and a friend had come by before I woke up and dropped off some balloons and a dozen doughnuts from Tim Horton's (a Canadian Doughnut shop that just opened in New York). Then on the way to work, I received a phone call from my parents. They woke up at 5:30 in the morning to wish me a happy birthday. It was so good to talk to them. Throughout the day, I received so many birthday wishes. It is always so fun to feel everyone's love for you.

After lunch with a friend, my team at work bought me cupcakes from Crumbs bakery. So tasty! Then they even let me leave work early. I couldn't have asked for a better day, but there was still so more to come.

A bunch of friends met up for dinner that night at one of my favorite restaurants, The Eatery. After a great meal, the fun began.

My friend Adrienne planned "The Amazing Birthday Race" based off of the reality show The Amazing Race that I love so much. So we were given an envelope with a clue in it. That clue led us to somewhere in the city. Once we got to that place, we were supposed to call for our mission. Once we completed the mission, we were given the clue to the next spot.

So the first clue led us to Time Square. While here we had to take a picture with a member of the NYPD flexing his muscles. The Cops are really friendly in Times Square, but this cop was embarrassed because he said he didn't have any muscles.

The next stop was the Late Show with David Letterman studies. While there we had to find 3 strangers to sing me happy birthday. It was actually one of the harder tasks to complete, but we found some great people to do it. They even sang to me in French.

Next stop on the race: Columbus Circle. While here, I was told I had to get in the fountains and hold a stranger. When I first heard this, I thought no way is anyone going to do this. In the end it didn't take us too long to find someone to let me hold them. She thought it was the coolest thing.

The Race then took us to Cold Stone. At this stop, I had to find a stranger who would be willing to feed me a bite of their ice cream! Once again, once I heard this I was shocked. But I did it.

Then we were off to the Apple store where I had to don headphones and dance while everyone stared at me. Not bad compared to the last two tasks. What a relief.

Then we were off to the finish line. Along the way, you could get bonus points for other things. For example, we got an extra point for finding someone to kiss me on the cheek.

Our most proud bonus point came from finding a street vendor who let us cook a kabob on their grill and serve the next customer. I thought we would never be able to find someone to let us do this because of food handling issues, but we did. It was the funniest thing.

My competitive side came out and we finished first after running to every stop. It was such a blast. (And someone thought I would be embarrassed to do stuff like this. Boy were they wrong.)

Once we got back to Adrienne's house we watched the other team's videos and enjoyed good food and good friends. Thanks Adrienne for the most creative birthday activity I've ever had. You're amazing!
Then came the after party. Another group of friends wanted to celebrate with me as well. So, I headed over to their place and we had some yummy cake and ice cream. It was the perfect way to end my birthday. Except for the fact they put the candles that don't blow out on my birthday cake. I had to take them off and put them in water to get them to go out.

So if all of that celebrating wasn't enough, several of my closest friends share my birthday week with me. Just like last year, we had a combined birthday party. So we decorated one of my friend's roofs and had about 200 people over to party. Granted I didn't know all of them, but it was good to see so many of my friends in the city. I truly have some of the most amazing friends anyone could ever ask for! Here's to 27. May it be my best year yet.

Niagara Falls and Palmyra

2009-07-14T17:20:00.005-04:00

Something I’ve wanted to do since I moved out here was attend the Hill Cumorah Pageant. This last weekend, I checked that one off my list. Several friends and I rented a minivan and headed up to Rochester, NY on Friday night. Since we were already so close, we also decided to head up to Niagara Falls.

Once we got to the falls, it started pouring rain. We had rain coats, but we still got soaked. None of us really minded though. We took lots of pictures and just had fun in the rain. We headed down to the observation deck for a few more pics before we headed down to the Maid of the Mist. My parents took me on this boat ride about 18 years ago, so it was fun to go on it again. It is really cool to get so close to the falls and since we were already wet, we didn’t care about getting more wet.

One of our friends is actually from Canada so we decided to cross the border so he could show us some Canadian classics like Tim Horton’s and some great Canadian candy.

On the way back from Canada, we had to stop at Texas Roadhouse. This is one of my friend’s favorite restaurants, so anytime we go on a road trip he looks up the nearest one.

After a great dinner we headed down to the Hill Cumorah. The stage is quite impressive. All the characters come out before the show to meet and great. Our Stake President was with his family performing in the pageant, so we had to get a picture with him in costume.

The pageant was really neat and had good effects for a pageant. Unfortunately, halfway through the pageant, there was a crazy lightning storm, so they had to cancel the rest of it. I was really disappointed, but there was nothing I could do about it.

On Sunday after church, we headed down to all of the church sites. We saw the Martin Harris farm, the Grandin Press shop where the Book of Mormon was printed, Joseph Smith’s log home and frame home.

Then we spent a good amount of time in the Sacred Grove. The spirit was really strong in the grove. It truly is sacred ground. I was glad I had time to sit and reflect there. I would love to go back.

Then our last stop included hiking to the top of the Hill Cumorah. It was a packed weekend and a great trip (except for the fact we sat in 3 hours of traffic on the way back).

Lake Tahoe

2009-07-14T16:43:00.005-04:00

Man, I meant to post Lake Tahoe pictures within a few hours after the last post. As you can see, that didn’t happen. So here’s the brief recap (a month late).

Once I finally made it to Lake Tahoe, our family had a great time. There was a lot of hot tubbing and swimming with the nieces and nephews, good food, and just enjoying family. On Monday, we went out to Emerald Bay where we hiked to a few waterfalls and an old vacation home on the beach called Vikingsholm. It was a really nice hike and gorgeous scenery.

On day two, we took everyone on a biking trip. Lake Tahoe has a biking trail around practically the whole lake, so we took the kids on about a 20 mile stretch of it. The older ones actually rode bikes, while the younger ones rode in bike trailers. They were troopers and it was actually kind of fun to pull a bike trailer.

The morning of day three was filled with golfing with my brothers. It was a great time, but let’s just say the course was really narrow with pine trees and a ball or two ricocheted off a couple of those pine trees. It’s been almost two years since I have golfed because there’s not really anywhere in NYC that’s convenient. I need to get back on my game.

On Thursday, we went on an adults-only biking adventure. We drove our SUVs up the mountain with bikes in tow and then rode the bikes down the mountain (thus, averting having to ride up the steep mountainside). The trail was great. It had rocks, logs, and switchbacks, everything a mountain biker could ever ask for. My brother-in-law even ran into a tree trying to land a jump. It was quite the adventure. We rode the trail a few different times before we had to head back for the evening.

On Friday, our trip to Tahoe came to an end, but my parents suggested we stop in Yosemite on the way home. At first, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of sitting in the car for 10 hours that day, but at the end of the day I was glad I went. Yosemite is one of the most beautiful yet rustic places that I have been to. Just see the accompanying pictures. It is breathtaking when you first drive into Yosemite Valley. While we were there, we stopped several times, saw a bear, hiked up to Bridal Veil Falls and Yosemite Falls, and just enjoyed our time in nature.
I couldn’t have had a more relaxing vacation.

Travel Adventures

2009-06-21T11:50:00.003-04:00

So I just got back from a fun filled week in Lake Tahoe with my family. It was quite crazy getting there. I left work early Friday afternoon to head out to Newark airport, the train was running really slow because of the rain, but I finally got to the airport. I noticed a huge line at Delta's check-in, but luckily I am medallion, so I got in my own line. As I was waiting, I heard the word delayed and I though, shoot, I hope that's not my flight. When I got up to the counter, I heard the same exact words. Delayed. Because of the rain delay, I would miss my connection in Salt Lake City to Reno. They had already rebooked me on the first flight out on Saturday, but I figured I would rather spend the night in Salt Lake and take the first flight to Reno than pay to take the train back into the city, wake up super early and pay to take the train back out to Newark only to get to Tahoe 3 or 4 hours later.

Anyway, the man behind the counter was kind enough to rebook me back on my original flight and then the first flight out to Reno Sat. morning. Then came the fun part. I was talking to my mom, telling her I wouldn't be showing up that night, when I realized my battery on my blackberry was low. I wasn't planning on the delay, so I had packed my blackberry charger in the luggage I had just checked. So with minimal battery life, I quickly called everyone I knew in the Salt Lake area. I felt it was too far of a drive for my friends in Provo. I figured worse come to worse I could spend the night in the airport (until my mom reminded me it was ten hour layover, not four or five) or I could rent a car and go to my brother's house (who was already in Tahoe). In the end, I finally was able to arrange something ten minutes before I boarded the plane. A big thanks goes out to my friend Liz (from NY, but just happened to be visiting her family for the weekend)! The only consolation is that the airline upgraded me to 1st class which made the long flight a lot nicer.

I finally made it to Tahoe the next morning, only 12 hours later than I had originally planned.

Jersey Shore Relay

2009-04-19T18:47:00.004-04:00

So a few months back, a couple of friends asked me if I wanted to run the Jersey Shore Relay Race. I blew it off, but then they asked again and I agreed. Due to busy season, I haven't been able to run, so I planned on running a couple of times the week leading up to the race. After a busy week, that never happened. Thus, I was a little nervous how I was going to do. In the end, I had plenty of energy and sprinted at the end to beat another team. It was such a fun day. Here's a recap.

We had to leave the city at 5:30 in the morning to head down to the Jersey Shore. The race started at 8 and our team members would be racing for the next 4 hours. Some parts of the race were along the roadway, so we would stop, cheer our team members on, and take pictures. Our group of friends had 4 teams running the race, so there were plenty of people to cheer for. We would then travel to the next leg of the race. It couldn't have been more fun.

After the race, they had a little expo with food and products for the runners. We didn't stay long because we were on the Jersey Shore and we were experiencing the best weather we had seen since the year started! We went and laid out on the beach. We put our feet in the water, but April is a little too cold to be getting in the water.

When you are a New Yorker visiting Jersey, you do two things: 1) Go to Costco and/or Target and 2) hit up the chain restaurants and places that aren't in the city. So after enjoying the beach for a few hours, we found a 7-Eleven for some slurpees and headed to Costco. After Costco, we headed to one of my all-time favorite restaurants: PF Changs. The lettuce wraps, Mongolian Beef, and Great Wall of Chocolate were just as good as I remembered them.

It really couldn't have been a better Saturday. A good race, good food, and great friends!

All my friends who ran the race.

Stretching it out

Just about to start my leg.

And we were done. We finished!

Surviving

2009-02-22T16:39:00.004-05:00

So it has been almost three months since I have last posted. This is not due to a lack of desire. It is due to a lack of something called time. I'm right in the middle of "busy season" at work, which means I get off at 10 or 11 every night of the week and work all day Saturday. That leaves very little time for everything else that needs to get done in my life. It also means I don't see any of my friends anymore.

I've learned to cope with the whole situation and I even wonder what I used to do when I had a bunch of time after I got off work. Hopefully I'll find out soon as I'm counting down the weeks until it will slow down a little bit.

Anyway, there is so much I've wanted to blog about, but here is something to tide you over until I get more time.

EAST meets WEST

So it was a cold January day amidst all the splendor and enormity of New York City, when my friends and I decided to step out of our little New York world and step into a place called Madison Square Garden where they were hosting the Professional Bullriders Rodeo. We had a great time dressing up in the most western gear we had (belt buckle and all). Unfortunately, I don't own any cowboy boots, but maybe next time.

The rodeo was great and we didn't want it to end. It's always fun to see the riders and feel the anxiety of wondering whether they'll get hurt. Even though it is quite a different feeling than the outdoor rodeos I've been to, it reminded me a little bit of my earlier years. I've always said, you can experience anything in New York.

Thanksgiving Day Parade

2008-12-01T16:32:00.005-05:00

One of my major "to-do's" while living in New York was to attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year I decided to stay in the city for Thanksgiving, so it was the perfect opportunity to attend the parade. Luckily I had a good friend who invited me to watch the parade at her office. We woke up early (but not as early as we would have if we had watched the parade on the street). At the office, we had a nice breakfast as we waited for the parade to arrive. It was really fun to see the parade in real life, having a great view from the 6th floor of the office building. The parade was a little disappointing, but still a blast. I was used to watching all of the performances on TV and was expecting that as I watched the parade live. Apparently, the performances only occur in Herald Square near Macy's, and you have to be a VIP to get tickets to watch the parade down there. Luckily, we turned on the TV so we were able to watch the performances and the parade.

Here are some pictures from the parade.

This last one is the float with Santa on it, signifying the end of the parade.

Also, they fill up all of the balloons the night before and they invite you to come see them beforehand. A bunch of friends got together to see the balloons. After waiting in line to see them, we finally got up to the balloons. It was fun and impressive to see the giant balloons up close.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T11:12:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I've been truly blessed and couldn't ask for anything else in life. I have realized that the last couple of months, but I'm still glad we have a day to celebrate that fact. I wish I could be home, but I will be making the best of my time away from home. We have a bunch of friends getting together for dinner and earlier in the day a good friend of mine and I will be attending the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. What better way to spend a Thanksgiving in New York! Don't worry, I'll take lots of pictures.

My Run In With the Rich and Famous

2008-11-26T11:07:00.003-05:00

As I was coming home from church the other day, I was in a very focused conversation with a friend of mine. A few moments later, some other friends said, "Did you notice who was standing right in front of you?" Needless to say, I didn't. I was too entrenched in my conversation. Apparently, I was sitting right behind Kevin Bacon. His identity was confirmed when he spoke a word or two. Apparently some of the stars are not so high maintenance that they refuse to take the bus.
Thanks Monica for the picture!

Election Night

2008-11-12T16:33:00.005-05:00

Every four years we have the chance to elect a president. It seems like this last presidential campaign was the longest in history. The news channels have been talking about this election for at least the last two years. As you know, New York, my current state of residence, went very Blue and voted for Barack Obama. That was very obvious as you walked the streets of the city. No matter what your political ideology is, I think we can all agree this was a very historic election in which we have a president elected of a different race.

Some friends of mine who have lived here for awhile said it was really cool to go to Rockefeller Center for the presidential election, so we went. At Rockefeller Center, they have a map of the country and change the states red or blue depending on which way the states vote. Then they have fabric going up the GE building representing the number of electoral college votes each candidate gets. With all of this and big screens up to watch the results, it was the perfect place to watch the results come in.

We were actually there when they announced that Barack Obama had enough electoral college votes to win the presidency. Everyone went crazy. There were even a lot of people crying. I wondered what would have happened if I had shouted "Go McCain!" Needless to say, it was a fun night to remember and one that will go down in the history books.

We also took a detour to see the results in Times Square. There were results parties all over the city. I heard the biggest and craziest was the party up in Harlem. I had some friends who went up there after they had announced Barack Obama won and they said it was a madhouse until about 2 am. Everyone was so excited for the first African-American President. Here's a picture of the electoral college map on the famous Nasdaq screen.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-12T16:13:00.006-05:00

I've never been really big into Halloween. It seems like I'm always scrambling for a costume last minute, which was once again the case this year. I was debating what to be and just couldn't think of anything. I was even considering just not going to the Halloween dance because I didn't have a decent costume. In the end my costume came out great after it evolved from what I planned earlier in the week. I ended up being the Love Doctor. I had a lot of fun with it. I had some candy prescription pills and a spray bottle of love potion no. 9. My favorite part was my clipboard where I provided free consultations and prescriptions for love. All in good fun of course. I decided I had already experienced the NYC Halloween parade last year and could skip it this year. It was a pretty laid back night. We just met up and had a casual dinner and then went to the Halloween dance. Here's some pictures of my costume and some of my friends costumes.

The Love Doctor is in. Don't mind the lipstick on my cheek and forehead.

Probably my favorite costume of the night: Marge Simpson.

Troop Manhattan Heels and Richard Simmons.

Me and my roommates. Edward Scissorhands and a streaker.

New York Cares

2008-10-20T16:25:00.001-04:00

Every year the city sponsors a day called “New York Cares.” A lot of businesses and church groups sign up to volunteer in the city to spruce up the city. Most groups are assigned to schools or parks. This year, our church group was assigned to a junior high school in the Bronx. It was a long day moving computers and books up and down 3 flights of stairs, but it was well worth it. A small amount of time from a lot of people can make a big difference. Later in the day, we were also assigned to do some painting. I helped paint the stage in their auditorium. Others with more talent were in charge of painting murals in the bathrooms.

These kids have so little, so I was glad I could make a small difference by spending a few hours helping them. Plus, it was fun. I was so tired by the end of the day that I felt like I could take a nap on the subway.

Parents in Town: Part II

2008-10-20T16:01:00.004-04:00

Due to my dad having a work conference out in New York, my parents came out for a second trip to New York in six months. Last time they came we did practically everything touristy in the city, so I wasn’t sure what we should do. In the end, we had a lot more relaxing trip this time. On Saturday, my parents really wanted to see Coney Island.

Since developers keep talking about tearing it down, I figured it was time that I went. Everyone told me how unexciting it was, so I was prepared for a let done. Surprisingly, we still had a good time. We wanted to ride the Cyclone, but it was already closed for the season.

We walked along the boardwalk and enjoyed the beautiful weather. And of course we had to eat at Nathan’s Famous (where they host the hot dog eating contest every 4th of July).

Other adventures from my parent’s trip included a jaunt through Chinatown and Little Italy, and a New York Street Fair (every Saturday and Sunday in the summer, they close off 10 to 20 blocks to traffic and set up tents for vendors. It is fun to walk around and see the little shops and sometimes you can even find a great deal. You can also always find some good food.)

The rest of the week included lots of nice relaxing dinners. I also took my parents to Jersey Boys where my amazing friend Heather showed us around backstage. Thanks Heather! I love it when my parents come in town.

My Last Yankees Game at Yankee Stadium

2008-09-16T22:47:00.004-04:00

In case you don't know, they are tearing down Yankee stadium. I wasn't planning on going to another game because the price of tickets have skyrocketed with the end drawing closer, but then a friend called me up last night and asked me if I wanted to go.

Of course I did. We had a great seats, so it was a great send off to good ole' Yankee Stadium. Here are some other pictures I took during the evening.

This board counts down the games left in the stadium.

The Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox. This is Yankees playing nice at the end of the game.

The grounds crew performs YMCA as they smooth out the clay.

September 11th

2008-09-16T22:10:00.006-04:00

Last year, I didn't realize it was September 11th until later in the evening and by then I was too tired to go down and see ground zero and the beams of light. I decided I wouldn't let that happen this year.

It was a very somber experience. Everyone was really quiet, but there were people everywhere. There were makeshift memorials set up along the fences surrounding ground zero.

As I walked around, I saw so many people in uniforms. Some were firefighters, some were police officers, and some were in the armed forces. This place means a lot to them. There is a large ramp that goes down into the pit (for construction purposes). There were flags from all the different countries of people who died in the tragedy lining the ramp.

A lot of people who went down to the site realized for the first time that the beams of light representing the two towers are not actually on the site of the towers. They are about 4 blocks south of ground zero. They sit on top of a parking structure because of all of the work going on at the site. Supposedly, this is the last year they are supposed to have the beams of light.

Then, I stopped a the fire station that sits across the street from ground zero. Inside you could see the memorial for the firefighters that lost their lives from this station. It was very touching.

It was a great experience that I will always remember. I think I went 2 hours without speaking which gave me time to reflect on what had happened 7 years ago.

Trip Home

2008-09-04T21:43:00.000-04:00

It has been nine months, but I finally returned home to California to visit. I've seen some of my family on vacations since Christmas, but I never actually went home. I guess it was because I thought I would be moving to Utah where it is a lot cheaper and quicker to get home.

It was such a great, relaxing trip. I flew in late Wednesday night. On Thursday, we just lounged around, played with the kids, went to the pool and then headed out on the boat. It had been over a year since I had last been wakeboarding, which I definitely noticed. Unfortunately the water wasn't very good, so we switched to the tube. That night, my older brother and older sister came over for a big BBQ. I realized how much I missed home cooked meals.

Then on Friday, we woke up and went to Disneyland. It is so much fun to go to a Disney park with kids! They make it so exciting to see how excited they are for the rides and characters. The kids were so good all day, even though they were catering to me. It was the first time that I had been to California Adventure, which has a lot of cool rides. Here's some pictures from our adventure.

Then the rest of the weekend we just lounged around and enjoyed each other's company. We played some Wii at my brothers and had another BBQ. On Sunday, we celebrated my nephew's first birthday. He wasn't as excited as we would have hoped, but I think he still had fun. He had his own cake to play in and made a mess with it.

It doesn't necessarily take living far away to realize how much your family means to you, but it definitely solidifies it. I loved being with them and miss having them around.

U.S. Open

2008-09-02T22:26:00.000-04:00

Another checkmark added to my list. One more thing you can only do in New York is attend the U.S. Open. I only attended an evening session, so I just went to the main stadium. They have almost 15 different courts with all different games going on at the same time though. It's pretty cool. We went the 2nd night of the open, but still saw Venus Williams and Roger Federer play. It was great. I've never really watched tennis on TV before, but it's quite exciting live. Here's some shots we took.

This is Venus serving.

And here's Federer.

Boston

2008-08-20T19:17:00.000-04:00

I just got back from a much needed break from work and life in the city. My friend and old college roommate lives in Boston. He lived in New York over the summer for a law internship, but had a week at home before he headed back to good ole’ Provo. So I decided it would be a great time to go visit Boston. I’ve wanted to go since I moved to New York, but haven’t had the opportunity yet, until now. So me and a couple of friends headed up Friday after work on the luxurious Chinatown bus. On Saturday, we woke up and had some fun on the lake in his backyard. We went for a swim and even went for a nice kayak ride. It was absolutely serene. After getting ready, we headed into the city to see all of the Boston sites. We walked most of the Freedom Trail.

On the Freedom Trail, we saw the Old North Church.

Fanuiel Hall
Paul Revere’s grave
Bunker Hill
and the Cheers Bar.

I even thought Paul Revere deserved a high five for everything he did.

In the midst of seeing everything (including too many things to blog about), we ate some great Italian panini's in the North End of Boston (Boston's Little Italy). It was really good. After a long day, we headed back to Jon’s house in Georgetown. For the next two days it rained and wouldn’t stop. I wasn’t complaining though because it gave us some time to watch the Olympics and just take a break from life. Even through the rain, Jon took me up to see New Hampshire, which is a beautiful state.

On Tuesday, the rains parted and we had a gorgeous day. We decided to go back in the city and tour historic Fenway park. As you can see, I was converted.

Then Tuesday night, I was lucky enough to use Jon's family's season tickets to go see the Red Sox play the Texas Rangers. It was the best game I could have asked for. The Red Sox scored 10 runs in the first inning. I thought it was over after that, but the Rangers came back and made the game competitive. The final score was 19-17, which is amazing for a baseball game. We were lucky enough to see a slugging fest.

This is David Ortiz after he hit his second 3 run homer in the first inning.

I should add that Jon's season tickets are absolutely amazing. They have had them forever, so they are lucky enough to get them on the 5th row, right near home plate. I couldn't have asked for better tickets. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that made my whole trip. Here is the view from our seats.

To finish off the trip, we headed to Harvard. It is a beautiful campus. Maybe someday I'll actually go there. Who knows? :)

What more could I ask for from a week's vacation.

My New Apartment

2008-08-17T23:09:00.001-04:00

Since I've decided to stay in New York, I had to get a new apartment. After the month of stress with finding a new place, arranging movers, finding a new roommate, and actually moving, I'm finally settled in my new place. Now that we are settled, I realize it was definitely worth it. The place is not as nice and we no longer have a dishwasher, but we have a lot more room. I now have my own room, pay a little less rent, and live closer to all the members of the Church in my area. I thought I would post some pictures of my new place.

Maui

2008-08-13T15:50:00.001-04:00

It has only been two months since I came back from Maui, so you would think that I would have already blogged about it. Since we had three cameras in Maui, it has taken a couple of months to get all of the pictures (which I still don’t completely have). Anyway here’s my travelogue.
After two long flights with over 12 hours in the air, I arrived in Maui from New York. As always, it was a tropical paradise. After doing some shopping, we headed straight to the beach to enjoy some warm water and some nice rays.
That morning, we had van pick us up at 2 am to travel up to the volcano to watch the sunrise. Although, it was tiring, the sunrise was beautiful as it rose through the clouds. Then came the fun part; we rode bikes down the entire volcano. It was quite the ride (with very little pedaling). We rode from over 9,000 ft all the way to the beach at sea level. We did take a break to take some pictures.
After recovering from the early wake-up call, we found a blow hole and some natural pools that the ocean created. These small hikes were the perfect way to spend the afternoon.
Another day, we took the “Road to Hanna.” For those who have never been to Maui, the Road to Hanna is a small road (one-lane at times) to a town called Hanna. There’s nothing special about Hanna, but the road is amazing because you are driving along lush cliffs with waterfalls everywhere and neat places to stop along the way, including Black Sand Beach and Red Sand Beach. At the very end of the road, you are rewarded with swimming in the Seven Sacred Pools. It took us 12 hours to take the road there and back, so it was another tiring day, but definitely worth it. By the end, waterfalls were nothing special.
On Saturday, the boys went scuba diving. We love scuba diving so most of the time we actually plan our vacations around scuba diving. For this set of dives, we dove the back wall of Molokini, a small crater off the coast of Maui. The wall is amazing because it is a shear drop off. This one only drops off 300 ft to the ocean floor, but when visibility is 100 ft, all you see is blackness below. With wall dives, you have to worry about your depth, because there is no ocean floor to stop you from going too deep. It was an amazing dive with beautiful fish and coral. We were lucky to see a 6 ft reef shark as well. The next dive was a shallow dive, but we swam with turtles and a giant eagle ray. Maui is definitely a great place to dive.

After more beach days, the pool and hot tub, and some snorkeling, we finished the trip with zip lines in the mountains of Maui. Our family had done zip lines in Cancun, but they were not near the length of the zip lines in Maui. The longest zip was 1,800 ft long, so over a quarter of a mile. The zip lines went over gullies and some tropical forests. It was gorgeous and the perfect way to finish my time in Maui.

Batman

2008-08-13T15:47:00.001-04:00

So I’m definitely a fan of the Batman movie. It was great! It took us a week to get them, but we bought tickets to Batman in IMAX. Heath Ledger did such a great job. One great part of living in New York City is that there are many movie stars here and movie premiers. The movie theater that I always go to held the world premiere for Batman. Thus, all the big name actors showed up. I didn’t see any actors, but here are some pictures of the Batmobile that they brought to the theater for the premiere.

Endless Summer

2008-08-13T15:24:00.000-04:00

Summer is so busy here. There is always something going on. We try to go to the beach every now and then, but there are many events that occur in the summer. In addition to the events I mentioned in my earlier posts, I have also recently attended Shakespeare in the open. A group performed MacBeth in Battery Park. With every new scene, the players would move to a new part of the park for the scenery change. It was actually really interesting and helped you keep your attention during the performance. Just one note: We took dinner there, which would not be advised because every time we sat down and tried to eat, they would move.
Then someone had the bright idea to make New York more artistic, so they hired this artist to design waterfalls that they have positioned along the river at different places. They are pretty cool, but not worth the price that they paid for them ($15.5 million for four of them).
Then here are some pictures of the Death Cab concert that I mentioned in my earlier summer post.
The summer is winding down, but I still feel like there is so much I want to do. Sad day! One of the terrific things about summer is Broadway in the park. Every week in July and August, a few Broadway shows perform a number or two from their show. It seems like I’ve been gone from work or have had something every Thursday, so I haven’t attended any! Hopefully I can make it tomorrow.

My Birthday

2008-08-07T20:47:00.000-04:00

My birthday was amazing this year. Everyone went out of their way to make it special. All my coworkers at work signed a card and gave me a gift certificate to Crate & Barrel. Then I got to pick my favorite restaurant for lunch. I went to Tao which is an amazing Asian restaurant. It's actually where the speed dating scene is shot in Hitch. For my birthday, they brought me out a giant fortune cookie filled with custards. It was delicious. If that wasn't enough dessert, my coworkers also bought me a cheesecake and even had me blow out the candles.

Then Camas had told me we were going out to dinner and that afterwards she had invited some friends over for some cake and ice cream. She refused to tell me where we were going for dinner. When we showed up at the restaurant, some of my close friends were there to surprise me. It was so awesome. I don't think anyone has ever had a surprise party for me. It was fun. (Thanks to all those who came.) The food was great too. It was a place called Dinosaur BBQ. Who would have thought that you can get some good BBQ in New York City.

Then we moved the party to Megan and Mitzi's apartment for cake and ice cream. It was a great night.

My birthday was on a Thursday, but there were so many of my friends with birthdays the same week as mine. So, we decided to have a joint party for all of us on Friday night. We had a friend who knew this lady with a penthouse apartment and terrace overlooking the Guggenheim museum and Central Park. It was the perfect place for a party, with amazing views. It just topped off an awesome birthday week.

4th of July

2008-07-13T21:34:00.000-04:00

Another first of mine was the 4th of July in New York City. It was an amazing day. I had a nice relaxing morning and then had lunch at the Boathouse in Central Park. It’s in the movies and Enchanted and probably many more. The atmosphere there is really amazing as you are eating overlooking the lake in Central Park. After we ate, we actually went out on the row boats on the lake. It is almost surreal as you are rowing in a lake surrounded by trees with a backdrop of skyscrapers. It’s a sight you can only see in the city.

After our adventures in the park, we had an amazing BBQ. What would the 4th of July be without a BBQ? It was the inauguration of a new grill that Camas received for her birthday and boy did the burgers turn out well. We were slightly grossed out, though, as we watched the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest on TV. I guess burgers don’t sit to well as you watch someone stuff 59 hot dogs in their mouth.

To end the night, we met up with about 50 friends to go over and watch the fireworks. The city closes down the one highway in Manhattan, which runs along the river, and allows residents to sit on the highway. We arrived about 2.5 hours early and staked out our spot on the road. Then we just chatted and played some games as we waited for the show to begin. We were having a great time until it started raining. Luckily we were prepared and brought our umbrellas. We started to get hopeful when the rain stopped, but sure enough the rain started again about 15 minutes before the fireworks started. Nevertheless, we stuck it out and watched the fireworks with our umbrellas out. The fireworks were great coming off three barges on the river. It just wouldn’t have been the 4th without fireworks.

Summer in the City

2008-06-28T12:19:00.000-04:00

Maui is yet to come because I realized I haven’t received all of the pictures that the rest of my family took. So here’s a post about all of the amazing things there are to do in the summer in New York City.

So first of all, almost every band you could ever imagine comes to New York. So a few weeks ago, a couple of friends went to the Death Cab for Cutie concert. It was really good. It was at a fun outdoor arena in Brooklyn. The only downside to that is it is subject to the forces of nature. About an hour and a half into the concert the wind really starting picking up and you could see lightning in the background. Pretty soon, the lights hanging over the stage were swinging pretty hard. So, the stage manager came out and said they had to cancel the rest of the concert. We were disappointed, but at least we saw them for most of the songs (and that meant we didn’t get home too, too late). Then as we were walking back to the car (luckily, we had a friend with a car), it started pouring rain. There’s nothing like an East coast torrential downpour.

Then this last week, the New York Philharmonic hosts the summer concert series in the parks around New York. The best thing about it is they are all free. A couple of friends went to the concert in Central Park (as seen in the movie “August Rush”). It was a lot of fun because everyone brings blankets and sits out on the lawn. A lot of people, including us, brought dinner to eat while listening. The Philharmonic plays songs most people would recognize and then they finish the night off with a fireworks show. It is a definite must do in the city.

Then yesterday, we took advantage of another free event that the city and generous donors provide called “Shakespeare in the Park.” You get tickets the day of for a relatively small theater in Central Park. Right now they are doing Hamlet, so we were able to enjoy a great, slightly contemporary, performance of this Shakespeare classic. It was really well done, just as good as any Broadway play. Definitely a fun thing to do if you ever have the opportunity to go see while you are in New York.

Duck Beach

2008-06-28T11:13:00.000-04:00

So everyone told me different things about Duck Beach. When I told some people that I was going, they would give me a look. I would always say “what”? They would just respond that the only reason that people go to Duck Beach is to hook up with someone for the weekend and never have interest in them anymore.
Others would tell me that Duck was a blast with a chance to make new friends and just have a great time at the beach. After going, I would totally agree with the second. Although the first stereotype does occur, it’s not always the case. I had a great time.
For those of you back west, Duck Beach is in the outer banks of North Carolina, close to Nags Head and Kitty Hawk (where the Wright Brothers) took their first flight. It is a beautiful beach with some beautiful beach houses for rent. There were about 60 people from New York that went down, so we rent two houses. Sixty people still might sound like a lot, but just look at the picture of the house I was in. It had 11 bedrooms, a giant kitchen with two ovens, two stoves, and dishwashers (which I fell in love with as I helped with the food).
One of the best moments of the trip was when the first group of my friends (who all arrived together) went to Costco to buy all of the food for the weekend. We ended up having 11 carts and spent $2,500 (and that didn’t include perishables which we bought at the grocery store in Duck). Needless to say, we didn’t go hungry in Duck. Thanks to Adrienne Martin for all of her planning efforts in our behalf. Once we got there, I realized that there is a huge party every night. The party would rotate around different houses every night. I think there was over 1,000 young single adults in Duck. The town has a stupid rule that you can’t park on the street, so pretty much the cops came to every party we went to.
Even after the parties get broken up, everyone goes back to their own houses and stays up all night. I didn’t get much sleep that weekend, but luckily I had a week in Maui to recover (see soon to be post above). All in all, Duck Beach was something you have to do at least once. If anything, it’s a nice weekend at the beach with all of your friends.

My First Yankees Game

2008-06-18T22:06:00.000-04:00

So it has been forever since I have posted anything! Hopefully I will get three posts up in the next few days. Here we go with the first. After 8 months in New York, I finally attended my first Yankees game. It was really fun. I couldn’t have asked to go with more fun people. We had a great time and watched the Yankees kill the Mariners. It’s such a nostalgic stadium. Luckily, I got to go before they tear it down next year.

The 'Rents in New York City

2008-05-10T16:28:00.001-04:00

I know it has been forever since I have posted. I have been reminded by many of that fact. The weeks just seem to whiz by. Two weeks ago, my mom and dad came out to New York to visit me. We had a blast, but our schedule was packed. I think they did more in the week they were here than most people do in a month. Here is my travel log: Tuesday: They arrived and dropped off bags at my apartment. We stopped in to see my office and meet my coworkers. Then we walked around Times Square. We then headed down to Grimaldi’s to eat dinner, and then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. To finish off the night, we headed up to Grand Central Terminal, saw it and grabbed a Junior’s cheesecake. Wednesday: We wake up and go see Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange, Trinity Church, Federal Hall (where the Bill of Rights was signed), Stone Street, the big bull (as seen in Hitch), and arrive at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. They took us on a tour of the bank and actually took us down into the vault where they hold $315 billion worth of gold bars for foreign governments. It was pretty cool. Then we walked around South Street Seaport, headed to Shake Shack for lunch (waited in line for an hour and a half). We walked from Grand Central to the UN building, seeing the Chrysler Building on the way. Unfortunately, the tour tickets to the UN were sold out, so we took a cab to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Toured around there for a few hours, and then headed to Little Brazil to eat a Brazilian meal (my dad served his mission in Brazil). After a tasty meal, we headed to Wicked. As always, it was amazing. Thursday: We woke up and went down to the Today show and got on TV, then we headed over to Times Square to check on Broadway tickets before we headed back over to the UN. We spent several hours touring the UN (which was neat because they took us in all of the rooms including the Security Council room and the General Assembly Room). Then we ate lunch at Grand Central before we headed to the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. We stood in line to get tickets to another Broadway show, and then finished touring Rockefeller Center and 5th Avenue, including Trump Tower, Saks, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Tiffany & Co., the NBA store and Carnegie Hall. We then headed down to Union Square for dinner with my cousin, Cory, at Max Brenner (a delicious chocolate restaurant). After dinner, we headed back up to Times Square to see Curtains with David Hyde Pierce. Friday: We slept in a little longer and then headed to the Statue of Liberty, went up inside the base of the monument, and then went to Ellis Island. Both were firsts for me since I came to the city. After we got off the boat, we walked around Battery Park City and saw Ground Zero. Then we headed up to have lunch/dinner at Serendipity (with frozen hot chocolate for dessert). We then made the trek out to Shea stadium to see the Mets play. Saturday: We slept in again and then went down to Macy’s (the largest store in the world: 9 stores spanning an entire block. It’s huge) and then saw the Empire State Bldg, but didn’t go up it. We then toured the lower part of Central Park and went on a carriage ride through the park. While we were there, we went into FAO Schwartz, got some gifts for the grandkids and saw the piano show (the giant piano from Big). We then had lunch at Grey’s Papaya, toured Columbia University, St. John the Divine Cathedral (the largest cathedral in the world), and Grant’s Tomb. We then made it back in time for a session at the Manhattan temple. Then we had a relaxing evening over a nice dinner at Ruth’s Chris, and then went to the top of Rockefeller center to see the city lights.

Sunday: We took it easy and just walked around the park in the morning. Then we went to Church and cooked a nice dinner and relaxed the rest of the evening (letting our bodies catch up). Monday: We woke up, saw Lincoln Center, headed up to Harlem and saw the Apollo theater, then went to the Museum of Natural History (the museum fictionalized in Night at the Museum). We then headed down to the Burger Joint (a secret restaurant inside a swanky hotel). We then ventured down to Chinatown for some shopping (even though we didn’t buy anything) and finished the trip with some banana pudding from Magnolia’s bakery. The only things on our list we didn’t do (because we didn’t manage to fit it in our schedule): a meal in Little Italy, the Museum of Modern Art, Coney Island, and a performance at Carnegie Hall. All I can say is that I would not want to be a tour guide for a living! Thanks Mom and Dad for coming out, it was fun.

Trip to DC

2008-04-05T09:50:00.000-04:00

So months ago, a bunch of friends agreed to go down to DC to run the National half marathon. Well, due to the requirement of a qualifying race and the effects of busy season on my training, I didn't end up running. Fortunately, I was still able to go down to DC with the group, including a couple of other friends that didn't run. It was a blast of a trip, so I thought I would share my adventure.

We were staying at two different hotels, so we dropped off the runners at one hotel and started out for our hotel. All I have to say is that DC is the most confusing city in the world with streets going every direction, roundabouts, and one way streets. We got lost for about an hour. All I have to say is thank goodness for the GPS on my blackberry.

Because of the late night and a bad night's sleep, we ended up sleeping through the race (sorry runners!). We just lounged around the hotel and had a nice breakfast waiting for the racers to get back and get ready before we headed out to tour DC.

We saw all of the hot spots that I hadn't seen the last time I was in DC. We saw the White House, Treasury building, the Washington monument, WWII memorial, Vietnam memorial, Lincoln memorial, and then the best of all: the cherry blossoms. We came at the perfect time! The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the city was hosting the cherry blossom festival.

The cherry blossom festival has been something I have heard about for years, but didn't think I would ever see it. The blossoms were beautiful, excentuating all of the monuments and beauty of Washington DC. They were everywhere! It is something I am grateful I was able to see.

Also, while we were there, there was a kite festival. On the grounds around the Washington monument, there were thousands of people there flying kites. Some of them were kids with parents, while others came from across the world to share in this festival. There was one man from China that had built a dragon kite and came over to the festival to fly it. It was cool.

After we were tired, we ended up going to our friend Chad's house for the night. His family was such a great host. Overall, it was an amazing trip. The drive was even great with all of our friends in the car. Who doesn't love road trips!

March Madness

2008-03-27T22:14:00.001-04:00

I don’t know about you, but my bracket has just sucked this year! I have no chances of winning. When I was making my bracket, I remember thinking: “With these match-ups, I don’t think there are going to be many upsets this year.” Boy have I been wrong.

Anyway, in the spirit of March Madness, I had to do a basketball post. In the middle of March, one of the partners in my group had extra tickets to the Big East Conference Tournament held at Madison Square Garden. It was my first time in the Garden, so I had to document the experience. They tout themselves as the best arena in the world. I don’t know about that for sure, but it was still a nostalgic experience.

My good friend Brent Thurgood came with me as we enjoyed the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati game. It was actually a really good game, but we decided to call it a night after one game. It was just the beginning of an enjoyable season of basketball.

Last week at work, we have what some people like to term “The Lunch of No Return.” We left the office at noon on the first day of the NCAA tournament. A lot of the partners and senior managers came with us for an extended lunch (2 hours). We were then assigned to reserve our spot the rest of the day in case people from the office wanted to stop in to catch a game. We were also told to keep the food coming. All I have to say is that getting paid to watch six hours of basketball is my kind of work.

A Winter Wonderland

2008-02-24T18:40:00.001-05:00

Everyone always told me New York winters were supposed to be the worst. I was preparing to be shocked, but so far it hasn’t been bad at all. It gets cold here, but not much colder than it ever did in Utah. The only thing that kills you here is the wind. With all of the perpendicular and parallel streets and tall buildings, the city is full of wind tunnels that make a cold day even colder.

What I have been waiting for all year is a good snow storm. Before Friday, it had only snowed twice; both times sticking for only a few hours. Then on Friday, the big storm came. I was actually really excited. I like snow as long as I don’t have to drive in it, and seeing that I do not have a car, I love the snow here! The storm only dropped about 6 inches in the city, but it created havoc for the airports. I actually had a friend flying out of JFK that morning and she didn’t leave until about 3 pm. It was crazy.

Now the fun part: There is a photo gallery on my walk to the subway. In the window they have several pictures of central park in the snow. Ever since I saw those pictures, I have wanted to take snow pictures in the park as well. Thus, on Saturday I woke up and went running in the park. On the way back, I just stopped and took pictures. It was so much fun, so I hope you enjoy them.

The park has been one of my favorite places in the city. It is a place to escape from the bustling city life. I usually go running in the park several times a week as a time for reflection. With the added snow, the park seemed so silent and peaceful. As I was taking the pictures, I was in awe of the beauty and the serenity of nature that can even be found in the biggest city in the country.

It was such a play day for the rest of the city too. Since people don’t have yards, they use the park. There were kids everywhere going sledding and building snowmen. It was fun to see. I just wish I had time to put on my snow clothes and play in snow.

My Cultural Post

2008-02-18T19:22:00.000-05:00

So it has been awhile since I have posted on here. For all those who have pointed this out to me, I apologize. I just feel like I haven’t done anything noteworthy enough to post on here. So even though it might be unexciting, here is what I have been up to recently. I call it my cultural post. In the last month, I have seen several more Broadway shows, namely Spelling Bee and Mamma Mia. Both were excellent shows that were really fun and upbeat. I would recommend them to anyone. Spelling Bee actually just left Broadway, but it is touring the country now. If you have the opportunity to see it, do it.

Then this last week, I received some corporate tickets to an Andalucian Flamenco Dancing Show. It was really interesting to see the cultural traditions of Spain. I am also amazed at how well those girls can move their feet and legs. To continue in my cultural habits, on Saturday our stake sponsored a Chinese New Year Celebration put on by the Chinese branch. It is so awesome to know that just because you become a member of the Church does not mean that you have to give up your cultural heritage. The members of the branch performed many musical numbers and skits. Then they ended the evening with a lion dance. It is like the long dragons you see in pictures but it is with a lion and fewer people. It was really neat to see and hear the story behind it.

It’s great that the melting pot of America has provided me with so many opportunities to experience so many cultures and so many experiences.

Finally, I went to the Museum of Modern Art back in December, but I never blogged about it because of everything going on with the holidays. It seems fitting to lump it here with all of my other cultural happenings, in addition to the fact I have no pictures from my other events.

I was a little skeptical about going to the MoMA because I wouldn’t say I am a huge fan of modern art. After I went, though, I was quite surprised at how much I liked it. Some types of modern art are my favorite types of art. The museum has many famous paintings from famous artists including Picasso, Van Gogh, and Seurat. To crown the evening, I got a picture with Van Gogh’s famous Starry Night. The MoMA is definitely a must see in New York (although the museum also has some of the stereotypical wacky modern art as well).

New Years In New York

2008-01-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't know if I could convince anyone to do New Years Eve in Times Square with me, but at the last minute it all came together. We dressed warmly and prepared for some cold weather, but in the end it wasn't that bad at all. It ended up being in the mid-30s and with all of the people, it actually was somewhat warm.

We arrived around 2:45 and many blocks were already full. We were walking farther down and just happened to be in the right place at the right time. As we were walking by, the police just closed the streets and moved the front barricades out in the middle of the street. That freed up a lot of room, so we hopped the back barricade while the cops were moving the front ones. We ended up being right in front of MTV between 44 and 45. That is only two blocks from where the ball drops. We couldn't have asked for a better spot.

Once we staked out our spot, we laid out a tarp. About 20 minutes later the police came by and said everyone had to stand. We were really disappointed and thus began the 9 hours of standing. In the end, it wasn't too bad. We had really good company. Then every hour on the hour, we would count down the new year in another part of the world. At six, they raised the ball to the top of the pole. And for the rest of the night they had all kinds of bands and singers performing (either rehearsing or actually recording for live TV), interspersed with fun music that we just danced to. Since we were near the front, they were passing out all kinds of free stuff to wear (i.e. free advertising since we were going to be on TV).

Then at a minute before midnight, it all happened. The ball began to drop and the countdown began. At midnight, tons (literally) of confetti fell in Times Square. That ten minutes made the whole night worth it. It took us about an hour or so to walk home, but the night was definitely worth it. I just feel bad for the sanitation workers who had to spend the rest of the night cleaning up all of the trash left in Times Square.

Downside to Christmas in New York

2007-12-10T19:44:00.000-05:00

So, in the last post I made I shared how amazing New York was during Christmas time. I still have those sentiments, but I realized things can't always be picture perfect. The downside to Christmas in New York is that there are people everywhere! I have never seen this many people in the city. After awhile, it starts to get a little annoying. A friend and I went into Macy's on Saturday and this the flood of people we had to wander through.It is a sacrifice you have to make, but well worth it.

The rest of the pictures are just pictures relating to prior posts. I have posted a picture of the new years eve ball in Macy's, a picture of the Rockefeller center tree, now that it is lit up. I also took a picture of some Christmas Carolers that were singing outside the public library. It seems like a picture right out of Charles Dickens "The Christmas Carol." Finally, you might be thinking that I like to take pictures of Christmas trees, but there are big Christmas trees everywhere, so I thought someday I might make a collage of all of them.

Christmas in New York

2007-11-27T18:00:00.001-05:00

Christmas time is the best time to be in New York. Even though you miss out on all the neighborhood lights, there are holiday decorations throughout the city. The other day, I went to Macy’s to do a little shopping and found myself in a Christmas wonderland. The whole department store was decorated with Garland and large Christmas trees. They also have the Waterford Crystal New Year’s Eve Ball on display. It was actually fun to see. Then I went up to Rockefeller Center and saw the scaffolding around the giant tree as they were stringing it with lights.

In my own neighborhood, they have strung the trees lining Columbus Ave. with white Christmas lights. It is so much fun. Then as I come to work each day, I am greeted by holiday wreaths and a giant Christmas tree in my office lobby. It really makes it feel like Christmas.
Then on top of all the Christmas decorations, there are all of the fun holiday activities. One weekend, we decided to go ice skating in Bryant Park. It was a whole different experience to ice skate out in the open air. (I must add that New Yorkers have no idea what real ice skating is like because this place was so crowded you could barely move at times. There was no room for speed.)

Then last night for family home evening, the singles ward served hot chocolate and sung Christmas Carols during the lighting of the Lincoln Center Christmas Tree right across the street. It was actually quite fun and we grew crowds at times. Alan Alda (one of the characters from MASH for those who don’t know him) even stopped and listened to one of our tunes. Hopefully we did some good missionary work.
Then to top it off, I will be attending “How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Musical” and the “Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectactular.” I will keep you updated on how those are in the weeks to come. What a great time to be in the City!

Thanksgiving!

2007-11-27T17:59:00.003-05:00

With my family being in California, I figured it was too far to travel for a just a few days, so I decided to mooch off of my aunt and uncle in Virginia. I had a blast there. I was able to help cook (I was in charge of a French chocolate silk pie and the turkey) and just enjoy time with my cousins. We played lots of games and just relaxed. On Friday, we actually went to Harpers Ferry. It is a historical site in West Virginia that has civil war history. They have several little museums and have restored several of the old buildings in the little town. It is a very beautiful place, and it is always fun to experience history. Then to top of the weekend, I was able to watch BYU beat the University of Utah. It was a great finish to a great weekend.

The Met

2007-11-27T17:59:00.001-05:00

So I have been a little behind on my blog posts. I have had intentions for writing the last couple of weeks, but I just never seemed to find time, until now. That is why there are three posts all at once.

I had the opportunity to go the Metropolitan Museum of Art a couple of weekends ago, so I thought I would share my experience there. It is a massive museum. I have wanted to go since I moved here, but I wasn’t sure how keen I would be on seeing art for hours on end. Boy, was I surprised. They actually have a lot of cool things there. One wing contains a lot of Egyptian “art” including sarcophaguses and even a real stone Egyptian temple that they moved over here. Another wing of the museum has armor from the dark ages and even Samurai armor. Other wings have Greek and Roman art and sculptures. Then one of the most famous paintings of the museum is “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” This painting is huge. It is probably 30 feet by 15 feet. I was just in awe when I saw it. It was a fun adventure to one of the greatest museums in the country.

My "Work" Social Life

2007-11-15T21:20:00.000-05:00

Everyone at work just does not understand how I know so many people and have so many friends here in New York after just living here for a few months. (Of course I tell them it is one of the many benefits of the Church.) All my other coworkers spend a lot of time together, especially on the weekend. They always invite me, but I usually decline because I don't like the bar scene very much. Lately, though, we have done quite a few things together besides bars. Last week we all got together for a pot luck dinner at one of my coworkers houses. We played some games and had a fun time together outside of work. (I must say they were quite impressed with my Cranium skills as well.) Then we met up for the Halloween parade on Halloween night. Apparently, we are arranging a monthly activity together, whether that is dinner or another event.

I really enjoy my coworkers. I couldn't ask for more fun people. Their energy adds excitement to our long days. It is still awhile away, but I am really going to miss them when I leave the group.

Please notice that I do not have a wine glass in my hand. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea.

Harvest in Connecticut

2007-11-04T17:35:00.001-05:00

That was the name of the singles activity in Connecticut this weekend. It was at Rod Hawes’ barn. (He is mentioned in the Mormon Way of Doing Business.) Needless to say his place was massive. We took the train up to New Canaan, Connecticut and then were shuttled over to his house. It is beautiful up there because all of the leaves are changing in New England. It made the trip worth it even if there wasn’t a singles activity. When we got there we figured out it was a joint activity with the young singles and the older singles. That made things a little interesting because some of the older singles resented that we were there. I will have to tell more stories about that later. Anyway, we ended up playing some billiards, foosball hockey, and indoor bowling at his indoor bowling alley. We also went on a fun scavenger hunt through the property. All-in-all it was a really fun day. I met a few new people and had a good time with friends. Then they had a special guest speaker Glenn Beck come and share his conversion story. (He has a radio talk show and a talk show on CNN.) It was a really neat experience and made for a very spiritual meeting. He shared how the Lord had directed his life to always come across members of the church. He went on to say how the Lord had led him out of a miserable life of drugs and alcohol to become who he is today. His career has taken off since he decided to serve the Lord. Then after dinner, we decided to take off before the dance started. The young singles were definitely outnumbered, and I had already been flirted with by a 45 year lady. Thus, we thought it would be in our best interest if we left. It was definitely a fun trip. The partner in charge of our department is hosting our Christmas party at his house in New Canaan, so it will be fun to return to the old quaint town.

Halloween in New York

2007-11-01T19:34:00.000-04:00

Well yesterday was Halloween. Our group of coworkers decided to dress up for work as James Bond and his crew (it was not my idea), so I dressed up in my Tuxedo and one of my other coworkers wore his tuxedo as well. The girl in our group was the "Bond Girl." I think we were the only people in the office to dress up, so it wasn't as cool as we thought it would be. I can't tell you all the looks we got in the elevators and subway.

So many people at work told us the best thing to do in New York is the Halloween Parade which takes place in Greenwich Village. Luckily one of my coworkers lives right above the street of the parade route. So when we got off of work we headed down to his place and had a little Halloween party before the parade started with some pizza. When the parade started we opened up the windows and had the perfect vantage point for the parade. It was kind of cool. There were some floats and just a bunch of people dressed up in really cool costumes. My favorite part of the parade was when about 50 people dressed up like Zombies danced to "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. They did the exact moves from the music video and it was really cool to see.

I decided I had a seen enough of it about an hour into the parade (the parade is three hours long), so I headed it. It was crazy with people everywhere on the streets down in the Village. It took me awhile to get home but it was still fun to see everyone's costumes. It was just one big party. It reminded me of Mardi Gras. Anyway, just one more interesting story from New York.

The Ghoul Processional

2007-10-31T22:01:00.000-04:00

On Friday night, we went to an event called the processional of the ghouls. A coworker told me about it, so I decided to try something new since I will only be here for one Halloween. It is at a huge cathedral here in the city. They show a silent movie while the church organist plays the sound effects and music for the show. The organist was so good. He didn't even had music. He was just watching the show and then would play. I am sure he practiced many times. Then at the end of the movie, people dressed up in ornate costumes start a processional down the aisle. It was quite the experience. The coolest part is that they fill the cathedral with smoke and use red floodlights to create the atmosphere. I would recommend it to anyone who is in New York City around Halloween time.

Let the Bloggin' Begin

2007-10-31T21:56:00.000-04:00

Well after reading everyone else's blogs, I decided to join the trend and start one of my own. Now that I am in New York, this will allow everyone to catch up with the ongoings here in New York.