How accommodating can the news be? There are three anniversaries in the Chychota family within the span of a week towards the end of July, and without knowing that, Yahoo has posted two unusual love stories in its "Odd News" category in the last two days. You know me: I hafta share.
1. A match made in...Facebook: Kelly (Katrina) Hildebrandt & Kelly (Carl) Hildebrandt are engaged to be married.
2. He should have phoned: the love letter that took 16 years to reach its recipient.
Doncha just love happy endings?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
need a good stiff drink?
Congratulations to Tim Horton's on its invasion of New York City! Let's raise a vile double-double in a toast. ("First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin...")
Congratulations, as well, to Winnipeg, the Slurpee Capital of the World!
Congratulations, as well, to Winnipeg, the Slurpee Capital of the World!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
content to the core
~ or the trip that has no end, ends ~
Before I finish off this lengthy travelogue, "Happy Birthday, Mom!"
***
Yahoo featured this previously published article today: "The Places you must visit before you die." The list was not numbered, but New York City was mentioned first.
***
re: July 5
It's nearly impossible to top fireworks as a last hurrah. But I think we did. On Friday as the bus drove down the street away from the hotel and into a whirlwind tour, Linda, the local guide, had pointed out Times Square Church (TSC), mentioning its founding pastor, David Wilkerson. Well, that caught my attention. Wilkerson, of course, is the "preach" in the biographical account The Cross and the Switchblade. (The film adaptation starred the pre-CHiPs Erik Estrada as Nicky Cruz.)
I didn't read the book until adulthood, but I knew the story well as a result of the comic book version--published by Spire Christian Comics, sold by Riverside Co-op. (I was surprised to find a site that has it and other Spire comics in PDF. I had quite a few of the Archies.) Anyone who grew up in southern Manitoba Mennonite communities in the '70s knows that we didn't have contemporary Christian heroes per se, because that could have been equated with idolatry. Occasionally we raised individuals up on pedestals: Billy Graham, for sure, and maybe Elisabeth Elliot. But we'd never have admitted it. Secretly, however, as a result of that comic book, David Wilkerson became one of my heroes. Consequently, it was amazing to see him and hear him deliver the pre-communion address at TSC. (He's advancing in age--he's 78 now--so another senior pastor delivered the message.)
Almost equally as amazing is the church building, the Mark Hellinger Theatre. Its rather unremarkable exterior masks the lavish interior.
According to the TSC Website, "More than 8,000 people representing over 100 nationalities...gather to worship here every week." It's like a touch of heaven on earth.
We had just enough time to enjoy lunch at the Olive Garden before returning to the hotel to pick up the last of our stuff. Our tour bus pulled away at 1pm.
parting shots
With a one-hour stop for turkey dinner buffet at Plainville Farms Restaurant, and a 15-minute stop at the Duty Free before the border, we were back at our starting point around 10:30pm.
Definitely a memorable pre-10th anniversary celebration.
And that, my friends, is how a small-town girl became infatuated with a big city.
Before I finish off this lengthy travelogue, "Happy Birthday, Mom!"
***
Yahoo featured this previously published article today: "The Places you must visit before you die." The list was not numbered, but New York City was mentioned first.
***
re: July 5
It's nearly impossible to top fireworks as a last hurrah. But I think we did. On Friday as the bus drove down the street away from the hotel and into a whirlwind tour, Linda, the local guide, had pointed out Times Square Church (TSC), mentioning its founding pastor, David Wilkerson. Well, that caught my attention. Wilkerson, of course, is the "preach" in the biographical account The Cross and the Switchblade. (The film adaptation starred the pre-CHiPs Erik Estrada as Nicky Cruz.)
I didn't read the book until adulthood, but I knew the story well as a result of the comic book version--published by Spire Christian Comics, sold by Riverside Co-op. (I was surprised to find a site that has it and other Spire comics in PDF. I had quite a few of the Archies.) Anyone who grew up in southern Manitoba Mennonite communities in the '70s knows that we didn't have contemporary Christian heroes per se, because that could have been equated with idolatry. Occasionally we raised individuals up on pedestals: Billy Graham, for sure, and maybe Elisabeth Elliot. But we'd never have admitted it. Secretly, however, as a result of that comic book, David Wilkerson became one of my heroes. Consequently, it was amazing to see him and hear him deliver the pre-communion address at TSC. (He's advancing in age--he's 78 now--so another senior pastor delivered the message.)
Almost equally as amazing is the church building, the Mark Hellinger Theatre. Its rather unremarkable exterior masks the lavish interior.
We had just enough time to enjoy lunch at the Olive Garden before returning to the hotel to pick up the last of our stuff. Our tour bus pulled away at 1pm.
parting shots
With a one-hour stop for turkey dinner buffet at Plainville Farms Restaurant, and a 15-minute stop at the Duty Free before the border, we were back at our starting point around 10:30pm.
Definitely a memorable pre-10th anniversary celebration.
And that, my friends, is how a small-town girl became infatuated with a big city.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
4th of July fireworks
~ July 4, Independence Day ~
Last Saturday morning, we tried Ellen's Stardust Diner for breakfast. That place is not about the food; rather, it's about the aspiring talent doing hard time as servers. All the servers sing for their customers' supper--and breakfast, and lunch, and anything in-between. They take turns.
It just so happened that we were seated in a section where the server had gone AWOL. When he showed up, we convinced him we were in a rush, and things flowed smoothly enough so that we go back to the hotel in time for the 9am excursion to Canal Street.
Mauri the Travac tour guide had offered as early as Thursday that she would escort anyone who wanted to accompany her down to Canal Street, where there are purses to be had (designer knockoffs), but only by special invitation. Imagine a group of 35 individuals, mostly female with a handful of husbands in tow, rushing down to the nearest subway station, exiting at Canal Street, and ducking into a nondescript storefront. We were ushered into a secret chamber where the real imitation goods were kept. I'm not especially girly when it comes to things like handbags and shoes, but I was looking to replace my purse, so I bought two for the price of what one would have cost me at Sears or The Bay. A couple of the women bought five apiece. (James recounted our NY shopping this morning to his new hairstylist, and she responded that she owns 70 purses. Seventy purses!!! What does 1 person need with 70 purses? Good thing she wasn't along with us last weekend or she would have cleaned out the store.)
After the shopping spree, we chummed around with Ron & Toni, whom we'd gotten to know a bit the day before. We sightsaw (MW says it's a word, no matter how weird it sounds) Madison Square Gardens, Macy's, the New York Public Library and its lions, and St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Mark Messier at MSG - sans Lay's chips
right: Inside Macy's - they have a wooden escalator! and a Starbucks!
left: Bell Ringers Monument - Minerva and Stuff and Guff
We also got to see, up close and personal, police officers (James asked permission to photograph them), a Bronze Cowboy (the first of 3 living statues I saw in NYC), a very patriotic citizen, and one of the ubiquitous yellow taxi cabs after a run-in with a bus.
We revisited Central Park, which was a hub of Independence Day activity. Where else would you be able to come across a collection of people that included: model sailboaters at the Conservatory Water, dancing rollerbladers/skaters (some actually were shod with 4 wheels), breakdancers and a Michael Jackson lookalike in front of the Naumburg Bandshell, more living statues (but the one in a tutu was bending over, so it didn't seem like the most opportune moment to snap), and musicians, not to mention sunbathers, picnickers, bicyclists, and those who, like Ferdinand the bull (cool! the video has been YouTubed), would rather "sit just quietly and smell the flowers" (or read or people-watch) by The Mall.
Conservatory Water
If Peter Pan & Tinkerbell had a daughter...
Minstrel and The Mall
Leaving Central Park and the great outdoors behind, temporarily anyhow, we popped into The Plaza Hotel, which we'd glimpsed from the outside the previous day. Fan-cy! (It warrants a distinct two syllables.)
Exiting the hotel just behind us were three caped crusaders: Batman, Robin, and Superman. They were in a hurry; Spidey must've called for backup. They didn't stop for photo ops, and we weren't fast enough on the draw. Maybe there was a comic book characters' convention? Or do New Yorkers often dress that way?
We had dinner at Rino Trattoria or Trattoria Rino (take your pick: the name appeared both ways), an Italian restaurant on 8th Ave., between 52nd and 53rd St., before making our way to 11th Ave., which is as close as we got to the Hudson River, on which floated the six barges that held the "33rd annual pyrotechnic extravaganza." At first, the street we stood on had two lanes of traffic in both directions. That rapidly narrowed down to one lane in each direction, and finally no lanes at all. Plenty of NYPD were on hand for crowd control. I wonder how early spectators began gathering on 12th Ave. in order to obtain front-row spots.
We positioned ourselves between two buildings, and although we might have missed some of the lower flares, we got to see a respectable amount of the show. James downloaded the televised version, so we have the option of watching the whole thing one of these evenings when we feel the need for sparks and sparkle.
And that was the third day.
Last Saturday morning, we tried Ellen's Stardust Diner for breakfast. That place is not about the food; rather, it's about the aspiring talent doing hard time as servers. All the servers sing for their customers' supper--and breakfast, and lunch, and anything in-between. They take turns.
It just so happened that we were seated in a section where the server had gone AWOL. When he showed up, we convinced him we were in a rush, and things flowed smoothly enough so that we go back to the hotel in time for the 9am excursion to Canal Street.
Mauri the Travac tour guide had offered as early as Thursday that she would escort anyone who wanted to accompany her down to Canal Street, where there are purses to be had (designer knockoffs), but only by special invitation. Imagine a group of 35 individuals, mostly female with a handful of husbands in tow, rushing down to the nearest subway station, exiting at Canal Street, and ducking into a nondescript storefront. We were ushered into a secret chamber where the real imitation goods were kept. I'm not especially girly when it comes to things like handbags and shoes, but I was looking to replace my purse, so I bought two for the price of what one would have cost me at Sears or The Bay. A couple of the women bought five apiece. (James recounted our NY shopping this morning to his new hairstylist, and she responded that she owns 70 purses. Seventy purses!!! What does 1 person need with 70 purses? Good thing she wasn't along with us last weekend or she would have cleaned out the store.)
After the shopping spree, we chummed around with Ron & Toni, whom we'd gotten to know a bit the day before. We sightsaw (MW says it's a word, no matter how weird it sounds) Madison Square Gardens, Macy's, the New York Public Library and its lions, and St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Mark Messier at MSG - sans Lay's chips
right: Inside Macy's - they have a wooden escalator! and a Starbucks!
left: Bell Ringers Monument - Minerva and Stuff and Guff
NYPL - it was closed July 4 & 5
St. Patrick's Cathedral
We also got to see, up close and personal, police officers (James asked permission to photograph them), a Bronze Cowboy (the first of 3 living statues I saw in NYC), a very patriotic citizen, and one of the ubiquitous yellow taxi cabs after a run-in with a bus.
We revisited Central Park, which was a hub of Independence Day activity. Where else would you be able to come across a collection of people that included: model sailboaters at the Conservatory Water, dancing rollerbladers/skaters (some actually were shod with 4 wheels), breakdancers and a Michael Jackson lookalike in front of the Naumburg Bandshell, more living statues (but the one in a tutu was bending over, so it didn't seem like the most opportune moment to snap), and musicians, not to mention sunbathers, picnickers, bicyclists, and those who, like Ferdinand the bull (cool! the video has been YouTubed), would rather "sit just quietly and smell the flowers" (or read or people-watch) by The Mall.
Conservatory Water
performers, Naumburg Bandshell
If Peter Pan & Tinkerbell had a daughter...
Minstrel and The Mall
Leaving Central Park and the great outdoors behind, temporarily anyhow, we popped into The Plaza Hotel, which we'd glimpsed from the outside the previous day. Fan-cy! (It warrants a distinct two syllables.)
Exiting the hotel just behind us were three caped crusaders: Batman, Robin, and Superman. They were in a hurry; Spidey must've called for backup. They didn't stop for photo ops, and we weren't fast enough on the draw. Maybe there was a comic book characters' convention? Or do New Yorkers often dress that way?
We had dinner at Rino Trattoria or Trattoria Rino (take your pick: the name appeared both ways), an Italian restaurant on 8th Ave., between 52nd and 53rd St., before making our way to 11th Ave., which is as close as we got to the Hudson River, on which floated the six barges that held the "33rd annual pyrotechnic extravaganza." At first, the street we stood on had two lanes of traffic in both directions. That rapidly narrowed down to one lane in each direction, and finally no lanes at all. Plenty of NYPD were on hand for crowd control. I wonder how early spectators began gathering on 12th Ave. in order to obtain front-row spots.
And that was the third day.
Friday, July 10, 2009
more than you can chew
~ Friday, July 3 events continued ~
Upon disembarking the tour bus at Battery Park, we walked over to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Taking the ferry is cost-effective (it's free) way to take in, albeit from a distance, three attractions: Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and Governors Island. We paused for a moment to watch young breakdancers before going inside the terminal.
Even though we wanted a round-trip back to Manhattan, we still had to exit the ferry on the St. George, Staten Island side and reboard; those are the rules. Still, the process was quick and only took approx. 50 minutes from start to finish. Back on the Manhattan side, we followed the lead of another couple from our tour group and purchased a MetroCard for the subway. The four of us then made our way through the financial district, past Trump Tower and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Rockefeller Center
(Atlas, Prometheus, Top of the Rock ticket booth,
NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall)
The ceiling of the elevator to the roof plays a video promoting NBC Studios (no surprise), but through it blue lights that line the shaft are visible (surprise). The view at top the was spectacular: we could see the Hudson River, Central Park, the Chrysler Building (hiding behind MetLife), and the Empire State Building in tricolor glory, prepped for Independence Day celebrations.
Over dinner, I had remarked that we hadn't yet seen any celebrities. Don't you know it, as we were heading back to the hotel, a mob converged outside one of the theatres in front of which a limo parked. Any guesses?
Upon disembarking the tour bus at Battery Park, we walked over to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Taking the ferry is cost-effective (it's free) way to take in, albeit from a distance, three attractions: Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and Governors Island. We paused for a moment to watch young breakdancers before going inside the terminal.
Before I did my research, I had thought it would be fantastic to be able to look out the Statue of Liberty's crown, which was re-opened to the public on July 4, after being closed since the 9/11/2001 attacks. However, there arose many reasons for me not to pursue that option, all detailed in the "Most Frequently Asked Questions": the absence of restrooms, the 354-step climb, the close quarters, a temperature potentially 20 degrees higher than that of the outdoors. Last I checked, I had both claustrophobia and acrophobia, so it's best I kept my distance. To show there's no hard feelings on my part, here are some SOL fun facts. If the climb to the crown is as gruelling as it sounds, I wonder what the climb up to the arm was like prior to its 1916 closure.
Even though we wanted a round-trip back to Manhattan, we still had to exit the ferry on the St. George, Staten Island side and reboard; those are the rules. Still, the process was quick and only took approx. 50 minutes from start to finish. Back on the Manhattan side, we followed the lead of another couple from our tour group and purchased a MetroCard for the subway. The four of us then made our way through the financial district, past Trump Tower and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to the Brooklyn Bridge.
NYSE
The Brooklyn Bridge is a very long bridge, but I'm pleased to say we walked from one end to the other and back without accident or incident. It's not as easy as it sounds: a painted line divides the bridge in two, and any pedestrians who wander across the half-way mark are guaranteed to incur the wrath of bicyclists or rollerbladers.
Since the other couple had ditched us mid-bridge to seek out theatre tickets, we made our way to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) via City Hall and one extremely relaxed squirrel.
The usual $20 per adult admission fee to MoMA is waived from 4pm to 8pm on Fridays. The biggest problem is that these Target Free Friday nights draw large crowds, which pretty much rules out a leisurely, contemplative stroll through the exhibits. One recommendation, if I may be so bold: If visiting on a free night, thoroughly research the collections in advance, so you can get right to the Warhols, Lichtensteins, Pollocks, Picassos, et al., instead of wasting time looking at framed graph paper marked with lowercase m's. Unless that's your thing. And if visiting MoMA up to September 14, do participate in the performative "Measuring the Universe." I regret that we did not, since we didn't care to be caught in a line-up.
We decided to explore other NY attractions, and ended up at Rockefeller Center, first for Starbucks--where I had the best mocha in my entire life to date--then for the Top of the Rock Observation Deck. The Website offers a $2 discount for online ticket purchases, but we received the same deal by accepting a handout from a Rock employee on the street corner. He gave us one coupon which applied to both tickets.
Since the other couple had ditched us mid-bridge to seek out theatre tickets, we made our way to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) via City Hall and one extremely relaxed squirrel.
The usual $20 per adult admission fee to MoMA is waived from 4pm to 8pm on Fridays. The biggest problem is that these Target Free Friday nights draw large crowds, which pretty much rules out a leisurely, contemplative stroll through the exhibits. One recommendation, if I may be so bold: If visiting on a free night, thoroughly research the collections in advance, so you can get right to the Warhols, Lichtensteins, Pollocks, Picassos, et al., instead of wasting time looking at framed graph paper marked with lowercase m's. Unless that's your thing. And if visiting MoMA up to September 14, do participate in the performative "Measuring the Universe." I regret that we did not, since we didn't care to be caught in a line-up.
We decided to explore other NY attractions, and ended up at Rockefeller Center, first for Starbucks--where I had the best mocha in my entire life to date--then for the Top of the Rock Observation Deck. The Website offers a $2 discount for online ticket purchases, but we received the same deal by accepting a handout from a Rock employee on the street corner. He gave us one coupon which applied to both tickets.
Rockefeller Center
(Atlas, Prometheus, Top of the Rock ticket booth,
NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall)
The ceiling of the elevator to the roof plays a video promoting NBC Studios (no surprise), but through it blue lights that line the shaft are visible (surprise). The view at top the was spectacular: we could see the Hudson River, Central Park, the Chrysler Building (hiding behind MetLife), and the Empire State Building in tricolor glory, prepped for Independence Day celebrations.
We chose to eat at Planet Hollywood (Times Square) that night. James coaxed the camera to balance on the plasticized drink & dessert list holder. After dinner, James still felt a little punchy, so I encouraged him to go a round with Rocky.
Over dinner, I had remarked that we hadn't yet seen any celebrities. Don't you know it, as we were heading back to the hotel, a mob converged outside one of the theatres in front of which a limo parked. Any guesses?
If you said, "Jack Nicholson," you're right! Not that you can tell from our photos. But if you look into the other cameras' viewfinders, you might catch a glimpse.
And the morning, afternoon, and evening were the second day.
And the morning, afternoon, and evening were the second day.
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