A Thanksgiving Odyssey: Bands, Buses, and Big Bad Balloons (Completed!!!)

[afwdwfan]

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Ive got one more little bit of hidden detail; the broken shackles. As imagined, Liberty is actually walking and in doing so she is trodding over a set of broken leg irons...

I'm actually not sure I ever knew about that detail...

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Since the museum was closed the NPS has set up a mini-museum in the form of a tent that was designed to explain the restoration work being done. Unfortunately, it wasnt open at the time either...

Ain't that just your luck?

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

We were still cooling our heels. Just as the crew finished clearing the ship and opened the walkway for boarding... my SIL strolls up just as calm and casual as could be and asks if we were ready to head out. This kind of thing is normal for her and I do love the girl (bless her heart) but for Tamara and I, thats just far more stress that we really wanted to deal with.

I wouldn't have been too happy in that situation either. I'd have been tempted to just let her find her own way off the island if it came down to it.

Interesting look at the engineering of the statue and the boat ride over to Manhattan. I'm sure the next update will have some very interesting bonus features to it as well.

[FreezinRafiki]

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Look at Rob posting a dirty "up the skirt" picture. Sinner.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

but rather instead I think Ill use it to tell a couple of small stories and bury some more unnecessary details.


Cause... thats what I do.

And we'd expect nothing less.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

I decided to do a bit of research about the bits that I could not see

hehehehehehehe "bits that I could not see'. sinner.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

All of the beaten, pressed and molded copper plates were designed to fit together into a harmonious whole, but without some kind of skeleton, the whole thing would simply collapse upon itself.

What to do, what to do?

DUCT TAPE!!

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Since the museum was closed the NPS has set up a mini-museum in the form of a tent that was designed to explain the restoration work being done. Unfortunately, it wasnt open at the time either.

Maybe they should have set up a table next to the tent next to the museum to explain why the tent that explained why the museum wasn't open wasn't open. Trust me, I did the math. That sentence is correct.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

The decision was made that we ought to check out the gift shop (cause thats what tourists do by God) and then head back to the dock to meet up with the rest of the group.

So, you can actually avoid a gift shop if you choose? How very un-Disney of them.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

My SIL had bought a couple of post cards and wanted to mail them to her son from the island so that theyd have the unique postmark on them. A nice idea, but we were running out of time. However, the idea of always pushing a deadline past is maximum safe limit is normal for her... so off she went.

Yes...Bless Her Heart.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

The name then changed to Castle Garden and it has served over the years since in many capacities including stints as a beer garden, an exhibition hall, a theater and a public aquarium.

If that particular building was in Wisconsin, it never would have made it to the exhibition hall, theater or public aquarium stages of life.

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

I think Launcelot's tale is my favorite part of the whole movie.

That and the discussion on Swallows.

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

I think your research paid off. This is basically what you would have learned in the museum, anyway.

Good to know… But I still need to take Tamara back up there and see a number of different thing more thoroughly.

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

I don't even remember seeing that when I was looking down from above. It's hard to get to those particular windows.

That is one detail that I wish were more easily noticed.
It says much.

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

In other news, the water is wet.

Already know me well, do you.

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

Especially if you're exiting a Disney ride.

There… it’s compulsory.
Here it was a distinct (and possibly foolish) choice on our part.

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

We do the same! We have a little Statue of Liberty decorating our tree as well. But it gets lost in all the Mickey ear ornaments.

That can be a problem. We’ve taken to having multiple trees in the house to accommodate the various collections.

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

I'm with you. I hate being late for anything. So I'll join you in virtual aggravation.

We live by the rule: if you’re on time… you’re late.
Nearly all my friends and a fair number of relatives however, work under the premise of: schedules are for others, surely they don’t mean me!

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

We've talked about taking that route into the city next time we feel up to the adventure that is visiting NYC. It's both cost-effective and scenic, so that makes it hard to beat.

And it would have to be easier to park a car on Staten Island then it would be in Manhattan.

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

Can you inhale there?

Wrong Clinton, but I’ll leave the choice up to you.

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

Judging from the buildings in the background of the "old" picture, this is going to be a very sobering update.

I found it to be so.

Originally Posted by afwdwfan

I'm actually not sure I ever knew about that detail...

As my daddy said to me more times then I can count…
Ya’ learn something new every day if you’re not careful.

Originally Posted by afwdwfan

Ain't that just your luck?

I win a few… that one I lost.

Originally Posted by afwdwfan

I wouldn't have been too happy in that situation either. I'd have been tempted to just let her find her own way off the island if it came down to it.

The thought did occur… but internal family strife is not in my best interest.
Now if we were to move about 500 hundred miles farther south where visits would be far less frequent (and a perfect place of refuge would be redialy available with the purchase of APs), that’d be a different story.

Originally Posted by afwdwfan

Interesting look at the engineering of the statue and the boat ride over to Manhattan. I'm sure the next update will have some very interesting bonus features to it as well.

Not as many as I might have originally liked.

I decided to have this done by the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and I’ve run into a lot of things that are requiring more and more of my time.

Originally Posted by FreezinRafiki

Look at Rob posting a dirty "up the skirt" picture. Sinner.

Only you’d see it that way…

Originally Posted by FreezinRafiki

And we'd expect nothing less.

but no one expects the Spanish Inquisition…

Originally Posted by FreezinRafiki

hehehehehehehe "bits that I could not see'. sinner.

I strung together a group of words.
You supplied the image all by yourself.

Originally Posted by FreezinRafiki

DUCT TAPE!!

Had it been available at the time…
I suspect it would have been tried.

Originally Posted by FreezinRafiki

Maybe they should have set up a table next to the tent next to the museum to explain why the tent that explained why the museum wasn't open wasn't open. Trust me, I did the math. That sentence is correct.

I should trust you math skills?
That would be in my best interest, how exactly?

Originally Posted by FreezinRafiki

So, you can actually avoid a gift shop if you choose? How very un-Disney of them.

When they move the statue down to Florida…
I’m sure that unnatural condition will be rectified very quickly.

Originally Posted by FreezinRafiki

Yes...Bless Her Heart.

And it needs to be blessed and blessed often.

Originally Posted by FreezinRafiki

If that particular building was in Wisconsin, it never would have made it to the exhibition hall, theater or public aquarium stages of life.

You math skills I’ll question. That last sentence…


I’ll accept that unconditionally.

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 5: Remembrances (Day 5)

Part 5: Reflecting Absence

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks since I last spoke to y’all. I could bore you with details, but I’m already boring you with details from something that happened nearly a year ago as it is. Piling more on top just seems to be inhumane. So in the interest of peace and harmony amongst my fellow humans, I believe I’ll just start back up right where I left off.


Right here…



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The Sphere









At the west edge of Battery Park there is a temporary display of a piece of public art. The name of this statue is “The Sphere”. It’s A 25 feet high bronze by German sculptor Fritz Koenig, and was meant to symbolize world peace through world trade. That should be more then enough clues to place this piece in the context of recent history. The work originally stood in the middle of Austin J. Tobin Plaza, the area between the World Trade Center towers. After the process of clearing the ruble left from the tragedies of 2001, this was one of only a couple of artifacts that remained relatively intact.





The damage is unmistakable, but it is almost miraculous that it was recovered in any recognizable condition at all. When asked how his feelings about the piece may have changed Koenig said, "It was a sculpture, now it's a monument… It now has a different beauty, one I could never imagine. It has its own life – different from the one I gave to it."

That it does. I said that this is its temporary home. No decision has been finalized for the ultimate fate of this work, but I hope that the city finds a more permanent spot to maintain it. It’s more of a statement of resilience and recovery now and a fitting symbol.




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The Corner of Greenwich and Liberty

Just about a month before we had arrived in New York, the city had opened a new monument on the grounds of a previous tragedy. The scars (seen and unseen) and internal feelings that go along with the events of September 11, 2001 are still quite fresh to most of us. They are especially strong for the folks that live and work in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs. To be respectful to every one, I’m not going to go into great detail on what happened, or what decisions were made or any other major historical details at this time. My intention is to let you see what we saw, and then to let you take from that whatever you want or need to take.

From Battery Park our ponderous group started out on a short unguided walking tour of a small piece of the financial district. As we’d done all week when a longish walk was required to reach our next destination, everyone one gathered into groups by bus number, lined up by ones and tows, and headed off in a long train toward a new destination. Our penchant for doing this nearly always prompted interesting comments from the locals we encountered. They would attempt with varying degrees of success to determine just what the heck was going on that such a long procession of people would be clogging up their often narrow streets like lemmings headed for a cliff. Here are some of the folks from Bus-4 starting off toward Trinity and Church Streets….





The first “sight” we encountered on this tour was once a mundane structure that has now become quite the attraction for bus tours and movie buffs alike; MIB Headquarters…





What you’re actually looking at here is a building that houses part of the ventilator systems for the Brooklyn – Battery Tunnel. Here’s a look at the back side where it sits directly above the western entrance to the tunnel.





From here our train continued along Church Street, which got its name honestly. This is where you’ll find Trinity Church…





…one of the oldest and most important churches in town. When the current building was completed in the 1840s its steeple was by far the tallest structure on the island and would remain so for better then fifty years…





The train continued up Church Street until we got to the narrow cross street of Thames. This, at the time, was where you’d gather before being allowed to enter the 9/11 Memorial.





And yes… the majority of that mass of people was our group. We were waiting for our 4:00 entry time. To control the number of folks in the new park, you have to get a timed ticket for entry. They are also very strict about searching every one before allowing you on the grounds. Like the process for the Liberty Island boats, every one was screened but even more thoroughly then before. If something was left in a pocket or a belt was left on, or a bit of metal was attached to a garment (including under-wires in the ladies bras), there was cause for great concern followed by additional and diligent inspection. Finally, we were allowed into the mostly completed memorial gardens.







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Memorial




Once everyone was accounted for, we were given free reign of the park. I had no idea what to expect, as rather uncharacteristically I’d not researched this part of the trip at all. I knew that there was plan to use the original foot print of the two towers to create a water feature, but that was all. Let me say that the result was both spectacular and moving…





That is the fountain for the North Tower. The city asked architects, artists and designers to submit ideas for how best to respectfully reimagine the main area of the WTC. After extensive reviews by a number of panels an idea created by American architect Michael Arad was chosen. Titled: "Reflecting Absence" the design called for two pools within the footprints of the Twin Towers. Each 1-acre pool is recessed into one of the original lower basement levels and is fed by waterfalls cascading down their sides. The water then makes its way to the center of each pool and cascades again to a lower level that can not be seen directly by the viewer.





These are currently the largest manmade waterfalls in the United States and the sound of the falling water is intended to drown out the harsher sounds of the city, making the site a contemplative sanctuary. The design works very well, and when you are here contemplation comes naturally.

The next major feature is the names. The names of all individuals lost that day are inscribed on 76 bronze plates attached to the parapet walls which form the edges of the two memorial pools.





I caught Max on his own for a moment as he was considering the memorial.





He rejoined his friends as they were reading the names and breathing in the view of the expansive sheets of water falling down the sides of what was the base for the south tower.





Images stolen, I left them to experience the memorial in their own way. Letting go is tough for parents, but it’s also the most important job we have. At this point he was just one year short of being declared an adult. Time to build his own experiences amongst his own peers is now more important then my desire to know exactly what he thought or how it affected him. It is also interesting to consider that when the events commemorated by these waters actually occurred, the oldest of these kids here had only just begun the second grade. Their understanding of it is almost exclusively from a historical perspective. And yet, it seems that all of them were very much moved by our visit to this memorial. That speaks well for the intent and work done to create this place of remembrance.


There is also a museum being built on the site…





...but it was not yet open. Unfortunately, it still has not been opened but I am hopeful that this will be corrected I the near future.

We stayed in the memorial garden until just after sunset and the change in light showed many different sides of the pools and grounds. I believe I’ll leave you with several more images from the memorial. I’ll also hush up for a bit and let you do the thinking and considering for a while.





































Next up: The kids take the square…

[afwdwfan]

As silent contemplation is the best way to take in that memorial, it is also my only response to this update and the pictures.

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Originally Posted by afwdwfan

As silent contemplation is the best way to take in that memorial, it is also my only response to this update and the pictures.

Agreed and thanks Andy.

I had to think for a long time about how best to show this part of the trip.
It was one of the most important experiences and I hope I gave it proper respect.

[FreezinRafiki]

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Images stolen, I left them to experience the memorial in their own way. Letting go is tough for parents, but it’s also the most important job we have. At this point he was just one year short of being declared an adult. Time to build his own experiences amongst his own peers is now more important then my desire to know exactly what he thought or how it affected him. It is also interesting to consider that when the events commemorated by these waters actually occurred, the oldest of these kids here had only just begun the second grade. Their understanding of it is almost exclusively from a historical perspective. And yet, it seems that all of them were very much moved by our visit to this memorial. That speaks well for the intent and work done to create this place of remembrance.

I was hoping you'd touch on that aspect of the memorial - that there was a significant percentage of your traveling party that experienced this a whole lot differently than most of us.

[Captain_Oblivious]

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Images stolen, I left them to experience the memorial in their own way. Letting go is tough for parents, but it’s also the most important job we have. At this point he was just one year short of being declared an adult. Time to build his own experiences amongst his own peers is now more important then my desire to know exactly what he thought or how it affected him. It is also interesting to consider that when the events commemorated by these waters actually occurred, the oldest of these kids here had only just begun the second grade. Their understanding of it is almost exclusively from a historical perspective. And yet, it seems that all of them were very much moved by our visit to this memorial. That speaks well for the intent and work done to create this place of remembrance.

Well said, Rob. Thanks for the pictures and description. The memorial looks like a fitting reminder of a horrible day.

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Originally Posted by FreezinRafiki

I was hoping you'd touch on that aspect of the memorial - that there was a significant percentage of your traveling party that experienced this a whole lot differently than most of us.

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

Well said, Rob. Thanks for the pictures and description. The memorial looks like a fitting reminder of a horrible day.

Thanks guys,
first for reading and for commenting.


Max was just a couple of weeks into the first grade the morning when the towers collapsed. The decision was made that for kids that young; it wasn’t the place of the school to go into the events in any detail. I believe the kids were fully aware that something bad had happened and that the teachers in particular were rather upset, but it was left to the parents (as it should have been) to work through it with them. We also felt that generalities were all that my overly sensitive six-year-old needed at the time. That being the case, Max learned the greater details over time both at home and at school and therefore sees that day more historically.

Given that similar back ground for all of the kids on this trip I was interested to see how they’d react. To a person, I believe that every one of them could feel the immense gravity of the place where we were walking. And every one of them behaved as dignified ladies and gentlemen while we were there. Watching them conduct themselves so gracefully and also seeing that they were all trying to work out what they were seeing against what they’d been taught was very satisfying.



Watching your kids “become” (as my momma use to explain it) is both exhilarating and terrifying.

If you do it right, you’ll suffer terribly from the apparent loss or your priceless and adorable children…

but you get to witness the building of very fine adults.

We have them for so short a time, but the world is shaped by them for decades and even centuries to come.

[Wherem I Now]

Well done update. Thanks for sharing this.

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 5: Remembrances (Day 5)

Part 6: The Last Hurrah

We had run out of daylight and tomorrow our adventure was ending. Fairly early in the morning we’d be headed back home to start new adventures (just at a slower pace). Those were bittersweet facts, but we still had an evening on the town ahead of us. It’s a little like watching the fireworks after the ball game (or “Wishes” after a day at the MK for that matter). We were basically done, but there was still just a little bit more entertainment on the horizon.


So let’s chase that horizon, what say?




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Back to Midtown




We stayed at the 9/11 Memorial a bit longer then first anticipated. This was not a problem, it just takes a while to maneuver a fleet of busses… excuse me, coaches… through downtown Manhattan. Once they had arrived on the scene, the whole group quietly exited the memorial via the reverse route from which we arrived and loaded ‘em up.





Our next destination was just too far off to walk easily, and the heat on the busses was a welcome arrival since the sun had fully set by now.

A little maneuvering, a couple of turns, a score or so of traffic lights to wait through and it was dinnertime.





This place is actually another chain restaurant. As I said before, we had different priorities, so finding the perfect and memorable New York City dining experience just wasn’t in the cards.

So, was the food here fabulous?

Well, no…

but it was quite good, and they set up a nice all you care to have buffet…
and (most importantly) they could seat 300 guests at a crack on a single reservation.

This is also the only time all week when I had a bit more to eat then I really ought to have. Buffets will do that to you.


Next stop: Times Square




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The Long Acre




Now this was actually going to be a fairly short update at first, so it seemed like a good spot to stick in a mini bonus feature. That being the case… that’s what you’ll get (assuming you don’t skip on ahead that is).

I’ve actually discussed a bit of the square’s history a little ways back in this particular TR update right here…


The Fruits of Other's Labors...


But I want to touch on a different aspect of it now. First a little set up for those that have no intention on going back to read the prior update…

Times Square is basically the point where Broadway crosses over Seventh Avenue and officially stretches from 42nd to 47th Streets. In the nineteenth century the area was the hub of the cities manufactures of high-end carriages and was named Longacre Square.





The name was in homage to a similar section of London known for producing the same high-end product. That changed in 1904 after the compellation of this little bit of architecture…





Dubbed the New York Times Building, or simply as the Times Tower, this 25 story skyscraper at 42nd Street and Broadway was the second tallest building in Manhattan when it opened. Technically, the address of the place should be 1475 Broadway, but right after the owners got the city father to rename the square in their honor, they also got the official address changed to One Times Square.





New Years Eve was first celebrated here in 1903 even before he building was finished. Fireworks were shot from the roof top for all that cared to watch. The event for which the area is most famous though first occurred in 1908 when the Time’s editor decided to expand on a common practice along the dockyards of lowering a “time ball” built around a roof top pole to mark certain hours of the day. They just lit the contraption internally, performed the stunt at night and marked the passing of the year at midnight (finally explaining what connection a glittering ball has with the marking of time).





The square has been a New York gathering spot for momentous events for some time now. Folks would gather to wait for news of the blow-by-blow action of the latest Dempsey fight, or to hear the play-by-play account of the World Series.





And to mark and otherwise celebrate any other marginally noteworthy event that may have spring up along our national time line …





Interestingly, the building for which the square is named still resides in the exact same spot, but you’d have a hard time telling it. All of the stone work as since been removed and it really now just a massive billboard. Not that this is a bad thing. The revenue derived from the various bits of signage are so great that there are no longer any tenants within the building itself (except for the retail space on the lower couple of floors).





The digital signs are considered to be the most valuable in the world and can be rented by anyone so inclined for as little as $10,000 per hour.




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Taking the Square




After dinner we had one last item on the agenda.

A photograph.

Not just any photograph mind you, we were going to walk over to Times Square and get a professional shot of the entire band on the Square amongst all the hustle, bustle and bright lights of the city. So after dinner, we did what we’d done most of the week. We started walking. One long train from 42nd, down 8th Ave to 46th and then onto Broadway smack in the middle of the pedestrian center of the square itself…





From here everyone was on their own for the next couple of hours. Well… not the kids at first, they had something else on the agenda. For those of us traveling with them it was time to get out of the way, let them have their last moment on the stage and find something different with which to entertain ourselves. It didn’t take long for me to find a small spot on the square that perfectly fit that bill…





Well, well, imagine that… Disney made an appearance on a New York street. Actually, it’s the Disney folks that are partly responsible for revitalizing what had become a rather seedy area. It also gave the fairly jaded locals something to sneer at. Midtown and Times Square in particular are considered to be tourist central and a “true city dweller” wouldn’t be seen here. Ehhh… their loss. Does the area scream “NYC? No, but to the rest of the world, it certainly screams “America”. So what was on the inside? Well, other then a fairly cool carousel for mannequins and stuffed animals…





It looked like the inside of every other Disney gift shop. But I was able to get me a shirt from the closeout bin for less then a sandwich would have cost on the streets.

Next on the agenda… Cheesecake. There’s a dinner on 45th just off the square that is renowned for the stuff: Juniors of Brooklyn (obviously this is the tourist version of the original in Flatbush)





It may be a dinner and that part of the business takes up most of the space, but the little take-out shop beside the dinning room is the place to be in the evenings. So renowned are the goodies here that on this average Friday evening the line was out the door. All the directors and staff were buying entire cakes to bring back home. That was enough for me to give it a shot. We got a couple of slices and found a table in front of the shop to nibble. One bite in and we were back in line buying a couple of whole cakes to bring bank home as well. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend the stuff.

After leisurely enjoying our ill-gotten gains we were basically done for the evening. The plan was to head back to the square, and find the spot where all the rest of the folks from Bus-4 were gathering…





Once a head count of the kids was done we started out in our usual single file and “marched” off the square and back toward the bus pick up. As usual, the overly organized stream of people on the move turned a lot of heads as the locals and tourists alike were trying to figure out what was going on. At one point we passed by a cop on horseback that was at first chatting up some of the other tourists, but was now intently watching us back trying to figure it out. Right about the time I walked by the officer and his noble steed, he hollered out: “Ohhhhh… all you guys must be one of the bands from the parade yesterday!” We gave a little shout to introduce ourselves and let him know that he had it right. The group of folks around him gave us back a hoot and a small round of applause. One last fun moment before we boarded the buses and headed back to Jersey…





That was that.

We’d seen all of New York that we were going to see this time around. I think everyone was ready for bed by now (especially as we had a long ride ahead of us in the morning). But it was still a lot of fun to the roam the streets gawking at all the over the top billboards and electronic eye candy (both inside and outside the various shops). One last hurrah and one last chance to collect up a few bits of brick-a-brack and otherwise unnecessary souvenirs. Well… not all of them were unnecessary. The one we had stopped on the square to get in the first place was most certainly worth the trip and it’s one that y’all have already seen before (you just probably don’t remember it from all the way back on page one of this mess). That would be this one right here…





If you ask me… that’s one fine looking bunch of young’ens right there.




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The Long Road Home







Our last sunrise view of the Gotham skyline…


At one point this section might have been an update unto itself. But after a bit of consideration there are really only a couple of points about the ride home that are really worth discussing. One of them would be the delay.

The plan for the day was to be up early and get on the road. All the gear was already packed up and all that needed to happen was to serve everyone a bit of breakfast and throw the luggage in the last empty compartments. Fate had other plans though.





The rear tire on Bus-1 that had given us trouble earlier in the week, gave out completely. We had to call folks in to replace it before heading out. That cost us about an hour and half of daylight (and a few more big bucks). To make up the time we skipped several of the rest stops along the way back. Ehhh… Could have been worse. For the rest of the day, my basic view of the world was pretty close to this one…





There’s not much to look at along most of the Interstate System. There were a couple of films on the monitors, but nothing as entertaining as say… a Disney flick. At one point there was an attempted Coup d'état amongst the guys to get a decent football picked up off the satellite antenna tossed onto the screens. The women folk put a quick stop to that one. In retaliation for such an egregious act, they demonstrated their absolute authority by running a DVD of “The Devil Wears Prada”.


“Respect my authoritah!”


Point made… now the monotonous landscape passing by my window was far more entertaining. Actually the sunset along the Virginia highlands was spectacular.





That image doesn’t do it justice, but still…


There was one other significant event. Significant to simple country hicks like us that is.

Once we finally crossed back into South Carolina and were literally less then five miles from home, all the busses pulled into the Welcome Center just past the state line. I was told later by some of the chaperones that the kids started questioning this turn of events demanding (rather emphatically) to know what was up. The Director said back to them: “Well… If you stop you’re complaining I’ll show you what you missed out on a couple of weeks ago”. Now, a couple of weeks ago, these same kids had succeeded in winning their third consecutive state marching band championship. As much fun as this whole trip had been, it didn’t compare to the excitement of that accomplishment. Really, this had just been the icing on the cake for all the hard work done so far that year. What they missed out on though was a proper small town police escort back into the city afterward. It seems that there were two separate fires and several active police calls going on when we got back home late that evening (some thing do take priority over the revelry of youth… not much, but some). As such, the city vehicles were somewhat busy. No big deal, but all concerned decided that what needed to be done was to give the kids an official escort along the last few miles home after their triumphant return from the big city.





Yah… that’s a crappy picture of the commotion going on ahead of us, but you get the idea. Call us simple country folk, but that was actually quite exciting. A couple of squad cars lead the way and fire engines took up position between each bus. Lights flashing, and sirens blearing, we made quite the ruckus for the last few miles of the trip. As the procession pulled onto school property, all the waiting parents set off their car alarms and start honking on the horns. If you lived anywhere near the school, you weren’t going to be getting back to sleep for a while.

Just look at us bumpkins. We’d done spent a week in one of the most glamorous and cosmopolitan cities on Earth, and were we are all excited about a small town police escort.


Silly us…







Next up: I’ll finally wrap this entire disaster of a TR up in just one post…

“Really!”

[Wherem I Now]

So, You gonna finish this off at about the one year mark aren't ya? I wonder how many of those kids will be sitting in front of the TV on Thursday saying "that was me last year".

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

This place is actually another chain restaurant. As I said before, we had different priorities, so finding the perfect and memorable New York City dining experience just wasn’t in the cards.

So, was the food here fabulous?

Well, no…

but it was quite good, and they set up a nice all you care to have buffet…
and (most importantly) they could seat 300 guests at a crack on a single reservation.

This is also the only time all week when I had a bit more to eat then I really ought to have. Buffets will do that to you.

I've never had a bad meal at a Chevy's. Bad service yes, but not a bad meal.

Interestingly, the building for which the square is named still resides in the exact same spot, but you’d have a hard time telling it. All of the stone work as since been removed and it really now just a massive billboard. Not that this is a bad thing. The revenue derived from the various bits of signage are so great that there are no longer any tenants within the building itself (except for the retail space on the lower couple of floors).

Seems that not having any tenants in the upper floors is quite a waste of valuable space. Maybe all of the signage blocks the windows and therefore the fire escapes.

After dinner we had one last item on the agenda.

A photograph.




If you ask me… that’s one fine looking bunch of young’ens right there.

That's one that those kids (and some proud parents) will have up on the wall for years.

Actually the sunset along the Virginia highlands was spectacular.

No big deal, but all concerned decided that what needed to be done was to give the kids an official escort along the last few miles home after their triumphant return from the big city.

That's an awesome welcome home!

[Captain_Oblivious]

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

So let’s chase that horizon, what say?

Bring me that horizon!

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

You're eating cars for dinner?

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

This place is actually another chain restaurant. As I said before, we had different priorities, so finding the perfect and memorable New York City dining experience just wasn’t in the cards.

Never eaten here (or heard of it, actually). But the phrase "all-you-can-eat-buffet" is basically magic words to me.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

New Years Eve was first celebrated here in 1903 even before he building was finished. Fireworks were shot from the roof top for all that cared to watch. The event for which the area is most famous though first occurred in 1908 when the Time’s editor decided to expand on a common practice along the dockyards of lowering a “time ball” built around a roof top pole to mark certain hours of the day. They just lit the contraption internally, performed the stunt at night and marked the passing of the year at midnight (finally explaining what connection a glittering ball has with the marking of time).

Thanks for explaining this. I never knew why they had settled on a big ball dropping.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

The square has been a New York gathering spot for momentous events for some time now. Folks would gather to wait for news of the blow-by-blow action of the latest Dempsey fight, or to hear the play-by-play account of the World Series.

So I see it's always been this crowded.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Interestingly, the building for which the square is named still resides in the exact same spot, but you’d have a hard time telling it. All of the stone work as since been removed and it really now just a massive billboard. Not that this is a bad thing. The revenue derived from the various bits of signage are so great that there are no longer any tenants within the building itself (except for the retail space on the lower couple of floors).

Shame. Looks like it was a beautiful building. It's interesting that there are no tenants. Seems like a waste of space.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

The digital signs are considered to be the most valuable in the world and can be rented by anyone so inclined for as little as $10,000 per hour.

That works out to about $2.78/second, so I could probably shell out for a good 3 seconds of advertising. I'll have to see if that's in the marketing budget for Cinematic Recording Arts Productions.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

It didn’t take long for me to find a small spot on the square that perfectly fit that bill…

Good choice.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

It also gave the fairly jaded locals something to sneer at. Midtown and Times Square in particular are considered to be tourist central and a “true city dweller” wouldn’t be seen here. Ehhh… their loss. Does the area scream “NYC?

Actually, I think it does. Nowhere else in America do you see a place like that.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

It looked like the inside of every other Disney gift shop. But I was able to get me a shirt from the closeout bin for less then a sandwich would have cost on the streets.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

One bite in and we were back in line buying a couple of whole cakes to bring bank home as well. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend the stuff.

Any particular flavor? And did they use cream cheese or ricotta? I've tried ricotta cheesecake at some Italian places and...

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

If you ask me… that’s one fine looking bunch of young’ens right there.

Agreed. It's a great shot!

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

There’s not much to look at along most of the Interstate System.

Probably because you skipped Delaware again, didn't you?

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

At one point there was an attempted Coup d'état amongst the guys to get a decent football picked up off the satellite antenna tossed onto the screens.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

The women folk put a quick stop to that one. In retaliation for such an egregious act, they demonstrated their absolute authority by running a DVD of “The Devil Wears Prada”.

What happened to equal time? Hopefully this was followed by a screening of Commando.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Actually the sunset along the Virginia highlands was spectacular.

Looks beautiful.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

What they missed out on though was a proper small town police escort back into the city afterward. It seems that there were two separate fires and several active police calls going on when we got back home late that evening (some thing do take priority over the revelry of youth… not much, but some). As such, the city vehicles were somewhat busy. No big deal, but all concerned decided that what needed to be done was to give the kids an official escort along the last few miles home after their triumphant return from the big city.

Very cool!

[afwdwfan]

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

It’s a little like watching the fireworks after the ball game (or “Wishes” after a day at the MK for that matter). We were basically done, but there was still just a little bit more entertainment on the horizon.

And those little moments are sometimes some of the best and most memorable.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

This is also the only time all week when I had a bit more to eat then I really ought to have. Buffets will do that to you.

Well, the American English translation of the word buffet is actually "challenge." Not many people know that.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

I’ve actually discussed a bit of the square’s history a little ways back in this particular TR update right here…

I think I vaguely remember something about Times Square being mentioned a long, long, long time ago.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

The event for which the area is most famous though first occurred in 1908 when the Time’s editor decided to expand on a common practice along the dockyards of lowering a “time ball” built around a roof top pole to mark certain hours of the day. They just lit the contraption internally, performed the stunt at night and marked the passing of the year at midnight (finally explaining what connection a glittering ball has with the marking of time).

And here's what I learned today.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

The revenue derived from the various bits of signage are so great that there are no longer any tenants within the building itself (except for the retail space on the lower couple of floors).

I'm definitely curious about this one... why isn't it in use? As valuable as real estate is in that city, I can't believe that they'd just let a building sit idle, regardless of how valuable its facade is, unless there's a really good reason.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

The digital signs are considered to be the most valuable in the world and can be rented by anyone so inclined for as little as $10,000 per hour.

Think we can find a mysterious benefactor to scrape together that kind of change to air a live broadcast of the live Disdads podcast recording at the convention?

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

But I was able to get me a shirt from the closeout bin for less then a sandwich would have cost on the streets.

A Disney shirt for cheaper than a sandwich??? How does anyone afford to eat in NYC?????

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

One bite in and we were back in line buying a couple of whole cakes to bring bank home as well. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend the stuff.

Love a good cake. Like Mark, I'd like to know what kind you had.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

After leisurely enjoying our ill-gotten gains we were basically done for the evening.

Ill-gotten??? Did you "forget" to pay?

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

If you ask me… that’s one fine looking bunch of young’ens right there.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

At one point there was an attempted Coup d'état amongst the guys to get a decent football picked up off the satellite antenna tossed onto the screens. The women folk put a quick stop to that one. In retaliation for such an egregious act, they demonstrated their absolute authority by running a DVD of “The Devil Wears Prada”.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

A couple of squad cars lead the way and fire engines took up position between each bus. Lights flashing, and sirens blearing, we made quite the ruckus for the last few miles of the trip.

Cool experience. I'm sure the kids enjoyed it.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

As the procession pulled onto school property, all the waiting parents set off their car alarms and start honking on the horns.

Well, you keep talking about country bumpkins and everything, but it can't be all that backwoods and redneck if there are car alarms to be set off!

[afwdwfan]

Originally Posted by Captain_Oblivious

You're eating cars for dinner?

No, it's named after the comedian, not the car.

Their signature dish is a dry turkey jerky, but they have a really good jello for dessert and I've heard they serve squirrel now.