Slide Show - (Big Apple Circus 2009)

I finally got around to posting the photos I took at during the Big Apple Circus. With the help of the brochure and the website, I was able to provide some details for the photo captions.

Also, if you want more information about the individual performers, click on the link:

The Big Apple Performers

Slow Cooker

Another day wasted. I'm amazed how fast the day goes by (Partly due to sleeping very late). By the time I get up and shower the day is half over.

I should have started cleaning my apartment, but instead I showered and went to the post office to send off my waistpack. I think I might have mentioned in a previous blog entry that it arrived in a less than new condition. After the post office, I had a slice of pizza. Not wanting to return home, I wandered around downtown for a while.

On an impulse, I bought a slow cooker. For the last couple of weeks, I've been telling myself that I need to move away from the Chinese takeout and the microwaveable meals. Unfortunately, that leaves me cooking.

In theory, I like the idea of a slow cooker. From what I understand about it (and have been told), you can throw in basic ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and when you return home, the food is hot and ready. Cool!!!

Unfortunately, I'm not comfortable with the idea of leaving appliances on when I leave home. I don't even like to leave my cell phone charger plugged in when I'm not using it. And yes, I even unplug my computer when I'm not using it.

In order to get the most out of my slow cooker, I'm going to try throwing the ingredients in at night so that it cooks overnight. I've already did an internet search for slow cooker receipes. The first website I found was "Slow & Simple". The receipes seem easy and simple. The slow cooker also has a website with receipes as well[Proctor Silex].

If this slow cooker works the way it seems, this would be a great investment. I only need to use it once or twice a week to make enough for leftovers.

Having just seen a video for a roaster oven, I now want one of those as well.

Post Date - Tuesday, December 29, 2009 9:16PM

What Happened ?!?

I don't understand. I can't tell you how much I searched for prepaid phones online. I can't recall how many times I've visited Amazon.com to check if they had prepaid phones. I've typed "Prepaid Phones"....nothing. I've typed "QWERTY+prepaid"...nothing. I've typed Tracfone, and beyond the regular Tracfones seen many times before, there was nothing new. Now, after purchasing an ugly (neon green) prepaid phone from AT&T, I received from Amazon.com an email with the tag line "someone who has searched for cell phones" that included a link to... -- get this... a line of prepaid cell phones. Including a grey and black phone just like the ugly green (refurbished) one I purchased.

CHEAPER!!!

On the AT&T site, my (refurbished)phone was offered for $299 with a $200 (online)discount making the purchased price $99(with a $25 prepaid minutes card). At Amazon.com the same phone (better color) is being offered for $74(with a $50 prepaid minutes card)... no mentioning of a discount, but with a MSRP$99 with accessories not shown on the AT&T site.

What Happened?!?

I should be angry, but strangely, I'm not. Annoyed Yes, but not angry. I already know I'm not the smartest or the quickest. My first impulse was to order from Amazon.com and return the AT&T phone unopened. But, with the green phone arriving tomorrow, and the Amazon phone not arriving until Jan. 5th at the earliest, I'm going to stick with the green. I don't like the green color, but it really isn't as ugly as I'm suggesting. Besides, I'm happy with being able to carry over my Tracfone phone number (which has been my "official" phone number for the last 4 years). I can't tell you how many applications and documents with "my phone number" I have completed in the last 4 years, I have no desire to backtrack to find out or update. As long as the phone arrives early and works well, then I'm happy. Besides, I don't mind the idea of upgrading to a fancier model on this new system. Tracfone has been a good company but their phone selection suck! Besides, I'm someone who doesn't like change. If Tracfone even suggested that they might have "QWERTY" phones in the near future, I would have probably stuck with Tracfone. I'm someone who gets (too quickly) set in my ways and routines.

If this green phone doesn't measure up, I have no problem going out and buying a newer (fancier) model. Although, knowing I'm eager to buy a new phone when the green one breaks or gets a scratch, this green one will probably last much longer than I want it to last. That's how my luck works.

Lesson learned? Being impatient is costly.

Post Date - Tuesday, December 29, 2009 12:50PM

New Phone

I just brought a new phone!!!!

I guess you didn't think I would be able to hold out for very long.

So, What do I think about spending about $100 per month for a cell phone?

Actually...

I didn't buy the one mentioned in the previous blog entry. Nope. I settled for a refurbished phone. Yes, refurbished. The cheapskate in me won out. I hate the color, but I like the style -- just what I was looking for in a new phone. Easy texting...I hope. I ordered the phone online. If everything goes well, I will be switching companies..

Snag...My credit card was rejected. That can be correct later.

I'll post a photo found from the internet.


Gotta say, having just looked at the posting. I'm really starting to hate that color (light neon lime green). Maybe the ugly color will keep me from burning through my minutes. Anyway, I'm hoping that if the phone is activated and works, I will then be on a network that would allow me to purchase a newer better "unlocked" model. Unfortunately, the Tracfone network system doesn't allow compatability with other phones not on their network.

P.S. - In the excitement, I forgot to add the most important part.
THE PHONE IS A PREPAID PHONE!!!No contract!!! No fees!!!

The Invisible Man at the Circus

Today I planned a social networking trip to see "The Big Apple Circus" in the park behind Lincoln Center. I made the meeting time 3:45PM to give the group time to meet beforehand -- the show started at 4:30PM. This time, yes the Invisible Man did appear...again. You'll see in a few minutes what I mean.

I arrived at the meeting spot about 3:25PM. About 4:06PM, I got tired of waiting in the cold and went inside. About 10 minutes before the show started(4:20PM), I received a text message from one of the members of the group. Basically, she wrote that since they didn't see me at the meeting spot, they decided to go in. Didn't ask how I was, or my location. Later(during the first 4 or 5 minutes of the 15 minute intermission), there was still no reply, so I sent a vague email to see if I'd get a reaction. I texted about the show being great. The response I had gotten was basically, "Yep, it's great". That's it. Another 4 or 5 minutes later still no attempts to contact me. Finally, I asked where they were. The response, "Section 9 Blue Area". The blue area is the Mezzanine ring. I'm guessing there were about 40 or 50 seats in the "blue section #9". They were 7 or 8 rows behind me in the front row of the Mezzanine Area. I was in the front row Box Seats Area. After the last text, they still made no attempt to contact me, ask where I was, or to try and see if they could see me. Since the ring attendees were sweeping the dirt and straw (to the edges) as if there was no one in first rows, I got up and moved to the aisle separating the mezzanine ring from the box-seat ring. All the while scanning the "blue area" for the other two. After about 2 or 3 minutes, I see someone who looks like the RSVP profile picture laughing with the woman who also looked like her RSVP profile picture. They were making no attempt to find the guy who organized the meeting (or at the very least had the idea to go see the circus).

When I approached the two, the guy did most of the talking. He explained that they couldn't find me. I just said it wasn't a problem. However, since I received the first text about 35 minutes after the meeting time, I'm assuming they had arrived around that time. It would have been nice if they had contacted me (via call or text) to say they were running late, or that they wouldn't meet at the meeting spot. Actually, it would have been nice if they responded to any of the planning emails asking for feedback. The only response was from both of them at different times (and days) stating that they had (and would) buy their own tickets. The small talk ended with the guy suggesting we go for drinks after the show.

After the intermission, I returned to my seat to watch the second half of the show. When the show ended, I stopped to take a couple of pictures of the clown playing a trumpet in the music box as the audience began to leave. That was only about about a minute. The strange thing, when I looked to see if the other two were waiting (they were closer to the exit). I just assumed that they would have waited for me at their seats or in the lobby. Nope! I went to the bathroom area...nope. I waited 2 or 3 minutes outside the tent entrance...nope. I returned to the meeting spot (waited about 10 minutes [just to be sure]). They were gone.

So you see, the Invisible Man was at the circus.

I was a bit annoyed that I had managed the invisibility act once again. Over the years, I've managed to appear invisible in various situations. Now, I can add invisibility to an event that I planned (and had a couple of people accept my invitation). That includes the circus hand sweeping dirt and straw directly in my direction (in fairness to the circus hands, they did the "sweep to the perimeter" around the whole ring not just at me.

So, how was the show. It was nice. I was expecting the venue to be larger. I didn't need binoculars. I thought the circus was very nice. The performers (human and animal) were all very well trained. It was an enjoyable experience. It was a nice show, so I decided to end on a positive note and headed for home. I liked this circus better than one I saw many years ago in Madison Square Garden. Then, I was way up in the nose-bleed seats. This time around, I thought I might need binoculars, but I was wrong the Big Apple Circus was a nice size.

The attached photo is just one of about 178 pictures I took at the circus. I narrowed the selection down to 31 pictures I'll upload into a slideshow at another time. I'm posting this early, so that I won't have any excuses later on today to get online. Once I get online, I'll probably stay online for a few hours. I really need to make use of this vacation time so that I don't end up starting the new year repeating the mistakes of the past year(s).

Post Date - Monday, December 28, 2009 6:14AM

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

Saturday, December 26th
Today (despite the rain), I ventured out for a bit of scouting. I organized a social networking event for tomorrow. Unfortunately, I didn't plan well by putting the event so close to Christmas. I just knew I wouldn't be doing anything, and thought there would be others like me. Well, at this moment, there will probably two others who will be joining me to see the circus.

Anyway, my goal today was to scout around the neighborhood for planning purposes. Since I'm not good with directions, I wanted to look around the neighborhood. I also wanted to try finding a place for dinner that wasn't too expensive. The circus is set up behind Lincoln Center. When I did an online search, I kept getting expensive places. Well, with the walk around, I was able to find a couple of nice places.

After scouting out the neighborhood in the rain, I stepped into Barnes & Nobles. I didn't buy anything because I have another social networking event planned for Jan. 2nd. It involves a book club/ book selection in B&N (more details at another time). After B&N, I went to the movies.

I saw "The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus". I don't know why, but I thought the movie would be empty. But, maybe due to the rain, and/or this movie being Heath Ledger's last movie, the theater was PACKED!!! PACKED!!! I really don't like going to crowded movie theaters, and today's was one of the reason.
1. There was just too many people in that theater.
2. The theater was poorly designed. This was a disappointment I was not expecting. I just assumed that a theater about two blocks from Lincoln Center would have been better. I think in order to pay for the rent, the theater tried to cram as many seats in as physically possible. How small? I'm 5'8" tall. Sitting, my knees just touch the seats in front of me. Unfortunately, when someone sat in front of me (as usual it was someone very tall), the seat kept banging my knees. I don't believe I've ever been in a theater where the seat in front touched my knees. Halfway through the movie, I had to sit sideways to stop my knees from getting banged by the guy who kept trying to get comfortable in small seats.

So how was the movie? I thought it was going to be much better. Visually, the movie really looked nice. The premise was also an interesting one, but the execution was poorly done. Since Heath Ledger died before the movie was finished, other actors were brought in to finish his role. Nice idea, but having other actors play one character was a bit unsettling. For me, it was difficult to get a sense of the Ledger character, because different actors were playing the character at different times during different character moods. Since Ledger didn't end the movie, the character who ended the movie didn't feel like the character who started the movie. I know about character growth and development in a movie, but when there are different (in this case three different) actors, playing that character, there was (for me) a certain "disconnection" from the character. There was also plot points that were distracting. The character discovers there is magic (to a certain extent) involved in the mirror, although the actor is written to be initially surprised, but quickly starts acting as if he is hired to wait tables in a restaurant.

After the movie, I headed over the Staples to buy a calendar. For Christmas, I received a cover for personal planner. Yep, just the cover($10). I should have been a bit annoyed having spent about $60 on a gift. However, I liked the gift. It was something that reminded me about needing to get organized. Since I will be returning to college to finish up my Master's Degree, having a personal planner would be very useful. So the positive of the gift was that it was something that I could really use. I also liked the idea that the color was black.

I better go. Once again, this was much longer than I was planning to write. And to think I got online just to send a quick email to those who RSVPed "Yes" my contact information for the circus. Here it is 8AM. Now, I'm tempted to buy the phone (see previous blog entry) just to feel like I accomplished something this morning.

Bye for now. Today, is the circus. I get to try out my new binoculars.

Post Date - Sunday, December 27, 2009 8:09AM

New Phone

The title should have been "Should I or Shouldn't I". I'm thinking about getting a new cell phone. For the past 4 years, I've been using a prepaid Tracfone. The cost of the Tracfone are only the minutes I've paid to use. I don't use my phone very often. 100 minutes will last me a couple of months (or more). For the last couple of days, I've been wanting a new phone. With the prepaid, the services are very limited, not to mention the slow texting ability. Well, I was surfing online, and checked out the various cell phone providers. I was just about to make my online purchase, when I saw the monthly charge for the basic package (about the same as my landline phone). The monthly cost does not include "the extras" like internet connection, etc... Do I really want to be locked into paying about $80 per month every month(about $96 per year). That's excluding taxes, fees & other charges). Once the "extras" are factored in, I could be spending over a thousand dollars for a phone I don't use very often. Now that I think about it, the "extras"(Taxes, Fees & Other Charges) could be as high as $15 per month.

In the past, I've always smile when those around me complained about their cell phone payments. Do I really want to join the ranks of those who have to deal with contracts, penalties, monthly payments, etc...? I saved the shopping cart page. For once, I resisted the impulse buy I usually cave in to. But since I saved the shopping page, isn't it a matter of time before I cave. Also, I like the idea of starting something new at the beginning of the new year. Well, ...

"Should I or Shouldn't I?"

Below is a picture of the phone I was planning to get.

A Day at South Street Seaport

Yesterday, I planned a social networking event. The plan was to spend the day in the South Street Seaport area. I thought it was a nice event. Unfortunately, there was a no show. It was a bit disappointing for the only other"Yes" RSVP to not show(and not contact me). Anyway, I followed the plan. Starting first at the Bodies Exhibition. Unfortunately, picture taking was not allowed. I found the audio tour helpful, I liked being able to choose from two settings (one for adults / kids), I ended up listening to both. The tour was about two hours. From "Bodies" I headed over to the South Street Seaport Museum. For $12, it was okay (not great, but okay). Lots of old maps and old toy models of boats. Staying for two hours was a bit of a stretch, but I managed. Next, I headed over to the two boats included in the S.S.S.M fee. The boats were also nice. I called it an end to the "Day" about 4PM. I skipped dinner at UNO, the area was overflowing with Santas(SantaCon?!?). SantaCon is an area event were people meet dressed as Santa. Since it was still early, I decided to see a movie. At first I went to Union Square, but nothing was starting at that time, so I settled for a movie on 42nd Street (Ninja Assassin). Before the movie, I took a walk around Bryant Park, they had a shopping village and ice skating rink. I'll post photos later.

Guggenheim and a Movie

Yesterday, I joined one of those social networking groups for a visit to the Guggenheim Museum. The place was much more crowded than I was expecting. The meeting time was 2PM "Across from the ticket booth". I arrived about 1:30PM. The museum was packed, I was so glad I paid online (even though it was more expensive to do so), I waited for the others to get their tickets, and about 15 or 20 minutes later started exploring the Kandinsky Exhibition. I'm not really a fan of abstract art, but the museum event gave me a reason to expand my cultural (and social) horizons. I really didn't think much of the art, but I did enjoy the museum experience. The audio tour made it a much more enjoyable experience. The museum's strict photography policy was a bit annoying. You could only take pictures from the ground floor directed up to the ceiling. The last piece was on the top floor (the Guggenheim has a spiral construction). The last piece was of a single sheet of gold-like plastic sheet similar to the silver blankets marathon runners receive when then cross the finish line. That's it. The large room had only the roughly 3ft. x 3ft. sheet of gold on the floor(with one edge flipped up as if someone accidentally kicked it up). I asked the staff member and he told me that the piece was exactly the way the artist wanted it. The concepts were way over my head.

After the museum, the group decided to go for coffee, but there was a bit of indecision about where to go. The group eventually settled on a cafe in a Barnes and Nobles. The conversation was again waaay over my head. The members talked about the art and the symbolism, motivation, etc... The the topic changed to politics and old New York Monday. Again, the conversation was way over my head. I had nothing to offer the conversation, so I just listened, however, I enjoyed just listening.

I excused myself about 5PM. I also had my own meeting. I think I mentioned here that I recently signed up to host my own group. I signed up at a moment of boredom. I'm hoping to expand my social skills and meet new people with similar interest. I thought that by starting my own group, I could find people who shared similar interest. So far, I'm not having much luck. But, it is still too early.

Anyway, I went to the meeting spot, knowing that no one would probably show. And no one did. I posted a movie selection on my group's polling page. I have 4 votes for A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey, but no one showed up. Good thing, the movie was sold out. I had to settle for the movie I really wanted to see, "2012".

I really enjoyed "2012". Although the ending was a good one, there were one or two things that didn't set well with me. I don't want to spoil the movie for those who have not seen it, so I won't provide details.

After the movie, my plan was for the group to eat dinner at a nearby Japanese restaurant. The restaurant was very nice, I would like to return again, but hopefully not by myself.

I took a few picture during the day, I'll put them into a slideshow and post them at another time.

Post Date - Sunday, November 29, 2009 11:32AM

My New Binoculars

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was an enjoyable one. This morning, my order from Amazon.com arrived. I ordered a pair of binoculars. Below is a slideshow of the binoculars.

Why do I have a slideshow about binoculars?

Recently, I have gotten into reviewing items purchased on Amazon.com. I realized how much I depend on customer reviews and thought I should do the same. One of the things Amazon does is to allow photos to be uploaded with a review. Often, the photos provided by Amazon are very limited, or don't really provide an accurate picture of the item. Therefore, I'm been uploading photos to Amazon.com. The slideshow is just a collection of the photos that I've uploaded.

What do I think of the binoculars? It is too early to tell. So far, I don't like the carrying strap -- it is just a piece of string (a thin piece of string at that). The carrying case? I like the idea of providing a carrying case. However, the case is fairly cheap. I don't think the loop will last for more than one or two days of carrying the binoculars. Speaking of binoculars, I was surprised by how heavy these mini binoculars felt. In my mind, I had the image of the cheap plastic ones I had as a kid. These were about $25 including S&H and taxes.

Why is a city-slicker buying binoculars? No, I'm not being creepy or voyeuristic. I bought the binoculars on an impulse (as you regular readers know I tend to do). Next month, I plan to go to the circus. I'm also trying to do more outdoors activity. The binoculars are not great, but for a homebody novice like myself, they should be okay.



Post Date - Friday, November 27, 2009 4:56PM

Pigeon Impossible

I visited Jeff's blog and found this posting enjoyable, so I thought I'd share it with my readers. Thanks Jeff!

There is even a website: Pigeon Impossible

Another Toy...I mean Tool

Now I'm thinking about holding off on getting the Kindle. I might go for the Sony Reader instead. Unfortunately, both have heavy negatives to deal with. The Kindle has its "exclusive" nature. Sony Reader has the limited battery that will require replacement after about 2 years. A new battery will cost $125 not including S&H and tax. The Sony Reader cost is about $199.

I just purchased a pair of compact binoculars. I'm planning to go to the circus next month.

Another Little Black Bag

I went to pick up my new black bag from the post office. The bag was about $23 including taxes. My Neatfreak was a bit small, so I got this one. Well, first impressions? I like it. I haven't used the bag yet, but so far I like it. Below is a slideshow of some of the photo taken of the new black bag. It is big enough for the NYC daily newspaper (Sunday Edition) to fit with room to spare. A couple of weeks ago, that was when I realize the Neatfreak was too small.

A Couple of Interesting Blog Entries

A couple of interesting posting from another Blog site can be found on Max's blog site:

Ladunata

College Interview & Pirate Radio

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Today, I had to go to college for the interview portion of my application to the Master's Program. I almost missed the interview date because I hadn't checked my email for quite a while. I arrived about 40 minutes early.

The interview portion of the application consisted of the session being divided into two groups. While one was participating in interviews, the other group was writing an inhouse essay, then we switched. After, I thought I would have time to return home to return home and change my clothes, but I didn't. I did a bit of walking around until it was time to attend the social network group.

The movie was a good choice. From the laugher in the theater, most of the audience enjoyed the movie. Me? I didn't like the movie, but I did think the ending was an enjoyable one. The dinner. Having not eaten much since 9AM this morning), I was hungry. However, the $12 hamburger was a bit pricey for what was given (two slices of cucumbers, one piece of lettuce, one thin slice of tomato, and about 7 or 8 mini potato wedges). The cafe was a last minute substitute for the restaurant the organizer was planning on (but the wait was too long). Other than the prices, the cafe was (small but) nice. There were 5 of us at the Meetup. I thought the guys were very nice, I enjoyed their conversation. Having attended an interview, and fighting a cold, I really wasn't in the mood for a meetup, but I'm glad I went.

Arms & Armor Exhibition

On Sunday, I planned my first group event. The plan was to see an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum. The exhibition was called "Arms & Armor of the Samurai". No one signed up, however, there were two "maybes".

Well, no one showed up. Although it was a bit high-browed for me, I thought it was an enjoyable experience.

Below is a slideshow of the photos I took while at the Metropolitan Museum.

Veteran's Day & Black Bag

Before I ramble on about nothing of any real importance, I should take a moment to thank all of the veterans past and present that makes it possible for me to sit home in comfort and safety to ramble on about nothing of importance.

I would like to say "Thank You" to all of the veterans around the world

As I wrote above, I don't really have anything of importance. I just spent the last couple of hours online trying to decide on a black bag to buy.

What happened to the Neatfreak? I tried it out last Sunday. It was too small. It was nice, but too small for my trip to the museum. I arrived at the Metropolitan Museum about 45 minutes early. Since I was organizing the group meeting, I didn't want to be late. On my way to the museum, I stopped to buy a Sunday newspaper, and a breakfast drink. I quickly realized my Neatfreak (bag)was too small. All of a sudden, I had a Sunday newspaper, a shopping bag and the Neatfreak bag. With a backpack, it all would have fit in one bag. Once I went into the museum, I received a gift bag also. Everything fit nicely in the gift bag. After reading the newspaper, I tossed it (minus the TV guide). I'll do another post about the first group trip to the museum at another time.

Anyway, after a couple of hours online, I finally settled on a Premium Military Field Bag (Black). It is slightly smaller than a messenger bag, but bigger than the Neatfreak. I'm guessing this should be the right size and style for me. It was only $12 (not including S&H). It seems to cheap to be of any real value, but the online reviews seems to be mostly positive. I think it might be shipment of military surplus that someone is trying to unload.

Comments
Pictures

I still like the Neatfreak, but I'm hoping this new bag will be the "it" bag for me. I'm a bit lazy and really don't want to have to switch around from bag to bag. I'm kind of a "Grab and Go" guy. I'll start forgetting things if I have to change bags to go out. My backpack has been my grab and go for years, but as I get older, I'm not liking the pack mule feeling of the backpack; I've also gotten lazy about opening it. When I need something from the backpack, removing it from my shoulder, than needing two hands to open it, and then rummaging through it has gotten to be a hassle. With the messenger bag, I'll be able to open it with one hand. Yes I know, I'm just getting lazy.

Post Date - Wednesday, November 11, 2009 2:07PM

Quick Entry

Another wasted day. I went to the post office to pick up my Klean Kanteen. Without a car, going to the post office is a bit of a trip. I take the train one stop (an hour if I walk). Then, it is about a 30 minute walk from the train station to the post office. Today, there was no waiting on line, although the woman behind the counter still moved at what I would call a "Postal Pace". Slow! Anyway, I was able to walk back down the mountainside in time to catch the bus back home. I should have returned home and gotten directly on finishing up doing the report cards, but instead, I sleep the day away.

Tomorrow, I have an event planned for the museum. In the past, I've joined local social networking groups with limited success. In a moment of boredom, I signed up to be an organizer of a group. I was hoping this would be a way to meet new people with similar interests. So far, there seems to very very little interest. I'm beginning to feel like my cloak of invisibility is again at work. Normally, I have the ability to appear invisible to the point that people can walk and talk near and around me as if I'm not really there. It appears that cloak also works online. I've joined groups where people sign up at the drop of a hat for anything (whether they plan to attend or not). My group, very little response. I've asked for responses, but have not gotten very many. I put of a couple of suggestion for group events, and only 3 people responded. It is still early, so I'll see after a few events.

A part of me wanted to cancel so that I could work on the report cards that have to be in first thing Monday morning, but a part of me feels that if I cancel this event -- I already cancelled the first schedule event because I didn't feel like going. Besides, no one wanted to attend that event as well. I created this group as a way of meeting new people and trying to develop social skills, so even though I should be more productive, I'm going to the museum tomorrow...a group of one.

Oh, the attached photo is my new Klean Kanteen.


Post Date - Saturday, November 7, 2009 10:36PM

Quick Entry

Another attempt to clear out my draft folder. However, considering I have report cards to do, I'll have to keep this brief.

Tuesday, August 19th


I met a new epal in Union Square Park. In a matter of seconds I knew we had nothing in common. I arrived at the meeting spot about 10 early. After about 10 minutes of reading my newspaper, I look up to see some guy staring at me. It turns out to be the epal. He is a teacher as well, but I got the impression that he was treating the job as a temporary situation. We had nothing in common and he wasn't interested in talking about school, students, or teaching in general. Epal suggested that we sit on a bench in Union Square Park. I wanted to walk, but I agreed to sit. That was a very long 2 hours. Very long.

After about 2 hours, we went our separate ways. He went shopping at a clothes store in the area, I went to Radio Shack to buy some credits for my Napster account. AFter, I went to the movies to see District 9. I liked the movie. However, I was highly annoyed at the coming attractions. EVERY SINGLE ONE WAS A PREVIEW FOR A HORROR MOVIE!!! I'm not a horror movie fan.

Wednesday, August 20th
I finally got of my lazy *** and went to apply for reenrollment in college. I need to finish up my Master's Degree. Unfortunately, I was too late for Spring 2010.

Post Date - Wednesday, November 4, 2009 7:55PM

Back in NYC

Sorry, I guess you figured out that I've once again allowed myself to be overwhelmed at work. I started posting over the uncompleted blog entries in my draft folder. I thought I would take a couple of minutes to try to clear out my draft folder. Below is one of the entries that has been sitting incomplete in my draft folder.

Thursday, August 6th

I'm back in NYC. the bus was about an hour behind schedule for the final leg of the cross country bus ride. After finally arriving in NYC, the bus driver had a minor accident with a Mercedes. While the bus company reps dealt with the accident, we sat and waited...and waited. We were waiting about 45 minutes. While waiting, the first sight I saw was a pregnant woman sleeping on the sidewalk outside a building. In the window right above the window was a sign that read, "Congratulations, it's a boy!". I tried to get a picture, but cars kept driving past the idling bus. Next, was the sight of police (or emergency service workers) rounding up the homeless. All I could think about while waiting on the bus was wow, I'm back in New York City.

Finally, the bus resumed. I was expecting another 15 minutes before we would arrive at the bus depot, but it turned out my sense of direction and time was off. The accident happened right around the corner from the bus depot.

I arrived home about 3PM and slept until about 9PM. I didn't even read the Harry Potter book. I was however, very happy with my DVD player. I was able to watch 3 movies on a single battery charge. I watched:

1. Journey to the Center of the Earth (with Brandon Frasier)
2. Pan's Labyrinth (wasn't a good movie)
3. Epic Movie (it wasn't funny)

The attached photo is the one I took while waiting on the bus (the homeless round-up).


Post Date - Sunday, November 1, 2009 1:50AM

The Kindle (E Reader)

Something Santa is thinking about leaving me for Christmas:

The Kindle

Maxpedition

My Maxipedition Daypack and waistpack arrived today. I bought the daypack because I was tired of carrying a mostly empty backpack around on the weekends to places like a movie theater. The daypack has about 18 different pockets. I bought the waistpack because I was tired of my pants pockets being stuffed full with an assortment of items I carry around during school hours. The waistpack has about 10 pockets and/or divided areas.I really don't like the look of a fannypack. I'm hoping the waistpack looks way cooler. The Maxpedition line of bags can also be combined and interchange with each other to form various combinations. With clips (not included), I could attach my waistpack to the daypack to create a mini backpack.

Yes, I know this does sound a bit like a commercial. Sorry about that. Well, I better go. In a few weeks, I'll let you know how the packs are working out.

Below is a slideshow of a few photos I took of my new packs.

I'm in Love...

...with the Maxpedition Neatfreak Organizer.

Last night I browsed online for a smaller pack than the backpack. I purchased one of the bigger backs similar to a backpack. However this morning, I began thinking that another large pack would defeat the purpose of the change from a regular backpack. I wanted a pack just big enough to fit a paperpack book, a mini umbrella, MP3, cell phone, camera, flashlight, train/bus maps, tissues, hand wipes, etc... I also want to buy a netbook to replace my old secondhand laptop. I think you get the picture. I came across the "Neatfreak", and I'm now super excited. I even found a review of the bag on YouTube. A great review! I was sold. Oh, and it comes in black!

I wanted a pack(man purse?!) because I like being organized, but (lately), I've gotten tired of dragging around a mostly empty backpack with the small stuff becoming a disorganized mess at the bottom of the bag. I'm also tired of stuffed pockets inside my classroom, but that post will have to wait.

I hate the look of the fannypack. Below is the video review of the Neatfreak.

The Maid

A crazy week to an end. This blog entry will be a bit sloppy for the sake of time and lack of planning.

This week started and continued like many others, disorganized and stressed. I had a three-day weekend to get organized, but blew it. I didn't do much of anything. but on the last day with a momentarily impulse of boredom, I signed up for a social networking group...as an organizer.

Quick explanation. Social networking groups are groups made of everyday men and woman who come to getting based on the interests of the group. If you can name a topic or interest, there is probably a group. For example, single mothers who knit, there is probably a group. Wine tasters in the city, yep, there are about a couple of hundred groups.

Well, for the last couple of years, I've signed up for various groups with mixed results. I've also tried looking for friends online, also with mixed results. Nothing seemed to fit with what I wanted. My personality is a bit of an irregular size. And like clothing, my personality/interests doesn't really come in regular sizes. Shopping off the rack has yielded mixed results. I don't drink or smoke. I don't like sports. I like movies, but don't go very often, nor can I recall details of actors or actresses that play in them. I like comics books, but I don't read them very often, and I couldn't tell you much about the backgrounds of the characters or their creators. I like reading science fiction, but I couldn't tell you the last author I've read. I like walking, but I couldn't find most major landmarks on a map. I've lived in NYC for most of my life, but I'm the first one to get lost downtown. I think you get the picture.

Usually, I sit around waiting for invitations or activities that don't come, so I end up sleeping away the weekend. When I'm not working, the days of boredom just bleeds into the next.

Anyway, last Sunday on an impulse, I signed up as an organizer of a social network group. Strange isn't it. Someone who doesn't socialize, who keeps to himself, who has few if any interests, signs up to lead a social networking group. So how did it go.

Well, signing up during a moment of boredom isn't a good reason to sign up. Also, not really knowing what kind of group I wanted also didn't help. I came up with the idea of a Guy's Group for doing various activities on the weekend. Problem, within minutes, women started quickly signing up. By Monday morning, I had about 20 women signed up and about 12 men. Initially, I kept the group's options opened for both genders. But then I changed my mind. I reworded the group's title and message to make it more of a men's group. Then, I had a couple of guy's drop not wanting to belong to a gay group, and women leaving as well. However,....

I was still getting women who wanted to join. One member suggested that I just delete all the woman. But, the idea of being in an exclusive group with a "No ______ Allowed" doesn't appeal to me. So, I then searched a found a couple of similar groups (one almost exactly like the one I had just created the day before)...

Still didn't work. So, now, I've given up for the time being. If there are really people out there bored on the weekend and just want a reason for getting out of there homes, then I don't feel right putting up a "NO _____ Allowed" sign on the door.

I chose the first event to be a visit to a comic convention(also a last minute impulse). I had only one RSVP "Yes". He eventually cancelled because no one else was going. I also agreed a few days before I created my new group, that I would attend that event (movie and dinner).

Actually, I was so exhausted from work, that I really didn't want to do anything but sleep this weekend. It would mean that Saturday would have me up and running early for a Saturday for me. Anyway, the one guy who joined cancelled, so that just freed me up to just attend the other group's event as a member not an organizer. Although I wasn't too thrilled with the movie choice "The Maid", it was another one of those, "it's either that or sleeping away the weekend" choices.

I arrived at the theater about 20 minutes early. The organizer's meeting plan was to have the members look for a tall guy with a black cap. Well, after waiting about 20 minutes, I went to see a movie I really didn't want to see (I paid for my ticket online). The movie was "The Maid". I thought it was a comedy, but I was wrong. Although, several people chuckled throughout the movie, and laughed a few times, I was bored. The maid had basically one "thing", she locked the other maids out of the house. I was bored. I was also annoyed that I was sitting through two hours of a movie I didn't want to see. After the movie, I went to the diner in Greenwich Village (mentioned a few times in previous blog entries).

When I got home, I checked my email. The organizer of the group had sent me an email (10 minutes after I had left home) saying that the other guys had cancelled.

Before doing this blog, I did a bit of online shopping for the man purse I mentioned in a previous entry. I'm a bit tired of carrying around my backpack. While shopping for the maurse (man purse), I found a nice looking wait pouch. I've wanted something to carry the stuff I carry around class for a while now. However, I really didn't want a fanny pack.

Well, I think that's about it.


Post Date - Sunday, October 18, 2009

Slide Show - (Miscelleneous Pictures)

AUGUST, 2009 - INDIANAPOLIS

Below is a slideshow of various photos I took while on my visit to Indianapolis. The slideshow is a collection of photos that didn't make it into my other Indianapolis slideshows.

Indianapolis - Day 5(Crispus Attucks Museum)

Monday, August 03, 2009

An interesting Link

An interesting link:

An Answering Machine Message


Post Date - Sunday, October 11, 2009

Indianapolis - Day 5(Last Day)

Wednesday, August 5th

Today was the last day in Indianapolis. I was up about 9AM. I was out of the hostel and on a bus downtown at about 1PM. It took me about a 30 minute wait for check in at the Greyhound station. With about a few hours to kill, I visited a comic shop, had lunch at Champps, and walked around. I returned to the depot about 6PM. I was hoping that an hour would put me at the front of the line for a good seat on the bus.

Post Date - Sunday, October 11, 2009 12:22AM

Indianapolis - Day 4 (Rainy Day)

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Today was a very rainy day with thunderstorms and flash floods. It was not the best end to my traveling vacation. It rained heavily for most of the day. The rain ended about 6PM. I didn't do much but sleep and watch the rain fall. I also did a load of laundry. I did think about going to the downtown mall, but with it rainy so hard, and there not being any shelter at or near the bus stop, I didn't see the point of leaving the hostel. I did go for a walk around the neighborhood for about an hour after the rain stopped.

The attached photos is the bus stop near the hostel.


Post Date - Saturday, October 10, 2009 11:51PM

41

I'll have to keep this short. I haven't been in a blogging mood since school resumed. Unfortunately, I had to deal with one stressful thing or another.

With the three day weekend, I did something I hadn't done since about last January. I planned my lessons for the whole week. Now, that I have some breathing room, I will try to follow up and start planning by Thursday, so that my weekend will be free.

What have I been doing for the last couple of weeks, mostly shopping. Unfortunately, since I've been so stressed out, I haven't been keeping up with my blogging. Long story short, When school resumed, I received a salary adjustment. I received about $3,000. How much do I have now, about $1,480. I spent about $1,000 on supplies, new learning center activities and learning games (aligned to the national standards). I also went to Brooklyn to the teacher's store to buy some more supplies ($72).

Today, I also went to the local Y to see about enrolling...again. Since I had the extra money, it was suggested by another teacher that I should spend some of the money on something for myself as opposed to my classroom. She was thinking in terms of clothes, but I came up with the idea of hiring a personal trainer.

I was surprised that the local Y recently underwent some renovations. One, the price is lower. Now, the price is $288 for a yearly membership. The cost used to be $450 for the premium membership(access to the sauna and the steam room -- now anyone can use the sauna and steam room). There is also some new equipment. Oh, and now they even have boxing lessons for adults. I do want the boxing lessons, but I want the personal training first. I think having a personal trainer for a couple of months will help me lose weight. We'll see.

Post date - Monday, September 28, 2009 10:44PM

Indianapolis - Day 3 (The Crispus Attucks Museum)

Monday, August 3, 2009

No real plan for the next couple of days. 1:16PM I was on the bus for Crispus Attucks Museum. With a Google search, I estimated the distance from the bus to the museum, but I was way off. I had about a 35 minute walk from the bus stop to the museum. However, I didn't mind the walk.

The Crispus Attucks Museum
I thought the CA Museum was a museum dedicated to the life and times of CA, but I was mistaken. It was a Black History Museum located in the Crispus Attucks High School. The admission price was $5. I thought the museum was interesting and educational. Some areas of the museum seemed incomplete, but it was interesting still. I stayed about 90 minutes. I had lunch at a local Hardees restaurant, and walk around downtown for about 3 hours. I took the bus back to the hostel.

The Bus ExperienceThe bus driver and "tin man" were having a very, very loud conversation. "Tin Man" was on the bus a couple of days ago. Tin Man was a name I had given to a guy with a red tin with a wad of single $ bills. He would get on the bus have a loud conversation while counting his single bills. Today, he had the same behavior with a different driver. Today, he was talking LOUDLY and eating Chinese takeaway.

Today (about 3/4 of the way into ride, the bus driver (Yes, the bus driver) begs for a couple of dollars from "Tin Man". The Bus Driver stops at the dingy local store (mentioned in a previous blog entry) keeping the 3 passengers (including myself and Tin Man) waiting 4 or 5 minutes while she went to buy soda and chips. The Bus Driver returns to finish the route on to the last stop and then annouces to those about to get on -- I had gotten off at the last stop. She announced (while I was getting off the bus, "You gotta wait, I'm onna break".

My plan was to ride to the last stop to kill some more time at the mall. I went to Target store. I ended up doing a bit of impluse shopping:

1. Pan's Lambarith DVD
2. Journey to the Center of the Earth DVD
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

I brought the HP hardcover book to read on the plane ride back from Japan. When I finished reading the book, I gave the book to a local library. At the time, I had given it away with absolute certainty that I would never reread a book more than once even a Harry Potter book. Actually, I barely remember the details from the book. My memory isn't very good. Having just seen the movie, I thought the book would clue me into missing details missing from the movie. I also thought it would be an interesting ride for the approx. 18 hour Greyhound ride back to NYC.


Post Date - Sunday, October 4, 2009 11:55PM

Indianapolis - Day 3 (The Zoo)

Below is a slideshow of pictures I took at the Indianapolis Zoo. One of the nice things about the Indianapolis Zoo is that it had an aquarium located within the zoo.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Indianapolis - Day 3 (The Zoo)

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Today started very early with a 2AM departure. The group using the back room in the basement left very noisily making at least 7 trips up and down the stairs through the front room where I was trying to sleep. Also a new arrival to the front room turned on the air-conditioner full blast. In a matter of minutes it was like an ice box.

About 12PM, I was on the bus for downtown. The plan was to use the last tickets in our downtown tourist booklet to go to the zoo. Since INpal had to go to church, I wasn't sure what time he would be finished, so I started off alone.

We ended up meeting at the zoo about 2PM. The zoo combined an aquarium within the zoo. I thought the zoo was very nice. We saw a dolphin show, which was okay. To me, the dolphin show seemed a bit short. The lights were low, and the action was a bit too fast for my slow hands. I really didn't get any good shots at the dolphin show. While in the zoo, INpal picked up the tab for lunch, which was a nice surprise.

Later, we went to see the Harry Potter Movie in IMAX. The "IMAX" experience was a bit of a waste. They gave out 3D glasses, so I assumed the whole or most of the movie would be in 3D. Actually, only about 10 minutes of the beginning was in 3D. Yep, that's it, only 10 minutes of a 2.5 hour movie. Yes, I felt a bit cheated. The movie was long but it was enjoyable.

After the movie, INpal and I went for dinner. Unfortunately, most of the places were closed due to it being Sunday. It took a bit of driving, but eventually we settled on KFC/Taco Bell. After dinner, INpal returned me to the hostel. After giving him a couple of NYC souvenirs, we said good bye.

A couple of months ago, INpal mentioned that he would not be available for touring after Sunday. In Indianapolis, schools open around the beginning of August. Instead of changing my plans, I decided to just hang out and explore on my own for the next couple of days.

* The attached photo is of a snake display at the snake house in the zoo.

Post Date - Monday, September 7, 2009 11:22PM

Indianapolis - Day 2 (NCAA Museum)

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Indianapolis - Day 2 (Indiana State Museum)

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Below is a slideshow of photos I took at the Indiana State Museum. It was a very nice museum that combined two or three museums into one.

Indianapolis - Day 2 (Native American Museum)

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Indianapolis - Day 2

August 1, 2009

Today was the day I met my Indianapolis epal for the first time. There was a bit of confusion for the meeting spot. The hostel is basically a residential house used as a hostel. The location of the hostel is on the corner of an intersection. The hostel entrance and parking spaces are located on one side, whereas the residential front is located on the other street. Anyway, we were both waiting (INpal at the front while I was waiting at the side) until INpal called wondering where I was waiting. With the confusion settled, we were on our way.

The first stop was the Downtown Visitor's Center. INpal suggested we go to the White River State Park. Since Inpal was driving and being the tour guide, I paid for the park passes. The cost was $84 for two adults. With the passes, we received about a 25% discount of various attractions.

1st stop was the NCAA Museum. Although I'm not a sports person, I said it was okay to start at this museum. I knew INpal was a sports fan, so I thought he would enjoy this museum. The museum was interesting. Basically, the various displays gave information about that displays college sport (including the uniform of the player). It was interesting.

2nd stop was the National State Museum. I enjoyed the museum.

3rd stop was at a sports bar/restaurant called "Champs". Since INpal was driving and being tour guide, I picked up the check (about $20+tip). The food was very good. Oh, on our way to the bar/restaurant, we noticed a crowd in front of a hotel across the street. It turns out the Dave Matthews Band was leaving. Someone nearby explained this to us. The guy also explained that each member of the band had his own tour bus. To be honest, I had to Google the name.

4th stop was the Eiteljorg Museum (A Native American Museum). This museum was also very nice. (except for museum guard incident). After being in the museum for about 30 minutes (upstairs). The guard approached to tell me that I wasn't allowed to have a backpack on. He wanted me to return to the entrance and check it. I reminded him the museum was closing in about 5 minutes. The guy was persistent! Finally, he suggested that if I wore the backpack over only one shoulder, then there shouldn't be a problem. INpal? He was off texting. Actually, I have to say that I thought INpal was a real trooper. I got the impression that INpal was bored from time to time from finding him around the corner at each of the museums sitting and texting. But, I was glad he really didn't show boredom. Sorry, the episode with the museum guard put me in a bad mood.

5th stop was to INpal's classroom. Yep, he's a fellow teacher. I was extremely impressed with his classroom. It's like the classroom's you see of TV but you don't really think exists in the real world. Everything was new, and clean, he had space and loads of supplies. Walls could be decorated anyway the teacher wanted. He had access to his classroom 24/7. It was a lot like a DoDDS classroom. I had forgotten about the "variables" to teaching locations. The guy had a very nice classroom. It was also nice that INpal wasn't showing off. Basically, INpal showed me his classroom and talked about the pluses and minus and that was it. Very nice. Oh, and he mentioned enough "minuses" to remind me that grass isn't always greener on the other side. The classroom visit put me in a good mood.

6th stop. INpal took me to something called a "Battlefield Game". Sorry, I tried to Google the name, but I only received a video game. The game INpal showed me was a game that tries to teach students cooperative skills and team building. It was interesting. Each team has members armed with foam batons. The object is to use the baton to hit your opponent. Once hit, a person is out (or in limbo). The objective is to get to the "king". Think of it like the game "Capture the Flag" played with foam batons.

7th stop. We decided to go for dinner (after a quick stop at a war memorial). I suggested a place called the Spaghetti Factory. Sorry, The Old Spaghetti Factory. I picked up the tab, but I don't remember the cost. Anyway, the meal was very good. I took what I didn't eat back to the hostel with me.

* The attached photo is the hostel I said at during my time in Indianapolis.

Post Date - Thursday, August 3, 2009 9:29PM

Indianapolis - Day 1 (Downtown Canal)

Indianapolis - Day 1 (Statehouse)

Slide Show - (Soldiers & Sailors Monument)

Friday, July 31, 2009

Below is a slide show of the photos I took at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. I hope the captions are correct.

Indianapolis - Day 1

Friday, July 31, 2009

My day started out at about 11:30AM(my wake up time). I was up and out the door about 1:15PM. After about a 30 minute wait for the bus, I headed downtown.

My first stop was to the Soldiers & Sailors Monument. The observation deck was closed due to renovations, but there was a museum located in the basement of the monument. In the museum there were various displays related to the Civil War.

After the S & S Monument, I went to the nearby visitor's center to pick up some maps and pamphlets on tourist activities to do while in town.

Next, I went to the Indiana State Capitol Building. Since the building was opened to the public, I went in and walked around; it is a very nice building.

After the self-guided tour of the Statehouse, I walked along the canal for awhile. I finished up my tour with a soup and a sandwich at a local bar.

On my way back, I stayed on the bus to go to the Target store near the hostel. I didn't want to return to the dingy local supermarket with the expired food sold at a discount. When I finished shopping at Target, I almost missed the last bus back to the hostel. The bus driver arrived late at the bus stop, but seemed to be trying to making up the time by speeding. Yes speeding!


Post Date - Sunday, August 30, 2009 2:51PM

Slide Show - On the Road (From Salt Lake City to Indianapolis)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Below is my slideshow of various photos I took while on my bus ride from Salt Lake City to Indianapolis(basically rocks, rest stops and mountaintops).

On the Road

Wednesday, July 29th

Today was my last day in Salt Lake City. I started the day at 5AM. I changed my mind about doing a noisy departure from the hostel. Regular readers of this blog will remember a posting a few weeks ago about a noisy wake up when I had to be up at 5AM.

Sorry, I don't know how to post a link to that entry. If I can figure out how, I will post the link to that specific entry below.

Unbelievable Luck!

If you don't see a link, then you'll know I wasn't able to do it.

Anyway, I was up at 5AM. Other than a problem with returning the room key to the keylock (another "easy automatic service" that was anything but easy or automatic). After about 10 minutes of trying to get the key in the keylock box, and trying to call the owner of the hostel, I gave up and shoved the key under the door.

I arrived at the Greyhound station at about 6:30AM. There was already a line about 25 people long. I got behind a trio of ladies who seemed to be ....never mind.

The departure time was suppose to be 7:10AM. The bus departed about 30 minutes late. The last person on should have been the first(a woman in a wheelchair). The bus was packed, but of course you had those who tried to stake out their space by taking up two seats hoping no one would sit next to them. One young lady had her feet up on the second seat next to her, covered in her blanket, sound asleep. The guy in the back was laying down across the three back seats, again sound asleep. I woke up the guy in the back seat. I actually like the back seat right by the bathroom because it is the only seat where you can stretch out your legs. The down side, the very, very down side is when the bathroom is not clean. Not only was the bathroom dirty and stinking up the back of the bus, but person after person kept leaving the seat up causing the back to stink even worse.

I will be on the road until about 6PM tomorrow. There were heavy clouds but luckily no rain. I passed the time reading comics, listening to my MP3 player, and watching the DVD "Disaster Movie". I laughed a couple of time, but the movie was a bit too vulgar for me. On the road, somehow we arrived 1 hour late into Denver. Having to transfer buses in Denver made me a little worry about the late arrival. Also, Greyhound overbooked my transfer bus by an extremely large number. How did I know there was a large number for the overbooking? They needed three buses to get everyone on the road. The good news was that everyone who was suppose to go was able to get a seat. The bad was that I had no time to eat or go to the bathroom. I was a bit annoyed about the late arrival and the overbooking, but I have to say that Greyhound did get me on the road (if a bit delayed), and the ride was not difficult.

Thursday, July 30th

This is a continuation instead of creating a new entry.

Nothing much to report. More time on the road. Towards the end, I realized the two guys seating near me were just released prisoners. The comment about "we're not in jail anymore was the finally confirmation of my suspicion. The envelope showing the prison label "correctional facility..."(sorry, I don't remember). Later, on another bus, there were another two guys having a longer than necessary loud conversation about someone being in prison. For the first time on my bus ride, I felt a bit self-conscious about the "extra" gear I brought with me (MP3 player, DVD player, radio, etc...). But, there weren't any problems.

I arrived in Indianapolis around 7PM. Rather than try for public transportation, I asked the hostel owner for the hostel pick-up service. The hostel turned out to be about 4 miles from downtown.

First impression of the hostel. The hostel had a very warm, comfortable feel. The neighborhood however, was a bit different. The first night there, the nearest store was about a 10 minute walk. Having lived in the inner-city, I had a flash back when I walked into the "local supermarket". Some of the food was out of date, with discount labels for expired food. Frozen foods had freezer burns. There was also a very limited amount of choices(a lot of brands I didn't recognize). The neighborhood seemed to be a mix of low and middle income houses, but seemed relatively okay.

Well, that's about it. First day in Indianapolis. Actually, I should say first evening in Indianapolis. My epal told me months ago that he would only be available for Saturday and Sunday to show me around town, so I won't even bother calling him until Friday evening or Saturday. Since my main goal was to get out of NYC for a while, I told myself that I would just do some solo walking around town. I did meet (online) a couple of locals who said that they might be available for some tour guiding, but I'm not sure if they will or not. Either way, I don't mind doing solo walks around town.

* The attached photo is a picture I took while on the bus on my way to Indianapolis.

Post Date - Friday, August 28, 2009 9:57PM

Slide Show - Salt Lake City (Salt Lake & Pizza Place)

Tuesday, July 28th
Since I didn't have any photos (but one), I combined the pizza place photos and the museum photos with the Salt Lake photos.

Slide Show - Salt Lake City (Kennecott Mine)

Tuesday, July 28th

Slide Show - Salt Lake City (Gilgal Garden)

Tuesday, July 28th

Salt Lake City - Day 6

Tuesday, July 28th

Today my plan was to get up earlier to be ready for SLC Epal. I was guessing that since we didn't do any touring yesterday, that we would make up for it today. A part of me thought that SLC Epal might even be out in front at 11AM when he calls to say that he was ready.

Unfortunately, I didn't get up as early as I wanted, but it was still early enough to do a quick 30 minute walk through the neighborhood. I returned from my neighborhood walk at about 10:50AM.

Yesterday, SLC Epal said that he would call around 11AM. I mistakenly thought he would call on or before 11AM. I was out on the front porch about 10 minutes to 11AM waiting for the call. 5...10...15 minutes passed and no call.

Twenty minutes and still no call. Around this time, I'm thinking of turning off my phone. I told myself that if SLC Epal didn't call by 11:30AM, I would just go wandering downtown myself.

At 11:24AM, SLC Epal called asking if I was ready. I guessed from the tone of the conversation that he wasn't in the mood for a drive to the Bonneville Salt Flats, so I suggested we just do a local activity, he agreed. 15 minutes later, SLC Epal arrived at the hostel. Next, he asked if I wanted to grab some lunch, but I wasn't really in the mood to eat, so I said I had eaten.

First stop was out to the Great Salt Lake to a place called Saltair

Wow, I love Google and Wikipedia!!!

Saltair was a nice place. From the lack of people there, I think Salt Lake State Park is a hidden secret. I was amazed at the lack of people on the lake shore on the hot day it was. There were a few people, but very few. SLCE told me that due to the high levels of salt, a lot of people will avoid going especially if they have a cut or an open sore. I guess going would be like "pouring salt in an open wound". Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Anyway, we stayed for almost an hour. I got to see brine flies and brine shrimp. The flies were the first things to catch my attention. They moved like a minuscule locust swarm, but were harmless. For those of you around my age (those who remember when MTV only showed music videos, The fall of the Berlin Wall isn't ancient history, etc...I think you get the point). Anyway, some of you might remember ads for "Sea-Monkeys". For those of you (who like me)have never tried to buy sea-monkeys, you now know what they are....brine shrimp.

Next stop was over to the Kennecott Copper Mine pit. The Kennecott is the largest man-made excavation (meaning largest man-made hole in the ground). I thought the museum located on the grounds was very interesting, we stayed about an hour.

After the copper mine, SLCE knew of a place he used to go to when he was a kid. The place was called "Gilgal Garden". It was an interesting garden. I was impressed that SLCE knew of this small out of the way place. I was a bit embarrassed that having lived in NYC for most of my life, I didn't know more than the main tourist attractions...barely. I was also in a better mood than I started out with. I thought this day was going to be a waste, but it turned out to be very enjoyable and informative.

Being in a better mood (and hungry), I offered to buy lunch/dinner. SLCE knew of a well-known pizza place near the University of Utah he's been to on a few occasions. I paid for the meal and SLCE left the tip.

Since we were near the Utah Museum of Natural History, we thought we would stop by. The price was $7 per adult. I offered to pay the admission fee for the both of us. At first SLCE was a bit concerned about the price, but he agreed. However, the lady behind the desk was very nice. Since the museum was going to close in about 30 minutes, she let us go in for free.

About 6PM, SLCE dropped me off at the hostel. I gave a couple of NYC souvenirs for SLCE and his friend (who also help provide ideas for locations to explore while I was visiting Salt Lake City.

Since it was still a bit early, I decided to do a practice trip to the Greyhound station to make sure I would be able to leave tomorrow morning with enough time. My original plan was to just call a taxi, but I found out the Trax light rail had a stop at the transit terminal. The results were 12 minutes to walk to the "Fare Free Zone*", then the Trax ride. In total, it was about a 40 minute trip.
*Salt Lake City has a fare free zone downtown where you can ride public transportation for free. The FF Zone starts one station stop away from the hostel and ends at the transportation terminal (Amtrak, Greyhound and local buses).

I walked back to the hostel (50 minutes). I showered, did laundry, ate dinner and packed up. Tomorrow, I will have an approx. 2 day bus ride to Indianapolis.

* The attached photo is a view of the Kennecott smelting stack viewed from the Saltair resort.

Post Date - Wednesday, August 26, 2009 1:07PM

Slide Show - Salt Lake City (Temple Square Solo Walk) 2

Joseph Smith

While doing the captions for my slideshow, I came across some information about Joseph Smith. Since I know very little about him, I found the articles interesting reading. The first article was from Googling Joseph Smith and wives. The other article came from one of my favorite sites, Wikipedia.

Yes I know, you can't believe everything you read on the internet, but even if some of this is true...

I'm...amazed.

Treasure hunter to prophet to having about 20 wives (as young as 14 years old, and marrying sisters as their priest and then later as their husband) and becoming founder of a religion(Mormons).

Wow!

Below is a link to one of the articles I found through a Google search.

JOSEPH SMITH

Post Date - Tuesday, August 25, 2009 1:03PM

Salt Lake City - Day 5

Monday, July 27th

The plan was to take a drive over to the Bonneville Salt Flats. However, things didn't work out this time around.

SLC Epal was suppose to call about 11AM about seeing the Bonneville Salt Flats, but called at 10AM to say "something came up at home and wouldn't be available until 1PM or 2PM". Since I was up and ready, I decided to go for a walk instead of sitting around and waiting. I ended up returning to Temple Square, the tourist center, and Brigham Young's Park. On my way back, I stopped at a nearby 7-eleven. I was hungry, but I wasn't in a mood for a sit down meal. I brought a sandwich and juice. I returned at 1PM and hung out at the hostel.

At 2PM, SLC Epal called to say that he "would need another 30 or 40 minutes. The truck is still in my yard." To be honest, I was a bit confused with this statement. Remembering the tour of his home, I didn't remember seeing a truck. Since SLC Epal didn't elaborate, I didn't ask any questions. I just took it as a personal matter.

I ended up falling asleep for awhile. SLC Epal left a message saying that it was probably too late to go to the Bonneville Salt Flats. The time stamp of the message was 3:45PM. SLC Epal asked for me to return his call, but I ended up going back to sleep.

SLC Epal called again later -- Yes, I did pick up this time. He called to say that he would call again tomorrow around 11AM and maybe go tomorrow to the Bonneville Salt Flats. The "maybe" told be he probably didn't want to go, but I didn't say anything. Then, SLC Epal asked if I wanted to "go grab some dinner". To be honest (since I was probably still half sleep), I didn't know what he was asking. Since there was no change in his tone or manner of speaking(he asked very casually), I didn't get the impression that there was anything wrong today. What was going through my mind, I might have just been overthinking the day. A part of me thought I would either be offering to pick up the tab since SLC Epal was driving, or we would just split the check. Those were the only thoughts that came to mind. Since I wasn't in a talkative mood, I took a pass. I decided to do a load of laundry and call it a night.

Later, I check his blog to see if SLC Epal would post something about his day, I was still a bit confused about "the truck". It turns out he was moving a truck. I didn't recognize the truck, and I didn't recognize the house, or the high weeds, but I just thought it was a personal matter and didn't bring it up.


Post Date - Monday, August 24, 2009 11:58PM

Slide Show - Salt Lake City (Red Butte Garden)

Slide Show - Salt Lake City (Hogle Zoo)

Salt Lake City - Day 4

Sunday, July 26th



My adventure started about 10:15AM. I retraced my travel route from yesterday, so that I would be sure to find the places I found yesterday by accident. I took the Trax to Fort Douglas. Unfortunately, the Fort was closed.

Next stop was the Red Butte Garden (again, Butte with a long "u"). The Red Butte Garden was a bit of a hike, but well worth it. The garden is locate slightly up the side of a mountain. It was a very nice garden. I liked the layout; just by following the paths, you can go through the whole garden without any difficulty. That's good for people like me who can get lost walking in a straight line.

After the garden, I went to the Hogle Zoo and spent about 2 1/2 hours there. The zoo was small, but it was nice.

After the zoo, I walked back to the hostel again (1 1/2 hour walk). I had dinner at KFC and called it a night.

I'll put together a slideshow of my pictures another time.

To keep with my personal photo maximum of 25 for a slideshow, I am posting two photos that I deleted from my Red Butte Garden file to stay within the 25 max limit. Since my Hogle Zoo file has less photos, I didn't post any with this blog entry.


Post Date - Sunday, July 23, 2009 10:38PM