NYC - Police Museum

This past Thanksgiving really wasn't worth the time to write about it, so I will skip it.

On Saturday, I organized an social networking event.  This time it was a trip to the NYC Police Museum.  To my surprise, someone actually showed up, it was a 56 year old divorce father.  The meeting spot was going to be in the lobby of the museum.  However, we ended up meeting on the train platform at 42nd street.  I was amazed.  We actually rode into NYC on the same Metro-North train.  I was in the fourth car, he was in the second.  After arriving in Grand Central Station, I stopped at the bathroom, and then went to catch the #4 subway for downtown.  42nd street was crowded as usual.  I always go to the front of the train or the back to avoid the crowds.  Anyway, while I was standing on the platform, the was able to spot me from the description I had given him.  It was a good thing we didn't meet in the museum because it was a pretty small museum (despite having three floors).

The museum cost was $8 dollars.  I thought it was interesting.  Basically, the third floor was for a 9/11 exhibition along with a Hall of Heroes (officers who lost their lives in the line of duty since 1845), the second floor was an exhibition on artist work related to 9/11 and other police activities, the first floor had a very small kids zone and an exhibition on the evolution of the NYC police force.

Although we took about 90 minutes to see everything, if you don't stop to read every caption and display, you can finish easily within an hour. I will post some photos at another time.  After the museum, epal was ready to go home, but I wasn't.  I went to the movie to see "Megamind in 3D".  After the movie, I went to T.G.I.Friday's restaurant near Union Square Park.  I was surprised at the prices.   My chicken and shrimp pasta dinner cost $25.05 for a fairly small portion.  I was finished eating in about 6 minutes.  I would have had dessert, but they only had brownie with this or that, or cheesecake.  I walked from 14th Street to 42nd Street before taking the train back home.

Quick Entry

Since I lost my Christmas fund, I was a bit depressed.  My goal was to treat myself to something nice for Christmas.  I just discovered a couple of imitation ipads.  If they work as reviewed, then I'll be satisfied with an imitation for now.

The Hobbit

Not much to write about.  I finished reading the prelude to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, "The Hobbit".  I really enjoyed the story.  I thought the story was very well written.  I'm looking forward to the planned movie.

Other than the Hobbit, there isn't much to write about.  I lose my student teacher in about 3 weeks.  Wow, I'm going to miss having that extra support in the classroom.  I think she will make a nice teacher.  She was reliable, eager, and personable.  She will be missed.

One of my blog readers Jeff made a comment on his blog about doing a 3 week improvement plan.  I liked the idea, so once again, I will  try to jump-start my "get it together" goals with a 3-week time limit.  According to Jeff, some bad habits need about 3 weeks to be broken.  I believe that's what he said.  Well, I'll see.

Quick Entry

Yes, I'm still alive.  I'm going to try to keep this short.  It was a toss-up, I could jump on my stationary bike for 20 minutes, or do some planning.  Quick summary of random things:

* Parent /Teacher Conferences were last week here in NYC.  I stressed out about it, but in the end, everything worked out well.

* Veteran's Day, I went to the movie to see "Waiting for Superman".  It was interesting.  I also saw the owl movie Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole.

* This past Saturday, an epal had invited me to one of his men's group meeting.  Knowing what it's like to have a group with little or no interest, I said that I would attend.....
....IT WAS BRUTAL!!!!

The guys were really very nice.  I honestly hope the guy's group is a success, I thought it was a nice idea, and all of the guys were very nice.  Everyone there really seemed into the group, and more than a couple of times the guys seemed eager for information about the next group.  So if everything was so nice, what was the problem?  It was probably me.

I felt like a fish in a fishbowl without any water.  My epal told me the workshop would start at 11am.  I ended up arriving at 10:30am.  While waiting for the workshop to start, I over heard a conversation that the meeting would start at 12noon, but told the guys 11am because they knew some of the guys would be late.  The group starts about 12:30pm with a prayer.  And discussion about cortesy (from a religious) prespective.  The conversation was also geared towards talking about why guys aren't corteous and to share how each of us must have been in a situation where not being corteous almost caused a fight. 

At this point I knew I was in the wrong group (not including the conversation of failed states, and man controling  the weather).

Then for the next hour or so, various guys would stroll in.  One guy brought his teenage daughter.  I was a bit annoyed that I rushed to be on time, and most of the others, were just casual about arriving late.  Not a single person apologized for being late.

The main focus of the workshop was men's relationship with their fathers.  Again, the guys really seemed to be into this group.  As someone raised in foster care, I really didn't have anything to contribute to the discussion.  I sat through various "confessions" and "complaints" of father neglect and incompetance.  I was sooo bored.  Two hours waiting for the meeting to start, then another two hours of listening to others conversations and monologs.  At about 2:30pm, the group coordinator called for a break while we waited for lunch to arrive.  That was my cue, I thank my epal for inviting me.  I thanked the coordinator for organizing the group.  I then left.  I don't know what my $10 was spent on (in terms of lunch), nor did I care, I just wanted out of that place so bad. 

It wasn't a bad group, nor were the guys anything less than polite.  Unfortunately, I just didn't think the group was for me.  I do like the idea, but I really couldn't relate to the guys, the topic, or the attitudes(one guy kept referring to his wife as wifie).