New York, New York

Well, it's been three weeks since our trip to New York and I guess I'm ready to talk about it. I feel like we packed so much into such a short time that I don't even know where to begin.

First of all, I must address our morning in Central Park. It is truly a wonder to find this amazing play land nestled in the midst of the city. I love this picture which is a great example of how the two coexist.

There were areas with rocks for climbing, swings and slides, a zoo, a pond with remote control boats...and oh yes, this crazy gold person (who we think was a woman) who sat silently on a park bench and tried to entice the young children over to her. So even in the serene park, the madness of the city seeps in every now and again.

It could not have been a more perfect day. It was sunny, warm (but not hot or humid), and there was a pleasant breeze. These two pictures were sent to me by my new sister-in-law and are among my favorite. They candidly capture our family and are the perfect reminder of our day in Central Park.

Later that evening we had the rehearsal dinner at Cercle Rouge and the food was delicious. The other delicious tidbit to come out of the night was my new family ranking. According to Chinese tradition, the wife of the first born son holds a position of higher rank than that any of the daughters. For those of you who know my sister-in-laws, you can imagine how well this went over. I figure it may be in my best interest to stick with the status quo.

I cannot write this without talking about the Buddhist Wedding Ceremony. It was my first, so I looked to the bride's family to lead me through it. (I found out later that this may have been a mistake on my part. Afterwards the bride's uncle told me it was his first Buddhist Wedding Ceremony too.) So when the abbess asked us to join our palms, I acted on instinct and immediately went into Catholic mode. I reached over and grabbed my husband's hand. Then I looked around and realized no one else was holding hands. Apparently joining palms meant putting your own two together. Had she said, "Let us pray" I would have got it.

The ceremony was really interesting. The abbess did most of it in Chinese and it was then translated into English. She talked about the stages of marriage. What was really impressive was that she was not only talking to the couple being married, but her words really addressed those of us who were already married as well.

It goes without saying that the bride was beautiful. I can't decide which I wanted more...the red silk dress or the red satin shoes.

After the wedding we were on to Ocean Jewels for my first Chinese banquet (13 courses I believe...but I lost count!) I discovered that I don't necessarily hate seafood. What I hate is what passes for seafood here in Milwaukee. I've never seen so much food come out so quickly, with such beautiful presentation, and still hot. It was a wonderful experience.

Now we're back home and it seems like an eternity since we were in New York. I've been looking through all the pictures and reflecting on our trip. As far as family vacations go, it will be difficult to top.

My Perfect Ten (year old)

Homemade birthday pie (Door County cherry)
baked with love by my mother-in-law

One week ago today, my son turned 10. I can hardly believe how quickly ten years has passed. There's so much nostalgia with your first born. You remember everything so vividly because it's all happening to you for the first time. Or maybe it's just because I almost gave birth on a boat during my dad's surprise 65th birthday party cocktail cruise. Either way, I found the whole experience to be rather surreal.

This week my son marked his tenth birthday with a wellness visit at the doctor on Monday. He is in the tenth percentile for both height and weight. As a mom it's really difficult to let your kids grow up...so having a child who is small for his age doesn't help.

What does help is when you have moments that reinforce your little person is becoming a decent human being. Mine came on Tuesday.

Let me back up a minute. My kids have a choice for their birthdays. They can have a small party with 3 friends and keep the gifts or they can have a large party and donate the gifts. My son always chooses the large party...an annual baseball game at the school playground. This year his charity was the Ronald McDonald House.

Tuesday we delivered all the donated items. The people at the Ronald McDonald House were so pleased and I think a bit surprised that a young man would forgo his birthday gifts. I was incredibly proud of him.

Having said that, he didn't go without presents completely. He was showered with gifts from our family which he got to keep. He informed me that it was his best birthday ever. Apparently the cash and gift cards he received this year were much more desirable than the sweatpants and bedding he received last year.

The birthday week came to an end yesterday when he played golf with his dad and his grandpa. It was his first time playing nine holes on a real golf course (not a par 3). He got to try out his new hybrid golf club which was his birthday present from his grandparents. My dad got a birthday present of sorts as well. He shot a 47 and beat his grandson and son-in-law.

We Put the Error in Air Travel

The older I get, the more anxiety I have about flying. In order to get through it and remain sane, I think you need to a bit of a sense of humor about it all.

Now we usually fly Midwest Airlines because it's always been convenient. However, our last couple of experiences with them have been so bad that I'm considering taking legal action to force them to drop their Best Care In The Air slogan on the basis that it's a flat out lie. And while I do enjoy a couple of warm chocolate chip cookies as I'm flying through the clouds, it's no longer enough to hang their hat on.

Here's the basic gist of our latest excursion. I successfully printed out three of the four boarding passes needed from home the night before our flight. When I called the airlines to find out why I couldn't print the last one I was told it was because of security reasons. So we arrived at the airport early the next morning and stood in line to get the boarding pass. My husband knew we were in trouble when we got up to the counter and the ticketing agent said, "What do you want?" We explained that we needed my husband's boarding pass which after much confusion she finally printed out. Later we were to find out that it was for the same seat they had already assigned my father-in-law. So much for security.

Speaking of security, that was the next line we waited in. Nothing too out of the ordinary there...although I do feel strange about walking barefoot through the detector. Once you we got past security and gathered all our belongings, there was a little area set aside to get reorganized. In Milwaukee, there is a special name for this area with a sign and everything...it's called the Recombobulation Area.

The thing that struck me as so hysterical about this is that it actually is incredibly appropriately named and everything leading up to that point can be aptly referred to as the Discombobulation Area.

Once we got all recombobulated we moved on to our gate. While I was sitting there waiting, I pulled out my new earplugs that are supposed to help alleviate the discomfort of landing. Being that it was the first time I was to use them, I decided to read the instructions on the back. Here's a little game for you...see if you can find the four errors in the instructions.

In all fairness, the flight was smooth and on time. It set the tone for the rest of the weekend in New York which flew by (pun intended).

Hit The Spot

As legend would have it (or as my parents tell it), when my mom and dad were a young couple they would go to Kenosha on the weekends to visit my mother's parents. Kenosha was and still is home to The Spot Drive-In, a classic burger joint...and my family loved what they were offering. So their weekend visits always included a stop at The Spot.

It was all well and good until Lent rolled around. Being good Catholics, they would have to abstain from the burgers on Friday...well almost. My dad and grandpa would stay up until the clock struck midnight, make a quick run to the drive-in, and bring back a bag full of burgers for the four of them to devour. They were that good.

Eventually my grandparents moved away, but the desire for those burgers remained. One year at Thanksgiving my grandpa was having problems swallowing his dinner. He was diagnosed with esophogial cancer and everytime he had to eat some pureed something or other he would say, "I can't wait until I'm better. The first thing I'm going to eat is a Spot hamburger." In the end, the cancer got the best of him and he never did get his last burger. Well...sort of.

My grandparents are buried in Kenosha so our family began a tradition. We meet out at the cemetary with blankets, chairs, coolers, and a bag full of Spot bugers and have a picnic on their gravesites. Some years we're large in number...sometimes small. Some years it's just those of us locally...some years we have relatives from Arizona, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. But everytime we go we enjoy talking about old times and sharing the new.

Yesterday was the first time we've gone in several years and the headstones showed our lack of attention. We sat around in a circle and ate our lunch and then the little ones played catch and hide and seek. My dad scattered some burger crumbs on my grandfather's grave and my aunt commented on how this may be the last time we do this. My aunt may be right, but I also think that as long as there is a Spot Drive-In in Kenosha, there will be picnics in the cemetary. The burgers are still that good.

Start Spreading The News

I've just come in from out of doors where I have been laying in the sun for the better part of two hours trying to even out the horrible farmer's tan I got last weekend. The reason...three words...New York City baby! (Ooops, that's four.) I've got me a great looking new halter dress that's dying to make the trip so I'm trying to work a little magic. The only problem is I'm absolutely bored to tears laying out there and all I can think about is what I still need to do this week to get ready to leave.

The entire family on my husband's side is going to NYC for my brother-in-law's wedding celebration. We've had our tickets since March and now that we're in the home stretch, I'm really starting to get excited.

I've been to New York several other times and my goal has always been to have some great star sighting. Once while my husband and I were there visiting my brother-in-law, I spoke to David Byrne of the Talking Heads while we were waiting for a table at Pearl. Every mix tape I made in the later part of the 80's included Once in a Lifetime...so this was a huge score for me. Only problem was my brain didn't process who it was until our short exchange had concluded and he rode away on his bike. It still counts.

While I'd still like to have a decent star sighting this trip, I have two new goals (not in any particular order.) Number one, I would love to catch a ride in the Cash Cab. My only fear here is that I would freeze and not only look like an idiot, but get kicked out short of my destination. Ideally, if I could pick my dream team among the people I'm traveling with, it would include my husband, his brother, his cousin, and his mother. I think between the four of them and given a long enough ride, they could win enough to buy the first round at the rehearsal dinner.

Second, I would love to be photographed and appear in Bill Cunningham's on the Street video commentary on the New York Times website. I can't imagine what fashion statement I would be making while in town to warrant it. I'm banking on his next piece being what kids in NYC are wearing and I'll get in some shot walking next to my daughter or niece. Fingers crossed on that one.

But in the end, this trip isn't really about me anyway. It's about spending time with my family, meeting my new sister-in-law's family, and celebrating the the coming together of the two.