Another Adventure

I knew that it was going to be a hot Friday here in the city, so the boy and I left early to spend the morning at Coney Island. We had a blast! Between playing in the ocean (actually he only got his feet wet) and having a great lunch at Nathan's, it was a great morning, and we made it home to turn on the air conditioning right before it hit 100 degrees.

We must go back before the Summer is over because there is much more to see and do.

A Lesson Learned

Several years ago a friend shared this song with me, and recently they have proved it to be true.

You know you who are, but you do not know how much you have helped.

Thank you.

Oh Thank Heaven

We explored the northern realms of Central Park today. We saw cool arches, a waterfall, cool playgrounds, and hidden streams. After our adventure, we stopped in at 7-11 for a Summer treat of nachos and a slurpee.

We are living the high life!

Fulfilled

It has been my intention to write a blog about how busy I had been, but I was too busy to write it.  During this time of "busy-ness," I came to the realization that everyone is busy, and I wasn't that special for juggling a child, an education, a job, and a dismal social life.  As I thought more about what I felt underneath the tired, stressed, and lonely feelings, I found something spectacular--a feeling of fulfillment!

While I had initially focused my attention on the tasks that needed to be completed and my time management, I had missed the changes that were going on inside of me.  Over the last several weeks I had the chance to stretch every part of myself, and I like it.  Rather than complain about the loss of personal time, I will be grateful for this chance to grow.

During the day I am an employee.  I work hard to pay the rent, buy the groceries, and pay Alma Mater her tuition.  I finish my job each day with a sore body and sweaty clothes, but I also finish each day knowing that I made an honest dollar.  Having spent a lot of time recently as unemployed, I will happily pursue my vocation.

In the evening I am a student.  Monday through Thursday I spend two hours a night in class learning French.  I spend my lunch break writing flashcards.  I study before class as I change into clean clothes, and I study after class as I get into bed.  Columbia has high expectations of their foreign language learners, and I hope to make the cut.

Every second that I breathe, I am a father.  I think about my little boy when I wake up and wonder what new things he will learn.  My heart smiles when I hear his voice on the phone or at the end of my hallway, and while I miss him when he is gone, I love that he is making new friends.  My favorite part of the day is listening to him while he rambles on about the people he saw and what car he rode in.

My body is tired, my mind if sore, and my heart is full.

I am not busy, I am blessed.

I am not failing, I am fulfilled.

Lunchtime!

This week's adventure was to Chinatown!  We had a small delay getting there due to an emergency call from work, but we eventually found our way downtown.  Little Man made some new friends in the park and enjoyed seeing all of the cool toys on display (every store in the entire neighborhood had the same toys , but we still had to stop at each one to look).  We saw live lobsters and crabs, and the merchants even held up a few large fish for him to look at.  We had lunch at Wo Hop restaurant, but it was the upstairs one and not the basement which apparently has great reviews.  The food still tasted great to us.  We found a flashlight for the boy then jumped on a train to come home for a nap.  

Fifteen Dollars Worth of Fun

The boy and I had a great morning in the city.  After stretching our legs here in Morningside Heights, we jumped on a bus and went to the American Folk Art Museum.  We got in for free with my student id and looked at some really cool quilts.  Seeing the different patterns and feeling the amount of dedication put into each one inspired me to learn the craft.  It might be some time before I can have the space and energy to learn quilting, but I think that it would be a great hobby.

We ate lunch at the Halal cart right across from the museum and got a platter full of chicken and rice for six dollars.  We shared the platter right while enjoying the hordes of people milling around 6th avenue on their lunch breaks.  After a small walk up to Central Park, we shared a Cherry Garcia ice cream bar for only four bucks.  As I type this I realize that for those outside of NYC it may seem like an expensive treat, but for us, it was cheap and tasty.  We ate the ice cream near the carousel and then took a ride afterwards for five dollars. It was a blast!

After that Little Man was showing signs of needing a nap, so we hopped on the bus and enjoyed some cold air on the ride back up to the neighborhood.  

Not a bad start to our fourth of July weekend.