A Busy Day

This is Central Park:

This was our path through the jungle.  We had a fabulous adventure meandering the middle of Manhattan.

1: Columbus Circle

One of my favorite places to chill in the city and enjoy a Jamba juice.

2: Hecksher Playground

Gabe jumped the fence and ran straight to the tire swing.  

I'm certain he was running away from Kim in this one.

We like cute, cheesy pictures together.

3: The Carousal

For only $2.50, this is one of the best deals in Manhattan.

4: The Mall

I love this place, and I never come here enough.

The benefit of being small, you can fit inside a bubble.

I love Bethesda fountain, and I really wanted to rent a boat on the lake, but that was out of our budget... maybe next time.

Kim was happy to see the sweaty men dancing and flipping.

5: The Obelisk 

Another favorite!  I remember reading about this in the sixth grade and how the acid rain has destroyed parts of the face.  I was scared of rain for years.

This is us being cool

6: The Reservoir

Scary faces

It started raining on the walk, but we were prepared.

7: Bridge #23

He is just so cute!

8: Tarr Family Playground:

This one is at 110th street and Central Park West.

Can you tell he had fun?

These two are hard to drag away from any playground.

All in all, it was a very good day.  We are tired from the walking, but the jalapeno pickles we bought at the Farmer's Market gave us enough kick to walk the final blocks home.

Central Park: Part One

Fringe Benefit

Sometimes I get to see the sights while I kill the bugs.

How are we doing?

Well, we're super!

Summer Lovin'

Have you ever had a perfect date?  

I have. 

It started with a pretty girl and a train ride to Coney Island.  We added some fresh italian ices, bacon cheese fries from Nathan's, a stroll along the boardwalk, kissing on the pier, some pictures in a photobooth, and a whole lot of laughing.  I wouldn't have changed a thing, and I can't wait to do it again.

Grandpa's Chickens

My grandpa has a lot of sayings (I think that is a prerequisite to becoming a grandfather).  One of my favorites is "I never plan a menu.  I let the stores tell me what I am going to cook.  When they have a sale, I buy the food and that's what we eat."  I might be a little off in the wording but I know I caught the meaning.

He loves to buy food in bulk.  Not as in "I bought 200 hotdogs from Costco" bulk, but when a store--any store within 50 miles-- advertised a great sale price on frozen chickens, he would buy all of them.  20 frozen chickens.  If there was a limit to how many a person could buy, my grandma would stand in line behind him, and they would both buy the maximum limit, and then they would do it again until they had a carload of frozen chickens.

These chickens were put to use right away.  Many families would receive a frozen chicken straight from grandpa's freezer.  If we went for a visit after a recent conquest, he would order me to the freezer to grab a bird to take home.  Many more families received a cooked chicken on a Sunday evening.  Grandpa learned that if he stood the chickens straight up while cooking rather than have them lie flat, he could fit more in his oven.  He would cook several chickens each week, chop them up, wrap them in foil, and deliver them to anyone he felt might need a little extra food.

No one has to ask for food, he just helps.

His service extends beyond the chickens.  Grandpa learned that, when properly planted, tomato plants produce a lot of tomatoes.  He tore up half of his backyard and planted a whole mess of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, and any other plants he found on sale.  I lost track of how many times I came home from work to find a tray of vegetables sitting on my porch.  His yearly crops easily reach hundreds of families every year.

No one asked him to plant, he just does.

This reminds me of another saying he has.  While serving an inner-city mission for the church, members of the ward in which he served asked him if he had been a Bishop or Stake President in his previous callings.  My grandpa always replied "I have the best calling in the church, I am a Home Teacher."  The members would chuckle and tell him that everyone is a Home Teacher, but he would add "Yes, but I actually do my home teaching."  In the Mormon church, most every adult is given the responsibility to visit and teach other members of the ward at least once a month, and many members, including myself at times, are lackadaisical in this assignment.  But not grandpa.  In fact, once a month is not nearly enough, and he makes several visits to ensure that all in his care are sound.

Grandpa doesn't care about accolades, payments, or titles.  He cares about people.  It may be hard to see that love through his gruff exterior, but  I have seen it through the food he delivers.

Some people can fake being nice, some people can fake piety, but no one can fake service.  You either do or don't, and Grandpa does.