Okay. . .
We got to Long Island very late, and got a few hours sleep. The next morning we got up and went to go meet the client. The first route from Long Island to Staten Island took us through part of NYC. It was SO fun to drive there! (Actually Shane did the driving and that was a good thing.) It reminded me of when my Grandfather used to drive in Tijuana; all lines and lights are negotiable as long as you don't kill anyone or get killed yourself! We passed where they had the World's Fair in Queens. Can anyone say 'Men In Black'?
The end of our drive brought us to a hotel at the Newark Airport. So we actually slept in New Jersey. Then to the College of Staten Island to meet the client. We were there for several hours getting things arranged and organized, but then we went to the dock and got on the Staten Island Ferry. We got off, and jumped on the Subway. THAT WAS FUN! We rode it and came out on 42nd street and took the short stroll to Times Square. I think I found my true home-away-from -home.
Don't I look like a 'New Yorker'?
He got us not only complimentary tickets, but complimentary tickets in the SIXTH ROW! The role of the mother, Edna, is always played by a large man, and we were privileged to see George Wendt play her. For those of you who aren't completely familiar with actors by just their names, George Wendt is most well known for the years he spent playing 'Norm' on the NBC television show 'Cheers'. We were so close we got his sweat on us!
I got a first-hand look at the Statue of Liberty. (See? I didn't need to take that other ferry!)
The famous subway station. 
When we got off the subway, we walked right into the amazing street performers. I felt like I had just walked into a scene from 'August Rush'. I stood in the tkts line; for those of you who are not theatre maniacs (and there probably are some), the tkts booth is a part of the Theatre Development Alliance. 
On the day of the show, if the seats are not as full as they would like, the theatres send their tickets to the tkts booth where they are sold for a discount. this discount is usually 35%-50% off original price. 
I got both Shane and I great seats to 'Young Frankenstein'. I crossed that off my 'Things-to-d0-so-I-am-a-truly-knowledgeable-theatre-person' list. Then we wandered. George M. Cohan - the Father of Broadway! He lives in the middle of Times Square.
I found my sister's (Andrea's) true home-away-from-home; a World of Disney store in Manhattan. I can still hear it calling her name. 
Then we went to the show.
I have to say - it was WAY better then the movie. (Although the movie will ALWAYS be a classic). As I can't really walk well long distances yet AND we had Jet Lag AND Shane had to be at work at 7:00 am, we called it a night after some Famous Ray's Pizza.
The next day, I took off on a solo mission - it was a nice quiet Sunday on the Ferry. I got off, went to get on the subway, but a bunch of the rails were closed for repairs. SO, I had to find alternate routes. I began with a trip to Ground Zero. These pictures really don't need words.
After a good long visit to Ground Zero, I started to walk to the subway. 
There was this really old church with a graveyard. It obviously had lots of people milling about, so I went in. The gravestones were so old the names had cracked and fallen off. But I found a sign that talked about since it was right next to the World Trade Center, it had been used as a triage center. Then I found another sign that said it was the building in the United States that had the longest continual usage since it was built. That was cool - but as I read on I learned that this was the church where George Washington had gone to church and where he had taken his oath of office to be the first President of the United States. Okay, that was wicked-freakin'-awesome! I was standing where George Washington had stood! That lifted my spirits. I then got on the WRONG Subway. It was blue, I was looking for Yellow or Red. I got out at the next stop not wanting to make a bad mistake worse by ending up in the Bronx or something and found myself in SoHo. I pulled out my map, took a cute little 2 block walk and got on what I hoped was the Red #1 train.
UNFORTUNATELY, they were doing repairs on the Subway this weekend. (Might have had something to do with the NYC Marathon the following weekend.) So, the Red #1 train was REALLY a Yellow #2 train that kept telling me it was going one place when it was really going another. BUT, I didn't get lost and I got to Times Square.
I did some souvenir shopping, laughed at the naked cowboy, 
(don't know who these women are, but I wasn't going to pay $2.00 for some mostly naked man to grab my backside. So I watch other weird people do it!) and enjoyed the feel of the city.
Then I got ready to go to the Matinee of 'In The Heights'. As I stood in line to go in the theatre I realized I was right by the stage door. I have radar for such things - ask my sister Laura.
Oh, I now have a new favorite musical. I started crying half way through the first act, and cried for the next two days. IT WAS AMAZING! I am get lynched for this - but I like it better than 'Wicked'.
Unfortunately, I had a VERY early flight in the morning, so I had to take the Subway back to the Ferry, the ferry back to the Island, get back to the car, drive in the car back to the hotel to get back to the airport to get back on a plane VERY EARLY in the morning. Good bye Manhattan.
At least I got an amazing view of the Statue of Liberty at sunset.
We stopped for dinner in Brooklyn. And then I was at the airport at 6:30 in the morning. After 15 1/2 hours that involved a plane ride, a layover in Vegas where the slot machines don't like quarters, another flight, a shuttle ride to Idaho Falls and a drive in a borrowed car I ended up at home.
I don't think the kids missed me at all, at least the dog did!
Danielle
Anyway, what I have learned from Flag Football;
1. The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth
2. Almost Only Counts In Horseshoes, Hand Grenades and Atom Bombs
3. The Simplest Advice Is Usually The Best
Other exciting news. . .
They were reserved at school, but admitted they thought it was cool later in the day. I now have a lunch date with one or the other of my boys every Wednesday at the deluxe, top quality cafeteria! That is two of Dallin's best friends Willson and John sitting behind him, and that is cute little Brie with the broken arm. She has been one of McCade's best friends since first grade.
TOTALLY DENIED!!!!! I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED! However, there was a really cool less than a week old baby giraffe there.
He was little - only 6'2". 
Lots of baby animals including these VERY CUTE sumatrian pigs! Now I do qualify and say that they were probably cuter to me because they were far enough away that I couldn't smell them and I didn't have to take them home!
And these super huge tortoises - they were very old and VERY large.
After that we pretended to be Baby Giraffes - 
And sat on a cool two headed lizard bench. There really is a two headed lizard - his back end looks a great deal like his front one.
And pretended we were insects.
The day ended with our traditional picture in front of the Zoo.
That night we had a Birthday Beach Bash for Tacey's Birthday that had been on Wednesday 
as well as for Dallin's Birthday that would be on Sunday.
It was kinda a luau theme - except it isn't really luau time of year unless you are actually IN Hawaii. We couldn't find reasonably priced leis, but we did get these lei printed bandanas. Dallin wore his like a man.
We had cake
Blew out the candles
And opened presents.
Lots of people came including Great Grandma Pama
See! I promised you a picture!
You MUST jump waves!
