I'm not afraid of heights, I'm not afraid of heights, I'm not....

On day two we purchased the New York Pass and got to work on seeing all the cool kid sights in the city.  We picked up our subway passes on day one, good for a full week.  Good on buses too, which came in handy a time or two.  First up, The Empire State building!

Richard immediately found an iPhone App for NY Subways that got us everywhere we needed to be.  It was a good addition to our maps apps, which we used for walking a ton as well.  We proudly used our Pass to get in and bought the extra stories to go up to the very top.  Like true, tourists, we listened to all the information on the building of this amazing landmark.  It was really interesting and I was astonished at the speed with which it went up.   Did you know that originally there was going to be a Dirigible landing platform on top of the building?

It's really, really a very fabulous view.

We strolled through the city in part to see all the fabulous Christmas decorations as well and there were plenty of those scattered throughout.

Then we traversed Grand Central Station!  We missed the whispering corner, I didn't find out about it until we got back:(  But the station itself is spectacular.   It's still beautiful 100 years later and it's amazing that it's still relevant, now more than ever.  Such vision and foresight for such a monumental infrastructure project that ended up providing us with Park Avenue!  Incredible place.  

Somewhere I had seen an article on "best Christmas Trees" and so as we moved through the city, we made a point of seeing several of these as well.  The Origami tree and the Museum of Natural History was one of my favorites, but the towering edifices of both Rockefeller Center and the Radio City Music Hall were close behind.

New York

New York state of mind

FAO Schwartz was amazing.  The toys, the movie "Big" piano, the Lego section and the dolls.  I was a little dismayed to see Toys R' Us logos on some items.  Looked it up and sure enough they were acquired in 2009.  Thankfully the FAO Schwartz brand ruled and it doesn't appear that they've changed the operation much.  The nice "palace guard" still meets you out front and offers picture opportunities.  

Richard went to see the iconic Apple Store right next door.  A big glass cube up top, then the store is underground.  But he was dismayed to discover that it is housed where his former favorite location is....the car museum under the GM building.  That was a dilemma for him.  He loves both, so that was a  bittersweet moment indeed.

We circled around to view Central Park, then found a subway and headed for our temporary home.  The nicest part of this was having a real home to go back to.  We loved the airbnb opportunity to live/work/play in a real New York neighborhood.  We're techie enough to classify wifi as a must have. Our newest bright idea, thanks to Richard, was to purchase a $99 apple TV for TRAVEL!  This was the smartest thing we've done.  We can plug into any TV and it's just like home now.

On the way home we hit a local market, picked up the makings for dinner and walked back to our new pad.  You should know I love to cook.  Really.  So the kitchen of a young single girl was our first challenge.  The good news was she had a small gas stove.  The bad news was that it was old.  It stunk.  We left windows open when we were gone because the CO2 alarm went off the first day when we didn't.  That, my friends, was a "real" New York experience, and we rolled with the punches:)

The next morning, I had bought coffee beans.  Whole.  Only to discover no grinder at her house.  Rather than gift her a new grinder, we gifted her the coffee beans instead.  Oh well.  Again, the proximity, the neighborhood, the local cafes and delis were still so juicy and awesome that we lived with the minor inconviences.  And honestly, no hotel would have been "better".  

The scariest part was when I had used the door's faceplate button to "lock" the door, then let it shut again with us inside, having forgotten mittens or a hat or something.  Unfortunately the lock was old enough there was no way to then GET OUT of the apartment!  No knob, no button, no key slot.  I was one sheet away from full FREAK when Richard calmly said "get a coat hanger".   And out we went.  Whew!

Our apartment had been "ikea'd out" as Richard said, but also there's a Crate & Barrel outlet she used a lot.  There was ingenious storage all over and we were surprised at how much there was for such a small space.  It's got us thinking alot of what's next for us and how much space we might need.

Fayson Lakes

The Bucket List; New York at Christmas

Anyone watch Christmas movies?  How many of you know FAO Schwartz?  What about ice skating at Rockefeller Center?  The Macy's Windows?  I keep travel alerts on Trip Advisor so when air fare gets ridiculous to my choices I can book tickets cheap.  We booked three of us from Denver to New York for under $550!  Months ago.

New York at Christmas time!  What a dream.  So shortly after Europe I wasn't sure until two weeks out if we would go at all.  So much to catch up on work wise.  Then we learned we'd only get $50 on our non refundable tickets if we cancelled, so we made it work after all.   I felt like a kid in a candy shop with a $50 dollar bill.   Richard couldn't stop talking about his childhood home in New Jersey that we also planned to visit.

First, where to stay?  We priced hotels.  NOT.  Turns out the every day high prices are twice that in December for the very reason we were going.  It's full.  New York is FULL in December.  So we went to plan B.  Friends had recommended JetSetter.com and airbnb.com.  We tried both.  Best results were on Airbnb.  We were able to search with a map and pinpoint the area we wanted to stay.  The second place Richard found was PERFECT!  He found a tiny one bedroom apartment in the lower eastside, near Little Italy and a subway line and walking distance to the infamous Katz's Deli, where the famous scene in "When Harry met Sally" was filmed.  The "I'll have what SHE's having" scene.  There was a couch for Nicho to sleep on too.

This was also a chance for Richard to revisit his childhood home.  He had a near idyllic childhood in an ancient home from the 1700's sitting right next to tiny "Fayson Lakes" in New Jersey.  They swam non stop all summer, and skied all winter long.  Imagine a school bus taking you daily up to the slopes.  Sure they were small hills, but still, what a life!

We landed at La Guardia at night and looked for a place for dinner.   The Buccanneer looked like the spot.  Later Richard said "How did you pick it?", and I shared my travel warrior secret, you look for a packed parking lot with nicer cars.  This was so perfectly New York.  The diner was well lit, had an extensive menu and included a wise cracking waitress who didn't hesitate to tell Richard where he should put his iPad during dinner!  Ahhh, New York!  Or in this case, Queens!  We then drove through the city to get the full effect on our way out to New Jersey.

Unfortunately, the tunnels were still being pumped out after Hurricane Sandy and only half the lanes were open so it took us awhile to get to Kennelon.   It's near Parsipanny.  We couldn't see much at night, so we left quickly and booked it to our hotel 10 miles away.

The next morning Richard and Nicho went in search of breakfast, we had slept beyond our hotel freebie and what a blessing that turned out to be!  They came back with the best darn bagel, lox and cream cheese I had ever had.  Nicho commented that the bagel was "chewy" and we explained THAT'S how they are SUPPOSED to be.  His first "real" bagel.

Then onto Kennelon.  Richard had a hard time recognizing roads.  Much had changed and he was very chagrined to determine it had been between 15 and 20 years since he'd been back.  There'd been a reunion some years ago but he had not attended.    The "big deli" and the "little deli" were identified for us, and he showed Nicho the path they'd run along to go pick things up at the "little deli" for his mom when they were younger.  The hill they'd sledded down to end slipping out onto the ice on the lake.  The starting blocks for the swim lanes on the lake.  And most importantly, the house!  And it's a lovey house.  We have an oil painting of it in our own house.   One of the trees in the painting is gone now.  Richard recalled the two 90 year old siblings who had come to visit once when Richard had lived there, saying "That's my tree, and that's yours!".  Time does pass.

It was reassuring that there was a yellow lab up on the porch.  That warmed Richard's heart.  It's his favorite breed of dog.  The house has it's own historical marker, it was truly built in the 1700's and had a stream of water running through the basement.  In Indian attacks they could barricade and survive because of that stream.  In more recent years it's been covered up.  The water wasn't safe to drink anymore.

Richard said those oft repeated words when going "home"; "It's smaller than I remembered it"!  The painting makes it look larger than life.  And that's how it was for those who lived there.  It was the gathering place, so near to the beach that it made all the sense in the world to be the party house.  And the 60's were pretty much "party years" for so many people, including Fayson Lakes.  At least one party goer was found asleep in a snow bank, thankfully discovered before freezing to death.   And no drownings that anyone in the family can recall.

Once a year they were all allowed to swim across the lake to the "little beach" on the other side.  With the help of the only motorized boat allowed, the lifeguard boat, dozens of kids would take to the water and swim a quarter mile out to the other side.  They camped on the shores overnight.  Richard recalled one time when his parents let he and his brother Lee camp overnight on the island in the middle.  Lee had a row boat and Richard had a small sail boat.

Fortunately for Fayson Lakes, being banned from the beach was enough of a horror to keep those kids in line.  There's a marker now for the wonderful woman who spent 40 years of her life checking those kids' ID badges, she passed away a decade ago but is still fondly remembered by Fayson Lakes.

All that took reminiscing took about two hours.  Then we had three more hours to kill before dinner with a childhood friend.  I asked Richard what there was to do and he realized a) Fayson Lakes is paradise for kids and b) there is not much to Kinnelon.  We hung out at the "mall".  Very loosely used term here, it included a karate studio, pizza parlor, hair salon and grocery store.  That was about 30 minutes, including the pizza lunch.  Then he asked how long to get to the ski resort, expecting we could squeak it into 3 hours round trip.

He was shocked when I discovered it's a mere 38 minute drive!  To his 12 year old self he was sure it was at least an hour.  So we drove up there and looked at the runs he learned to carve on.  Then back for dinner with his friend and our final night in Jersey.  Next stop, New York!

We were in heaven.  The lovely young woman who owned the place met us at the apartment and let us dump our bags early.  She walked us through everything and was a fabulous host.  Airbnb allows you to rent  your own space out and she was taking advantage of her trip to Puerto Rico to make a few bucks over the holidays.  

Day one was all about Nicho.  We headed to FAO Schwartz but bumped into Rockefeller Center, the tree, the ice skating rink and the enormous LEGO store!  Perfect start to our trip.

Returning Home; or back to "big car land"

It's always a bit of a shock to return to Denver after Europe.  I'm so aware of our "energy hog" profile in the world and understand well why they wish America would lead the way for green energy.  Climate change is not a myth and no one in Europe doubts it for a second.  We are the only civilized country in denial and it's being driven primarily from the same lobbyists and marketing nazis that brought you "we don't KNOW if cigarettes cause cancer" from the 60's to 80's.   Their new clients are Big Oil.  Happily raping our natural resources and then price gouging us since the 1960's.  Big Gov subsidises Big Oil.  

What was gratifying this time was the obvious movement of the light rail extension out to DIA.  That's a step in the right direciton Denver!  I love living in a city that has a plan, even though the state itself is still oil friendly and allowing fracking.  To hell with drinking water, let's get every last ounce of that oil out!

Ok, I digress.  But in the weeks that followed our return, I was still noticing how very large our cars are.  And our own cars were no exception.  I do have a Mini Cooper, ten years old now, but even that seemed big compared to European cars.  And with our 14 year old Jeep Cherokee in the shop more than not, it was time to start thinking about a newer car.  Or even maybe a new car.  Our seldom driven,  15 year old Jeep Wrangler is no bueno in cold weather unless we buy a new soft top.  The hard top leaks air like a seive.  It sits until summer.  And gas mileage is not pretty for Richard's long commutes.

As human beings, we are not "small".  We are "big", but we had fit comfortably into a couple of small rentals in Europe, so we went small car shopping.  We tried the following cars, with an eye out for four doors (Poppy and Nicho are frequently with us), but open to some newer two seater commuter cars.  Richard needs a car that'll get him economically up to Fort Collins and down to Colorado Springs.  And we want it to be reliable.  And we like camping in the mountains.  Ok, it quickly became obvious that my dream of a micro commuter car with great gas mileage may not work for our needs 100% of the time.  Two seaters were still on the list but fading fast.  And yes, using the Mini works for four, but getting in the backseat is really more like watching circus clowns get into a car.  It's a two door original.

Off we went to the Smart car dealer!  Turns out it's a Mercedes;/  I was shocked.  Who knew?  The bright side was it fit us both comfortably and is super affordable.  Reliability?  You can lease for $149 a month and then THEY have to deal with repairs.  And the Mercedes dealer picks you up, provides a loaner car and has amazing customer service.  Lease a car, not buy, never having to deal with repairs!  Option one.  But only room for two.  Gas mileage was good, but not outstanding.  It rode better on the highway than reviews suggested it would.  It meets 75% of our needs.  But the other 25% involves people we love and care about.  Hmmm.

Then the Nissan Juke.  Secretly Richard and I both thought this might be great.  Styling is like a micro version of a Murano, long a favorite of mine.  Richard liked the design detailing as well, mileage was good, there were four doors, and still room for a tent in the back.  And it's AWD.  This dealer was family friendly (I found myself concerned for flu germs in the pack of humanity).  Sadly, no loaner cars for any needed repairs, and no one was going to come pick us up for service.  Oh how quickly we get spoiled.  Gas mileage was reasonable, but the sticker was 10K over the Smart car.  Ouch.

Then an old favorite, the Fiat 500 or Cincacenta in Italian:)  We had test driven it two years ago and loved the zippiness.  It's styling is Italian for gosh sakes, and it seats four.  But only two doors again.  Truly, it's no better than the Mini and I prefer my Mini.  Maybe I can sacrifice my mini on the altar of Four Doors?

Back to the drawing board.  Richard develops a detailed spreadsheet with gas mileage, length of vehicle (parking ease is critical for him as he does all the errand running in a major metro area), number of doors and reliability or problems.  We are both on the internet non stop all evening looking at other options.  He's lobbying for a newer Jeep by now (he's owned 13 of them), but I am adamant, no more gas guzzlers.  We have a 4X4 Wrangler (21 years old) for camping and snow.  We go back to considering Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota.  The Famed four for reliability.  He calls me Friday to tell me he's found the car.  It's a Toyota Yaris!  And he thinks we can get financing!  And it's cheaper than the Nissan Juke by 10K!  Hallelujah!

We wait to hear on financing, although I am skeptical with the massive economic crash we both had four years ago.  But I'm loath to spend all our cash on a new car.  In the meantime, I start looking for used ones.  And to my surprise, they are not much less than the new ones!  Great news, they have terrific resale!  It's 10 to 12K for one with almost 100K milage and we can get a brand new one with a WARRANTY for 15K!  I'm so thrilled!  It makes financial sense not to take a 100K mileage hit!    This will WORK!  I didn't think this could happen and had resigned myself to never taking another depreciation hit ever, ever, ever, again.  Course I then realized all my new cars but one were American made.  Hmmm.

We qualify alright, for the exorbitant rates of a New York loan shark with double pinkie rings.  Thank you Guido Wells and Sonny Fargo for taking a risk on us at all, I promise to pay the thing off sooner than later to avoid lining the bloated pork bellies of the banksters.  And then we ask for just a smidgeon off the asking price.  Seriously, $200 dollars.  And they decline.  We're putting a third down, we have financing and they won't go down on a 2012 model year car that's been on their lot for six months?  So on the principal of the thing, we leave.   

I tell Richard they're sadly optimistic, it's early on a Saturday and they think they can still unload this baby.  But come Wednesday next week, we'll get a call.  

Now, we wait.