HOME, SNOW AND THE LAST POST

We have our last visit with Hannah in her apartment.  She is cleaning and packing and very excited about her visit to her friends at "Western" in London, Ontario. She leave NYC on Thursday morning returning Sunday evening.

When we return to our apartment we say goodbye to the doormen, superintendent and maintenance man in our building.  They have all been very good to us while we have been here in NYC.
We get ALL of our suitcases downstairs and into the car which arrives at 5.30pm.  We have 3 suitcases all just barely under 50 pounds.  Cathay Pacific still allows us 2 suitcases each, 50 pounds each, to be checked.   We also have Terry's guitar and 2 carry-on suitcases a backpack and a handbag.  It takes us an hour to get to the airport.  I thought it might take longer as the roads were very busy.  We get checked in with no problems and head to the gate.
Our flight home was uneventful and we arrive in Vancouver just after 1 am.  We arrive at our home at 2am.

                          OUR HOME NOVEMBER 25TH  2010  AT 11AM

                                      OUR STREET NOVEMBER 25TH 2010


We had a wonderful time living in Manhattan but it is very nice to be home.  Roision has done an amazing job looking after our house and yard.  She raked leaves and shoveled snow.  I did not anticipate the snow thing when I left on August 24th!!!!  Our house is spotless.

I have enjoyed writing this blog and look forward to rereading it at a later date to refresh my memory of the adventures of the "2 Canadians on the Upper East Side"

I thank you for reading it.

GOODBYE

LAST DAY

Dinner last night was lovely.  We went to a restaurant right around the corner from our apartment. "Bistro 61"  It was very nice.  Our 2 hosts were very nice and seemed very pleased to have had Terry working with them.  It was interesting talking to them and realized, like most of us, they do not take advantage of living here.  They do not go to the museums or the Broadway shows.  I guess when your life is full of your professional and family commitments those things seem to pass you by.  I need to get myself off to the Art Gallery and museums in Vancouver.
After dinner Hannah joined us in our apartment to watch "Glee" after which she went home.

This morning Terry and I have been taking things in and out of suitcases.  We have too much stuff.  We are allowed 2 suitcases each and 50 pounds in each.  The problem is, Terry brought his guitar so that is taking the place of one of our allowable suitcases.  We will leave some things in Hannah's very small apartment and pick them up the next time we come to NYC.  We will try to pack things under her bed as I do not want to take up any more of her limited space.

We will head off to Hannah's in a short while.  We will not stay long, it is too hard saying goodbye.
I know she will be home soon.


I will let you know how our flight home is before signing off on this blog.

MONDAY AND BUDDAKAN NYC

Monday was Hannah's last day of school for the Thanksgiving break.
I meet her at her apartment around 4.30pm.  Prior to that I spent the day clearing out things that I do not need to bring back to Vancouver and moving suitcases from upstairs to downstairs.  Hannah suggested that we go out to dinner.  Terry cannot join us as he has a meeting until 7pm and then a conference call at 8.30pm.  Don't worry, I make supper for him before I go out.  We go to one of Hannah's favorite restaurants,  "Buddakan NYC"  I have been twice before with Hannah.  She tells me it was featured in the Sex and the City.

                                HANNAH COMING DOWN THE STAIRS AT
                                                                        BUDDAKAN

                                                   BUDDAKAN

After dinner, which was wonderful, Hannah and I share a cab.  She gets out at her apartment and I return to ours.

TUESDAY   more cleaning and packing.  Oooooo  it's a tight squeeze.   We have been invited out to dinner tonight by two of the surgeons that Terry has been working with.  They have chosen a restaurant that is just around the corner from our apartment.  Hannah will come join us.  I will tell you all about it tomorrow.

Talk to you soon

FLORIDA

We set the alarm for 4.30 am but in reality I am awake at 2.30 am.  We fly to Tampa and  arrive at Terry's mom's place in time for lunch.   She has some delicious soup ready for us.

Our first stop in the afternoon is to visit Lokey KIA dealership.  Terry's mom is looking for a new car and is interested in a "KIA" 

She test drives a couple of models and decides on a red "Forte"

                                     AT THE LOKEY KIA DEALERSHIP

                                   MADGE PHANG IN HER NEW FORTE

Next, for Madge Phang, is a visit to the AT & T store to look at an IPad.  

She may be the coolest Grandma in Florida.

                         GRANDMA AND HER IPAD

For supper this evening we head to Indian Rocks Beach  and go to a restaurant called "PJ's"

                                              PJ'S AT INDIAN ROCK BEACH

                                              FUNNY GUYS OUTSIDE PJ'S


After supper we head home where Terry gives his mom an IPad lesson.

SATURDAY - we are up and back to the KIA dealership to pick up the car.  Terry finds what he would like for Christmas.

                              CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR TERRY MAYBE?????


OK - so I am just kidding - but I had to take a picture.


We attend Mass at 4 pm at St. Justin Martyr in Seminole, Florida                              

                                        OUTSIDE ST. JUSTIN MARTYR

                                         INSIDE ST. JUSTIN MARTYR


We head back to Indian Rocks beach to catch the sunset.  The sunsets in Florida are beautiful

                                          FLORIDA SUNSET

                                                   FLORIDA SUNSET

                                        TERRY AND HIS MOM

We have supper tonight at a place called "Keegans" just  further up the road from PJ's.
We head home and continue with the IPad lessons.
Off to bed for a good night's sleep.  No honking of horns, which is constant in NYC,  but I do hear 3 emergency vehicles.
Anyway, until tomorrow

SUNDAY - Terry's mom has a neighbor who lives across the way from her.  She calls him Georgie Porgie.  He is very helpful to her and looks after her home when she is in Minnesota.  He comes for a visit.  He had been shopping for new clothes and comes to show us.  He looks very dapper.

                                                  GEORGIE AND MADGE

  Terry's mom drives her new car to the gas station and we fill it up before we head back to the Lokey KIA dealership.  We have some papers we need to hand in.  She looks so good in this car and it fits her so well.  I think she is going to love it.
We drive to a fishing village called Tarpon Springs.  There are lots of Greek restaurants and bakeries here.  The village is 100 years old.  It is beautiful.

                                        TARPON SPRINGS

We have lunch at a Greek restaurant called "Hellas" before heading home to pack up.
We leave for the airport at 3.30 pm for a flight back to New York City.
It was a lovely weekend.

Talk to you soon.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

Thursday,  Hannah, Terry and I go to Radio City Music Hall to see the "Christmas Spectacular".  It was a lot  of fun and something I think you should see if you get the chance.

                  3D GLASSES NEEDED FOR PART OF THE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

                                        ROCKETTES

                                        ROCKETTES



The city is gearing up for Christmas - even the buildings are are being "dressed"

                                BLOOMINGDALE'S

                                        CARTIER

                                        FENDI

We have trouble, again, trying to get a cab for Hannah.  We walk a few blocks and eventually get one for her on 5th avenue.   She returns to her apartment and we to ours.

We go to bed - for a few hours as  we have an early morning flight.

WEST SIDE STORY

Wednesday night Hannah come up for supper.  We are so excited.  She wears her new coat from "Zara's"

  
                              HANNAH IN OUR APARTMENT IN HER NEW COAT

Ater supper we head off to the theatre.  Interestingly enough we cannot get out of the subway on 49th we need to walk a little underground and come out at 47th.  The theatre we are going to is on 47th so it is not a problem.  We still do not know what was going on but this is what we saw.

                
                                               49th and 7th - TIMES SQUARE


There are fire trucks and police cars - no ambulances so I think that is good.  New York is never boring.

We head to the theatre and see "West Side Story"  Hannah really enjoys it.  Terry and I think it is "ok"  I do like the dancing.  We agree that it is probably time for it to leave Broadway.  It finishes in January.

After the theatre we look for a cab for Hannah.  In the past, it has never been a problem, but tonight we cannot find an empty cab.  Amazing, in New York City.   It is 10.45pm and I really do not feel comfortable letting Hannah take the subway this time of night.  Usually she takes a cab and Terry and I take the subway.  We eventually decide that Terry and I will take the subway with Hannah and walk her to her apartment and then we get a cab on 1st avenue, much easier to get a cab in the East Village than at Times Square.  Everyone gets home and off to bed.

Talk to you soon.

LAST FEW DAYS

Monday, I took myself off to Little Italy for one last look.  I am surprised to find the Christmas decorations are going up - it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

                                       GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS


Tuesday,  I stay home most of the day and start packing.  I have one suitcase packed and one half full.   I do think I should buy another one.
We go out for dinner tonight to the East River Cafe, which is just around the corner.  We meet Doug and Sola Wong.  We met Doug and Sola while in Minnesota, actually I think Terry and Doug knew each other before that.  They are a lovely couple who live here in Manhattan and we always get together when we visit NYC.

Wednesday,  today I head off to Times Square to pick up tickets for "West Side Story"  Hannah, Terry and I will go to the 8pm show tonight.  This musical is leaving Broadway in January so this will be our last chance.  When I return home I "skype" with Julia and then Roision in Vancouver.

Hannah had to get up early for registration today.  She did get all of the classes she wanted but not with the teachers or at the times she wanted.   She is ok with it though.  Can't remember if I told you about the birds that were living above her ceiling in her bathroom (we thought the noise was coming from mice)  Well the superintendent opened up her ceiling to find feathers and a hole to the outside.  The birds had set up home.  Anyway, they came this morning to fix the hole.

THE HOLE IN HANNAH'S CEILING IN ORDER TO FIX THE HOLE ON THE OUTSIDE
                                                    BYE BYE BIRDIES

Hannah will join us for dinner tonight before we head off to the theatre.

I will tell you all about it tomorrow.

Talk to you soon.