Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see God's miracles firsthand. I am constantly in awe of Him and the things He chooses to do to show his love and grace, which none of us truly deserves.
Five years ago, my church started a little thing they called "Beautiful Day". It was an opportunity for us in the church to show love to our neighbors one day a year and serve them in various ways. As my church says, "[What] if we stopped being a church of “come and see” but instead we were told ‘go and be’ like Christ in our city?". So, it all began with serving food to locals who didn't have the resources for a Thanksgiving dinner. Now, a few years later, we are doing 22 projects, for a whole week, as well as projects throughout the entire year. It has spread across the nation and the world and other churches are doing the same thing, all in the name of Christ, who has called us to serve others. It is so exciting!
This year, I had the opportunity to lead up one of these projects, in order to serve the 110 local EMTs who serve our city. It started yesterday with a delivery of breakfast items to the administrative staff there. Then, in the afternoon myself, as well as 3 others, prepared a BBQ for the 6 mechanics who work on the rigs everyday. It turned out that 3 of the mechanics were sick that day, so I was feeling a little bummed. No sooner did we find that out and the EMTs started coming over to the table, having smelled the burgers cooking. They started coming and didn't seem to stop. I started getting worried. After all, we had only brought enough food for 6 people! The EMTs kept coming and asking why we were there and where we were from. We said that we wanted to thank them for their service. One young EMT, in his mid-twenties, came outside and stood in front of the table, staring at the food. He smiled and said, "I'm just in awe right now. I am amazed that you guys would do all of this!". So, 40 minutes later, we still had food left. How did we feed almost 20 people when we had only brought enough food for 6? It was all GOD. What an amazing day! It just goes to show that God will make it happen, regardless of what we feel capable of.
So, Thursday morning we get to deliver 110 coolers to the EMTs, each one filled with homemade cookies, cliff bars, caffeine, and gift cards. I can't wait to see their faces!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
AFRICA
How could I have let my passion for Africa lie dormant for so long? It's been five years today since I returned from Zimbabwe from 2 months of adventure. I have always had a special place in my heart for Africa and this has not been forgotten but the specific people I spent so much time bonding with in 2003 somehow escaped my memory or perhaps I unknowingly pushed them away, knowing that the thoughts of them would hurt too much. The dam finally broke last night and I was amazed at how much I had forgotten.I went to see a movie with my friend, Joe, last night, called The Long Way Down. It's about Ewan MacGregor and his best friend, Charley Boorman, who both drive their motorcycles from Scotland to Cape Town, Africa (15, 000 miles in two months). Observing them traipse through Africa's countries and hearing the heart-wrenching stories of the people they meet (often the victims of genocide) made me long to be there myself. I wanted to hug those kids and talk with them for hours. I was aching to return to Africa, and I was yearning to revisit my photos when I went home that night.
As soon as I rushed through the door to my apartment, I grabbed my Zimbabwe album from the shelf and laid down on the couch. I couldn't believe it had been a year, possibly more, since I had even opened it. I found that the photos of my Westgate girls (the girls I lived with at the newly opened home for orphans) were familiar once again. I could recall each personality vividly. Other photos I pored over seemed new to me, as if some person in another life had taken them.
It was bittersweet to see the pictures of people I'd met that summer. Seeing the girls wasn't so hard because I get updates about them often, from Glen Miller (leader of Hands of Hope, the organization I traveled with), who still visits them once a year. But, as I turned the pages in my album to my favorite place in Zimbabwe, my heart leapt in my throat. Photos taken during my two weeks spent at "Just Children Foundation", with its hundreds of ragged, smiling children, greeted my eyes. This place that provided shelter for hundreds of children, in order to keep them off of the streets, had been a haven for me. I looked forward to each morning as if it was Christmas. I spent hours there, sitting with those kids, talking, drawing, playing, singing, teaching. We developed friendships that ached our hearts to sever. And yet, how could I have forgotten about these kids after five years?
I feel guilty that they haven't been in my prayers everyday, that I'll never know what happened to them, that I didn't do enough for them in the little time we had together. All I did was sit and talk to them and then I left after a few weeks to go back home to this rich garden of opportunity and wealth we call America. Reading the letters some of those children had written to me made the ache hurt even more. They said that they would miss me so much and love me always and that I was their only true friend. I miss them so much, I can't stand it!
God, why do I have this desire to go if I can't? Is it You or me who is preventing this passage? I want to be there like I need to breathe and yet I feel trapped and caged here in my present circumstances. Don't get me wrong- I feel that everyday is incredibly valuable here in San Jose. I feel that I have purpose in everything that I've been given and I'm grateful. I love my job, I love the friends I've made, I love my Bible Study girls and I feel blessed to be ministering to them each week. It's not that I don't love it here, it's that my heart is torn between 2 loves and one is continents away and it feels unattainable.
I vow this day to remember you Prince, Tinotenda, Stephen, Trymore. I will pray for you constantly and will make your stories known. I think it's finally time to write my book...
"Now that I have seen, I am responsible. Faith without deeds is dead. Now that I have held you, in my own arms, I cannot let go til you are... I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been. I will keep my word..."- lyrics from Albertine, by Brooke Fraser
Sunday, July 20, 2008
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...
I love when God blesses me through outwardly bad circumstances. Today is a perfect example of this. My car died on Friday night, which is not actually that unusual for me these days, and I had to completely change my Sunday plans. I missed out on a friend's bridal shower and missed out on church but I ended up having the greatest day anyway.
Mallory was at U.C. Davis all day, at a conference for work so I had the whole house to myself, which is pretty rare. I woke up at 8:30, not because I had to but because I wanted to. Then I took a chair out to our balcony and sat there and read almost all of Acts. I spent probably 10 minutes just sitting there, looking at the trees, feeling the breeze, listening to the birds chirping. I feel like I am incredibly blessed to live here. It feels like waking up at camp everyday. It looks like camp, with all of the trees within the complex, and the smell of dirt and grass and leaves just envelops you when I walk outside. It's a beautiful thing and I got to fully enjoy it this morning, for as long as I wanted.
After that, I made myself waffles with strawberries and walnuts and watched an old black and white movie (The Body Snatcher, with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff).
After that, I got my car towed and got to spend that whole time waiting outside, enjoying pure freedom in time.
After I took care of that, I organized my bathroom, cleaned the house, baked a cake, unpacked from my housesit, paid my bills and balanced my checkbook, and updated my blog.
What an awesome day! It's only 7:15 now and I still have a few hours to do whatever I want. Isn't life gorgeous?
Mallory was at U.C. Davis all day, at a conference for work so I had the whole house to myself, which is pretty rare. I woke up at 8:30, not because I had to but because I wanted to. Then I took a chair out to our balcony and sat there and read almost all of Acts. I spent probably 10 minutes just sitting there, looking at the trees, feeling the breeze, listening to the birds chirping. I feel like I am incredibly blessed to live here. It feels like waking up at camp everyday. It looks like camp, with all of the trees within the complex, and the smell of dirt and grass and leaves just envelops you when I walk outside. It's a beautiful thing and I got to fully enjoy it this morning, for as long as I wanted.
After that, I made myself waffles with strawberries and walnuts and watched an old black and white movie (The Body Snatcher, with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff).
After that, I got my car towed and got to spend that whole time waiting outside, enjoying pure freedom in time.
After I took care of that, I organized my bathroom, cleaned the house, baked a cake, unpacked from my housesit, paid my bills and balanced my checkbook, and updated my blog.
What an awesome day! It's only 7:15 now and I still have a few hours to do whatever I want. Isn't life gorgeous?
KEVIN FRANDSEN!
So, I've "met" my favorite Giants player, Kevin Frandsen, three times now but the third was absolutely a charm. The first time I met him, my heart practically jumped in my throat and I could hardly spit out "will you sign my ball?". I was getting my dad's baseball autographed for him. The entire time, Kevin was gabbing it up with someone else!
The second time I met him was at Photo Day, when he was hobbling around, looking like his Achilles was really hurting him (he's been out the whole season because of an Achilles rupture).
The third time is a beautiful memory. Mal and I got there early (as usual) and watched the ladies play softball (all the Giants wives/significant others played against those of the A's). After awhile, Mal and I decided to go sit down and we noticed Kevin walking out the practice throwing in the bullpen. No one was even around! This was my chance. I walked over to him and asked if he would sign my hat. Of course, he said sure. No one else was even around so I knew I had to say something.
Me: Kevin, will you sign my hat?
Kevin: Sure.
Me: How are you feeling these days? Getting better?
Kevin: Yeah, I'm doing better.
Me: Do you think you'll be back this season?
Kevin: Yeah, I really hope so.
Thrilling conversation, right? I loved every sweet second of it. My goal all season was to talk to him, for even a moment, and that's exactly what I got, plus a really cool autograph on my Giants hat. The only autograph that matters, in my opinion. ;)
BEST DAY EVER!
The second time I met him was at Photo Day, when he was hobbling around, looking like his Achilles was really hurting him (he's been out the whole season because of an Achilles rupture).
The third time is a beautiful memory. Mal and I got there early (as usual) and watched the ladies play softball (all the Giants wives/significant others played against those of the A's). After awhile, Mal and I decided to go sit down and we noticed Kevin walking out the practice throwing in the bullpen. No one was even around! This was my chance. I walked over to him and asked if he would sign my hat. Of course, he said sure. No one else was even around so I knew I had to say something.
Me: Kevin, will you sign my hat?
Kevin: Sure.
Me: How are you feeling these days? Getting better?
Kevin: Yeah, I'm doing better.
Me: Do you think you'll be back this season?
Kevin: Yeah, I really hope so.
Thrilling conversation, right? I loved every sweet second of it. My goal all season was to talk to him, for even a moment, and that's exactly what I got, plus a really cool autograph on my Giants hat. The only autograph that matters, in my opinion. ;)I'm disappointed that it looks like he'll be out all season but at least he's still around. hey, if he's just chilling out, I probably have better chances of meeting him and talking to him again, right?
BEST DAY EVER!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Raquel's Birthday
Raquel and I have been best friends for 13 years but we've never been together on her birthday. That has mainly been due to the fact that she moved to Illinois during the beginning of our friendship.Well, I was extremely blessed when she moved out here in February for a year. I knew that this was the year when we would finally spend her birthday together. So, my scheming began. I originally intended to kidnap her and make the entire thing a surprise but I just couldn't keep the secret so I told her to plan on spending the day with me but I wouldn't tell her where we were going. So, I loaded up my Ipod, cleaned out my car, and sent her this little email:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Campers!
We are so happy you're going to be joining us on Sunday, May 18. Below is a list of items you will need. See you there!
Don't Forget:
Jacket or warm coat
Comfortable (but cute!) clothes
Stuffed monkey
Camera
Sunglasses
Bottled Water
SENSIBLE SHOES
Umbrella
Bathing suit
Cardboard box
A block of your favorite cheese
Walking stick
Compass
Instructions on how to fashion a tent out of garbage bags and duct tape
Garbage bags
Duct tape
Bible
Journal/Pen
Anti-caking agent
Parental consent form (see below)
Please do NOT bring:
Electronic devices
Weapons of any kind
Live animals (taxidermied animals are acceptable)
Boy band paraphernalia
(If any of these items are found in your baggage, they will be confiscated immediately.)
_____________________Tear Here_____________________________
PARENTAL CONSENT FORM
I, _________________________________, hereby give my permission for Raquel Angelique Lomelin to join Chelsea Lyn Dilbeck on a day of random escapades (full of excitement and wonder). I do not hold Chelsea responsible for any alteration (physical/mental/emotional) to said victim- I mean Birthday Girl. If any alteration exists after Raquel's return to civilization, I vow not to sue Chelsea for damages.
Sign Below:
_________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a team effort, the list compiled by my mom, Mallory, and myself. We had a blast putting it together and I knew she would be completely thrown off as to where we were going.
Sunday finally came and she arrived at my house in the morning. I had borrowed my mom's GPS so I inputted each of the four locations we would be travelling to that day.
I gave her four postcards, each one to be opened right before reaching the corresponding destination. Oh, the suspense I put her through all day! I only hoped that our activities would live up to the anticipation.
Each stop during the day was chosen for a specific reason. Our first stop was the marina in San Francisco, because Raquel had often mentioned that she missed the ocean most of all, since moving out to Illinois. Once we got there, we walked against the extremely strong wind and found the little spot, at the edge of the water, that I had been looking for. It was called the Wave Organ, and it was a dock made completely from the gravestones of a cemetery that was torn down awhile ago. It was actually really pretty. The reason for the name "Wave Organ" is the multiple pipes that come out from the cement and go down into the water below. If you put your ear up to the pipes, you can hear the ocean rushing beneath the stone.
We ate a picnic lunch there, even though it was really windy and really cold. It was still nice, though.
The next stop was MOAD: The Museum of the African Diaspora. It took us forever to get there because was couldn't find cheap parking. After driving around for twenty minutes, we finally settled on parking five blocks away, on a street marked "free parking". We prayed over my car (that it would still be there when we returned) and we went on our way.
After our visit in the museum, we made the walk back to our car. On our way there, a homeless guy pushing a shopping cart hollered at me, "I'm rich, I'm just faking it. You're beautiful. Don't tell anybody!". Ah, the joys of being in San Francisco...
We got to the next block and another homeless guy looked at us and asked, "You're not going down there, are you?" We answered that we had to go that way and kept walking. He told us, "I wouldn't go that way." Sure enough, we ran into the hippie convention. We had seen a few on our walk to the museum earlier but they had tripled in number since. We had to shove our way through the lovefest and the weed (oh, and all of the guys standing on the corner with one index finger in the air). One lady walking through dryly commented, "Cute...smells like hippies." There was nothing creepy about it, just awkward and very, um, crowded.
One block away from our car, we were walking faster, eager to be in our car and driving away, when we passed a (wo)man who looked at me and said, "Hey, beautiful." I really think it was a woman but Raquel wasn't sure. Anyway, it was the capper for an eventful walk through San Fran.
Safe in our car, we happily drove to to our third destination, Golden Gate Park. The week before this eventful day, I found out, in a roundabout way, that Raquel had a secret love of buffalo. Well, on a whim, I went online and typed in "San Francisco + Buffalo". Funny thing was, something actually turned up! Apparently, there are buffalo in Golden Gate Park.
When we arrived in Golden Gate Park, we saw tons of people in the craziest costumes. It took awhile to figure out what was going on but we finally learned that it was Bay To Breakers that day. Honestly, it was the most entertaining day I have ever spent in San Fran.
Once we parked and started walking, I realized, with a twinge of worry, that this park was BIG! I didn't have a clue as to where the buffalo actually were and the GPS wasn't going to tell me. I just went in the general direction that I had recalled form the map I had found online the day before and hoped for the best. While walking, Raquel was seriously wondering what I could possibly be taking he to. He postcard had said, "I always knew you were a country girl at heart but only recently learned how true this is." She was convinced that I was dragging her to some Billy Ray Cyrus statue or something.
At the point where I was about ready to give up and admit that I was lost, I saw them, tiny brown specks in the distance.
She was the happiest Raquel I had ever seen! She hugged me so many times and kept taking pictures of the big nappy animals. It was pretty cool, though, considering I've never seen one in real life. We stayed there for a good while, watching them, well, pretty much stand there. She loved it, though.
Our last stop of the day was our chance to be kids again. This was my favorite part of the entire day. We went to a little (and I mean little!) park at the edge of town, tucked in a tiny residential neighborhood. There were 2 cement slides there. This was where the cardboard boxes came into play. Until this moment, Raquel really didn't know that I was serious about bringing them. One look at the slides and the boxes in my hands, and she looked a little freaked. I don't think either of us was so sure that we would be able to go through with it. Well, we'd come this far.
By the time we walked up to the top of the slides, it appeared a whole lot higher than it had from below. Sitting on our cardboard, at the top, was not a little bit scary. We just willed ourselves to go and (after counting a couple times) went for it. I swear I got, like, 3 feet of air that time (Napoleon Dynamite fans, you dig?). I actually did come a little off of my seat at the bump in the middle. That was the scariest. I got the biggest adrenaline rush I've had in a long time. Once we started to go down, we couldn't stop because there was no friction. Scary but totally cool!
What a rad way to end Raquel's birthday. We had so much fun and she really seemed to enjoy every place we went. I had a blast planning the whole thing and spending the day together so I call it a success!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Giants Photo Day!
In case you didn't know, Mallory is the biggest Giants fan I think that exists in San Jose, next to my dad. I, on the other hand, have never been able to get through a single baseball game on television. That said, I never thought I would be here talking someday about having met all of the Giants players and going to multiple games in one summer. Mallory has converted me. I may not be the biggest fan of baseball but I love those Giants boys (almost as much as Mal) and can actually sit through an entire game (at the park) without complaining (too much). Hey, this is improvement folks! I love that Mallory and I have created this bond between us. It started last year when I took her to a game at AT&T park (my first time there) for her birthday. I got hooked. I loved the park and I loved learning the ins and outs of baseball (as only Mal can tell). She explained things in simple ways that I could understand and I could actually start following a game (somewhat). She also liked the players and knew all about them, which was the fun part. We figured out what time to get there to get autographs and where the best places were to stand to get their attention. We figured out the best seats in the house, where to buy the best park food, and which concessions vendors we liked and which we wanted to be really far away from.
We went to Spring Training with the family this year and Mallory and I started going to as many games as we could afford. We feel like old pros at this now. Our favorite part is meeting the players so when we looked at the 2008 schedule and saw "Photo Day", we knew WE COULD NOT MISS THIS! So, we made our plans and vowed to be there, rain or shine.
So, the day finally arrived and we got to the city at 10 am. We knew the gates would open at 4 pm so we had plenty of time. We ate breakfast at a cute little restaurant across the street form the park and enjoyed a nice walk from the parking lot to the park. We spent some time in the Dugout store and finally decided that maybe it was time to get in line. So, we found the line and staked out our spot. We had come prepared with all of the necessary accoutrements. We had snacks, water, a blanket, trivia books, cameras, sunscreen, and paper and pens (to play M.A.S.H.,m of course). We wiled away the hours talking, sleeping, and waiting. Luckily, we had a great view of McCovey Cove so we had plenty to watch. There was always people watching, too.
Finally, the time had come and they let us through the gates. The anticipation we had at that moment is indescribable. I was so nervous, mainly because I love Kevin Frandsen and wanted so badly to meet him (but what was I going to say?).
They let us out onto the field, which was thrilling beyond belief. Mallory and I were just as excited about standing on that hallowed ground as we were about meeting the players.
We found a great spot, directly in the front of the rope. Then the players started coming. Every player from the team walked around the entire circumference of the field, so every person there got to see every player. The first few who came around were rookies who Mallory and I didn't really know so we didn't ask for their pictures. It was weird, though, because it was all happening so fast. We knew we needed to get our game faces on so the next guy who came around, Billy Sadler, cutie that he was, was the first one we took a photo with.
Then came my other favorite, good ole Jack Taschner. He is the friendliest and smiliest guy I've ever met! Mal and I joke that he totally remembered me from last time I met him and took a picture with him at Spring Training because when I said hi, he responded with an open-armed "Hey!" like he totally knew me. It was the greatest moment of my day.
A couple other guys started coming more quickly now. We had to grab them as we could so Mal took a picture with Ray Durham, Bengie Molina, and Matt Cain. Matty and Beng are her favorite favorites. (She can't choose just one).
How cute is he?
Then we saw Dan Ortmeier, another all-around great guy. You can really see Jesus in Jack and Dan. I was impressed with them when we first saw them at Fellowship Night last year, but they live it everyday. It's awesome because these are the most genuine, friendly, happiest looking guys on the team. Anyway, Dan was having so much fun that he went around the field twice!
The moment when I got to meet Frandsen for the second time, I froze up and just said hi and asked for a picture. What a whimp! No wonder he doesn't say much to me when I meet him. Well, I made up for it a few months later when I met him and had a conversation. Yay me!
Tim Lincecum was next. Timmmmyyyyy! I don't know what it is about this kid that appeals to me but I think he's an amzing player and he's so popular and so young, he's living a really interesting life, in my opinion. He was quiet when we met him but we didn't say much to him, either. I just think it's cute how awkward he seemed, walking around, waiting for someone to ask for his pictyre. Not that people weren't but he was definitely more standoffish in a shy way than some of the other extroverts (Dan for instance).
Before this day, Mallory and I planned out who we had to meet and which one of us (or both) would be in the picture. We got everybody, plus more, that we wanted to meet. We had the BEST DAY EVER!
We hardly paid attention to the game that day because we were talking about our afternoon and looking at our pictures over and over and over again. We even stopped at our parents house at 11 that night, on our way home, to share our photos with them. My dad was as excited as we were. What an awesome day! Gotta love those baseball players.
We went to Spring Training with the family this year and Mallory and I started going to as many games as we could afford. We feel like old pros at this now. Our favorite part is meeting the players so when we looked at the 2008 schedule and saw "Photo Day", we knew WE COULD NOT MISS THIS! So, we made our plans and vowed to be there, rain or shine.
So, the day finally arrived and we got to the city at 10 am. We knew the gates would open at 4 pm so we had plenty of time. We ate breakfast at a cute little restaurant across the street form the park and enjoyed a nice walk from the parking lot to the park. We spent some time in the Dugout store and finally decided that maybe it was time to get in line. So, we found the line and staked out our spot. We had come prepared with all of the necessary accoutrements. We had snacks, water, a blanket, trivia books, cameras, sunscreen, and paper and pens (to play M.A.S.H.,m of course). We wiled away the hours talking, sleeping, and waiting. Luckily, we had a great view of McCovey Cove so we had plenty to watch. There was always people watching, too.
Finally, the time had come and they let us through the gates. The anticipation we had at that moment is indescribable. I was so nervous, mainly because I love Kevin Frandsen and wanted so badly to meet him (but what was I going to say?).
They let us out onto the field, which was thrilling beyond belief. Mallory and I were just as excited about standing on that hallowed ground as we were about meeting the players.
We found a great spot, directly in the front of the rope. Then the players started coming. Every player from the team walked around the entire circumference of the field, so every person there got to see every player. The first few who came around were rookies who Mallory and I didn't really know so we didn't ask for their pictures. It was weird, though, because it was all happening so fast. We knew we needed to get our game faces on so the next guy who came around, Billy Sadler, cutie that he was, was the first one we took a photo with.
Then came my other favorite, good ole Jack Taschner. He is the friendliest and smiliest guy I've ever met! Mal and I joke that he totally remembered me from last time I met him and took a picture with him at Spring Training because when I said hi, he responded with an open-armed "Hey!" like he totally knew me. It was the greatest moment of my day.
A couple other guys started coming more quickly now. We had to grab them as we could so Mal took a picture with Ray Durham, Bengie Molina, and Matt Cain. Matty and Beng are her favorite favorites. (She can't choose just one).
How cute is he?
Then we saw Dan Ortmeier, another all-around great guy. You can really see Jesus in Jack and Dan. I was impressed with them when we first saw them at Fellowship Night last year, but they live it everyday. It's awesome because these are the most genuine, friendly, happiest looking guys on the team. Anyway, Dan was having so much fun that he went around the field twice!
The moment when I got to meet Frandsen for the second time, I froze up and just said hi and asked for a picture. What a whimp! No wonder he doesn't say much to me when I meet him. Well, I made up for it a few months later when I met him and had a conversation. Yay me!
Tim Lincecum was next. Timmmmyyyyy! I don't know what it is about this kid that appeals to me but I think he's an amzing player and he's so popular and so young, he's living a really interesting life, in my opinion. He was quiet when we met him but we didn't say much to him, either. I just think it's cute how awkward he seemed, walking around, waiting for someone to ask for his pictyre. Not that people weren't but he was definitely more standoffish in a shy way than some of the other extroverts (Dan for instance).
Before this day, Mallory and I planned out who we had to meet and which one of us (or both) would be in the picture. We got everybody, plus more, that we wanted to meet. We had the BEST DAY EVER!We hardly paid attention to the game that day because we were talking about our afternoon and looking at our pictures over and over and over again. We even stopped at our parents house at 11 that night, on our way home, to share our photos with them. My dad was as excited as we were. What an awesome day! Gotta love those baseball players.
The long road home
Nicole and I decided to spend our last day at Coney Island because we had done everything else that we wanted to do and we noticed that Coney Island wasn't too far from where we were staying. Even though we knew that it would be closed and really cold there, we decided to take the trip. We got onto the subway at around 9 am and slept most of the way there. It was about an hour away, so we had plenty of time to relax. About halfway there, the subway route changed from an underground track to one outside , high above the traffic. It was very much like the route we took in Paris, when we got further out of the city.
It was raining pretty hard by the time we got to Coney Island so we tromped through the giant puddles and fought the wind with our umbrellas. I can't remember the last time I was in wind and rain like that. We were soaked from the knees down by the time we walked out to the beach.
We walked around a little, taking a few pictures, which took talent considering we were holding umbrellas in one hand and trying not to get our cameras wet. It was cool to see Coney Island, because I've heard so much about it but it looked a lot like the Boardwalk we have in Santa Cruz so I felt happy that I haven't missed much. Still, I would love to go back there someday in the summer and see it brought to life. I imagine it's pretty cool.
After walking around for maybe fifteen to twenty minutes, we decided we'd had enough. I was freezing. I don't think I got warm for another twenty-four hours. It was a nice way to spend our last morning, though, because we were able to take it easy. 
It was raining pretty hard by the time we got to Coney Island so we tromped through the giant puddles and fought the wind with our umbrellas. I can't remember the last time I was in wind and rain like that. We were soaked from the knees down by the time we walked out to the beach.
We walked around a little, taking a few pictures, which took talent considering we were holding umbrellas in one hand and trying not to get our cameras wet. It was cool to see Coney Island, because I've heard so much about it but it looked a lot like the Boardwalk we have in Santa Cruz so I felt happy that I haven't missed much. Still, I would love to go back there someday in the summer and see it brought to life. I imagine it's pretty cool.
After walking around for maybe fifteen to twenty minutes, we decided we'd had enough. I was freezing. I don't think I got warm for another twenty-four hours. It was a nice way to spend our last morning, though, because we were able to take it easy. We got back to the hotel with about 30 minutes to spare so we sat down and looked through our pictures from the week, to commemorate a great trip. Little did we know how much waiting we had left to do. When we got to the airport at 4 pm, we found out that the weather was so bad that no planes were allowed to fly out of the La Guardia airport for another 3 hours. Although that seemed a tad longer to wait than we wanted, it didn't seem so bad...until we realized that this delay would cause us to miss our connecting flight. Turned out that the only flight we could make from the Denver airport would have to be at 8 am the next morning!
I have had delayed flights but I've never had to wait longer than a few hours. 12 hours was a loooong time! We ended up sleeping in the baggage claim area of the Denver Airport that night. What an adventure! At least I got to miss work the next day. Nicole wasn't so happy about this unexpected turn of events, however. We stayed away from each other as much as possible that night. This was for sheer preservation of our friendship. I admit it was the most tiring night I have ever spent. There is nothing like trying to sleep in a chair when you're exhausted from five days of very little sleep to begin with. The only way to lay down completely was on the floor, since all the airport had were chairs, no benches. We could only sleep for about 30 minutes at a time. We moved around every inch of that airport, which was kind of cool since no one was there, being after hours and all.
My favorite part, though, was sitting next to the giant windows facing the tarmac and watching the sunrise over the mountains. I never get to see the sunrise so that was a real treat for me.
Overall, what a crazy way to end a whirlwind trip. I wouldn't have traded one minute of the sleepless nights, hours of waiting in the subway stations, being hounded by black market purse vendors, or laughing so hard I cried. Every minute was spent with my entertaining, fun, adventurous friend. Nothing beats that!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Lady Liberty
This was our last full day, Sunday. This was the day I had most been anticipating because we were going to see the famous lady of liberty. This turned out to be my favorite day of the entire trip. There was something emotionally gripping about standing on a boat and approaching Lady Liberty on a foggy morning. For me, it conjured up images of immigrants crammed onto massive boats, apprehensively awaiting that moment when the Statue of Liberty would appear and beckon them to the "Land of Prosperity". A famous poem that used to be posted on a placard in front of the statue goes like this: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free."
There has been so much symbolism throughout the years surrounding Lady Liberty, so it was a truly awesome experience to see her in full form, up close. I admit, she seemed significantly smaller than I had always imagined but still beautiful.
The island where she sits is quite small. After taking the boat over, we waited in line to go into the statue. All this means now is that you can go inside the pedestal, where the statue stands, and go through the exhibit they have placed there. As of September 11, 2001, no tourist has been allowed inside the statue itself. Looking up inside the statue (pictured below), you can see how narrow the passageway is and how surprising it is that thousands of tourists once climbed the single, spiral staircase, with only one exit and one entrance. It makes perfect sense why they no longer allow people to go up inside it anymore, considering the dangers in an emergency. Of course, it was still really disappointing to think that we could never see it from that view.
After waiting in line for an hour and a half, to get through security, we made it inside the pedestal. All of that for this lousy view? We didn't even go through this tough of security in the airport to get to New York? We had to go through a major security checkpoint to get onto the boat, then to get into the Statue of Liberty pedestal. Crazy! That's how we knew it was a national monument.
There has been so much symbolism throughout the years surrounding Lady Liberty, so it was a truly awesome experience to see her in full form, up close. I admit, she seemed significantly smaller than I had always imagined but still beautiful.
The island where she sits is quite small. After taking the boat over, we waited in line to go into the statue. All this means now is that you can go inside the pedestal, where the statue stands, and go through the exhibit they have placed there. As of September 11, 2001, no tourist has been allowed inside the statue itself. Looking up inside the statue (pictured below), you can see how narrow the passageway is and how surprising it is that thousands of tourists once climbed the single, spiral staircase, with only one exit and one entrance. It makes perfect sense why they no longer allow people to go up inside it anymore, considering the dangers in an emergency. Of course, it was still really disappointing to think that we could never see it from that view.
After waiting in line for an hour and a half, to get through security, we made it inside the pedestal. All of that for this lousy view? We didn't even go through this tough of security in the airport to get to New York? We had to go through a major security checkpoint to get onto the boat, then to get into the Statue of Liberty pedestal. Crazy! That's how we knew it was a national monument. The exhibit inside the pedestal was really interesting. They had a few actual sized replicas of various parts of the statue. That's when it seemed pretty big. We saw the foot, the crown, and the face. The original torch was also inside. It was cool to read about the creation of the statue and all of the controversy and planning that went into building her. They said that it had to be built in Paris, in pieces, so it could be shipped over to the U.S. and the Parisians came to really love her. They missed her when she had to go. All of the color drawings and advertisements showed her in her original copper-colored glory. Very cool.
After walking through the exhibit and walking out onto the pedestal, we called it a morning and traveled onto Ellis Island (right next to Liberty island). That was amazing, too. They have completely restored most of the buildings there and they look beautiful. Ellis Island is where they would register the immigrants who came through, looking for jobs, family, opportunities, and escape in the United States. Walking through the Great Room, where millions of immigrants were "processed" for years was an emotional experience (partly because of what they had gone through and partly because Nicole and I were in the zombie-zone, going on 1/3 of the sleep we had been needing all weekend). They had done a wonderful job of presenting the immigration experience with photos, objects, and stories from people who had come through it to live in America. 
After a long morning at the Statue of Liberty, we decided to go back to Times Square for one last hurrah. We fell asleep on the subway, which was a welcome relief. Once we got off, we were ready for some fun. We stopped at the wax museum for a few quick pictures with Morgan Freeman and some other celebrities- wait, I mean, I really met Morgan Freeman. Right...
After that, we went to the restaurant with the best cheesecake ever! It's true, they told me so. :) It really was amazing and so rich. If it's good enough for P. Diddy, it's good enough for me. Then we proceeded to go from theater to theater, asking for cheap, last minute broadway tickets. Our feet hurt so bad, I felt like they were screaming loud enough for everyone to hear. After stopping in about 5 theaters, we went to the one playing "Spamalot". I told Nicole, "I really don't think you're gonna like this." Her response? "Girl, I don't care what we see, as long as I get to sit down for two hours. My feet hurt!" So, there you have it. Her pain is what allowed me to see the musical I'd been dying to see. So, we got $30 tickets for "Spamalot", starring Clay Aiken (not a big selling point for me but he turned out to be good, nonetheless). So, we had about an hour until the show started so we stood around, talking for a bit when a woman came over and asked us if Clay had come out yet. We said no, did the actors come out after the show? Of course, she responded, to my sheer delight. That changed everything! We walked around the corner, eager to find out which shows had just ended. We didn't have to go far. We ended up at the theater next door to ours, which had just showed "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", starring Terrence Howard, James Earl Jones, Anika Noni Rose (from "Dreamgirls"), and none other than my favorite person ever, Phylicia Rashad (that's right, Mrs. Cosby!). So, we stood with the other fans who were waiting for someone to come out when Anika did.
She was so sweet and took pictures with people, happily giving autographs. A guy came out who we didn't recognize but he must have been in the show because everyone was cheering for him. Then, I saw a car pull up and guess who got out? Phylicia! I was so excited, I didn't know what to do. She got out of the cat and said hello to a few people, took some pictures, then got back in the car to go home. How sweet of her to just come out for a minute to say hello to her fans! I love this woman! I wish I could have met her but it was so cool to be that close in vicinity to her. Now, that was a brush with greatness, in my opinion. (She's pictured below in the peach colored jacket)).
Anika Noni Rose is pictured below with Nicole.
Once we finally got to see the show, it was so much fun! I thought it was hilarious and stayed true enough to the movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", the holy grail of comedies, in my opinion. I laughed my head off. Nicole was a good sport, bless her, but I know it was not her type of humor. She was surprised it was mine. We all have our guilty pleasures.
After the show, we waited outside for some of the actors to come out. A few did, but not Clay. You should have seen the number of (older) women who were waiting for him out there. Some had waited on multiple days, hoping for a glimpse.
Below is one of the guys, Brad Oscar, who came out after the show.
Knowing this was our last night in New York, we wanted to go out to eat somewhere cool so we picked Hard Rock Cafe, in Times Square. I had never been to a Hard Rock Cafe before so I was in for a surprise. It was the coolest restaurant I had EVER been to! The atmosphere, the guitars on the wall-amazing! I couldn't believe I was staring at Jim Morrison's music notes and the Beatles' famous gray suits. The coolest thing was getting to touch the original door from the Abbey Road recording studio, where countless artists have recorded their music throughout the years. This was so much more than a restaurant. It was an ode to the amazing artists of past generations. I loved it. (Can you tell?)
After walking through the exhibit and walking out onto the pedestal, we called it a morning and traveled onto Ellis Island (right next to Liberty island). That was amazing, too. They have completely restored most of the buildings there and they look beautiful. Ellis Island is where they would register the immigrants who came through, looking for jobs, family, opportunities, and escape in the United States. Walking through the Great Room, where millions of immigrants were "processed" for years was an emotional experience (partly because of what they had gone through and partly because Nicole and I were in the zombie-zone, going on 1/3 of the sleep we had been needing all weekend). They had done a wonderful job of presenting the immigration experience with photos, objects, and stories from people who had come through it to live in America. It was a massive place and very exhausting. It was kind of humbling to think about all of the people who had come here, waiting for days, standing in line, hungry from not eating all day and poor from spending every last cent on the boat ride to America.
It was a beautiful place and after going through the inside of the building, we decided to walk out into the Memorial Garden, where the name of every immigrant who had come through Ellis Island was engraved on a wall. It was really neat. I even found a few Butterworths! Who knows, maybe they're part of the family.
So, all day we had been fighting sleep like crazy. We kept saying stupid stuff that didn't make any sense and we had a really hard time communicating with each other. You know that feeling you get when you're so tired you can't think straight? Well, it had been gradually growing all day. When we were heading out the door of the building, Nicole got attached to the door and took what felt like five minutes to figure out how to get out. Meanwhile, she caused some guy moving way too fast bumped into her form behind. This may not sound that funny to you but I was so tired I couldn't stop laughing. She was annoyed which made me laugh even harder. I couldn't even help because, honestly, it was funny.
We finally got out of that mess and walked over to the memorial. We walked around for awhile then a woman asked us for some help in finding a name. So, eager to help, I started walking towards her. Thinking I could easily step over the rope surrounding the wall, I swung one leg over. The second one wasn't so easy and I got attached and fell flat on my face. Now that really WAS funny. I was literally rolling on the ground with laughter. I laughed so hard I cried. Nicole said it was Karma. I agree.
After a long morning at the Statue of Liberty, we decided to go back to Times Square for one last hurrah. We fell asleep on the subway, which was a welcome relief. Once we got off, we were ready for some fun. We stopped at the wax museum for a few quick pictures with Morgan Freeman and some other celebrities- wait, I mean, I really met Morgan Freeman. Right...
After that, we went to the restaurant with the best cheesecake ever! It's true, they told me so. :) It really was amazing and so rich. If it's good enough for P. Diddy, it's good enough for me. Then we proceeded to go from theater to theater, asking for cheap, last minute broadway tickets. Our feet hurt so bad, I felt like they were screaming loud enough for everyone to hear. After stopping in about 5 theaters, we went to the one playing "Spamalot". I told Nicole, "I really don't think you're gonna like this." Her response? "Girl, I don't care what we see, as long as I get to sit down for two hours. My feet hurt!" So, there you have it. Her pain is what allowed me to see the musical I'd been dying to see. So, we got $30 tickets for "Spamalot", starring Clay Aiken (not a big selling point for me but he turned out to be good, nonetheless). So, we had about an hour until the show started so we stood around, talking for a bit when a woman came over and asked us if Clay had come out yet. We said no, did the actors come out after the show? Of course, she responded, to my sheer delight. That changed everything! We walked around the corner, eager to find out which shows had just ended. We didn't have to go far. We ended up at the theater next door to ours, which had just showed "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", starring Terrence Howard, James Earl Jones, Anika Noni Rose (from "Dreamgirls"), and none other than my favorite person ever, Phylicia Rashad (that's right, Mrs. Cosby!). So, we stood with the other fans who were waiting for someone to come out when Anika did.
She was so sweet and took pictures with people, happily giving autographs. A guy came out who we didn't recognize but he must have been in the show because everyone was cheering for him. Then, I saw a car pull up and guess who got out? Phylicia! I was so excited, I didn't know what to do. She got out of the cat and said hello to a few people, took some pictures, then got back in the car to go home. How sweet of her to just come out for a minute to say hello to her fans! I love this woman! I wish I could have met her but it was so cool to be that close in vicinity to her. Now, that was a brush with greatness, in my opinion. (She's pictured below in the peach colored jacket)).
Anika Noni Rose is pictured below with Nicole.
Once we finally got to see the show, it was so much fun! I thought it was hilarious and stayed true enough to the movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", the holy grail of comedies, in my opinion. I laughed my head off. Nicole was a good sport, bless her, but I know it was not her type of humor. She was surprised it was mine. We all have our guilty pleasures.
After the show, we waited outside for some of the actors to come out. A few did, but not Clay. You should have seen the number of (older) women who were waiting for him out there. Some had waited on multiple days, hoping for a glimpse.Below is one of the guys, Brad Oscar, who came out after the show.
Knowing this was our last night in New York, we wanted to go out to eat somewhere cool so we picked Hard Rock Cafe, in Times Square. I had never been to a Hard Rock Cafe before so I was in for a surprise. It was the coolest restaurant I had EVER been to! The atmosphere, the guitars on the wall-amazing! I couldn't believe I was staring at Jim Morrison's music notes and the Beatles' famous gray suits. The coolest thing was getting to touch the original door from the Abbey Road recording studio, where countless artists have recorded their music throughout the years. This was so much more than a restaurant. It was an ode to the amazing artists of past generations. I loved it. (Can you tell?)After a great meal there, we called it a night and went back to the hotel for a good night's sleep. One day left...
World Trade Center
Saturday morning we slept in late and took our time making it to the World Trade Center site. We missed out on the tours because they were sold out but we took our own walking tour, which was still pretty moving.
Across froom the WTC site is the new tribute center and the fire station, which was there when Sept. 11 happened. They've rebuilt the station so it looks very nice now and they have a tribute wall along the side, with the names of every fireman who died on 9/11. Inside the station, they have a tribute to the firemen who were lost from this fire station.
It was crazy to think that it has been 7 years since 9/11. The site is all under construction so there's not much to see but it's still pretty uncanny to see such a huge gap in the middle of a city block, where two tall buildings used to be. We could also see the opening to a subway station that used to be underneath the World Trade Center, which was a little trippy.
Inside the fire station was the tribute that honored the 6 firemen from the station who had lost their lives on 9/11. There were a few artifacts there, too, like a door from a fire engine and the original street sign for Liberty Street, which the WTC was on.
After visiting to WTC site, we rolled on over to Wall Street, which was around the corner. Since it was Saturday, it was incredibly quiet but it was cool, nonetheless.
On Wall Street was a statue of George Washington, since this was the building where he was inaugurated.
Battery Park was around the corner from Wall Street so we walked over there. It was a really pretty park, with a great view of the statue of liberty across the way.
This sculpture was in Battery Park, with a flame burning in front of it and a plaque that said that it used to sit in the center of the World Trade Center. It was interesting to see how damaged it was from the blast that hit the center on that fateful day. The flame burning in front of it was an eternal flame, put there in 2002, in order that everyone who sees it remember that day.
Across froom the WTC site is the new tribute center and the fire station, which was there when Sept. 11 happened. They've rebuilt the station so it looks very nice now and they have a tribute wall along the side, with the names of every fireman who died on 9/11. Inside the station, they have a tribute to the firemen who were lost from this fire station.
It was crazy to think that it has been 7 years since 9/11. The site is all under construction so there's not much to see but it's still pretty uncanny to see such a huge gap in the middle of a city block, where two tall buildings used to be. We could also see the opening to a subway station that used to be underneath the World Trade Center, which was a little trippy.
Inside the fire station was the tribute that honored the 6 firemen from the station who had lost their lives on 9/11. There were a few artifacts there, too, like a door from a fire engine and the original street sign for Liberty Street, which the WTC was on.
After visiting to WTC site, we rolled on over to Wall Street, which was around the corner. Since it was Saturday, it was incredibly quiet but it was cool, nonetheless.
On Wall Street was a statue of George Washington, since this was the building where he was inaugurated.
Battery Park was around the corner from Wall Street so we walked over there. It was a really pretty park, with a great view of the statue of liberty across the way.
This sculpture was in Battery Park, with a flame burning in front of it and a plaque that said that it used to sit in the center of the World Trade Center. It was interesting to see how damaged it was from the blast that hit the center on that fateful day. The flame burning in front of it was an eternal flame, put there in 2002, in order that everyone who sees it remember that day.After a short day of touristing, we decided to go back to the hotel and call it a day. We got back at about 8 pm and went to bed early. It was so worth it. We needed a break from all of that running around we'd been doing. We were only halfway through. Two days to go!
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