"Why did the clam leave the dance early? Because he pulled a mussel."
"I bought one of those tapes to teach you Spanish in your sleep. During the night, the tape skipped. Now I can only stutter in Spanish."
"My collection of vintage kitchen utensils includes one whose intended purpose was always a mystery. It looks like a cross between a metal slotted spoon and a spatula, so I use it as both. When not in use, it is prominently displayed in a decorative ceramic utensil caddy in my kitchen. The mystery of the spoon/spatula was recently solved when I found one in its original packaging at a rummage sale. It's a pooper-scooper."
My brother, John, arrived on Wednesday evening and we have been laughing and giggling at silly jokes and riddles and having a great time seeing some of the sights of the city.
Monday Deanne and Jenna went to the 9/11 Museum and I was blessed to keep Rory and spend a few hours with her. We went for a walk and played. She is so cute!! While she napped I wrapped the pictures I had on my wall in bubble wrap and packed them along with clothes and other misc. things into 2 large suitcases that Deanne and Jenna brought for me to fill. When Deanne and Jenna came back, we went to an early dinner at BCD Tofu House in Flushing before they went off to home. It was sad to see them go and my home seemed empty without them.
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| Rory's nap time |
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| Beef bibimbap is a Korean dish. The word "bibimbap" means mixed rice. Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul(sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste), soy sauce, or doenjang (a fermented soybean paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The hot dish is stirred together thoroughly just before eating |
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| Tofu vegetable soup |
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| Korean short ribs were delicious! |
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| The breaded fried fish is presented as an appetizer with every meal. |
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| The walls without my family look so empty |
Tuesday morning I took my car to Hallelujah Praise the Lord Automotive to get it repaired from my fender bender the week before. After I returned to my apartment, I did laundry, cleaned out and packed a few things and ran some errands.
Wednesday I went to lunch at a Chinese shabu-shabu which is a way of preparing thinly sliced meat and vegetables in boiling water. I have mentioned this type of cooking before in previous blogs. I don't remember the name of the restaurant in Flushing but I do remember how good the food and company were.
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| These pictures are taken at the Chinese shabu-shabu. This picture shows the peppers that make the boiling water spicy hot!! |
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| Mushrooms |
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| Sisters Hilliard and Aragon |
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| Boiling waters for cooking out food: one spicy broth, one mushroom broth, and one vegetable broth. |
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| The restaurant |
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| Lotus root. I liked it. Crunchy and tasted like water chestnut to me. It is white before it is cooked. |
Wednesday evening I picked up my brother, John Terry, who will be driving home with me. Our sister, Peggy Barker, will be arriving this coming Wednesday. Together we will have a siblings road and sight-seeing trip on our way driving me home to Utah.
John and Peggy drove out here with me when I began my mission. John didn't have time 2 years ago to see the sights of New York so we hopped on the subway Thursday and went to the 9/11 Memorial Museum and then to the top of the Freedom Tower.
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| Taking the subway |
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| Freedom Tower |
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| From One World Observatory |
I did not take too many pictures because I have posted pictures of these sites before on previous blogs.
John was really tired from his all day flight on Wednesday so we went back in the afternoon to my apartment and chilled the rest of the evening. I worked on my report due on Friday.
Friday we went to lunch at Mizumi with Anthea Pierre, my dear friend. After she brought us home, I finished my reports for the week and then we went to the Empire State Building to see the city lights after dark.
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| Anthea Pierre |
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| A look at the restaurant |
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| Sushi |
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| Other tasty delights |
Saturday we went to see Phantom of the Opera. Fun experience. After the show we went to John's of Bleecker Street for pizza and then next door to Cones for ice cream.
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| Lounge in the Majestic Theater |
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| Ornate interior |
Sunday was church. John cooked us some dinner. I opened my cupboard and put stuff on the counter. I don't have much left in my pantry. He created a goulash of pasta, corn, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, seasonings, and beef broth. It was really good!
Throughout the week, I have had many visitors (missionaries) to my apartment. What a heart-warming week this has been. I received a three ring binder of notes from most of the missionaries. I have had gifts of chocolate and a wind chime. I received a large "card" from the members of the ward.
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| When I opened my door on Friday I found this beautiful sight. Words of love, encouragement and friendship adorned my door with a thoughtful card. |
How grateful I am for the many friends I have made and for the missionaries and others who have touched my life while I have been here in New York City. I will always have a place in my heart for the people of New York.
I am looking forward to renewing friendships and being with my family at home in just a few short days. I will add another short blog probably on Thursday when I leave the city.
I love you my family and friends.
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| New York City sunset |
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| Same sunset a little later |
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| The beauty of this dragon fruit caught my attention. I asked a Hispanic
woman who was buying some. She told me that they were really good. I asked how I should prepare and eat it. She told me to cut it in half and eat the inside with a spoon. As I was putting the fruit in my basket, a young Chinese man told me I should go to the Chinese market where I could buy "big" fruit because it would be better to eat and more sweet. Big is better! I bought the small one. Tasted a bit like kiwi fruit. |
Here is some New York City trivia:
From an article in AM New York:
Water towers: NYC's misunderstood icons
By Sean Joseph April 7, 2009
New York City's skyline is dotted with wooden water towers that are easy to mistake for vanishing relics of the bygone eras of seltzer bottles and street gas lamps.
But what many New Yorkers don't realize is the towers are hardly antiques - in fact, most drink and bathe from the water stored in them every day.
"When I tell people what I do for a living, they can't believe it is still done," said Kenny Lewis, foreman of the Rosenwach Tank Co.'s wood shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the only one like it in the city. "After people notice the tanks, they can't believe how many there are."
Most buildings in the city taller than six stories need some sort of water tower and pumping system to provide water pressure to tenants.
Rosenwach is one of two companies in the city that makes wood water towers. The other company is Isseks Brothers.
So why do people think wood water towers are relics of the past?
Because they look as though they are.
While many are more than 30 years old, even new ones look old because they are made of wood that isn't painted or chemically treated (so as not to taint drinking water).
Though the technology has become more efficient, the concept of gravity delivering water from a wood tank hasn't changed in decades.
And while steel tanks are an option, they are more expensive, don't provide as much insulation, require more maintenance and take longer to construct. The average wood tank holds 10,000 gallons of water and costs around $30,000. A steel tank of similar size could cost up to $120,000. But different buildings have their own specific needs.
"There are wood tanks, steel tanks, small tanks - hot, cold, round, square - it's like a Dr. Seuss book," said Andrew Rosenwach, the company's fourth-generation owner.
Rosenwach estimates his company has about 10,000 tanks around the city, and can build up to 300 a year - though they've been suffering just like every one in the construction industry.
He said business should heat up with the weather. Every year they must clean natural sediment from the water off the bottom of the tank. More buildings have their maintenance done in the spring and summer, and if the tank is too leaky, a new one must be built.
With a crew of about six men, an old tank can be torn down and new one constructed in 24 hours, Rosenwach said. It takes two to three hours for pumps to fill them up.
"When you first set them up they leak, but when they fill [with water], the wood expands and becomes water tight," Lewis said. "Then, it's like a giant toilet. When people use water, the level goes down. A ballcock lets more in, and that water is pumped from the basement."
Eventually the wood will rot though, which has kept the Rosenwachs working on the same buildings for generations. A tank can last 30-35 years depending on exposure to the elements. Rooftop tanks on the west side of Manhattan typically don't last as long because they take more of a beating, Lewis said.
"When we look at the skyline, we can tell which tanks are ours because they have tan roof covers and signature 'R' on the top," Rosenwach said. "I'm always amazed what a vast amount of skyline we cover in such a small field."
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How it works:
- A water tower is a simple device that uses gravity to provide water pressure.
- They provide water for domestic uses and fire supply.
- Most municipalities have tanks that can hold a day's worth of water for their population.
- Many New York City buildings exceed the height the infrastructure's water pressure can handle.
- Most structures taller than six stories need some sort of water tower and pump system of their own.
- Water is fed to buildings through pipes in the basement.
- Electric pumps push the water from the basement to roof.
- It takes 2-3 hours to fill the average 10,000-gallon tank.
- From the roof, gravity sends water to pipes throughout the building.
- As tenants use the water, the level in the tank goes down and, just like in a toilet, a ballcock lets more in.
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