Close your eyes and drive like there is no tomorrow!

I think I’m getting the hang of driving in New York.  Three or four rules about covers it:  No right turns on a red light.  Don’t be bothered by people honking at you.  Don’t allow more than half a car length between you and the car in front of you or three cars will slip in.  Close your eyes and drive like there is no tomorrow.

I’ve been busy taking care of sick missionaries this week.  The stomach flu bug has made itself known in these regions.  After giving advice on what to do for nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and then documenting it in the records about a dozen times, I made a sticky note that I could copy and paste and send out instructions via texts and copy and paste into the charting for the other seemingly endless calls.  I don’t know if I’m smart, lazy, or what but I got through the week.

Not complaining, but it is a little hard to sound compassionate when you’ve repeated yourself 35 times even though the information is new to the current caller/texter.  Texting is often the preferred method of communication here.  That is fine with me though because I have a hard time hearing and understanding the callers sometimes.  We have some missionaries who don’t speak English too well.

I actually love being here and talking to and trying to help these sweet missionaries.  They truly are good to me and so very appreciative every time I talk with or interact with them.  I went to two zone training meetings this week.  One was out about the middle of Long Island and the other was in Brooklyn. (I was to have gone to four more on Friday but had a medical emergency to take care of that day.  More about that later.)  It was fun going to these places. I’ll post some pictures. 

Fall on Long Island

Long Island Expressway.

Looking into Brooklyn.

Manhattan view across the river. Yes I was driving but we were "crawling" at 6 mph.

On Wednesday evening, I hosted a dinner for one of the senior missionary’s 70^th birthday. His wife asked if I would mind because my apt is close to the office and a central location and she would bring all of the food.  I convinced her that I would love to cook so we had a Mexican fiesta with chili verde, rice, and beans.  There were nine of us by the end of the evening.  It was really fun!  A lot of laughing and telling of stories.

Two of the guests hadn't arrived. They got lost in the subway.

The birthday man, Elder Palmer.

Friday I spent most of the day in a dr office with a sick missionary and then to an ultrasound. I didn’t feel the missionary in pain should have to ride the bus and subway for hours to get to the dr and radiology.  Then I helped with some shopping to get things for the diet the dr recommended.

Saturday, I went to a luncheon/meeting for the senior couples out at the end of Long Island.  I took grape salad for my part.  The mission president spoke and explained some things that he felt needed to be better understood and thanked all for the work they do.  About 3 couples will be leaving in the next 2 months.

Last night was the ward Fall Harvest Party.  There was pizza and trunk or treating for the kids.

Today, I went to conference out on the island again.  The building where the conference was held used to be at the site of the world fair. It is a modular building so it was movable. Pretty area.  The trees are so beautifully colored. Going out on the island is a bit like going home.  It is open and there is parking at stores.  There are Michaels, Walmart, and all the stores we see at home with parking lots.  Hope you don’t mind my expressing how much I love parking lots.  I’ve grown to value them.

Church in Plainview. Used to be at site of world fair.

Plainview. I wasn't quick enough to catch a pic of the squirrels playing on the lawn.

Site of world fair close to where I live.

Side story:  When I went to Brooklyn, which was in a beautiful tree lined street area, to zone training, I didn’t think about parking because the meeting was at a church.  Luckily I got there early because the church didn’t have a parking lot.  I drove through the neighborhoods for 15 minutes looking for a place to park.  I finally called the zone leaders to tell them I was there but I couldn’t find a place to park.  They told me I could park in a driveway next to the church because it was a bishop’s storehouse driveway.  The carpets in the church were being cleaned so we couldn’t go into the church.  Had the meeting in the back yard of the bishop’s storehouse which is literally a house. After the meeting, I started for home and knew I would be in rush hour traffic for over an hour so I decided that I had better find a bathroom before I got on the expressway (freeways are expressways here). 

I drove around for twenty minutes looking for a place with parking that might have a public bathroom.  Service stations seldom have them and stores don’t either. I was getting desperate!  Finally I saw a Dunkin Doughnuts with parking for three cars.  I squeezed in and low and blessedly behold, they had a public restroom.  Then of course, I had to buy a doughnut.

Now you might understand why I love parking lots.  I don’t even mind paying for the privilege of parking.  It cost me $17.00 to park while the missionary (medical emergency) had the ultrasound.  I won’t ever complain again about paying $3.00 to park while I shop at Costco.  Enough parking lot stories and praise.  Just don’t take parking lots for granted.

Want you to know that I feel so blessed to be having these experiences and I am blessed to be able to serve the Lord in this way. You my family and friends are some of my greatest blessings.

My love to you from New York.

Sunrise while walking.

I miss Zupas.