August 19th – August 25th
2013
SUNDAY – YES,
WE ARE IN NEW YORK CITY. Some unpacking and practical issues. We are
on busy street (8th Avenue), but the noise in the night is
just fine. A bit messy street. We walked down to the grocery store
(surprisingly nice and reasonable). Continue walking to Columbia
University Campus area with Farmers Market (about 13 stands, pretty
bad). People were moving to the school. Interesting. Sunny and warm.
Continue walking to check another supermarket – really bad. One
more found on the way – something in between. Hot – going back to
the apartment. Unpacking and taking it easy and cooling for a bit.
Get a subway passes and get down to 76th street. Busy and
nicer. Trader Joe's store – extremely busy, the line for registers
was 9 minutes. Welcome to NYC (I guess). Back on subway and stop by
our first store to finish our shopping. Walk back (8 blocks). There
was some small fair or something and we saw two horses going back to
the trailer. Horses on Manhattan – just strange. A lot of people.
Very lively. Still feeling stiff and tired from yesterday. By the
evening, the apartment looked more normal and we were more less
settled. Starting the next chapter – again.
SATURDAY –
morning in Syracuse 6.10 – 7.56: finish packing, clean up last
things, move the rest of the stuff, have a breakfast and take
pictures of the apartment. Foggy morning. An hour and half to
Binghamton, where we stop to buy J.'s scrubs (she found some, not all
needed). Over two hours to Central Valley and another scrubs shop
(get the rest of it). Last hour to NYC. Busier traffic, but we did
not have to stop. Cars, cars and cars. 13 dollars to cross the bridge
to Manhattan. Few turns and we were on 8th Avenue (our
intersection street). Busy traffic but still doable. Many streets
closed and we had to circle around few times. Park, get the keys from
the apartment (pretty nice). Ready to move in around two o'clock.
Move the car, park close to the apartment and start moving to the
second floor walk up. It was sunny and warm. Horrible – we were
sweating like animals, but we got it done in an hour or so. Relax for
a bit, check out the parking garage next door – safe and very
convenient – that is where we have the car now (for 300 dollars a
month). Walk several blocks to have a dinner – average meal for
above average price (really New York?). Our apartment (for 14 weeks)
– unpacking and just chilling out. WE ARE IN NEW YORK CITY!
FRIDAY – slow
morning and uncertainty about our day. Mostly packed and ready to
leave, still some stuff to do. Drive to New York State Fair, park for
5 dollars and take a shuttle to the gates. Relatively easy. The
weather got much better, sunny with few clouds and cooler. Possibly
because of the early time, there was not too many people. Huge
grounds with hundreds and hundreds of stands (business, professional
associations, fire departments, all branches of army ….). Probably
also hundreds of food stands. Plenty of live animals (cows, horses,
chicken, goats, lamas …). Exhibitions. Rides. It got warmer and
busier. It was very interesting experience and we were glad we went
there. It is hard to describe how it was and the impression of it.
Drive back to Syracuse, stop by post office. Home – J. found a
place where to sell her bike – do that. Almost five o'clock.
Finishing packing and moving part of our luggage to the car – heavy
and hot. Get the apartment and the rest of the stuff ready. Last
night in Syracuse.
THURSDAY –
switch day for J. or it could as well be called her last “Monster
Inc.” day in Syracuse. Figuring out last things to arrange and do
before leaving. Nothing really special. J. had to do huge amount of
training online for the hospital (took big part of the afternoon).
And it was real “Monster Inc.” day. Last one caused by the night
shift.
WEDNESDAY –
J. worked. Her last work night (relatively good one). Trip to
Labrador Unique Area and walk to the Jones Hill (launching site for
hand gliding). Hot and humid. Really steep one mile walk, nice view
of pleasant countryside. So buggy – I felt eaten alive. Longer
drive to the town, car what. More cleaning and packing (piece by
piece, slowly).
TUESDAY – J.
worked. Hot and humid. Some packing and cleaning. For over two hours
wait for oil change and car being checked – some problems. Happy to
leave that place. Drive to Camillus and walk along old Erie Canal to
Aqueduct (according to the sign possibly last working one in world).
Really hot and not so impressive like on picture from air. Oh well …
Drive home and be pretty much done for the rest of the day.
MONDAY – J.
worked. Hot and humid. Packing. Clark Park – walk down to the small
glacier lake and walk around. Really nice natural site – too many
bugs, unfortunately.
