After church we went back home via the subway, and Mercedes and her boyfriend made us a fabulous lunch. It was soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, but it tasted great!
Then I got all my stuff together because I was heading to Delaware to see my sister and brother-in-law! :) My sister-in-law Kristin is a wonderful friend who set Steve and I up on a blind date 7 years ago. She just had a baby the previous Sunday and was only a two hours drive from Jessica's house. Well, since Jess and I couldn't do much on Sunday anyway, I had planned on driving to Delaware to see my nieces and John and Kristin.
Jessica went with me to the car rental place, and I was quite nervous. I kept remembering driving with the guy who got me to Jessica's house, and I couldn't imagine driving on those same roads. Luckily it was a short distance from the rental place to the Holland Tunnel where you can't change lanes and then onto a toll road. But I asked Jessica to drive with me until I was almost out of the city anyway. :)
So, I drove to Kristins listening to Christmas music, and enjoying some more alone time. I got there in about 2 hours and it was so weird to drive through their city. The city was really open and had all the wonderful things that a city in the U.S. has. Stores with their own parking lot, Walmart, Taco Bell, etc., etc. It was nice to get a glimpse of the United States even on my trip to NYC which is not quite like the rest of the U.S.
I really enjoyed spending a couple of hours with their family, and Erin(another of Steve's sisters) was even there as a bonus. Their new baby Hannah is a beautiful little girl. I would love to have taken her home with me, and then the quest to have a girl would be over.:) John and Kristin live in a beautiful home which I got the grand tour of.
This is Kalie who is 7 (Kristin was pregnant with her when she set Steve and I up.)
This is Macy who just turned 3 (she was being shy)
John holding Hannah
Erin
Kristin with Hannah
And beautiful Hannah (once again, my camera failed me in getting a great picture of her.)
So I took some pictures, and chatted a little and then it was time to go. I was a little nervous to go home too, because it was 9:00pm and I was sooo exhausted.(Jet lag still I think) But I made it back safely and was able to take the rental car back to Alamo so I wouldn't have to be responsible for it overnight.
Here is where the True New York experience comes in. So I am heading towards the subway entrance at 12:30am. The one I had planned on using was locked with a sign that says it is only open until 10:00pm, so I got out my trusty Subway map that Jessica made a good move in buying and followed it to the next Subway entrance. I tried to call Jessica at Mercedes phone, but was getting her voice mail, so I decided, "I have the map, I can figure this out on my own." So I got on the subway and took it to the end of the line going in the direction of Jessica's house. When I got off I couldn't find the signs that would take me to my connecting subway to get all the way home. So I tried Jessica again, this time I got her and she said that I should have got off 4 stops before that one to be able to catch the connecting subway. They don't all stop at the same stops.
Well, that stunk, but oh well, so I got back on the subway going back the direction I came from. As I was getting on I was looking for my IPOD which was in my backpack that I had taken to Kristins house. I couldn't find it anywhere and then realized I had left it in the car! Since I was heading back anyways I thought I might as well go all the way back and get it since I wasn't going to have time to do so tomorrow. So I went back and the overnight attendant took my up to their 3rd floor in a car elevator where they had already taken the car. I got the IPOD and was heading to the subway for the second time that night, except now it was 1:30am.
Since it was so late the subway only came every half an hour instead of like every 5 minutes. So I waited at one station for 20 minutes, and at the other station for closer to 30. I finally arrived unscathed at Jessica's house after 2:30am, and when Jessica answered the door she said Nothing. I fully expected a "How are you" or "How was it" or some sign of sympathy for my frustrating past 2 hours, but I got nothing. When I mentioned that, she said, no big deal, that is something that everyone in NY has to deal with. WOW!
Sorry about the long story, but it had to be told and it made my vacation just that much more adventurous.
6 comments:
What can I say I am a calloused mean New Yorker. But really, what do you expect when you are using the subways in the middle of the night on a Sunday night. And come now, taking the subway to "the end of the line"? I would say, you are lucky you didn't end up in the south Bronx and that the line you were on ended in safe old midtown. I would have been worried if you were in a dangerous part of NYC but you were in Midtown and the village. The worst that could have happened is that you run in to some college kids that want to tell how President Bush was the head of the goverment conspiracy behind 9-11.
How scary. In my old age, I don't like being out past 8 pm without Brian. ANd in New York- that would really freak me out. Glad you made it home safe. Also, I just noticed that you said Germany doesn't have bagels. Scratch anything I've said about moving overseas. I just don't think I could survive without bagels.
I have loved hearing about your trip. I was a little nervous for you about being on the subway so late by yourself. I would have been freaked! I am glad it turned out fine.
Again, great adventure! The subway think would have scared me, but isn't New York the city that never sleeps? It probably wasn't that strange for there. I am more suprised that you were able to get the ipod that late at night!
I hate taking the Strass past midnight alone. I can't imagine the subways in NYC. I guess you just get use to it after a while, it's the way of life.
Hey dude! I;m so sorry you had such a tough time getting back in Sunday night. We were so glad to be able to see you! Thanks so much for coming all that way!
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