We decided that a visit to Radio City with the kids to see the Christmas Spectacular was worth the expense. So last night we braved the freezing cold, wind and rain and walked the three blocks to attend the 8.00pm show.
We were not disappointed - in fact quite the opposite. Max exclaimed that the show was, "awesome" many times throughout the performance and the look on Yasemin's face was priceless.
The 11/2 hour performance began with Santa and his beautiful reindeer.
Our favorite was the Toy Solider routine where they all tumble down at the end. Apparently this act has always been in the show.
It was truly a spectacular of special effects, great costumes, wonderful dancing, all the christmas songs mixed in with the whole Radio City Music Hall vibe - Wow!
After the show we headed for home fast - Yasemin had a fever and was not at her best. We did have to walk past one of the most photographed holiday decorations on Sixth Avenue - the giant Christmas ornaments in front of 1251 Sixth Avenue building (Exxon Building). It was so wet and cold that we had the beautiful balls almost to ourselves, I couldn't resist one last shot!
I have loved The Chrysler Building from afar for many years...... and today I was able to get up close and personal! I was impressed with the beauty of this Art Deco masterpiece.
For Walter P. Chrysler, from the car manufacturer, building the tallest building in the world was a status symbol. The Chrysler Building was in a race with the Bank of Manhattan (now 40 Wall Street) for obtaining the title of tallest building in the world. It looked like the Bank of Manhattan would win the race, with an expected height of 282 meters (927ft) to around 230 meters for the Chrysler Building. But the spire of the Chrysler Building was constructed in secret inside the tower.
Just one week after the Bank of Manhattan had topped out, the spire of the Chrysler Building was put in place, making it 318 meters (1045ft) tall, thus beating the Bank of Manhattan as the tallest building in the world. It would not keep this title for long: one year later the Empire State Building was erected.
The Chrysler building is one of the last skyscrapers in the Art Deco style. The gargoyles depict Chrysler car ornaments and the spire is modeled on a radiator grille. Since it was restored in 1996 it glitters again like it must have in the 1930s.
And the building's Art Deco interior is even more magnificent than its exterior. The marble floors and many Art Deco patterns such as on the stylish elevator doors make the Chrysler Building one of New York's most beautiful office towers.
The artworks on the ceilings were originally painted on canvas by artist Edward Trumbull. The paintings are called, "Transport and Human Endeavor" and were cemented to the lobby ceiling. At the time of completion tis was the largest mural in the world and featured buildings, airplanes, and scenes from the Chrysler assembly line, as the Chrysler building itself.
My travel buddy Max liked the beautiful Christmas tree the best! Poor Yasemin was back in our apartment with a fever.
I can only imagine how fantastic it would be to go to work in this building everyday!
The time that I have both dreaded and blocked out has arrived. We are leaving.
I don't know exactly how it happened but it bloody hurt! Last Thursday morning I fell down a flight of stairs in a most undignified manner. My legs were cut, bruised and swollen. As I sat in the Nurse's office with ice bags on my legs I cried. All the emotion of having to pack up and say goodbye to my colleague's at two schools. The emotion of saying farewell to the sweet children I teach. Accepting that the special friendships we have made will most likely end due to the distance between America and Australia. I was in shock and this combined with all the pressure involved with leaving signalled the opening of the floodgates.
I was feeling very emotional and overwhelmed when I woke on Friday morning but also grateful not to have to go to work as I was home on workers compensation leave.
Then I heard the terrible news - that On December 14, 2012, a gunman killed twenty children and six adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the Sandy Hook village of Newtown, Connecticut, before committing suicide.
I sat and cried while watching the event unfold on television. It has deeply upset me. As an elementary school teacher in the US with two young children, my heart aches for the parents of these children and the other innocent people who died. I watched desperate, panicked parents looking for their children, waiting outside for the news that their children were still alive. I watched as youngsters at the kindergarten-through-fourth-grade school exited the building with their eyes closed so that they wouldn’t see the bodies, blood and broken glass. I watched as little children the same ages as my own children,were escorted through a parking lot in a line, hands on each other’s shoulders.
I felt proud to be a teacher as I learnt of the brave and courageous decisions that saved the lives of many innocent children at Sandy Hooke.
I sat and watched President Obama deliver an emotional and powerful speech, and I continued to cry.
Throughout my year abroad I have regularly been asked about the differences between America and Australia.
I have one answer - GUNS!
I am thankful for Australia's gun laws. I have been shocked and am tired of hearing that Americans have the constitutional right to bear arms. I suggest these people read the Second Amendment to the constitution which says: ''A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.'' Gun owners always fail to mention the need for a well-regulated militia.
It feels like the world has gone crazy! I am stunned and appalled that so many in the US believe the solution to prevent mass shootings in schools is to simply arm teachers. Surely less guns and not more guns is obvious the answer!
When my children ask about this tragedy I am going to tell them that we are going home to Australia, to a country that cares more about their children then an individuals right to bear arms!
Our dear friend Susan generously organised for Garry and I to spend a day learning how to fly fish on the South Platte river in Colorado. This was an incredibly kind farewell gift because she also was minding Yasemin and Max so we could enjoy the day child free!
We left early on Sunday morning to meet our guide, Dave. We headed to the popular area know as Deckers. Deckers is an area situated along The South Platte River, considered s a Gold Medal Western trout river on the Eastern Slope of Colorado. The river is well known for its wild trophy population of Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout. As a result of the close proximity to Denver, the river sees thousands of fly fishing enthusiasts each year. With seven dams on the river, the South Platte is considered a tailwater fishery.
I knew it was going to be a great day when we spotted two Bald Eagles flying in the sky from the car. Dave has a number of favorite spots he favors and we went in search of one free from fellow anglers. When we found a suitable spot we started to layer up. It was not a warm day, and the previous night had dusted the area with fresh snow - the water was super cold! Thick wool socks, thermals covered by Marino wool clothing followed by fleeces which were then covered by waders and boots were hopefully going to keep us warm. Dave thoughtfully provided Garry and I with hand warmers - which he placed inside the fingerless I was wearing. These were fantastic!
We were fishing catch and release, which in my mind eased the pressure because we didn't need to catch our dinner. We started the day learning the finer points of casting, mending the line and striking. Garry and I were enjoying the beautiful landscape while working on practicing the basic fishing skills and focusing on assisting the little white indicator to float down stream as naturally as possible. This was more difficult than it sounds and I was beginning to understand why Fly Fishing is recognized as a sport.
The water was freezing and it was not long before we couldn't feel our toes but we ignored the pain because we were truly having a great time. I actually was so busy concentrating on my technique that sometimes I forgot we were out to catch fish! Then all of a sudden Garry landed the first fish of the day - a lovely looking Brown Trout.
We continued on and we both had a number of bites but no more luck landing any fish. The best feeling was to get into the car and thaw my feet on our way to another fishing spot. This place was even more beautiful than the first! Susan was great with the kids and they had all kinds of fun playing in the snow on the riverbank.
Being the competitor that I am, I was determined to catch a fish because Garry did! Dave was great to have as he was always checking our techniques, changing the line weights and adjusting lures. While Dave was helping me Garry hooked a second Trout which he didn't land. I couldn't believe it - now I was more determined than ever and then it happened! But it became the fish that got away story. I didn't release the line quickly enough and the line broke. The enormous trout jumped out of the water and swam away with my lure. Bummer!
Eventually my patience was rewarded and I landed a rainbow trout. It was a great moment as Susan, Yasemin and Max cheered from the rivers edge. The obligatory photo will appear asap when Dave emails it to me.
We woke today in the literally freezing weather. We lit the fire and packed up - it was so cold that the minute amount of water in the washing up tub actually turned into a sheet of ice in less than 15 minutes. It was bloody cold!
On our way out of the park our first stop was at the Ranger Station so that Max could collect his Junior Ranger Badge. Max has made a huge effort this year and earned a Junior Ranger badge in every National park we visited. This was the last badge that Max will be able to collect in America and he was still thrilled to earn it! He proudly pinned it to his chest and wore it with pride. I hope that one day both Max and Yasemin will be able to look back on our adventure this year with joy and will be reminded of our incredible journey each time they look at all the badges they collected.
Our next stop was at the ghost town called Cisco. Cisco was made famous in Thelma and Louise, so I figured it was worth a quick stop. But what a truly eerie place!
The following store is where the scene in the movie was shot. The man Susan Sarandon was talking with was a real resident of Cisco during the time of filming, but has since died. The store is not open but it clear that someone is living inside.
I was still in disbelief that Cisco actually has residents when we continued our drive home. Our next stop was at Glenwood Hot Springs. This was a fantastic way to break up the trip and soothe sore muscles from yesterdays big hikes. We arrived just as the sun was setting and throughly enjoyed our soak in the natural spring water.
We had spent the last few days driving backwards and forwards past the area in Arches known as The Fiery Furnace and each time I was captivated by the amazing landscape.
We gamely set off on a Ranger Guided tour of The Fiery Furnace! I was slightly apprehensive because when I booked the tickets for this tour the Ranger was very clear that Everyone attending the tour should be aware of the demanding nature of this hike and properly equipped for current conditions. During the hike, participants must walk and climb on irregular and broken sandstone, along narrow ledges above drop-offs, and in loose sand. There are gaps which must be jumped and narrow places that you must squeeze into and pull yourself up and through. In some of these places, you must hold yourself off the ground by pushing against the sandstone walls with your hands and feet. Due to the maze-like nature of the terrain, all participants are committed to completing the hike once they enter the Fiery Furnace. She was particularly concerned about Max's age as five is the youngest they allow and even this age it is with hesitation.
Max was entranced with Ranger Mike from the start and became his shadow.
Walking through these formations was fabulous. At times the light was also perfect.
I am not sure what all the worry was about, because even though we experienced some tight squeezes and walked on some high ledges we all found the walk very non-threatening.
We were on the walk for roughly three and a half hours and at the end I was tired but the kids handled it really well. It was lovely sharing the walk with them and our dear friend, Susan.
A great end to another perfect day - we returned to our campsite as the sun was starting to set. I'm not sure if its because this is was to be the last National Park we visit or if its simply watching the colour on the rocks as the sun sets, but we all agreed that Arches is one of our most favorite places.
