Saturday, August 24

It has been nearly three weeks since I posted.  How do I ever remember everything I wish to say.

I tried repeatedly to get online while out of town and kept getting a really weird error message.  I guess Blogger just didn't like my trying to post from a different computer.

First, news about Cowboy.  I went to see him on Wednesday and again today.  Both times he was in good spirits and very much "present".  He continues to eat well, sleep well and is not in any pain (other than the usual old age aches and pains, of course).

I talked to him about every third day while gone.  The first time, he asked the home to call me so he could talk to me.  He got on the phone and proceeded to tell me I needed to find this dog, get the number out of his mouth and get it to the police so they could get it "to the right people".  None of it made any sense at all.  I just tried to humor him and assure him I would take care of it.  He was a bit agitated.

I called him a couple of days later and he talked to me like he knew who I was and then a couple of minutes later he talked like I was someone else altogether.  He was really concerned that I was in North Carolina, he had no way to reach me and he needed to know if I needed anything.  He also told me he had troops in South Carolina on a training mission and he couldn't contact them and didn't know if they had everything they needed.  He complained about not being able to get to them.

On another occasion he was concerned because he was trying to train some people to use the "SOS System" and they were not getting it.  He seemed frustrated and concerned.

The staff told me he was confused a good deal of the time lately but otherwise was doing fine.

I had a really nice trip, for the most part.  The airlines ran on time, no problems with the bus that took us to NYC.  The weather in upstate New York was in the 80's during the day and in the 60's at night.  Very pleasant.  My daughter and I did a number of things.  We took a day and made a "wine tour" along Seneca Lake.  Had a nice lunch and saw a lot of beautiful scenery.  On two occasions while I was there her daughter and her daughter's son came to visit and we celebrated his birthday.  On another day we went to her husband's parents home, where all of his family was gathered, for a cookout and to celebrate a nephew's birthday.  They are a lovely and close knit family.  They have all lived close to one another for generations.

We spent quite a few hours picking and snapping green beans on the deck and picking tomatoes, onions and cucumbers.  This was followed by a full day of putting up pickles.  It provided some good mother daughter time.

We went to New York City for four days.  We went to the 9/11 Memorial, up to the top of the Empire State Building, out to see the Statue of Liberty, went to see the Blue Man Group, ate hot dogs from the street vendors (terrible hot dogs!) got lost in the subway system, also had a couple of nice meals. On Sunday we took a horse drawn carriage ride in Central Park and then went to the zoo. It was a beautiful day.   My daughter's oldest son and his daughter joined us for part of the time we were in the city and then they joined his girlfriend for a couple more days after we left.  I would have liked to make a Broadway show but thinking back, I was too tired at the end of the day to do that so best we didn't get tickets.  It was hot and humid in the city and we returned to the hotel each afternoon soaked in sweat and exhausted from all the walking.

I would say the city is like no other place.  Big, noisy, dirty and crowded and yet ts has a feel that is stimulating and fascinating.    You hear all kinds of languages spoken on the street.  Some of the people you meet up with are kind and courteous but a large number of them are rude, in too much of a hurry and generally unpleasant.  I don't think I could live in such a place.

Chinatown and Little Italy were a big disappointment.  My daughter loves to shop and loves a bargain, but there was nothing there but a bunch of cheap junk.  Knock off handbags, bejeweled cell phone covers and T-shirts.  Not at all like in Vancouver or Seattle.  Maybe they have changed and are now the same.  It has been about 12 years since I was on the west coast.

The hotel was very nice, right across the street from the Bus terminal which made it easy to manage our bags and get settled, etc.  and to leave the city when our visit was done.

We have a plan to do it again next year and hit the museums, the overhead walkway, a Broadway show and spend more time at Macy's  (it is 9 stories and a full block of shopping, what's not to like?).    We may even build in an opportunity to go to Atlantic City, although that is a ways down the coast.