Just Joan and Al: Start Spreading The News...

I love New York! Allison and I went there to celebrate her graduation. We did every touristy thing you could imagine. Her main wish was to get a Coach bag knock-off from a street vendor. We even managed to bargain for the purse of her dreams. We heard and saw almost every nationality you could imagine. We ate pretzels and hot dogs from a street vendor. We ate at Carmines after seeing “Wicked” on Broadway. We ate at a trendy East Side Tratorria. We ate at a real NY diner. I am lucky not to be 500-pound monster by the time we left. We toured on a double-decker bus. The Top of the Rock gave us a 360-degree look over the city. I was amazed at how clean it was. We now have memorial seats on the LIRR having spent so much money going back and forth to get from LI to the city. I was getting train-butt. By the 3rd trip I couldn’t walk anymore. My leg was not liking the 40-degree weather. My sister and I stayed home and Alli went to Central Park and the Museum of Natural History with my niece Jennifer and her children.We kept putting off going Ellis Island hoping the weather improved. But it was not to be. Well we thought the consolation of going in the rain would be no long waits. Well, that was not to be either. I think everyone else had the same idea. We did get to see the ground zero progress. The last time I was there was with Rachael and we went into the Towers. So sad, now there is just a hole. Anyway, I love the movie that you see at Ellis Island that tells a little about the immigrants. If you did not look like you could work or had any infirmity they sent you back. Even children over 11 could be sent back alone if their parents refused to go back with them. Imagine doing that. And many did, so strong was the lure to come here.Besides the sights, we got to visit with many family members and their dogs and cats, which are myriad! We also visited old neighborhoods. I post a few pictures. Actually a lot of pictures. Enjoy.
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