Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Boys 2, Dad 1
Boston is a very historical city, maybe the most historical city, with things to visit like the Freedom Trail, Bunker Hill, the USS Constitution, The Old North Church, among others. It is also a hands-on city, with things like the Aquarium and the Museum of Science. It is also a beautiful city, with things like Boston Common and The Charles. So, you may be asking yourself, what did the Volks do in their one full day in Boston? Answer - D, none of the above. We basically spent the day at Fenway, and it was perfect (well, almost perfect, the Red Sox couldn't hit their way out of a paper bag and lost 4-0).
We got out of the hotel around 9:30, and walked a few blocks for a nice casual breakfast, then walked the 20 minutes or so to Fenway, arriving there a little after 11:30 for a 1:35 game. The hope was to watch batting practice. But since the Sox and Rays played a doubleheader yesterday, they skipped batting practice. So we found our seats and grabbed some gourmet lunches at the concession stand that was behind us. A little background on the seats. Before the season begins, the Red Sox hold a lottery for the right to buy certain types of tickets - Opening Day, Green Monster seats, Right Field Table seats. I enter every year, and every year I get the "thanks, but no thanks" email. But this year I was chosen for the Right Field Table seats. When it came time for me to buy the tickets online, I looked at the schedule and found a Red Sox - Yankees game on Aug. 30 and bought 4 tickets (all that you are allowed with this type of ticket - I figured I would buy a single seat for the 5th ticket). I then assumed that we would work our trip this summer around being in Boston on the 30th. However, we learned later on that we had to be back home by the 29th, and we would not be able to use these tickets. So I called my brother's ticket guy, and worked out a swap where I sent him my 4 tickets (that he valued at $200/ticket) for 5 tickets that he valued at $160/ticket. I told him that it was a day game, and if possible I'd like to be under the overhang in case it was very hot (and it was). He said he would take care of me and sent me the tickets.
Well, we were covered from the sun alright, but there was a slight issue with the seats, especially one of them. See if you can figure out what is missing from this picture, taken from Seat 5 (we had seats 1-5):
If you guessed "the batter" you win! $160/ticket, and we can't see the batter. I kind of wished that the pole was blocking John Lackey, but no luck there. While she was still interested in the game (about 3 innings), Amanda sat on my lap in Seat 2 so she could see the batter. Eventually she stopped caring and went back to her seat.
[Now Part 1 of the food portion of today's blog] During and before the game, collectively we ate/drank: two hamburgers, chicken fingers with fries, an Italian Sausage, 3 lemonades and 5 bottles of water. I think the food bill was higher than the cost of the tickets. Oh well, welcome to the big leagues.
I have to say, other than the fact that we were in Fenway, the game itself was a little boring. Not a lot of hits, and the most exciting thing was when Jacoby Ellsbury was caught in a run-down between 3rd and home. That woke Debbie up. When the game ended, we learned that they were going to allow kids to run the bases, so we headed to the "corral" and waiting for our turn. Eventually they led us onto the field through the centerfield door, and we walked around the warning track to first base, where the kids then took off from 1st to home (having trouble uploading pictures, so I may have to do it in a 2nd post).
After they were done, the kids decided they wanted to head back to Quincy Market for dinner. They are nothing if not consistent. We hopped back on the T (veterans by now) and got to Quincy Market around 6:30. After once again surveying the options, Amanda opted for a gourmet cheese quesadilla, Brian went with the chicken terriaki that Amanda and Ethan has last night, Ethan went with a bread bowl of clam chowder, Debbie just had clam chowder and I had another lobster roll. After the mandatory ice cream dessert, we decided to head back to the hotel to de-schvitz and get some rest. But as we were leaving Quincy Market with our ice creams, the boys spotted one of their camp counselors sitting inside. He was in Brian's age group, but the other group, and was one of the tennis counselors. Brian said hi and we headed outside to eat. While outside, Ethan then spotted the head of his part of camp, Brenda, with her family watching a street performer near where we were going to sit. So, both boys went over and said hi and I took a picture that, if I remember, I will send to the camp for their newsletter. Last night I saw someone I knew, and tonight they saw two people, so they are winning, for now! After making sure there was no one else in the crowd that they knew, we got back on the T and went back to the hotel for the night.
Tomorrow, mostly a driving day to Syracuse, with stops at the can't miss Bed, Bath & Beyond and, time permitting, the International Boxing Hall of Fame outside of Syracuse. I am guessing that, other than me, most will rank that Hall of Fame only slightly higher than the Country Music Hall of Fame, but you never know.
We got out of the hotel around 9:30, and walked a few blocks for a nice casual breakfast, then walked the 20 minutes or so to Fenway, arriving there a little after 11:30 for a 1:35 game. The hope was to watch batting practice. But since the Sox and Rays played a doubleheader yesterday, they skipped batting practice. So we found our seats and grabbed some gourmet lunches at the concession stand that was behind us. A little background on the seats. Before the season begins, the Red Sox hold a lottery for the right to buy certain types of tickets - Opening Day, Green Monster seats, Right Field Table seats. I enter every year, and every year I get the "thanks, but no thanks" email. But this year I was chosen for the Right Field Table seats. When it came time for me to buy the tickets online, I looked at the schedule and found a Red Sox - Yankees game on Aug. 30 and bought 4 tickets (all that you are allowed with this type of ticket - I figured I would buy a single seat for the 5th ticket). I then assumed that we would work our trip this summer around being in Boston on the 30th. However, we learned later on that we had to be back home by the 29th, and we would not be able to use these tickets. So I called my brother's ticket guy, and worked out a swap where I sent him my 4 tickets (that he valued at $200/ticket) for 5 tickets that he valued at $160/ticket. I told him that it was a day game, and if possible I'd like to be under the overhang in case it was very hot (and it was). He said he would take care of me and sent me the tickets.
Well, we were covered from the sun alright, but there was a slight issue with the seats, especially one of them. See if you can figure out what is missing from this picture, taken from Seat 5 (we had seats 1-5):
If you guessed "the batter" you win! $160/ticket, and we can't see the batter. I kind of wished that the pole was blocking John Lackey, but no luck there. While she was still interested in the game (about 3 innings), Amanda sat on my lap in Seat 2 so she could see the batter. Eventually she stopped caring and went back to her seat.
[Now Part 1 of the food portion of today's blog] During and before the game, collectively we ate/drank: two hamburgers, chicken fingers with fries, an Italian Sausage, 3 lemonades and 5 bottles of water. I think the food bill was higher than the cost of the tickets. Oh well, welcome to the big leagues.
I have to say, other than the fact that we were in Fenway, the game itself was a little boring. Not a lot of hits, and the most exciting thing was when Jacoby Ellsbury was caught in a run-down between 3rd and home. That woke Debbie up. When the game ended, we learned that they were going to allow kids to run the bases, so we headed to the "corral" and waiting for our turn. Eventually they led us onto the field through the centerfield door, and we walked around the warning track to first base, where the kids then took off from 1st to home (having trouble uploading pictures, so I may have to do it in a 2nd post).
After they were done, the kids decided they wanted to head back to Quincy Market for dinner. They are nothing if not consistent. We hopped back on the T (veterans by now) and got to Quincy Market around 6:30. After once again surveying the options, Amanda opted for a gourmet cheese quesadilla, Brian went with the chicken terriaki that Amanda and Ethan has last night, Ethan went with a bread bowl of clam chowder, Debbie just had clam chowder and I had another lobster roll. After the mandatory ice cream dessert, we decided to head back to the hotel to de-schvitz and get some rest. But as we were leaving Quincy Market with our ice creams, the boys spotted one of their camp counselors sitting inside. He was in Brian's age group, but the other group, and was one of the tennis counselors. Brian said hi and we headed outside to eat. While outside, Ethan then spotted the head of his part of camp, Brenda, with her family watching a street performer near where we were going to sit. So, both boys went over and said hi and I took a picture that, if I remember, I will send to the camp for their newsletter. Last night I saw someone I knew, and tonight they saw two people, so they are winning, for now! After making sure there was no one else in the crowd that they knew, we got back on the T and went back to the hotel for the night.
Tomorrow, mostly a driving day to Syracuse, with stops at the can't miss Bed, Bath & Beyond and, time permitting, the International Boxing Hall of Fame outside of Syracuse. I am guessing that, other than me, most will rank that Hall of Fame only slightly higher than the Country Music Hall of Fame, but you never know.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
DOH!
There were many possible titles to this first blog entry of "Volkapalooza 2011" but as you will understand later, "DOH!" seemed the most appropriate. Other possible titles included "And Awaaaaay We Go!" or "On The Road Again" or "Stand By, We Are Having Technical Difficulties" or "Back To The Future" or finally, "All About Amanda." When you are done with this entry you can decide if I chose the right one.
We started out the journey this year at around noon today. Which, frankly, is a moral victory for us. Usually when we say we are leaving as soon as we can, the proverbial #$*& hits the fan, and we end up leaving way later than we wanted to. But this time, we were relatively organized the night before, and despite some frantic last minute additions to the suitcases (and my last minute shower because I STANK after loading everything up), we were on our way.
This year we stepped up and bought a Verizon Mifi, instead of the single user USB card we used last year. And (I will do my best as we go along not to constantly compare to last year) we jumped right into the "More Than Paper On Wheels" mode and set up the printer from the get-go. The plan was for Debbie to process as many orders as she could on the 4 hour or so ride to Boston. The was the plan. For the first hour or so she ended up on the phone with Verizon trying to figure out why her laptop would spontaneously try to kick itself into sleep mode. It was quite annoying, and despite some helpful customer support people (hear that AT&T?), we never really got an answer. She finally ended up changing some power settings and it seemed to solve the problem. By this time, we were about half way to Boston.
We stopped for lunch at a soup, salad and sandwich place somewhere in CT, on the Merritt/Wilber Cross just before 91, then were back on the road and she was ready to print orders and get ahead of the game so we wouldn't have to work late. But NOOOOOO, the printer wouldn't print. By now she was wiped out and made the smart decision to take a nap.
While packing, Amanda decided she wanted to bring her American Girl doll along. Debbie wondered if there were any American Girl stores along the trip, and sure enough there was one in Natick, MA, just before we get to Boston. So, the very first stop on our journey was at the American Girl Store in Natick. Amanda wanted to get her doll's hair done, but there was a 60+ minute wait, so (after drying some tears - Amanda's, not her doll's), we convinced her to just get two outfits instead of one. So, Amanda and her doll are now the proud owners of matching PJs.
We got back on the road and arrived in Boston around 5:00. We are staying at the Marriott Copley, which allows to walk or take the T anywhere we want to go. [OK, here is where you will learn about the today's title] I pulled into the driveway and left everyone in the car while I checked in. During the check-in process, the person asked me if I prefered a king bed or two doubles. I asked about the size of the room and if there was a pull-out couch. As there was not going to be a pull-out couch in the room, the only logical thing was to get two doubles, and then use the air bed for the other child. [Here it comes] But then I realized, to my great chagrin, that the reason that I felt that we had more room in the trunk to fit all of the luggage was because we had forgotten to pack the air bed. DOH! So, at least for the next two nights one of the kids will be camping on the floor. There is a Bed, Bath and Beyond on our way out of town, so we will have to pick one up on Thursday.
After getting into the room, we decided to head to Quincy Market for dinner. Ethan had gone there during camp and really wanted to go again, and show us around. We took the T down there, and let Ethan show us the way, despite all of the times I had been there as a kid/teenager. After walking the food aisle, Amanda and Ethan opted for chicken terriaki, and Brian, Debbie and I decided to have food from the "Chowda" place. I left Debbie with Ethan and Amanda, and Brian and I headed to get our food. As we were walking there, a guy in a suit passed me. We both did a double take, and I came up with it first. It was Sammy Pollack, a high school friend of mine (he was a year ahead of me). He wasn't a close friend, but we certainly knew each other well. We said our hellos, did a quick catch-up on the "where do you live, how many kids, etc. thing" and we went our separate ways.
We all got our food (Debbie and I shared clam chowder - New England, of course - and a lobster roll), and sat down for what could once again be about 2 weeks of food orgies. After eating we strolled around, and Brian and Amanda got new hats. After the mandatory desserts, we headed back on the T to go back to the hotel.
After once again dealing with printing issues, we were back in business with More Than Paper, while the kids did a little reading and went to bed.
All in all, quite a busy first day. Tomorrow I am not 100% sure what we are doing in the morning. Maybe the Aquarium or the Science Museum. Will depend on when we get out of the room. Because at 1:35 we will all be sitting in Fenway Park as the rest of my family enjoys their very first home Red Sox game. Can't wait.
We started out the journey this year at around noon today. Which, frankly, is a moral victory for us. Usually when we say we are leaving as soon as we can, the proverbial #$*& hits the fan, and we end up leaving way later than we wanted to. But this time, we were relatively organized the night before, and despite some frantic last minute additions to the suitcases (and my last minute shower because I STANK after loading everything up), we were on our way.
This year we stepped up and bought a Verizon Mifi, instead of the single user USB card we used last year. And (I will do my best as we go along not to constantly compare to last year) we jumped right into the "More Than Paper On Wheels" mode and set up the printer from the get-go. The plan was for Debbie to process as many orders as she could on the 4 hour or so ride to Boston. The was the plan. For the first hour or so she ended up on the phone with Verizon trying to figure out why her laptop would spontaneously try to kick itself into sleep mode. It was quite annoying, and despite some helpful customer support people (hear that AT&T?), we never really got an answer. She finally ended up changing some power settings and it seemed to solve the problem. By this time, we were about half way to Boston.
We stopped for lunch at a soup, salad and sandwich place somewhere in CT, on the Merritt/Wilber Cross just before 91, then were back on the road and she was ready to print orders and get ahead of the game so we wouldn't have to work late. But NOOOOOO, the printer wouldn't print. By now she was wiped out and made the smart decision to take a nap.
While packing, Amanda decided she wanted to bring her American Girl doll along. Debbie wondered if there were any American Girl stores along the trip, and sure enough there was one in Natick, MA, just before we get to Boston. So, the very first stop on our journey was at the American Girl Store in Natick. Amanda wanted to get her doll's hair done, but there was a 60+ minute wait, so (after drying some tears - Amanda's, not her doll's), we convinced her to just get two outfits instead of one. So, Amanda and her doll are now the proud owners of matching PJs.
We got back on the road and arrived in Boston around 5:00. We are staying at the Marriott Copley, which allows to walk or take the T anywhere we want to go. [OK, here is where you will learn about the today's title] I pulled into the driveway and left everyone in the car while I checked in. During the check-in process, the person asked me if I prefered a king bed or two doubles. I asked about the size of the room and if there was a pull-out couch. As there was not going to be a pull-out couch in the room, the only logical thing was to get two doubles, and then use the air bed for the other child. [Here it comes] But then I realized, to my great chagrin, that the reason that I felt that we had more room in the trunk to fit all of the luggage was because we had forgotten to pack the air bed. DOH! So, at least for the next two nights one of the kids will be camping on the floor. There is a Bed, Bath and Beyond on our way out of town, so we will have to pick one up on Thursday.
After getting into the room, we decided to head to Quincy Market for dinner. Ethan had gone there during camp and really wanted to go again, and show us around. We took the T down there, and let Ethan show us the way, despite all of the times I had been there as a kid/teenager. After walking the food aisle, Amanda and Ethan opted for chicken terriaki, and Brian, Debbie and I decided to have food from the "Chowda" place. I left Debbie with Ethan and Amanda, and Brian and I headed to get our food. As we were walking there, a guy in a suit passed me. We both did a double take, and I came up with it first. It was Sammy Pollack, a high school friend of mine (he was a year ahead of me). He wasn't a close friend, but we certainly knew each other well. We said our hellos, did a quick catch-up on the "where do you live, how many kids, etc. thing" and we went our separate ways.
We all got our food (Debbie and I shared clam chowder - New England, of course - and a lobster roll), and sat down for what could once again be about 2 weeks of food orgies. After eating we strolled around, and Brian and Amanda got new hats. After the mandatory desserts, we headed back on the T to go back to the hotel.
After once again dealing with printing issues, we were back in business with More Than Paper, while the kids did a little reading and went to bed.
All in all, quite a busy first day. Tomorrow I am not 100% sure what we are doing in the morning. Maybe the Aquarium or the Science Museum. Will depend on when we get out of the room. Because at 1:35 we will all be sitting in Fenway Park as the rest of my family enjoys their very first home Red Sox game. Can't wait.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Reality Bites
I spent the past 3 weeks blogging about our adventure - the fun we had, the sites we saw and the (vast amounts of) food we ate. It was all lighthearted and funny. However, today reality set in, on so many levels.
Debbie spent most of the day in the kitchen making 64 pieces of gefilte fish for the upcoming New Year (the house has the smell and I have the heartburn from the smell to prove it). Ethan and Brian spent a good part of the day doing the summer homework they needed to complete (nothing like the last minute). Amanda got in her last licks of excessive TV watching. And I resumed my weekly trips to Whole Foods, with extra stops at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Waldbaum's for gefilte fish-related items. We also spent part of the evening organizing the kids' backpacks for the first day of school tomorrow and figuring out what clothes fit for the holidays.
But the biggest slap in the reality face came early this afternoon when Marc called me from the ballfield to tell me that Lou Messina, someone I had coached against at Merillon (and who had at one point coached both of the boys) had passed away. Evidently, he had a stroke last week, was doing better, but then something happened and he passed away today. It was quite a shock to me, as while I didn't really know Lou off the field, on the field I liked him a lot. He was always positive, and was very involved with his two boys, who were both a year or so younger than our boys.
We told the boys this evening about Lou, and they were both sad to hear the news. Brian immediately went onto the Merillon web site, but then we got busy with the organizing and we didn't talk any more about it. That is, until we tucked Brian into bed and he began to cry. I asked what was wrong and he didn't want to talk about it, saying it would make him sad to talk about it. We asked if it was about Lou, and he said yes. I think it was as much about Lou himself as it was about the idea of losing one of us. We sat with him for a while, then he started to close his eyes. Debbie had to go check on Amanda for something, and I asked Brian if he wanted me to lie with him. He did. So, for the next 30+ minutes I stayed with him, until he was almost asleep. I hadn't done that since he was a baby, but he needed it.
This is just another reason why we have to live life to the fullest. You never know when reality will come bite you in the ass.
R.I.P. Lou. We will all miss you.
Debbie spent most of the day in the kitchen making 64 pieces of gefilte fish for the upcoming New Year (the house has the smell and I have the heartburn from the smell to prove it). Ethan and Brian spent a good part of the day doing the summer homework they needed to complete (nothing like the last minute). Amanda got in her last licks of excessive TV watching. And I resumed my weekly trips to Whole Foods, with extra stops at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Waldbaum's for gefilte fish-related items. We also spent part of the evening organizing the kids' backpacks for the first day of school tomorrow and figuring out what clothes fit for the holidays.
But the biggest slap in the reality face came early this afternoon when Marc called me from the ballfield to tell me that Lou Messina, someone I had coached against at Merillon (and who had at one point coached both of the boys) had passed away. Evidently, he had a stroke last week, was doing better, but then something happened and he passed away today. It was quite a shock to me, as while I didn't really know Lou off the field, on the field I liked him a lot. He was always positive, and was very involved with his two boys, who were both a year or so younger than our boys.
We told the boys this evening about Lou, and they were both sad to hear the news. Brian immediately went onto the Merillon web site, but then we got busy with the organizing and we didn't talk any more about it. That is, until we tucked Brian into bed and he began to cry. I asked what was wrong and he didn't want to talk about it, saying it would make him sad to talk about it. We asked if it was about Lou, and he said yes. I think it was as much about Lou himself as it was about the idea of losing one of us. We sat with him for a while, then he started to close his eyes. Debbie had to go check on Amanda for something, and I asked Brian if he wanted me to lie with him. He did. So, for the next 30+ minutes I stayed with him, until he was almost asleep. I hadn't done that since he was a baby, but he needed it.
This is just another reason why we have to live life to the fullest. You never know when reality will come bite you in the ass.
R.I.P. Lou. We will all miss you.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Day 20 - Home At Last
Well, we are home. We left Philly around 10:45 this morning, and got home a little after 1:00 this afternoon. It was an amazing, enjoyable trip. We are all quite tired and glad to be home, but it was all worth it. The kids already are talking about not waiting for Brian's bar mitzvah to do another trip like this one. While there were some moments of frustration, the kids overall were excellent on the trip. They made it through the many hours in the car with few, if any, problems. We had the routine down to a science by the end, including the way the car was packed and unpacked, where everyone sat, and how the Mobile Command Center was set up. It was surprisingly efficient.
Now it is back to reality, and a blog-free lifestyle, at least until the next adventure. Thanks to anyone that read this along the way. It really was just meant to be a way for me to get the events of each day down in writing before they were forgotten and blurred with events from other days. But I enjoyed writing it.
'Til we blog again.
Now it is back to reality, and a blog-free lifestyle, at least until the next adventure. Thanks to anyone that read this along the way. It really was just meant to be a way for me to get the events of each day down in writing before they were forgotten and blurred with events from other days. But I enjoyed writing it.
'Til we blog again.
The Trip - By The Numbers
Here is a quick summary of key figures from the trip:
- 20 - Days away
- 3,310.8 - Miles driven
- 1,642 - Pictures taken
- 12 - States visited or passed through (NY, NJ, PA, WV, OH, KY, TN, MO, AR, IA, IL, IN)
- 11 - States Brian and Amanda were awake in (they slept through all of WV)
- 10 - Hotels we stayed in
- 62 - Hours the kids (read: Ethan) watched movies
- 80 - Clocked speed I was driving when pulled over by OH State Trooper (only got a warning)
- 70 - Maximum speed I drove the rest of the time in OH
- 2 - Toilets clogged
- 1 - Toilets clogged so badly the hotel had to give us the key to the vacant room next door
- 36 - Cheeseburgers eaten by Amanda
- 1 - New holidays created (Solderkkah)
- 45 - Minutes in line for Dragster ride in Cedar Point
- 120 - MPH the Dragster ride achieved in about 2 seconds
- 17 - Total seconds for the Dragster ride
- 4 - Halls of Fame visited (Country Music, Rock 'n Roll, College Football, Pro Football)
- 3 - Halls of Fame we were all glad we visited (Rock 'n Roll, College Football, Pro Football)
- 460 - Orders processed for More Than Paper
- 219 - Times either Debbie or I said to the kids "Stop it!" "Please stop it" or "C'mon Guys!"
- 25 - Tropicana Juicy Rewards points used to save money at musuems and tours
- 1 - Truly Gluten-free meal eaten by Debbie (Jimmy John's in South Bend)
- 3 - Colleges visited (Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Penn)
- 1 - Colleges that we visited that our kids will attend (Penn)
- 2 - Trips to Staples to buy more toner
- 694 - Pit stops taken while driving
- 694 - Times Amanda went with me to the bathroom during a pit stop
- 2 - Great Neck friends ran into at Penn
- 1 - Restaurant where they threw rolls to you from 30+ feet away
- 7,985,125 - Calories I consumed during trip
- 7,985,125 - Coincidentally, also my current cholesterol level
- 2 - Major League baseball games attended (Pittsburgh, Cleveland)
- 2 - Minor League baseball games attended (Harrisburg, Williamsport)
- 4 - Home teams that played like Minor League Teams (Harrisburg, Williamsport, Pittsburgh, Cleveland)
- 5 - People who enjoyed the trip, but are glad to be home
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Day 19 - The Final Day
After 18 days of traveling half of the country, today was the last day away from home. We spent most of the day at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. And when I say most, I mean we got there around 10:30 and left when the place closed at 5:00. Debbie and I spent 4 years of our lives in Philly, and neither of us had ever been there except for a Phi Sig formal in 1990. The kids loved it there. There were so many hands-on exhibits, dealing with things like the Earth (where you could do your own weather report), Electricity, Trains, Planes, Sports, Gravity, etc. There was also a planetarium, which turned out to be an excellent place for a nap.
When we were all done at the museum, we (stunningly) went to the gift shop to buy some of the most unnecessary items, then headed back to the hotel. One of the nice things about staying at an Embassy Suites, in addition to the large rooms and made to order breakfasts, is that they have a complimentary happy hour from 5-7 daily. So we stopped at the bar for some drinks and snacks.
Then it was off to the Penn campus. First stop was the Penn Bookstore. I have to be honest. The new book store (although I guess it's not so new anymore) is a nice Barnes & Noble, but I still prefer the old book store on Locust Walk. That was a true college book store. Anyway, we all bought Penn clothing, and then took a short walk on Locust Walk. I had to drop the book store haul in the car while the others headed to the button. I entered Locust Walk at 37th Street, and the button is around 34th or 35th Street. Maybe it's my age, or maybe it's the fetus I have growing in my uterus, but that walk seemed a lot longer today than it did 25 years ago.
After walking up to take the obligatory photo with Ben Franklin, we drove up to 41st and Walnut for Lee's Hoagies. I couldn't find a spot right near Lee's, so we ended up parking on 40th Street right near the McDonald's. In our time at Penn, this was not an area that I would park my car, or feel comfortable walking around with my kids. But today the place is terrific. There are a ton of new restaurants and stores, and there are Penn Police on every corner, and sometimes between corners also. We talked to one of them, and they are there 24/7. As a parent of 3 future Penn students (because I know my kids are reading this blog), it would make me feel very comfortable when they live at 219 S. 41st Street (Apt. D) in a few years.
And now for the food orgy portion of the blog. Lee's Hoagies was a tradition for Debbie and me when we were at Penn. Most of the time I got a tuna hoagie with lettuce and provolone, sometimes with onions and/or hot peppers. In a nod to my age, and the daily Prilosec I take, I eschewed the onions and/or hot peppers. I think the "Jan" hoagies were better (more tuna, more mayo in the tuna), but it was still very good. The kids seemed to enjoy them also, and got a kick out of seeing Debbie (and Auntie Allison) in some sorority composites on the wall.
Before heading back to South Street for a repeat performance at the yogurt store we went to last night, we decided to stroll down 40th Street to see if Smoke's was still there (it was) and what else was there. As we passed some people sitting at a Mexican restaurant (located where Uni-Mart used to be), Debbie did a double take and spun around. It was friends from Great Neck who also went to Penn (10 years older) and were moving in their daughter. Small world.
We then headed to South Street for more yogurt (once again a big hit) and headed back to the hotel for the final night away from home. Nothing scheduled tomorrow other than driving home, and back to reality, and weeks and weeks of cereal for dinner.
When we were all done at the museum, we (stunningly) went to the gift shop to buy some of the most unnecessary items, then headed back to the hotel. One of the nice things about staying at an Embassy Suites, in addition to the large rooms and made to order breakfasts, is that they have a complimentary happy hour from 5-7 daily. So we stopped at the bar for some drinks and snacks.
Then it was off to the Penn campus. First stop was the Penn Bookstore. I have to be honest. The new book store (although I guess it's not so new anymore) is a nice Barnes & Noble, but I still prefer the old book store on Locust Walk. That was a true college book store. Anyway, we all bought Penn clothing, and then took a short walk on Locust Walk. I had to drop the book store haul in the car while the others headed to the button. I entered Locust Walk at 37th Street, and the button is around 34th or 35th Street. Maybe it's my age, or maybe it's the fetus I have growing in my uterus, but that walk seemed a lot longer today than it did 25 years ago.
After walking up to take the obligatory photo with Ben Franklin, we drove up to 41st and Walnut for Lee's Hoagies. I couldn't find a spot right near Lee's, so we ended up parking on 40th Street right near the McDonald's. In our time at Penn, this was not an area that I would park my car, or feel comfortable walking around with my kids. But today the place is terrific. There are a ton of new restaurants and stores, and there are Penn Police on every corner, and sometimes between corners also. We talked to one of them, and they are there 24/7. As a parent of 3 future Penn students (because I know my kids are reading this blog), it would make me feel very comfortable when they live at 219 S. 41st Street (Apt. D) in a few years.
And now for the food orgy portion of the blog. Lee's Hoagies was a tradition for Debbie and me when we were at Penn. Most of the time I got a tuna hoagie with lettuce and provolone, sometimes with onions and/or hot peppers. In a nod to my age, and the daily Prilosec I take, I eschewed the onions and/or hot peppers. I think the "Jan" hoagies were better (more tuna, more mayo in the tuna), but it was still very good. The kids seemed to enjoy them also, and got a kick out of seeing Debbie (and Auntie Allison) in some sorority composites on the wall.
Before heading back to South Street for a repeat performance at the yogurt store we went to last night, we decided to stroll down 40th Street to see if Smoke's was still there (it was) and what else was there. As we passed some people sitting at a Mexican restaurant (located where Uni-Mart used to be), Debbie did a double take and spun around. It was friends from Great Neck who also went to Penn (10 years older) and were moving in their daughter. Small world.
We then headed to South Street for more yogurt (once again a big hit) and headed back to the hotel for the final night away from home. Nothing scheduled tomorrow other than driving home, and back to reality, and weeks and weeks of cereal for dinner.
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