Away Team

MARVELOUS METS: In my seemingly never-ending attempt to recount our recent trip, I continue with the final activity of our last full day in New York, attending a New York Mets game.

We'd packed Mariners jerseys with this event in mind. So often when we go to Mariners games here at home, we'll see a family or people dressed in jerseys of teams that aren't even playing that night, and we've always supposed them city-proud travelers. It was our turn to be those people. ;)

We had looked at tickets ahead of time on Stub Hub and they were dirt cheap ($7 or so for the cheapest ones), but we had no way to print them out, so we went to the game without tickets.

The subway took us right to the stadium. How I love me some subway. ;)

We thought we might hit up a scalper, but as we approached the venue it became clear that the scalping laws in Seattle and New York are VERY different (there, it's apparently illegal). No scalpers near the stadium, and just one guy at the subway station whispering to us about tickets.

Let me tell you, we were treated like ROYALTY by everyone we met. Seriously. Everyone was SO darn nice. They saw our jerseys and took immediate interest in us and the fact that baseball fans so far from home were turning out for a Mets game. It was amazing.

Case in point, we were fumbling with the buy your own tickets kiosk and a Mets worker came up and tried to help and then quickly advised us NOT to buy four tickets, that kids were free that night. He walked us to a ticket window, introduced us to a customer service man, told him to get us the least expensive seats for four (that's what we wanted), and that's what we got. It was around $20 total.

It's worth noting, the stadium was absolutely lovely as we walked up. Picture perfect, you might say!

Once inside, a greeter had an inking we were new there, and mentioned highlights of things we should check out, including the Mets' Hall of Fame near the main entrance. We went right over.

There, we got to ogle TWO championship trophies. (That's two more than the Mariners' have.) They are gorgeous hardware, to be sure. Here's the Miracle Mets' trophy.  Isn't it pretty?

Annabelle noticed that one of the flags said the Seattle Pilots!

There was also a big statue of Mr. Met in the museum. My, what a big head he has!

Back out in the main entry area of the stadium, in the rotunda, there was a huge tribute to 42, Jackie Robinson. Nice!

We started walking around the stadium and taking it all in.

One of the first places we stopped in was little market that was like a mini grocery store in the stadium, with drinks, snacks and even (gasp!) fresh fruit. How refreshing!

Out in centerfield, there was a playland for kids. CJ and Annabelle were the only kids there, so they had the run of the place. ;)

They played wiffle ball ...

and there was even a dunk tank. The young man sitting in the tank was so confident he wouldn't go down, he was eating his dinner as the kids threw balls at the target. ;)

Out in centerfield there was a food stand (the popular Shake Shack) with a super pretty marquee.

Planes out of LaGuardia would fly right over its skyline.

As we wandered the outfield, we had a number of ushers chat us up and offer to let us sit in their section, though our legit seats were MUCH worse. That was nice.

One of them suggested we head back down to the 100 level to try to get a batting practice ball from the Nationals, who were still taking BP. That sounded like a good idea to me, so down we went.

We hung out by the left field foul pole for about 3 minutes when I said to Christian, "I guarantee you, if you take the kids over there (along the 3rd base line), this guy (a Nationals player, in left field) will throw you a ball, because you're not wearing Mets gear."

It took about 2 minutes for my prediction to come true. CJ caught the ball with his bare hands and was SO proud!  The player who threw it to him is right over Annabelle's shoulder.

We continued to make our way around the concourse and when we got about even with third base, a 'friendly' usher suggested the kids take the ball down to the fence line to get it signed. Christian went with them, and about a minute later, they returned with a ball autographed by Gino Gonzalez, a Mets' pitcher!

That same seat usher 'generously' offered to let our family upgrade our seats to the front row for just ($10).  I'm pretty sure it wasn't part of a FORMAL Mets' ticketing program. Nonetheless, we gave him $10 and enjoyed front row seats. :)

Before the game, there was a long and thoughtful 9/11 ceremony.

During the game, we were almost uncomfortably close to the action since their right field line basically terminated at our feet before jogging a bit and continuing to the outfield fence.

 Hello, Eric Young, Jr., Mets' left fielder.

 And here's the Nationals' Denard Span.

Of course, the Mets had their own flavor of during-game silliness, just like the Mariners have the hydro races, Captain Plastic, and a Moose.

During one inning, there was a contest to spot the Dunkin' Donuts dude. He was out dancing in left field, not far from us.

Dunkin' Donuts are ALL OVER New York.

About the only thing that wasn't picture perfect at the park was this view of a nearby auto repair (?) business. Guess when they don't need parts any more, they throw them on the roof!

Here's CJ's review of the Mets' game ...

On September 11th, 2013, we went to see the New York Mets game. Outside of the stadium, there was a statue of an apple, (which resembles the one in the stadium) which we took a picture of. At the game, the Mets were playing the Washington Nationals, who came from the District of Columbia. Inside the stadium, there was a baseball museum. Inside the museum, there were many baseball artifacts, such as an old baseball trophy. During the game, the Mets played, and they, unfortunately, did not score a run. Though, I did get to catch a ball with my left hand (and get it signed!) During the game, we also got to see a descendant of the "Survivor Tree", that survived the fall of the Twin Towers. Overall, I think that the Mets game at Citi Field was awesome.

HOOK UP:  One very cool thing we did while in England was go to Science Museum London.  There, we perused their amazing collection, and then met up with some space-y friends for conversation and maybe a beer or two.

Whilst in the cafe, one friend reminded us all that it was darn near time for Orbital Science's Cygnus launch atop an Antares rocket.  It marked Orbital's first attempt to launch a cargo-carrying capsule to the ISS.

Our friend was able to pull the live coverage of the launch up on her phone, and geeks that we are, we six huddled around and watched it go. The launch went off without a hitch.

However, a couple days later when it came time for Cygnus to berth with the ISS, there was trouble. The ISS crew received what was characterized as "unexpected data" from the vessel.

When you're in space, and something with 6,000 pounds of cargo is approaching you with "unexpected data," you tell it, 'No thanks.'

So Cygnus was sent away. Can you imagine how disappointed the astro- and cosmonauts on board the ISS were? No fresh fruit for them!  Meanwhile, Elon Musk of Orbital Sciences' rival SpaceX was probably smiling somewhere, as his Dragon capsule made it AOK on its first attempt. And the second. And the third ...

Initially Cygnus was waved off for a couple of days, but then that turned to a week and a Russian Soyuz mission (Expedition 37) bearing real live humans had a docking date with the ISS on Wednesday.

And so, the unmanned Cygnus has a new ISS berthing target of 4:15 a.m. Pacific time Sunday morning. NASA TV coverage will begin at 1:30 a.m. Pacific time. 

Roving

SCIENCE, NY STYLE:  Yesterday I chronicled the first part of our last, marathon day (Sept. 11) in New York.  After The High Line park and Katz's deli, we struck out again that afternoon

We rode the F train up to 42nd Street, where we hot footed it through some long, subterranean tunnels. Here are the kids running for the train through said tunnel.  :)  At the Fifth Avenue station, we caught the 7 train east.  It took us across the East River, and through Queens.

We got to be subway veterans in our short time in New York. Overall, I thought it was a fantastic way to get around. The routes were easy to figure out, the subway stations were plentiful and conveniently located for our travels. One downside is that they were sometimes very hot - no real surprise given the weather during our visit. 

In fact, they were so hot, that as I was trying to figure out this sign, I thought initially the middle icon was don't hold onto a pole with your arm straight out, sweating/stinking on other riders. The kids and Christian thought that was hysterical. 

I can't be the only one who has ever thought that, can I?  OK, well maybe I am ...

As we traveled out of the heart of Manhattan, the subway became an elevated line which was cool, because we got to see some boroughs of the city.  As we passed through Queens, I was struck by the row after row after row of brick residences. I don't think I've ever seen that much brick in my life.

The Hall of Science is in Flushing Meadows/Corona Park part of the city. We disembarked at the 111th Street station, and walked about five or six long, sweaty blocks to the New York Hall of Science.

The Hall dates back to 1964, when it was part of the World's Fair, hosted in New York that year. At the time, it was one of just a handful of science museums in existence. Though most of the World's Fair attractions closed after the event ended, the Hall of Science has remained open (except for a spell from 1979 to 1986, during which time it underwent major renovations).

Imagine our delight as we walked up to the museum and saw it had a rocket garden. Squee!

There was a Gemini Titan II rocket on site (3 stages, 408,000 pounds!) with a replica Gemini capsule atop it.

 The rocket garden has also sprouted a Mercury-Atlas D!

CJ and Annabelle look pretty puny beneath it. And this Saturn V engine dwarfed them, as well.

We also checked out a replica of Friendship 7, John Glenn's vehicle for orbiting Earth in 1962.

Inside the museum, there were dozens and dozens of hands-on activities.

 The kids played with mirrors ...

And had fun doing some colorful shadow dancing.

We learned about the science of sound, and some about genetics. CJ and Annabelle found out they have a whole lot of water in them.

The kids loved the exhibit where they could drive a Martian rover. They were pretty good navigators!

One of the reasons we really wanted to go to the Hall of Science was that they were hosting a limited-engagement exhibit about Nicola Tesla. We eagerly headed up the ramp to the special space and then ...

Um ... well ... it was underwhelming, to say the least.

There were posters. Lots of posters. And a few static displays. An a couple of 'interactive' displays (the majority of which didn't work)

I mean, do you know how lame it is to have a Tesla coil on display and to have a button to push to make it work and then it does NOTHING?!  Super duper disappointing.

I asked Annabelle to write a review of our time at the Hall of Science.

While my family and I were in New York City, we went to the New York Hall of Science. There, we saw many things, including a wall you could make colored shadows on, a room that made you smaller/bigger to the viewer, and my personal favorite, a little Martian rover you can drive! The main attraction was a Tesla exhibit, which was upstairs. When we got there, I was very disappointing. All it was was posters lined up against the wall and a toothpick model, motor or broken Tesla coil here or there.

Overall I would give the New York Hall of Science a 8/10

MUSICAL MORNING: We started our a.m. with a live (over the radio waves) concert with Caspar Babypants on KEXP.  (Caspar is Chris Ballew, who is better know as the lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America). He was performing songs from his new CD "Baby Beatles." He covered George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun," "Yellow Submarine," "Ob la di ob la da," and ""Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and my Monkey" and a tune I hadn't heard before,

A bit later, I came across a video of Jimmy Fallon and a few furry friends covering the Sesame Street theme. Fun!
http://youtu.be/SHogg7pJI_M

                                     
                                                    
                                                                            Image Credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi
HITCHIN' A RIDE: The stalwart Soyuz lifted off right on time from Russia this afternoon, at 1:58 our time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOJpf-fn_NY


The Expedition 37 crew, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov and Flight Engineers Mike Hopkins and Sergey Ryazanskiy, made one of those rabbit runs to the ISS, chasing it down in just hours (rather than a couple of days, which has historically been the norm).

Each and every time I watch a Souyz launch, I can't help but wonder if/when the U.S. will get back in the astronaut launching business. ...

NEW YORK MARATHON: I'm still working on recounting highlights of our trip. Our Sept. 11 was a very busy day there. We spent a couple of hours in the morning watching televised programming from the 9/11 Memorial we'd visited the day before. There was a pall over the city that day, to be sure, and lots of NYPD on the subways.

It was scorchingly hot, about 95 degrees, with over 90 percent humidity. Not the best weather for walking all over the city, but we wanted to make the most of our last full day in the city, and that we did.

Our first stop was The High Line, a unique park made on an elevated, abandoned freight rail line on Manhattan's west side. It runs from Chelsea to the Meatpacking District.

Since it was so hot out, the in-the-ground water feature was popular that day.

There were some neat art installations along The High Line, including a billboard-sized pop art piece, "Waking," by Gilbert & George.  (photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/horsepunchkid/)

The kids liked the bronze statue ("Jessie," by Frank Benson) that looked like a real live person striking a pose. (photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/horsepunchkid/)
                             
There are a number of open air restaurants along The High Line. We spent about 20 minutes sitting at Terroir at the Porch, where the kids had a locally made soda and we tried a local beer.

Across the street, I spied a restaurant with Colicchio & Sons lightly stenciled on its front windows. I figured it *had* to be owned by Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio. When we researched it later, we found out that was, in fact, the case. It's part of his Craft Restaurants group.

There was also a nice street-level park right below us, a nice view of the Hudson River, and Hoboken, New Jersey, across the way.

After recharging, we struck out in the heat again. Next stop? None other than Hook & Ladder 8, home of the Ghostbusters!

I have seen this building on celluloid too many times to count. Rick wore his Ghostbusters costume for about two years straight and we had to watch the movie darn near daily when he was about 5 years old. 

Nearly 30 years after the movie was released, the firehouse is still a popular spot with tourists. Several were around when we visited.

This emblem on the sidewalk, with the "no ghost" logo in the middle, could use a little sprucing up.

It's a working fire station. See the truck? Often, the firefighters visit with tourists, but they were sealed up tight during our visit (perhaps because it was 9/11). I took this crappy shot through the window.              

                                     
Firefighters from this station, at 14 North Moore Street, in the TriBeCa neighborhood, were some of the first responders during 9/11.

In the spring of 2011, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg put Hook and Ladder Company No. 8 on his list of 20 fire houses to be closed.  There was great public outcry, but it sounds like the place is still on the chopping block.  Speaking of chopping the place, interestingly enough, this building is HALF of what it used to be!  

The original structure dated back to around 1904. However, about 10 years later, the city undertook a project of widening Varick Street, which borders the station. The dept. looked at relocating, but ultimately, it was decided to literally cut the building in half. You'd never guess it by looking at the place today. But it does help explain why it's tall and narrow!

Back to the subway we went, this time headed for the Lower East Side for a mid afternoon lunch at the one, the only... Katz's Delicatessen.

Founded in 1888, the iconic restaurant is a favorite of locals and tourists alike. There was a good mix of both on the day we visited. 

The place was standing room only, which is the norm.

You're issued a ticket on the way in, and you take it  to a long, crowded, kind of confusing counter to order. 

(You get different foods at various stations - sandwiches, hot dogs, soft drinks, beer, etc. - and employees compute a running total of the pre-tax bill. You pay a cashier as you leave. Should you somehow lose your ticket between Point A and Point B, there's a mandatory $50 penalty.)

Christian navigated that counter/ticket scene while the kids and I scored a table (no small feat). As we sat at the table, a woman about 20 years my senior sitting at the table next to us leaned over and said, "Are you tourists?"

Gee, how could she tell? ;)

I said yes, and she said, "Well then you'll want to order hot dogs for the kids and pastrami on rye for you and your husband. On RYE," she reiterated, for emphasis.

Without hesitation, I dispatched CJ to find Christian to relay or order. To say it was a good call would be an understatement. ...

Photos can't possible do that sandwich justice, but this one comes close ...

When I say it was the best sandwich in history, what I mean is in the history of all sandwiches, anywhere in the world. EVER.  Seriously.  I cannot really even describe the way the layer upon layer of pastrami melted in your mouth like butter, perfectly complimented by a zesty mustard and the just-right rye. 2 DIE 4. If we had done nothing but go to Katz's for 4 days straight, the NY trip would have been worth it.

Oh, and the kids like their hot dogs, too.

BTW, remember "When Harry Met Sally"? The famous restaurant scene with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal? The one where an elderly diner says, "I'll have what she's having?" That was shot at Katz's - just over CJ's right shoulder, barely out of frame. 

If you haven't had a chance to eat at Katz's I'm truly sorry. However, there is a bit of good news - they ship all over the world! Here's a link to their online orders page: http://katzsdelicatessen.com/order-online/

We left Katz's full and happy, and we were only getting started! Still on tap for the afternoon - a visit to the New York Hall of Science and a New York Mets game! But those will have to wait until tomorrow.

BACK TO SCHOOL:  Because of our trip, we missed the first two weekly sessions of the kids' Shoreline school.  Their schedule this year is like last year - science and math class on Wednesdays.

Last year the schedule was 1 p.m. for science, 2 p.m. for math. For whatever stupid reason, I was assuming it would be the same this year. However, for some reason, at 10:55 this a.m. it occurred to me to log onto the center's Web site and check the times. Uh oh. Math class starts at 11 this year! DOH!

We were in the car within five minutes and in Shoreline by 11:23.  So they did manage more than half the math class, and all of science. This back-to-school thing takes some getting used to, I guess. \

In science, they started a unit on sound, so today, they got to make lots of noise. :)  Here, CJ raps on some bottles filled with water to varying levels.

OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD:  I almost forgot to mention, on Monday, we watched "The Wizard of Oz," which isn't a remarkable thing in and of itself - we've all seen it multiple times before on TV and/or VHS or DVD. But Monday was different. It was on the Big Screen! In IMAX 3-D.  A horse of a different color, indeed.

It was so darn interesting experiencing the movie that way.  It magnified both strengths and weaknesses. For instance, I marveled at how they managed some of the special effects, like the tornado, Glinda's bubble, and more.  But I also noticed (for the first time) how cheesy the Munchkins' costume bald skullcaps looked.

There were a number of other 'new-to-us' observations.  I had the kids write about the experience. Here's CJ's take.

On September 23rd, we went to see the film, The Wizard of Oz in 3D. The film was very great, (although you can say that on just about any version of it) and it showed how the film is great, even 75 years after its original release. You could also see many things you would not see in the other versions, such as the Scarecrow having a textured face (and a silver revolver, too.) It was great in IMAX 3D, and unfortunately, the best 3D was the MGM lion (Jackie, at the time) roaring. Overall, it was a great presentation.

(Note: to the right of us, there was a woman who kept "laughing" for the entire presentation. even at the saddest parts, she kept "laughing.")

He's not making the part about the heat-packing Scarecrow up, BTW. I noticed that for the first time on Monday, too! Out of nowhere, Scarecrow has a silver gun as the friends are making their way to the witch's castle, to try to get her broomstick.

Another thing we all noticed for the first time was in the scene where Dorothy and Scarecrow first encounter Tin Man, there is a big ol' goose or something flapping around, blurry in the background.  We were talking about it on the way out and CJ said that one urban legend is that it's one of the Munchkins committing suicide!

Regarding the laughing woman, we had a talk about Tourette's and other neurological disorders, and how one of those might have been prompting the what-sounded-like-involuntary laughter.