Bring it!

Here is the current radar image for Charlotte...beautiful isn't it? I really enjoy rainy days. They're great days to just be lazy. Too bad I have so much to do. Oh well!

The return of Friday randomness...

* On this day in 1865, William Shepherd of NYC patented liquid soap. Here's to you Mr. Liquid Soap maker! Now every man can take a shower like a girl...where's my loofah?

* I am in a massive music rut right now, only listening to the tried and true favorites of the past. Anybody have any suggestions for something new? I am wanting something folk-ish, americana, or even some progressive bluegrass.

* School's back! As mentioned in my previous post, the beginning of this week was devoted to getting back up to speed on my Hebrew. I am in my third semester of the language and to make sure we stayed up on things, my prof had a quiz for us on our first day back from the summer break Wednesday. He's not only a smart guy for doing that, but he's a nice guy for giving us such an easy quiz!

* My preaching classes this year are focusing on preaching expositionally through narrative passages of the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament. I am really excited about this since narrative composes so much of the Bible, and it is often neglected in Churches (if not just relegated to moral pick-me-ups and character studies). Here's to preaching the WHOLE counsel of God!

* Meg and I are excited to be heading to Apex this weekend to visit with friends and the church there! Hopefully, we'll be moving back there in the next year!

* RTS requires its graduates to memorize and take exams on the Westminster Shorter Catechism by Spring break before they graduate. Yeah, I really need to get moving on that...only 7 months to go!

* Meg and I love Trader Joe's grocery store. If you have one in your area, go! Now!

* Calling Luke Johson! Luke? Where are you? I miss you...hope Ireland is still treating you well! Are you wearing man capris yet? A picture is included on the left...if you see this man anywhere in the greater Dublin area please let me know - and please point at him and laugh! :-)

* Meg and I are leaving next Friday morning to fly to St. Louis for her dad's wedding. We're looking foward to going back home for a few days...

* How long before the Cubs finally choke? They are starting to convince even me...man, that crow will taste horrible if I have to eat it.

* Eat more hummus. That's right. Eat hummus. I can't believe I am saying this, but it's good.

Have a good weekend!

Tick tock, you don't stop...

Well, folks, this is it. On Wednesday I start my last year of seminary....pretty exciting huh? It is but there is this one thing looming over head:

HEBREW

After three months of procrastinating on keeping up with grammar and vocab, when the clock strikes 1:00 PM on Wednesday I will have to take a quiz. So, guess what I am doing over the next two days???

In honor of NYC...a top 10

This post is dedicated to Megan's step-dad, Bill. (We hope you enjoy it!)


Top 10 things we learned in NYC:

10. Only one person at a time can fit into a revolving door, although trying to fit more is fun!

9. A New York City Pass saves money and time in lines!

8. Even though lines can be short(er) because of the City Pass, it is still customary, acceptable, and welcome to moo like a cow at any time you grow impatient or just giddy.

7. Some cultures don't understand the idea of personal space or deem it a necessity. One must be prepared to breathe heavily on another's neck in order to fit in.

6. If you go to the street fair in Time's Square only walk one block because if you keep going it only repeats (all they sell is junk food, scarves, jewelry, and Reggae and Porn music from the 70s).

5. Restaurants located in museums have one unified purpose among them: to rip you off! The food is mediocre at best and more expensive than nachos and water at a baseball game.

4. The subway and bus system aren't as hard to navigate as you think they are. Save money and just use them!

3. The subway is really, really hot (really!)...

2. Audio tours are the worst inventions ever and should be banned immediately. If you are an audio tour lover you should learn to be aware of your surroundings while meandering and be prepared to step away from the painting, etc. you are looking at so others can see it too. That five minute explanation about Constantine's head is probably not worth listening to anyway.

1. 18% gratuity on meals is expected and even included for your convenience. Extra gratuity (i.e. tipping) is welcome.

The hecticly relaxing vacation...

We know its been a whole week since we got back from New York, but we are just now getting a moment (together) to fill you in all the goodness of the trip. Here is a brief recap of what we did...

We had a great flight to NY on Thursday and an even better bus ride to our hotel. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan (right next to Grand Central Station - right in the middle of everything) and Megan's parents (who flew in from Chicago) stayed there too. They arrived a few hours after we did so we had a chance to orient ourselves a little bit as well as go pick up subway passes for everyone. That evening the four of us took the bus down to the Circle Line Tour dock and enjoyed an evening harbor cruise (half-way) around the island. It lasted two hours and when the sun finally went down the views were excellent.

Friday morning we awoke from our slumber (we slept sooooooo good in our posh hotel!!!!) and navigated our way on the subway up to Central Park and went to the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The best words to sum up this day are overwhelming and soreness. The History museum wasn't all that great for people over the age of 12 so we didn't stay long. The Met (after we walked through the park to get there - we won't mention the hot dogs we ate or the unexpected wrong turn) on the other hand was awesome. We spent about 6 1/2 hours there but we could have been there for a week. It was fun to get Bill's (Megan's step-Dad - who is an Art professor) perspective and instruction on all the stuff we saw there. To top off the day we took the concierege's advice and had sushi at a nearby restaurant. It was yummy! But that wasn't the end of the evening. We spotted a nice pub on the walk back to the hotel and jumped in for a beer and some dessert.

Saturday morning, we took our pain medications and slathered up with Aspercreme and headed out to the Guggenheim Museum and the Modern Museum of Art. The Guggenheim was great from architectural stand point but the galleries were kind of lame. We would have been out of there in about 30 minutes if it had not been for a terrential downpour of rain. So after another 45 minutes in the cafe we headed to MoMA. Little did we know it was family day at the MoMA, but that didn't stop us from having a great time looking around and learning lots from Bill. You could tell he really enjoyed being at these museums and his joy was contagious. After all that we made our way to the sea of humanity called Times Square and oogled over all the lights, enjoyed a funnel cake, and eventually, ate at Planet Hollywood (where we were entertained by the worst DJ in New York, ever!).

Sunday we rested. The two of us took a walk down fifth avenue - all the way to the coolest Apple store ever. It was fun to see all the fancy stores (which weren't open yet) and landmarks such as Trump Tower. On our walk back to the hotel we found a really excellent breakfast place which was even better because it was clean and you could eat for under five bucks. Anyway, in the afternoon the four of us went to the Empire State Building and then had lunch at Heartland Brewery where we enjoyed an interesting, yet good, fried Pu-Pu platter. (It's not as bad as it sounds). We then headed back to the hotel (after Megan had a brief stop at the Loft store and held herself (or Dan) back from buying anything) and got ready for our Broadway show that night - Mamma Mia! Before the show we had a nice dinner at a Thai restaurant. The show itself was fun and entertaining and we had great seats. Dan even won a CD! After the show we found an Irish Pub open and had ourselves another nightcap.

Monday was Megan's favorite day. We went to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. This was Megan's second time in NYC and last time Ellis Island was her favorite stop. Even upon her second visit, it was still just as moving - even if the crowds and lines weren't. Dan really enjoyed it but was growing weary of all the other tourists and found it hard to enjoy as much as he wanted to. We were unable to look up Megan's grandma's info although she did come through Ellis Island in 1947. Perhaps we'll have better luck online. After the tours we hopped off the subway for a little bit and walked around Ground Zero. Later that evening we enjoyed some Chinese food for dinner and then headed off to the Gotham City Comedy Club for an all-star show that night. It was fun, although vulgar at times. Welcome to New York, I guess.

On Tuesday we had a last breakfast together with Megan's parents and then went our separate ways on busses to head back home. We made it Charlotte with no problems or delays and were welcomed back to reality...

NYC Pictures...

Well, folks, we are home from NYC and have been hurled back into the busyness of life. Until we get some time to post about the specifics of our trip we present to you the following picture gallery. Enjoy!

Click here to see the pictures!