DATE: Wednesday, September 11, 2013. Day 11.
LOCATION: Baltimore to West Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I got up at 7:30 AM and took a walk past Camden Yards Stadium and kept walking until I got to M & T Bank Stadium, home of the Ravens. It was only an extra block. M&T stands for Manufacturer's and Traders Bank. I asked some workers there where the Ravens practiced and they said they practiced in a facility several miles northeast of Baltimore named Owings Mills. I wanted to see them practice because Marshall Yanda, the right guard for the Ravens, is a former student of mine from my seventh grade class of 1997. When I got back to the hotel I told Brad and John where they practiced and we decided we would drive out and see if we could watch them practice - and I might be able to see Marshall. So I called the Ravens office and talked to a secretary - I told her I was one of Marshall's old teachers and I was wondering if it might be possible for me to see him. She said she couldn't say but she would be willing to take a message and give it to him. I told her to write, " Hi Marshall, this is Mr. Bungum, your old seventh grade geography teacher. If possible I'd like to see you this morning and give you a little ANAD quiz. She laughed and I said Marshall will know what ANAD is."
So we checked our bags and headed out to Owings Mills. Thanks to GPS we easily found it. After driving down a secluded road we came to the Ravens practice facility. But we were stopped by a little building with horizontal poles blocking off any vehicles from entering the property. We pushed a button on the outside of the building and a guy answered. John says "I was wondering if we could see the Ravens practice." The guy says, "This is private property and there is no admittance." So that was it - no admittance meant we were out of luck. If Marshall did get my message he probably didn't want to take that ANAD quiz.
At the game the night before there were cops all over the place. I asked four cops at the stadium how many cops were on the force in Baltimore? I got four different answers: 1,400, 3400, 2700, and 3,000. I guess nobody knows, the cops don't anyway.
As we were checking out of the hotel this morning John asked one of the bellhops, "How many cops in Baltimore?" He answered, "Not enough."
Then John said, 'Half of your police force must have been on duty at the Oriole game last night."
The bellhop answered, "Either there or at Dunkin Donuts." That was good for a laugh.
We left Owings Mills and headed for Pittsburgh. We drove through Maryland, part of West Virginia and onto Pittsburgh We arrived at 5PM. We checked into the Hampton Inn, a half mile or more from PNC Park, home of the Pirates. All three of us were tired so we ordered pizza from Dominoes and ate in the room.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Day 10: Major League Baseball Trip.
DATE: Tuesday, September 10, 2013. Day 10.
LOCATION: Manhattan to Baltimore, home of the Orioles.
After spending five nights in Manhattan we left for Baltimore at 8:30 AM. We arrived in Baltimore at 2:30 - checked into the Hilton, located right next to the Orioles and Ravens stadiums. We could see both stadiums from our window. Brad did a good job of lining up the hotels. John did the Manhattan stay with his time-share membership but Brad did all the rest. We were hungry so we went across the street to Frank and Nic's West End Grille. The server suggested we try a local brew called New-Bo. It was only $4.00 for a 16 oz draw. (This was more like Anamosa prices.) We all tried one and it was pretty good stuff. The food was great.
We walked to the stadium at 6:45. The stadium was called "Camden Yards" when built 15-20 years ago but now it is called "Oriole Stadium at Camden Yards." Camden Yards refers to the warehouse area that this once was. In fact, there is a huge ten story restored warehouse right next to Oriole Stadium. The bottom floor is now full of restaurants and gift shops.
The Orioles played the Yankees - Yankees won 7-5. Mariano Reveira pitched the 8th and 9th innings. Alex Rodriquez did play and didn't get booed like he dud at other stadiums.
We met a lot of interesting people that night. Here they are:
- The first bunch were three guys from Duluth, Minnesota. One of them was a marine who was stationed near by. The other two were friends visiting him. The guy named Paul told us his grandparents had a restaurant in Duluth. They were famous citywide in Duluth for their for pasta sausage recipe. When they died only three family members knew the secret ingredients in the recipe - and that is all that still know it today. Paul is one of the three and once a year he and the other two will make this pasta sausage, advertise it and sell it all over Duluth. People in Duluth still remember it and want some every year. Interesting story.
- Brad wore his Hawkeye shirt and cap and I wore my Hawkeye cap. As a result we were stopped by a couple from Winthrop and Jesup, Iowa. Had a nice visit with them. Then two other guys saw our Hawkeye stuff and they stopped and talked to us. It was a father and son-in law from Denison, Iowa. It was another great visit. It's fun to talk to people from Iowa. They are some of the best. IT'S GREAT TO BE A HAWKEYE.
- At the game we sat by three guys from Lousiana, all three were Yankee fans. They were in Baltimore on a business trip. Their company made boots for the Coast Guard. One guy said he became a Yankee fan as a young kid when his Grandpa made him listen to Yankee games on the radio. He said he had no choice in the matter. His Grandpa was a diehard Yankee fan and his grandson was going to be one also. And he was a Yankee fan. He said his Grandpa would be happy.
- This next guy was not so friendly. Brad walked down the steps to the infield to get some close-up photos of Mariano Revira. When walking back up the steps some idiot sees his Hawkeye stuff and hollers to Brad, "SIT DOWN HAWKEYE." Brad said he ignored the idiot.
- One of the beer vendors saw Brad's Hawkeye stuff and says to Brad, "How many counties in Iowa?" Brad said "99." The vendor said, "You are correct."
The next time the same vendor sees Brad he says, "Only 8 states have more than 80 counties." Brad got a kick out of the guy.
- One of the fun things we saw during the game was the "kiss cam." When a couple saw themselves on camera they had to kiss. The fans loved it, especially when one guy kissed his wife and he put his hand on her right boob. That was good for a big laugh.
- After the game we went back to Frank and Nic's West End Grille. We met Tim and Jeff - two more Yankee fans. We visited for over an hour and found out they were civilian MPs for the Department of Defense. We remarked there sure a lot of Yankee fans at the game for being in Baltimore. They said that is pretty normal as they referred to "Oriole Stadium at Camden Yards" as " YANKEE STADIUM SOUTH."
These two guys were good friends. In a couple of weeks Tim was getting married for the third time. Jeff was going to be his best man. Tim was going to have another bachelor party. Jeff said he had been to all three of Tim's bachelor parties and it would be the third time he had been Tim's best man. That was good for some hearty laughs.
- Our server was a gal named Kate. She was an Ohio girl and a graduate of Ohio University, (not THE Ohio State) She was doing HR work for a firm in Baltimore. The firm was just bought by Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids. She was worried about losing her job because of the takeover. So Brad gave her the name and email of LeAnn First, who works at Rockwell. LeAnn is a former student of mine, a graduate of Anamosa High School and is pretty high up in the company. Brad had talked business with her one other time when he was home and thought that a little personal connection like this might help Kate's chances of keeping her job. Brad told her to contact LeAnn at Rockwell in Cedar Rapids and tell her she had met us and visited with us. He said, "Kate, it can't hurt anything."
It was a fun night in Baltimore.
-;
LOCATION: Manhattan to Baltimore, home of the Orioles.
After spending five nights in Manhattan we left for Baltimore at 8:30 AM. We arrived in Baltimore at 2:30 - checked into the Hilton, located right next to the Orioles and Ravens stadiums. We could see both stadiums from our window. Brad did a good job of lining up the hotels. John did the Manhattan stay with his time-share membership but Brad did all the rest. We were hungry so we went across the street to Frank and Nic's West End Grille. The server suggested we try a local brew called New-Bo. It was only $4.00 for a 16 oz draw. (This was more like Anamosa prices.) We all tried one and it was pretty good stuff. The food was great.
We walked to the stadium at 6:45. The stadium was called "Camden Yards" when built 15-20 years ago but now it is called "Oriole Stadium at Camden Yards." Camden Yards refers to the warehouse area that this once was. In fact, there is a huge ten story restored warehouse right next to Oriole Stadium. The bottom floor is now full of restaurants and gift shops.
The Orioles played the Yankees - Yankees won 7-5. Mariano Reveira pitched the 8th and 9th innings. Alex Rodriquez did play and didn't get booed like he dud at other stadiums.
We met a lot of interesting people that night. Here they are:
- The first bunch were three guys from Duluth, Minnesota. One of them was a marine who was stationed near by. The other two were friends visiting him. The guy named Paul told us his grandparents had a restaurant in Duluth. They were famous citywide in Duluth for their for pasta sausage recipe. When they died only three family members knew the secret ingredients in the recipe - and that is all that still know it today. Paul is one of the three and once a year he and the other two will make this pasta sausage, advertise it and sell it all over Duluth. People in Duluth still remember it and want some every year. Interesting story.
- Brad wore his Hawkeye shirt and cap and I wore my Hawkeye cap. As a result we were stopped by a couple from Winthrop and Jesup, Iowa. Had a nice visit with them. Then two other guys saw our Hawkeye stuff and they stopped and talked to us. It was a father and son-in law from Denison, Iowa. It was another great visit. It's fun to talk to people from Iowa. They are some of the best. IT'S GREAT TO BE A HAWKEYE.
- At the game we sat by three guys from Lousiana, all three were Yankee fans. They were in Baltimore on a business trip. Their company made boots for the Coast Guard. One guy said he became a Yankee fan as a young kid when his Grandpa made him listen to Yankee games on the radio. He said he had no choice in the matter. His Grandpa was a diehard Yankee fan and his grandson was going to be one also. And he was a Yankee fan. He said his Grandpa would be happy.
- This next guy was not so friendly. Brad walked down the steps to the infield to get some close-up photos of Mariano Revira. When walking back up the steps some idiot sees his Hawkeye stuff and hollers to Brad, "SIT DOWN HAWKEYE." Brad said he ignored the idiot.
- One of the beer vendors saw Brad's Hawkeye stuff and says to Brad, "How many counties in Iowa?" Brad said "99." The vendor said, "You are correct."
The next time the same vendor sees Brad he says, "Only 8 states have more than 80 counties." Brad got a kick out of the guy.
- One of the fun things we saw during the game was the "kiss cam." When a couple saw themselves on camera they had to kiss. The fans loved it, especially when one guy kissed his wife and he put his hand on her right boob. That was good for a big laugh.
- After the game we went back to Frank and Nic's West End Grille. We met Tim and Jeff - two more Yankee fans. We visited for over an hour and found out they were civilian MPs for the Department of Defense. We remarked there sure a lot of Yankee fans at the game for being in Baltimore. They said that is pretty normal as they referred to "Oriole Stadium at Camden Yards" as " YANKEE STADIUM SOUTH."
These two guys were good friends. In a couple of weeks Tim was getting married for the third time. Jeff was going to be his best man. Tim was going to have another bachelor party. Jeff said he had been to all three of Tim's bachelor parties and it would be the third time he had been Tim's best man. That was good for some hearty laughs.
- Our server was a gal named Kate. She was an Ohio girl and a graduate of Ohio University, (not THE Ohio State) She was doing HR work for a firm in Baltimore. The firm was just bought by Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids. She was worried about losing her job because of the takeover. So Brad gave her the name and email of LeAnn First, who works at Rockwell. LeAnn is a former student of mine, a graduate of Anamosa High School and is pretty high up in the company. Brad had talked business with her one other time when he was home and thought that a little personal connection like this might help Kate's chances of keeping her job. Brad told her to contact LeAnn at Rockwell in Cedar Rapids and tell her she had met us and visited with us. He said, "Kate, it can't hurt anything."
It was a fun night in Baltimore.
-;
Friday, October 11, 2013
Day 9: Major League Baseball Trip
DATE: Monday, September 9, 2013. Day 9.
LOCATION: Manhattan and Citi Park, home of the Mets.
We got up at 5:15 AM in order to get to the NBC TODAY SHOW by 6:30 . We walked to NBC studios, it was about a mile. I was really excited as I watch it every morning. It was on my Bucket List to go to the TODAY SHOW once in my lifetime. When we got there Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie were already in there chairs. Natalie Morales and Al Roker showed up about 6:45. It was so interesting to see what happens when they are not on camera or they are on commercial break. For instance, the make-up people come up to the four of them and dust their faces again with make-up and Natalie and Savannah get more lipstick put on plus their hair is combed again. And Al got up and walked the fence line talking to the visitors, unfortunately I was not in the right position. Another thing that was interesting was Natalie and Savannah had blankets over their legs which were hidden by the desk - it was chilly that morning, They do not read their lines from a written script in front of them - instead they read their lines from the autoscript cameras they are staring into. We got to see Dr. Oz being interviewed plus comedian Steve Harvey. There was a man and a woman who were the producers and giving the orders. They gave the countdown starting with 60 seconds, to 30 seconds, to 15 to 10 to 5 and to zero = You're on. Brad and I tried hard to get on camera. Brad was more successful than I was. Brad's friend, Rusty in Kansas City, said he saw Brad several times and me a couple of times. Ruth Ann did not see Brad or me. It was so interesting. Seeing the TODAY SHOW was was one of the highlights of my 17 days.
Later in the morning we began our tour of Manhattan Tour on one of the double-decker buses you see on TV. We toured lower Manhattan in the morning and upper Manhattan in the afternoon. Some of the highlights we saw were:
- penthouses, condos, and apartments that were rented or owned by the rich and famous such as: Jackie Kennedy, Seinfeld, Frank Sinatra, Dale Carnegie, the Vanderbilts, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paris Hilton. The guide said Paris moved to LA because it was easier to spell. The guide said rents ran from $5,000 a month to as high as $40,000 a month.
- Other sites were: Norman Vincent Peale's church, Madison Square Garden, Soho, Greenwich Village, Battery Park, Chinatown, Little Italy, United Nations, Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Natural History, Central Park (it is really big), Harlem (we learned Harlem is a Dutch word. They settled it first in the 1600s and named the settlement New Haarlem, after a town in the Netherlands), the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, Columbia University (this is where Lou Gehrig went to school), John Lennon's apartment and assassination site, Empire State Building, and then we went by Wall St, again, Ground Zero and One World Center, Statue of Liberty plus many other interesting sites. It cost $55.00 plus I gave a $5.00 tip to the two guides - it was worth every penny.
We got back to the hotel by 4:30 . We walked to the subway, about 4 blocks away and went to Citi Park, home of the Mets. The highlight was in the subway when we happened to sit by an Italian guy. He was in his 50s, a salesman by profession, a devout NY Giants fan, a big time gambler and a big big big loudmouth. But he was a funny guy. The Giants had lost to the Dallas Cowboys the day before and he let us know he didn't like Tony Romo, the Cowboys quarterback. He kept calling him Tony HOMO. He said he was a bigtime gambler and had played $5,000 a hand at the blackjack tables. He would go to casinos with $60,000 to gamble with. He said he had been married three times and said his wives didn't like his issues with other chicks. But he did admit they were all good housekeepers - all three wives got to keep the houses. We had some good laughs listening to this guy.
Citi Field is great. It deserves in an A to A+ in all of my rankings - from restrooms to wide steps to railings to friendly workers to wide concourses to a B for the price of beer (I'm still going by Anamosa prices). Wesley took the train and subway from McGuire Air Force Base to join us again. I think Wesley really enjoyed his three visits with Grandpa Pete (age 72), Great Uncle John (age 70), and Uncle Brad (age 52) - even if he is only 22 years old. He was a delight to have with us.
One friendly employee was Anne, who was working by the bullpens in centerfield. We were walking around the concourse and wanted to get close to the bullpens and watch the pitchers warm up. At first, she said we couldn't walk down and look over the railing. But then we told her about our baseball trip - she loved the story and that's when she relented,. She opened the gate and said "go ahead." So we watched the Mets pitchers warm up. That was very nice. I say Thank You Anne.
The Mets played the Washington Nationals, often times called the Nats. The Nats won by a score of 9-1 on a one-hitter by a pitcher named Geo.
LOCATION: Manhattan and Citi Park, home of the Mets.
We got up at 5:15 AM in order to get to the NBC TODAY SHOW by 6:30 . We walked to NBC studios, it was about a mile. I was really excited as I watch it every morning. It was on my Bucket List to go to the TODAY SHOW once in my lifetime. When we got there Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie were already in there chairs. Natalie Morales and Al Roker showed up about 6:45. It was so interesting to see what happens when they are not on camera or they are on commercial break. For instance, the make-up people come up to the four of them and dust their faces again with make-up and Natalie and Savannah get more lipstick put on plus their hair is combed again. And Al got up and walked the fence line talking to the visitors, unfortunately I was not in the right position. Another thing that was interesting was Natalie and Savannah had blankets over their legs which were hidden by the desk - it was chilly that morning, They do not read their lines from a written script in front of them - instead they read their lines from the autoscript cameras they are staring into. We got to see Dr. Oz being interviewed plus comedian Steve Harvey. There was a man and a woman who were the producers and giving the orders. They gave the countdown starting with 60 seconds, to 30 seconds, to 15 to 10 to 5 and to zero = You're on. Brad and I tried hard to get on camera. Brad was more successful than I was. Brad's friend, Rusty in Kansas City, said he saw Brad several times and me a couple of times. Ruth Ann did not see Brad or me. It was so interesting. Seeing the TODAY SHOW was was one of the highlights of my 17 days.
Later in the morning we began our tour of Manhattan Tour on one of the double-decker buses you see on TV. We toured lower Manhattan in the morning and upper Manhattan in the afternoon. Some of the highlights we saw were:
- penthouses, condos, and apartments that were rented or owned by the rich and famous such as: Jackie Kennedy, Seinfeld, Frank Sinatra, Dale Carnegie, the Vanderbilts, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paris Hilton. The guide said Paris moved to LA because it was easier to spell. The guide said rents ran from $5,000 a month to as high as $40,000 a month.
- Other sites were: Norman Vincent Peale's church, Madison Square Garden, Soho, Greenwich Village, Battery Park, Chinatown, Little Italy, United Nations, Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Natural History, Central Park (it is really big), Harlem (we learned Harlem is a Dutch word. They settled it first in the 1600s and named the settlement New Haarlem, after a town in the Netherlands), the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, Columbia University (this is where Lou Gehrig went to school), John Lennon's apartment and assassination site, Empire State Building, and then we went by Wall St, again, Ground Zero and One World Center, Statue of Liberty plus many other interesting sites. It cost $55.00 plus I gave a $5.00 tip to the two guides - it was worth every penny.
We got back to the hotel by 4:30 . We walked to the subway, about 4 blocks away and went to Citi Park, home of the Mets. The highlight was in the subway when we happened to sit by an Italian guy. He was in his 50s, a salesman by profession, a devout NY Giants fan, a big time gambler and a big big big loudmouth. But he was a funny guy. The Giants had lost to the Dallas Cowboys the day before and he let us know he didn't like Tony Romo, the Cowboys quarterback. He kept calling him Tony HOMO. He said he was a bigtime gambler and had played $5,000 a hand at the blackjack tables. He would go to casinos with $60,000 to gamble with. He said he had been married three times and said his wives didn't like his issues with other chicks. But he did admit they were all good housekeepers - all three wives got to keep the houses. We had some good laughs listening to this guy.
Citi Field is great. It deserves in an A to A+ in all of my rankings - from restrooms to wide steps to railings to friendly workers to wide concourses to a B for the price of beer (I'm still going by Anamosa prices). Wesley took the train and subway from McGuire Air Force Base to join us again. I think Wesley really enjoyed his three visits with Grandpa Pete (age 72), Great Uncle John (age 70), and Uncle Brad (age 52) - even if he is only 22 years old. He was a delight to have with us.
One friendly employee was Anne, who was working by the bullpens in centerfield. We were walking around the concourse and wanted to get close to the bullpens and watch the pitchers warm up. At first, she said we couldn't walk down and look over the railing. But then we told her about our baseball trip - she loved the story and that's when she relented,. She opened the gate and said "go ahead." So we watched the Mets pitchers warm up. That was very nice. I say Thank You Anne.
The Mets played the Washington Nationals, often times called the Nats. The Nats won by a score of 9-1 on a one-hitter by a pitcher named Geo.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Day 8: Major League Baseball Trip.
DATE: Sunday, September 8, 2013. Day 8.
LOCATION: Manhattan to Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies.
Citizens Bank Park was our sixth stadium on our 17 day tour. We left Manhattan at 9:30 to drive to Philadelphia to see the Phillies play the Braves (Phillies won 3-2). We stopped at a gas station/convenience store in New Jersey to pick up grandson Wesley. He had driven there from his Air Force base, only 10 miles away. We had a good parking spot as the porta-potty was only 10 steps from the front bumper of our car. Our next door neighbors were from the area. They were four guys, around 60, who had been life long friends. In fact, three of them earned their Eagle Scout awards together. We visited with them for an hour and as game time approached the one guy says, "It's now time for some power drinking." So the four of them guzzled their Heinekens and Coronas and headed for the staduim. The were fun to talk to. They said they usually went to one Eagles game a year. The Eagles stadium (named Lincoln Financial Field) was right next to the Phillies Stadium. In fact the same parking lots are used for each stadium.
At the game I met Jim and Meg - all three of us were standing in the concourse - we started talking and our conversation lasted for over an hour. Jim and Meg were from the area and were big fans of the Phillies. He was a retired UPS driver while Meg was still working for FedEx. They had traveled a lot and recommended two tours they thought Ruth Ann and I would like. One was the NAPA Valley Wine Tour in California - the other was the Jack Daniels Whiskey Tour in Tennessee. They were also a fun couple. Talking and meeting new people is one of my favorite activities.
After the game all of us were hungry. I told Wesley that I wanted to have a PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SANDWICH as I had never had one before. He said he knew just where to go because this place had the best tasting sandwiches in Philadelphia. He directed Brad to TONY LUKE'S. There was a big crowd so we had to wait but it was worth it. A Phillie Cheese Steak Sandwich consists of a big hoagie style bun with lots and lots of thin sliced beef and cheese. They are huge and they are delicious. Mine was so big I could only eat half. I finished the other half at bedtime.
On thing we all noticed about New Jersey is that you cannot pump your own gas. You will be fined if you do. There are attendants on duty at every station and they must fill your tank. The only reason we could think of why New Jersey does this is that it provides jobs and maybe there is a safety factor involved.
LOCATION: Manhattan to Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies.
Citizens Bank Park was our sixth stadium on our 17 day tour. We left Manhattan at 9:30 to drive to Philadelphia to see the Phillies play the Braves (Phillies won 3-2). We stopped at a gas station/convenience store in New Jersey to pick up grandson Wesley. He had driven there from his Air Force base, only 10 miles away. We had a good parking spot as the porta-potty was only 10 steps from the front bumper of our car. Our next door neighbors were from the area. They were four guys, around 60, who had been life long friends. In fact, three of them earned their Eagle Scout awards together. We visited with them for an hour and as game time approached the one guy says, "It's now time for some power drinking." So the four of them guzzled their Heinekens and Coronas and headed for the staduim. The were fun to talk to. They said they usually went to one Eagles game a year. The Eagles stadium (named Lincoln Financial Field) was right next to the Phillies Stadium. In fact the same parking lots are used for each stadium.
At the game I met Jim and Meg - all three of us were standing in the concourse - we started talking and our conversation lasted for over an hour. Jim and Meg were from the area and were big fans of the Phillies. He was a retired UPS driver while Meg was still working for FedEx. They had traveled a lot and recommended two tours they thought Ruth Ann and I would like. One was the NAPA Valley Wine Tour in California - the other was the Jack Daniels Whiskey Tour in Tennessee. They were also a fun couple. Talking and meeting new people is one of my favorite activities.
After the game all of us were hungry. I told Wesley that I wanted to have a PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SANDWICH as I had never had one before. He said he knew just where to go because this place had the best tasting sandwiches in Philadelphia. He directed Brad to TONY LUKE'S. There was a big crowd so we had to wait but it was worth it. A Phillie Cheese Steak Sandwich consists of a big hoagie style bun with lots and lots of thin sliced beef and cheese. They are huge and they are delicious. Mine was so big I could only eat half. I finished the other half at bedtime.
On thing we all noticed about New Jersey is that you cannot pump your own gas. You will be fined if you do. There are attendants on duty at every station and they must fill your tank. The only reason we could think of why New Jersey does this is that it provides jobs and maybe there is a safety factor involved.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Part II of Day 7: Major League Bseball Trip
DATE: Saturday, September 7, 2013. Part II of Day 7.
LOCATION: Jack Doyle's Irish Pub on 235th Street in Manhattan.
After our afternoon visit to Ground Zero and Wall Street we took the subway back to our hotel and went across the street to our favorite hang-out - Jack Doyle's Irish Pub. That evening we watched the Oklahoma - West Virginia football game. The pub was having a party for the West Virginia fans in the area so it was packed with their fans. We met a couple of interesting people - here are their stories.
Brad and I had on Hawkeye caps. One guy came up to us named Jim and said he was from New Jersey and a student at Rutgers University. Jim was a former construction worker but had gone back to school to become an attorney and spend his life defending the unions in America. He had recognized our Hawkeye caps and that is why he wanted to talk to us. He knew a lot about Hawkeye football because one of his high school classmates had played defensive tackle for the Hawks from 2009 to 2011. The players name is Mike Daniels. Mike was not only was in the same school but he was a neighbor also. He said Mike was a nice and friendly guy and always talked to him. Mike is now playing for the Green Bay Packers. Jim said he knew all about the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry and the Hawkeye rivalry with Minnesota. Jim was a fun guy to talk to. Brad wore a Hawkeye cap and shirt on most of the trip which led to several conversations with complete strangers. One guy on Times Square walked by Brad and, "GO HAWKS." All I can say is 'It's great to be a Hawkeye."
There were lots of West Virginia people in the Pub. One lady standing by John was listening to him talk. That's when she asked John, " Are you from Ireland." John said, "No, I'm from Minnesota. Do you know where Minnesota is." She said, "No, I don't." Then John asked if she knew about the Great Lakes. Minnesota is west of the Great Lakes She said, "I've heard about the Great Lakes. I think I've heard of Lake Michigan." Then she said "You're really a long ways from home." John said she finally left when she realized how stupid she was sounding. Later, when John was telling us about this conversation we decided she was a geography major from the University of West Virginia. Sometimes, I just shake my head at the level of ignorance about people from the eastern states.
Then there is John, the psychological warfare expert. He first started talking to Brad and Brad managed to escape and he comes to me. He said he was in the military and taught psychological warfare tactics to soldiers just out of boot camp. He said psychological warfare was learning how to mess with the minds of the enemy - such as playing loud music, using threats, sleep deprivation, etc. By teaching this to the troops he was making America and the world a better place to live.
He claimed to have been in Iraq twice and Afghanistan once. He should have been dead many times due to IEDs, mortars, and rockets but was lucky to get only minor shrapnel wounds. I talked to him for an hour - I should say I mainly listened. Anyway, he told me, "You are really a man of great wisdom." I think he said that because I let him talk and didn't disagree with him.
Then we went outside and talked so he could have a cigarette. He was trying to quit because he said cigarettes were $13.00 a pack in NYC so he had bought one of these electronic cigarettes which he had figured out to cost him only .13 cents each time he smoked it instead of .76 cents for a real cigarette. But he said "I carry real cigarettes just in case." The funny thing is he had two packs of real cigarettes in his pocket and he smoked 2-3 real cigarettes outside.
Then he told me he had a girlfriend and they had a 4-year-boy. His famous words to me were, "We really get along great except we fight a lot." He said they got in a fight last week and she left and went back to West Virginia. He said, "I haven't decided if I want her back." So, being the man of wisdom that I am I said, "Do you think she wants to come back to you?" He told me, "I didn't think you'd say something like that."
I said "John, there are two sides to everything and she definitely has her side ." He said, "That is so true and that is why you are such a MAN OF WISDOM."
Then he said he had to go inside to meet some friends. So he walks by my brother John and says to him, "Your brother has a lot of wisdom. I've been trying to draw as much wisdom out of him as I can."
So the next time any of you readers see me or email me please address me as follows, "The Wise One" or "The Man of Great Wisdom."
LOCATION: Jack Doyle's Irish Pub on 235th Street in Manhattan.
After our afternoon visit to Ground Zero and Wall Street we took the subway back to our hotel and went across the street to our favorite hang-out - Jack Doyle's Irish Pub. That evening we watched the Oklahoma - West Virginia football game. The pub was having a party for the West Virginia fans in the area so it was packed with their fans. We met a couple of interesting people - here are their stories.
Brad and I had on Hawkeye caps. One guy came up to us named Jim and said he was from New Jersey and a student at Rutgers University. Jim was a former construction worker but had gone back to school to become an attorney and spend his life defending the unions in America. He had recognized our Hawkeye caps and that is why he wanted to talk to us. He knew a lot about Hawkeye football because one of his high school classmates had played defensive tackle for the Hawks from 2009 to 2011. The players name is Mike Daniels. Mike was not only was in the same school but he was a neighbor also. He said Mike was a nice and friendly guy and always talked to him. Mike is now playing for the Green Bay Packers. Jim said he knew all about the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry and the Hawkeye rivalry with Minnesota. Jim was a fun guy to talk to. Brad wore a Hawkeye cap and shirt on most of the trip which led to several conversations with complete strangers. One guy on Times Square walked by Brad and, "GO HAWKS." All I can say is 'It's great to be a Hawkeye."
There were lots of West Virginia people in the Pub. One lady standing by John was listening to him talk. That's when she asked John, " Are you from Ireland." John said, "No, I'm from Minnesota. Do you know where Minnesota is." She said, "No, I don't." Then John asked if she knew about the Great Lakes. Minnesota is west of the Great Lakes She said, "I've heard about the Great Lakes. I think I've heard of Lake Michigan." Then she said "You're really a long ways from home." John said she finally left when she realized how stupid she was sounding. Later, when John was telling us about this conversation we decided she was a geography major from the University of West Virginia. Sometimes, I just shake my head at the level of ignorance about people from the eastern states.
Then there is John, the psychological warfare expert. He first started talking to Brad and Brad managed to escape and he comes to me. He said he was in the military and taught psychological warfare tactics to soldiers just out of boot camp. He said psychological warfare was learning how to mess with the minds of the enemy - such as playing loud music, using threats, sleep deprivation, etc. By teaching this to the troops he was making America and the world a better place to live.
He claimed to have been in Iraq twice and Afghanistan once. He should have been dead many times due to IEDs, mortars, and rockets but was lucky to get only minor shrapnel wounds. I talked to him for an hour - I should say I mainly listened. Anyway, he told me, "You are really a man of great wisdom." I think he said that because I let him talk and didn't disagree with him.
Then we went outside and talked so he could have a cigarette. He was trying to quit because he said cigarettes were $13.00 a pack in NYC so he had bought one of these electronic cigarettes which he had figured out to cost him only .13 cents each time he smoked it instead of .76 cents for a real cigarette. But he said "I carry real cigarettes just in case." The funny thing is he had two packs of real cigarettes in his pocket and he smoked 2-3 real cigarettes outside.
Then he told me he had a girlfriend and they had a 4-year-boy. His famous words to me were, "We really get along great except we fight a lot." He said they got in a fight last week and she left and went back to West Virginia. He said, "I haven't decided if I want her back." So, being the man of wisdom that I am I said, "Do you think she wants to come back to you?" He told me, "I didn't think you'd say something like that."
I said "John, there are two sides to everything and she definitely has her side ." He said, "That is so true and that is why you are such a MAN OF WISDOM."
Then he said he had to go inside to meet some friends. So he walks by my brother John and says to him, "Your brother has a lot of wisdom. I've been trying to draw as much wisdom out of him as I can."
So the next time any of you readers see me or email me please address me as follows, "The Wise One" or "The Man of Great Wisdom."
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Part I of Day 7: Major League Baseball Trip.
DATE: Saturday, September 7, 2013. Day 7.
LOCATION: All day in Manhattan. I'm only doing Part I of Day 7 in this post.
Today was a fun day of sightseeing - no ball games today. We had breakfast at the hotel and went across the street in late morning to Jack Doyle's Irish Pub to watch the Hawkeyes play SW Missouri State. Our bartender was a young lady named Nicoby. We told her we were from Iowa and Minnesota and wanted to watch the Hawks play football. She said "I think I can find it for you" - and she did. And then to our surprise she says, "I'm from Nebraska and spent a year at the U of Iowa and then finished my studies at the U of Nebraska. My degree is in marketing. I had a job in marketing out here but didn't like it so I'm doing what I like which is working in a bar." It was a nice surprise to hear her say she was from the Midwest. The Hawks won the game 28-14. She said housing was very expensive in Manhattan - that's why she had three roommates. I think she said the rent was around $2800.00 a month so they each had to come up with $700.00 plus splitting the utilities. Grandson Wesley was with us and I had the feeling that she kind of had an eye on Wesley. She chatted with Wes about his Air Force career. I told Wes, "I think she's hitting on you." He kind of chuckled but didn't disagree. Brother John had gotten his PHD from Nebraska in the early 1970s. He asked Nicoby if she knew anything about Chesterfields Bar in Lincoln. John and his buddies used to go there all the time. She didn't but she her Dad might - so she texted him in Lincoln and asked him. Her Dad responded and said that it was a favorite bar for him also in the 1970s. John really had good memories about his time spent at Chesterfields.
After the Hawk game we took the subway to Ground Zero to see the new tower and the two memorials pools already built. The two pools have the names of all the people who lost their lives at the North Tower, the South Tower, the Pentagon, and the passengers in the four planes, including the one in Pennsylvania. The names are all engraved on top of the marble walls surrounding the two pools. The two pools are located almost exactly where the north and south towers were located. I was very anxious to examine the names of those killed at the Pentagon as a former seventh grade student of mine was killed there. I found the name of Craig Amundson, the student I had in the late 1980s. Craig's dad was a pharmacist in Anamosa before moving to Missouri in the late 1990s. I remember Craig as a good student, pretty quiet but a kid who always did his work and never complained. He was in the U.S. Army and was doing graphic design work at the Pentagon. What a shame for an innocent 30-year-old man, married with two little kids to be killed in the prime of his life by a bunch of terrorists. And the same can be said for the other 3,000 people kllled that day. A month after 9/11 a memorial service was held in Anamosa for Craig at the courthouse. His parents came from Missouri. The new tower being built is nearing completion - it is huge.
After ground zero we walked to Wall Street. Highlights were seeing the bull and his big balls - John and I had our picture taken at the back of the bull with each of us holding onto one of his balls. A few of the other famous things we saw were the N.Y. Stock Exchange, the Donald Trump building, the federal building where George Washington took the presidential oath of office in 1789....plus many others.
At the memorial pools we talked to a volunteer who was there to answer questions and give directions, etc. He was an interesting guy to talk to. He was a principal of a private school located on the upper west side of Manhattan - this is where many of the rich and famous live. He said his school had 650 students and tuition was $40,000 a year. (that's $26,000,000 a year the school takes in). His rent was $6,000 a month to live in that area. He said 100% of his students go on to college with 40% going to Ivy League schools. I asked him if he would tell us the names of some of the kids at the school who were from the rich and famous. He said "No, I won't. but there are a lot."
Can you imagine what his salary is for one year? His rent alone is $6,000 a month which amounts to $72.000 a year. Do you think he's a little better compensated than Iowa/Minnesota principals? Talking to this guy is one of the reasons this trip was so interesting - all 3 of us have curious minds, like to talk to people, like to ask questions, and learn new things.
This Part I of Day 7. I'll do Part II of Day 7 in my next post.
LOCATION: All day in Manhattan. I'm only doing Part I of Day 7 in this post.
Today was a fun day of sightseeing - no ball games today. We had breakfast at the hotel and went across the street in late morning to Jack Doyle's Irish Pub to watch the Hawkeyes play SW Missouri State. Our bartender was a young lady named Nicoby. We told her we were from Iowa and Minnesota and wanted to watch the Hawks play football. She said "I think I can find it for you" - and she did. And then to our surprise she says, "I'm from Nebraska and spent a year at the U of Iowa and then finished my studies at the U of Nebraska. My degree is in marketing. I had a job in marketing out here but didn't like it so I'm doing what I like which is working in a bar." It was a nice surprise to hear her say she was from the Midwest. The Hawks won the game 28-14. She said housing was very expensive in Manhattan - that's why she had three roommates. I think she said the rent was around $2800.00 a month so they each had to come up with $700.00 plus splitting the utilities. Grandson Wesley was with us and I had the feeling that she kind of had an eye on Wesley. She chatted with Wes about his Air Force career. I told Wes, "I think she's hitting on you." He kind of chuckled but didn't disagree. Brother John had gotten his PHD from Nebraska in the early 1970s. He asked Nicoby if she knew anything about Chesterfields Bar in Lincoln. John and his buddies used to go there all the time. She didn't but she her Dad might - so she texted him in Lincoln and asked him. Her Dad responded and said that it was a favorite bar for him also in the 1970s. John really had good memories about his time spent at Chesterfields.
After the Hawk game we took the subway to Ground Zero to see the new tower and the two memorials pools already built. The two pools have the names of all the people who lost their lives at the North Tower, the South Tower, the Pentagon, and the passengers in the four planes, including the one in Pennsylvania. The names are all engraved on top of the marble walls surrounding the two pools. The two pools are located almost exactly where the north and south towers were located. I was very anxious to examine the names of those killed at the Pentagon as a former seventh grade student of mine was killed there. I found the name of Craig Amundson, the student I had in the late 1980s. Craig's dad was a pharmacist in Anamosa before moving to Missouri in the late 1990s. I remember Craig as a good student, pretty quiet but a kid who always did his work and never complained. He was in the U.S. Army and was doing graphic design work at the Pentagon. What a shame for an innocent 30-year-old man, married with two little kids to be killed in the prime of his life by a bunch of terrorists. And the same can be said for the other 3,000 people kllled that day. A month after 9/11 a memorial service was held in Anamosa for Craig at the courthouse. His parents came from Missouri. The new tower being built is nearing completion - it is huge.
After ground zero we walked to Wall Street. Highlights were seeing the bull and his big balls - John and I had our picture taken at the back of the bull with each of us holding onto one of his balls. A few of the other famous things we saw were the N.Y. Stock Exchange, the Donald Trump building, the federal building where George Washington took the presidential oath of office in 1789....plus many others.
At the memorial pools we talked to a volunteer who was there to answer questions and give directions, etc. He was an interesting guy to talk to. He was a principal of a private school located on the upper west side of Manhattan - this is where many of the rich and famous live. He said his school had 650 students and tuition was $40,000 a year. (that's $26,000,000 a year the school takes in). His rent was $6,000 a month to live in that area. He said 100% of his students go on to college with 40% going to Ivy League schools. I asked him if he would tell us the names of some of the kids at the school who were from the rich and famous. He said "No, I won't. but there are a lot."
Can you imagine what his salary is for one year? His rent alone is $6,000 a month which amounts to $72.000 a year. Do you think he's a little better compensated than Iowa/Minnesota principals? Talking to this guy is one of the reasons this trip was so interesting - all 3 of us have curious minds, like to talk to people, like to ask questions, and learn new things.
This Part I of Day 7. I'll do Part II of Day 7 in my next post.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Day 6: Major League Baseball Trip.
DATE: Friday, September 6, 2013. Day 6.
LOCATION: 235 5th Street, Manhattan, Times Square and Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
I got up at 9 AM and took a walk by myself. Macy's Department Store was about two blocks away so I went in and did some looking. You notice I said looking because the prices were a little more than I wanted to pay. I was drawn to the neckties - they looked great - I was thinking I might buy one and be able to say to my friends at church when having our Sunday morning coffee, "Hey, look at the nice necktie I bought at Macy's in Manhattan." Well, I changed my mind when I looked at the price - the cheapies were $50.00 a tie and the more expensive ones were on sale for $65.00 (regular price = $85.00). So, no tie from Macy's for Pete.
While walking I decided to see if I could get at least one person to say "Good Morning". The first person I said "Good Morning" to looked at me like I was nuts. He never responded and just kept walking. Then I tried a lady and I got the same response from her. I tried another woman and she just stared straight ahead and kept walking. I concluded my little experiment was not really working so I gave up. I was zero for three and the odds were not in my favor so I hung it up and said "To hell with you Manhattan people" Manhattan folks are definitely not as friendly as Iowa or Minnesota people.
John, Brad, Karen and I went to Jack Doyle's for breakfast. Then we all strolled 4-5 blocks to Times Square. Karen had to leave by 1:30 and catch a taxi to the airport as she was flying back to Boston. We ate at another Irish Pub. One thing you notice about Manhattan that is very different from Anamosa or Cedar Rapids is the great diversity of people and the hundreds of different language you hear. And it seems like everybody is in a hurry - they walk as fast as they can and it seems like they are all late to wherever they are going.
Some of the things we saw that afternoon were: ABC News headquarters; where the ball is dropped on New Year's Eve; the live theater section on Broadway (some shows now being performed were Annie, Kinky Boots, Pippin, Lion King, Chicago and many others); Empire State Building; and the Naked Cowboy. The Naked Cowboy is a guy in tight underwear type shorts playing his guitar and singing - of course he stops when someone wants a photo - for a price, of course. Really, the shorts is all he has on except for a hat and boots.
\In midafternoon we walked back to the hotel. At around 5 PM we got on the subway to go to Yankee Stadium. Brad figured out how to access tickets on the automated ticket machines. (Thank God he figured it out as I don't think John or I could've done it). The cost was only $2.50 each - a bargain and a lot cheaper than a taxi. We got to Yankee in the Bronx about 5:30. The stadium is unbelievable. We saw the Yankees play the Boston Red Sox. The Yanks were leading 8-3 when the Sox tied it up in the 6th inning. The Sox went on to win 13-5. We did get to see Mariano Reviera pitch and Alex Rodriquez play. I got ID'd when trying to buy a beer. I kind of laughed at her and she said "I have to do this - even though you do like you're 39." When done with my ID she said "I was wrong, you're only 23.
Grandson Wesley joined us in the 4th inning. He is in the Air Force stationed at Fort Dix Army /Macquire Air Force Base in New Jersey. He loves baseball and wanted to join us for some games. He stayed overnight with us on an air mattress we had brought along. After the game we took the subway back to 35th street - ate at a another Irish Pub and didn't get to bed until 2:30 AM. I'm not used to 2:30 bedtimes anymore - at my age of 72 a 9:30 bedtime time feels good to me. It was a fun day.
My rankings for Yankee Stadium:
1. restrooms A
2. wide/deep steps A+
3. railings A+
4.friendly help A
5, wide concourses A+ (you can walk the concourse all around the stadium)
6. price of beer B (I base my lower grades for beer compared to Iowa prices)
LOCATION: 235 5th Street, Manhattan, Times Square and Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
I got up at 9 AM and took a walk by myself. Macy's Department Store was about two blocks away so I went in and did some looking. You notice I said looking because the prices were a little more than I wanted to pay. I was drawn to the neckties - they looked great - I was thinking I might buy one and be able to say to my friends at church when having our Sunday morning coffee, "Hey, look at the nice necktie I bought at Macy's in Manhattan." Well, I changed my mind when I looked at the price - the cheapies were $50.00 a tie and the more expensive ones were on sale for $65.00 (regular price = $85.00). So, no tie from Macy's for Pete.
While walking I decided to see if I could get at least one person to say "Good Morning". The first person I said "Good Morning" to looked at me like I was nuts. He never responded and just kept walking. Then I tried a lady and I got the same response from her. I tried another woman and she just stared straight ahead and kept walking. I concluded my little experiment was not really working so I gave up. I was zero for three and the odds were not in my favor so I hung it up and said "To hell with you Manhattan people" Manhattan folks are definitely not as friendly as Iowa or Minnesota people.
John, Brad, Karen and I went to Jack Doyle's for breakfast. Then we all strolled 4-5 blocks to Times Square. Karen had to leave by 1:30 and catch a taxi to the airport as she was flying back to Boston. We ate at another Irish Pub. One thing you notice about Manhattan that is very different from Anamosa or Cedar Rapids is the great diversity of people and the hundreds of different language you hear. And it seems like everybody is in a hurry - they walk as fast as they can and it seems like they are all late to wherever they are going.
Some of the things we saw that afternoon were: ABC News headquarters; where the ball is dropped on New Year's Eve; the live theater section on Broadway (some shows now being performed were Annie, Kinky Boots, Pippin, Lion King, Chicago and many others); Empire State Building; and the Naked Cowboy. The Naked Cowboy is a guy in tight underwear type shorts playing his guitar and singing - of course he stops when someone wants a photo - for a price, of course. Really, the shorts is all he has on except for a hat and boots.
\In midafternoon we walked back to the hotel. At around 5 PM we got on the subway to go to Yankee Stadium. Brad figured out how to access tickets on the automated ticket machines. (Thank God he figured it out as I don't think John or I could've done it). The cost was only $2.50 each - a bargain and a lot cheaper than a taxi. We got to Yankee in the Bronx about 5:30. The stadium is unbelievable. We saw the Yankees play the Boston Red Sox. The Yanks were leading 8-3 when the Sox tied it up in the 6th inning. The Sox went on to win 13-5. We did get to see Mariano Reviera pitch and Alex Rodriquez play. I got ID'd when trying to buy a beer. I kind of laughed at her and she said "I have to do this - even though you do like you're 39." When done with my ID she said "I was wrong, you're only 23.
Grandson Wesley joined us in the 4th inning. He is in the Air Force stationed at Fort Dix Army /Macquire Air Force Base in New Jersey. He loves baseball and wanted to join us for some games. He stayed overnight with us on an air mattress we had brought along. After the game we took the subway back to 35th street - ate at a another Irish Pub and didn't get to bed until 2:30 AM. I'm not used to 2:30 bedtimes anymore - at my age of 72 a 9:30 bedtime time feels good to me. It was a fun day.
My rankings for Yankee Stadium:
1. restrooms A
2. wide/deep steps A+
3. railings A+
4.friendly help A
5, wide concourses A+ (you can walk the concourse all around the stadium)
6. price of beer B (I base my lower grades for beer compared to Iowa prices)
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