As I sat down at my desk this morning in the Paradise II building and opened up my 600 unread emails, I wished I could turn back time and go back to where I was last week. The trip to NY was wonderful this year - not that they have ever been bad, but this one seemed especially great. Here's how it appears in my memory:
Trip to NY - I was able to travel to NY with Jacob Webb this year, which would have been a lot nicer had we been able to sit together. No matter, it was fun to know he was with me. On our first flight out of Phoenix we knew it would be an interesting flight when our row didn't exist - but was actually right where the bathrooms in the back of the plane were. They had changed planes. In the end we got better seats, but it was fun to think we might have to sit in the bathrooms - well, I guess that wouldn't be fun. Upon arrival in Connecticut we were greeted by my beautiful wife who welcomed me by saying I "looked terrible!" I told her she looked wonderful and asked where she bought her sandals. I think she was referring to my hair, which had been bleached blonde.
Beach in Rhode Island - one of the days we headed up the Connecticut coast to Rhode Island to some beach with a name I can't even try to remember. It was fun driving down the road in CT that we used to travel weekly to visit my parents in NY. We parked at a pizza joint and the parking cost included use of their bathrooms, showers, and a private beach. Though the beach was overrun with seaweed, something the people claimed was not usual, the day was fantastic. The weather was perfect, the waves just right, and the sand fun to play in. Lunch included a brilliant fish sandwich and the breeze made it so I was never hot. The boyz loved the beach and eventually loved the waves. The only thing missing was a nice lobster roll or scallops. But it is hard to complain.
Trip to NYC - we took the train down to NYC along with Tevia, Jacob Webb, Jacob Wall, Cari, Kathy, Tommy, and eventually Jesse Hettinger joined us. It was a great day in the City with visits to Ground Zero, the financial district, a great NY pizza joint, Times Square, Battery Park, Central Park, and more. Hopefully Jacob Webb, whose first time it was in NYC, enjoyed it as much as me. My "tours" of NYC don't have too much real tourist attractions, but more real NY areas. Though my legs were sore afterwards, I loved it as I always do - and enjoyed a nice black and white cookie on the train home.
Trip to Action Park - this water park, which actually is called something like Mountain Creek now (due to how many times they were sued I am told), which is found in a small time in north Jersey, was fun. I enjoyed being with the kids. It was hot, which was good since the water was cold (as I remember as a teenager). Even more amazing was the fact that nobody got mad, even when lunch took much longer than expected and it was hard to keep track of everybody. Thanks to Tevia for seeing the sign the rest of us missed so we could get there in the first place!
Trip to Mohonk - this resort, which still ranks as one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited, met my expectations once more, as it had been nearly 9 years since I had been. The weather was most cooperative with the only cool day perfect for hiking and scrambling the rocks. The labyrinth up to the lemon squeeze was as fun as always. Throw in some beautiful scenery, feeding and touching and getting snipped at by huge trout, rowing a boat on the pristine lake, and a beautiful hotel and you get one of the most picturesque spots on earth. I loved it like always.
Sports - though I admit I would have liked to have done more physical activity (some of the men weren't up to it due to staying up too late playing World of Warcraft!), I did get in some good basketball (even with a bum ankle), some golf, some tennis, and some fun in the pool. This is one of the things I wish we all lived closer so we could do more together more often.
Harry Potter - I was able to finish the Half Blood Prince while on vacation. It was perhaps my favorite of the series, and it was fun to see so many people reading it. There were four copies alone in my parents' house! We are all Harry fans, so it was a fun part of the trip to discuss who is the half blood prince!
But now it is over. The talks with my mother, the Nintendo, the great food, and sleeping in are now a thing of the past. Once again I return to routine and realize how much family means and how little things like money and jobs mean. Sure, we need a good job to support our families and toil on the earth, but it is such a shame to see so many people put those things first and lose touch with the things that are most important. What is more important than to sit and laugh and discuss spiritual things with family? This was a small glimpse of what eternal life as a family should be and will make me try even harder to make that happen. Thank you all for your examples and fun. I love each one of you and will always be here for you.
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