Weekend Wrap - Christmas Edition

Back from New York for a Christmas weekend. Here's the wrap-up.

Let's start with the Loot List:

• Stephen King's new collection of short stories, Just After Sunset
  
• A few other books, Jeffrey Toobin's book on the Supreme Court, this Bill Bryson book, which I haven't read, and a sports writing anthology
  
• Bananagrams, a new game
• A new mag-lite, as mine had gone missing
• A new canister for holding my coffee beans (perhaps Mrs. BA is tired of looking at the plastic Folger's can?)
  
• A great puzzle of a map of baseball stadiums (Thanks C in DC!)
• One of the books I got from my MIL will work well with the above as it is "Watching Baseball Smarter."
  
• As a treat for having NJM over for Christmas Eve dinner, I now have a new supply of official NJM fudge sauce (and thanks for the dinner treats, NJM - Lobster rolls - GOOD)

We headed for the Big Apple on Friday and made it in a relatively easy five and a half hours. LBA was a great trooper, informing us as we were passing the Vince Lombardi rest area that he had to go potty, in time for us to stop for him (because after that it's no stops until Grandpa's house). SBA did well on the trip as well. My brother was there when we arrived as was my father and his new girlfriend. We all decompressed from our long drives (my brother traveled from Maine) and then my father took us all out to dinner at Boulder Creek Steakhouse.

On Saturday, my brother and my family got up and headed into "the city" for what might be referred to as "Midtown Christmas Tour A." Both LBA and SoBA enjoyed their first trip on the Long Island Rail Road. After arriving at Penn Station, we headed across 34th Street toward Fifth Avenue, passing the window displays at "the World's Largest Store." The theme, as you might expect was, "Miracle on 34th Street." Along the way, Mrs. BA ducked into Old Navy to buy a vest as it was colder than we thought when we started out.

Upon reaching 5th Avenue, we turned north, stopping at the window displays at this New York institution. From there, we pushed on to catch sight of the tree at Rockefeller Center. Shortly thereafter, LBA announced he needed a potty break, so we headed across the street to find a rest room in Saks Fifth Avenue, which had its own window display, but the other need was more pressing. So we made use of the mens lounge (on the 6th floor, if you need it) and went across the street to St. Patrick's Cathedral. LBA had a small meltdown leaving there (he didn't want to put on his coat) - so we managed a compromise and he promptly fell asleep in the stroller before arriving at our final planned destination, FAO Schwartz. SoBA enjoyed the store from start to finish and finally LBA awoke and nearly lost his mind at the world he had found himself in. Thanks to Uncle David for some birthday money so everybody got to leave with a new toy.

Then it was time for lunch. We had no planned destination and started back in the general direction of Penn Station, walking down 6th Avenue. We finally spotted an Au Bon Pain and figured it was a good place to stop. I set the family up at a table and headed back to get some food for everyone. I get back to the table and Mrs. BA is deep in conversation with the couple behind her. I try several times to get her attention but she doesn't come back to the table until the couple has finished, gotten up and left the store. I ask her, "Who have you been talking to?" She responds, "Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work, but I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it; I'm swamped." I suddenly realize that she has been in engaged in conversation with Prince Humperdinck and his wife, the lovely Joanna Gleason. It was a very New York moment.

After that we headed back to Penn Station walking through Times Square. Thanks Rudy, for cleaning up the porn shops, but chains have rushed in to fill the void. It's a little jarring. I did note in the news today this story, but there's still a lot going on there. All in all a great trip to NYC.

The rest of the weekend was spent working with my father on helping him to divest himself of his many treasures. If you're in NY and in the mood to build some models, he's got a lot for sale on Craig's List. Yesterday we headed home, with a horrendous drive - traffic was everywhere - my SIL was kind enough to rescue us, we stopped at her home for dinner before taking care of the final leg of the trip.

Speaking of legs, I screwed up mine carrying a sleeping child into the house. He didn't get hurt, but I managed to twist my knee and get a bad cut. But I'll live. But I might whine about it.

2008 will come to an end tomorrow and we will have our traditional fondue evening with Mr. and Mrs. OSG here at the Brave Astronaut launch pad. I've already loaded a post for you tomorrow and I am working on one that might concern some resolutions for 2009. For now, a very Happy New Year to you all and I thank you for coming by now and again.