I attended a technical training class last month in New York City. Manhattan, to be precise. A few pictures will follow. Training wasn't too bad - the first two days were really good, but the third day, man, I just got lost once the security terms and acronyms started flying around. I was able to visit the World Trace Center site, which was rather somber. I saw the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden (every day, the training facility was just a few blocks from there, and that's where I got off/on the subway), Trump Tower and Carnegie Hall (just the exteriors, not too memorable, actually), visited the World of Disney store (yee-haw!), saw the Waldorf-Astoria, and the Chrysler Building was just blocks away from my hotel.
I'd like to go back there someday with Stacy, because there are just so many things to do and see. I don't think the boys would get much out of it right now, maybe when the youngest is 10 years old or so.
Empire State Building
World Trade Center Memorial Time-line
These are pictures (not very good, I admit) of the timeline of September 11, 2001.
World Trade Center - Staircase
The picture above is of the last piece of the WTC that's left standing - a staircase. This picture is of the side/back of the staircase, as I couldn't get a decent picture of the actual stairs. The story I've heard is that this staircase was used by dozens, if not hundreds, of people to escape the tower on 9/11. It has been rumored to be included in any WTC memorial, either where it is, or moved to a different location. Personally, I'd like it to stay where it is.
World Trade Center - construction
Just a picture (taken by holding the camera outside the security fence.... shhhh!) of the construction going on at the WTC site.
About a week after that, I flew down to Houston, TX to join Stacy and the boys at her family's reunion (they drove down with her parents). It was a great time! Virginia and Jim's house is just fantastic. Lots of food, got a chance to play pool (Jim has a 9-foot table... sweeeeeet.... :) ), and see many relatives that we don't get a chance to see very often, due to a myriad of reasons. Bentwater has some amazing houses, and apparently Roger Clemens has a house somewhere in there, too.
The highlights: Golf on Saturday, Incredible Pizza, Johnson Space Center, and the boat ride on Lake Conroe. And yes, there are a LOT of things I'm leaving out. :) No pictures yet, they are all still on the digital camera.
