A solemn visit

I work just a little more than a block from the World Trade Center site. It's so close that one person in my office could see people falling from the towers on 9/11. That's what a couple of my co-workers said during our lunch break a week or two ago. They were also remarking that they found it strange -- maybe even disturbing -- that so many people treat the WTC site as a tourist attraction, peaking through plastic sheeting to take a photo of the construction.

So it was with mixed feelings that I visited the site during my break Friday. Sure enough, tourists were everywhere, camera in hand. I couldn't bring myself to take a picture of the wreckage.

It's amazing to think how the area must have changed in the last six years. After it happened, I remember thinking that it might not be worth the worry to live in a big city. But here I am. Time dulls those feelings, for better or for worse.

Christmas (and crowds) at Rockefeller Center

We saw the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center on Saturday for the first (and probably last) time.

The crowds were horrific, not only at the tree but for about the three blocks surrounding it. Police officers blocked about every other crosswalk because people were stopping traffic, so everyone on the sidewalks were at a standstill until the walk light came on. Even then we could barely move.

The crowd was so thick at the tree that we couldn't even get close enough to see the ice skaters below. I suspect that if we would have gone up to the second floor of the neighboring NBC store we could have seen the rink. By that time I was too tired out to even try.

To top it all off, I just didn't think the tree was that impressive. Both Paul and I thought it would be larger. I mean, it's neat, but it's just a tree with lights. I'm glad we saw it once, but it'll probably be awhile before I see it again.

Paul's birthday was Friday. Per tradition, the birthday boy got to choose his favorite restaurant for supper, so we went to the Heartland Brewery, of course. But before that, I presented him with a present-- an ounce of Sam Adams' Utopia beer at a bar in Brooklyn. For Paul, this was a lot more exciting than it sounds. He actually insisted I take a photo of him with it. An ounce of that costs about as much as four pints of normal beers, so he fully appreciated it!

Brooklyn Museum

It seems that a lot of the museums around here have free or discounted hours-- during the workday. Luckily, one exception is the Brooklyn Museum. It's free the first Saturday of every month from 5 to 11 p.m.

Paul and I went this past Saturday. It was like going to Gallery Hop in Columbus, except we only visited one (very large) gallery.

The Brooklyn Museum is famous for it's collection of Egyptian artifacts. That bores me, and I feel guilty about that since it really is a big display. However, I did learn about crocodile cemeteries, so at least I came away with something.

I preferred the paintings (only one or two that I recognized) and The Dinner Party. The museum had also recreated rooms from homes of different eras, and I found that very interesting.

We spent about about three hours there and didn't see the whole museum. I guess that gives us something to do next month!