Brooklyn, Manhattan, & In Between Just Before Christmas 2008

My road trip departure was delayed by many factors... New England ice storms, light construction in my dad's residence, a snow storm, packing and cleaning, finishing last minute details in preparation for a 10-week departure, another snow storm... but I finally arrived in Brooklyn, New York last Friday just before a big snow storm hit and left NYC under a few inches of snow that stuck around for a few days, froze, and laid testament that winter and the Holiday season had arrived. The snow was pretty... for a few minutes... then it began to melt, leaving puddles and re-freeze, leaving slippery walk-ways. The air was crisp... but slowly chilled to painfully bone chilling. Holiday cheer was evident around each corner in NYC and the Holidays and Spirit from around the world, from every nation and belief was openly celebrated in shop windows, clothing, and signage... A top reason I love New York and feel the passion of the world on the her streets. A long nap to recover from my mid-nights drive from New Hampshire to New York readied me for Friday evenings Ethiopian feast with Chuck and Christina in Manhattan... a walk through the snowy streets and a ride on the F subway brought us up a flight of stairs into SOHO, Manhattan. We entered the brightly red Ethiopian restaurant awaited our Vegetarian Platter for 3... a table sized platter of soft sponge-like flat bread covered with 10 different sauces, beans, and vegetables spiced somewhere between India and the Mediterranean (for those who have yet to taste Ethiopian cuisine). Scrumptious... and the best part being that the soft sponge-like bread platter base layer soaks up the delicious flavors and is eaten near the end of the meal! Thank you Christina for remembering my affinity toward Ethiopian food and treating Chuck and I to such a blissful dining experience! And like many Ethiopians that eat this cuisine, I didn't gain a pound :) The following day, I headed off to Manhattan again to visit my Great Uncle Jimmy that I had only met once or twice before and hadn't seen in 20 years! I was very excited to learn that Great Uncle Jimmy now 92 years old is still with us on this earth plane and in good health. I went to meet him at his uptown Manhattan Apt. and was amazed to see what great shape he is in and how much he looks like me! His nurse aide instantly exclaimed, “Wow you two really look alike!” 3 more couples we met during the day asked me if Uncle Jimmy is my father. That gave us some good laughs! Great conversation and connection ensued and I was so happy to find another relative that I share so many commonalities with. Uncle Jimmy and I walked to a nearby Irish pub (where I put on my best Irish accent and thought of Emmet) and Uncle Jimmy and I both had a sheppard's pie and warm water no ice to drink. I asked Uncle Jimmy many questions about how he's maintained his health... he didn't have any definitive answers... however, it became quite clear to me as our conversation progressed, that it's not only his diet, exercise, or medical care that has kept him well. His secret to longevity seemed to be in his happiness, positive outlook, active life, and affection towards friends. He had studied Tai Chi for a few years and quite liked it... as well as yoga... but now only took walking as exercise. Uncle Jimmy had recently fallen and broken his wrist. Before leaving, he took off his brace and I did some massage on his wrist, arm, and shoulder and did some extending of the wrist and arm. We had many great stories to share and had a wonderful afternoon. Seeing Uncle Jimmy was a great gift... He inspired me throughout the day as I saw him doing little shoulder rotations for exercise/range of motion. He often straightened up his posture while we sat at the Irish pub awaiting our sheppard's pies. He had great patience with his body... though his movement was slow, it was sure and steady. This visit made me realize how important it is to have our elders in bur lives to remind us of where we are heading... our physical bodies will transform... and inspire us to choose positive habits that will keep the life force flowing strongly through our bodies. Have you called an elder in your family today? The following day Christina, Chuck, and I met with Josaphine and Alicia (two old friends from high school) for brunch in The Village of Manhattan at an all Organic Vegetarian Restaurant. Wonderful conversation about life;s changes since the last time we had met a year ago. Josaphine shared the awesome transformations that have been happening in her life since watching all of the Eckart Tolle New Earth webinars on Oprah.com . Then we went to the newly opened Brooklyn Trader Joe's Market where I had a transcendental shopping experience! This Trader Joe's location is set in a plush 1800's Bank with magnificent 50 foot high ornately molded ceilings, chandeliers, huge windows, and a huge space. I saw so many products I had never seen before, and so many of the products had wonderful ingredients... in fact... the pre-packaged prepared foods had the same ingredients that I would use to prepare the dishes myself. I loaded up on organic apples, nuts and seeds, and pre-packaged prepared Indian dinners that I'd be able to microwave in gas stations along the way of my road trip... Now I will eat well! And the prices!!! Trader Joe's is doing a great service for it's customers... many items were half the price of similar items at Whole Foods and better than similar chemically laden foods sold at supermarkets across America. If you are in the vicinity of Trader Joe's and used to buying packaged or prepared foods, check out Joe's! Monday night, a final delicious burrito dinner cooked by Christina and some conversation, before I departed on another mid-night drive from NYC to Washington D.C. to visit Dan and Jennifer (friends from Taiwan that returned to the states last year). So far, D.C. has been magnificent and inspiring to my soul!!! Only my 3rd time to our capitol city, this is the first time I'm getting to appreciate “him” (and all of his grand phallic statues that dot “his” landscape). Stories from Washington D.C. next time...