Friday, April 1
Typically I leave on Friday evening or Saturday for my spring break trip. And Friday is always a record-keeping day to complete report cards. We are allowed to work remotely that day and it is understood that if you complete your report cards on your own time before that, Friday can be comp time. So this year, I decided that I would do that--complete my report cards before that and leave for my spring break trip on Friday, partially because I am visiting my oldest child (Atlas) and they have Saturday off work, so I would prefer to spend Saturday with them than in airports and transit. Well, we finished a three-week strike earlier in the week, and our school board decided to make Friday a student contact day (the are extending third quarter and scheduling our record-keeping day on a Saturday). Well, many of us had non-refundable flights, etc. so there were many teacher and staff absences today. Including me. But I had found a substitute to cover my class.
So I woke up this. morning and after a shower and breakfast, I packed my bags. Randy drove me to the airport. Everything went smoothly. Unfortunately, I was assigned a seat in the middle of a row of three, so I had a large person on one side and a person who jiggled their legs (sometimes against mine) on the other. But it was fine. They had asked people to check their carry-ons (no charge) to save room because the flight was full. So I did--the trade off was that you got to board earlier (and you don't have to try to find space for your bigger carry on). With COVID restrictions lifting, they also had beverage service and a choice of snacks (I chose the granola bar).
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| This is what greeted me in New York--Minnesota is covered in snow! |
I landed in Newark and Atlas recommended that I take the New Jersey Express bus rather than the PATH train because the bus is faster and more reliable. There was no one at the kiosk in the airport to buy tickets from and there was no machine outside to buy them, so I asked and the guy I asked said that he ordered them online. So I had to find it online and order an electronic ticket there. It turns out that you can also purchase one from the driver, but he does not give change (it is $19.50), though he will take credit cards. We were stuck in Friday night rush hour though, so it was a very long bus ride. The bus driver was funny, though and would let us know when we could expect to be to our destination. I got off at the first stop--Port Authority. I found a subway station with my train (E) and took that to the station closest to my hotel. We usually stay at the Jane Hotel. It is quirky, but scrupulously clean and has an awesome location (Manhattan-West Village) for only $100 per night. So that is our hotel. A standard room is tiny with a single berth (it used to be a sailor's hotel) and a shared bathroom down the hall (like a dorm or hostel). They provide towels and a robe and slippers for that walk down the hall.
I was starving by this time, so I took Atlas' suggestion and went to Elephant and Castle for dinner. I had a Caesar salad. It was good, as salads go. Then I walked back to the Jane because I had a few hours before meeting Atlas for dessert at 10:15 after they finished work. It was only a mile and a half, so I could walk there to meet them. We went to the Spot Dessert Bar--yummy, creative desserts. We had to wait for awhile because it is very small and very popular. But it just gave us time to catch up. We shared the Harvest and the Cookie Camp. Yum!
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| This is an AIDS memorial on the site of an old hospital that treated AIDS patients |
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| Here is the Harvest desert! |
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| I spied Washington Square Park on my way home. |
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