Seeing Eye, Day 12
The wakeup song was New York, New York, the Sinatra version.
As expected, a group of us went into the city, as we call it. I wanted to take some time to collect my thoughts before writing, as the trip trip was absolutely wonderful, IMO.
We drove through the Lincoln Tunnel, into Port Authority, and took an elivator, escolator, and stairs down to the subway. We also had to go through a turnstyle before we even got to the tracks. We went one stop to 50th and 8th.
We did platform work, and Vanya kept as far away from the platform as possible. We walked to Rockefeller Plaza and took photos under the Cristmas tree, and just took in the atmosphere. On the way, we went along Broadway, and into Time Square, at about 42nd and 5th.
Throughout this area, there are concrete barriers along the street, to stop vehicles from driving onto the sidewalk. Vanya was a trooper working around people, food carts, cars, barriers and even the NYC pidgons. She only neeeded very few corrections, for running me into people. Some pedestrians backed into us, but the weeving around sidewalks and streets was absolutely thrilling. What an adrenaline rush!
When we approached a particularly crowded corner, complete with food cart and music, Vanya had to step, swerve, step, swerve, etc. across the street. In all my trips to NYC, I've never experienced that while crossing a street. You had to just trust and follow your dog very closely.
We doubled back to the Godiva store, where I purchased some chocolates.
Time Square was incredibly crowded, but a fabulous workout for us.
Before we went to have lunch, I hugged both Walt and Shannon, and almost cried, as that trip was just fantastic. Everything came together, and Vanya really showed her stuff, and owned it. To have experienced yesterday's trip puts all this work into perspective, for me, makes me strive for excellence in being a dog guide handler.
After lunch, we headed back to the Eye. Vanya and I had some down time, and a nap.
We had a Christmas concert after dinner with some excellent musicians. It was a concert/history lesson. At the end, we could see the instruments. One of the ladies was playing a very old wodden flute, built in about 1875, or so. It was pitched in D, and only had a few keys, no lip plate, and holes for the fingers. I got to play it, and that was cool. The tambre is similar to our C flutes, but more mellow.
We had cookies and mauled cider.
i spent some time in the common lounge, where an absolutely hilarious time was had by all.
It's supposed to snow tomorrow, yea!
Breakfast: Orange juice, cold cereal, oatmeal, pumpkin pancakes with maple syup, and whipped cream, sausage and yogurt.
Lunch: vegetable soup, hamburgers with letuce and tomato, french fries, egg salad sandwich or salad, banana split or fruit.
Dinner: pineapple juice, chili rellano caserole, tortilla chips, sour cream blueberry pie with streusel topping or fruit.
Weather: 26/38f, -3.3/3.3c. Mostly cloudy.