On September 13, 2001, a worker at World Trade Center 6 site, discovered amongst the debris, a 20 feet cross of two steel beams. The cross was eventually moved to St. Peter's Church on October 5, 2006 and placed on the Church Street side (photo above). A replica of the cross has been installed at the gravesite of Father Mychal Judge, a New York Fire Department chaplain who was killed in the collapse of World Trade Center 1 on September 11, 2001.
"The Cross at Ground Zero - Founded September 13, 2001; Blessed October 4, 2001; Temporarily Relocated October 15, 2006. Will return to WTC Museum, A Sign of Comfort for ALL."
The above art work was displayed on the wall of a building at the corner of Sterling Place and 6th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York. 
I was emotionally touched when I saw this beautiful tribune on the side of a building at the corner of 86th Street and 23rd Avenue in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, New York. I was on my way to Sunday morning Mass at St. Mary's Church. As I was waiting to cross the street, I unexpectedly saw the painting which took up the entire wall. As I read the writing and looked closely, I could sense that the artist put his/her heart and soul into each stroke, each line and each letter. I feel priviledged to view such beautiful work that captured New York, the strength, the bravery of the people and the American spirit that would always rise above all.
"This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time.None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world."President George W. Bush's address to the nation on Tuesday night, September 11, 2001.
Following Monday being Labor Day, I thought it would be appropriate to combine the New York Wednesday theme with Men at Work as shown in these photos. Perhaps the title of this post should be Men at Work Below, Above and everywhere in between!
In place of the Humor of the Week feature, I am posting photos of Men at Work, seen from my windows on the 2nd floor in the building where I work. I thought these photos would be appropriate as today is Labor Day. To the men and women who build, maintain, repair and keep America running smoothly, thank you for your hard work. Be safe out there and keep up the good job!
Another Larger than Life seen along Route 66 in Missouri, is the Giant Dripping Noen Faucet, located on the North Outer Road, west of St. James, exit 195 from I-44 Eastbound.
PG13 - Parents, you might wish to tell the kids to leave the room, NOW. The above photo is just a Giant Bowling Pin, but the next photo will be shocking because right next to the Bowling Pin is the sign "ADULT Superstore". If you really want to show the kids the Giant Bowling Pin, before getting off at exit 153 in Buckhorn (how appropriate for the town with such name for this exit) from I-44, make the kids put on their blindfolds and park the car in an angle where they could only see the Giant Bowling Pin and not the Adult Superstore sign. Good luck!
At this exit (you would not need to know what exit #, would you?), one side of the highway with a display that reads, "Exotic Dancers. Adult Store, Dancers Start at 11am" while the other side of the highway a sign (below) that preached "Pornography Pollutes Body - Soul - Mind". I often wonder who patronize these lounges and stores. My husband said they target mostly truckers and lonely travelers looking for entertainment. I understand that most of the towns don't have ordinances that could prevent these businesses from operating in their community but I am sure the town people don't care much to be associated with these "fine" establishments. If I lived in Buckhorn, I would not be thrilled to see signs such as the above whenever I get off the exit driving home.
Here is a true story and it happened to me so I need to let off the steam. It will be the beginning of my Weekly Rants & Raves, so I hope my adoring fans and faithful followers will be ready for this new weekly feature!The last few years I have been a volunteer for a local charity golf tournament. My job is very easy and kind of fun. I am the un-official photographer, using my personal camera, for the organization at their fundraising events. My duty included taking photos of the golfers and managing the putting contest during the tournament and at the silent auction during the evening reception and awards presentation prior to the dinner.This year I was also asked to help with setting up the auction items. So I handed my own camera to another volunteer, let's call her "Melinda", to take photos of the last five teams and I went into the dining room to work on arranging the items and the bidding sheets. Unexpectedly the tournament was terminated early due to lightning as the rain also began falling heavily. Everyone began to gather in the dining room when the golf course blew the emergency horn. When I saw Melinda, I asked her if I could have my camera. She responded that she put the camera on the podium together with the clipboard listing the names of all the golfers, the calculator and the tape measure. When Melinda looked at the items on the podium, she realized that she had left the camera outside in the rain! She then tried to explain, "I heard the siren so I quickly grabbed everything and ran to safety." I did not know what else to say except, "Don't worry about it." When the rain finally stopped, Melinda went outside and brought back the camera which already had the look of "soaking wet". (Two days later the camera no longer had the foggy screen but when I tried turning it on, you could hear the "click, click" sound from the shutter trying to open but could not. Someone suggested using the hairdryer blowing directly into the Battery/Memory Stick cover. I wanted but did not say to the person, "If that did not work, will put the camera in the microwave or the oven for 20 minutes or 300 degrees!" Luckily the memory stick was unharmed and I was able to upload all the photos into a CD.) Another volunteer also carried a camera and he was able to take photos of the auction and awards dinner.I tried to remain calm, went on taking care of the auction and the awards presentation. Melinda mentioned the incident to the executive director of the charity organization. She offered to replace the camera but I told her I would not accept. As I drove home that night, I kept thinking about what Melinda said that the items she was able to grab before running to safety was a $5 tape measure and $10 calculator, but not my $200 camera!This is the same woman who looked at my nametag and asked if my husband was Vietnamese. The name on my nametag was printed "Lydia Andrzejewski" (this is not my real name, I am just trying to make a point here). Even after I said, "Does Andrzejewski sound like Vietnamese to you?", the woman still said, "Well, I don't know your language or how Vietnamese is written."This is not the first time someone asked me if my husband was Vietnamese. If I was a Caucasian woman with a name like "Mary Jones", would anyone ask me if my husband was a White man? If I was an African American woman with a name like "Tonya Washington", would anyone ask me if my husband was Black? So why do people ask me if my husband was Vietnamese because I am Vietnamese? Why is it so important for the person to know or why would it matter whether I married within or outside of my own race?I think I have wasted enough time ranting and raving for this week. I am going to shop for a new camera that is waterproof!
I am a day late with my August Progress Report on my goals to be clutter free and simple living. That is the story of my life, "A day late and a dollar short".Last Saturday I made my weekly trip to drop off items at a local Charity Thirft Shop. As I handed the item to the lady, I said, "This is a brand new dress. I bought it but never worn". She responded, "That is what happened to Compulsive Shoppers", as she took the lilac dress that I purchased 20 years ago while shopping for my wedding dress. Why did I keep the lilac dress all these years? It was one of those "I wear it when I lose 50 lbs" clothing items. I smiled, did not say anything else, went back to my car and drove away thinking, "Me, a compulsive shopper?" I hate shopping, especially for clothes. Ask my Mother and she would tell you way back when we were in Viet Nam, how much trouble I gave her every time she tried to buy me clothes or forced me to wear girly dresses.The last time I went to a shopping mall was over six months ago and it was because a bookstore just opened a new location inside the mall. I bought a few clothing items now and then but could not stand wasting time wondering from store to store looking for bargains or the latest fashion.I am proud to report that I have more room in the dressers, in the walk-in closet, no more trying to shove stuff into tight shelving units, and there is also so much space in the closet in the guest room. I am putting aside winter jackets and coats for the annual winter coats drive at our church. Next I plan to give away blankets and quilts. I also need to take a serious look at stuff in the dinning room. Two people do not need more than 2 sets of dishes.Compulsive shopper? I am not but making compulsive purchase, yes I have been guilty many times. Last year when the St. Louis Blues offered 10-game plan and fans could pick any games, not pre-selected package, in less than 15 minutes, I spent $2,000 for 2 club seats that included 3 Red Wings games, one game each of the Bruins, the Rangers, the Penguins, the Canadiens, the Devils, the Flyers and the Canucks. The only thing I could say about this "sinful" spending is that all eight teams made the playoffs and of course, the Stanley Cup re-match between the Wings and the Pens. Another compulsive purchase was made at the 2006 Superbowl, in addition to the tickets, we spend a few hundred dollars just on hats and shirts.Looking back I don't feel bad that we did not go on any vacation this year. We had our time in the sun, like the Mediterranean Cruise and extra time in Rome last year. I guess there is no need to cry me a river because we had fun just from driving along Route 66 this summer and on weekends looking for public sculptures in our community. Time is tough and we just have to find way to have fun while keep going.
The large sign reads, "Boxcar Computers" with the phone number listed. Would you bring your laptop to this establishment or have someone working from this trailer repair your computer? This Boxcar Computers business was located in the corner of a run-down strip mall along the road in Ft Leonard Wood. Hey, Qaptain Qwerty, I heard from a reliable source that this Boxcar Computers is selling Snow Leopard at half price off the retail value!
The Cyclone, a cultural icon of Coney Island, always evokes a sense of nostalgia, of wonderful childhood memories and excitement in grown-ups. According to The Big Onion Guide to Brooklyn, the Cyclone dates from 1927, and is the last working roller coaster and one of the few wooden roller coasters in America. I never was fond of roller coasters. The one time I went on a ride at a park in Michigan in 1991, I bit my lower lip so hard that by the end of the ride it was bleeding and I had to be taken to the First Aid station. I could not talk for the rest of the day and even today my husband still remembers as the most peaceful and nicest day in our 20 years of marriage! 
Coney Island = Amusement Park, Thrilled Rides and bumper car-ing at the Eldorado Auto Skooter. Riders must be 42 inches tall to get behind the wheel.
Not for the faint of heart, a ride on the Cyclone will keep the riders on the sidelines 180-degree turns 6 times, 12 drops from 85 feet at a 60-degree angle, 16 changes of direction and 27 evalation changes. It definitely would not be a pretty sight if I dared to go on a ride, especially after eating a Nathan's Famous dog.
Spotted this painted pig while driving along Lakeshore Drive from Grand Haven to Holland during our recent visit earlier this month. You could see Benjamin tried to say hello to the Pig. Lakeshore Drive is a pleasant road with cottages, nice homes, a few mansions with great lakeview and mature trees lining both sides the road, providing a romantic feeling for travelers seeking a slow pace instead of the highway US 31.
Benjamin commented that with the all fancy colorful painting, it is still a pig!
In keeping with the Route 66 Saturday theme and following the post about Nathan's Famous Frankfurter, here are photos of "Tall Paul" aka the former Bunyon's Giant, in downtown Atlanta, Illinois, holding a Giant Hot Dog.
Benjamin was pretty hungry when we got into town, he almost took a bite out of the giant hot dog - haa haa.
Standing at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenue, Nathan's Famous looked exactly the way I remembered seeing it for the first time in 1982 when we visited Coney Island, two years after we came to America. I was never able to taste the famous franks because they did not agree with my digestion system. You don't want to know how my body reacted, it is not pleasant!
Together with fireworks, Fourth of July also brings in Nathan's hot dogs eating contest. It is an international event since 1996 and the winners were usually rail-thin Asian persons, or even women, who would down more than 50 hot dogs in less than 15 minutes. However, last year and again this year, the winner is Joey Chestnut, an American competitive eater (I did not know there is such title) who ate 68 dogs with buns in 10 minutes, breaking his own records of 66 dogs with buns in 12 minutes in 2008. My stomach hurts just from typing about this event.
On September 13, 2001, a worker at World Trade Center 6 site, discovered amongst the debris, a 20 feet cross of two steel beams. The cross was eventually moved to St. Peter's Church on October 5, 2006 and placed on the Church Street side (photo above). A replica of the cross has been installed at the gravesite of Father Mychal Judge, a New York Fire Department chaplain who was killed in the collapse of World Trade Center 1 on September 11, 2001.
"The Cross at Ground Zero - Founded September 13, 2001; Blessed October 4, 2001; Temporarily Relocated October 15, 2006. Will return to WTC Museum, A Sign of Comfort for ALL."
