Day 18 - 7/8

 

Today was pretty stressful, mainly for Mom and Dad. We all climbed into the car intending to go to church. The van was parked at an awkward steep angle in the parking lot. In the releasing of the emergency brake, the van suddenly flew forward a couple feet right into the parking lot wall. No one was hurt, but the van was damaged. The front bumper bent so that it wouldn't let the front left tire move easily. The hood was also a little bent. The top of the headlight was also cracked. Instead of heading off to church as planned, we frantically tried to find a solution. We soon found out that no car or body shops are open on Sunday, so we had to find a place and set up an appointment for the next day. We are in New York City so we weren't planning on using the van anyway.

After somewhat successfully finding a solution, we went into NYC via subway. We visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw many beautiful pieces. I especially enjoyed Monet's works. I love how he would paint the same scene at different periods to show how perspective can change. The Japanese water bridge series is my favorite. We also the Washington's Crossing piece. It was huge and the frame was just as elegant. The emotions that it can bring to its viewers are strong. In one poignant picture, one can understand a very important period of the American Revolution. 

 Later, we decided to take a stroll through Central Park and Times Square. Central Park was a nice quiet place to rest on a Sunday afternoon. The reservoir was beautiful to look at while the kids played at a nearby playground. Times Square was very different. There were so many ads playing at the same time, it was overwhelming. There were street performers who would dance if they got a tip. The NYPD also had a strong presence to insure that the area was safe. Even though the heat was almost unbearable, the experience of seeing the Big Apple was unforgettable.