Beard B Gone

The obedient servant. 

Zoo Lights

Tonight we went to Hogle Zoo Lights with Sara, Jared, Jackson, Tanner and Annie.

The green tunnel.

This alligator's jaws snapped open and closed. 

Near the reptile house. 

The monkeys were on the loose. 

Granite seal. 

Lots of light animals, many with motion. 

More granite seal. 

Gorillas in the mist. 

The snow leopard cub lying down and attacking his mother was born in April this year. 

I couldn't hear what Annie said she wanted, but she was not afraid of Santa. He asked her name, and she said, "Annabelle."

Tanner wants a scooter. 

Jackson wants a scooter. Santa asked if he had a license. 

Post-Thanksgiving in New York

The Greater New York Dental Meeting beginning Thanksgiving weekend is one of the biggest dental trade shows in the country. I was going, so I decided to enjoy the trip outside the trade show. I rented my next dream camera lens, a Nikon 24-70mm F/2.8. Below are a few photos I took between Sunday, November 25, and Wednesday, November 28. 

My flight was delayed due to mechanical problems with the plane in Alaska, before it came to Salt Lake. That put the plane into New York JFK just about sunset, around 5 p.m. And the traffic into the city on this Sunday night following Thanksgiving was a nightmare.

John and Elliot took the train down from New Haven, looked around Rockefeller Center and went to the Top of the Rock while they waited for me to arrive. 

We met at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, where I was staying, and walked a mile or so to the Hide-Chan Ramen restaurant. I really enjoyed the chance to see John and Elliot if only for a short time. We then walked to Grand Central Station, where Elliot's legs were ready to fall off. It was a quick walk, but they caught the 8:34 train with 20 seconds to spare, so they didn't get home too awfully late. 

New York. 

Hot dog, shish kabob, nuts and other street food carts are on nearly every corner in the busier parts of the city. 

And pretzels. 

I can't come to New York and not get a 99-cent hot dog. 

Shish kabobs.

The food carts are popular. 

A lot of buildings from Times Square to Rockefeller Center are decorated for Christmas. These lights are each about the size of a small person. 

And more food carts. 

The Hershey and M&M stores are a must-see, and shop. 

This is Rockefeller Center done in Legos. 

And so is this. 

This is a real building. 

The building across from Rockefeller Center features a light show every few minutes. The Rockefeller tree was up, but lighting was planned for Wednesday, when I would be at the airport coming home. Dynamic road signs and the TV news reported that the city would be in gridlock up to and during the lighting with all the people coming to see Rod Steward, other entertainers, and the tree lighting. 

New York also offers plenty of pizza joints. 

I ate dinner at this build-your-own burger (1/3-pound burger with blue cheese, baby spinach, lettuce and chipotle sauce for me) joint on Tuesday evening before I went to see the Evita Broadway show at the Marquis Theater. 

Further down Broadway is Macy's Department Store with its fabulous Christmas displays in the outside windows. 

Yes, Virginia...

The escalator from the first floor of Macy's to the basement (where you can buy men's socks if you forgot to pack any) has a wooden escalator just like this one in the window display. Maybe the other floors do, too. I didn't go up. 

Kids watching for Santa. 

A young policeman directing traffic. 

Macy's shoes. 

Oh, yeah. There is plenty of garbage piled in the streets at night. 

Policemen riding horses and talking on the cell phone. 

Such a New York attitude. 

A street artist creating Twin Tower scenes with spray paint and putty knives. 

More street artists. 

And more. These are along the sidewalks at Times Square. 

The LDS church features this "Christmas Is" ad on a large billboard at the south end of Times Square, on a large TV screen right at Times Square, and on the TV screens in taxi cabs. 

Times Square. 

Good Morning America from my hotel room on Wednesday morning. 

Good morning America near China Town on Wednesday morning. This sushi is sitting here with no one around. I suppose it is free for the taking. 

7-Eleven. 

China Town fruit stand. 

I suppose these show pressure points for massages or acupuncture, at a drug store. 

I had to chase down this fast-moving guy to get a picture of him transporting four little pigs from his truck to a restaurant. 

This isn't the Year of the Rat, but four years ago was, and seven years from now will be again. 

Lots of fire escapes. 

Not many playgrounds.

This Subway was closed. Maybe open later in the day. 

Do not park or leave your bicycle on this street. 

Yeah, man, I want a massage. But I think I'll take two one-hour massages rather than one two-hour massage. 

Construction is a way of life in New York. I have never been here when this wasn't a typical scene. 

Wall art on a cafe. 

Same cafe. 

New York legs. 

I couldn't come here without capturing a picture of the Empire State Building. 

Union Square was full of Christmas vendors selling everything from fresh bread to handbags to spices. I'm not sure what those have to do with Christmas, but that's what the theme was. 

And vegetables. 

This is called a watermelon radish. 

I forgot the name of this fruit. 

People could buy signs. 

And puppets. 

Back at Times Square, I discovered mobs of Albanians driving down Broadway with horns blaring, people hanging out the windows and sun roofs and crowded into Times Square dancing, cheering and waving flags. Apparently Wednesday was the 100-year-anniversary of Albania's independence. 

Lots of steaming pipes sticking out of the roads. I assume the steam is coming from the subways. 

In Times Square, tourists can have their picture taken with two or three Minnie Mouses, a couple of Mickey Mouses, several Tickle Me Elmos, and five or six Statues of Liberty. And Woody. And the naked Cowboy. And some Chinese guy dancing in his underpants. That's New York.