New York tour

 This morning was toured around the Big Apple.

Waiting in the lobby for the bus. It's very sixties.

Cute church

Our first stop off at the Rockefeller building.

Cute car.

High Line

 Thanks to geocaching, we found this. I googled it beforehand and read up on it. So pleased I did and we went. There are very few traditional caches around this area due to the high population.

We walked from w34 Street to w22 Street to do an adventure lab in the garment/fashion area. Good to learn more on this.

Walked on to a small children's park for a trad. Beautiful little park fully enclosed, we did go in but actually didn't need to as cache was outside under a plaque placed in a street garden for dogs to relieve themselves if they needed it. 

Another block and we saw the entrance to the high line, could either do the stairs or take the elevator.

The high line was a train line 30 feet above the street which has been turned into a great walk with artwork and gardens. We saw volunteers working in the gardens.

The path was on the left of this, can see the wooden sleepers and iron tracks.

The start going over the road.

Then the trees are shading the path.

The street below, lots of seating along the way

Very different buildings

Artwork

We saw two lots of little kids this group were going into the elevators two adults, one in front and one at the back. Kids were in pairs hanging on to a leash with handles and they were wearing a yellow pop over their clothes. 

Massive pigeon, seats in the foreground and there was the cache under the seat. It was teired seating so didn't even have to bend down.

At the end, there was a whole foods market.  Lots of bakery items and things that I didn't think I could have, then we saw this. Hawaiin rainbow salad. Yum, grated carrot, cucumber with avo wrapped in lettuce then smoked salmon and rice paper. Warren had a molten chocolate cake and we had coffee. Cheapest meal yet at $25.

Times Square

 We walked from our hotel to West 42 Street. I do think the naming/numbering of the streets is brilliant.  Our hotel is on eight ave and west 34th Street. The streets seem quite short with the avenues being longer. Lights to cross on each corner, oh most of the streets are one way. 

We walked up town to w42 St to be at Times Square.

 Hard Rock Cafe. 

There were characters on the street suggesting to have a selfies taken with me, I think they expected money, a second came up and wanted to use my phone to take the photo, no way! Others I waved away, not sure if it is a regular thing on a Sunday or just because it was Mothers day.

Needed a selfie at the train station. 

Madame Tussards. The buildings are so tall it's hard to take a photo

Wow, outside the New York Times

Food in New York

 Wow, expensive! Then there is the tip plus the exchange rate.

So breakfast at maccas yesterday, two coffees, two egg and bacon muffins, $20.

Slept thru lunch. Dinner at Tic Toc Cafe attached to hotel, Warren had a chicken and avo club sandwich plus coffee, I had a bowl of soup total $32.

Today's lunch was from a street vendor, several carts on the street corners. Warren got a "real good hot dog"  plus a gatorade and I got 2 chicken kebab. Total $47 his hotdog looked very small and my kebabs were huge and also put in a bread roll. I could only eat one.

Tonight's dinner was a shared pizza we didn't think it would be very big so ordered a slice of cheesecake, had to be the New York one. It was good but probably too much, total $33.23 or 40 bucks with a tip. I guess not bad for two people

Our accommodation

 We arrived at 8.45am and when checking in, we asked if we could check in early. Yes, for a cost of $75 and an hour to clean room. Sure we said, there was a maccas across the road so we went for breakfast.

What a room, on the 25th floor. On opening the door, to the right is a large walking robe possibly called a dressing room. A shelf with hanging space and a couple of those suitcase racks. Along the wall from that is another door, I thought it may have been an adjoining room but no, it's another smaller wardrobe with three shelves of hanging space and a safe.

Queen sized bed and bedside tables with windows behind, no Bellamy's. Large desk suitable for two chairs, then a large chair. Three big windows as we are in a corner room. Bathroom is quite big.

Not the best photo, Warren is standing by the desk chair. Only one overhead light but two lamps, one is free-standing in front of curtain and a desk lamp, shades of 1960s.

Flights

 It's really good when you get somewhere but boy oh boy the actual getting there can be long/hard/annoying/painful.

Left home at 5.50 to catch bus to train station. It was raining, only slightly but we only had 350 metres to go. Halfway there Warren realised that he hadn't picked up his jacket, I continued with both bags while he went back.

Bus and two trains to the airport, plane to Sydney, wait for four hours then fly nine hours to Honolulu.  We had to collect our luggage to continue on. 

Bit strange that we had to go to an area where they weighed our bags, 11.4kgs and 10.4 kgs, mine being the lighter, put on tags then go across the room, looked like a large warehouse, to deliver our bags. 

Nine hours to next flight. Interestingly no arrival card to fill in, there or New York. Man did ask if we were carrying any food, no was the answer, I also told him that we watch Border Security, he had a chuckle, asked how long we were staying and that was it.

Jetstar flight was overnight and they don't supply blankets and pillows luckily I had packed some in backpack.

Nine hour flight to New York.

Pretty plane, we were twenty minutes late boarding due to catering but on time in New York.

Took an uber from airport, $$$ but we figured worth it, also paid extra to check in early.

Library bags and pencil cases

 Uniforms for kids went to an expo and the kids wanted library bags and pencil cases, so this week that was what I made using up scraps of left overs. In the cupboards at U4K, there were rolls of ribbons and cords for drawstrings and some small zips, I grabbed those to finish off.

I don't think any of my bags were the same size but they were similar. My aim was to make a approx A3 and most front and backs had the same fabric with some strips of other fabric to make the size. Do a hem at the top, add ribbon a couple of centimetres down from the hem and put a cord through that with a knot at each end.  I found some other drawstrings bags that I had made for another charity two or three years ago but they closed their doors.

The pencil cases were quicker and easier, most zips were about 5 inches long, big enough for little fingers.  Mainly plain darker fabric that I cut in half, sewed the zip in, then double another piece of fabric for the bottom and sewed up both sides, that's it done. First one I did, I sewed the sides with the zip closed, I had a tiny spot where I could just get my little finger in and push down the zip, lesson learnt!

Pencil cases.

Some bigger pieces I made skirts 

The colours don't come up very clear.

A very easy pattern, front and back the same, cut on the fold, the pockets are from police uniforms to meet the requirements.  Turn over a small hem and the waist band and thread elastic through.