Arthur in NYC

6 AM: Arthur wakes up. I think. Mark was a sweety and woke up with him.

8:30 AM: At about the time I'm thinking to myself, "Thank God that damn musical hamster isn't out," Mellisa is digging it out of some box. This thing sings "Girl, You Really Got Me Now." and dances. It's loud. I hate it.

10:00 AM: While visiting Melora's work, Arthur apparently reads a co-worker's name tag. "Tina!" Probably he either is wondering where Kristina is or else he hear Melora greet Tina. None-the-less, by this time an entire foyer full of Melora's co-workers is collectively reeling at Arthur's reading ability.

Noon-ish: We arrive at St. John The Divine's cathedral in New York City. The stone carving around doors includes a kabalistic Tree of Life and naked angel wrestling. The fountain in the courtyard is a giant bronze crab on top of which numerous bronze giraffes fondle a muscular Archangel Michael with their necks over the naked decapitated body of Satan.

The fountain used to have fire and water spouts, but it's been planted as a garden and a squirrel now lives inside the crab's body (it has to leap onto the claw holding Satan's head to enter).

We went into the cathedral, which is still being restored from a large fire. Mark gave Arthur the head of a recorder to re-create our Ole-Ole Dining Experience. The little chapels were interesting in their variety; I particularly liked a tile floor.

We met with Larry H and went to Central Park. One of the first things Larry said was, "John, you look great; have you lost weight?" This is about the fourth time someone's said this to me -- I guess I must have looked bloated last time I visited. Arthur and I ran around the park; he wanted to play in the sandpit where various shirtless, sweaty, fit guys were playing volleyball.

Then we went to the Central Park Zoo. Arthur really liked the chains fencing off the walkways, and the water in the sea lion tank, and the manhole covers (except when he lost a straw through one of its holes). Arthur also really liked the clock: every half hour bronze monkeys strike a large bell on top of the clock tower and then a parade of musical instrument holding animals, including a bear, a giraffe, penguins process underneath the clock.

We liked the decor of the zoo, so one thought for our back yard is to construct some columns with rings for a canopy.

We had a great time with Larry. After the zoo, Arthur fell asleep, so we were able to have dinner at Cafe Motzart.