Dad and Hurricane Irene Pay a Visit

In August, Dad came to visit and spent a week doing an unpaid internship at Ship It Global. Between running errands, fixing lights, assembling a card rack, and changing locks, he never ran out of things to do. His most impressive feat was replacing and fixing the wiring in all the broken light fixtures. This really reduced the "dingy" factor and now customers remark on how bright the store is and sunglasses sales have gone up.

Since Dad arrived on a Saturday night, we got to have a little fun before getting to work. On Sunday, we took the train north of the city and hiked, scrambled, and pulled ourselves up Breakneck Ridge, one of the toughest hiking trails around. Dad had the energy and agility of a man half his age and says he can't wait to do it again.

The overcast skies don't break our spirits as we scramble up Breakneck Ridge.

It wasn't all hard work. We made time for sightseeing too. We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge one evening and made our traditional morning visit to the Today Show in Rockefeller Center.

Dad on his favorite spot in NYC, on top of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Best attempt of a photo with Natalie Morales, who was sitting just behind that window.

While Dad was here, we also had an uninvited guest, Hurricane Irene. The storm was predicted to be an epic mess and closed down the subways and all other forms of public transportation. Lucky for New York City, it wasn't that bad and things were back to normal within about 24 hours.

Irene hit the day Dad was supposed to fly out so he had to stay two more days. Dad was super flexible about it and didn't seem to mind change in travel plans, especially since he got to visit his favorite bagel shop and bakery one more time. The store got a boost too as we sold flashlights, tape, and tie-down chords to eager customers making preparations. If only we'd had bread, milk, and D batteries!

Stores prepare for Irene by taping their windows.

Because of the high winds and lack of transportation options, we had to stay local for dinner. In our neighborhood, that means Uzbek Kosher. What would that include? Sticks of meat, dumplings, a giant saltine cracker, and a waitress with a thick Russian accent.

Uzbek fair at the restaurant down the street.