Fresh - for you

Fresh means a few different things. It can refer to something relatively new or it can refer to something that is sexually provocative. You be the judge here - which of these photos says "Fresh, for you"?

I didn't technically work yesterday but I did run a bunch of work related errands with my brother-in-law. I actually do a lot of what I would consider work off the clock. We only get paid for the time that the customer is paying - from when we show up until the move is done, not always including time to prep the truck, bring the truck home, etc. I guess that I don't ever expect to get paid for my commute at home but then again, I don't get an hourly wage at home either. Anyway, I took this photo yesterday in the evening in the City. Lots of cabs. Lots of brake lights. That is what driving in the City is like. I like the buildings, too.
The sun was setting. I turned the camera (phone) the other way to get the last light of the day as it shone on only the tops of the buildings.

The sun is just about gone, the lights are on, and we are back in Brooklyn. This is the view from our side of the bridge.

Do you recognize that building poking its top out behind the others? I was waiting with the truck this morning as Ariel - a guy I work with (perhaps the best guy I work with) - was in a building picking up an air conditioner with the customer.

Stopped at a red light. This was part of the view. Thank you, Greece.

After work and after parking the truck, I found this on the short walk back to Ari's apartment.

I took a quick shower after work - right before I took the previous photo. I thought that I would get a picture with the rose in my hand, as if I was offering it to someone I love. The rose wasn't really in focus. I really wasn't thinking about the fact that I had no shirt on.

When I reviewed the previous photo I noticed that I had no shirt on (I knew that I had no shirt on but I just wasn't thinking about that when I took the photo - but that is what I noticed when I looked again) and I noticed that the rose was not in focus so I decided to take another photo. This one shows more camera awareness and is Fresh for you. I think that the picture was in focus this time.

I came down from the shower and the short session with the mirror and Ari was sick and the girls wouldn't leave her alone. She had a lot of work to do and still had to make dinner. Alon was gone - still working. I decided to take the girls for a walk before it got too late and because Ari was making dinner, I offered to take them to buy doughnuts (or is it donuts?). You see, Ari tries to feed her children all organic, super healthy food. I figure that it is my duty to frustrate that goal as much as possible while I am here. I am their uncle, afterall.

The second we stepped out of the gate, Nola said, "Look how long my shadow is, Uncle." I thought it would make a fun photo. Left to right it goes me, Nola (5), and Talia (3 next month).

Less than a block up the sidewalk Talia walked very, very carefully around this grate and then pointed back into it and said, "We could fall in that."

:( We passed this little memory of a bird.

Well, we got to a neighborhood bakery - this place is great! It smelled SO nice! But they only had one donut left from this morning. Still, Nola was very excited. Nevertheless, this is not where we stopped.

Can you see it - the name on the box? Do you know where we stopped?

One way?

This is where the real "Fresh for you!" is.

Anyway, so there are the photos that I took. The girls are very happy to have donuts but they will have to wait until the morning to eat them. Today, I was the driver. It was the first real driving that I have done in New York City (I drove a couple of other times but it was really late at night each of those times). I think that I did okay. I expected it to be worse than it was. Even though everybody here makes it sound like the worst traffic in the world I think that the Las Vegas strip traffic is actually WAY, WAY worse - even at midnight. And I have a lot of experience driving there. The hard part of driving here is just learning the system of one way streets. Well, the parking here is hard for me. While driving today my mirror was hit by another van - but whatever, nothing was damaged. Still, it was really funny when I ended up next to that van at the next red light the guy in the passenger seat covered his face and the driver stopped way far back just to avoid being next to me. I wasn't even bothered. This sort of traffic doesn't really bother me. Just ask Becky - in Vegas she used to tell me that I drive like a cab driver (and I don't know if that is a compliment or an insult).

So, between the neighborhood bakery and the neighborhood laundromat, parts of this neighborhood smell like a combination of fresh baked bread and newly washed sheets all the time. Both of those are very happy smells.

Hmm.... What else? I don't know. I do a lot of walking here, but I don't mind that. That is sort of the way that I like it. As a missionary I often heard people comment that following Christ meant to walk a lot because Christ walked everywhere. We, as missionaries, were perceived to be following Christ not by how we lived but by how we got around. I think that idea comes from the Catholic tradition of performing pilgrimages but really I don't know. It is, nevertheless, something that I heard more than once and it is something that I have often reflected on since then. I think that walking outside offers a lot of opportunities to feel as though you are a part of humanity. More observation, more meditation, and more appreciation seem to take place during walking than during other forms of transportation. I am sure that Jesus probably got most of his inspiration on one of those long walks he used to make.