New York > Orange County
Tuesday, July 4th - After spending a pleasant morning in "my new office" my grandfather's enclosed porch, we went to my uncle Kim's place for lunch. He's just "across town" in another suburb of Rochester, similar to Irondequoit, beautiful old houses surrounded by lawns without fences and enough large trees to feel like a forest, with a literal forest just behind the backyard lawn. Houses have a 19th century look but without the ornateness of "victorian" styles, actually quite elegantly simple architecture really, often as simple as the basic shape of a gingerbread house, boxy with peaked roof.
It was nice and sunny but not too hot, maybe upper 70s f (20s c). Uncle Kim barbecued hot dogs on the porch, classic Americana. I sent a picture of our meal to my Australian friends, along with the previous home cooked meal -- what I thought would be funny and remarkable to them is both times we had sausages/hotdogs in buns which is very contrary to Australian tendencies (which is to put them in an ill shaped flaccid piece of cheap white bread which will immediately begin to fall apart). What they were all most shocked by was not what I expected.
The fruit salad on the same plate apparently shocks and scandalizes them! That sure caught me by surprise.
It reminds me of a story from my brother Tobin. He was living in Germany and asked if there were any food combinations you could not do. The local he was talking to said of course not you can do whatever. "So i could have chicken schnitzel with sauerkraut?" he asked, combining two of the most common items of German cuisine. His listener was horrified --- "well of course you wouldn't do THAT!"
After lunch we returned to the house for a bit and then dad took me for a bit of Rochester sightseeing. It turns out Rochester actually has a very impressive waterfall:
We had hoped to go to the Genesee Brewery brewpub which has a great view of the waterfall but they were closed -- on the fourth of July! Seems like it would have been a booming business day had they been open. Irondequoit Brewery was also closed.
From the Brewery we crossed the river on an old railway trestle that has been turned into a pedestrian bridge. On the other side there was a "historic district" it looks like Rochester spent a lot of money revitalizing in the 90s that has since devitalized. It looked like several of the most prominent positions being occupied by out of business restaurants. We did enjoy reading informational signs about the many former mills that had been located here to use the water power that was available. Of particular note was a waterwheel that had been discovered when an excavator broke through into a previously unknown underground wheelroom.
As we drove back to Irondequoit i reflected that Rochester itself seems a lot more down on its luck than its suburbs. Rochester itself is full of boarded up and derelict buildings, while Irondequoit are i mentioned seems like the paradisiacal ideal of the nicest a suburb can look.
Part of Rochester's downfall of course was the implosion of Kodak, which is headquartered there, and despite inventing the digital camera first, locked away the idea to preserve their film sales. Then others independently invented digital cameras, which of course took off and Kodak was left holding an empty bag of film. Numerous Kodak buildings in Rochester have now been demolished as the campus of the surviving company shrivels.
Visited the grave of my grandmother. She died when i was eight and i barely barely remember her.
That evening we didn't go out to see the fireworks. We could see snatches of them between the trees and it sounded like a war zone with all the booms.
Wednesday, July 5th - Uncle Kim came to fetch us to the airport at 05:30. My grandfather got up to bid us goodbye and was surprisingly wakeful and bright eyed and bushy tailed. While saying goodbye i was acutely aware that he being 96 this could very well, odds probably more than likely, that it might be the last time i see him alive. Though i did really enjoy my brief stay in Rochester and wouldn't mind coming again next year if he's still kicking around. And he said in a very heartfelt manner that he really enjoyed my visit.
Got to the airport without incident. Flew about an hour to Chicago. Chicago is obviously a bigger airport, and seemed pretty nice. Only an hour or so layover and we were back on a plane.
Flying United. There were no free meals on this four and a half hour flight. There were seatback television screens but we weren't provided earphones, though they did say we could request them. The screen as far as i could tell couldn't be turned off and left at its default it just played the previews for the "EIGHT FREE MOVIES!" on option over and over again plus an ad for the United credit card. And i think it had a bunch of television channels one could live stream but i had a book and none of the movies sounded good so i didn't request earphones and it looked like hardly anyone else did either. Being accustomed to airlines that offer literally over a hundred movies to choose from United's "eight free movies!" seemed pretty laughable.
Arrived at "John Wayne" (Orange County airport) around 11:30. Mom picked us up. Got In-N-Out burger on the way home (divine food of the gods!).
Coming from such lush green places as upstate New York and the African tropics before that Orange County seems very very dry. I found myself kind of squinting at the rows of bedraggled palm trees thinking "why do so many people think THIS place is paradise?"
Thursday, July 6th - one little thing that i noticed has changed is the kids all zip around the neighborhood on electric "e-bikes" now. Strikes my old fashioned crotchety self as thoroughly lazy. "In my day, you had to PEDDLE your bike!" Soon they won't believe me. We went walking along one of our favorite nearby walking trails in the evening and several adults went by on e bikes too. Yes go for your evening bike ride without having to expend any calories whats the world coming to. I haven't seen these things yet in Australia but they seem pervasive here.
Had American pizza for dinner albeit only from Little Caesars.
Today (Friday) we're driving north for my cousins wedding but that'll be it's own entry.
It was nice and sunny but not too hot, maybe upper 70s f (20s c). Uncle Kim barbecued hot dogs on the porch, classic Americana. I sent a picture of our meal to my Australian friends, along with the previous home cooked meal -- what I thought would be funny and remarkable to them is both times we had sausages/hotdogs in buns which is very contrary to Australian tendencies (which is to put them in an ill shaped flaccid piece of cheap white bread which will immediately begin to fall apart). What they were all most shocked by was not what I expected.
The fruit salad on the same plate apparently shocks and scandalizes them! That sure caught me by surprise.
It reminds me of a story from my brother Tobin. He was living in Germany and asked if there were any food combinations you could not do. The local he was talking to said of course not you can do whatever. "So i could have chicken schnitzel with sauerkraut?" he asked, combining two of the most common items of German cuisine. His listener was horrified --- "well of course you wouldn't do THAT!"
After lunch we returned to the house for a bit and then dad took me for a bit of Rochester sightseeing. It turns out Rochester actually has a very impressive waterfall:
We had hoped to go to the Genesee Brewery brewpub which has a great view of the waterfall but they were closed -- on the fourth of July! Seems like it would have been a booming business day had they been open. Irondequoit Brewery was also closed.
From the Brewery we crossed the river on an old railway trestle that has been turned into a pedestrian bridge. On the other side there was a "historic district" it looks like Rochester spent a lot of money revitalizing in the 90s that has since devitalized. It looked like several of the most prominent positions being occupied by out of business restaurants. We did enjoy reading informational signs about the many former mills that had been located here to use the water power that was available. Of particular note was a waterwheel that had been discovered when an excavator broke through into a previously unknown underground wheelroom.
As we drove back to Irondequoit i reflected that Rochester itself seems a lot more down on its luck than its suburbs. Rochester itself is full of boarded up and derelict buildings, while Irondequoit are i mentioned seems like the paradisiacal ideal of the nicest a suburb can look.
Part of Rochester's downfall of course was the implosion of Kodak, which is headquartered there, and despite inventing the digital camera first, locked away the idea to preserve their film sales. Then others independently invented digital cameras, which of course took off and Kodak was left holding an empty bag of film. Numerous Kodak buildings in Rochester have now been demolished as the campus of the surviving company shrivels.
Visited the grave of my grandmother. She died when i was eight and i barely barely remember her.
That evening we didn't go out to see the fireworks. We could see snatches of them between the trees and it sounded like a war zone with all the booms.
Wednesday, July 5th - Uncle Kim came to fetch us to the airport at 05:30. My grandfather got up to bid us goodbye and was surprisingly wakeful and bright eyed and bushy tailed. While saying goodbye i was acutely aware that he being 96 this could very well, odds probably more than likely, that it might be the last time i see him alive. Though i did really enjoy my brief stay in Rochester and wouldn't mind coming again next year if he's still kicking around. And he said in a very heartfelt manner that he really enjoyed my visit.
Got to the airport without incident. Flew about an hour to Chicago. Chicago is obviously a bigger airport, and seemed pretty nice. Only an hour or so layover and we were back on a plane.
Flying United. There were no free meals on this four and a half hour flight. There were seatback television screens but we weren't provided earphones, though they did say we could request them. The screen as far as i could tell couldn't be turned off and left at its default it just played the previews for the "EIGHT FREE MOVIES!" on option over and over again plus an ad for the United credit card. And i think it had a bunch of television channels one could live stream but i had a book and none of the movies sounded good so i didn't request earphones and it looked like hardly anyone else did either. Being accustomed to airlines that offer literally over a hundred movies to choose from United's "eight free movies!" seemed pretty laughable.
Arrived at "John Wayne" (Orange County airport) around 11:30. Mom picked us up. Got In-N-Out burger on the way home (divine food of the gods!).
Coming from such lush green places as upstate New York and the African tropics before that Orange County seems very very dry. I found myself kind of squinting at the rows of bedraggled palm trees thinking "why do so many people think THIS place is paradise?"
Thursday, July 6th - one little thing that i noticed has changed is the kids all zip around the neighborhood on electric "e-bikes" now. Strikes my old fashioned crotchety self as thoroughly lazy. "In my day, you had to PEDDLE your bike!" Soon they won't believe me. We went walking along one of our favorite nearby walking trails in the evening and several adults went by on e bikes too. Yes go for your evening bike ride without having to expend any calories whats the world coming to. I haven't seen these things yet in Australia but they seem pervasive here.
Had American pizza for dinner albeit only from Little Caesars.
Today (Friday) we're driving north for my cousins wedding but that'll be it's own entry.