Mike and I went up to Vermont on July (10th and 11th) to see Mike's aunt who was graduating with her Masters from Vermont College. She took a writing program there for the past several years. There, we met up with Mike's parents. We went immediately back home on the 11th while Mike's parents took their time and drove down to New Jersey slowly. They made it to Jersey on the 17th and we spent some time in New York City. THey stayed at the Marboro Inn in Montclair.

Mike's parents in front of Rodin's "The Thinker". Actually, it's not the real Thinker, it's a copy. Rockefeller Center was having two exhibits the weekend that they came to visit us. One was the Rodin exhibit. The Rodin was looking over the ice skating rink, so this was a very difficult picture to take. I wish I could have gotten the top of the Thinker's head, but to do so would require a greater distance between Mike's parents and me... which would have been impossible due to the number of people taking pictures of the Rodin and taking pictures of the ice skating rink.

Here is Mike walking down the street near Rockefeller Center. Yeah, you can't really tell what he looks like, but doesn't the photograph make him look like a muscular guy? I think it's the way that he is holding his arms.

The other exhibit at Rockefeller Center is the garden show. Here's some koi in a water garden. I couldn't believe the size of the koi there (they were over a foot long!)... I think this is the largest I've ever seen them. The flower exhibit was very extensive with many different displays, most of them pretty exotic or thematic. One of the exhibits was a very small one of tiny tiny plants. I was very impressed with that one. The Japanese-styled exhibit was gorgeous and had a little "tea room". It would have been great to have tea ceremony exhibits there.

I have never seen other Rodin works until the exhibit at Rockefeller Center. I was very surprised at the strangeness of his works. The Thinker was much lumpier and rough than I had previously expected. Here is Mike's parents in front of another piece, a contorted female form. This is an interesting photograph of Mike's parents. Mike's mom is taller than his father, yet in this photograph, Mike's father is apparently taller. Why? Mike and I suspect that he's standing on something, because his mom crouching down seems unusual. Perhaps they are sitting?

We decided to walk up Fifth Avenue and look at the diversity of stores that you can enter. We reached FAO and next door was an exhibit of various GM (I think it was GM... or Ford.. all American car makers are alike) cars throughout the years and some newer models. I typically don't like red cars but this one had a gorgeous lipstick red color that was sooo smooth and well polished. It hasn't changed my mind: I'd prefer a black or very dark green/blue car over something this daring. I guess I'm just conservative and don't want to attract attention in my car.

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