No, I didn't eat any Hot Dogs today. But I did eat some Chinese/Shanghainese Meatballs with RQS today. And then we went to Governor's Island for Open House NY and the Billion Oyster Project.
But first, I'll start at the end of the day.....
On our way home, I received a text message from my niece once removed (we're of the same age, give or take a few years.) She told me that my cousin has pancreatic cancer, and that he will be moved to hospice in a few days. This was not good news for many reasons, one of which was that I intended to get information from him regarding our mutual grandparents. (I guess this is the least important thing now.) So I will switch my ID from my female wallet to my male wallet and drive to Poughkeepsie to see him one last time.
So now, with the better part of the day....
I got up early and dug out one of my fall/winter dresses from my closet. Given that the overnight temperatures were in the 40's around here, I had to dress for two seasons - and neither of them that well. Luckily, I had a small day pack, in which I could stuff my denim jacket in case I needed it. Yet, even with this dress, I felt a little bit warm - especially later when walking around Governor's Island.
RQS and I met at a Michelin rated Dim Sum joint near Penn Station: Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao. We feasted all too well - both of us were stuffed by the time the last of our 6 dishes arrived. As much as I enjoyed the Soup Dumplings (their specialty), I enjoyed their udon noodles even more. This is a great place to eat, and well worth the money we spent for the meal.
Our next stop was Governor's Island. We took the 7th Avenue local to South Ferry, and made it to the Governor's Island ferry in time for the 2:30 shuttle to the island. While waiting in line, both of us noticed a large number of Orthodox (and some Ultra Orthodox) Jews taking a day trip to the island. Both of us commented in our own ways - are you sure we aren't on the ferry to Williamsburg? (I also made a comment that I was reminded of J.H.Marx's (Groucho Marx's) reputed remark (which he denied) when chatting with a woman with 10 children - "I like my cigar too, but I take it out once in a while.")
Once on the island, we walked to the Billion Oyster Project, (one of the places listed in this year's OHNY open houses) where the guide was describing their organization's function and telling our group about their efforts to restore oysters to NYC's marine habitat. Although they will not be eaten, due to the pollution in our waters, they will help the region clean up its waters. Unfortunately, the guide wanted to lead the group to the other side of the island - and we gave up after a 1+ mile(s) of walking. At that point, we returned to the ferry and returned to Manhattan.
All too soon, our day ended. I'll have to make preparations to see my cousin now, because he may not be back when I return from my upcoming cruise.
