A few days before my last day of work, Dad Davis came to stay for a little less than a week. We greeted him the first night with Brooklyn pizza (I can't call it pie), courtesy of our favorite joint around the corner, All Star Pizza. Pepperoni and ricotta. Mmmm . . . The next day, Adam and I had to work, so Dad, with a subway map and a fearless spirit, toured Manhattan all on his own. That night, we took him to the "best view in Brooklyn", AKA Sunset Park and watched the paisanos jugando el fut. (um, ask a Mexican.)
The following day, Friday, was my last day so I cut out of work as early as I could and joined Adam and Dad in Battery Park for a trip to Liberty and Ellis Island. We went on a free tour led by a park ranger that told us all sorts of interesting things I never knew about the monument, like her full name: Liberté, Eclairant le Monde. Liberty Enlightening the World.
I also never noticed she was striding forward—she's in motion—leaving the shackles (that you can't see from below) that chain her down.
After Liberty Island, we took the ferry to Ellis Island where we watched a documentary (I slept) and shuffled our tired feet through the many exhibits. Dad found a photo of rag pickers, Adam liked the old typography, and I found this political cartoon that pretty much sums up my feelings on immigration. The caption reads, “They would close to the new-comer the bridge that carried them and their fathers over.”
The next day, Saturday, was the day before Adam's and my second anniversary. To hold to tradition, we all went to the temple to do sealings. It was really great to be with my dad and my husband in the temple.
We spent the rest of the afternoon sight-seeing, including Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, FAO Schwartz, Fifth Avenue, and, of course, the world-famous office of Designer Adam Johnson at HarperCollins. We also initiated Dad to NYC street meat and ate our savory gyros in a little park near Adam's work.
Later, we tried for Wicked tickets, played Spot the Mormon in the crowd awaiting the lottery, and subsequently did NOT win tickets. But luckily, we were tipped off by a street promoter to another lottery that was easier to win, for the new musical "In the Heights." She told us it was like "West Side Story" meets "Fiddler on the Roof." Sounded good so we went to enter the drawing. The first name they called? "Bob Davis!" That's two tickets. . . . Then, second to last, "Emily Johnson!" We were ecstatic. Here's dad, first in the winner line.
The show was absolutely amazing. It was written by and starred a man who grew up in Washington Heights (well on the border with Inwood, actually) and has a ton of fun things that only new yorkers would appreciate. The music and dance were a blend of rap, hip hop, reggeaton, and of course salsa/merengue. The dancing was also great and the whole thing was so full of energy and joy and life that I wanted to jump up and dance and sing with them. We LOVED it. And highly recommend it.
Check out the oh-so-authentic set. Right down to the ATM sign on the bodega's awning.
I forgot to say that, before the show, Dad treated Adam and me to dinner at a French restaurant where I had pate and monkfish for the first time and Adam ate frog legs for the first time. Everything cost ridiculous amounts of money. It was a great anniversary gift.
So that's it for the first installment. Stay tuned for more...
