The sun did come up

Paul's friend

After the bowl game loss. On Saturday we headed to the bus stop to catch the Grey Line bus to Battery Park for the Ferry to Ellis Island. It was nearly 10 a.m. - after seeing the crazy long lines there on Thursday, we were worried it would be a long wait, but it wasn't bad...unless you dislike street musicians. This one liked us - we were still mostly decked out in ISU gear, so we were easy to pick out of a crowd. He sounded like he was from Jamaica, and he had definitely watched the ISU/Rutgers game because he said - in that accent they have, "yer team needs ter get some offense!" No shit!

Then he sang a sweet song to Don and Diana and told them to have more children. He asked them what Paul's name was, and called him out - saying he bet he'd never kissed a black man before. Paul fessed up right away, saying this was true. So with the weight of the white race on his shoulders (and not one drop of liquor in his bloodstream), Paul gave him a smack on the cheek. I was astonished! Then the guy moved onto the next group. He's the Ellis Island Ferry's version of the United Nations I guess!

Huddled masses yearning to be free

To get on the ferry, you have to strip down farther than you do to fly. I had to take my watch off. Poor Donnie and his titanium hips. But the weather was gorgeous and the boat ride was excellent - sunny and Lady Liberty smiled upon us. We stopped near her base and then moved on to the island that welcomed so many to American soil. It seems so ironic to me that this island has now become such a symbol - yet immigrants are so often even today, looked down upon.

We were on a mission at the island. Diana's mother, the former Isolina Consilvio (RIP) also known as Betty, passed through Ellis Island as a young war bride. She and Dee's dad, Jim Brown were married the last day of the War Brides Act, enacted in 1945 to allow spouses to enter the country after World War 2. Betty's name has been engraved in a memorial wall at Ellis Island, and Dee wished to do a rubbing of the name.

Doing the rub

Diana told the rest of us we could go about seeing the museum - but we wanted stick with her as she did this - we all knew Betty who died in an automobile crash in 2010. At ISU's last bowl game in Phoenix, she rubbed my shoulders as I was tense during the game - saying "it be okay". She never did get English all the way...It seemed fitting that a very light drizzle began to fall as we discovered the location of the name. I held a piece of paper over the site where Diana and Don worked at getting the rubbing. It was all very emotional as tears rolled down Diana's face - I couldn't help but think the rain represented Betty's tears.

My favorite part of the museum were the photographs. If the walls could talk. Just like the war vets, the people passing through Ellis are now passing on. I hope we never forget the history there.

After the ferry returned us to Terra firma, we wandered through Wall Street - there be no food there. At least on weekends. So we headed for the pier where we finally found someplace for lunch. Then we took the subway back to our hotel. It was New Year's Eve baby - we needed to come up with a plan! Dwight and Marilyn had been at a Broadway Play - the Book of Mormon, which they said was good but raunchy. DC got it in his head that we needed to eat Korean Barbecue (and that he needed to wear the ISU chicken hat). This after we tried to put a dent in the liquor we had left.

Ready to order Korean

The Korean Barbecue was very interesting - and spicy. We allowed the waitress to help us select the 8 entrees. They cooked the stuff right on griddles at our tables. I think my purse still smells like it! We drank sake. Not my favorite. Whilst walking back to our hotel from the Korean district, Diana nearly got run over by a guy on a big Stingray bike. He was wearing a foam Statue of Liberty Hat, and must have been quite plastered because he didn't seem to know how to put the brakes on even though he was coming straight for us! He just raised one hand and screamed. I nearly peed my pants from laughing.

We had made the group decision that we didn't want to face Times Square for New Years Eve, so had scoped out a newly opened English Pub by the name of Churchill's a half block from our hotel. We got there just after 10 PM and there was a table right near the front window with our name on it. Our waiter was a cute Australian kid. The music was kinda loud so I tried to come up with something to entertain myself until midnight. They were playing a lot of 80's music. I decided it should be our mission to attract customers in for the owner - the English guy. So when a new person came in the door I would make a touchdown with my arms and yell "score"! Everyone would clap - and the people coming in felt like rock stars I'm sure.

Street lights shining through the window at Churchill's made this shadow...

Soon we were having such fun greeting everyone that the owner came over to thank us. When we told him we were from Iowa, he said - "I don't have any idea where that is...". Next we started dancing, and others were too. At midnight they handed out champagne and we watched the ball drop just a few blocks away...on TV! Hugs and kisses all around. Then they played Sinatra's New York and we did a kick line. It was surreal. More dancing - once I looked over and Diana was dancing with a black chick. (someone we had cheered for when she came in). I think we were the darlings of the bar. We lasted until a little after 2 a.m. There were people all over in the streets and our hotel bar was still rocking. We sat in our room for a nightcap. The funny thing is I had 2 drinks the whole night - I was mostly on a natural high...I hated for the night to end. One of my most fun NY Eve Ever!

Don is ahead of the curve doing YMCA...