We arrived at our lodgings only to discover that there was no one there to let us in. It was dark and we were in Harlem...a little unsettling. Remembering that we were supposed to get an email with late arrival instructions, Jim pulled out his laptop and accessed the information. We had to use the light from the laptop to locate the lock box and input the access code. Thankfully, we found the key and got in! However our room was locked. After a few more harrowing moments, Jim was able to get in touch with the manager and discover that we were trying to get into the wrong room. We located the correct room and soon welcomed Jacob and the meal he had picked up for us. What a welcome sight!
After a leisurely morning the next day, we met Jacob for brunch at a French restaurant near his work. The mashed potatoes were heavenly! Jacob took us on a tour of a few of his favorite shops. This "Jetson" chair in a unique, upscale home furnishings store caught my eye. I sat in it before realizing that it matched my top! We also found the perfect couch for Jacob's apartment in the same store. Unfortunately the $10,000 price tag put it a bit out of the budget.
We visited the small, friendly ceramics studio where Jacob spends most of his free time creating beautiful works of art.
A frozen yogurt sundae was a most welcome treat before we headed to Jacob's apartment to assess the painting project.
After a trip to Home Depot for supplies and a fantastic dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant (the key lime pie was amazing!), we got to work.
By 10:00 pm the following day, we had painted the whole apartment! Words can't express the incredible joy we felt as we completed that project. We felt Jacob's love and appreciation for our help through his constant expressions of gratitude. At the same time, our love and appreciation for Jacob and his many wonderful qualities was strengthened. What a blessed experience!
Jacob, you are a kind, hard working and fantastically creative son. Thanks for the best New York trip ever!
