Englewood Cliffs, NJ

I just realized I hadn't iterated my recent use of "chaos". The recent mantra has been "Don't be the chaos", i.e., in other people's lives, the disruption, the unpredictable, uncertainty or frustration. The meditation is to pay attention to the disruptions we cause to other people, while also trying to not be affected by other people's chaos.

My parents are the natural and automatic chaos in my life without even trying to be. Like the car incident. They didn't maintain their own car, and when I offer a favor to drive my brother to the office in their stead, I feel the consequence of the chaos they create. They also have an uncanny ability to call at the worst possible times. Even with good intentions, it ends up as chaos.

The chaos doesn't have to be big. It's not necessarily bad. It's definitely subjective and interpretive. It's a little bit hyperbole, but also not. Some may relate it to karma, which I wouldn't deny.

I was a little bit of chaos to my brother's family when I was waffling in indecisiveness about whether to go with them to Philly or not. They had a set time schedule for the day and I put minor ripples into it. They possibly-probably don't see it that way, but I'm just being mindful of my own role.

I'm glad I went to Philly, it shouldn't have been such a hard decision. I wouldn't have made it down there for a visit this time otherwise. It's my first time visiting since they moved into a new house, and that was something that had to happen, and if it didn't happen now at the perfect opportunity, it may have gotten awkward.

It was a short visit, I stayed two nights and no one broke a stride in their routine for me. I had Monday all to myself and I walked about downtown Philly. Ate at DiNic's at Reading Terminal Market because I saw it on the "Man vs. Food" TV show. Good eats.

A poppyseed bagel with lox cream cheese also helped make my food experience. Still no decent bagels in Taiwan. I should've also fit in a Philly cheesesteak in there somewhere since it would've fit well with the no broken strides in routine thing (better to feed myself). I think too much, though.

I left Tuesday morning by train to New York Penn Station – the Septa transfer to NJ Transit in Trenton way, very well described on tripadvisor (you buy the tickets at the NJ Transit ticket machine near the Septa ticket counter at 30th Street Station). Another bagel with cream cheese affirmed that Philly bagels are decent. Easily comparable to New Jersey, not so much so with New York because of the water thing.

After getting to New York, I visited the Intrepid Air and Space Museum before taking a bus from the 42nd St. Port Authority to New Jersey. What crap NJ Transit is.

November was "space month" on Discovery Channel Science, and that made me want to visit the Intrepid, and specifically the Space Shuttle Enterprise. The Enterprise never went into space and so it was in fairly pristine condition. I'd like to visit the Smithsonian in Washington where the Space Shuttle Discovery is housed. Apparently the curator wanted the Discovery basically in the condition after it landed after its final mission with no touching up or making over.

I had a food misstep in New York going to Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips fast food. I thought it would be a nostalgia thing, but it's for kids. After having real British style fish & chips as an adult, Arthur Treacher's is crap. I did grab a slice of pizza before heading to New Jersey, and it was mind-blowingly good.