Adventures in babysitting

Sidewalk outside the Waldorf Astoria

Holiday lights inside Grand Central Terminal

(Running an errand on my way to babysitting…)

The Monopoly game board in real life

Waldorf Astoria facade

Waldorf Astoria vestibule

Stairs leading to the lobby

Lobby floor

The Vanderbilt meeting room

Between check-in desk and restaurant

How did I end up babysitting at the Waldorf Astoria for the College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony? Well let me tell you.

Several years ago I was part of a very small wedding party. So small that I constituted exactly half of it. My counterpart in that wedding is married to Danny Wuerffel. Last week Danny and his family were in New York City for the College Football Hall of Fame ceremony. Danny was inducted. Probably more important to Danny and his family was the opportunity to channel the hype around the event into a fundraising dinner for their non-profit Desire Street Ministries. Okay. The kids were probably more excited about going to FAO Schwarz and M&M’s World.

The bride in common between the Wuerfells and myself messaged me one day a few weeks ago. The Wuerffels would be in New York City and needed a babysitter. Oh, and it would be at the Waldorf Astoria for the College Football Hall of Fame. Just the kind of just-crazy-enough that I needed to say yes.

Several hours of cute kids, hide-and-seek, tickle fights, Tom & Jerry cartoons, breaking up sibling assault-and-battery, and bedtime routine later, and I now have this story to tell…