New York City does not look like this today.
Our skies are overcast. The air is heavy. The rain that alternately threatens and abates has delayed my friend’s plane for hours.
No, the skies are not bright in Manhattan.
But this photo, from Cat Satler’s Art Scrapbook, reminds me that they will be again soon.
Very soon.
Posted in Airplanes, Art, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Humor, Internet, Life, Photography, Travel, Weather
Tagged airplane, art, blogs, blue skies, Broadway, Cat Satler's Art Scrapbook, Humor, Internet, life, Manhattan, New York City, overcast skies, photography, rain, Travel, travel delays
American Airlines — you know, the bankrupt one — sent me an email reminder last night to check-in for my ‘international flight.’
Can I really leave the country on American Eagle in less than 90 minutes?
Turns out I can.
That breathtaking view is Toronto, Ontario. This won’t be my first visit there, but my first real opportunity to see the city . Last time the weather was so heinous, I only saw the airport and my hotel, which was located on the outskirts of the city.
Didn’t step a foot outside.
This trip I’m staying in the heart of the city. So I’m crossing all my available appendages that it will be nice enough outside to do a little sightseeing during my 30-hour stay. But the forecast says ‘light snow.’
How many inches = light in the Great White North?
Posted in Airplanes, Business, Commentary, Humor, Life, transportation, Travel
Tagged American Airlines, American Eagle, bankruptcy, Business, Canada, commentary, email check-in, forecast, Great White North, hotel, Humor, life, light snow, sightseeing, Toronto, Toronto Ontario, Travel
I was wondering what I would write today, and then it hit me.
Literally.
I was sitting on the airplane, and the passenger in front of me reclined his seat back in one fast, forceful, in-my-face motion. Since he was quite tall, his head was suddenly inches from my face.
There was no look back to see if I had my tray table down. (It was.) No quick check to make sure he wouldn’t overturn food or crush a laptop. (I almost dropped both.) He just pushed his way into my personal space.
This was war.
Now, I have a lot of sympathy for the overly tall on airplanes. I have given up my exit row seat on more than one occasion to folks jammed into middle seats. But this man had two seats to himself. He could have easily angled his body to gain more legroom without robbing me of mine.
Allowing seats to recline on airplanes is based on the assumption that people will do the right thing. Can we assume that anymore?
Sadly, I think not.
So I propose that, going forward, we remove the recline lever from all airplane seats. Instead, the standard airplane seat will be set at a gentle recline at all times. This compromise position will accommodate the majority of travelers and do away with the growing recline lever abuse.
It will also free up flight attendants of one pre- and post-flight announcement and duty — no more seat backs to straighten or police.
I like it. What say you? Vote in the poll below. Be heard!
Posted in Airplanes, Blogging, Blogs, Business, Commentary, Design, Humor, Life, transportation, Travel
Tagged airplane legroom, airplane passenger, airplane seat, airplane seat recline, airplanes, Business, commentary, design, exit row, flight announcement, flight attendants, Humor, life, personal space, transportation, Travel, travelers, tray table
It sparkles. It’s sharp, so it could draw blood. And it’s beautiful.
Is it…a vampire?
No. (But it’s the right time of year to think so.)
Actually, this is an extreme closeup of one of several glass cacti created by artist Dale Chihuly. They are part of his “Nature of Glass” exhibit on display through March 2012 at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.
I love glass, and thanks to a happy Google accident, I am now aware of Dale’s work. Also, Phoenix locals can take advantage of glass blowing classes that are offered throughout the year at the Botanical Garden.
But vampires? No. Fire makes it tricky.
Posted in Art, Commentary, Design, Humor, Life, Movies, Travel
Tagged art, art exhibit, class cacti, comedy, commentary, Dale Chihuly, Desert Botanical Garden, design, draw blood, glass, glass blowing classes, glass cactus, glass spines, Google, happy accident, Humor, life, Movies, Nature of Glass, Phoenix Arizona, shiny things, Travel, vampires
Facebook — a waste of time?
Maybe…but what an educational one!
While checking this morning’s newsfeed, I noticed a friend had shared a photo of street art in Mexico. Clicking on it for a better look took me to the Street Art Utopia community page, where I discovered the photo below of De Batavier in Lootstraat, Amsterdam.
De Batavier is a facade of books designed by artist Sanja Medic, ceramist P. Kemink and graphic designers Melle Hammer and Susanne Laws. The facade contains 250 ceramic books, the spines of which contain the names of actual works from 18th and 19th century Dutch writers and poets.
The installment was commissioned by Dutch housing organization De Alliantie and HVDN Architects.
I had never seen or heard of this building before today’s random search, but as a book lover, it really speaks to me. And if I hadn’t been goofing around on Facebook, I’m not sure I would have ever heard of it.
Let’s hear it for wasting time!
Posted in Art, Books, Commentary, Design, Humor, Internet, Life, Travel
Tagged 18th century, 19th century, art, art installment, artist, ceramist, commentary, De Alliantie, De Batavier, design, Dutch housing organization, Dutch poet, Dutch writer, facade, facade of books, Facebook, Facebook community page, Facebook newsfeed, graphic designer, Humor, HVDN Architects, Internet, life, Lootstraat Amsterdam, Melle Hammer, Mexico, P. Kemink, Sanja Medic, street art, Susanne Laws, Travel, Urban Street Art community page
Living in NYC, I am pretty spoiled when it comes to hailing cabs. For those of you unfamiliar with the Big Apple, here are the steps required:
There are no numbers to call and usually very little wait (except at rush hour and in the pouring rain.)
I have often bemoaned how difficult it is to get a taxi in smaller cities where you have to place a phone order for a cab 30-45 minutes ahead of time to guarantee a ride.
Boston is somewhere in between. Taxis aren’t as plentiful as NYC, but you should be able to get one within 10-15 minutes of your call.
But now you don’t have to call.
B
oston Cab has installed a ‘text a taxi’ system. Once your cellphone number and name are in their system, you just send a text with your current location, and they text you back the number of the cab that has been dispatched.
I love this.
No more talking to surley dispatchers….or accidentally getting into the wrong cab while you are waiting. Plus, since you get a text when the cab is on its way, you don’t have to stand outside and freeze your giblets.
So, kudos to Boston for taking the leap into the 21st century with taxi texting.
(I’m sure NYC would have thought of it…if we needed it.)
Posted in Cars, Commentary, Humor, Internet, Life, transportation, Travel
Tagged 21st century, Big Apple, Boston, cabs, commentary, hail a cab, Humor, Internet, Manhattan, New York City, pouring rain, rush hour, taxi dispatcher, taxi texting, taxis, text a taxi, Travel
I took Amtrak yesterday to a business meeting outside Philly.
Why do trains kick air travel’s butt so soundly?
Of course there are the simple logistics. No TSA security. No baggage check for most standard luggage. No plastic bag for toiletries, no removing coats and shoes, no arriving an hour before departure.
No hassle.
But I realized last night — as I sat in a comfortable semi-coma on a regional coach headed home — what makes trains more than merely the easier way to travel.
It’s the chugga chugga.
Trains literally rock you while you ride. That signature motion soothes the nervous traveler and helps the overtired find sleep.
I think it takes us all the way back to the cradle. Or, in my particular case, to the clothes dryer. My mother used to sit my bouncer chair on top of the dryer to help me fall asleep. The rocking motion and the warmth from the machine totally knocked me out. (Still does.)
Now, people may not ride the train because of it, and Amtrak certainly doesn’t advertise it, but I think this subliminal motion really rocks.
Airplanes?
Well, the only motion they have to offer is turbulence.
Posted in Airplanes, Business, Commentary, Humor, Life, transportation, Travel
Tagged airplanes, Amtrak, baggage check, Business, chugga chugga, clothes dryer, commentary, cradle, Humor, life, logistics, luggage, Philadelphia, removing shoes and coats, rocking motion, rocking motion of trains, toiletries in plastic bag, trains, transportation, Travel, travelers, TSA, TSA security, turbulence
A little over a week ago, I blogged about the inherent scariness of twins, citing the movie The Shining as the perfect example.
They came back to haunt me.
I was in Pittsburgh on business Friday and stayed at The Priory Hotel, a former Benedictine Monastery that is now a 25 room European-style hotel on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. I chose it because it was within walking distance of not only my meeting but the Warhol Museum, and I hoped to pay a visit after my business was finished.
Due to travel delays, I didn’t get to my room until almost midnight. When I went to bed, I lay down facing the room door where I saw, through the light streaming in, two feet standing outside the doorway.
I got up, crept to the door, and peered through the peephole. No one was there, but the distorted view of the hallway — with its ancient wallpaper and crown molding — gave me an instant Shining flashback.
The twins weren’t there, but they might as well have been.
I was thoroughly spooked. All the period details of my room went from charming to creepy. The bust on the fireplace staring at me with sightless eyes. The heavy drapes that anyone could hide behind. I have never longed for the generic sameness of the Hilton Garden Inn in my life.
And what was on TV when I awoke this morning? The Shining.
Oh no — they’re following me.
Posted in Blogging, Blogs, Business, Humor, Life, Movies, Travel
Tagged Benedictine Monastery, blogging, blogs, Business, bust, fireplace, haunting, heavy drapes, Hilton Garden Inn, hotels, Humor, life, peephole, period details, pittsburgh, Pittsburgh North Shore, spooky things, spooky twins, the Priory Hotel, The Shining movie, Travel, twins, Warhol Museum
I was in Pittsburgh today on business, and my plans to fit in a bit of playtime went awry.
I hope Shaun isn’t too disappointed.
Shaun the Leprechaun was sent to me by my friend Sophie. Her class back in Kentucky is studying geography, and sent Shaun and other leprechauns out across the country a la “Up in the Air” to report on what they see, hear and do.
So far Shaun has tagged along with me on a video shoot; riding the subway; walking the dog; and now taking this trip with me to Pittsburgh.
I had planned to take Shaun to the Andy Warhol Museum after my meeting. But then I had to jump on a conference call and there was paperwork and cabs were impossible to get in the rain and…
Time ran out.
Hopefully taking him to meet Jon Stewart next week will ease the blow.
Posted in Airplanes, Animals, Children, Dogs, Education, Family, Friends, Humor, Life, Travel
Tagged children, dog walk, education, friends, geography, grade school, Humor, Kentucky, leprechaun, life, New York City, pittsburgh, Travel, Up in the Air movie subway, video shoot
The gift
My good friend Caroline visited this past week, a gift from her husband for her birthday.
Nice one, Shaun.
She was also able to reconnect with three other friends who call New York City home.
And while I know the chance to see Hugh Jackman perform live on stage was the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that spurred the last-minute trip, having so much time together to simply talk and catch up was an incredible luxury.
Would we have traded some of that time to meet Hugh in person?
Duh — of course.
We’re good friends. We know what we really like!
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Posted in Broadway, Commentary, Entertainment, Friends, Humor, Life, Shopping, Travel
Tagged Anderson, Anderson Cooper, birthday, birthday present, Christmas lights, commentary, conversation, entertainment, friends, Hugh Jackman, Humor, life, live on stage, Manhattan, movie, New York City, rainy day, tourist, Travel