Tag Archives: Travel

It’s a living

Posted on May 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

I can be chatty in airport gate areas if I’m bored — even more so if my plane is delayed by weather.

Last night at DFW I ended up commiserating with a fellow passenger as we waited for our flight.  He was from Brooklyn, and sold..

Helicopters

hermes-helicopter2He had gone to Dallas to deliver one to a corporate client and was headed home.

I found his job to be very entertaining.  I don’t know exactly why.

I’m sure selling helicopters is not that different from selling cars or trucks or farm machinery.  But it is just such a niche….and absolutely the last thing I expected him to say in the long list of possible occupations.

And I kept thinking, “Man, where was this guy when I was doing improv comedy back in Kansas City?“

‘Helicopter salesman’ would have been such a great suggestion.

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Posted in Airplanes, Business, Comedy, Humor, Life, transportation, Travel, Weather

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Matinee

Posted on May 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

One of the many advantages of a) working from home and b) having HBO is being able to watch Oscar-nominated documentaries during lunch.

Today’s featured selection:  The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossoms.

tsumani and cherry blossom posterI’ll admit that I had not heard of this film before I saw it listed on HBO OnDemand.  If perchance you haven’t either, I strongly encourage you to invest the short 40 minutes required.

Director Lucy Walker chronicles the tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11, 2011.  Survivors share their stories of loss, and work together to rebuild their communities — already making progress a mere month after the storm hit.

And what are the ‘cherry blossoms’ in the title, you ask? I’ll let you watch the film and find out. 

It is a vital part of their history and culture, and one reason a tsunami could never break the Japanese people.

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Posted in Academy Awards, Commentary, Entertainment, History, Life, Love, Movies, Oscars, Travel, Weather

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Big hearts, Big Apple

Posted on May 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

New Yorkers are a the nicest people.  I see proof of it all the time.

Take today, for instance.

floating-money-bd4a4449-originalI had taken a cab to the vet to pick up my dog.  The driver gave me my change, which included several singles, near the open door.

The wind instantly picked up the bills and scattered them in the street.  Did the rude, me-me-me New Yorkers of TV and movies jump upon them and run for it?

Not a chance.

Instead, three people stepped on the loose bills and stood waiting for me to retrieve them.  We all shared a laugh as I collected my change and thanked them for their help.

Nice folks.  Yep, we’ve got lots of ‘em here in NYC.

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Posted in Commentary, Friends, Humor, Life, Relationships, Travel

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Take a chance

Posted on May 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

When you think about shows in Vegas, sitting on folding chairs under a small circus tent outdoors may not be the first thing that comes to mind.

But it should be.

We went to see Absinthe last night at Caesar’s Palace.. or, more accurately, in front of the famous hotel and shoppes.

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It is filled with amazing feats of physical strength and beauty ala Cirque…but with a personality all its own.  What I am saying is….

It’s filthy. And takes shots at every ethnic and social group on the planet….especially if they are audience members.

Funniest. Show. Ever.

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Posted in Comedy, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Travel

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A cautionary tale

Posted on May 12, 2013 | Leave a comment

image

Don’t become a pussycat doll who dances in Vegas. In view of the restaurant with kids. Classy.

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Posted in dancing, Humor, Life, Travel

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Blackjack and music and comedy

Posted on May 11, 2013 | Leave a comment

Sin City, I am in you!

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Fifteen years ago, when I made my first trip to Las Vegas, I stayed at the New York New York Hotel. At the time it was fairly new to the strip, and a bit trendy.

For me it was also a tad bit aspirational.  I didn’t live in NYC at the time and wanted to…why not get some good karma?

We have returned there. This time the property was simply a deal…and a fun reminder of home. But I still want to ride the rollercoaster.

May have to do that on my own. (Not everyone appears to have packed their cahones.)

Next stop — Rock of Ages and Ray Romano!!

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Posted in Comedy, Entertainment, Friends, Humor, Life, Travel

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Double or nothin’

Posted on May 10, 2013 | 1 Comment

animated dice

 

Guess who’s headed to VEGAS??

Come on…guess.

I’ll give you great odds.

Gotta love those sparkly dice, am I right??

VEGAS, BABY!!!

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Posted in Entertainment, Humor, Life, Travel

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Ducktanic

Posted on May 1, 2013 | Leave a comment

When I was in Singapore this past weekend, I thought about flying on to Australia.  It’s only a seven-hour flight.

This guy made that voyage by water…in the opposite direction.

world's largest rubber duck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rubber Duck, a ginormous piece of conceptual art by Florentijin Hofman, was last spied bobbing about in Sydney’s Darling Harbor. Today the inflatable duck, which measures 46 feet tall and 55 feet long, arrived in Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong for a month’s stay with a little help from a much smaller tug boat.

Let’s call it a Duck Boat — it’s earned it!

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Posted in Animals, Art, Humor, Life, Toys, transportation, Travel

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Bean wake-up call

Posted on April 30, 2013 | 1 Comment

Rory and I are watching Chopped, enjoying some couch time together post-Singapore, and one of the basket items is…

Baked beans

baked beansOf course, there is much discussion about how the beans are going to work with the striped bass, yadda yadda yadda. But it immediately took me back to Monday morning in Singapore when I ordered your typical bacon-and-eggs breakfast before my training session, and the hotel served them with a side of baked beans.

That woke me up.

But I have to say — they were awesome.  Sweet and smoky in flavor, the baked beans were perfect with the bacon.  In theory I guess it’s not that surprising, but it was a first for me.

May not be the last.

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Posted in Commentary, Foods, Humor, Life, Television, Travel

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Listen to your inner voice

Posted on April 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

Today the sun was shining bright in Singapore. I could see it from the windows of my classroom, where I was teaching all day.

My timing, as always, is excellent.

I could also see this beautiful patch of green.

green space singapore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It covered one of the underground garage entrances, and was a welcome break in the glass and cement office park.

You see the stairs leading to the grass?  I wondered if people actually used them…perhaps sit in the sun on days that are a little less tropical.

So I asked.

Apparently Singapore always has weather like this. No cooler season that drops the temps below even 80 degrees.  That’s when I knew — I could never live in this island paradise.

(My hair told me so.)

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Posted in Business, Humor, Life, Photography, Travel, Weather

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