Category: Anything Goes

We’re in Philly, and Pauline can’t wait to get her car away from the tow dolly, and put an end to that experience. We learned a valuable lesson, you can’t master backing up with a tow dolly attached to a truck in one day. And we needed a big space for sweeping turns. From Beacon, NY to Philly, Pa, I felt for her every stretch of the way. I wouldn’t want to drive under those circumstances.

Pauline is so eager to rid her car of the tow dolly that she  just about tackles most of the unloading except for the hefty mattress, even though I hired cracker-jack men to do the lifting and moving,  she doesn’t seem to notice them; she’s like a woman possessed. And so the unloading was accomplished in record time.

The movers were nice enough to lead us to the Philly U-Haul office as we followed them with the truck and tow dolly through the streets of Philly – not an easy drive either. Ha! There was no need to rush because, well, it took the employees 30 minutes to figure out how to extricate the car from the tow dolly. That done we brought the truck across the street for inspection and got the clean bill of health for the truck which allowed us to stand in line (for 90 minutes) to finalize things.

We had lots of company waiting in line. One person was at the counter. It seems the manager had upped and quit at some time during the afternoon. Saint Bill, as Pauline called him, was doing his best to keep up, but the line was getting longer and it wasn’t moving very fast. Just as we got to the counter a long over-due employee arrived to help Saint Bill. I got to hand it to him, he never wavered, maintained the same nice demeanor, and did his job under stressful circumstances. Stressful because there were some angry people – screamers – who gave him an earful. Whew!

We went back to my place to think about where to have dinner. We’d not eaten since early morning. It turned out that finding a good place to dine was the easy part of the day. Let the fun begin.

And so be it!

I saw only bits of the Emmys. Emi and I were in Philadelphia this weekend. We stayed at Alexander Inn B&B at 301 S. 12th Street, phone number: 215-923-3535, and on Sunday evening Emi tuned in to the Emmys for a short time. It’s part of Emi’s world. However, in my world, these thoughts surfaced: no other area exists anywhere in the world where a whole lot of people are so intent on keeping themselves in the limelight, patting themselves on the back, giving themselves awards, taking themselves so seriously, and doing whatever it takes, whether real or unreal, to keep themselves entrenched in the minds of the viewers.

Hollywood – US film industry – it’s all so fascinating to watch.

Two special people came to town this past week and reserved a suite at the Marriott Marquis at 1535 Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets marriottmarquistimessquare.com . I stayed with them for four nights. For a huge place it was quite nice. The operation of the elevators had most first-time guests baffled. You’ll see when you stay there. We ordered room service three nights in a row as one of the guests was not feeling well. Room service turned out palatable food and the service was very good. Well, they messed up a bit the first night, but it’s to their credit that they went above and beyond thereafter. In the morning, Starbucks coffee situated on the 8th floor was okay-not bitter and acidic as in most of the cafes around Manhattan. People have been complaining of the taste for a long time. When Starbucks first started its operations in Manhattan they put out a fine cup of coffee. Things have changed. Back to the Marriott. The employees are pleasant and helpful. Bringing your car? No Problem. Parking at the Marriott is orderly and easy. Saturday nights are chaotic in the lobby and other public areas. But, heck, crowds is what Times Square is about. That neighborhood is people to people, more so on a weekend, with theatres, restaurants, cinemas, and stores galore, and, of course, there’s the staggering number of neon signs.

For a somewhat quieter experience, head north then east to 57 East 57th Street. The Four Seasons Hotel is there fourseasons.com/newyorkfs/ . Feet tired? Reserve a place with Irina for a wonderful pedicure. Or, have yourself a drink of something delicious, special, refreshing, and a bite to eat at the lovely,quiet dining area-a few steps up to the left of the lobby as you enter.

Perhaps you’ll want to eat at Rock Center Cafe, Rockefeller Center, 20 West 50th Street, Ph: 212-332-7620 rockcentercafeny.com/ . Summer is coming, sit outside under a colorful umbrella. It’s charming. Join the rest of the tourists from many parts of the world enjoying being in a famous setting, eating a big, juicy hamburger, or penne with red sauce, salmon, or a chicken wrap. As you look at the menu trying to decide on what you want, you’ll notice all those mouth-watering desserts passing by. That means during your meal you’ll be thinking, should I or shouldn’t I?

In the mood for some excellent seafood or a big juicy steak? Two places located at Sixth Avenue could be calling to you. McCormick&Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant at 1285 Avenue of the Americas, phone: 212.459.1222, mccormickandschmicks.com , and Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House at 1221 Avenue of the Americas, ph: 212.575.5129, delfriscos.com/newyork/, could be the pefect way to end the day. If you don’t want to stay for a full meal, hope that there’s seating in the bar area where you can have a light meal and go on your way.

Whatever you do, enjoy it all!

Today I went to the dentist. I wasn’t looking forward to that experience, but I’ve got to say it was a good session. Everyone smiles and talks easily in that office, and even when you’re sitting in the chair scheduled for the worst of the worst, it’s somehow okay because they take excellent care from beginning to end.

Good news! Did you hear that people with a heart murmur no longer need to take an antiobiotic before a visit to the dentist? This in the April issue of Circulation from the American Heart Association effective 19 April 2007. It seems many people have a heart murmur.

Fluoride – what to do about the fluoride question. Dentists promote it; I’ve read many articles that say don’t. I used to get Dr. William Campbell Douglass’ newsletters. They were always informative, and some of the things he wrote about on health, treatments, products, foods, advice from the “experts”, etcetera, were big surprises. Right or wrong, I didn’t always agree with him. But he puts himself out there trying to get information to us so that we’re aware and thinking about what’s happening in all the ways that can affect us. And as Dr. Douglass warns, we have to stop accepting things because an “expert” in the field says it’s so. Therefore, the fluoride question has to be examined carefully before someone’s word becomes our guideline. And we need to keep in mind that a balanced viewpoint is not always found in mainstream publications.

Thank you, I feel blessed, said first thing in the morning and last thing at night works wonders to relax us so that we remember to trust the Energy of the Universe for guidance.

What word best describes someone whose joy in life is to spread a computer virus? Will they always exist – those people and viruses? I want to meet the person behind one; the person whose mind thinks that way. I want to ask, why cause damage when you could be contributing? I wonder what the thought process is. You’d think that with a brain as sharp as theirs, they could find more clever ways of spending time. Ah, but you say, what they do is rather clever. Yes, but, I say, what kind of cleverness is this? Something’s not computing right. It can’t just be about money. These people can make mucho moola if they’d get off their fanny, and look around. Perhaps they’re not smart enough to join forces with the world and do something exceptional with their knowledge.

If my life depended on my being able to create a virus, say if I got caught up in a sinister plot of sorts, it would be bye bye world for me. I can’t even get my laptop back to its original state when it needs help. This is how the conversation goes between me and the person I’ve appealed to for help: he says, “Stop saying you don’t understand.” And I respond, this irks him a bit, “But why? I don’t understand.” So, then he says, “Think of a computer as being human, not a machine, something made by a human.” Nah! That doesn’t work either. For me, trying to repair a computer has the same feeling as a puzzle with 1000 pieces, and all the pieces are the exact color.

I know that to be able to take charge of something, you have to understand it. It’s like a game; but I’m not fond of this game. I guess though that when you play the game, it’s important to understand it. I’m sure that in a hundred years from now it’ll be entirely different. However, since this is the early stages of personal computers, the game has just begun.

Oh, what a thought.

Maybe how low can mankind go should have been the title of Bob Herbert’s writing of a report released from the United Nations, in the 2 November issue of The New York Times. It was sad, ugly and disturbing to read about the millions of women and girls all over the globe who are murdered, mutilated and raped for the sole reason that they were born female. “The Game of Life” to the many men around the world who murder, mutilate, and rape women and girls seems to be how low can I go? With all the problems that need fixing in this world, why does this problem even exist? How did it ever get to this stage?

I would be lost concerning these kinds of issues if I didn’t believe that what we do in one life will reflect on our next. If I didn’t believe this, I’d be inclined to say that these men should meet with similar circumstances, in other words, the exact proportion of pain, humiliation and emotional turmoil for them, too, in this lifetime.

Much of mankind is good, and, that’s the reason after reading this, you have to grab a magazine and book indicating that this is so, and that a lot of men in the world are involved in making changes. Unless you look for these stories you won’t find them-certainly not in our daily newspapers.

How did it begin-this thinking that men could perform hideous acts on women and girls. Better to not wonder as the mind will take you in directions that, once there, cause havoc with your thinking and prevent forward movement. It’s better to ask, what has to happen to end the brutality against women and girls.