Gleff picks up another easy mileage win.
Just sign up for a Frontier account, and you'll received 1500 free miles. As Gary points out, they can be spent in a number of interesting ways. And, they're free!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Pettitte Returning To Yankees
Multiple sources are reporting that Andy Pettitte is returning to the Yankees for the 2010 season!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Bellagio-Something I've Never Heard Of
So, a friend of mine, Russell Rosenblum, is playing in a rebuy poker tournament in the Five Diamond Poker Classic at Bellagio right now.
He called me to relay a story I've honestly never witnessed. I'm sure it's happened before, but it's a bit shocking.
There were 3 people in a hand, with the board showing 2c 6c Qd 8c (for those that don't play poker, that's the deuce of clubs, the 6 of clubs, the Queen of diamonds and the eight of clubs).
On the turn (after the 8 of clubs was dealt), one player started to turn his hand over. Everyone at the table tried to stop him, but he turned his cards over in the middle of the hand anyway.
Why, you might ask? Well, he had the 6 of clubs in his hand. Make that "a" six of clubs, since this deck apparently had two of them. The guy said he knew he had turned a flush, but wanted to double-check his cards to be sure. When he went back to look, he discovered the problem.
The deck was pulled from circulation, and was shown to contain 53 cards. Although Russell's not 100% sure his table started on time, the deck was in play at least through one break, which meant it was ordered and shuffled at least once. Possibly twice, if the table started on time.
I'm sure this has happened before, but I don't remember hearing about it. How do multiple dealers miss something like that?
He called me to relay a story I've honestly never witnessed. I'm sure it's happened before, but it's a bit shocking.
There were 3 people in a hand, with the board showing 2c 6c Qd 8c (for those that don't play poker, that's the deuce of clubs, the 6 of clubs, the Queen of diamonds and the eight of clubs).
On the turn (after the 8 of clubs was dealt), one player started to turn his hand over. Everyone at the table tried to stop him, but he turned his cards over in the middle of the hand anyway.
Why, you might ask? Well, he had the 6 of clubs in his hand. Make that "a" six of clubs, since this deck apparently had two of them. The guy said he knew he had turned a flush, but wanted to double-check his cards to be sure. When he went back to look, he discovered the problem.
The deck was pulled from circulation, and was shown to contain 53 cards. Although Russell's not 100% sure his table started on time, the deck was in play at least through one break, which meant it was ordered and shuffled at least once. Possibly twice, if the table started on time.
I'm sure this has happened before, but I don't remember hearing about it. How do multiple dealers miss something like that?
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Yet Another Reason to Never Fly United
I have a general rule that I avoid UAL unless they're less money or a significantly better itinerary. I've also flown a different airline for more money when traveling on business and reimbursed our company the difference. Why? Because they're absolutely horrible.
From my friend Gary Leff's blog, yet another illustration of how much they suck.
From my friend Gary Leff's blog, yet another illustration of how much they suck.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Canyon of Heroes, Part 2
Two more videos from the Championship parade. First one is of Andy Pettitte:
Andy pitched the clinching game of all 3 series in this year's playoffs. He has more postseason wins than any other pitcher in history. He's in the twilight of his career, and he'll be sorely missed when he goes. Here's hoping for one more year.
Second video is of the greatest closer in baseball history, Mariano Rivera. Let's hope he was serious when he said he wanted to pitch for another 5 years!
Andy pitched the clinching game of all 3 series in this year's playoffs. He has more postseason wins than any other pitcher in history. He's in the twilight of his career, and he'll be sorely missed when he goes. Here's hoping for one more year.
Second video is of the greatest closer in baseball history, Mariano Rivera. Let's hope he was serious when he said he wanted to pitch for another 5 years!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Yankees are Champions! Canyon of Heroes Part 1
So, I made it up for the parade. While it was a bit cold, it was one hell of an experience. I spent a little over five hours there, and got some good pictures, along with lots of bad ones. With the tremendous crowds, it was tough to get good pictures, but I did manage a few. My apologies for the quality. Here's just a few for starters. More to follow:
The stage at city hall:
The championship trophy. Although hard to see, Joe Girardi is to the right of the trophy in a beige suede jacket with his family.
Confetti in the canyon of heroes:
Yes, you need to look closely, but that's Joba Chamberlain's head poking up at the back of the float.
The stage at city hall:
The championship trophy. Although hard to see, Joe Girardi is to the right of the trophy in a beige suede jacket with his family.
Confetti in the canyon of heroes:
Yes, you need to look closely, but that's Joba Chamberlain's head poking up at the back of the float.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Canyon of Heroes
The Yankees celebrated their 27th World Series last night. While it's only been 9 years, it seems like an eternity since we were able to stand as champions.
This marked the first year where I had the means (translated: cash) to attend a World Series game. But a combination of travel for work and the desire to actually see what my wife and daughter looked like, I wasn't able to get to a game.
I quickly ruled out going to the championship parade this morning in favor of spending time with family, which is by all measures the right decision.
But my wife encouraged me to go. My wheels started turning, and I ended up changing my mind. So, tomorrow morning, I'll wake up at 3am, and board a train to NYC at 5am.
My father brought me to my first sporting event ever when I was a young boy. Obviously, it was a Yankees game. We sat in the second deck, under the overhang. It rained the entire game. The Yankees lost 14-2 to the Kansas City Royals (back when the Royals still played professional baseball). This little boy couldn't have been happier.
We went to the concession stand to get a souvenir. My father pointed to a pencil with the Yankees logo on it. I pointed at the baseball with signatures of all the current players. We weren't a wealthy family, and obviously couldn't afford the baseball. But I kept pointing at it. And my father kept telling me how great the pencil was. I didn't believe him, but that's where we ended up. My father motioned the clerk over, "See that pencil there?" he said.
"Well, we want the baseball next to it." Boy, you've never seen a kid's eyes light up like mine did. Roughly 30 years later, I can remember that day vividly. I only hope I can share a moment like that with Catherine (my 3 1/2 year old daughter) someday soon, who told my wife last night before the game, "Mommy, you need to tell Daddy the Yankees are playing tonight. They're going to win everything!"
I started rooting for the Yankees in earnest right around the time they started getting good again. It was painful to watch them lose to Seattle in '95. But then, a core group of young players meshed with a group of veterans, and the Yankees were back in control.
I grew to love baseball in the days of Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, Posada and Williams. While Bernie's gone, the rest are still there. I'll always love the Yankees. But the chances that *this* group wins again are slim. They're all in the 8th or 9th inning of their careers.
I suspect tomorrow will be a very special day in the Canyon of Heroes. Millions of fans have cheered hundreds of Yankees there. I'll proudly add my name to that list, and possibly even say goodbye to some of the greatest to play the game. Because some day they'll be gone. And while I'll always love the Yankees, I doubt any group will feel more like my Yankees than these.
The only thing that would make the day more special would be to have my wife, who's grown into an unabashed Yankees fan, along with me to share the day. I love you, Michelle. Thanks for always making my life special.
As an aside, I spoke with my cousin's husband (cousin-in-law???) this evening to see if he wanted to join me. I was shocked to hear that his friend, best man at his wedding, is in a coma after a heart attack at the age of 27. So, Ron won't be joining me tomorrow. Here's hoping he has better things to celebrate by the time the day ends.
This marked the first year where I had the means (translated: cash) to attend a World Series game. But a combination of travel for work and the desire to actually see what my wife and daughter looked like, I wasn't able to get to a game.
I quickly ruled out going to the championship parade this morning in favor of spending time with family, which is by all measures the right decision.
But my wife encouraged me to go. My wheels started turning, and I ended up changing my mind. So, tomorrow morning, I'll wake up at 3am, and board a train to NYC at 5am.
My father brought me to my first sporting event ever when I was a young boy. Obviously, it was a Yankees game. We sat in the second deck, under the overhang. It rained the entire game. The Yankees lost 14-2 to the Kansas City Royals (back when the Royals still played professional baseball). This little boy couldn't have been happier.
We went to the concession stand to get a souvenir. My father pointed to a pencil with the Yankees logo on it. I pointed at the baseball with signatures of all the current players. We weren't a wealthy family, and obviously couldn't afford the baseball. But I kept pointing at it. And my father kept telling me how great the pencil was. I didn't believe him, but that's where we ended up. My father motioned the clerk over, "See that pencil there?" he said.
"Well, we want the baseball next to it." Boy, you've never seen a kid's eyes light up like mine did. Roughly 30 years later, I can remember that day vividly. I only hope I can share a moment like that with Catherine (my 3 1/2 year old daughter) someday soon, who told my wife last night before the game, "Mommy, you need to tell Daddy the Yankees are playing tonight. They're going to win everything!"
I started rooting for the Yankees in earnest right around the time they started getting good again. It was painful to watch them lose to Seattle in '95. But then, a core group of young players meshed with a group of veterans, and the Yankees were back in control.
I grew to love baseball in the days of Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, Posada and Williams. While Bernie's gone, the rest are still there. I'll always love the Yankees. But the chances that *this* group wins again are slim. They're all in the 8th or 9th inning of their careers.
I suspect tomorrow will be a very special day in the Canyon of Heroes. Millions of fans have cheered hundreds of Yankees there. I'll proudly add my name to that list, and possibly even say goodbye to some of the greatest to play the game. Because some day they'll be gone. And while I'll always love the Yankees, I doubt any group will feel more like my Yankees than these.
The only thing that would make the day more special would be to have my wife, who's grown into an unabashed Yankees fan, along with me to share the day. I love you, Michelle. Thanks for always making my life special.
As an aside, I spoke with my cousin's husband (cousin-in-law???) this evening to see if he wanted to join me. I was shocked to hear that his friend, best man at his wedding, is in a coma after a heart attack at the age of 27. So, Ron won't be joining me tomorrow. Here's hoping he has better things to celebrate by the time the day ends.
Friday, October 30, 2009
IAD: Washington Dulles Airport Updates (or, What a Mess at IAD)
Seems like every time IAD tries to make the airport better these days, something goes wrong.
First, it appears the new AeroTrain system is delayed again.
Second, they finally opened the new downstairs security screening area. I've been anticipating this for some time. They had years to plan the layout to make sure they got everything right.
They didn't.
For starters, if you walk into security from the downstairs level, you need to walk all the way to the other end of security to get to the first class/expert security line. Then, you have to walk 3/4 of the way back to where you started to get to a TSA agent to check your records.
There's only one TSA agent set up on the first class line, so both times I've gone through, it's been quicker to go through the regular line.
After getting through security, there are no designated lanes for expert vs. family travelers yet.
So, all in all, maybe a C- as a grade for the new security screening area? The only reason I'm not giving it an F is that I don't have to go upstairs.
Here's hoping they get this figured out at some point.
First, it appears the new AeroTrain system is delayed again.
Second, they finally opened the new downstairs security screening area. I've been anticipating this for some time. They had years to plan the layout to make sure they got everything right.
They didn't.
For starters, if you walk into security from the downstairs level, you need to walk all the way to the other end of security to get to the first class/expert security line. Then, you have to walk 3/4 of the way back to where you started to get to a TSA agent to check your records.
There's only one TSA agent set up on the first class line, so both times I've gone through, it's been quicker to go through the regular line.
After getting through security, there are no designated lanes for expert vs. family travelers yet.
So, all in all, maybe a C- as a grade for the new security screening area? The only reason I'm not giving it an F is that I don't have to go upstairs.
Here's hoping they get this figured out at some point.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Movie: Up In The Air
George Clooney stars in a new movie called Up In The Air. The movie prominently features my airline of choice, American Airlines. It also touches on the lunacy of the quest for more frequent flier miles. My good friend Gary has posted two clips of the upcoming movie on his website. They are a must-see. My wife liked the end of the second one the most. Needless to say, she has no problems *using* the miles I accrue.
Clip #1
Clip #2
Clip #1
Clip #2
element pictures
element is a new brand from Starwood Hotels. I stay at Starwood properties almost exclusively when I travel. On a recent trip to Denver, I was able to stay at an element for the first time.
If you'd like to read my review, you can find it here on FlyerTalk.
Here are a bunch of pics from my stay.
If you'd like to read my review, you can find it here on FlyerTalk.
Here are a bunch of pics from my stay.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Yankees Dominate Angels
I've been running behind on my blog posts, missing one for the trip we took to the new Yankees stadium to see them bash the Red Sox back in September. But, after tonight's game, I couldn't resist throwing a quick post together.
CC Sabathia came back on short rest in a very important game for the Yankees. In LA, they were up 2-1 in the series. Bringing back a pitcher on short rest in the playoffs is a recipe for disaster. Historically, it never works. Enter CC. What did he do?
He just pitched 8 innings of 1 run ball. 8 innings. 5 hits. 5 strikeouts.
Oh, and the Yankees dominated the Angels for 13 hits and 10 runs.
We need 5 more wins to accomplish our goal.
Oh, and for all the people questioning Joe Girardi's decision making last night, where were you when he made all the right decisions against the Twins? And made a great decision to save Game 2 against the Angels.
CC Sabathia came back on short rest in a very important game for the Yankees. In LA, they were up 2-1 in the series. Bringing back a pitcher on short rest in the playoffs is a recipe for disaster. Historically, it never works. Enter CC. What did he do?
He just pitched 8 innings of 1 run ball. 8 innings. 5 hits. 5 strikeouts.
Oh, and the Yankees dominated the Angels for 13 hits and 10 runs.
We need 5 more wins to accomplish our goal.
Oh, and for all the people questioning Joe Girardi's decision making last night, where were you when he made all the right decisions against the Twins? And made a great decision to save Game 2 against the Angels.
The Love (and Loss) of a Pet
My best friend had to put down one of his twin cats this morning after a 2 year battle with end-stage kidney failure. It was a painful set of circumstances, one that made me want to give our dog, Serena, a big hug last night and this morning.
While I had pets as a child, I had spent most of my adult life without one. Then, 7 years ago (might have that wrong, I'm sure my wife will correct me), I got my wife a dog for her birthday. I've never been a dog person, but my wife picked the perfect one, and I truly love our dog as a member of our family. I suspect I will be the one that cries the hardest when she passes away. There are days where it's hard to take care of Serena. She's a very moody dog, one that needs a LOT of attention. But it's all worth it, especially when she's showering our daughter with kisses and Catherine is giggling uncontrollably. Here's a pic from a number of years ago, her first big snow.
And one more, for good measure:
I'm proud of my best friend for rescuing two cats two years ago. He wanted to rescue two kittens and raise them. Instead, the rescue agency he got the cats from misrepresented their age. They were roughly 11 years old, and one was very sickly. He had a choice. Refuse to keep the cats, since they hadn't disclosed the age and medical conditions. He chose the other road. He gave them a loving home, one where they felt comfortable and loved by him. Myra, who he said goodbye to yesterday, leaves behind her quieter sister Zara, along with a host of memories, I'm sure.
So, for the 5 people who read my blog on a regular basis, I hope you'll consider rescuing a pet if you're so inclined. Rescuing a pet as opposed to buying one from a breeder can be harder. But it's also one of the more fulfilling achievements of my life thus far.
While I had pets as a child, I had spent most of my adult life without one. Then, 7 years ago (might have that wrong, I'm sure my wife will correct me), I got my wife a dog for her birthday. I've never been a dog person, but my wife picked the perfect one, and I truly love our dog as a member of our family. I suspect I will be the one that cries the hardest when she passes away. There are days where it's hard to take care of Serena. She's a very moody dog, one that needs a LOT of attention. But it's all worth it, especially when she's showering our daughter with kisses and Catherine is giggling uncontrollably. Here's a pic from a number of years ago, her first big snow.
And one more, for good measure:
I'm proud of my best friend for rescuing two cats two years ago. He wanted to rescue two kittens and raise them. Instead, the rescue agency he got the cats from misrepresented their age. They were roughly 11 years old, and one was very sickly. He had a choice. Refuse to keep the cats, since they hadn't disclosed the age and medical conditions. He chose the other road. He gave them a loving home, one where they felt comfortable and loved by him. Myra, who he said goodbye to yesterday, leaves behind her quieter sister Zara, along with a host of memories, I'm sure.
So, for the 5 people who read my blog on a regular basis, I hope you'll consider rescuing a pet if you're so inclined. Rescuing a pet as opposed to buying one from a breeder can be harder. But it's also one of the more fulfilling achievements of my life thus far.
Friday, October 16, 2009
SPAM Post
Not sure what happened, but for those that follow my blog, some spam got posted to it late last night. I've sent an e-mail to Blogger about it to figure out what happened. Sorry for the unitended (and unexplained) SPAM.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Quick Free Miles. ACT QUICKLY!
Bose is giving away free miles again!
How, you ask?
Well, if you want to watch a 2-minute video found at the link above, they'll give you 150 AA miles.
If you have a BOSE store nearby and go see the demo, they'll give you 350 miles.
If you buy headphones, 1500 additional miles.
The first two are free slam dunks. So, don't miss out on 500 miles.
How, you ask?
Well, if you want to watch a 2-minute video found at the link above, they'll give you 150 AA miles.
If you have a BOSE store nearby and go see the demo, they'll give you 350 miles.
If you buy headphones, 1500 additional miles.
The first two are free slam dunks. So, don't miss out on 500 miles.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
In Fond Memory of Roy Geddes
My mother's side of the family is from Nova Scotia, just outside of Halifax. As kids, my sister and I spent many a summer (and a few winters) there with our extended family. We had 5 aunts(Emily, Gloria, Fran, Rose, Laverne) and two uncles (Bill and Eddy) who all lived in close proximity.
Our Aunt Fran was married to Roy Geddes, who we learned passed away today. Roy had been having heart problems for some time, but was still spry enough to pop out to Peggy's Cove with us the last time we visited.
When my sister called tonight, we shared some memories of Roy. It's amazing how indelible some of those childhood images are. Roy would take us out onto the lake that crept up to the back of their house. In the beginning, it was in the canoe. But as we got older, I can remember vividly a yellow paddle boat. Roy had to be in his 60s then, but he always had enough energy to head out on the lake. For me, we'd paddle out to the island in the middle of the lake to explore. This involved Roy helping me explore all the caves and lost civilizations a young boy could form in his imagination. For my sister, it was collecting worms to head out and fish. It's so easy to forget about family in the haste of everyday life. And as sad as I was to hear the reason for my sister's call, sharing those memories was a welcome moment.
I can remember a day when we were caught in the middle of the lake in the driving rain, because I had begged Roy to paddle just a little farther. He always wore plaid shirts and round eye glasses. With water spots covering his glasses, he looked at me and smiled as we made our way back to shore. I'm positive I got in trouble when I got back, but Roy just sat there smiling. I may be making up my own memories, but I remember something along the lines of, "Oh, cmon, Dianne (my mother). The boy was having fun."
For me, Roy was always about finding an adventure. I know he had other qualities for his wife and children he leaves behind. But for me, I'll always remember Roy taking the time to let me explore.
These memories make me feel like it was yesterday. After not visiting my family for 10 years, I showed up a few years ago, wife and daughter in tow. It was like I never left. Roy is a great example of the family there that loved us and help raise us.
He will be sorely missed. But I suspect that somewhere up in the clouds, he's blazing a trail through the woods. And that thought makes me smile.
Our Aunt Fran was married to Roy Geddes, who we learned passed away today. Roy had been having heart problems for some time, but was still spry enough to pop out to Peggy's Cove with us the last time we visited.
When my sister called tonight, we shared some memories of Roy. It's amazing how indelible some of those childhood images are. Roy would take us out onto the lake that crept up to the back of their house. In the beginning, it was in the canoe. But as we got older, I can remember vividly a yellow paddle boat. Roy had to be in his 60s then, but he always had enough energy to head out on the lake. For me, we'd paddle out to the island in the middle of the lake to explore. This involved Roy helping me explore all the caves and lost civilizations a young boy could form in his imagination. For my sister, it was collecting worms to head out and fish. It's so easy to forget about family in the haste of everyday life. And as sad as I was to hear the reason for my sister's call, sharing those memories was a welcome moment.
I can remember a day when we were caught in the middle of the lake in the driving rain, because I had begged Roy to paddle just a little farther. He always wore plaid shirts and round eye glasses. With water spots covering his glasses, he looked at me and smiled as we made our way back to shore. I'm positive I got in trouble when I got back, but Roy just sat there smiling. I may be making up my own memories, but I remember something along the lines of, "Oh, cmon, Dianne (my mother). The boy was having fun."
For me, Roy was always about finding an adventure. I know he had other qualities for his wife and children he leaves behind. But for me, I'll always remember Roy taking the time to let me explore.
These memories make me feel like it was yesterday. After not visiting my family for 10 years, I showed up a few years ago, wife and daughter in tow. It was like I never left. Roy is a great example of the family there that loved us and help raise us.
He will be sorely missed. But I suspect that somewhere up in the clouds, he's blazing a trail through the woods. And that thought makes me smile.
A Brief Moment
I hope all 3 of you reading will indulge me for a brief moment. Those of you that we call family already know most of this story.
We lived in a nice neighborhood the last 5 years or so. Or, so we thought. Ever have sand in your bathing suit after you get out of the ocean? Well, there were days in our neighborhood where we felt like that. Other days, it felt like bricks were strapped to our back, like the 4th of July night a kid in our neighborhood decided to throw an M-80 at our 3-year old daughter in our driveway (and missed, thank God).
We moved to a new house two months ago. Today, we finally finished a fence on a significant portion of the acreage (about 2 acres) for our dog and daughter to run around on. Couple that with me picking splinters out of my knees from refinishing the deck, and it's been a full week.
Well, my wife and daughter took our dog out tonight for her first big free run. I came out for a few minutes, but a daunting pile of work pulled me back inside. While I was inside, our dog ran the entire length of the fence, marked her turf a bit, then rolled around on the ground. My daughter thought that was so funny, she joined her rolling around.
How did I know this if I was inside? My wife came inside to thank me for our beautiful new home. In her words, "I just stood in the middle of the yard, looked around, and was so thankful." We shared a warm hug, and she shared the funny and heartwarming moments I missed.
Houses have always been sticks and paint to me. An investment. That probably goes back to being forced out of my childhood home when my parents got separated and my mother got separated from reality.
But I really thought that this house could be different, especially if my wife and daughter felt like it was a home.
Money can't buy everything, and it won't buy us a "home". Money bought us a nice house, but my wife's tireless efforts with my daughter while holding down two jobs are what make this our home.
So, that's it. That's my brief moment, and I appreciate you listening.
We lived in a nice neighborhood the last 5 years or so. Or, so we thought. Ever have sand in your bathing suit after you get out of the ocean? Well, there were days in our neighborhood where we felt like that. Other days, it felt like bricks were strapped to our back, like the 4th of July night a kid in our neighborhood decided to throw an M-80 at our 3-year old daughter in our driveway (and missed, thank God).
We moved to a new house two months ago. Today, we finally finished a fence on a significant portion of the acreage (about 2 acres) for our dog and daughter to run around on. Couple that with me picking splinters out of my knees from refinishing the deck, and it's been a full week.
Well, my wife and daughter took our dog out tonight for her first big free run. I came out for a few minutes, but a daunting pile of work pulled me back inside. While I was inside, our dog ran the entire length of the fence, marked her turf a bit, then rolled around on the ground. My daughter thought that was so funny, she joined her rolling around.
How did I know this if I was inside? My wife came inside to thank me for our beautiful new home. In her words, "I just stood in the middle of the yard, looked around, and was so thankful." We shared a warm hug, and she shared the funny and heartwarming moments I missed.
Houses have always been sticks and paint to me. An investment. That probably goes back to being forced out of my childhood home when my parents got separated and my mother got separated from reality.
But I really thought that this house could be different, especially if my wife and daughter felt like it was a home.
Money can't buy everything, and it won't buy us a "home". Money bought us a nice house, but my wife's tireless efforts with my daughter while holding down two jobs are what make this our home.
So, that's it. That's my brief moment, and I appreciate you listening.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
St. Regis Washington DC
My wife and I enjoyed a night at The St. Regis in DC last night, thanks to the free weekends promotion Starwood ran this summer.
Due to the promo and a bunch of travel, I ended up using my free rooms at:
Sheraton Commander (Boston), 2 rooms
Sheraton Hershey, 3 rooms, 2 nights
St. Regis DC
Le Parker Meridien (New York), 2 rooms
We dropped Catherine off for a sleepover at her grandparents house, and headed downtown. Probably one of the only people to valet park a minivan at the St. Regis.
The front desk informed me they had upgraded us to a Grand Luxe room. The room was nicely appointed, with a separate seating area with a couch and coffee table, along with a king-sized bed, a sizable bathroom, and a view of an alley.
We dropped our stuff and headed to Fogo de Chao, one of our favorite restaurants. We had called and couldn't get a reservation, so we asked the concierge at the St. Regis. Surely, they could get us a table. Uh, no.
We had a backup choice, but I figured I would see if the $20 bill trick would work. So, we walked into Fogo, which was hopping busy. At least 15 or 20 people waiting for tables. My wife sat in the corner, as she said, "Embarrassed that we were trying to get in when it was obvious they were packed."
I said, "It looks like you're slammed, but I was hoping you could squeeze in 2 people." The hostess said, "Stand over there. We'll take care of you."
We were on our way back, my wife shaking her head. We enjoyed a half bottle of Taittinger champagne, and a bottle of Malbec (Luca). Satisfied, and a bit tipsy, we headed back to the hotel for a comfortable night's sleep.
We didn't get a chance to take pictures of the room before we went to bed, but we did snap some shots of the bathroom. Note the TV in the mirror. Nice feature!
Due to the promo and a bunch of travel, I ended up using my free rooms at:
Sheraton Commander (Boston), 2 rooms
Sheraton Hershey, 3 rooms, 2 nights
St. Regis DC
Le Parker Meridien (New York), 2 rooms
We dropped Catherine off for a sleepover at her grandparents house, and headed downtown. Probably one of the only people to valet park a minivan at the St. Regis.
The front desk informed me they had upgraded us to a Grand Luxe room. The room was nicely appointed, with a separate seating area with a couch and coffee table, along with a king-sized bed, a sizable bathroom, and a view of an alley.
We dropped our stuff and headed to Fogo de Chao, one of our favorite restaurants. We had called and couldn't get a reservation, so we asked the concierge at the St. Regis. Surely, they could get us a table. Uh, no.
We had a backup choice, but I figured I would see if the $20 bill trick would work. So, we walked into Fogo, which was hopping busy. At least 15 or 20 people waiting for tables. My wife sat in the corner, as she said, "Embarrassed that we were trying to get in when it was obvious they were packed."
I said, "It looks like you're slammed, but I was hoping you could squeeze in 2 people." The hostess said, "Stand over there. We'll take care of you."
We were on our way back, my wife shaking her head. We enjoyed a half bottle of Taittinger champagne, and a bottle of Malbec (Luca). Satisfied, and a bit tipsy, we headed back to the hotel for a comfortable night's sleep.
We didn't get a chance to take pictures of the room before we went to bed, but we did snap some shots of the bathroom. Note the TV in the mirror. Nice feature!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Derek Jeter: Greatest Yankee Ever?
Derek Jeter broke Lou Gehrig's record for most hits by a Yankee tonight. Lou Gehrig had 2,721 hits as a Yankee. Jeter now sits at 2,722.
So, it seemed like a good time to analyze where Jeter sits in Yankee history, even though he's not done writing his story. First, let's look at the top 5 Yankee hitters of all time:
1. Derek Jeter
2. Lou Gehrig
3. Babe Ruth
4. Mickey Mantle
5. Bernie Williams
Wow. That's one heck of a list. Is Derek Jeter really a better player than the guys on this list? Well, he played with Bernie Williams. Gehrig, Ruth and Mantle all won more World Series' rings.
Jeter has the second most all-star selections (10). Not sure which number is more incredible. 16 all-star selections for Mickey Mantle, or only 2 for Babe Ruth.
Jeter's in his 15th season, at the age of 35. Mantle was 37 when he retired, Babe Ruth was 40, Gehrig was 36.
We know Jeter still has some years left in those legs. He might not be the best Yankee ever today. I never had the pleasure of watching Gehrig, Mantle, or Ruth. As a Yankee fan, I feel pretty lucky to have seen Jeter's entire career thus far. I hope to be having the argument for a number of years while he continues to rack up stats as a Yankee.
And, just maybe, a couple more rings.
So, it seemed like a good time to analyze where Jeter sits in Yankee history, even though he's not done writing his story. First, let's look at the top 5 Yankee hitters of all time:
1. Derek Jeter
2. Lou Gehrig
3. Babe Ruth
4. Mickey Mantle
5. Bernie Williams
Wow. That's one heck of a list. Is Derek Jeter really a better player than the guys on this list? Well, he played with Bernie Williams. Gehrig, Ruth and Mantle all won more World Series' rings.
Jeter has the second most all-star selections (10). Not sure which number is more incredible. 16 all-star selections for Mickey Mantle, or only 2 for Babe Ruth.
Jeter's in his 15th season, at the age of 35. Mantle was 37 when he retired, Babe Ruth was 40, Gehrig was 36.
We know Jeter still has some years left in those legs. He might not be the best Yankee ever today. I never had the pleasure of watching Gehrig, Mantle, or Ruth. As a Yankee fan, I feel pretty lucky to have seen Jeter's entire career thus far. I hope to be having the argument for a number of years while he continues to rack up stats as a Yankee.
And, just maybe, a couple more rings.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Double AA Miles and New Elite Rewards
For those who read my blog that ALSO fly, here's a great offer from AA to finish out the year.
Essentially, AA is giving out double elite qualifying miles through the end of the year to help people attain higher status.
On top of that, for people who already have status with AA (Gold, PLT, or EXP), if you achieve certain milestones, AA will give you extra rewards, such as free systemwide upgrades, 25,000 free miles, free Admirals Club membership.
This is obviously because AA, along with all the other airlines are hurting, and their trying to keep loyal customers from switching elsewhere. Now's a great time to jump on a plane and earn status.
Essentially, AA is giving out double elite qualifying miles through the end of the year to help people attain higher status.
On top of that, for people who already have status with AA (Gold, PLT, or EXP), if you achieve certain milestones, AA will give you extra rewards, such as free systemwide upgrades, 25,000 free miles, free Admirals Club membership.
This is obviously because AA, along with all the other airlines are hurting, and their trying to keep loyal customers from switching elsewhere. Now's a great time to jump on a plane and earn status.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Tons of Priority Club Points
Kudos to my flying buddy gleff for notification on this lucrative Priority Club promo.
He covered this recently on his blog.
For those that don't know, Priority Club is the loyalty program for Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Intercontinental, etc. They have a lot of domestic properties, as well as some decent properties overseas. They also make it easy to transfer points to major airlines.
Essentially, you register for the promo, then buy things from their partners. By hitting certain thresholds, you get bonus points for buying things you were planning on buying already.
Stay tuned for a post on my favorite online shopping merchant. The AA website has more merchants than any other out there. Great source for churning miles.
He covered this recently on his blog.
For those that don't know, Priority Club is the loyalty program for Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Intercontinental, etc. They have a lot of domestic properties, as well as some decent properties overseas. They also make it easy to transfer points to major airlines.
Essentially, you register for the promo, then buy things from their partners. By hitting certain thresholds, you get bonus points for buying things you were planning on buying already.
Stay tuned for a post on my favorite online shopping merchant. The AA website has more merchants than any other out there. Great source for churning miles.
Family Reunion: Hershey Park
Still running VERY far behind on updates. Two or three weeks ago, we had a mini family reunion at Hershey Park. Casts in this movie were my cousin Serena and her husband Ron, as well as my cousin Tom, his wife Nicole, and his kids Olivia, Kiley and Jagger. Catherine had a great time with her cousins!
We spent two days at Hershey, and the kids had a ball. Catherine rode her first roller coaster. While she did look a bit terrified in the beginning, she was so excited when we got done that we went on again. After the second time, she cried because we headed to lunch. She was ready to go again!
There's nothing better, IMO, than spending time with family, and this trip was no exception. Here's a couple of quick pics:
Catherine, with her cousins Kiley, Olivia and Jagger.
Catherine on the Ladybug ride with her cousins.
We spent two days at Hershey, and the kids had a ball. Catherine rode her first roller coaster. While she did look a bit terrified in the beginning, she was so excited when we got done that we went on again. After the second time, she cried because we headed to lunch. She was ready to go again!
There's nothing better, IMO, than spending time with family, and this trip was no exception. Here's a couple of quick pics:
Catherine, with her cousins Kiley, Olivia and Jagger.
Catherine on the Ladybug ride with her cousins.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Dulles Airport: AeroTrain Update
Steady followers of my blog will remember my post last year with previously unseen pictures of the train system at Dulles Airport.
Well, when I walked through Dulles Airport at 5am on Monday, I saw that the train was running at the main terminal. It's not open for passengers yet, just test running on the tracks. This is consistent with some FTers reports that it will need to run error free for 30 (or 60) days before they will open it to the general public. I grabbed some quick footage of a 3-car train leaving the station.
The trains seem to run on a 2 minute cycle during testing. While I've seen the terminal A and B stations, I haven't yet seen the proposed terminal C station. More info about the train system can be found here.
Long story short, I'll be plenty happy not to have to ride the damn buses anymore.
Well, when I walked through Dulles Airport at 5am on Monday, I saw that the train was running at the main terminal. It's not open for passengers yet, just test running on the tracks. This is consistent with some FTers reports that it will need to run error free for 30 (or 60) days before they will open it to the general public. I grabbed some quick footage of a 3-car train leaving the station.
The trains seem to run on a 2 minute cycle during testing. While I've seen the terminal A and B stations, I haven't yet seen the proposed terminal C station. More info about the train system can be found here.
Long story short, I'll be plenty happy not to have to ride the damn buses anymore.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Starwood 100
Starwood Hotels, IMO, is the best hotel loyalty program out there. It's my chain of choice whenever I travel. I'm sure there are quite a few people who won't find this interesting, but I set a goal to stay at 100 Starwood properties worldwide. This would, by no means, be a record, based on some of the other travelers I know. But, here's what I think is my complete list of 58 properties. Still a good ways to go, but there's some really great properties mixed in with some dogs.
Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta GA
Westin Boston Waterfront
Westin Seattle
Four Points Orlando Studio City
Sheraton Suites Orlando Airport
W New York-Tuscany
Four Points Williamsburg
Le Meridien Barcelona (one of our favorites)
Le Meridien Ra Beach (South of Barcelona, another favorite)
aloft Philadelphia
aloft Dulles North
Westin Grand, Washington, DC
Westin Mount Laurel, NJ
Four Points Tallahassee North
Sheraton Denver Tech Center
Planet Hollywood Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Westin Atlanta Airport
Sheraton Old San Juan, PR
Westin Reston Heights
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers (consistently one of the best business hotels I stay at)
Sheraton Atlantic City, NJ
Sheraton Crescent Hotel, Phoenix, AZ
Wigwam Resort & Spa, Phoenix, AZ (very enjoyable property)
Westin Arlington Gateway, Arlington, VA
Westin Tysons Corner, VA
Four Points Norwalk, CT
Sheraton Danbury, CT
Sheraton Meadowlands, NJ
Four Points Manhattan Chelsea (good, affordable Manhattan property)
Sheraton Manhattan
Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers
W New York-The Court
Four Points BWI Airport, MD
Sheraton Columbia Town Center, Columbia, MD
Westin Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
Westin Excelsior, Florence, IT (another favorite)
Westin Excelsior, Rome, IT (another favorite)
Hotel Danieli, Venice, IT (#1 on our list, maybe 1A considering St. Regis Rome)
Sheraton National Airport, Arlington, VA
Westin Mission Hills, Rancho Mirage, CA (great property)
Westin Tabor Center, Denver, CO
Sheraton Denver West
Four Points Denver
aloft Denver Airport
St. Regis, Rome, IT (see above about Danieli, one of the top 2 hotels I've ever stayed in)
Sheraton Catania, IT (on the island of Sicily)
The Excelsior, Naples, IT (beautiful hotel, snobby staff)
W Chicago City Center
aloft Broomfield, CO
Westin Westminster, CO
Sheraton Nashville, TN
Westin New Orleans Canal Place, LA
Sheraton Denver, CO
Westin Providence, RI
Sheraton Copley Plaza, Boston, MA
Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey, PA
Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta GA
Westin Boston Waterfront
Westin Seattle
Four Points Orlando Studio City
Sheraton Suites Orlando Airport
W New York-Tuscany
Four Points Williamsburg
Le Meridien Barcelona (one of our favorites)
Le Meridien Ra Beach (South of Barcelona, another favorite)
aloft Philadelphia
aloft Dulles North
Westin Grand, Washington, DC
Westin Mount Laurel, NJ
Four Points Tallahassee North
Sheraton Denver Tech Center
Planet Hollywood Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Westin Atlanta Airport
Sheraton Old San Juan, PR
Westin Reston Heights
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers (consistently one of the best business hotels I stay at)
Sheraton Atlantic City, NJ
Sheraton Crescent Hotel, Phoenix, AZ
Wigwam Resort & Spa, Phoenix, AZ (very enjoyable property)
Westin Arlington Gateway, Arlington, VA
Westin Tysons Corner, VA
Four Points Norwalk, CT
Sheraton Danbury, CT
Sheraton Meadowlands, NJ
Four Points Manhattan Chelsea (good, affordable Manhattan property)
Sheraton Manhattan
Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers
W New York-The Court
Four Points BWI Airport, MD
Sheraton Columbia Town Center, Columbia, MD
Westin Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
Westin Excelsior, Florence, IT (another favorite)
Westin Excelsior, Rome, IT (another favorite)
Hotel Danieli, Venice, IT (#1 on our list, maybe 1A considering St. Regis Rome)
Sheraton National Airport, Arlington, VA
Westin Mission Hills, Rancho Mirage, CA (great property)
Westin Tabor Center, Denver, CO
Sheraton Denver West
Four Points Denver
aloft Denver Airport
St. Regis, Rome, IT (see above about Danieli, one of the top 2 hotels I've ever stayed in)
Sheraton Catania, IT (on the island of Sicily)
The Excelsior, Naples, IT (beautiful hotel, snobby staff)
W Chicago City Center
aloft Broomfield, CO
Westin Westminster, CO
Sheraton Nashville, TN
Westin New Orleans Canal Place, LA
Sheraton Denver, CO
Westin Providence, RI
Sheraton Copley Plaza, Boston, MA
Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey, PA
Catching Up
So, for the unlucky few who read this blog on a regular basis, my apologies for my absence. It's been a busy few weeks:
1. We moved into our new house, which definitely turned into a much larger project. More to come on this.
2. We had a mini family reunion at Hershey Park. Catherine got to spend two days playing with her cousins, and had a great time.
3. Work was exceptionally busy, with some projects wrapping up while others got started.
4. My travel schedule begins anew with 7 days on the road, starting Monday.
5. Need to do a recap, but I've collected over $50 for Livestrong and the fight against cancer. With my matching donation, we're over $100 on a goal of $1000 by the end of the year.
More to come....
1. We moved into our new house, which definitely turned into a much larger project. More to come on this.
2. We had a mini family reunion at Hershey Park. Catherine got to spend two days playing with her cousins, and had a great time.
3. Work was exceptionally busy, with some projects wrapping up while others got started.
4. My travel schedule begins anew with 7 days on the road, starting Monday.
5. Need to do a recap, but I've collected over $50 for Livestrong and the fight against cancer. With my matching donation, we're over $100 on a goal of $1000 by the end of the year.
More to come....
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Let's Fight Cancer (Subtitle: Lance Armstrong Continues to Amaze Me)
My friends know I'm an unabashed Lance Armstrong fan. I was amazed that, after years away from the toughest sporting event that exists, he was almost able to win it again this year.
This encouraged me to go back to his website and do some research. Lance has raised $250 Million for cancer. Just think about that for a second. That's more than some hospitals entire budget for cancer treatment. And we're still not winning the battle. I have friends that still suffer from this, and we all know someone who lost the fight to cancer.
So, take a moment and read this article about Lance
Or, better yet, click here and get involved!
Lance says we need billions to fight cancer. I believe him.
To that end, I've bought some more yellow bracelets to hand out. If you see me, ask for one.
Just be prepared to make a donation. ;)
This encouraged me to go back to his website and do some research. Lance has raised $250 Million for cancer. Just think about that for a second. That's more than some hospitals entire budget for cancer treatment. And we're still not winning the battle. I have friends that still suffer from this, and we all know someone who lost the fight to cancer.
So, take a moment and read this article about Lance
Or, better yet, click here and get involved!
Lance says we need billions to fight cancer. I believe him.
To that end, I've bought some more yellow bracelets to hand out. If you see me, ask for one.
Just be prepared to make a donation. ;)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Help My Friend Brian Cohen
My friend Brian Cohen is trying to win a trip to Antarctica. I hope you'll take a moment and vote for him at the link above. The site will require you to register, but I can vouch for the site.
So, please join in! Brian is currently in 7th place out of 315 voters. We need to get him over the top! Brian has been instrumental over the years in helping me earn miles and points, so help me help him.
So, please join in! Brian is currently in 7th place out of 315 voters. We need to get him over the top! Brian has been instrumental over the years in helping me earn miles and points, so help me help him.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Tour de France
I have developed a passion for the Tour de France over the last 10 years. It started with Lance, but now extends to 30 or 40 riders in the field.
I sometimes listen to David talk about horse racing in a way that shows me how much I don't understand about the intricacies of that sport. I suspect that's the way I sound talking about bicycle racing.
I was all set for today's post to be titled "Tour de Lance". After the first week of racing, Lance Armstrong was .22 seconds behind the leader heading into the Pyrenees. That's TWENTY-TWO ONE HUNDRETHS of a second. This from a man who hadn't raced professionally for four years.
The leader, Fabian Cancellara, is not a climber. So, entering the first mountain stage, it was only a matter of time before he would crack, and Lance would inherit the yellow jersey. On the final climb of the day (an uncategorized climb, which means it's so difficult it exceeds categorization), he broke. Team Astana (the team Lance rides for) controlled the front of the peloton and also had 3 riders in the top 10.
That's where the story changes. With 1km to go, Alberto Contador (who also rides for Team Astana) broke from the pack and took a decent lead. Lance did what he was supposed to, and blocked for Contador. One of the members of an earlier breakaway took the lead, but Alberto made up 21 seconds on Lance after trailing him by 19 seconds.
Was this the way it was supposed to happen? Well, Alberto's supposed to be the team leader, especially after winning the 2007 Tour.
But in my world, Lance is still #1. And I expected to see him in yellow.
I sometimes listen to David talk about horse racing in a way that shows me how much I don't understand about the intricacies of that sport. I suspect that's the way I sound talking about bicycle racing.
I was all set for today's post to be titled "Tour de Lance". After the first week of racing, Lance Armstrong was .22 seconds behind the leader heading into the Pyrenees. That's TWENTY-TWO ONE HUNDRETHS of a second. This from a man who hadn't raced professionally for four years.
The leader, Fabian Cancellara, is not a climber. So, entering the first mountain stage, it was only a matter of time before he would crack, and Lance would inherit the yellow jersey. On the final climb of the day (an uncategorized climb, which means it's so difficult it exceeds categorization), he broke. Team Astana (the team Lance rides for) controlled the front of the peloton and also had 3 riders in the top 10.
That's where the story changes. With 1km to go, Alberto Contador (who also rides for Team Astana) broke from the pack and took a decent lead. Lance did what he was supposed to, and blocked for Contador. One of the members of an earlier breakaway took the lead, but Alberto made up 21 seconds on Lance after trailing him by 19 seconds.
Was this the way it was supposed to happen? Well, Alberto's supposed to be the team leader, especially after winning the 2007 Tour.
But in my world, Lance is still #1. And I expected to see him in yellow.
OK, I'm Ready For This Week To Be Over
For those that follow along on a regular basis, you'll have read the post about the passing of Arnold Huberman. In 30 years as my best friend, I've never seen David struggle with his emotions until this week. Despite that, he eulogized his father in a way I didn't think possible. David is eloquent, no doubt, but he brought me to tears in a way I wasn't expecting. His command of words knows no bounds.
While we were dealing with the affairs of Arnold, David and I discovered we had lost another of our friends. Steve Nissman was 52 years old. David and I had know him for over a decade. David was closer to Steve than me, but we both enjoyed the time we spent with him. He will be sorely missed.
To finish the week, a close friend of mine suffering through some family issues was dealt a crushing blow to his family. He has a 2 1/2 year old daughter who likely won't have the comfort of her mother again soon.
Next week can't be worse, so let's hope it's better!
While we were dealing with the affairs of Arnold, David and I discovered we had lost another of our friends. Steve Nissman was 52 years old. David and I had know him for over a decade. David was closer to Steve than me, but we both enjoyed the time we spent with him. He will be sorely missed.
To finish the week, a close friend of mine suffering through some family issues was dealt a crushing blow to his family. He has a 2 1/2 year old daughter who likely won't have the comfort of her mother again soon.
Next week can't be worse, so let's hope it's better!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
In Fond Memory of Arnold Huberman
David Huberman has been my best friend since shortly after I stopped wetting diapers. Consequently, over the last 30 years, his family has become my family. His mother, Phyllis, stood in as my mother at my wedding.
David called me today to tell me his father had passed away. I had to ask him to repeat himself, as this came as something of a shock to me. Arnie, as everyone I knew called him, was not well, but surely not ready to leave us.
I've had a curious relationship with Arnie over the years. During different times, he has offered counsel in a paternal role. He has also asked me to try to sway David's mind on something Arnie felt strongly about, but only when David wasn't listening. Through all of this, Arnie has been, well, family.
He was at my wedding, sitting close by on our special night. He came down to visit when our daughter was born. My dog, Serena, absolutely adores him when he comes to visit.
When I learned of Arnie's passing, I wanted nothing more than to hug my own father, which I was able to do in short order, followed by a hug from my wife and a slobbery kiss from my daughter. It's days like today I value tremendously the fact that my father lives 10 minutes from me.
My last conversation with Arnie was an interesting one. He always said exactly what was on his mind. No need for mincing words, no need to say something politically correct. David had warned me that Arnie wanted to pitch a business idea to him for a new venture. He wanted me to bring the idea to Russell to see if he would fund it.
Arnie is extremely strong-willed (stubborn, some might say). If he has his mind set about something, nobody is likely to change it. But on this occasion, he listened to his son. David had advised him not to make the hard sell, instead to ask me for help to set up a business plan. Arnie said all the right things, praising my business acumen, saying I was the only guy he knew that could help him get his arms around his idea.
I suppose I wouldn't have thought much about the conversation if David hadn't alerted me to it beforehand. I knew he had listened to his son's advice, something he probably did less often than David would have liked. It showed a side of Arnie I always enjoyed, the one that was profoundly proud of his son.
Sure, he worried about David. Arnie was blessed with Jewish mother's syndrome, and worried incessantly about both his children. But I think that he was proud of his son. Over the years, my infrequent conversations with Arnie were more about his concern for David's health and well being, and less about things he thought David might be doing wrong.
My father and I spoke before I got on the plane tonight. He said something along the lines of, "I hope I was a good enough father for you today." I can't remember the exact words, although not because I wasn't paying attention. It was comforting just to listen to my father, and to know he was there for me. I'm sure my reply didn't properly say how much his relationship means to me.
We're sitting here in Logan airport right now, waiting for David's sister to land. Tomorrow begins the process of winding down the life of Arnold Huberman. As has been the case with each of the people I've lost this year, he'll be sorely missed.
While it's impossible now to make sure that Arnie's loved ones were by him when he passed away, I can only hope his last moments were painless.
Rest in peace, Arnie.
David called me today to tell me his father had passed away. I had to ask him to repeat himself, as this came as something of a shock to me. Arnie, as everyone I knew called him, was not well, but surely not ready to leave us.
I've had a curious relationship with Arnie over the years. During different times, he has offered counsel in a paternal role. He has also asked me to try to sway David's mind on something Arnie felt strongly about, but only when David wasn't listening. Through all of this, Arnie has been, well, family.
He was at my wedding, sitting close by on our special night. He came down to visit when our daughter was born. My dog, Serena, absolutely adores him when he comes to visit.
When I learned of Arnie's passing, I wanted nothing more than to hug my own father, which I was able to do in short order, followed by a hug from my wife and a slobbery kiss from my daughter. It's days like today I value tremendously the fact that my father lives 10 minutes from me.
My last conversation with Arnie was an interesting one. He always said exactly what was on his mind. No need for mincing words, no need to say something politically correct. David had warned me that Arnie wanted to pitch a business idea to him for a new venture. He wanted me to bring the idea to Russell to see if he would fund it.
Arnie is extremely strong-willed (stubborn, some might say). If he has his mind set about something, nobody is likely to change it. But on this occasion, he listened to his son. David had advised him not to make the hard sell, instead to ask me for help to set up a business plan. Arnie said all the right things, praising my business acumen, saying I was the only guy he knew that could help him get his arms around his idea.
I suppose I wouldn't have thought much about the conversation if David hadn't alerted me to it beforehand. I knew he had listened to his son's advice, something he probably did less often than David would have liked. It showed a side of Arnie I always enjoyed, the one that was profoundly proud of his son.
Sure, he worried about David. Arnie was blessed with Jewish mother's syndrome, and worried incessantly about both his children. But I think that he was proud of his son. Over the years, my infrequent conversations with Arnie were more about his concern for David's health and well being, and less about things he thought David might be doing wrong.
My father and I spoke before I got on the plane tonight. He said something along the lines of, "I hope I was a good enough father for you today." I can't remember the exact words, although not because I wasn't paying attention. It was comforting just to listen to my father, and to know he was there for me. I'm sure my reply didn't properly say how much his relationship means to me.
We're sitting here in Logan airport right now, waiting for David's sister to land. Tomorrow begins the process of winding down the life of Arnold Huberman. As has been the case with each of the people I've lost this year, he'll be sorely missed.
While it's impossible now to make sure that Arnie's loved ones were by him when he passed away, I can only hope his last moments were painless.
Rest in peace, Arnie.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Pistons: Lots of Movement
I'm not sure if I've ever discussed the fact that I'm a lifelong Detroit Pistons fan. This has been an incredibly hectic week for the Pistons.
1. The Pistons drafted Austin Daye from Gonzaga in the first round of the NBA draft. First 6'11" "small forward" I've ever seen.
2. We fired our coach, Michael Curry. Michael lost the team in the latter part of the season, so he probably needed to go.
3. We signed Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva as free agents. Both great signings.
4. Rasheed Wallace is being seriously courted by the Boston Celtics.
5. We're seriously considering Avery Johnson as our next coach.
So, what does all this mean? It's time to admit that, as much as I loved Joe Dumars as a player, he's not a capable GM. After botching the Darko Milicic draft thing, we've had bad decisions about coaching (see Flip Saunders), bad draft decisions (Ty Lawson was a much better pick in this spot, IMO), and now we're courting a coach who lost the last team he coached while letting a guy who epitomizes Pistons basketball (Rasheed Wallace) leave the team. Oh, almost forgot. We traded Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson because Joe thought he was over the hill. Did anyone watch the NBA Conference Championships?
All of these comments come without me having read one bit of opinion from the news media about our moves. I just think we're squandering a lot of opportunities.
Say it ain't so, Joe.
1. The Pistons drafted Austin Daye from Gonzaga in the first round of the NBA draft. First 6'11" "small forward" I've ever seen.
2. We fired our coach, Michael Curry. Michael lost the team in the latter part of the season, so he probably needed to go.
3. We signed Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva as free agents. Both great signings.
4. Rasheed Wallace is being seriously courted by the Boston Celtics.
5. We're seriously considering Avery Johnson as our next coach.
So, what does all this mean? It's time to admit that, as much as I loved Joe Dumars as a player, he's not a capable GM. After botching the Darko Milicic draft thing, we've had bad decisions about coaching (see Flip Saunders), bad draft decisions (Ty Lawson was a much better pick in this spot, IMO), and now we're courting a coach who lost the last team he coached while letting a guy who epitomizes Pistons basketball (Rasheed Wallace) leave the team. Oh, almost forgot. We traded Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson because Joe thought he was over the hill. Did anyone watch the NBA Conference Championships?
All of these comments come without me having read one bit of opinion from the news media about our moves. I just think we're squandering a lot of opportunities.
Say it ain't so, Joe.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
WSOP: Bust
So, I busted shortly before the dinner brk. Lost most of my chips AQ vs KK. Managed to double up next hand with AQ.
On very next hand, in BB, folded to button. He's been raising a lot, and goes to grab raising chips. I joke with him a bit, and get him to call instead of raise. SB folds, and I knock with T8 of spades. Flop is T73 rainbow. I check, with only 1300 left, and he bets 500. I shove my massive 800 left in, and he calls with KQo. He turns a queen, and I'm done.
On very next hand, in BB, folded to button. He's been raising a lot, and goes to grab raising chips. I joke with him a bit, and get him to call instead of raise. SB folds, and I knock with T8 of spades. Flop is T73 rainbow. I check, with only 1300 left, and he bets 500. I shove my massive 800 left in, and he calls with KQo. He turns a queen, and I'm done.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
WSOP-2nd Break
The last 2 hours saw me switch tables twice. Treading water with 5300 in chips.
First new table was crazy, happy to have moved on. Second new table seems passive, which should be good. 50 tables to break before we move again, so I better learn to like it here.
Have of the 2100 player field is gone. Pays 216.
First new table was crazy, happy to have moved on. Second new table seems passive, which should be good. 50 tables to break before we move again, so I better learn to like it here.
Have of the 2100 player field is gone. Pays 216.
WSOP 1500K Event
So, decided to play the 1500K event today. We started with 4500 in chips. In the first two hours, I was as high as 6700, as low as 2400.
I laid down top pair on the turn, which felt like the right decision at the time. Figured out it wasn't later. Doubled up with aces when a guy tried to bluff me on the flop.
I'm probably playing a few more hands than I should, but not many. And I've put myself in some great situations that just didn't improve.
Gotta figure those should pay off soon.
I laid down top pair on the turn, which felt like the right decision at the time. Figured out it wasn't later. Doubled up with aces when a guy tried to bluff me on the flop.
I'm probably playing a few more hands than I should, but not many. And I've put myself in some great situations that just didn't improve.
Gotta figure those should pay off soon.
Christy Busted
Nothing momentous, about 300 places from the money. Everyone should be very proud of her!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Bellagio Bustville
After playing like a donkey for the better part of 2 hours, I doubled up and was back in the tournament. I got lucky on a squeeze play and ended up just below avg. To this point, I had not been dealt a pair of tens or better.
Got QQ on the button and managed to reraise preflop to win a nice pot. Very next hand, guy raises from mid position, I look down at two red Kings, I reraise pretty hefty, he calls. There's now enough in the pot to make me chip leader, so on a J84 flop, I ship my remaining 12K. He calls pretty quickly with.......JTo. Rivers a Jack.
Somebody please pull the sharp stick out of my eye.
Got QQ on the button and managed to reraise preflop to win a nice pot. Very next hand, guy raises from mid position, I look down at two red Kings, I reraise pretty hefty, he calls. There's now enough in the pot to make me chip leader, so on a J84 flop, I ship my remaining 12K. He calls pretty quickly with.......JTo. Rivers a Jack.
Somebody please pull the sharp stick out of my eye.
Dinner Break
Christy made it to dinner break with 10k. She ended up flopping a set with presto to double up. When she gets back from dinner, they'll play until about 1 am. She feels like she's a little more comfortable, playing more hands.
Update-2nd Break
Christy was up as high as 7100, lost a bunch of chips with JJ vs AQ. Down to 4500. Blinds are 100-200 with a 25 ante. She feels like she's playing okay, especially since she got away from the jacks.
Dinner brk in 2 hrs.
If anyone cares, I'm playing the 1k at Bellagio. Nothing momentous, 50 players.
Dinner brk in 2 hrs.
If anyone cares, I'm playing the 1k at Bellagio. Nothing momentous, 50 players.
At the Break
Christy has 6150. She was down to 4700 at her lowest, and just won a pot to get back to even. Tight table, 1 aggressive player.
90 minutes, out
It was a pretty brutal start. More details to follow, but suffice it to say that when you lose with AA and AK, it probably won't be a long day.
Update on Christy soon.
Update on Christy soon.
Under Way
Cards should be in the air shortly. 1100 players registered now, but they allow late entries for 2 hours.
For those following along with Christy, she's in another part of the room, so updates from her will most likely come every 2 hours, on break.
For those following along with Christy, she's in another part of the room, so updates from her will most likely come every 2 hours, on break.
How I'm Earning Free Travel This Week
This one has been around for a little while. But since I'm getting ready to re-order coins, it seemed like a good time to share.
You can get free miles for spending cash. As the link will explain, the US Mint is shipping out $1 coins without any shipping costs. You can buy them in boxes of $250. What does this mean?
Anything you pay cash for, you can get miles. You charge the coins on a mileage-earning credit card, then pay it off at the end of the month. Spend the coins where you normally spend cash (maybe some pesky merchant who you patronize that doesn't take credit cards).
I mean, if you want to be truly lazy, you can just take the coins to your bank and deposit them, but I think one of the cool parts of this challenge is finding where you use cash now, and maximizing miles.
You can get free miles for spending cash. As the link will explain, the US Mint is shipping out $1 coins without any shipping costs. You can buy them in boxes of $250. What does this mean?
Anything you pay cash for, you can get miles. You charge the coins on a mileage-earning credit card, then pay it off at the end of the month. Spend the coins where you normally spend cash (maybe some pesky merchant who you patronize that doesn't take credit cards).
I mean, if you want to be truly lazy, you can just take the coins to your bank and deposit them, but I think one of the cool parts of this challenge is finding where you use cash now, and maximizing miles.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Follow Me at the World Series of Poker
For those that know me well, you're aware of my goal to play in the main event of The World Series of Poker. I've had a number of excuses over the last few years of why I didn't play (not having a spare $10,000 lying around always seemed to be at the top of the list).
Well, I've had a fairly successful run over the last few years in tournaments, and it's time to take a shot. Starting Monday, I will be playing a couple of WSOP warmup events. Monday is a $2K No-Limit Hold 'Em tournament. I'll follow that up with a $1500 buy-in event in late June, then the main event, which starts on July 3rd.
I intend to update my blog throughout the day from my Blackberry so people can follow along. You can find plenty more information about the World Series of Poker at www.wsop.com. While I doubt my name will be mentioned that frequently during the early updates, you can follow along with live updates of Event #32 on the WSOP site as well.
Time to see how I stack up against the biggest live poker field in the world.
Well, I've had a fairly successful run over the last few years in tournaments, and it's time to take a shot. Starting Monday, I will be playing a couple of WSOP warmup events. Monday is a $2K No-Limit Hold 'Em tournament. I'll follow that up with a $1500 buy-in event in late June, then the main event, which starts on July 3rd.
I intend to update my blog throughout the day from my Blackberry so people can follow along. You can find plenty more information about the World Series of Poker at www.wsop.com. While I doubt my name will be mentioned that frequently during the early updates, you can follow along with live updates of Event #32 on the WSOP site as well.
Time to see how I stack up against the biggest live poker field in the world.
Monday, May 25, 2009
How I'm Earning Free Travel This Week
I'm going to start a new part of my blog. As most of my regular followers know (all 3 of you), I'm a bit obsessive about earning points in various loyalty programs.
American Airlines and Starwood are my two primary programs, with a ton of other programs I accumulate points in for other uses. So, starting this week, I'm going to try to post a tip a week on how I'm earning free travel and other stuff.
Starwood has a great fleet of hotels, and they run a quarterly promo that's usually pretty good. Well, they're recycling one from a year or two ago that was wildly popular.
For every two stays at a Starwood property until the end of July, you'll earn a free weekend night at pretty much every Starwood property in the world, with very few exceptions, and no blackout dates. I'm already up to 3 free nights. Make sure you sign up!
http://www.spgpromos.com/weekends/
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Actual Poker Content
I just got back from a marathon 8-day trip to Las Vegas and Chicago on business. My apologies for slacking on blog entries. I got my first chance to play poker in quite some time, and ended up with an interesting/amusing hand.
I played the nightly tournament at Venetian last week. It was the first live poker I've played in quite some time. I bought in about an hour late, but at the Venetian, as long as you buy in within the first 80 minutes, you get a full stack of chips. So, I started in the 6 seat with 7500 in chips, and blinds of 100-200, with a 25 ante.
I felt like I was reading my table pretty well. I picked up two small pots from a lady in the 8 seat that was pretty timid. I took the lead heads up against another player, making pot-sized bets on the flop and the turn. He called both, and the river brought a potential flush. My read was spot on, in that I checked, he bet, I folded, and he turned up his made flush. While this hand cost me a bunch of chips, I *didn't* pay off the river, and I did give him the wrong price to call.
There was an Asian guy to my left with an average stack. His MO was to raise frequently in limped pots in order to pick up some easy chips. He was very successful at this. I just needed to get the right opportunity, and I could win a bunch of chips off of him.
Not long after I sat down, that opportunity. UTG, I was dealt two queens. I limped, hoping for the standard response of a few limpers, and my Asian friend putting in his big raise. The guy to my left called, as well as the cutoff. Then, a fairly quiet kid wearing headphones who seemed to be an okay (not great) player, raised to 700. My Asian friend thought about it briefly, looking around, before calling the extra 500.
I was pretty sure he was calling because of the odds, figuring someone behind him (like me, who had been playing a lot of pots) would call. There was the chance that he had a monster, but I didn't feel that was likely at all.
I waited about 20 seconds before doing exactly what I had planned, shipping my chips to the middle. I was all-in for another 4800. It was folded around to the SB, who went into the tank for a few minutes.
Since he was in the 4 seat, he couldn't really see me. While he was trying to stare around the Asian guy at me, the Asian guy got up and walked away, as we had just started the break. The dealer admonished him for getting up while still involved in the hand, but it seemed that the kid already knew (like me) there was no way Asian guy was calling.
Asian guy sits back down, making it harder for the kid to see me. Kid cuts the chips out a few times, shuffles them back in his stack. He has about 6000. He finally calls, and I table my two queens. He looks at me and says, "Wow. I definitely misjudged that."
He shows me KQ of spades. I'm a pretty solid favorite.
Then he flops 3 spades. :)
I turn a Q to make things interesting, but don't improve, and IGHN.
I'm really happy with how tuned in I was after not playing for a long time. This should bode well for my first foray at the World Series of Poker this summer.
I played the nightly tournament at Venetian last week. It was the first live poker I've played in quite some time. I bought in about an hour late, but at the Venetian, as long as you buy in within the first 80 minutes, you get a full stack of chips. So, I started in the 6 seat with 7500 in chips, and blinds of 100-200, with a 25 ante.
I felt like I was reading my table pretty well. I picked up two small pots from a lady in the 8 seat that was pretty timid. I took the lead heads up against another player, making pot-sized bets on the flop and the turn. He called both, and the river brought a potential flush. My read was spot on, in that I checked, he bet, I folded, and he turned up his made flush. While this hand cost me a bunch of chips, I *didn't* pay off the river, and I did give him the wrong price to call.
There was an Asian guy to my left with an average stack. His MO was to raise frequently in limped pots in order to pick up some easy chips. He was very successful at this. I just needed to get the right opportunity, and I could win a bunch of chips off of him.
Not long after I sat down, that opportunity. UTG, I was dealt two queens. I limped, hoping for the standard response of a few limpers, and my Asian friend putting in his big raise. The guy to my left called, as well as the cutoff. Then, a fairly quiet kid wearing headphones who seemed to be an okay (not great) player, raised to 700. My Asian friend thought about it briefly, looking around, before calling the extra 500.
I was pretty sure he was calling because of the odds, figuring someone behind him (like me, who had been playing a lot of pots) would call. There was the chance that he had a monster, but I didn't feel that was likely at all.
I waited about 20 seconds before doing exactly what I had planned, shipping my chips to the middle. I was all-in for another 4800. It was folded around to the SB, who went into the tank for a few minutes.
Since he was in the 4 seat, he couldn't really see me. While he was trying to stare around the Asian guy at me, the Asian guy got up and walked away, as we had just started the break. The dealer admonished him for getting up while still involved in the hand, but it seemed that the kid already knew (like me) there was no way Asian guy was calling.
Asian guy sits back down, making it harder for the kid to see me. Kid cuts the chips out a few times, shuffles them back in his stack. He has about 6000. He finally calls, and I table my two queens. He looks at me and says, "Wow. I definitely misjudged that."
He shows me KQ of spades. I'm a pretty solid favorite.
Then he flops 3 spades. :)
I turn a Q to make things interesting, but don't improve, and IGHN.
I'm really happy with how tuned in I was after not playing for a long time. This should bode well for my first foray at the World Series of Poker this summer.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Mile High Club
Found a story on this in one of the fora I moderate on FlyerTalk:
http://milehighatlanta.com/
I think it's truly special that they let you keep the sheet.
http://milehighatlanta.com/
I think it's truly special that they let you keep the sheet.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
ER
Not sure how many people are still watching ER. My wife and I are behind on all of our TV watching, and on the way back from Italy, we finally got to watch the finale thanks to iTunes.
My wife and I both used to really enjoy ER, and agreed that the last few seasons weren't quite as good as it used to be. But, since we can both remember watching the first episode many years ago, we stuck with it.
About halfway through the season, we realized this year was a much better year. With a re-introduction to some older characters, and a compelling storyline, the people behind ER made us believers once again.
Without giving anything away, in case there's someone else months behind in television watching, I especially liked the finale. If you had told me at the beginning of the season this is how it would end, I'm sure I would have been disappointed. But, they really did wrap it up just about right, in my opinion. A good end to a great show that makes me feel both satisfied, and just a bit sad that these characters don't have any more stories to tell.
It also shows, to me, how powerful Noah Wylie's character, John Carter was, and how good a job he did portraying him. What was a bit part many years ago developed into the protagonist, and it really was great to have him back, if only for a brief time.
My wife and I both used to really enjoy ER, and agreed that the last few seasons weren't quite as good as it used to be. But, since we can both remember watching the first episode many years ago, we stuck with it.
About halfway through the season, we realized this year was a much better year. With a re-introduction to some older characters, and a compelling storyline, the people behind ER made us believers once again.
Without giving anything away, in case there's someone else months behind in television watching, I especially liked the finale. If you had told me at the beginning of the season this is how it would end, I'm sure I would have been disappointed. But, they really did wrap it up just about right, in my opinion. A good end to a great show that makes me feel both satisfied, and just a bit sad that these characters don't have any more stories to tell.
It also shows, to me, how powerful Noah Wylie's character, John Carter was, and how good a job he did portraying him. What was a bit part many years ago developed into the protagonist, and it really was great to have him back, if only for a brief time.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Italy-Leaving
While I've got plenty more pictures to post upon our return, we're headed to the airport shortly.
As we leave Rome for the second time, I wish we could stay longer.
Both times we've been to Rome, we've come away feeling like we were in a big, not-so-clean city, with old, interesting architecture in the oddest places.
Maybe the sadness of leaving is because we know that Rome is a gateway to so many places we treasure, even those we haven't seen yet.
But maybe, just maybe, Rome has grown on us. A city that was the capitol of the world for so long, and now just the capitol of Italy. And yet, in different corners of the city, it has a magnetic pull.
Whether it's Piazza Navona at night, or the sheer might of St. Peter's. Or Cul de Sac, our favorite restaurant here.
As is said in Rome, you throw a coin in the Trevi fountain with your loved one, in the hopes that you will both return. We threw coins four years ago, and have made our way back.
I leave Italy with a slightly clearer picture of our family, those that emigrated over 100 years ago to America in search of a better life. When we started this journey, I couldn't imagine them giving up the joys of this country for a new one. And yet, they found a better life, bringing with them a heritage they were initially ashamed to embrace, but came to be proud of. I sense their pride as I walk the streets here, and can't wait to return again.
As we leave Rome for the second time, I wish we could stay longer.
Both times we've been to Rome, we've come away feeling like we were in a big, not-so-clean city, with old, interesting architecture in the oddest places.
Maybe the sadness of leaving is because we know that Rome is a gateway to so many places we treasure, even those we haven't seen yet.
But maybe, just maybe, Rome has grown on us. A city that was the capitol of the world for so long, and now just the capitol of Italy. And yet, in different corners of the city, it has a magnetic pull.
Whether it's Piazza Navona at night, or the sheer might of St. Peter's. Or Cul de Sac, our favorite restaurant here.
As is said in Rome, you throw a coin in the Trevi fountain with your loved one, in the hopes that you will both return. We threw coins four years ago, and have made our way back.
I leave Italy with a slightly clearer picture of our family, those that emigrated over 100 years ago to America in search of a better life. When we started this journey, I couldn't imagine them giving up the joys of this country for a new one. And yet, they found a better life, bringing with them a heritage they were initially ashamed to embrace, but came to be proud of. I sense their pride as I walk the streets here, and can't wait to return again.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Italy-Day 5 (Pompeii and Naples)
We drove late at night and ended up in the little town of Castrovilla, near the top of the Calabrian region. We woke up the next morning late, as Catherine stayed up partying until almost 5am.
We set off for Pompeii, arriving around 4:30. We spent about two hours inside exploring. As a general comment, it wasn't what I was expecting. There were no real descriptions inside of what we were looking at. The excavation is in various stages of completion everywhere, and the town is huge. While we did get audio guides, they were less than helpful, since a lot of the buildings the guides walked us through were closed off for whatever reason. As we were leaving, we did find a couple areas that were much more interesting.
First, we walked through a restored bath area. Interestingly, the skylight in the baths was in the perfect shape of a keyhole. Then, we walked past an area where there were recovered items from Pompeii being stored. Lots of sculpture, pots, and also a few plaster casts. According to the audio guide, the man in charge of the dig back in the mid-1800s was alerted by some of the workers that they had found bones at the bottom of a hole they uncovered. He stopped the work and mixed plaster of paris with water, filling the hole with the mixture. They carefully dug out the hardened plaster, and had unearthed the shapes of people who had died in the massive eruption. The plaster casts are eerily detailed, down to facial expressions.
Here's some pictures detailing Pompeii and Naples.
First, the cutest picture of my daughter:
The theater at Pompeii (royalty sat in the marble seats nearest the stage):
Plaster casts of people suffering through the eruption:
The view from our suite at The Excelsior Naples:
We set off for Pompeii, arriving around 4:30. We spent about two hours inside exploring. As a general comment, it wasn't what I was expecting. There were no real descriptions inside of what we were looking at. The excavation is in various stages of completion everywhere, and the town is huge. While we did get audio guides, they were less than helpful, since a lot of the buildings the guides walked us through were closed off for whatever reason. As we were leaving, we did find a couple areas that were much more interesting.
First, we walked through a restored bath area. Interestingly, the skylight in the baths was in the perfect shape of a keyhole. Then, we walked past an area where there were recovered items from Pompeii being stored. Lots of sculpture, pots, and also a few plaster casts. According to the audio guide, the man in charge of the dig back in the mid-1800s was alerted by some of the workers that they had found bones at the bottom of a hole they uncovered. He stopped the work and mixed plaster of paris with water, filling the hole with the mixture. They carefully dug out the hardened plaster, and had unearthed the shapes of people who had died in the massive eruption. The plaster casts are eerily detailed, down to facial expressions.
Here's some pictures detailing Pompeii and Naples.
First, the cutest picture of my daughter:
The theater at Pompeii (royalty sat in the marble seats nearest the stage):
Plaster casts of people suffering through the eruption:
The view from our suite at The Excelsior Naples:
Friday, April 10, 2009
Italy-Day 6
I still owe everyone an update on Day 5, but we had a really weird occurrence today. Driving through the town of Amalfi, there was a religious celebration going on, assumedly for Good Friday.
About 100 small boys were proceeding from the church in an orderly fashion dressed in traditional white church robes. On the other side of the road were another 100 or so boys and men already in the procession. Only thing was, all the ones on the other side of the road were wearing white hoods with the eyes cut out, a la the Ku Klux Klan.
I'm fairly certain it doesn't mean the same thing here, but it was a pretty disturbing site.
About 100 small boys were proceeding from the church in an orderly fashion dressed in traditional white church robes. On the other side of the road were another 100 or so boys and men already in the procession. Only thing was, all the ones on the other side of the road were wearing white hoods with the eyes cut out, a la the Ku Klux Klan.
I'm fairly certain it doesn't mean the same thing here, but it was a pretty disturbing site.
Italy-Day 3, 4, and 5
Due to some horrible internet connections (and a total lack of internet connection at one hotel), I haven't been able to post in a few days. Here's a quick update:
Day 3: We flew to Catania, which is located in the Southwestern part of Sicily. We stayed at the Sheraton Catania, and had an enjoyable dinner downtown. While downtown Catania was nice, the rest of it wasn't. So, instead of staying two days in Catania, we chose to depart for Taormina in the morning, with the plan of staying in Messina the following night.
Day 4: We woke up super late after Catherine wouldn't go to sleep. We were on the road to Taormina, arriving shortly after 2. Taormina is absolutely breathtaking. It sits high up on a hill overlooking the Ionian sea. A long ride up the side of the mountain yielded a parking garage followed by a traffic circle. Since nothing was well marked, we weren't sure which direction to head from the traffic circle, and the navigation system was no help. We drove around a bunch of narrow roads, making two laps around what we figured out was Taormina. We finally found a parking spot and set out to walk the town. After some brief shopping, we ate at a recommended restaurant called Vecchia Taormina. We ate outside on the terrace, enjoying pizza, shrimp, lasagna, and a wonderful bottle of wine.
After lunch, we walked to one of the main squares in Taormina. As we looked over the stone wall to the sea below, what did we see? The parking garage we passed before circing Taormina for an hour looking for a parking spot! The city was right under our nose, and we had no idea. We had a chuckle over that, and headed back to town for more shopping.
We left Taormina as it was getting dark, heading to Messina, which was about a 30 minute drive. When we got there, we found the city to be much more industrial than we had expected, especially after our experience in Taormina. Since we had a pretty full agenda to accomplish in Naples and a long drive to get there, we decided to hop on the ferry to the mainland and get started early on our way to Naples.
Still to come is our visit to Pompeii yesterday and our arrival in Naples. Some pictures of the last few days:
The duomo at night in Catania:
Michelle and Catherine overlooking the sea in Taormina:
A good picture of the roads and sea below in Taormina:
Historic Taormina (shopping for Michelle and Barrie!):
Michelle wanted to stop for tea at a cafe, and we ended up having the best granita I've ever tasted. Now, it went so quick, there was no time to snap a picture. But on our way out the door, we saw them receiving a deliver of fresh oranges. Can't get fresher orange granita than that!
Day 3: We flew to Catania, which is located in the Southwestern part of Sicily. We stayed at the Sheraton Catania, and had an enjoyable dinner downtown. While downtown Catania was nice, the rest of it wasn't. So, instead of staying two days in Catania, we chose to depart for Taormina in the morning, with the plan of staying in Messina the following night.
Day 4: We woke up super late after Catherine wouldn't go to sleep. We were on the road to Taormina, arriving shortly after 2. Taormina is absolutely breathtaking. It sits high up on a hill overlooking the Ionian sea. A long ride up the side of the mountain yielded a parking garage followed by a traffic circle. Since nothing was well marked, we weren't sure which direction to head from the traffic circle, and the navigation system was no help. We drove around a bunch of narrow roads, making two laps around what we figured out was Taormina. We finally found a parking spot and set out to walk the town. After some brief shopping, we ate at a recommended restaurant called Vecchia Taormina. We ate outside on the terrace, enjoying pizza, shrimp, lasagna, and a wonderful bottle of wine.
After lunch, we walked to one of the main squares in Taormina. As we looked over the stone wall to the sea below, what did we see? The parking garage we passed before circing Taormina for an hour looking for a parking spot! The city was right under our nose, and we had no idea. We had a chuckle over that, and headed back to town for more shopping.
We left Taormina as it was getting dark, heading to Messina, which was about a 30 minute drive. When we got there, we found the city to be much more industrial than we had expected, especially after our experience in Taormina. Since we had a pretty full agenda to accomplish in Naples and a long drive to get there, we decided to hop on the ferry to the mainland and get started early on our way to Naples.
Still to come is our visit to Pompeii yesterday and our arrival in Naples. Some pictures of the last few days:
The duomo at night in Catania:
Michelle and Catherine overlooking the sea in Taormina:
A good picture of the roads and sea below in Taormina:
Historic Taormina (shopping for Michelle and Barrie!):
Michelle wanted to stop for tea at a cafe, and we ended up having the best granita I've ever tasted. Now, it went so quick, there was no time to snap a picture. But on our way out the door, we saw them receiving a deliver of fresh oranges. Can't get fresher orange granita than that!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Italy-Day 2
Day 2 saw us starting out at the Vatican and ending back up at the hotel. We spent most of the day wandering the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. This is our second time at the Vatican, and while some things look the same, it was still a pretty awe-inspiring experience.
The earthquake was felt here in Rome, but there was no damage. Lots of destruction to the East of us thought.
Pictures from Day 2:
A sneak peek of the Sistine Chapel.
The ceiling in the gallery of maps.
The view from the top of St. Peter's Basilica.
A convenient ray of sun shining down on the altar at St. Peter's.
The foot of St. Peter's. It's significance is that this bronze statue's foot has been touched by so many people (thought to bring good will to those who prayed here), that the entire foot has been rubbed smooth with no detail left.
The earthquake was felt here in Rome, but there was no damage. Lots of destruction to the East of us thought.
Pictures from Day 2:
A sneak peek of the Sistine Chapel.
The ceiling in the gallery of maps.
The view from the top of St. Peter's Basilica.
A convenient ray of sun shining down on the altar at St. Peter's.
The foot of St. Peter's. It's significance is that this bronze statue's foot has been touched by so many people (thought to bring good will to those who prayed here), that the entire foot has been rubbed smooth with no detail left.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Italy-Day 1!
We arrived in Rome early Sunday for the start of a family trip. We're headed out to the Vatican now, but here's a couple of quick pics from our first day here. Click on the pictures to see bigger versions.
First, the Spanish Steps:
A gelato cone bigger than Catherine!
The Trevi Fountain (to me, one of the most beautiful things in Rome)
A truly elegant, old-fashioned elevator at the St. Regis
The service at the St. Regis is great. When they brought the rollaway bed for Catherine, they made sure to tuck her dolls in so they would be comfortable.
First, the Spanish Steps:
A gelato cone bigger than Catherine!
The Trevi Fountain (to me, one of the most beautiful things in Rome)
A truly elegant, old-fashioned elevator at the St. Regis
The service at the St. Regis is great. When they brought the rollaway bed for Catherine, they made sure to tuck her dolls in so they would be comfortable.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Virgin America Review
I had the opportunity to fly first class on Virgin America for the first time on Monday. I had to get SFO early in the day, so that was the best choice vs. United (who blow chunks). It cost a bit more to sit in First Class, but I wanted to catch some sleep, so.....
I was sitting in the second row of the first class cabin (only two rows), and I slid my bag underneath the seat in front of me. That's when the punk flight attendant in first class told me I couldn't store a bag under my seat (company policy). Stupid rule, but whatever.
The seat was better than a standard domestic business class seat, not as good as an international seat. Didn't lay flat, but went back quite a bit, with a foot rest as well.
I fell asleep pretty quickly, and woke up about halfway through the flight. I powered up my laptop to find.....the plane had wifi!!! This was my first time experiencing wifi on a plane. It's amazing how much more work I can get done on a plane with an internet connection.
They served me some horrific breakfast sandwich, which might have been horrific because it had been sitting around for a while. It was a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a croissant. The croissant was like rubber, the sandwich had spinach and some kind of tomato-based sauce on it. I'm all for fine dining, but do you really need to mess with the simple perfection of a breakfast sandwich?
All in all, not a bad experience. The mood lighting and music were horrible. The in-flight entertainment system was pretty good, although I didn't have time to watch a movie on it while working. I did find a few new songs from Fall Out Boy that I liked, which I downloaded on my laptop from iTunes.
Would I do it again? Sure. Would I pay more than $200 for the first class experience cross country? I don't think so. I guess if I desperately needed sleep, sure. But other than the seat, there appears to be no other difference between first and coach.
Other than the fact that I could actually store my bag under my seat in coach. ;)
I was sitting in the second row of the first class cabin (only two rows), and I slid my bag underneath the seat in front of me. That's when the punk flight attendant in first class told me I couldn't store a bag under my seat (company policy). Stupid rule, but whatever.
The seat was better than a standard domestic business class seat, not as good as an international seat. Didn't lay flat, but went back quite a bit, with a foot rest as well.
I fell asleep pretty quickly, and woke up about halfway through the flight. I powered up my laptop to find.....the plane had wifi!!! This was my first time experiencing wifi on a plane. It's amazing how much more work I can get done on a plane with an internet connection.
They served me some horrific breakfast sandwich, which might have been horrific because it had been sitting around for a while. It was a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a croissant. The croissant was like rubber, the sandwich had spinach and some kind of tomato-based sauce on it. I'm all for fine dining, but do you really need to mess with the simple perfection of a breakfast sandwich?
All in all, not a bad experience. The mood lighting and music were horrible. The in-flight entertainment system was pretty good, although I didn't have time to watch a movie on it while working. I did find a few new songs from Fall Out Boy that I liked, which I downloaded on my laptop from iTunes.
Would I do it again? Sure. Would I pay more than $200 for the first class experience cross country? I don't think so. I guess if I desperately needed sleep, sure. But other than the seat, there appears to be no other difference between first and coach.
Other than the fact that I could actually store my bag under my seat in coach. ;)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Seth Curry Coming To Duke
It's been a busy couple of weeks, so I haven't had much time to post. But tonight, there's potentially great news for Duke.
Seth Curry, brother of star Stephen and son of superstar Dell, will be attending Duke university next year.
With our untimely exit from this year's NCAA tournament, good news like this is always welcome. Seth led all freshmen in scoring this year. He'll have to sit out a year, but we'll have him for the 2010-11 season.
Seth Curry, brother of star Stephen and son of superstar Dell, will be attending Duke university next year.
With our untimely exit from this year's NCAA tournament, good news like this is always welcome. Seth led all freshmen in scoring this year. He'll have to sit out a year, but we'll have him for the 2010-11 season.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Champs!!!
What a great day yesterday!! Duke had a healthy lead most of the game in what was never much of a contest. Getting to watch the celebration afterward was great. I only wish we had a bit more time to spend watching it before heading to the airport. Watching an entire ACC tournament was definitely on my list of things to do before I die. To have Duke come out victorious makes it all the more special.
What was even more enjoyable was watching David transform into a boisterous Duke fan for 4 days, rooting our team on to victory. It was definitely a lot more fun with the two of us cheering them on to victory!
Late in the game, Jon Scheyer knocking down free throws
And the winner is.....
The crowd stands and applauds the team.
Gerald Henderson, cutting down the nets.
Mike Krzyzewski, cutting down the nets with his two boys.
What was even more enjoyable was watching David transform into a boisterous Duke fan for 4 days, rooting our team on to victory. It was definitely a lot more fun with the two of us cheering them on to victory!
Late in the game, Jon Scheyer knocking down free throws
And the winner is.....
The crowd stands and applauds the team.
Gerald Henderson, cutting down the nets.
Mike Krzyzewski, cutting down the nets with his two boys.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
ACC Semifinals
Forgot to post last night! UNC *LOST* in the first semifinal. I was surprised at how many UNC fans actually stuck around for our game. I guess they really do hate Duke enough to want to see us lose.
Anyway, the first half was tight against Maryland. Then, we came out and played our game in the second half. Enjoying a comfortable lead through most of the second half, we made it a bit tighter than we needed to, but now we're in the ACC championship!
Duke plays Florida State at 1:00pm EST today. We beat them twice this year. One game wasn't close. The other one, on our home floor, was very close near the end of the season. Their star player, Toney Douglas, was very hot against UNC. Let's go Duke!
Here's some pics from yesterday's session:
Two of our stars, Greg Paulus and Jon Scheyer
Gerald Henderson, our most dynamic player:
Go Duke!!!
Anyway, the first half was tight against Maryland. Then, we came out and played our game in the second half. Enjoying a comfortable lead through most of the second half, we made it a bit tighter than we needed to, but now we're in the ACC championship!
Duke plays Florida State at 1:00pm EST today. We beat them twice this year. One game wasn't close. The other one, on our home floor, was very close near the end of the season. Their star player, Toney Douglas, was very hot against UNC. Let's go Duke!
Here's some pics from yesterday's session:
Two of our stars, Greg Paulus and Jon Scheyer
Gerald Henderson, our most dynamic player:
Go Duke!!!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
ACC Quarterfinals-Night Session
After watching Maryland beat Wake, Duke took the floor to play Boston College. Gerald Henderson, one of our stars, picked up two fouls in less than a minute. We played pretty bad offensively in the first half, kept only alive by good defense.
Down 7 coming out of halftime, we fought and quickly took the lead. We lead the entire second half until the very end, when we were down one. Gerald Henderson hit a huge bucket with 35 seconds to go. Then, we played great defense, and BC was forced to foul, putting one of our best free throw shooters, Jon Scheyer, on the line for a one-and-one, with Duke up by 1. He missed the first one, and BC had the rebound.
They had 3 more attempts at the basked over a frenetic 17 seconds that involved multiple timeouts. In the end, Duke held on when BC missed a last second shot. Whew!
We play Maryland tomorrow, who we should beat handily. I was a lot more worried about BC and their size. Maryland is a much smaller team with only one really good player (Grevis Vasquez). Some fun pictures from tonight:
Down 7 coming out of halftime, we fought and quickly took the lead. We lead the entire second half until the very end, when we were down one. Gerald Henderson hit a huge bucket with 35 seconds to go. Then, we played great defense, and BC was forced to foul, putting one of our best free throw shooters, Jon Scheyer, on the line for a one-and-one, with Duke up by 1. He missed the first one, and BC had the rebound.
They had 3 more attempts at the basked over a frenetic 17 seconds that involved multiple timeouts. In the end, Duke held on when BC missed a last second shot. Whew!
We play Maryland tomorrow, who we should beat handily. I was a lot more worried about BC and their size. Maryland is a much smaller team with only one really good player (Grevis Vasquez). Some fun pictures from tonight:
Friday, March 13, 2009
ACC Quarterfinals
Ended up staying up late to watch all 6 OTs of the Syracuse v UConn game. Awesome.
Earlier today, UNC got a big scare from VA Tech before eeking out a victory. Florida State did the same thing against Georgia Tech.
In the night session, our appetizer is MD vs. Wake Forest. Then, at approx. 930 EST, I get to see the Blue Devils for the first time in the tournament, with what we hope is a convincing win over Boston College.
Earlier today, UNC got a big scare from VA Tech before eeking out a victory. Florida State did the same thing against Georgia Tech.
In the night session, our appetizer is MD vs. Wake Forest. Then, at approx. 930 EST, I get to see the Blue Devils for the first time in the tournament, with what we hope is a convincing win over Boston College.
ACC Tournament-End of Day One
We watched Maryland pull away from NC State, and then the first half of a thoroughly uninspiring game that pitted Boston College against Virginia. Boston College won, so the Dukies know who we play tomorrow night. A pic of David and I, followed by a pic from the upper deck.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
ACC Tournament-Night Session
So, Georgia Tech pulled it out against Clemson. Lot of fun to watch.
After a break, we're back for the night time games. Game 3 pits Maryland against NC State. Maryland is supposed to be the better team. Both teams are playing sloppy, tied at the half.
----- Original Message -----
From: Edward Pizzarello
To: ed264.pizza@blogger.com <ed264.pizza@blogger.com>
Sent: Thu Mar 12 15:14:59 2009
Subject: ACC Tournament-Georgia Tech
1 minute left, and Clemson comes alive to close it to 4. Because we're in Georgia, there are obviously a lot of GA Tech fans here. Every time they score, the crowd roars.
----- Original Message -----
From: Edward Pizzarello
To: ed264.pizza@blogger.com <ed264.pizza@blogger.com>
Sent: Thu Mar 12 15:01:16 2009
Subject: ACC Tournament-Georgia Tech
With 6 minutes left, GA Tech is beating Clemson handily. They're up 8 in a game that doesn't feel that close. Paul Hewitt is a good coach, and he's showing it now motivating a bad team to whip Clemson.
----- Original Message -----
From: Edward Pizzarello
To: ed264.pizza@blogger.com <ed264.pizza@blogger.com>
Sent: Thu Mar 12 14:24:24 2009
Subject: ACC Tournament Update
Game 1 was won by VA Tech in convincing fashion. Miami never showed up for the game.
Now, Georgia Tech is playing Clemson. Georgia Tech managed 2 wins the entire ACC season, and are the worst team in the tournament. At the half, they are tied with Clemson in a shoot-out, and frankly, they're outplaying Clemson.
----- Original Message -----
From: Edward Pizzarello
To: ed264.pizza@blogger.com <ed264.pizza@blogger.com>
Sent: Thu Mar 12 12:25:02 2009
Subject: At the ACC Tournament
My best friend, David, and I arrived in ATL last night for the ACC tournament. Due to an odd seating configuration in the Georgia Dome, we had no idea how good our seats were.
Well, we're sitting here watching Virginia Tech play Miami, and we're behind the basket, 6 rows from the floor. Awesome seats!
I can't wait for Duke to play tomorrow night. I'm posting to the blog via e-mail from my Blackberry for the first time, so I have no idea how it looks.
More updates to follow!
After a break, we're back for the night time games. Game 3 pits Maryland against NC State. Maryland is supposed to be the better team. Both teams are playing sloppy, tied at the half.
----- Original Message -----
From: Edward Pizzarello
To: ed264.pizza@blogger.com <ed264.pizza@blogger.com>
Sent: Thu Mar 12 15:14:59 2009
Subject: ACC Tournament-Georgia Tech
1 minute left, and Clemson comes alive to close it to 4. Because we're in Georgia, there are obviously a lot of GA Tech fans here. Every time they score, the crowd roars.
----- Original Message -----
From: Edward Pizzarello
To: ed264.pizza@blogger.com <ed264.pizza@blogger.com>
Sent: Thu Mar 12 15:01:16 2009
Subject: ACC Tournament-Georgia Tech
With 6 minutes left, GA Tech is beating Clemson handily. They're up 8 in a game that doesn't feel that close. Paul Hewitt is a good coach, and he's showing it now motivating a bad team to whip Clemson.
----- Original Message -----
From: Edward Pizzarello
To: ed264.pizza@blogger.com <ed264.pizza@blogger.com>
Sent: Thu Mar 12 14:24:24 2009
Subject: ACC Tournament Update
Game 1 was won by VA Tech in convincing fashion. Miami never showed up for the game.
Now, Georgia Tech is playing Clemson. Georgia Tech managed 2 wins the entire ACC season, and are the worst team in the tournament. At the half, they are tied with Clemson in a shoot-out, and frankly, they're outplaying Clemson.
----- Original Message -----
From: Edward Pizzarello
To: ed264.pizza@blogger.com <ed264.pizza@blogger.com>
Sent: Thu Mar 12 12:25:02 2009
Subject: At the ACC Tournament
My best friend, David, and I arrived in ATL last night for the ACC tournament. Due to an odd seating configuration in the Georgia Dome, we had no idea how good our seats were.
Well, we're sitting here watching Virginia Tech play Miami, and we're behind the basket, 6 rows from the floor. Awesome seats!
I can't wait for Duke to play tomorrow night. I'm posting to the blog via e-mail from my Blackberry for the first time, so I have no idea how it looks.
More updates to follow!
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