NYC, The Good, the Bad, and the Smelly Cat, One Person's View of the Big Apple

Just met some friends in the Big Apple. The real reason for the trip was to see Jane Fonda's play 33 Variations, see previous post at http://sonasez.blogspot.com while celebrating my birth month. However, we wanted to catch some other cultural activities while we were there.

We stayed at the Le Parker Meridien, an upscale W Hotel without all of the uppity attitude. It was a perfect location, between Times Square and Central Park and close to 5th Avenue Shopping. We loved the hotel. It had everything: the Burger Joint, (one of the best burgers/fries/and draft in a diner style with unpretentious booths); Knave, a European Espresso/Bar that truly makes the best Cafe Americano in NYC; Gravity Fitness center (not really needed with Central Park next door); and large rooms. The smallest rooms are over 300 square feet, nothing to joke about in NYC. When the city's typical boutique hotels rooms are just shy of 100 square feet, we felt like we were at home in the spacious rooms. Since it was my birthday, they upgraded my room, never heard of that one, but really liked it. We entered the room to find a bottle of Champagne, fruit basket, flowers and a massage gift card, chocolate dipped strawberries, all from friends and family wanting me to celebrate well while in the Big Apple. All was great until we left the hotel. The NYC cab drivers get a bad rap for a reason. My stomach churns every time I get into one. I am not used to their driving. We were so excited to get tickets to the Martha Stewart show. The best thing about it was her audience warm up guy. Martha comes out, looks straight into the camera and gets down to brass tacks. She did not get her reputation from making subtle niceties with her guests. I don't think she looked at one person in the audience and certainly never interacted with them. Her guest on our visit was Ray Liotta, (Corrina, Corrina, Good Fellas). He even commented on how on edge Martha was. She rarely cracks a smile. Definitely not a visit I would repeat.

We went to Balthazar for some great European Pastries, and the almond and chocolate croissants are some of the best in the city. I had lunch there once at the invitation of chef Alice Waters and it was one of the best lunches of my entire adult life. What you realize when you visit a place like NYC is that there are so many great things but just like everything good, there is always a price to pay. The city has some serious smelly cats. At almost every turn, you smell a foul odor, I never have this experience in the ATL. When out and about in Manhattan, from Madison Avenue, to Harlem to Soho, or Central Park, there are always plentiful odors emanating: from the sewer vents, to the garbage, to the urine smells to doggie and horse poop all over Central Park. I guess the sheer number of people makes it a logistical nightmare to keep the city free from vile odors.

Despite the ever-persistent smelly cat, we had some very tasty food while in the city. The Modern at MOMA is one of the best deals for Foodies in NYC. They have a great wine list, a beautiful restaurant and bar, and exceptionally good tapas size dishes for a good price. The duck breast with pistachio truffle oil, the fish of the day, and the tarte flambee are all winners. The service was exceptional also. Our next highlight was sitting in the Orchestra Box at the American Airlines Theatre. After all of the Lincoln at the Ford Theatre jokes, all of my friends thanked me for the great seats. If only the play had been worthy. We saw Hedda Gabler. We thought it had to be good with one of our favorite Showtime actors, Mary Louise Parker (Weeds, Fried Green Tomatoes). We should have known from Ibsen's first run of the play in 1891 opening to negative reviews, that it wasn't going to be any better this time around. We never could figure out the point of the play. It was supposed to be the story of a free spirited 19th Century Woman who gets what she wants. In the end, she talks her previous lover into killing himself to find out that he was killed by someone else in a drunken state at a brothel using the gun she gave him to kill himself. When an evil judge decides to have his way with her because he knows who's gun it is, she decides to shoot herself in the temple. It seemed like a story about an unhappy housewife that was bored with life. This play should have never been on Broadway, maybe not even off, off Broadway. If you ever have the chance to see it, don't... It is definitely not worth it even in the Orchestra Box and with Mary Louise Parker as Hedda Gabler.

We also shopped all up and down Madison and 5th Avenues. We couldn't get into the Cartier store because we were 3 minutes before opening time. I thought we were in a recession but clearly, Cartier does not need the business. We also were met with great skepticism at Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, David Yurman and all of the other supposedly fine stores in NYC. The only place where we were welcomed was Thomas Pink's Shirt store. The retail sales people in NYC should all be sent to the ATL for a lesson or two in courteous retail training. You would never experience the utter rudeness at Phipps or Lenox that we experienced in the Big Apple. We left Madison Avenue to check out Harlem. We kept hoping to run into President Bill Clinton, but no such luck. We only ran into more rudeness and chocolate salesmen. About the best thing about our trip to Harlem, was our trip back out of there. We tried to experience all the Big Apple has to offer in 3 days and I think we got around to some of the highlights. Would love to hear about your last trip there.....

The Big Apple and 33 Variations

Organized about 20 friends for a trip to NYC to see Jane Fonda's play 33 Variations. Fonda plays a modern day musicoligist Katherine Brandt in search of reasons for Beethoven's obsession with "Diabelli's Waltz", a supposed mediocre composition that fascinated Beethoven. He created 33 variations over a three year span out of something everyone else thought was an unimaginative, repetitive bore. I loved the way the play paralleled the lives of Beethoven's fixation on Diabelli's Waltz, while suffering from his deafness and Brandt's fixation on Beethoven's obsession with Diabelli's Waltz as she struggled with her illness, ALS. The duality on stage was very powerful! While people thought Beethoven was mocking Diabelli's Waltz, he was actually admiring it, thus the reason for so many variations over such a long period of his life. Brandt's examination of Beethoven's work and her struggle with her own illness, helped her to realize that the true beauty of life can come out of the seemingly mundane.

Jane was absolutely brilliant as she is in everything she does. I have never really seen Jane in her professional element, acting other than a few of her films, On Golden Pond, Monster-in-Law, and Georgia Rule. I had the great fortune of working for her public charity for a couple of years and was always excited by her passion to a cause she believed in, her dedication to educating others on the cause and her brilliant, moving speeches! Every time I heard her speak, I would become even more committed to the cause. After seeing her in this play, I realized for the first time, she must continue sharing her craft with the world. Her work on stage touches so many people. I saw many people with tears, and everyone was talking about her incredible performance. One person I ran into, was there for the fourth time because he was so moved by it. Jane belongs on stage where the masses can enjoy her talent. I feel so blessed that I was lucky enough to cross her path during my lifetime and hers. It made me want to get a year subscription to Netflix just for Fonda on film. If you haven't seen 33 Variations, you need to. If you have, would love to know your thoughts on the play...

"Free at Last, Free at Last"

With Bush moving out of the White House, Obama moving into the White House, and me leaving a job that took more than it gave back, I can't help but think about MLK's words, "Free at Last, Free at Last." I am sure for many people these words have many different meanings. Forty six years ago, when MLK, Jr made his historic "I have a Dream" speech, I was just a year old. Even though, I don't remember that historic moment on the Mall in Washington, I can only imagine what it meant for so many slaves that were served such an injustice in the supposed land of the free and the home of the brave.

MLK, Jr also spoke of "the lonely island of poverty that the Negro lives on despite the vast ocean of material prosperity." If he had only known about the years to come under the two Bush's, and Clinton, with NAFTA, all of the debt from the wars, the financial and business corruption, and Madoff's fraud on Jews, he would have been careful what he wished for. While it is very exciting to see Bush exit with his head tucked between his tail and for Obama to become the first black commander-in-chief. It is also bittersweet. For many, there has never been a time in the past 50 years more uncertain, more chaotic, and more bleak. It is unbelievable to me that we still live in a world with those in power positions try to break us with disparaging racial slurs. In trying to take their rightful place, they end up being guilty of wrongful deeds, because they are still drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred that MLK, Jr warned against. It is my hope that on this day February, 5, 2009, that we can move on as individuals and as a nation. Now, is the time that we should seek to be judged by the content of our character rather than by the color of our skin. Yes, then, and only then, will we be "free at last, free at last."

Happy Birthday Ted

Just began reading Media Mogul and Philanthropist, Ted Turner's Book, Call Me Ted. I had the good fortune of working for Ted Turner under the Turner Broadcasting System, Inc, brand before the AOL/Time Warner Merger. I was laid off the day after the merger.

Prior to the merger, it was so exciting going to work everyday! Ted was such a visionary! Ted had a way of making every single employee feel like they were part of something bigger. Our company was always making money while also giving away millions of dollars to charity. It was such a great place to work. Ted has been quoted as saying "that if he had not been lied to by Gerald Levin and AOL/Steve Case had not "cooked the books", he would still be there." Ted also said that if you were one of the ones that had been laid off, not to be too sad. He was Time Magazine Man of the Year twice and made the company millions of dollars. He was still laid off also. Ted tells the story that when Gerald Levin told him that he was going to pay him a million dollars a year for the rest of his two year contract. Ted didn't have to do anything as he would be Chairman of nothing. Ted told him he would not take money for doing nothing while people making $40K a year were being laid off. You don't hear Chairman and CEO's of big corporations in America saying that. Think Enron or more recently, financial companies, Detroit automakers, and AIG. There are not many men like Ted Turner that would turn down millions of dollars for doing nothing. He truly is one-of-a-kind.

The thing besides Ted's brilliance and generosity that makes him such an interesting person, is that he always says exactly what's on his mind. You are never perplexed or wonder where he stands. We need more people like Ted who will say what they mean and mean what they say.

As Ted Turns 70 this week, he could take his billions, buy a yacht , sail around the world, with a full staff. Instead, he still gives his time, talent and treasury to those with less. He has inspired so many people. He is the reason why Warren Buffet and Bill Gates finally invested their billions in foundations that do good for others. Ted likes to say that he was cable before cable was cool. While watching the news this week or your favorite cable show, think of Ted, and send him good wishes as he turns 70. I know I will raise my glass to him and thank God that I had the chance to cross his path during my lifetime. Happy Birthday Ted! Hope to see you over the next 70.

Ne-Yo Year Of The Gentleman Widget

Gasoline Shortages in the ATL

Last Sunday, in anticipation of the upcoming work week, I went to several neighborhood service stations to fill up. To my dismay, none of them had gas. So I got up early Monday, and started out again. I never anticipated, living in one of the top 50 cities in the US (by population) and not being able to find gasoline. This only happens in third world countries, I thought. Eleven stations later, and 16 miles from my home, I found gas. I was so depressed about this, I went back home, turned on my laptop and started working. I let my boss know of course. I had two meetings that day so I had them come to my home. They apparently had fuel. I checked the CNN news section and saw that our governor, Sonny Purdue, had just flown off to Europe. I can't find gas in my state and my governor has flown to Europe, WOW!. I then ran across the Pickens Plan for energy independence. This billionaire oil man in Texas has a plan to reduce America's independence on oil, but is anyone listening? We have a plan and this is the first I have heard of it. It got me to wondering about conservation of everything from water to oil. I built a solar house with geothermal, rainharvest, greywater harvesting, etc, etc in 2002 and I remember how difficult it was for me to get permits to use greywater and rainwater to water my plants. First we have the mortgage crisis, then the gas crisis. I am certain water is next. In the ATL, we have had a drought for 2 years. It reminded me of Janelle Monae's song Sincerely Jane and its powerful words "Are we really living or are we walking dead now?" We have all of these problems in America, "Are we really living or are we walking dead now?" You tell me...

Bowling 4 Fun

Bowling seems to be making a comeback! I have been invited to 5 bowling parties over the last month at various bowling alley's in the ATL, Dolce, 300, etc, etc. Bowling today is so different from when I was a little girl. The bowling alley's of past had hot dogs, grilled cheese, nachos and soda and we used no. 2 pencils to fill in our score as we played. You had to know how to add your score and that of your teammates. Today's bowling is all electronic, with full bars, gourmet restaurants, and full screen videos on each lane. When I was a kid, it was all about the sport and the competitive spirit. Today, it is clearly all about the social component and how well you dance in between frames. At one of the parties, every time someone hit a gutter ball, they had to drink a shot of Patrone. At another party, you had to remind the person that followed you that they were up. No one is the least bit interested in their form or score. When I was growing up on the sport, we were more interested in the brand and weight of the ball and that we had our own ball and shoes. Today, when you walk in with your ball and shoes, they think you are crazy. No one seems the least bit concerned that their play cannot be consistent with a different ball each time they play. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all the new technology, but I am not sure it has helped my score in the least. Have you been bowling lately? What has been your experience? Would love to hear from you!