Hotel Confirmed - And a Question...

Looks like unless I die or become disabled, I am going on holiday in 60 days!

The other shoe finally, finally, finally dropped! Received email confirmation from the hotel and Hotels.com within minutes of each other.

So, I just paid the second half of the total trip and I am going to have to pinch myself to know it's real and is going to happen.  In fact, the journey begins exactly 2 months from this date as my initial flight departs Philadelphia on Tuesday, September 17.  Nice coincidence, that.

Also received a confirmation from the airport shuttle company reminding me to print copies of the necessary voucher for my round-trip service.  It's been printed out for over a week, but don't tell anyone.

To lock or not to lock, that is the question.

Now I have an important question for you all (important to me, though it may have you rolling on the floor holding your sides and laughing) concerning checked luggage.

I'm from a time when everyone locked their luggage as a matter of course. If some bags were old or the locks broken, the airline would wrap the bag with strong tape used mainly for this purpose.

In a post-911 world, I am told that one doesn't lock their bags, but only packs clothing/shoes in them, so the TSA can have their way with your personals for whatever reason. All personal items are to be in a carry-on bag that is easily searchable by the same TSA workers as you make your way through the scanning process.  I am told this by folks who travel extensively throughout the US, Mexico, and Europe as well.

A few years ago I purchased a Travel-Pro bag; (similar to the one above) the kind used by flight attendants and crew.  It also comes with a shoulder strapped carry-on bag, about the size of an over-nighter in the old days. It's big enough to hold my camera, medications, wigs, makeup, jewelry, pumps, Dopp kit, and travel documents. This bag slides down the handle shaft for easy mobility, less wear and tear on the shoulders, until the other bag is checked in.

This will be its first time use and I ordered a set of 4 locks for the thing (it has more nooks and crannies than an English muffin)  and 4 of them are capable of being locked.  These locks are "TSA Approved" whatever that means. Probably nothing useful.

Anyhoo, I feel uncomfortable leaving the luggage open for anyone to peruse and perhaps remove any item of their choice.  There is nothing of real value regarding my fashion options, but I would be frightfully annoyed if my Spo Butterfly shirt were to disappear, if you get my drift.  There would be blood!

Any comments, or suggestions would be appreciated. Leave a comment or contact me privately if you like.

And so it goes.

And, The Heat Goes On, The Heat Goes On.

Paging Sonny & Cher!!!

No let up in the near future. This is likely to remain with us well into the weekend.  It was hotter here today than in New Orleans, and that's saying something. The humidity was higher there, but that's to be expected, after all.

I felt age creeping up on me today.  By the time I walked the 3 short blocks to the restaurant I was soaked and found breathing difficult.  I was grateful that whoever closed last night had the good sense to leave the AC on, even at a higher temperature than normal. At least the air was dry.

I dried off in the rest room and sat at the bar with a huge glass of water in order to reduce my body temperature.  For a good half-hour I felt light-headed and dizzy (now stop that!)  I put on a tee-shirt until my dress shirt was dry enough to wear for the day.

I was told there were few die-hard sunbathers on the beach today, even fewer than yesterday and I can understand why. We did a fair lunch today and there are many reservations for dinner tonight, so the restaurant is doing very well, indeed. In fact, most of the good ones in town are doing exceptionally well this season. Probably due to the influx of folks from New Jersey and New York, whose resort beaches remain in limbo and disrepair.

Invited out to Happy Hour by a co-worker who had today off, saying that the usually packed bar in question was empty.  I said, "I wonder why that is?"  and he just laughed.  The bar/restaurant where I was invited is 3 blocks in the opposite direction of my home.  I may be crazy, but I ain't stupid.

After my shift I didn't stay for a AS cocktail.  Didn't think it would be wise.  I know the image above looks refreshing (and they are - oh, watermelon-tinis), I didn't want to chance and incident before I got home.  Although my apartment AC was set at 78' F, it was dry and comfortable when I arrived.  Having shed the damp work drag, a shower was next, followed by a festive martini - which I am enjoying presently. No appetite right now, so I'll wait an hour or so before considering something to eat.

As an aside, my home land-line phone NEVER rings, well hardly ever.  Tonight I've had 3 phone calls within an hour.  One from DirectTV, another from Comcast Cable, and the last from DISHTV.  I guess they're pretty hard up for new business in these parts.  Their collective reaction to my situation was predictable, none could believe I had no TV provider or service.  It was a funny diversion, but that's all it was.

And so it goes.
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Lost Brain: How Embarrassing!

As I was coming out of sleep mode this morning  I heard this very strange sound. It didn't seem to be coming from anywhere in particular, but its insistent, urgent sound got me out of bed and in search of the source very quickly.  I ran around the place putting my ear to every goddamn device that squeals,  blinks, chirps, belches, or hums.  Nothing.

Checked all computer related devices, since they were the most logical electronics to blame.  Nothing.

Not the smoke alarm. Not any sort of reset on anything connected to the TV.  Then, as I moved near the shelving units in the living room, the sound volume increased and as I moved from one unit to the other I was able to pinpoint the culprit. I stood stock still in shock.

Ahem!  If you visit here with any regularity, you may remember that back in March (that would be FOUR months ago!)  I took advantage of a sweet deal on an iPad that cost me less than $100 bucks. Well, I must have stuck it in one of the bins and forgot about it, and evidently the battery finally ran down and it was a call for help from the poor thing.

In my defense less than 2 weeks after the purchase I began the seasonal 6 - 7 day work-week so the poor thing languished and all the learning that was to occur went by the wayside and was completely forgotten.  Now that I've revived the little treasure I think it will be the ideal digital communication companion to take on my trip in September.  I can send emails, search out new places to explore in NOLA and learn more about the adventures already being planned by friends there. I know others folks have similar iPads and I'd love to communicate with them via the devices.  I know nothing about how "face-time" works, for example. I assume that's why Skype is one of the apps pre-installed, but what do I know.

The poor neglected thing is charging and once that's complete I will search the app store for more information.  It may be the better option than the laptop after all, being lighter, more compact, and more easily stored in a carry-on bag. I can upload photos when I get back after the trip.  I think I will be otherwise occupied to spare the time to send images to FB or the blog. Unless I figure out how to post a photo from the cell phone, that is.

I know how my afternoon will be spent...another adventure is at hand.

And so it goes.
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"Racer" by Giorgio Morodor

The latest from the legend himself, having made Disco and Donna Summer stars beyond all imagining, scoring  the restored classic silent film, Metropolis . Racer proves his staying power as an artist and composer - always on the edge.  Love it. Hope you do, too.



 Um, I think I need to dance.  No, really.

And so it goes.
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Drug Bust Caturday

Heh-heh!

More later.
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Rare Summer Serenity

Very rare, indeed. I need some, please!!!

Thanks to thunderstorms and heavy downpours confirming that this would not be a beach day, I knew we'd be very busy.

Note: In bad weather (read: no beach day) most tourists jump into their cars and head to, 1) The Outlet Centers to shop, 2) The multiplex here in Rehoboth Beach (there are fewer screens in other towns, if any) and 3) restaurants to eat and drink the rainy weather way.

Today was one of those miserable days for the visitors: the Outlet parking lots were full, the movie theaters were sold out, and I had a 40 minute wait for a table for lunch at 12:45 (one hour and 15 minutes after opening) and chaos was the order of the day.  Screaming tots were the least of it.

Even with a full compliment of servers, there was no way to keep up.  I went to another waiting list at about 2:30 just to let the kitchen and waitstaff catch up and get their stations cleaned, setup, and ready for the next party.  Proud to say it worked out well.

A Note from the Stoopid:
Me: we are currently experiencing a 40 minute wait for a table for a party your size.
Stoopid: Well, we didn't have to wait last year.
Me staring into vacant eyes with no brain behind them. I just kept going. Do you want to give me your name so I can call you when the table is ready?
"Crickets."

The locosguys were helping out at the bar and kitchen to help maintain a rhythm to seating, ordering, serving, and repeating the scenario over and over again.  By 4 PM, the evening staff was easing into their stations and those holding evening reservations began to arrive. Again, another smooth transition.  Note that this doesn't always happen, there is chaos at times that can send the whole operation into a tailspin.  Not today.

After leaving the front station in the hands of the locosguy, I washed my hands and face, grabbed the umbrella and was about to head home when  I was waved down by the other locosguy (he runs the bar) signaling that there was a cocktail made and waiting for me. Well, you know I cannot pass up a Bombay Sapphire Martini - even in the rain, or even in a hurricane. As he handed the drink to me he smiled and said very quietly, "here's to a job well done." I savored the elixir of the Queen while standing at the back of the bar.  That was OK, I enjoyed every minute of this hectic day.  The key was that we were all in a happy and helpful place and the customers responded in like manner. I am sure the servers did very well, financially this day.

The rain let up as I finished the cocktail, and I made it home before the next storm-front passed through.. It is peaceful and quiet in the hood.

I've prepped a devilish dish for supper tonight.  Since I had taken nothing from the freezer this morning,  I opted to throw together things just waiting to be enjoyed. I put together a spicy black bean dish  with onions, celery, tomatoes, salted pork and herbs.  It's cooking down now, even as I write this and will be served on a bed of parsley rice.  A salad and garlic toast will round out the experience.  OK, everything is fresh with the exception of the black beans. They are canned.  I'm working long hours and 6 or 7 days weekly and I don't have the time to use dried black beans, so shoot me!  Oh, you purists...

Don't know if tomorrow's weather will be like today, and I don't trust weather forecasters to know what's going to happen. I'll know when I get up tomorrow morning and work accordingly to make the day a good one at work, and personally.

My supper awaits...as does another martini.  Cheers!

And so it goes.
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Flights of Fancy are Confirmed.

Finally!

The airline sent an email confirmation of my round-trip flights and have charged my account.  For some reason, even though I booked a hotel and flight package, they bill separately. Who knew and what's the point? I know, I know, I get a better deal by booking a package, so why bother wondering why they bill separately?  I won't.

Now I wait for the hotel to do the same.

There seems to be no logic to the ways of travel services.  I am staying an extra 7th night in NOLA because it is less expensive than staying only for 6.  WTF? Go fig!

The airport/hotel shuttle voucher has been printed and is my itinerary folder.

Half way to a happy traveler...I just have to get through the next 8 weeks, is all.

And so it goes.
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"Oh, When The Saints" Are Waiting...

...not for Godot, smarties.

I am awaiting acceptance and confirmation of  Air & Hotel Package to New Orleans. Having tried to tie down the dates I wanted proved more difficult than expected. Three of the chosen hotels were booked during my allotted time frame, and the 4th one had only 3 rooms left for my special rate/date  package. In order to get that rate I have to stay 7 nights.  Oh Darn!

So I figured I had to move fast and book today. These images are the hotel I chose.  The Inn on St. Peter Street.

The only airline offering non-stop flights is  USAir - out of Philadelphia. All choices out of BWI (Baltimore) were connecting flights through Chicago, Atlanta, or other out-of-the-way cities.  What are the airlines thinking with this bizarre routing system?  Dunno.  I chose the "city of brotherly love" (gag) and the non-stop option. From my research I doubt getting a seat on the flights will be a problem. Only apprehensive about the hotel at this point.

I hunted all the usual travel sites and most all had the same price deals.  American Express didn't offer the last hotel I chose, so I checked out Orbitz, Travelocity, etc., finally settling on Hotels.com as they offered hotels with the best options. Including free WiFi and breakfast.  The others, though slightly less costly, charged $10. per day for WiFi. A waste of money if I am only online once or twice daily. Other than sleeping, I don't expect to spend lots of time in the room

Decided against the rental car for the week, opting instead for the shuttle bus from airport to hotel and  back.  I may rent a car for a day or two, but staying in the Quarter everything I need is within walking distance. Hope to see some old friends, as well as the sister at least once or twice.  I know a few of us will partake of a Sazerac Cocktail at the Sazerac Bar in the recently renovated Roosevelt Hotel.

Now I wait.  I hate this part.  I hope I don't have to run another search after all this.

And so it goes.

"Before I Die.." .An Interactive Wish List

I stumbled onto this site while visiting other NOLA blogs and this simply blew me away.  So simple and so powerful at the same time.

This was turned into...

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget what really matters to you. After I lost someone I loved very much, I thought about death a lot. This helped clarify my life, the people I want to be with, and the things I want to do, but I struggled to maintain perspective. I wondered if other people felt the same way. So with help from old and new friends, I painted the side of an abandoned house in my neighborhood in New Orleans with chalkboard paint and stenciled it with a grid of the sentence “Before I die I want to _______.” Anyone walking by could pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on their lives, and share their personal aspirations in public space.It was an experiment and I didn’t know what to expect. By the next day, the wall was bursting with handwritten responses and it kept growing: Before I die I want to… sing for millions, hold her one more time, eat a salad with an alien, see my daughter graduate, abandon all insecurities, plant a tree, straddle the International Date Line, be completely myself…  People’s responses made me laugh out loud and they made me tear up. They consoled me during my toughest times. I understood my neighbors in new and enlightening ways, and the wall reminded me that I’m not alone as I try to make sense of my life.

This.  Amazing, just amazing.

After receiving many requests, my friends and I created a toolkit and the project site beforeidie.cc to help people make a wall with their community. You can also download all files for free to remix or create your own stencils. Thanks to passionate people, over 100 Before I Die walls have now been created in over 10 languages and in over 30 countries, including Kazakhstan, Portugal, Japan, Denmark, Australia, Argentina, and South Africa. They have been a constant source of inspiration and therapy for me. Each wall is unique and reflects the people of that community. Each wall is a tribute to living an examined life.

View more images and rest of this wonderful story, HERE.

No doubt, I'll be hunting down a few of these buildings during my September visit.

And so it goes.

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Legends Caturday

They are all Divas.

More later.
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Planning The Getaway

My head hurts.

I've been having dreams about the restaurant.  Unsettling dreams, not nightmares exactly, but bizarre and with a Twilight Zone twist of uneasiness. If I go into detail, this post will be pages long and that's not my intention. I know I need to get away from everything around me for a while to recharge and regroup.  At least, that's the plan. (Click the image to embiggen the map of NOLA.)

I think I've mentioned this way too often, but I've forgotten how to travel - it's been a long time.

I've decided to plan my New Orleans holiday trip using American Express Travel Services. Hotel and Flight packages are quite good in September, so that's really good news. However, adding a car rental to the mix makes it more expensive.  Way. Too. Expensive!

So, I've been looking into hotels in, or near, the French Quarter.  There are airport shuttles that service most of the downtown hotels, and that's a real plus. I'm thinking of chucking the car rental idea, stay in the quarter and take a taxi to see the sister, wherever she wants to meet. That, believe it or not, is the best and least expensive option. Hotel parking fees and expensive - whether in the Quarter or in Metairie where the sister lives - a minimum of $35. per day. Ouch!  I may rent a car for a day just to visit my old neighborhood to view the changes and destruction, visit the old restored airport and lakefront where I grew up. A closure of sorts, I suppose.

Friends who no longer live in NOLA will be visiting around the 20th of September, so I am planning the trip from 9/17 to 9/24 to get to see as many friends as possible. You know, catch-up on life as we chow down on all the good foods unavailable to us outside of NOLA.

I've narrowed the list of hotels by convenience, amenities, and price, as well as customer ratings and reviews.  Here's the latest list:

The Bourbon Orleans

The Dauphine Orleans

The Hotel Mazarin (my favourite of the lot).

The Prince Conti, good reviews and the least costly of the lot.

There is little choice of airline as I want a non-stop flight both ways. I have no desire to waste an entire day hopping from airport to airport, possibly miss a connecting flight and lose holiday time. US Airways offers the only non-stop service out of Philadelphia, so that is the cross I will have to bear.

The summer season is officially at the half-way point.  Hard to believe.

And so it goes.
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Homanah, Homanah, Homanah...

Sound of lip-diddling - oh yes, big time.

I know I have been MIA since the weekend, but it's summer at the beach and our lives are offered up to the Gods of sun, sand, and margaritas until Labor Day. The weather in the mid-Atlantic states has been anything but welcoming, or even "summer-like" for most of June. Drastic temperature changes, at least one rain storm or thunderstorm daily and no pattern change in sight.

We've served at least 200 diners at lunch and over 500 at dinner, every day.  I spent my precious day off yesterday enjoying the quiet and reading in bed most of the day.  As it poured rain all day, I didn't feel the least bit guilty.

The restaurant is booked solid through Saturday and I had to hang up on a woman who started screeching at me because she wanted a reservation for 20  at 7 pm tonight. When the harpy called back I asked that she  be courteous, so we could have a conversation, if not I would hang up on her again.  She chose to screech and curse. I hung up. She didn't call again.

All is in place for the fireworks display tomorrow evening; the restaurant closes early (there is no business after the fireworks, anyway) and my plan is to be home and cool for the evening, as Friday will be an incredibly busy day for lunch and dinner. Oh, and evenings are totally booked as well.  Nice.

Pressed into service beyond my scheduled time, I have not stayed around for my after shift drink, choosing instead to race for the quiet and solitude of home. That's OK, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the cocktail with all the racket and joyous celebrating, anyway.

Olives are waiting for me and I hate being late so, Cheers to all.

And so it goes.
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