Archive for January, 2014

Flash on Foot Getting Coffee

Posted: January 30, 2014 in Travel
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Several years ago CLP and I did the Monopoly walk in London – as you do. It was unique and fun. And Old Kent Road was a bitch to find! Many cities would have similar attractions I am sure so lets come up with something new for next year while freezing in NYC in February.

One of my fave web shows is Seinfelds “Comedians in Cars getting Coffee”. Not only does he invariably have great guests but he also travels around NYC having coffee. So the idea was planted. Next year try and visit as many coffee joints in NYC that Jerry has been to with guests. To be fair, this was really hatched while watching latest episode with my Tina. The chance that I may get to sit in the same seat as Tina is simply mind blowing. And strangely erotic. So now we have the Ansel Bakery (with Cronut!)on the list and also Floridita in Harlem. As my Tina says “The only reward for anything is Food”. Another advantage is I have a rough idea where Tina lives and have 10 days to spot her and give her my autograph.

Now to track back through previous episodes for Louis CK, Larry David etc. Of course none of this guarantees a good coffee – it is USA after all. Sometimes you just have to accept a brush with celebrity as your fix for the day and leave the caffeine for the desperate and lonely – you know, people without the internet.

The beauty of returning to favorite cities is discovering new ways to enjoy them

That is actually an original quote. Or subliminally planted. Feel free to requote and see what happens

Forget Paris, I’ll take New York

Posted: January 20, 2014 in Travel
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Going to be a busy year Travel wise. As they all should be.

Europe 2013 “A Second Crack” is at the well advanced stage. Flights booked – including some BC natch – hotels mostly booked, a train here a donkey ride there and before you know it all you have to do is find the money. Now a central point to all this is the CLP 55th Birthday. Yes I surprised too, had her pegged for 64 at least. Adequate planning has assured it will take place in the City of Love – Chernobyl. Oops wrong Itinerary. Paris of course. It is a city you can return to often and we have been lucky enough to do this. Pity it is full of French folk. If I can be persuaded I only need one kidney in my dotage then there may even be a fancy meal at Le Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower to ice the deal so to speak. From there we will also venture onto Barcelona, Berlin and Copenhagen along with some driving through the French countryside and a casual few days in northern Italy. Will be a blast and much anticipated. Be good to have someone else to carry the luggage around for me.

Which of course brings up the allure of solo travelling again. The Chicago/San Fran experiment worked a treat and even sated the wanderlust for about two months but it always returns. The question then becomes where to this time? And of course what time of year? The lure of cool weather is hard to resist when sitting in Maryhole @ 36 degrees day after day.

Most “Great Cities of the World” quizzes would regularly include 2 cities in any top 5 – Paris and New York. Have been lucky enough to have spent two weeks with CLP in NYC a few years ago but as anyone who has been there knows that barely scratches the surface. So the seed was planted for NYC 2015 – My Balls Drop. Most of you would be aware of the famous Times Square Ball Drop that occurs every New Year and while a white Xmas has a certain appeal there are also a lot of travel related issues around that time in NYC. And the place is full of bloody tourists! So have pushed back to February which will still be chilly enough to warrant the humorous theme and get to celebrate my birthday next year in NYC. Surrounded by all my friends. Zero degrees, Zero Friends – win win. CLP thinks its a bad time to travel there. When quizzed further as to why her reply was couldnt you go this year instead already! Of course she believes the prime attraction of solo travel for me is to write more blogs – and she just may be onto something there 🙂

So an apartment has been chosen and deposit put down – so I cant change my mind when I come to my senses. Or the Aussie $ plummets. 10 days in NYC but if you are going to spend 40 hrs in the air you need a second city as well for a few days and hopefully something new to enrich the experience. Have seen Washington, Chicago, Boston, LA and San Francisco.

Current contenders are

Dallas – can fly home from there, shoot JR again.
Philadelphia – an easy train ride from NYC, punch Rocky out
Las Vegas – something different, probably get discovered and get a one man show on The Strip and never return

Luckily there is plenty of time to decide that second city. Feel free to throw in any suggestions peoples.

People do read these blogs right??

Monday Moan – Time to Get Mean in 2014

Posted: January 5, 2014 in Midlife Crisis in Maryhole
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People who mow at 0700 just because it is hot. Oh, that was me . Carry on.

Easy to moan about the heat but its miserable for most. But it does lead me into my current pet hate.

Cats. But thats another story

No it is Channel Nine. Kerry would be rolling in his grave, not that he was ever big on exercise. When did Channel Nine become an extended version of The View?

I use to watch The Today Show in the morning before work back when I had a job. You know, before Federation. Quick news and sport update from night before. Never riveting stuff but mildly informative. Now its about the “media stars” and any actual news is incidental if it does not involve a Channel Nine star, show or sport being televised . Ok scrap it – I am master of my remote – and just watch the “National Nine News Qld Edition at 6 pm” – just before bed. I blame the letter “Y”. We have Lofty passing over to Wally passing over to Gary. And this is the A Team – heaven help us when the Xmas crew comes in. The current sports presenter “Tom” looks like he just walked of the set of Frontline – he can not be serious. He must practice that fake smile in front of the mirror every morning for hours. And it is the Brisbane news anyway so when Clown 1 says to Clown 2 ” nice bit of rain today” it means SFA to us in Maryhole where the last rain was when the Poms won a cricket match. Which brings us to the cricket coverage. Poor Kerry

The Pathetic Pinnacle was the pre game lead in yesterday where we had the Pink Prancing clowns trying to display how difficult it was to see whether a ball actually carried into the glove. In this age of technology the set up was hidden by a piece of paper. It was hopeless and sadly reflective of the vaudeville nonsense that passes for sport commentary these days where once again it is more important to show the “personality” of a goose like Slats. Now the Pink Test is a wonderful innovation and all praise to it and the way everyone supports it including pink blazers. No problem, although noted with interest that Chapelli did not wear one. But it only lasted 3 days. Cricket administrators are tearing their hair out at the lost revenue through the gates. Simple solution. When the Pink Test finishes in three days due to the incompetence of the touring side, the Brown Test swings into action. This is in support of Prostate Cancer and is held in Alice Springs against the Indigenous Invitational 11. Send the Poms back there for a couple more days and see how much better they play. Instead of $1000 for every six there would be $1000 every time the Umpire has to put his finger up. Only fitting really. There would be a lot of declarations and would be a quick match. You know it makes sense

And to finish on a local issue. Woolies finally reopened and it seems fine and dandy. Not so sure about the carousel plastic bag set up though – very easy to walk away and leave one behind. Then one would be pissed off. Its bad enough to have to mingle with the great unwashed once a week – but to have to go back? Doesnt bear thinking about. After all I need to get home quickly

Mornings with Kerri Ann is coming on.