The Differences At Home

I've been at home a lot lately.  And I'm starting to notice the small things that are different at home; most noticeably the refrigerator.  There is more wine than beer.  The fruit bowl is a bit more full.  Sadly, dessert is a staple.  There is a never ending supply of cheese - the stinkier the better.  And thankfully there have been quite a few breakfasts in bed... being at home sure is fun.

I have a New Favorite Airline...

... Horizon Airlines.  They server complimentary beer and wine on every flight.  Isn't that funny, give me $2 worth of alcohol included in my couple hundred dollar ticket and you buy my loyalty.  Are you listening big brand airlines?  There is something to that...

My Brief Love Affair with Seattle

My love affair with Seattle is always short - sweet, but short.

Yesterday I landed in Seattle, it never ceases to be one of the most beautiful flights in America. In fact, every time I land at SeaTac airport I think: "I could live here, let's move." I quickly imagine myself living on the water, walking through the Pike's Place Market and eating fish everyday. I fall in love with all of the images. Then I get off the plane... it is the middle of May and it is pouring down rain and only 55 degrees outside.

Oh Seattle, the dream is fun for about a minute and a half, but I love Spring way too much to be this cold. So sorry, it's not you it's me.

Mulittasking At Its Finest!

These are some of the small things I love about 2010 – the Saints won the Super Bowl, the US almost beat Canada in hockey at the Olympics, and you can get a mani and pedi at the airport on a layover.

Ok, I will admit a mani/pedi is not in the same category as “the aints” becoming “the Saints” but it sure makes me happy.

I’ve been short on time lately and haven’t been able to do my regular maintenance of hands and feet, but the universe helped.  I had a two-hour layover and saw the Xpress Spa in the airport.  It was lovely.  They played zen music, sat me in a massage chair, and gave me a hand massage and foot massage while doing my nails.  WOW! 

I often talk about the tribulations, the stress, the annoyances, and the aggravations of flying; but if you can stop for a little pampering while traveling to work then that, my friends, is the best form of multi-tasking I can think of. 

Lessons of a Taxi Driver

A cabbie and I were stopped at a light and the cab next to us broke down.  My driver asked, if the other man needed help.
The other driver replied, "I don't know what you are going to do."
My cabbie said "any thing I can: give you a jump, bring you fuel, help you push it out of the way - whatever you need."
The other driver said, "okay - I guess."

My cabbie dropped me off and then was going to head back.  He said to me, "what does he mean, what are you going to do. "  My driver added, "He is the leader of the problem.  it is up to him to make a solution."

It struck me how true that statement was.  Until you come with a solution you are just whining.  And it is up to the owner of the problem to at least think of opportunities.   

Just another example of the many things I've learned from cab drivers.

Living Without Balance

I have a fun boss who wrote a book called Living With No Balance... and Loving It.

The idea is, we have to give up the idea that when I'm at work I don't think about home, and when I'm at home I don't think about work.  After all, full time employees spend 70% of their waking lives at work, so why would you try to make a 50/50 split - you'd fail every time.

I'll admit at first I hated the idea of blending the two.  I was protective of my free time.  Now I've learned to embrace it and living without balance has become my favorite part of my job.

I've allowed myself to enjoy the places I visit for work a bit more.  I've given myself permission to hang out with the people, to see the sights, enjoy the views and soak up some culture.

That is worth a call at night or a conference call on a Saturday every time.  In fact, as I'm writing this, I am at work but sitting on a porch overlooking this beautiful view (seen here) and enjoying the Caribbean... what could be better than that?!?

Bedbugs

When are bed bugs not bad... when they are ladybugs.

I was in a hotel on the 6th floor the other day and shared my room with 3 ladybugs.  (Fortunately I never saw them share my bed).  Every time I saw one I smiled and thought to myself, today will be a good day.

Here is to a little bundle of joy visiting you today.

The People In My Neighborhood

Today I pulled up to a stop light in San Francisco.  Surprisingly, the car next to me was, the "UFO Response Team".  Who knew there was a UFO Response Team?  And did I miss something?  Why are they down the street? 


Moments like this are why I love living in San Francisco.  It is the unusual, odd, and sometimes wacky things you see that make you shake your head, laugh and say... Only in San Francisco!

But NO, not only in San Francisco.  Having done my due diligence before publishing this blog, I found that the UFO Response Team is a privately funded organization (naturally) that has been in existence for 3 years (really?), and is located in 4 states (really?!?), whose mission is to collect information about sightings (of course!). 

 Thank you San Francisco, for keeping me laughing (out loud), and just when I think I've seen everything you surprise me.

A Public Thank You To Two Birds Accross The Pond

Two glorious friends just visited me from England and Ireland.   They are amazing for so many reasons, not the least of which is that they spent their vacation teaching me about the beauty of my fair city, and its inhabitants.

I have always liked San Francisco, and from the day I moved to the city I fell in love with it.  But lately, I have been looking past the beauty and missing what is at my door step.

To the Lovely Jay, thank you for always saying what you found beautiful.  Whether that was the view from my deck, the crazy hills, the Victorian houses, the hills of Napa, the rain, or the waves crashing on the beach.  Thank you for also pointing out all the great accessibility the city has to nature - hikes, bike rides, parks, gardens, hills and beaches.

To the Fabulous Carmel, thank you for constantly pointing out how nice everyone was to you.  It was a delight to hear how you thought everyone went out of their way to make sure you had a fabulous time (this was always pointed out with two words from you, "oh bless." We loved hearing you say it over and over again).  BTW, your accent didn't hurt. ;)  And to hear how you appreciated the little "Americanisms" that I clearly don't appreciate: "gotcha," "high five," "WOW," and of course "good job."

Now, all I can think about is the places I didn't take you - Haight St., Beach Blanket Babylon, Golden Gate Park, Union Square, North Beach, and for a Cable Car Ride.  I guess that means you have to come back.   ;)  Maybe that was my plan all along.

Rolling Out The Red Carpet

This holiday I was reminded how lucky I am when I travel.  My friend and I went to visit both of our families in a whirlwind 3 cities in 7 days travel explosion.

We got to SFO early to catch our first flight because he frets a lot about airports, long lines, and missing deadlines, so I humored him. ;)  But then he realized why I wasn't worried.  Although there were about 200 people in line to check their bags, we walked right up to the premier line and checked in.  Then we went to the preferred TSA screening and waited for only one other person.  Then we casually proceeded to the airline's lounge for a cup of tea and some casual newspaper reading.

I tell you this not to sound snobby (although re-reading it it clearly does sound quite snobby).  I tell you this because it was nice to see the airport through his eyes.  Things that I now take for granted (preferred kiosks and shorter lines) my friend was blown away by.  And in the lounge, he kept saying: "It is so quiet... WOW It is amazing how quiet it is in here...  I love how quiet it is here."  He couldn't believe that there weren't a bunch of mumbled announcements, that most people can't understand anyway.  

In his eyes they rolled out the red carpet for us, and it reminded me that sometimes they do roll out the carpet - and what a difference that makes... I loved seeing what I do from his point of view - it made me appreciate what I have.

A Service WOW!

Remember the days of great service from flight attendants?  Well, I had one Yesterday!

I flew on a flight from San Francisco to Washington DC, connecting in Chicago, on my preferred carrier (where yes, I do have more than my fair share of status).

Sadly, I forgot my scarf on my original flight from San Francisco to Chicago.  The original flight landed in Concourse C, and my connecting flight left out of Concourse B, with a connection time of 40 minutes. 

Imagine me sitting on the second flight, reading and minding my own business, completely unaware that I had forgotten anything on the first flight.  When I hear my name and look up.  The flight attendant from my first flight is standing next to me with my scarf in her hands.  She tracked down my name, my final destination, and walked all over the airport to deliver my scarf!  Wow!

That is one of those moments when I think: I can't wait to write about this wow moment so the whole world (or the handful of you that read this blog) will know that great service still happens.     

Barefoot Elegance

There are some places you go that are truly unique.  They have that blend of casual yet chic; of decked-out yet relaxed; and classic yet contemporary. Where you can be lazy at the beach all day and then dance all night.  Where everyone smiles (because really, check out the view) and where everyone moves at just a little slower pace.  Anguilla is that for me… it is the epitome of barefoot elegance.

Strangest Thanksgiving

When I lived in Rome I wasn't really ever homesick, I certainly missed little things like Mexican food, driving, a proper queue.  And of course I missed big things, family and friends.  But I wasn't really homesick.  But there are 2 days that an American living abroad feels a little more homesick than normal - Fourth of July and Thanksgiving.

My funniest, saddest, and strangest Thanksgiving ever was that year living abroad.  My English friends had gone back to England, my American roommate had gone home, my other American friend had to work (being a Thursday and all), and my Irish roommate had a date.  I was sad that I was all alone, and wasn't going to be feasting away.

That afternoon when I got home, feeling down, my Irish roommate had created her version of "American night."  She cued up all of our Friends DVDs to Thanksgiving episodes, went to the store and bought "American food": Peanut Butter (which is expensive and hard to find in Italy, so a rare treat) and Peanut M&Ms.   Her "American drink" was to my surprise Heineken.  When I asked her why Heineken she said it was bottled by Anheuser Busch.

So I sat there all by myself, watch 4 or 5 Friends episodes and eating my M&Ms right out of the Peanut Butter jar.  To this day, I can't think of Thanksgiving without that memory.  She turned a sad day, one of my funniest and most memorable days of the whole experience. 

In her honor, here is my favorite Friends Thanksgiving episode.  Enjoy.  

You Get More Flies With Manure

As I have stated many times I am directionally challenged. I have tried “google maps”, “mapquest”, iPhone maps, gut instinct, and pulling over and asking.

Recently, I was visiting a family member in the hospital (stressful to say the least) and just wanted no muss no fuss directions, so I paid the $15 per day, for four days mind you, to get the GPS in my rental car.

Of course it was broken. Of course I ended up 30 miles in the wrong direction (impressive since the hospital was less than 5 miles from the airport). And of course, I was more stressed than ever (insert expletives here).

You may get more flies with honey than vinegar, but as Sheldon says, “you can get even more flies with manure.” So I was all amped up to argue with the rental agent when I returned the GPS at 4:30 am today. My arguments were prepared: 1) it couldn’t even get me out of the airport; 2) it never knew where I was, indicating that I had reached my destination while on a highway going 65 mph; and 3) that I wasn’t shown how to use the device.

But, when I got to the ticket counter at 4:30 am a lovely Amanda was waiting for me. I handed her the keys and the contract (waiting for my turn to complain).  She asked,  "How was everything with the car?" I replied the car was great, but I had problems with the GPS. She put everything down, looked me in the eye and said, “Oh no, tell me what happened.” I simply stated that it hadn’t worked from the first day, and she said “would you like a full refund?” The end. No hassles, no “you’ll have to talk to my manager,” no “that’s not our policy,” nothing. She was helpful, attentive, and expedient in the solution. She apologized for the inconvenience and took care of everything.

I am an avid letter writer… both for the good and the bad of customer service. But Amanda deserves not only a letter, but a Gold Star for she reminded me that a little honey can go a long way.

Ciao Cinque (or the literal translation of "Hi Five")

I have always been a fan of the high five. Long before Barney made it cool I was "verbal high fiving" for things that were only mildly cool, and big-up-in-the-air high fiving for things that were out of control exciting.

Now, thanks to How I Met Your Mother, I also "virtual high five" on the computer and "hypothetical high five" for those those exciting what-if moments.

This is the story of the best high five of my life.

When I lived in Rome I was surrounded by lots of other expats - Irish, English, Scottish, Canadian, Americans, French, Belgians... But it was my UK friends who constantly made fun of those of us Americans that enjoyed a good old fashioned high five. (They also made fun of flip flops and visors, but that is another story.) My English roommate in particular would grimmace everytime I tried to high five her. When we got our apartment - high five? no. When we got jobs? No. When we met nice boys? No. I tried calling it "Ciao Cinque" to see if that would make a high five cooler and more acceptable, but no. No matter how good things got, I never got a high five.

Then after we left Rome, we both lived in England. Did I get a high five for moving to her country? Unequivocally, no. Now, not only could I not get a high five, but because I was on the queens land, I wasn't even allowed to ask.

After moving back to the states, we stilled traveled every 6 months together. She was in England, I was in the US and we would meet in fun places around the world (Croatia and Morocco to name a couple). It became my mission to get her to high five me. Throughout every trip we would joke and laugh about it, but it never happened.

Then came Thailand. Thailand was a trip filled with trouble from the very beginning. My passport was taken away (I'll save that for a future blog). We had to change all of our travel plans in about 18 hours, and it was the rainy season (if you have never traveled in rain, it can tell you A LOT about a person).

First we went to an island on the east side of the Gulf of Thailand - it took us an 8-hour bus trip, a rocky ferry trip (where we were swindled out of money), and a bumpy truck ride in pelting rain. We finally get to a hotel and there was so much mold that you could actually see it growing on the ceiling. And in order to shower you had to stand in odd Yoga positions.

The next day, my lovely English friend said that we had to move. She wanted to go to the west side of the Gulf of Thailand. This involved another rainy trip on the back of a truck, another rocky ferry, another 8-hours on the bus back to Bangkok, THEN a 5-hour wait in the Bangkok train station, a 6-hour train ride in a sleeping train (next to a monk who talked on his cell phone), another lay over at a train terminal, and another ferry ride that left land at 4 am.

Once on the boat, she and I managed to wind our way up to the front of the boat. The boat operators let us sneak up front to lay down on the bow of the boat and took a little snooze. When we finally woke up we saw clear blue skies, gorgeous waters, warm (dry!) weather without a cloud in the sky, and tiny islands ahead of us. As we pulled into the stunning Koh Tao we saw beaches that were sugar white, huts built right into the rocks, clear blue water that you can see to the bottom of the sea, and blue skies as far as the eye can see.

As we got off the boat and walked up the dock to find our new hotel, we both commented on how glad we were that we switched islands and that we were already in love with Koh Tao. My friend turned very slowly to me, looked me in the eye and said, "Now this deserves a High Five!" And she gave me an epic high five.

In retrospect I am glad she waited all those years, because it made the one in Thailand that much sweeter. Our trip to Thailand was 2 years ago and I still haven't received a high five half as sweet.

Thank you, my dear, for all of the great travel memories!

A Tribute to My Mother

I had a blessed childhood.

I was blessed (not the least of which) by education, safety, health, and love.  But the one blessing I am paying tribute to today is my palate.  Thanks to my mom, I wasn't raised on Mac and Cheese, but Triple Cream Brie.  I wasn't raised on over cooked vegetables that lacked flavor, but roasted vegetables with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  And I wasn't raised on Jell-O, but on homemade pies and cakes.

Last night I was able to indulge in a dinner to write home about.  Paper thin slices of age-dried Jammon; roasted eggplant and zucchini stacked with mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes; and the piece-d-resistance a personal serving of Foie Gras and simple toast.  All accompanied by a crisp wine, great service and ambiance. 

As I sat there relishing every bite, and living the dream, it was all I could do but text my mother and thank her for how she raised me: to appreciate the good life, and things that come with it; to have the manners not to be intimidated by fine dining; have the palate that appreciates good food done simply;  and to work hard to be able to eat these lavish dinners.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, a thousand times over, thank you mom.

PS - much to my mother's chagrin, I still enjoy triple cream brie, but sometimes there is no substitute for Mac and Cheese, neon in color, out of a box. ;)

A Little Bathroom Humor

I recently had a 6 hour flight from the east coast to the west coast and had this toilette as my view.  It was a new Airbus with an additional toilette in the middle of the plane.  At first I was dreading it and then it got me thinking about the Airplane Toilette, and all the things that are unique to it.

First of all - The attendant button.  How desperate do you have to be to call for a flight attendant to help you?  And if you did ask for help, how do the flight attendants choose who has the job of "checking on you"?   Draw straws?  And, if people use this button, why aren't there attendant buttons in other bathrooms, i.e. movie theaters, retail stores, or gas stations.

Secondly - The lack of water for hand washing.  Why can't the water stay on in the sinks?  15 seconds of water is not enough for anyone who is properly washing their hands to get them clean.  Please give me at least the 30 seconds of water recommended by the CDC.

Thirdly - The size.  As previously mentioned my boyfriend is 6'6" so I often think about tall people.  How do they stand in there?  Is it just one big balancing act?

Fourth - Timing.  Why does EVERYONE need to wait until the end of the movie and go at the exact same time... do they not know that 50 other people are also going at the end of the movie?  And if you do wait to go at the end of the movie please do not read over my shoulder or look at how I am doing on the crossword puzzle.

Finally - The flush.  Wow what a flush!  I used to think that maybe the wooosh was as much about height as it was about the actual toilette - I thought maybe someone had done the math and realized that if airplanes were just letting it spray from 34,000 feet it wouldn't have a negative effect on the people below.  But no - it is a vacuum.  According to Geek Patrol, "Airplane toilets use an active vacuum instead of a passive siphon."

Clearly I'm not the only one who finds airplane toilettes an opportunity to ponder.  The Blog "1,000 Awesome Things" wrote all about the Awesomeness of the Airplane Flush.  Out of 1,000 Awesome things they list Airplane toilets as #975.  Check it out - and enjoy all of their other awesome things. 

The Hotel Cubby!

It is a new day in hotels!  Tonight I am sitting in a hotel lobby, at a round cubby.  Each cubby has 2 electrical outlets, free WiFi, individual TV's with their own remote controls, and food & beverage service. 

You could sit and eat with friends, work alone, or work in groups.  It is completely flexible networking and working space.  In these hotels that are primarily for business travelers they have created an innovative way to get people out of their rooms. 

Way to think out of the box... and into the round cubby!  Of course, I don't spend every day in an office cube; think if I did my response would be less enthusiastic?

A Small Moment of Bliss

One of the things I love the most about my job is the amazing places I end up.  A few weeks ago I was working in New York, and went with some students to lunch... an elevator ride here, a left there, another escalator ride and all of a sudden we were in Grand Central Station, New York.  If you haven't been there before, Grand Central Station is BEAUTIFUL!  And when you walk in unexpected there is nothing you can do but pause and take in the scenery. 

This is a picture I took on my phone, in that small moment of bliss.

In Defense Of The Pygmy Lamb

I have told this story many times before and it has recently been requested that I add it here. I hope it works in writing as well as it does when it is acted out.

Two years ago, I got to travel to Thailand for work. While there, my colleague and I went to the night market, like any market around the world the stalls are small (about 15 square feet) and everything is up for negotiations. I was looking for a pashmina for my mother, and honestly was planning on spending about $10 to $15 USD. If you are unfamiliar with pashminas, they are the wool wraps that women wear to keep themselves warm.

 

My colleague and I walk into one of many stalls, and began comparing the pashminas. The stall owner comes over and asks if he can help… we quickly say, “no, we are just looking.” He walks away, but comes back a few minutes later. This time he asks, “are you shopping for yourself or someone else?” I reply, “I’m shopping for my mother.” He asks, “Does she have a favorite color?” I say, “she has hazel eyes, so I try to buy greens to make her eyes pop.” He then says, “Is it a special occasion?” I said, “It would be a gift for her birthday.” Finally he asks, “Is there anything that matters to you when you buy a gift?” I replied that for me I wanted to buy a gift that I could feel good about. I wanted to know that it didn’t come from the sweatshop down the street.

He proceeds to go to the back and pull out a stunning green pashmina. He drapes this lusciously soft wrap over me. He takes it and wads it up in a ball and then waves it open to show that there are no wrinkles. I am pretty impressed already… and honestly, I’m petting it because it is so soft.

He says, “Okay, now to what is important to you. I want you to feel good about what you are purchasing. This special pashmina comes from mountains in Pakistan that are at 16,000-foot elevation.

“At 16,000-feet there are pygmy lambs that live there. But, don’t worry they are not harmed in the gathering of the wool. These small lambs eat the shrubs up there and the fur from around their eyes and cheeks gets caught in the shrubs. The community goes around and collects the wool from the shrubs. As a community they spin the wool, dye the wool, and make the pashminas. The whole community makes these together, and profit as a community. They bring it down to Islamabad where I buy them and bring them here to sell to you.”

I bought two, one for her and one for me, at $75 USD each!

Now I have no idea if there are pygmy lambs in the world – don’t tell me, I don’t want to know. I also have no idea if there are 16,000-foot mountains in Pakistan, don’t want to know that either.

But I will tell you this, every time I wear the pashmina, and someone compliments me on it, I tell him or her the story of the pygmy lambs and know that I have gotten my $75 worth.