Our European Adventure continues..

On September 24, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, expat, Travel, vacation, walkingLeave a comment

So, I’ll try not to gush too much but OMG do I LOVE EUROPE! I love the history and architecture, the lack of tacky skyscrapers and shiny malls, the friendly folk who love football (soccer to you Americans) and laidback lifestyle. Yes, the coffee shops don’t open until 8 a.m. but since they don’t appear to go to work until 9-10 a.m., that works. Three hour dinner-sure! Keep on drinking and eating with your buddies-no rushing home to get some zzzz’s and be at work by 8 a.m. At our hotel today, around 3 p.m. a hotel employee was seen taking two huge bottles of icy vodka into a meeting room for a group-think it was a bank. Now that’s how you should conduct business! Think up an idea-take a shot to celebrate!

Luxurious elegance in lobby at Hotel Des Indes

We have received such wonderful service to the point where we have to wrestle our bags away from well-meaning hotel staff who want to assist us. We are very self-sufficient and used to wheeling around our own stuff, thank you. Get us museum tickets? Get us football tickets? Change out our cash to Euros? SURE! Our slightly ditzy hotel staff member was changing out some cash for us and doubled what she should have given us. Realizing her error, I handed her back $100 Euros and hopefully she will tell others, giving US tourists a good name for their honesty. Good karma, baby!

Speaking of good karma, how about that Pope flying around DC in that modest Fiat? Love that he is eating with the homeless instead of all those corrupt bickering politicians. You go Father! CNN International is covering all Pope all the time over here. While there are a few shows in English, the street signs here are all in Dutch-even China was easier to get around with signs everywhere that we could read. So far, we just guess and ask for help and everyone is quick to assist. Most people do also speak English which makes it easy to get around. BTW, always carry .50 euro coins with you as the public bathrooms all have attendants collecting money for use. At least they aren’t squats like China-hallelujah!

antique and book market in front of Hotel Des Indes

Today, we finished up our time in The Hague, a truly lovely city which Rick Steves doesn’t even recommend visiting. Rick, come on, don’t be a Hague-hater! I disagree with Steves-lots to enjoy there with the beach nearby and the Peace Palace and museums galore. We loved walking out of the Hotel Des Indes and seeing an antique/book market going on in the square. If only I had a huge container to utilize to send back furniture and paintings!!! I settled for a jazz CD and some antique postcards–my luggage is stuffed as it is. Then it was off to the Mauritshuis Museum to see the Vermeers, Rembrandts and Reubens in a beautiful mansion built in the 1600’s on a pond. So gorgeous and small enough not to overwhelm the senses.

Then, it was off to the train to zip back to Amsterdam for another stay at the Andaz-the best hotel chain around. If you haven’t stayed in one, treat yourself. We were lucky enough to stay for two months at the one in Shanghai as my temporary housing and they are in many cities now. The one in NYC is right by the library. They are small, well designed with unique rooms and the service is the best I have ever experienced. TOTALLY! With free mini-bar in room, free bikes to use (if my shoulder wasn’t hurting so bad), lavish breakfast included and free happy hour, it can’t be beat for amenities. Cheers! Tonight, we’re off to the Red Light District and a jazz club!

utter elegance at musem — utter elegance at museum

Bruges-Medieval Mall

On September 24, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, expat, Food, Travel, vacationLeave a comment

Bruges was always on our “must” destination list if we visited Europe. So, at 6 a.m. yesterday after one hour of sleep (due to insomnia not partying), off we went on a four hour train ride from The Hague to Bruges. Expecting to see a small medieval city with the iconic Bell Tower featured in the movie, In Bruges, we were shocked to turn the corner of the winding brick road into the city and find a commercial boulevard with a Zara, McDonald’s, Claire’s and all the modern stores found in the local mall. REALLY?

Bruges-cobblestone streets, canals, churches, waffles & beer

Now, I’m all for retail stores, which have been my livelihood for years but there is a time and place and Bruges is not where you want to shop for $19.99 fashion at H & M. I guess you can’t blame the locals who want to profit from all the tourism so they can make a living and there can only be so many chocolate, lace, waffle and beer shops to feed our appetites and tacky souvenir needs but still…WTF! I don’t think the best use of a 1767 historic building is to house another Zara.

That being said, parts of Bruges were well preserved and, if you get off the main street, you can find quaint history houses from the 9th century as well as 17 churches (16 Catholic/1 Protestant) to wonder through and lovely bridges over canals for picture-taking. The train station is conveniently located within walking distance of this town which used to be on the sea until it retreated. Global warming may one day make it seaside again-you never know.

The highlight for Thom was walking up the 336 steep steps to the Bell Tower featured in the movie, In Bruges. I guess someone is pushed off the top and lands SPLAT in the square below in the film. Not my kind of movie but whatever-it was an interesting climb up teeny, tiny stairs with only a rope in certain places to cling to. Just like the Great Wall, this is not ADA friendly and if you fall and get hurt, good luck getting back down those stairs ’cause no one is helping you down and there isn’t an elevator. Still, the view was stunning from the top!

336 steps and you are at the top! — 336 steps and you are at the top-grab the rope and pull yourself onward and upward!

I talked Thom into a horse-drawn carriage ride around town. While he has never consented to one of these in NYC, he relented and ended up enjoying the guide’s history lesson as we galloped through the narrow streets. You definitely could imagine days past when horses were the only mode of transportation and, when the final bell of the evening sounded from the tower, the gates to the city were closed to protect against marauders.

We were lucky to arrive on market day in the town square. Munching a sugar-coated waffle as my local snack (YUM!), we rested on the town square steps and wished we could take home the lovely pots of lavender offered for sale. Gorgeous! On the train home, we noticed fields of lavender waiting to be picked. Though a long ride with a stop in Brussels to change trains, the 8 hours of train ride were just another part of the Bruges adventure. Arriving home tired and ready to get a good night’s sleep, we were glad we had finally been “In Bruges”.

Thom talking to the swans that roam the canals

The Hague-surprisingly awesome!

On September 22, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Food, Travel, vacationLeave a comment

I gasped when I entered our room at the Hotel Des Indes. So, we’re staying in The Hague primarily due to my desire to utilize all those wonderful hotel points I’ve accrued from my travels. When you use points, sometimes you get an awesome room and sometimes you don’t. Luckily, this was one of those awesome times. With twenty foot ceilings and a canopied bed, the old world furnishings and world class service made us feel like royalty. SCORE!

Open since 1856, this hotel has been “the” place for politician and celebrities like U2, Prince and the Rolling Stones to stay when visiting this capital of the Netherlands which also hosts the Peace Palace, home of the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Classy and stylish, the Hotel Des Indes is the bomb!

In our usual style of just wandering, we first hopped on the tram to see the North Sea to enjoy some beach time but on the way back, we jumped off to see the Peace Palace.

WP_20150922_15_40_05_Pro — The Peace Tree filled with words of hope from international tourists.

I’m so glad we did because the story of how it was founded in the early 1900’s with seed money from Andrew Carnegie was fascinating. The Court was in session so we didn’t get to go in the building but we did take the audio tour on the grounds. We even got to join with international tourists and write out our hopes for peace onto the official Peace Tree outside. Very cool moment for our trip!

Looking forward to going to a tapas restaurant tonight after taking a wrong turn last night and missing it. Never fear, we ended up on a rainy night just finding another place that I had read about on TripAdvisor, Garoeda, that had tasty Indonesian cuisine. Feasting on tempura shrimp, chicken satay and rice, we’ll just go tapas tonight instead. After enjoying the sauna room (hot Damn!) and a refreshing dip in the tiny pool which had jets so you could simulate swimming against a strong current (how cool is that??), we are ready to relax and enjoy an evening on the town in The Hague at Oker’s. Tomorrow, we are off on the train for another adventure to…….

Amsterdam First Impression-Bikes & Beer

On September 20, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, expat, Food, hotels, Shopping, Travel, walking1 Comment

Hot Damn-I finally made it to Amsterdam! I have dreamed of this trip for years and I was right-it is gorgeous AND the perfect walking city for us to explore. My Fitbit is loving me with 12,000+ steps in on our first day. Touching down at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, we fumbled our way through buying a tram ticket at the machine, dealing with ALL our credit cards being rejected before I finally got an ATM to spit out some euros with the debit card. Then, we were jumping on the #5 tram with a little help from a local who scolded us that the tram lets people off first, moves down the lane and THEN you are allowed in. Okay-I had to appreciate the orderly fashion that they follow here in public transportation vs. my fond memories of the clusterf*&k of using China mass transit.

First impressions–bikes, German beer, brick streets and bridges over impossibly picturesque canals where the tour boats glide by slowly. The architecture reminds me of SoHo in NYC with no big new ugly buildings ruining the vibe of little boutiques. We noticed quickly that every building has a large hook hanging from the roof, probably we figured out to haul up furniture and such into the apartments. Quirky and charming, our neighborhood is the perfect blend of residential and commercial.

After receiving the best service EVER from Corrodo at the Andaz Amsterdam, we checked our bags and off we went. Learning very quickly that the sidewalks are narrow with random steep stairways to lower levels jutting into your way so you have to watch every step or fall, it seemed a relatively quiet Sunday with primarily (not a helmet in sight) bike riders and some sassy scooters filling the one way streets lining the canals, I can’t imagine the chaos that will ensue tomorrow when everyone jumps on their bikes to go to work. We’ll be dodging and weaving to cross the streets for sure. I figure if I lived through China though, I’ll probably survive here.

We ducked into the local grocery to check it out-to feel the culture is to see how the locals shop. Lots of prepared foods and smaller portions (didn’t see a lot of families living around here) bread, waffles, chocolates and calories galore. YUM! Got a small bottle of wine tucked into my bag for later.

We’re saving the famous red light district for another night. More to come on that experience! I hear it is quite interesting.

For those not familiar with the weed culture like we have in Seattle, there is probably interest to visit the head shops here. I’ve smelled more pot in the hallways of our building than I have here so no big deal for us.

Tomorrow we leave for the Hague and another train trip. Every day is an adventure!

What goes around, comes around….

On September 8, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, China, Fashion, Music, Shopping, VinylLeave a comment

Is anyone else feeling groovy? Come on, get happy! The wave of nostalgia for all things 70’s, 80’s and 90’s is slapping me in the face anytime I go into a store or turn on the television. Whether it’s the really bad Partridge Family song for a Geico commercial or the Coneheads from SNL hawking insurance for State Farm, those marketing execs must either be oldsters that are trying to relive their younger days or hipsters who think those actually were better days. Embrace 2015 and get a new idea-what goes around does NOT have to come around… really!

The retro felt hat trend I can embrace but no fringe! — The retro felt hat trend I can embrace but NO FRINGE!

I don’t get it but what’s really got me thinking WTF is that fringe is the “it” fashion for fall. Fringe on bags, on shoes, on skirts, on dresses–you name it and they put fringe on it this year. Fashion folks, what’s so hot about fringe? Couldn’t think up any other hot trend to force fashionistas to buy new stuff so you were watching binge-watching Retro TV shows and WHAM it hit you-bring back the fringe???

But, as they would say on infomercials, THAT’S NOT ALL! You can strap on a fanny pack with your fringe vest and look totally “in”. Yes, that’s right, not only did the Sunday NY Times have an article on the comeback of the fanny pack, I actually saw a tattooed hipster in Seattle rocking a fanny recently. Convenient, yes. Fashionable, no way.

Fanny Packs...as featured in the NY Times 9.6.2015...they're BACK! — Fanny Packs…as featured in the NY Times 9.6.2015…they’re BACK!

Now, one retro trend we have embraced in our household is the vinyl comeback. Armed with the a new turntable for his birthday, Thom has managed to acquire a new vinyl collection that expands daily… thanks to the multitude of vinyl shops in Seattle and convenient web browsing. Enough so that, armed with our rental car for the holiday weekend, we were brave (or stupid) enough to tackle Ikea on a super busy day to buy stylish storage units just to house his new, ever-expanding collection. On a side note, we had to chuckle as we observed an elder Chinese shopper take out her lunch and proceed to commandeer the model living area in Ikea to have a Labor Day picnic while shoppers swarmed around her-just like back in our Shanghai Ikea where people would make themselves at home at Ikea for the day and take naps, have family meals, etc. taking advantage of the nicely furnished showroom. Got to love Ikea!

So, marketing and fashion people out there… get off your lazy butts off those comfy couches and put on your creative hats and come up with something better than Partridge Family redux and fringe galore…. there’s got to be a better way to inspire folks to part with their hard-earned dollar than reliving bad fashion and worse music. I’ll be waiting to see what you come up with…

Oh the places we’ll go….

On August 30, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Boise, China, expat, Seattle, Shanghai, Travel, vacationLeave a comment

Yesterday, an awesome person I hired four years ago sent me a picture of herself in that happy moment along with some kind words-she has gone on to quite a career since that time. It made my day. That got me all nostalgic and reminiscing about everything Thom and I have experienced since then and how it has shaped who I have become. Fearless I am after all that we have faced from Seattle to Shanghai and back again!

Patti & I hanging on for dear life in the boat in Beijing

After living apart for a year so I could join a great company when the opportunity presented itself, the family finally joined me here with James going off to Seattle U. and us selling the house we designed in Coeur d’Alene where the kids spent the majority of their childhood years. I still miss that hot tub with a view of the mountains and fireplace in the master–we built a great house. Damn!

Great sadness came when my Dad passed over Labor Day and I still miss him so much. I’m happy that Mom is doing so well living in South Bend and still looking good and playing bridge at 90. They live long in my family! Grandma Hannah made it all the way to 99 still living by herself.

Soon after, I had the great privilege of opening my store and introducing the Black Keys and One Republic at my store concerts-what fun that was to dance backstage. Since then, I’ve seen One Republic play in Shanghai and Orlando and they still rock it. Big perk of my job is seeing great talent over the years at many concerts–Lady Gaga, John Legend, Bon Jovi, Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Allen Stone and the list goes on…and on…such talent to enjoy! I have no musical gifts so I appreciate those who are able to entertain us all.

Allen Stone and I hanging out at his private concert for my company. Cool dude!

While we enjoyed Seattle, we embraced our NYC adventure with great enthusiasm. Oh what fun we had while there for the brief six month assignment! Times Square every day for work and LOTS of Broadway plays with weekly trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Christmas in the city took my breath away and the kids came to share it all. I still get to go back occasionally for business and always fill up on the carbs I love so much-$1 bagels and $1 pizza are my guilty pleasures. We still visit the Madison Square Park dog park every time we go to NYC-Izaak spent many happy hours there playing with the other urban pooches. I hope some day to live there again-you never know.

Izaak's favorite place in NYC-Madison Square Dog Park — Izaak’s favorite place in NYC-Madison Square Dog Park

Then, of course, China was the best experience ever. I still stay in touch with my China team and wish I could be there to support them. At times, it seems like a dream that we lived there but I remember the little details so well–our smiling doorman, the fruit lady on the corner, the dancing groups on every corner every evening, our dvd store with the best looking dog in Shanghai hanging out front always. Our jaunts to Vietnam and Hong Kong were so fun and always filled with quirky wonderful moments. My best friend, Patti and her husband got to visit as well as James spending his holidays there. Thom is working on our book that will combine our blog posts and his amazing pictures. Goal is to have ready by end of the year and I encourage (nag!) him daily to finish so we can share with family & friends. We’ll publish on Amazon to help other expats going to China.

Golden retriever that was the house dog at our DVD store in Shanghai

Now, we are back to Seattle as we are meant to be, supporting James while he goes to law school and being in Boise often to see Hannah and Mike and watch our granddaughter, Mia, grow up. As I gaze upon Elliott Bay from our lower Queen Anne home, I am realistic that this is just a temporary stop in our worldwide adventure and that’s okay. I am appreciative and loving it for now. In a few weeks, we will take off to explore Amsterdam. FUN! Our dream one day is to live in 12 different countries in 12 months…don’t know when that will happen but as I look back on the incredible journey the last four years, I know anything is possible if you allow yourself to take risks and I’m all over that! Here’s to the next four years (raising my glass of vino)–may they be filled with great appreciation for all that life can offer. Carpe Diem all!

A haze settles on Seattle-Hempfest Weekend is upon us!

On August 15, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Parks, Seattle, walkingLeave a comment

Groovy times on the Seattle waterfront this weekend at Hempfest! We live near the festival so we just had to check it out on our walk home after shopping downtown at two of our favorite stores, World Market and Mud Bay. Thor was needing a big boy diaper so a trip to Mud Bay was required–he’s one year old now and still prone to accidents so on goes the protection until such time as he can control his little self. But enough about Thor’s incontinence and on to a more popular topic, Hempfest!

Hop aboard the Canna-bus and take a ride! Guaranteed you'll smoke a pipe! — Hop aboard the Canna-bus and take a ride! Guaranteed you’ll smoke a pipe!

Trying to avoid the line to herd people into security for bag check, we tried skirting Hempfest crowd to walk along the waterfront. Quickly stopped by a friendly Staffing Pro gal, her supervisor immediately intervened after taking one look at us and waved us by without further ado. Guess we didn’t fit the Hempfest profile and he could instantly ascertain we were just wandering by on our way home with some purchases. Glad to keep on walking (my Fitbit is such a step whore–10,000 or more to be happy!) we quickly fell into the crowd walking as slow as humanly possible so they could smoke, eat and chat while strolling. Amazing how slow you can be when stoned I guess because I was weaving in and out like a madwoman just trying to move along. Seeing the food truck featuring fried PB&J and other fried delicacies was just info overload for their weed-laden brains. Squirrel!

“Is weed really legal to just smoke in public?” I innocently asked Thom. He explained that while it is not technically legal to light up in general, there certainly weren’t enough cops in Seattle to enforce any type of law so unless there was trouble, it was pretty much a smokefest of weed in the park. CHILL! The Canna-bus was quite the attraction selling branded apparel and booking events on the weed party bus. Just had to pose for a picture with it. Bet they have to have lots of fridges and microwaves in that bus to crank out the munchies!

Grass...enough said... — Grass…enough said…

James just got a pt job with a security company and his first assignment was yesterday in the pouring rain and lightning checking bags at Hempfest for alcohol, which was NOT allowed but a small handful of weed was cool. Interesting standards but at least the crowd was subdued vs. hyped up and crazy. After the worst working day of his life, James crawled home for hot food and rest before another fun day keeping the peace at Hempfest. Jobs like these will help him stay focused on excelling at law school, which he starts next week. I’m super proud he persevered through a ten hour day of Hell. He is surely my son with that type of work ethic!

As the haze settles on Seattle, we are looking forward to seeing how Amsterdam embraces their pot culture by comparison to Seattle. We leave in four weeks for our Netherlands adventure and I cannot wait!

New and different in NYC

On August 2, 2015August 2, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Food, hotels, New York City, Parks, Shopping, Travel, vacation, walkingLeave a comment

It’s a bit of a challenge for us to do new things when we are in NYC because we have lots of favorite haunts and habits from our prior life here. But this trip, we actually managed to have some never-been-done-before adventures. HALLELEUJAH! From new events to new stores to new walkabouts, we had a fantastic time getting out of our comfort zone and taking that road less travelled. Well, there is no road in crowded NYC that is “less travelled” but you know what I mean.

Stumbling into a NYC outdoor experience, Summer Streets, we got to join the crowd biking/walking/skating down Park Avenue that was closed to all but pedestrian traffic from lower to upper Manhattan. Taxi’s were hating it but we loved it! Very well organized, there were free bikes and rollerblades along the way, water stations, singers to entertain us and all played out on a beautiful sunny day. Free fun for all!

Music along the way celebrating Summer Streets

Our destination on Saturday was my favorite store, Fishs Eddy, but along the way we found a new, first-in-the-US store that I just love. Flying Tiger from Copenhagen is filled with under $10 stuff that you probably don’t need but have to have. I got super cute hostess gifts with a mustache theme for my boss—something about that crazy black curly mustache just makes me smile so hopefully she will find it amusing too especially in the form of mustache scrubbies for the kitchen and potholders to match. Just what ever kitchen needs to make it a happier place!

After buying as much as I could carry and storing it all away in my new canvas “RECYCLE OR DIE” bag (how Seattle!), we were off on the subway to visit Thom’s niece who had a baby and moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn so they could buy a house. And what a beautiful house it was! After visiting with Thom’s sister and brother-in-law too who were in town for the baby’s 1^st birthday, we Ubered it out of there to go to Dumbo to meet up with Thom’s best friend since Kindergarten, Ronnie, and his wife, Andrea.

Our group caught up on our busy lives and walked along the East River and right into a Hindu Lamp Ceremony, called Aarti, complete with make-your-own ceremonial containers that you lite up to signify life and the burning of negative tendencies to purify our hearts and serve others with humility. What a great message to guide our existence! Thoroughly embracing the custom, we watched the containers drift out into the waters and listened to the chanting taking place to honor the ceremony. Cool.

Wood fired pizza joint-cash only and gin-infused lemonades!

Eschewing the long lines at the local popular Brooklyn eating joints, we pooled our cash for a pop-up pizza outlet, no wait, and happily munched on wood fired pizzas and gin-infused lemonade. HAPPINESS IN A GLASS! I was struck by the message of life that the pizza guy was putting out there on the back of his shirt, “Eat Pizza, Make Love”. HELLO! Another great message for all to heed!

Going back to the lovely Grand Hyatt, we enjoyed watching the Mets win (again!), drank wine and relaxed in the Presidential Suite that the hotel was nice enough to upgrade us to. SPOILED ROTTEN, WE ARE!

We appreciate every moment of our blessed lives and don’t expect to be able to visit NYC again, though we can always hope. My work here is done for the foreseeable future and budgets are tight at work. With friends and family here plus our love of this urban wonderland, the connection to NYC is so strong. If the stars align, we hope to live here again some day.

In the meantime, we will continue to expect nothing and appreciate everything! Life is so good.

Savoring the Manhattan Experience One More Time

On July 30, 2015July 30, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, hotels, New York City, Nightlife, Shopping, Travel, Uncategorized, walkingLeave a comment

Back in NYC after a business trip to Orlando (in July…HELLO, event planner, what were you thinking???–so hot and humid I was always moist) I couldn’t help but immediately take to the streets. It’s what I do and makes my FitBit so happy. On the way to work on Sunday morning, yes I work 24/7, I managed to walk by Rockefeller Center, the LOVE sculpture, Central Park and St. Pat’s Cathedral. Only in Manhattan is that all in a morning’s walk.

FishEddy's is my go-to store every time I am in NYC — Fishes Eddy is my go-to store every time I am in NYC

St. Pat's Io's always awe-inspiring and iconic — St. Pat’s Io’s always awe-inspiring and iconic

Waiting for Thom to join me later in the week so we can celebrate out 27th Wedding Anniversary, I wanted to save the fun stuff so we could do it together but I did manage a walk to my favorite store, Fishs Eddy, on Sunday. The lure of kitschy hand towels, Hillary mugs, and fun stuff always has me leaving with a bag of goodies to bring home. Putting in 17,000+ steps = 7+ miles on Sunday left the feet hot and tired for sure but, fueled by my beloved $1 cheese pizza, I just kept on walking, walking, walking….

With Thom finally here, we set off for the TKTS booth in Times Square to get a deal on Broadway tickets. Having scoped out the Tony Awards and the NYTimes reviews, I knew exactly what shows I wanted to see and, sure enough, at 7:00 p.m. last night we scored 50% off 4th row seats to see Taye Diggs in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. AMAZING. GO. He’s only been the lead for 7 shows yet I can’t imagine anyone else pulling off that story with the grit and sassy bravado he showed off in this explosive drama musical. We were just shy of the water spout he shot out into the crowd and three rows away from him grinding on me like he did the lucky gal in the first row who really was into it. That’s cool–little too up close and personal for me anyway.

Despite some microphone miscues, Taye just rolled with it and shook his fist at the so-called ghost who haunts the Belasco Theater and cussed him out. Leaping out into the audience, he picked on the preppy guy in the second row, licking his glasses and then politely handing them back. Sharing spit is caring! This is the type of show I could go to again and enjoy it even more. If you’re in NYC, go to TKTS, get your tickets at 50% off and enjoy it–may want to avoid that third row middle seat, however, unless you wear a raincoat.

Classic theater and explosive drama musical

Adding to my Broadway sippy cup collection makes me so happy!

Today, we celebrate our 27th anniversary. Seems like yesterday that I was in NYC at the Cadillac Bar picking up the cute guy with the long hair, earring and fur-lined leather jacket. We went dancing the night away at the trendy Limelight Bar in an old church and have never stopped the adventure of enjoying our lives together. While I had to work today, Thom braved the rain and got to see his Mets play (and lose-pity!) but enjoyed the experience thoroughly. Tonight we will go to Toshi’s, our favorite bar in the Flatiron District with Hello Brooklyn singing on stage and will thoroughly enjoy the Presidential Suite the lovely Grand Hyatt just upgraded us to.

Using my many Diamond status perks, we had been promised last night to be moved but there were Secret Service here who took priority, watching over somebody far more important than us. Hmmm… wonder who?? Could Thom be wearing the very hotel robe that a foreign President just wore??? Yes, we are not only blessed with ridiculous adventures but, more importantly, we have each other. I don’t have to worry about anything because, no matter what, I know Thom has my back and will be there to support me and love me and, really, what else matters?? Best friends and soulmates for the last 27 years. How lucky I am.

Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt is amazing!

The adventure continues... — The adventure continues…

NYC Never Disappoints

On July 19, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Music, New York City, Parks, Seattle, TravelLeave a comment

While it’s good to be back home again in Seattle (at least for a few days), as I walk the silent, relatively clean streets, I ache for the hustle and bustle of the NYC action where, night or day, there is a whole lot of something, something going on. Speaking of action, I had the good fortune to be in the city when the Asian Art Alliance was having their benefit. Our friend, Andrea, runs this great organization so I was able to hang out with her hubbie and Thom’s best friend since kindergarten, Ronnie, and enjoy super talented artists doing their thing. From a Broadway singer giving us a sneak peek at the new George Taikei musical coming this fall, Allegiance, to a beatbox artist and a singer from Thailand, it was such a lovely evening with some energetic dance moves from the master of ceremonies-queue the video:

Going downtown to attend the event, I bravely hopped on the #1 subway and prayed it was going in the right direction. Thank God–the numbers were decreasing so I was headed to south Manhattan as planned! Confident as I exited on Hudson Street, I got the loveliest random compliment from a random dude as he walked into a Dunkin Donut–” You’ve got style!” he quipped as he checked out my new black dress anchored by my turquoise belt that I’ve had for years and still dearly love. Why thank you Mr. Complete Stranger! Way to make my day!

On to the Asian Art Alliance event….I do appreciate all artists as I have no musical talent whatsoever. As I chatted with the beatboxing guy, complimenting him on his performance, I contemplated how brave and determined these performers must be to endure what has to be a hand-to-mouth struggle as they pursue their passion. I’m too practical and scared to do anything like that, preferring a steady paycheck and benefits but I do envy them following their dream. If I can encourage and thank them for sharing their music, I always try to and have had great conversations recently with everyone from a singer at a Vancouver benefit that was performing for the first time in public to Allen Stone at a company benefit. What a joy they bring to us who are musically challenged!

Bryant Park does outdoor movies in the summer

Earlier in my NYC week, I envied the huge crowd queued up to watch an outdoor movie in Bryant Park with their blankets spread out hours in advance. I wonder if the hotel would have minded me taking their nice white towel to the park?? Not as much fun without Thom but maybe next time. I did finally have a Shake Shack hamburger–good but not quite worth the hype. The Shake Shack in Madison Park always has a huge crowd and lines where you wait an hour or so. Crazy! There is one by my hotel near Grand Central with no line so I came home from the Asian Arts Alliance late and was starving so it was time to check it out. Yum but our local Seattle joint Dick’s puts it to shame for half the price and quite frankly, much better taste. Plus, Dick’s just makes me giggle every time Thom says, “Let’s go grab a bag of Dick’s”. What am I 12?

After a very busy week in Manhattan, I actually slept on the plane home which I rarely am able to do. I arrived home to a gorgeous “cotton candy” sunset and a weekend spent catching up on life and cuddling with my puppies. Thom is back home in Indiana supporting my Mom while my sister Becky is in Europe-lucky her! Jealous with Europe envy, I finally booked our September vacation. We are off on another adventure–AMSTERDAM HERE WE COME!

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