Forgot to mention

When I left on Monday, the little table in the apartment building hallway -- the one where I left the Halloween candy as my random act of kindness -- had something on it. I sort of squinted and realized it was one of those crepe paper turkeys -- you know with the baffles and the cardboard head? Then on the mirror above the table, there was a store-bought Happy Thanksgiving sign.

I know it was not the building management that did this because they never decorate, so I am hoping that the chocolate chip cookies I received that I returned with the Halloween candy motivated someone else to do a random act of Thanksgiving kindness -- or maybe it's my friend of the anonymous cookies.

Arrival in Ohio

I had a pleasant day driving here and all was well until I checked into the hotel. I requested the first floor, got the third floor, when I got off the elevator, I was assaulted by smoke smell (not a fire, but old musty smoking smoke)... went in the room, sat on the bed, turned on the TV, was feeling overheated and claustrophobic and felt a headache developing, kept sniffing the air, then I saw the dreaded ASHTRAY and knew I was in a smoking room on a smoking floor.

Called the front desk, who thought I wanted a smoking room, had reserved a smoking room (no on both counts) and he was really an idiot. You know how you wonder how it can take you so long to check someone in? Like what the hell was he doing? So he asked me to come down to the front desk. I said no, I wasn't going to troop down there to watch him stare blankly into his computer... ok, I didn't say the "stare blankly" part, but I did say I wasn't going to make the trip unless he had a room. He said he'd call me back, but in the meantime, I started packing up, thinking I can't stay here for three days. Then the phone rang, he had another room, a non-smoking one, on the first floor (this is after telling me there were no rooms available on the first floor), and I swear it is like a different world.

Yuk. I was thinking about the lack of smoke in my life. I can't think of anyone I know who smokes. NYC is so anti-smoking that I don't ever come in contact with it. You can't even smoke outside in NY. Where I typically rent a car -- Dollar -- all cars are no smoking and you have to sign something that you won't smoke. Where I sometimes stay here, a Marriott property, is also all no smoking.

It still sort of surprises me that me, a former smoker (even though it's been 25+ years) is bothered so much by the smell. It's just so stale and headache inducing.

Anyway, now I'm happy, and here are some photos from today:

Despite this McDonald's sign, there was only one car in front of me where the woman was having such a prolonged conversation that I eventually put the car in Park. I can't imagine what she was doing. This was not a friendly chit chat. It took a lot of restraint to not at least toot the car horn. And hey, who wouldn't want to start their Thanksgiving Day with a trip to McD's?

I saw these bushes a lot today, and they were quite pretty, deep red.

Traveling along in Pennsylvania.

Dramatic sky in Ohio.

I thought of Fran when I saw these trees, especially the big one. This is from when I got off the highway to get gas-- uh, for the car.

More sky drama as the sun sets.

On the road again

Had such an uneventful trip from NY to Sommerset PA today that there's not much to say. The leaves are still pretty, although past their prime. Saw some remnants of the Halloween snow storm which was odd. Activated Sirius radio. Listened to music. Does anyone actually understand what the Dixie Chicks' song "Landslide" is about? If so, please explain. What is the landslide that let her down? Love the song, and sing along, but I have no idea what the point of it is.

Onward to Ohio. Maybe I'll take some nice traveling pics tomorrow.

Memory Walk Day

Here's Mary's report:

L to R: Dave, Mary, Matt, Meredith

What a gorgeous (although chilly) morning to be out on the Mall. I was wearing a long sleeve tee shirt with a sweater over it, then I added the Alzheimer's sweatshirt and my light jacket - they said to dress in layers but I felt a little like a sausage. It was cold - but when we got into the sun it was really nice. It reminded me how lucky I am to live here and get to take a simple walk around such beauty. You can't see the damage on the Washington Monument from our earthquake, but I had a slight nervousness looking at it. It was a nice crowd - I wore the sign Fran made for me last year, remembering my mom and grandmothers. It was touching reading signs people carried for Nana, or Granddad, or my sister. All in all a lovely morning with Meredith, Dave and Matt - after a grueling mile long walk, we had a nice brunch back in my neighborhood.

I support one other Memory Walk person today who is in San Diego. She's a girl I went to school with, whose mother was our Girl Scout leader who died of Alzheimer's. Mrs. Clark had been a flight attendant for American Airlines in the late 1940s, and my friend Ann, has this beautiful photo of her mother in her uniform, looking just so glamorous.

Anyway, when I had dinner with Ann this past summer, I told her that I so often think of her mother when I pick something up off the floor. When we were in sixth grade, her mother had tried to teach us tomboy hooligans some social graces, including how you pick something up off the floor in a ladylike way. You dip straight down, keeping your body vertical, according to Mrs. Clark. You do NOT bend over from the waist sticking your butt in the air. But, alas, to this day, I do bend over from the waist, sticking my butt out, so I often mutter, "Sorry, Mrs. Clark."

Snow Aftermath

We didn't get much snow last weekend in New York City, but this is from my friend who lost power. She is now back in the 21st century as of late Wednesday night. This is her street the day after the storm.

Thursday Lunch Out: Bad Beginning, Good Ending

I combined lunch with a trip to pick up a package at the post office which is at 91st and Third. I had my orange slip which was just from yesterday. The clerk was so angry, so horrible, just grunted at me and it really pissed me off. I was thinking later that I  approach everyone respectfully. I always say hello and smile and don't just shove the slip their way. This guy ("Ronald") didn't acknowledge my greeting; I handed him the slip and he grunted "ID". He then disappeared, came back gnawing on a piece of candy. I said (passive aggressively), "Oh good, you could use some sweetening." He was silent. Found my box and just shoved it toward me. You'd have to work on not saying, "here you go" or   something. As I was putting away my driver's license, this old frail lady came up to the window, upset, that she had lost her keys. She asked him if he had found them and he barely summoned the energy to open a drawer, glances in it, closes it and then shakes his head once, meaning no.

Not back, forth, back, forth, back forth shake of the head NO, but just one solitary shake. Neither that lady or I deserved that treatment. As I left, I asked for a supervisor. I always have the "you get the service you're willing to settle for" ringing in my head. I described his behavior to an uncaring supervisor who then said to me, "Was he rude to you?" like "you gotta give me something more than this" and I said Yes.  So she said she'd speak to him. Which I doubt, but I said my piece.

Later thinking about it -- I know, I can chew on something for hours, I was thinking that he actively sent bad vibes at me. I don't need my ass kissed. I don't need smily face yes mam, no mam, I really don't. But Ronald was angry, pissed off, hated his job -- well, join the effing club, Ronald.  I felt assaulted by him. I really did.  I know this might sound minor, but I think his attitude just took me by surprise. I walk in dum-dee-dee-dum-dum, and the guy snarls at me. What the heck.

Ok, so then it was time for lunch. I saw this place -- Parlor Steak House -- across the street and saw it was open and had a menu outside. When I got there, the menu showed a prix fixe lunch for $25 which seemed a bit out of my budget, but I saw they had other things so I went in.

Very pretty interior. I realized I'd been in this place before in another of its incarnations a few years ago. Can't remember the name of the place then, but I remember I went in on a Saturday afternoon, also having picked up a package at the post office.

This is the view from my table, sitting on a banquette. There were people in the bar. Me and one other man in the dining room. The interior almost immediately calmed me from the post office.

After I ordered, another waiter brought this. It was described to me as "red onion foccacia and white bean puree." He said he is only supposed to give one piece, but gave me two. Said he was feeling "generous." The white bean puree didn't have much taste, but the foccacia was absolutely delicious. Very soft, very fresh.

I knew my day was looking up when I saw one of my favorite things on the menu: LOBSTER ROLL.

I would rate this one a B. What it lacked was the icy coolness of the lobster with the warmth of the roll. This was all one temperature. Also, the lobster mixture was just placed on top of the bread. There was really no "roll" to speak of so I ate it with a knife and fork.

The menu said it came with french fries, but I wasn't expecting this. There was a bowl of good fries, with those frizzy fried onions on top. The little cups had ketchup and aioli mayo in them. Really good.

And then, to finish off my good lunch, I had a cup of cappucino. This one went over budget, not that I have one, but the total (oh, with a soda which was $2.75) was $28.53 plus tip. But I really enjoyed it.

Back home again where the leaves are turning. The guy in the photo on the cellphone is Jeffrey, the super in my building whom I really like. He and his family are from Malta. Really a lovely family.

Batman and the Slug

The Batkid is a child of a colleague, and I just love it as this classic American kid. I don't know who the Slug is, just sent to me by another colleague: