Wait. What? How can it be my last day in Maui? I didn't even get to post about Days 2, 3, or 4!

So, it is my last day. What a drag. I have had an incredible time on this island ~ a wedding, new friends, loads of love, a beautiful island, and whale watching from my balcony. I could get used to falling asleep to the sounds of wind and waves, ocean breeze blowing through screens, eating ahi tacos at Paia Fish Market.

I had a wonderful body scrub and massage on Saturday morning at Mandara Spa, onsite at the Wailea Marriott. The facility is small and simple. I found the Relaxation Lounge to be anything but. Despite the candles and bamboo decor, the chairs were much too rigid. I get that the space is merely a waiting room; but give me comfy, cushy chairs or sofas. It is a relaxation lounge. The worst part of the room is that waterfall. Ai yi yi! The waterfall takes up one length of wall. The stonework is nice, but the water rushes out too fast. It's not soothing whatsoever. The sound is not calming like ocean waves; it's loud and crashing and monotonous. I ended up sitting in the steam room.

25 minutes of body scrub, 25 minutes of massage. Heaven. After the scrub, I was taken to the shower to rinse. My skin felt foreign it felt so soft and smooth! The best part? The scalp and foot massage. Ho-lay mo-lay! I nearly wept as she worked her magic on my poor aching feet. (Sidebar: I only packed a carry-on bag for this trip, so only 2 pairs of shoes made the cut. With all of the walking I did wearing slippah, next time, I'm spending the cash to check a bag.)

After the spa, we took a trip to Paia Fish Market. This place is about as big as a 7-11. The fish is fresh, caught that morning, so the options change daily. I opted for ahi tacos - foodgasm! On a slow day, the place makes $5k. On a busy day? They rake in over $30k! Dayum! If I lived here, they'd certainly get most of my money. As a matter o'fact, the Paia Fish Market is getting the last of my cash before I hit the airport today ;)

Yesterday's wedding was absolutely fantastic. Steve and Chrissy were so calm about it, while I stressed out. I wanted to ceremony to be perfect for them - they're my friends! I ended up creating something beautiful for them that was fun and personal and even made a few people cry. The Wailea Seaside Chapel at sunset is breathtaking - the sun filtered through gorgeous stained glass into the candlelit chapel. They had chosen a harpist, which suited the room perfectly. The whole room was exquisite. Their wedding coordinator did a great job with all of the details. (Sidebar: I was told there's a job waiting for me if I decide to move to Maui. Hmm...). The ceremony was short and lovely. The reception was long and lively. The 2 of them together are wonderful to watch and their friends/family are so full of love for each other. I was so honored to be part of it. Looks like I'll be heading to Denver soon :) Steve and Chrissy ~ I wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness and an abundance of joy!

Today, I blog...I pack...I eat Paia Fish Market...and I go home. *sigh*

It's been wonderful, Maui. Let's do it again, soon.

Maui - Day 1 (2.10)

Day 1 ~ Maui

I'm a pretty good flyer. Sometimes turbulence happens and I'm okay with that. But, this LAX-OGG flight? I was not okay. You know it's bad when the pilot calls for the flight staff to take their jump seats 3 times during the 5+ hour flight.

We're staying at the Wailea Marriott ~ a sprawling property with an infinity pool, a water park-like pool for kids, a Starbucks, gorgeous foliage, and a spa. My room faces the ocean. I could sit on this balcony all day…I kinda want to sit on this balcony all day. Why do I not live here? *sigh*

Earlier, while getting ready for dinner, I kept hearing a lady screaming, shrieking. I didn't see any commotion outside my room, then realized the luau was going on on the other side of the building. Maybe she was scared for the fire dancers or something. Ready to go, I walked out to watch the sunset. The lady was below the landing, still screaming, still shrieking. There was an eruption of applause and screams ~ 3 whales were about 200 yards offshore, breaching! Not just once, several times in a row. It was fucking incredible! About 300 yards from that, another whale was slapping the water with its fin. Shamu? The whale was slapping the water with its fin! So incredibly moving and amazing and I felt so small yet connected and oh, how I wished there was a hand to grab at that moment and I felt lonely and started crying. Then, I got mad at the beautiful sunset because I couldn't see the whales anymore.

After a enjoying ridiculous amounts of sushi and sake, I'm back in my hotel room, sliding glass door wide open, listening to the waves crash against the rocky shore. I know whales are migrating past right now…and I want to see them…I want them to call me up and say "Hey, we'll honk as we go by!" I'm silly, I know. I am feeling so much right now! I don't understand most of it and I can't explain any of it.

The rhythm of the wind and the waves…my lullaby.

Girl of 100 Lists - 2011.

family

two weeks in Hawaii

shark dive

third row for Duran Duran

a weekend of the Fixx

an 80s weekend with my favorite 80s bands

44

featured post at the3six5.com

cleared clutter in six weeks

people in my place for the first time

relapsed in six weeks

first piece of furniture in my place

writing - judged, defeated, pencils down

writing - fuck that, I'm good, resumed

friends - fun, laughs, love, bonds strengthened

Adele, Florence, GirlTalk, Mayer Hawthorne, G Love, Belle Brigade, ABC, Tony Hadley, Truth & Salvage Co

weddings

funerals

English Beat to close my year

Shark Dive!

Last October, I was in Hawaii for a wedding. My friends did a shark dive on the morning of my arrival. They couldn't stop talking about the experience for the rest of our trip. I wasn't too keen on taking the dive but it sounded too great to pass up.

Last Thursday, I took a ride with Hawaii Shark Encounters and did that dive!

It was a 20-minute boat ride out to the cage. We were less than one hundred yards out and sharks were there, waiting. I was trying to see the sharks, handle my camera and keep my balance on the rough sea. I decided to give up looking for them until I was in the cage.

Group 1 got in while Group 2 listened to stories of the Galapagos sharks we were about to encounter. Rich, boat captain, told us of a great white shark off the coast of Lanai. That wasn't a story I wanted to hear while on a tinny (and tiny) crabbing boat in the middle of the ocean and a bunch of sharks.

My turn! I entered the water, holding the boat & cage bars while trying to find the ladder rungs. There were 3 sets of bars - water level for your hands, midway for your knees and bottom for your feet. The hand bars were easy to find. *bump* Ouch! There's the knee bars. The feet bars weren't so easy. Between the bars is open space, ocean and sharks. I didn't want to be kickin' around, y'know?

Finally in position (one hand on bar, knees locked under the midway, feet hooked on the bottom), I stuck my face in the water. It was silent. It was eerie. And it was shark filled! Sharks were just...there. I mean, thisclose to the cage and the bars and me. At one point, I lost my footing. As I tried to find the bar, the foot of the girl next to me brushed across my leg. I peed myself.

Rich told us just to snap photos; don't try to look in the window or view finder - just click away. My eyes didn't see everything my camera did. My camera didn't capture everything my eyes did. That was okay because I took some great photos!

All the photos from the dive can be seen here

Summer Tour 2010 - It's the End of the Party

Tough to walk away last night. People were milling about and it was bittersweet. Just as I was getting to know them all - Grace, Peter, John, the others. I stood there, longing to be smack-dab in the middle of them, it - the chatter, the drinks, the smoke, the laughter. I wanted to grab it all, wrap myself up so tight in the memories of my new friends...then just stay there, warm and remembering.

I said goodbye to everyone a dozen times in the hopes someone had one wish left to bestow upon me. This was not to be. Accepted, reluctantly. My wishes were used for two weeks of fucking awesome! Guess being greedy just wouldn't be right...

There was no backstage room; the guys all stayed on their buses or on the side street. I had wanted to talk with Chris again, couldn't find him. He's a slick guy, disappearing just as you notice he's around. A car was waiting to take him away. Fans were waiting to take him away, too. I just stood there, staring. Why in the world am I so intimidated and scared? Well, other than the fact that he is Chris effing Difford. It took me a few minutes to work up the nerve. I popped my head in the driver's side door - "Chris, hope you feel better. Thank you so very much for the past two weeks. It was wonderful and fun and true joy and everything." Mind you, I'm saying this like running a sprint, words tumbling out before I could think. He smiled and said some very nice things. I closed the car door, walked away all warm and happy, smiling and bummed that it took me until the end to talk with him. Oh well...

Memories of conversations had and overheard roll around in my head making it difficult to write this...I'm actually tearing up, so emotional. (Crybaby!) I will sit with these memories. I will let them trip and fall, spin and stumble around up there...then smile as they spill out to keep me company on my drive home. Eight hours is a long time.

"Do it now you know there's never a next time..."

NaBloPoMo 7.31 Summer Tour 2010 - Northern CA

Woke up in a delightful bed in a great hotel room ~ thank you Cypress Hotel, Cupertino. Yet, I am feeling incredibly lonely. This laptop is a blessing and a curse as I can't stay away from it...seeking some sort of contact via Facebook or Twitter. Someone, anyone to reach out to. I don't know how these bands do it...



Today is my last day of Summer Tour 2010. I do not want it to end! :::stomping feet::: No no no! It has been such an incredible experience ~ the places, the music, the experiences, the people. I am so amazed that this is me. Ten years ago, I would never have embarked on an adventure like this - too introverted, too hyper-aware, too scared. These past two weeks have showed me Me. I wrangled media for Dave, reaching out to interviewers, keeping them entertained while waiting, put myself out there first, no waiting for someone to (hopefully) approach me.

Like their tshirts say, I quite like Squeeze. I'd met Glenn a year ago and reintroduced myself. He's such a delight on stage and off. John, bassist, is nice as well yet seems to disappear quickly. Simon, drummer, is a kick! He's boisterous and fun and funny and is quite the charmer. Stephen, keyboards, is...well...all sorts of things. I crushed a bit. :::shoulder shrug::: And then there's Chris. I finally worked up nerve to talk to him last night. Such a drag I didn't do it sooner. I have to admit to feeling scared of him. So, I looked for him on Twitter, sent a tweet and then gave myself permission to talk to him. I dunno. Weird. Whatever. He was nice to me though I think he wasn't feeling well.

I think I'll flip video tonight's show. Warned Candy I'm likely to cry during Goodbye Girl. Told Glenn "Tomorrow, my hourglass will have no more grains of sand..." He laughed that big lovely laugh (it's one of his lyrics - ha).

I am certainly going to miss all of this...

NaBloPoMo 7.26 - Summer Tour 2010: Denver

07.26.10
Las Vegas NV

Sitting in my hotel room, reliving last night, I decided to not blog about it. I mean, who the hell do I think I am?! I’m just me, so I settled on keeping part of this story to myself and my journal.

About 30 minutes ago, I read my friend Melanie’s latest blog in which she asked herself the same question: Who the hell do I think I am? Well, that’s been answered. Here we go:

I left Minneapolis to spend four days in Denver. This will be the longest stay in one place on my Summer Tour. Other than the show on Sunday, I was so excited to spend time with three good friends – Ruthie, Marc and Steve. I hadn’t spent much time in Denver when I was there as Miss Tall in 1997, so having time to see the city was exciting.

Ruthie and I met in the tall club, likely at an Orange County 2^nd Friday Night dance. We really came to know each other at the TCI convention in Clearwater Beach FL in 1997. She is such a sweet, witty and wise lady. I’ve always enjoyed her stories and company and her great laugh. Graciously, Ruthie was my airport shuttle and Denver tour guide. We lunched at this FAB restaurant called Encore on Colfax . Wow! The food menu wasn’t lengthy; but everything on the menu was such an interesting pairing/combination: seared scallops with watermelon/tomato/corn/fennel relish on mixed greens; fig & pig pizza (fig paste, prosciutto, gorgonzola); mac n cheese with English peas and toasted almonds. Such a delightfully different menu. So delightful, in fact, I went back the next day! Anyway, it was great to catch up with Ruthie…

Saturday afternoon was my Marco time! We met three years ago when he invited the BFFs to his time share in Puerto Vallarta. We got on great, had a great week in PV. The two of us spent a lot of time sitting on the patio or balcony, talking about music and life and everything in between. We became very good friends and stayed in touch. So, when he picked me up, we fell right into our easy chatter like no time had passed at all. I love friendships like that. We headed over to an area called the Highlands, to a bar called Lola. I was digging the vibe. It was eclectic and the crowd was age and ethnically diverse. I’d never seen so many inter-racial couples in one place! Honestly, did not think Denver would be so diverse. Marc and I abandoned Lola for the quieter Forest Room 5. This was a strange place – cuckoo clocks on the walls, a close-captioned Western showing on the wall above the bar, wood stumps for barstools, huge wood slabs (for lack of a better word/description) was the bar. Then, I spotted the Hendrick’s gin and all was less strange.

Sunday afternoon had me back at Encore restaurant with Steve and Chrissy. I’d heard so much about Chrissy that I just knew I knew her. And, it was an easy friendship from the get-go. The two of them walked into the hotel lobby and we hugged. Friends. Done. She is so lovely! And the two of them together are so fantastic. We caught up on life and chatted about John Mayer and Michael Jackson. Steve is out in SoCal often so we plan to get together again soon. Chrissy and I will make our own plans sans Steve.

Sunday night was the 2^nd show of Summer Tour 2010. The Ogden is a great theater – huge, open venue with a balcony and split levels. In terms of layout, I would compare it to the Wiltern. Squeeze had their merchandise set up in the lobby, sharing space with the bar. This left a corner inside the theater for the Beat stuff. Candy and I were elated – we’d be able to SEE the show, not just hear it, like at the zoo. We were so ridiculously giddy! When Squeeze came on to do sound check, the two of us stopped arranging the merch to sing ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ as loud as our out-of-tune voices could get.

While waiting, two people came into the venue.

“Hi. Aren’t you Shannon? Love Hope Strength…?” I’m sure she gets that a lot. Shannon is the Executive Director of the Love Hope Strength Foundation which provides support for cancer-care centers around the world.
“I am.”
“Hi – I’m Rissa…met you last year at the PhillyRocks event.”

Shannon and Jeremy were there for the LHS ‘Get on the List’ bone marrow donor drive. (Sidebar: it’s easy, it’s painless and it’s FREE to get on the list at concerts around the country this summer. Do it!). That table was set up on the other side of the venue, we said our “See you laters” and got on with our business.

The Squeeze set was most excellent! With each song, Candy or I would squeal “Ohh, I LOVE this song!” then start singing and dancing. “Goodbye Girl” is the one that makes us pause to relive the memories each of us has associated with the song. I love watching Stephen on the keyboards – he’s so energetic and looks mighty fine in a well-tailored suit. When he breaks out the iPad for “Pulling Mussels” it’s so awesome! Technology, meet the 80s. Fantastic, I say.

After the show, Shannon invited me to join her and Jeremy for a drink at a bar across from my hotel two blocks away. After saying my goodbyes, I walked down to meet them at the Irish Snug. However, they were nowhere to be found. Uh…okay. I’m looking both ways, ready to run across Colfax Avenue to my hotel when I hear yelling. “RISSA! RISSA! OVER HERE!”

I make my through the bar to the outside patio and am greeted by Shannon, Jeremy, Simon (Squeeze drummer) and…Glenn Tilbrook. My stomach did flips worthy of Olympic competition 10s! I’m fairly certain my face did not betray my giddiness. Glenn stood up, kissed my cheek, hugged me and said “It’s nice to see you again.” Naturally, I would like to think he would remember me from September 2009 in Philadelphia. The likelihood of that is unlikely. He probably remembered me from staring at him during sound check at the zoo three nights prior! No matter. I was just hugged by Glenn Tilbrook.

Let me just say this – it is awesome to see movie stars and celebrities when out and about. However, musicians and songwriters bring out the 12 year-old girl in me. I identify so much with music and lyrics; every important or life-changing or defining moment is associated with a song or three. So, meeting any of these brilliant musicians/songwriters is a huge deal for me.

We were joined by Stephen and Ray, keyboardists for Squeeze and the English Beat, respectively. I enjoyed chatting up Stephen, talking about walking in L.A., flying in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and franchising Hot Chick-a-Latte. He is adorable! (And the British accent does not hurt at all)

I moved back into conversation with Shannon and Glenn, talking about last year’s Mt. Kilimanjaro climb, the upcoming trek to Mt. Fuji, how to get the LHS/Get on the List word out at the rest of the shows and the closing of the Rocky Stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a two-year, $1.5 billion renovation. I must admit, a few times my mind shut-down and all I could think was “That is Glenn Tilbrook. Glenn. Tilbrook.”

Our night was cut short by the tour manager’s mildly scolding “The bus is leaving.” I was sad. I didn’t want it to end! We said our goodbyes to Shannon and Jeremy. Stephen and Glenn hugged me and said “See you in Vegas.” Simon chimed in “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?” We shall see…

With that, I bid you a good-night from Las Vegas.

NaBloPoMo 7.23

Aww, man! I missed a couple of NaBloPoMo days. Could back date...nah, I won't :(



It is Day Two of Summer Tour 2010 and I'm in Minneapolis MN today. This little inn where I'm staying is nice - clean rooms, shuttle service to airport & local attractions, free breakfast, indoor pool, free wi-fi. Dig it.


Day One started yesterday at 4:00 a.m. I do not wear that well at all. The flight from LAX to Denver wasn't so bad. Well, loud talking dude was annoying...but the flight itself was uneventful. I changed planes in Denver, a nice airport with several Caribou Coffee stops in Terminal C, clean bathrooms and, judging by the crowded recharge stations, free wi-fi.


While waiting, I realized the plane I was about to board originated in another city. Crap. It's been my experience that changing planes usually meant I would not be in an exit row with leg room. And, this was to be my experience once again. Short people in the exit rows, all the way across. Grr. They were all smiles and laughing. I consoled myself with two Screwdrivers.


Within seconds of walking into my hotel room, I get a text: Sound check @ 5. I showered, dressed and went to the lobby to hail a cab.

Let me interject right here: the Apple Valley MN AmericInn has the best customer service. There for less than 24 hours, these girls were awesome! I wrote to the general manager so he would know he done good.

OK...back to the lobby, looking for a cab. "Where are you going?" "To the zoo." "You don't need a cab, we'll take you in the shuttle." Well, alright! I was shuttled to the zoo, given a business card with the phone number highlighted and told to call before 11 p.m. to get a ride back. No problem, the show would be over by 10:30.

The sound check was fun! I loved watching the guys roam about, joking and chatting up Dave. I couldn't help but smile like a damn fool - here's *me* in an empty venue watching two legendary bands sound check. I was afraid to move, afraid to draw attention to myself for fear someone would figure out I didn't belong or something then kick me the hell out. It didn't happen, luckily.

Both sets were great. The crowd was on their feet dancing and singing along to both bands' classic hits. After selling EB shirts through the first few songs, I ran down to watch some of Squeeze's set. Perfect timing as one of the songs was Goodbye Girl - which I love love love! The rest of their set, I was back at the merch table awaiting the rush, so I only heard Pulling Mussells, Tempted and Up the Junction.

During the encore, I called the AmericInn for the shuttle service. Turns out, the shuttle was stuck on the highway behind an accident with guests going to the airport and I was out of luck. I asked Melissa if I could get a number for a taxi service. She didn't hesitate - I'll call the cab for you, give them your cell. Thank you! She called me right back to say the cab would be at the zoo in 20 minutes.

I made my way through the zoo to the front entrance. Within 5 minutes, the cab company calls to say it's on its way. The only problem? Was I to meet it at the zoo entrance or on the street? I called the company and saw the cab approach as I talked. At the same time, two too buzzed guys spotted the cab.
"Taxi! Taxi!" One of the guys yelled.
"Whoa, guy - that's mine."
"No it's not."
"If it's Airport Cab company, it's mine."
"Fuck you."
"Have a good night."
I get into the cab, with the 2 guys right on my heels.
"Dude, can you call us a cab? We need a cab."
"Where you going?"
"To the near the airport." The cab driver looked at me. In a low voice he says "It's past where you are..."
"Hey," I say "He can drop me off first then take you guys, if you care to share." They scrambled in.
"Thank you! You're not scared of us?"

We had a nice chat about the show and music and stuff in the ten minutes it took to get me back. I hand the cab driver money, but one guy told him not to take it. "We got it. You didn't have to share the cab with us. Thank you." I smiled and saved myself $11.

I am now in Denver. Lunch tomorrow with Ruthie. Drinks, dinner and whatever with Marco tomorrow. Lunch on Sunday with Esteban. I'm a happy girl!

I love vacation!

NaBloPoMo 7.20 - Summer Tour 2010

Several months ago, I found out two of my favorite bands would be touring together. At the time, I made a comment about following the tour around for the summer. And that's exactly what I am going to do!

On Thursday, I head to Minneapolis to start my 8-city tour with Squeeze & the English Beat. How freakin' awesome is THAT?! VERY, I say. Very!

Let me say I am not touring WITH them; but I am touring with them.

Y'all already know I am a huge fan of Dave Wakeling & the English Beat. When they're in town (sometimes even when they're not in town), I go see their show. It's my 2 hours of happy ~ dancing, singing, good times! I have always been a fan of Squeeze. Last year, I saw Glenn Tilbrook perform in Philadelphia for the Love Hope Strength PhillyRocks show. My love was rekindled. I was lucky enough to see Glenn on a swing through L.A. - such an excellent showman. Put all that together and it's a tour I can't miss! I won't miss it.

Minneapolis 7/22
Aspen CO 7/24
Denver CO 7/25
Vegas, baby 7/27
Home sweet home 7/28
Saratoga @ a winery 7/30
Napa not @ a winery 7/31
San Francisco 8/1

If you are going to any of these shows, let me know ~ we'll drink and talk or hug or something.

Woo hooo!

Incident at Four Points Sheraton Northeast Philadelphia

The Incident:

I needed a shirt pressed for Lys' bday party. According to the dry cleaning form in the room, same-day service is available if items are left by 8:00 a.m., Monday-Friday. Cool. Done.

I handed the dry cleaning bag to Todd when we left for dinner Thursday night.

On Friday evening - about 6 o'clock - I stopped at the desk to pick up my shirt. The girl, Anita came back empty-handed.

We don't have it.
You're kidding me, right?
No. We don't have it.

I stand there, hands in my hair, as Anita and Todd look in the back room.

No, it's not here.

She stands, looking at me. I walk away, thoroughly pissed. In that state, I can't talk; I have to walk away. In my room, I'm pacing - is it lost? Has the dry cleaning company just not come by to drop off stuff yet? Did the dry cleaning company simply forget and they're coming back? What the hell am I going to wear to the party?! I grabbed the other dry cleaning form, reading their liability statement - something about six times the value of the service. I don't know. I went back downstairs.

At the desk, waiting to be helped, Anita says "We found your shirt - the bag fell behind boxes." She goes into the back room and presents me with a bag. The same bag in which I dropped off my shirt. It never went out! Grr!

And that was it. She said nothing. No apology. No explanation. No other options offered. Nothing. Ohhh, I was seething. Again, I just had to walk away.

Later that night, I told my tale to the manager on duty. He apologized on her behalf and offered me complimentary breakfast (which I declined).

On Saturday, I was still bothered by the incident. Well, bothered by her lack of customer service in comparison to the customer service received from the other hotel staff. Todd even approached me earlier in the day, asking if my shirt had been cleaned and offered up apologies for it not being handled. And that was a day later! Anyway, still bothered, I wrote a letter to Mike Moran, the General Manager. Not sure if he'll get it; and, if so, not sure anything will be addressed.

Overall, if you have business that takes you to Northeast Philadelphia, I cannot recommend the Four Points Sheraton. Which is really too bad. (read this post for the nice things I said about the hotel)

**UPDATE 11.13.08**

I called this morning and talked w/the new GM, Tom Murray. Apparently, Mike Moran was 'interim' GM; Tom started with the Four Points on Monday. The letter was no where to be found. Surprise, surprise. I told him what happened. He apologized (of course) and said her behavior is unacceptable. It was ironic that I called with this story because he's having a staff meeting today and it's going on his agenda; as well as talking with Anita directly. He asked me what would rectify the situation. Told him I don't want anything as it wasn't like the shirt was lost or ruined or anything; I just wanted to know that someone heard me, that the person involved would be talked to and that customer service is discussed with the staff. Done, he said. And, if I ever have the occasion to come back to the property to please call him directly and he'd help me out. Appreciated.

Sigh

Four Points Sheraton Northeast

Four Points Sheraton Northeast
9461 Roosevelt Boulevard
Philadelphia PA 19114

*Sigh*

My stay here was okay. There are several things I like about the Four Points Sheraton Northeast; however, one incident overshadowed my 3-night stay.

Let's hit the YAYs:

• the room ~ quite spacious for a 2Q room, I was pleasantly surprised. Flat screen TV, lots of pillows, closet but no dresser/drawers.
• the bathroom ~ nice, perfect for one. The decor reminded me of Bath & Body Works. I liked the basket of towels, though the towel rack was located under the sink making it difficult to actually dry your towels. The shower head was high, God bless you Four Points Sheraton and your overhaul!
• Henrietta and Todd ~ Henrietta checked me into the hotel. She's lovely - excellent customer service, knowledgeable, friendly. Todd - the only one who asked about the 'incident' and the only one involved who offered an apology.

Let's hit the BOOs:

• the location ~ far, far away. I now know not to stay out that way if everything I'm doing is in the City.
• the business center ~ one computer. In the bar area. Better than nothing; but when the term 'business center' is used, a totally different picture is painted.
• the kids in the hall ~ there were 300 kids in the room next to mine. They were running up and down the hall, yelling like it was a school hall or something. I was annoyed when they were yelling at 2:00 a.m. I didn't call down to the desk or report anything. My bad. Truly.

The Incident:

I needed a shirt pressed for Lys' bday party. According to the dry cleaning form in the room, same-day service is available if items are left by 8:00 a.m., Monday-Friday. Cool. Done.

I handed the dry cleaning bag to Todd when we left for dinner Thursday night.

On Friday evening - about 6 o'clock - I stopped at the desk to pick up my shirt. The girl, "A" came back empty-handed.

We don't have it.
You're kidding me, right?
No. We don't have it.

I stand there, hands in my hair, as A and Todd look in the back room.

No, it's not here.

I walk away, thoroughly pissed. In that state, I can't talk; I have to walk away. In my room, I'm pacing - is it lost? Has the dry cleaning company just not come by to drop off stuff yet? Did the dry cleaning company simply forget and they're coming back? What the hell am I going to wear to the party?! I grabbed the other dry cleaning form, reading their liability statement - something about six times the value of the service. I don't know. I went back downstairs.

At the desk, waiting to be helped, "A" says "We found your shirt - the bag fell behind boxes." She goes into the back room and presents me with a bag. The same bag in which I dropped off my shirt. It never went out! Grr!

And that was it. She said nothing. No apology. No explanation. No other options offered. Nothing. Ohhh, I was seething. Again, I just had to walk away.

Later that night, I told my tale to the manager on duty. He apologized on her behalf and offered me complimentary breakfast (which I declined).

On Saturday, I was still bothered by the incident. Well, bothered by her lack of customer service in comparison to the customer service received from the other hotel staff. Todd even approached me, asked if my shirt had been cleaned and offered up apologies for it not being handled. And that was a day later! Anyway, still bothered, I wrote a letter to the General Manager. Not sure if he'll get it; and, if so, not sure anything will be addressed.

Overall, if you have business that takes you to Northeast Philadelphia, I cannot fully recommend the Four Points Sheraton. Which is really too bad.

random...

Lys's birthday party tonight @ the Bourbon Blue in Mannyunk (sp?)! I am looking forward to seeing all of my friends, hanging out, catching up and drinking.

The trip so far has been perfect - sleep, read, drink, eat, walk around town, a couple of museums, friends and good times. The weather hasn't been the best; but I did experience a couple of days of gorgeousness. We drove along the river yesterday...the trees were beautiful! The colors were so vibrant; a true autumn.

People in this city drive like maniacs. Seriously. I thought SoCal drivers were bad. Sheesh!

I'm very disappointed in myself: I've only had two cheesesteaks. I know! I've had some awesome food at other awesome places; but c'mon - I'm in Philadelphia! Ya gotta have an effing cheesesteak, right?

OK...off to King of Prussia mall cuz they have Nordstrom and Nordstrom is having its sale. Wooo hoooo!

Here Cabby Cabby!

In L.A., you can't hail a cab on the street. Apparently, you have to call for one. So imagine my surprise when I get to PhilaPA and am expected to hail a cab. WTH?! How the hell do you hail a cab??

I needed a cab to get to the Franklin Institute museum. OK, fine. I walk outside, feeling all stupid and nervous, and just stand in front of the hotel. Cars, cabs, buses pass me by. A couple of businessmen walk out of Ruby Tuesdays, into the street, raise hands and - voila! - cab stops, takes 'em away.

Well, that seems easy enough. I look up Chestnut Street and see no cabs. Tons of cabs are racing down 17th Street! But none pass me by. Crap! So, I stand there.

Down Chestnut, a car is double-parked, causing traffic to back up. A cab stops right in front of me - oh what luck! We make eye contact. I lamely raise my hand. He nods. It all seemed so seedy.

After my museum visit, I had to catch a cab all over again. Good grief! I didn't know what to do. I stood on 20th and Ben Franklin Parkway for 25 minutes trying to get a damn cab! I texted a friend "How the hell do I get a cab?!" The reply? "LOL. I don't know." Aww crap. At this point, I decided I should just walk. I crossed the street, started walking to Parkway. I turned around for one last look and there he was. A cab! I yelled "Taxi!" He waved me over and we were on our merry way. Yay!

This hailing a cab stuff is a piece o'cake.

I'm with the Band

Sunday night found me in a huge fabric warehouse watching/listening to Js band rehearse. When I got the invite, I was instantly sold - the promise of beer only sealed the deal. It would be my first time meeting all of the band and hearing the music live. Lemme tell ya, I was pretty damn stoked.

J let us (HH and me) listen to two new tracks plus a remixed version of another track - liked all 3, loved the vocals and the vocal mix on the 2nd one.

J brought a new guitarist onboard. So new, in fact, that Sunday night was only the 3rd time the guy had rehearsed/played with the band. Lemme tell ya, no tell-tale signs this guy was new. He fit with the others, interacted with the others, contributed ideas and looked so comfortable no one would ever have guessed. And this guy rocked it out. Seriously rocked it the hell out!

The guys ran through the six songs several times ~ tweaking this, adding that, "Let's try..." this, "just do..." that. I loved it! I loved watching that collaboration, that on-the-spot creativity and then it all just gels. So inspiring. They looked like a band. They sounded great!

These guys are going places.

Davio's - I love you!

Dropped by Davio's for soup and wine. The restaurant is part of the Club Quarters hotel. Lys and I had dinner at Davio's last year - yummy!

So, I'm at the bar...drinking Zinfandel ("The red one?" "Is there any other?"), perusing the bar menu. All I read was Roasted Pumpkin soup. Done!

Out comes the guy with a bowl on platter and a pitcher of some sort. He places the bowl on platter in front of me - the bowl has short ribs. Huh? What? He then pours the contents of the pitcher over the short ribs. I know! I grabbed the menu when he walked away - Roasted Pumpkin Soup over Cinnamon braised short ribs! Ohhh yeah!

Delish. I want it again.

If/When you're in Philadelphia ~ eat at Davio's!

Girl of 100 Lists ~ the hotel Phila PA

Club Quarters Hotel
1628 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia PA

In no particular order, here are my BOOs! and YAYs! for Club Quarters in PhilaPA:

• private hotel ~ no public restrooms or lobby, can't just walk in off the street. It's so non-descript from outside, no one knows it's a hotel. Most of my friends say they walk/drive by all the time and never knew it was a hotel! YAY!
• location location location ~ in Center City, in the middle of the hustle + bustle - shops (Sephora to the left of me, H&M to the right), food galore, walking to distance to most of the historic attractions I want to visit, great pub around the corner (YAY! Oscar's Tavern!). YAY!
• when I checked in, they only had a room with twin beds available. I know! I haven't slept in a twin bed since college. College! That wasn't just last week, kids. BOO!
• the hotel room is lovely - it truly is. YAY!
• free bottled water ~ Uh huh. I said it. Free bottled water. Each floor has a chilled filtered water dispenser below a rack of empty plastic water bottles. You can fill up any time you'd like. I know! YAY!
• club room ~ the lobby's club room has 3 computers, huge flat screen TV, big plush comfy couches and overstuffed chairs for hotel guests to enjoy. It's lovely and homey and inviting. Just needs a fireplace...YAY!

Overall, I'm totally diggin' Club Quarters. YAY!

Tomorrow ~ I'm with the Band

PhilaPA ~ Day 1

Flight from LAX to Denver? One crying baby, one restless, whiny toddler.

Flight from Denver to PhilaPA? FOUR crying babies, restless and whiny toddlers. Plus one annoyed 41-year old with iPod ears (music turned up too loud but it drowned out the Fab Four).

Other than that? Uneventful flight. Hooray!

Arrived at the hotel around 8 o'clock and all I wanted was a beer and soup or a sandwich. I located Marathon Grill and started walking. That's when I saw the lovely yellow sign: $5 Footlongs. SOLD! Grabbed a sandwich, back to the room. Texts, food, some cable TV then a crash headlong into the bed.

Ahh...vacation. This is what I'm talkin' 'bout!

Tomorrow ~ the hotel

The Plan

I bought a Philadelphia CityPass the other day for $54.00 - which isn't such a bad deal. That $54 covers my admission to the zoo, the Ben Franklin Science museum, the National Constitution Center, the aquarium (yay!) and a few others. This is The Plan (subject to change):

Saturday ~ arrive; settle; dinner/drinks with friends.
Sunday ~ Philadelphia Museum of Art (with the Rocky steps) and the Rodin museum; the Planetarium/Franklin Science museum, if time.
Monday ~ zoo or aquarium - depends upon the weather
Tuesday ~ Election Day! Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross's house, Constitution Museum; then back to the hotel to watch the results. I am so ridiculously excited about this election!
Wednesday ~ whatever I haven't done already
Thursday ~ tea with a dear friend
Friday - Saturday ~ hang with the gang for Lys's birthday, shopping will be in there somewhere
Sunday ~ some football, then head home.

Full week o'stuff will make for a full week o'blog stuff. Yay!

~ Happy Birthday to my brother! ~

It's National Blog Posting Month!

Today marks Day 1 of National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo also referred to here as NaBlahBlah)! I'm excited about getting back to posting here on the regular. We'll see if I can last the whole month...

Today also marks Day 1 of my vacation! Yippeee! I'm leaving on a jet plane, headed to the City of Brotherly Love for one week. Ahh...vacation...no work emails, no work phones, no work people, no work period. Yippeee! I'll be playing tourist ~ Betsy Ross's house, National Constitution Center, Liberty Bell, Geno's, Jim's and Pat's for cheesesteaks. Should be a great time.

As I write this (9:40 p.m. Halloween night) I've yet to finish packing. Sigh Yeah, I know. I had to get a bigger suitcase for the bulky sweaters and such. The stuff that's in there? I've done a swell job of packing ~ most of it is rolled. What a concept! I thought it would be just as bulky as folding and stacking. It isn't. The stuff fits quite nicely. The downer? No room for shoes. Well, if I had shoes, there'd be no room. Ugh. I don't have boots or other cold weather shoes. I live in California. And I have big feet. Anyway, I've thrown 3 pairs into a carry-on and will just have to hope for the best.

OK, Kids...enjoy your week! I'll stop by if I can to post some real time stuff.

And with that...I. Am. Out.

Toodle-loooo!

Hawaiian Fire ~ 05/03/07

Wednesday night I was all a-flutter. Thursday was my surf lesson with the firemen and the news announced a storm moving in. Now, a typical Hawaiian storm ain't so bad. Y'know, it rains for 15 minutes, then *POOF* - all gone. But the words "wind" and "high surf" really were not the words I wanted to hear before surfing.

Thursday arrived. I took a peek out to the ocean from the room and boy, was the surf rollin'! White caps indicating rough-ish water. Although there were tons of surfers out there, as a novice, I was still a-flutter. Oh well, what's a girl to do? Go find firemen, of course.

I had to meet the pick-up van at 7:10 a.m. at the Sheraton/Royal Hawaiian on Don Ho Lane - a 3-minute walk from the Outrigger. I couldn't sit still...pacing...fretting...pacing...almost to the point of panic, until I saw the huge HAWAIIAN FIRE logo drive by. EEEK! I was really excited to see a van?! Jimmy the Driver made a couple of stops, filling the van with 12 anxious would-be surfers (3 Japanese students, 2 girls from Canada, a local, a family of 5 from Nebraska and me). We were a bit chatty, moreso along the lines of 'courtesy' chat, really. Then Jimmy the Driver kicked in with background info, where we were going, sights along the way.

30 minutes later, we arrived at this gorgeous beach. As we drove in, someone commented "Oh, you can camp here?" Jimmy the Driver laughed, "It's a camp alright." A lot of homeless people had set-up 'camp' on the beach. Anyway, the beach is on property which was formerly a military base. De-activated in 1999, Hawaiian Fire has found it to be the best place to teach surfing. The beach was set with two tents, lots of beach chairs and a bunch of surfboards. The wind was really blowing and the surf looked huge and intimidating. The water was a gorgeous blue and I was happy just taking that all in.

We were given shoes & rash protectors (a long-sleeved top) to put on, then sent to a tent for instruction. Enter Instructor Duke. Uhh...hi! He gave us some background info on HF, the gear we had on, the beach (the whole military story) and the weather ("Perfect surf weather! The waves are great!). Then, another guy came over. He told us how to position ourselves on the board, how & where are feet should be, how to paddle, that the paddling out was the hardest part, how to push up & get through a wave that breaks in front of you, and then how to pop-up when it's time to ride. Lemme tell ya, it looked soooo easy when he was showing us! He gave us the instructions: paddle out to a surfer, when he tells you to paddle, do it, he'll push you, you paddle 3-4 more strokes, then jump up and surf! Uhh...okay. So, we moved to the surfboards. Instructor Kevin (uh...hi!) had us position ourselves and show him how we pop-up onto the boards. I did pretty well. On dry land. Then we were set free, into the ocean.

One by one, Instructor Ryan (uhh...hi!) set us on our boards and pushed us off to the instructors out there 100 yards and waiting. Ryan said the surf was only 2-3 footers, perfect for beginners. I started paddling out. Damn, that's tiring! I got through the breakers crashing in my face and made it out to Kevin. Wait. Wait. "Ready, Reese? Paddle now! Paddle now!" I did! I jumped to my feet! I fell. OK. I got an hour and 20 minutes of this - I'll stand. So, paddle...paddle...cough, cough. Back out to Kevin. He gave me encouragment and advice ~ "Just pop-up to your feet!" Umm...yeah, okay. Wait. Wait. "Ready, Reese? Paddle! Paddle! Paddle!" I did! I jumped to my feet! I fell. I tried 2 more times. I got an hour and 10 minutes of this?! I rode back to the shore and sat for a few minutes. I was totally winded. I was totally disheartened. So, I sat there watching a 7 and 12 year-old surfing. Ohh, to be 12 and have no fear. (And have flexibility!) Grabbing my board, I went back into the water. Ryan, bless his heart, surfed in and pulled me out to the starting point. I sat through about 4 or 5 waves, then he turned me around and said "Go!" And I did! I paddled! I jumped to my feet! And was able to stand for a brief shining moment! And, when I say brief, I mean brief. It was fantastic! That was the only time I was able to get up on the board. I had a great time! Until I got back to the hotel.

Dude - my knee was totally jacked. My arms and shoulders were so sore. I sat in the jacuzzi for hours. I was far less sore when I started working out with my trainer! This was totally different. I'm still sore now.

I went to the Hawaiian Fire store to pick up my pictures (I'll post 'em!) and Ryan was there. "Hey, Rissa. Do your arms hurt today?" Hardy har har, bastard. :) He wished me a happy birthday, gave me some stickers and I left.

I highly recommend the surfing lessons ~ great fun, great pain.