Two more days

I’m almost free. Two more days then I’m on the jetplane.

One of my favorite parts of travel are hotels. We usually don’t splurge on upscale accomodations – we find something with good reviews that’s midrange in price and save our money for activities, food, drink, etc. But, since even the moderate hotels in Japan seem outrageously expensive, I decided we’d splurge for a few nights. These are the places I’m most excited to stay:

Fujiya Hotel – After a few days in Tokyo, I think we’ll be ready for a little R&R in the country and this place looks amazing and has a lot of history.

Kikokuso Ryokan – Everyone says that staying in a traditional inn, or ryokan, is an essential part of a stay in Japan, so we’ll be staying for a night at Kikokuso (which is fun to say) in Kyoto. You sleep on the floor on tatami mats and they serve you traditional dinner and breakfast in your room.

Park Hyatt Tokyo – This is definitely going to be the most upscale hotel I’ve ever stayed at. I’ve wanted to go here since I saw the movie Lost in Translation. It looks amazing – both luxurious and tranquil, yet high tech (Hello – flat screen TV in the bathroom).

Not a hypothetical question

Should I be bothered that my sister who just turned 24 last week is dating a guy who is a month short of 37 years? Oh, and he has an 8-year old son.

Paint me a anything

Want a job where you have no accountability? Show up to work when you want. If you don’t want to work, no worries. Or if you have too much work, tell everyone you’ll get it done, then just do one job. Don’t bother telling the other people you didn’t get a chance to do their job. They’ll figure it out eventually.

Sound good? Ah, then you should be contractor, evildoers of the home improvement world.

Yes, I am bitter. You just can’t trust these guys. After months (actually, over half a year!) of wrangling with painters and our co-op’s management company, we finally are ready to get our bedroom walls patched up and painted. Today was the day the work was to begin. The painter confirmed the start date last Wednesday. Yesterday I dutifully packed up our bedroom in between Easter festivities. The dining table has become our temporary closet/dresser and everything else from the bedroom is packed in Fresh Direct boxes. Not the best situation as you try to pack for a vacation, but I was willing to make the sacrifice in order to get the job done.

You can guess where this is going. Last night we had an email from the painter telling us he can’t start until Wednesday. No big deal except we’re leaving for vacation on Friday. So now we have to postpone until our return. It’s another tragic chapter in our attempts to fix up this apartment. Boo painters!

Blawgs

Blogs, Blawgs, Blooogs, Blowwwgs. Say "blogs" enough times and it starts to sound really funny. Even though I haven’t been blogging too much here, my work-life has been filled with blogs. While I’m a little tired and cranky from all the work, it’s really pretty cool (as far work goes). I’ve had the opportunity to read a bunch of really cool blogs. And, I know you need a something to occupy your Friday besides pesky work. So, here are a few of my personal favorites:

This Girl’s Gone Wild – Cracks my shizz up, esp her raps

Amalah – Cracks.me.up.too. This meat exchange had me laughing out loud.

Mandajuice – Who knew hemorroids could be so funny? (I pray I never know for myself.)

Na na na na boo boo

I’m going to Japan in 10 days!

But first,

• I have about 4 weeks of work to do.
• My bedroom walls will be plastered, sanded, and painted.
• My family is coming to visit for Easter.
• I’ll need to do all the usual pre-travel prep like laundry, finding our passports, and packing.

Jealous?

Take pity on me, Airline Gods

Woah, is me. What is happening to ye pitiful airlines?

Ask for a pillow and blanket to help get through a long flight and you may be out of luck. Or you may be able to buy a "comfort package" from Air Canada for $2.  (CNN story)

I remember the days, like way back in 1998 (when we walked uphill both ways to the airport), when the airlines actually fed you when you were trapped on their plane for 5 hours. Yet, earlier this year, when I flew from New York –> San Francisco, I wasn’t even given pretzels or peanuts. Just left to starve in my narrow seat.

But, hark, what could this be that I read the same day in the news?

JetBlue and Bliss have begun giving overnight passengers kits that contain
eye masks, earplugs, moisturizer, lip balm and a promotional offer from the spa
company. The kits are distributed only on flights between Western states and the
East Coast.  (from Washington Post)

Yo, big airlines, learn from the little guys. They aren’t going bankrupt, they give us Direct TV, our choice of snacks (and as many snacks as we want!), and now SPA products. With all this, why would we want to pay you for a lousy pillow?

All this leads me to great anxiety about my upcoming flight to Japan. On freaking American Airlines. Please, please, please don’t be as bad as I think you’ll be. Maybe they’ll distribute Ambien with our peanuts.

What’s so funny about Loyalsock?

It all started innocently last night. I was patiently waiting for my dinner to cook (15 minutes on 350 degrees) and I decided to browse some blogs. Eerily, just as the buzzer on the oven made its <bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz> I ended my surfing on a page mentioning the tiny township where I grew up. Freaky – right?

Prepare to reconstruct, my cyberjourney home. (du-du-du-du)

7:05pm:

Gawker is usually good for some interesting links, so I start there. I see a reference about the Shake Shack. I walk through Madison Square Park every day at lunch and would like some insight into why the masochists wait in line for so long for a freaking burger. So, I click. Maybe I’m missing some backstory, but Fresh Pepper seems kind of lame. He offers no insight into the Shake Shack mystery (well, except maybe everyone waiting is lame like him). But he does have a link to queserasera which I read on occasion, so I decide to see what she’s up to. Well, she’s put up a new About page, not exactly the exciting blog read, I was hoping for, but I check it out anyhow. Scrolling down, I see links to some writing she’s down for McSweeney’s so I decide to go check out that shizzle. Ok, that was kind of funny. I decide to find more of these lists. I randomly click on lists like this one and that one. Mmmm, that pot pie is smelling good. It must almost be done. Let me click on one more. "Real Pennsylvania Towns" I’ll bet I know a lot of these. Bath, Eighty-Four, Forty Fort. Check, check, check. I know all those – they are kind of funny…. Loyalsock? My Loyalsock? Does my hometown really deserve to be on this list? To be ridiculed?  <bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz> No time for any further self-reflection. Close the laptop, that enabler of ridicule. It’s time for me and my "loyal socks" to mosey on into the kitchen.

Little peops

Saturday night I took a break from my swinging lifestyle and spent the evening watching a Little People, Big World marathon on TLC.

While I’ll openly admit that most reality TV is garbage and totally rotting my brain, I think this one is worth watching. I’m totally in awe of this family. The parents, Matt and Amy, are both little people. They have 4 kids, 1 is little and the other 3 are of average height. Most interesting to watch are the twin boys. They are both 15, but one is normal height and one is little.  Despite their stature, this family is totally and utterly normal.

When I tuned in I expected the show to be interesting and to show me how different their lives are and how they have to struggle to make it in an average height world. But, they’ve really made adjustments and live a full life — which I find amazing and uplifting to watch.

Chocolate or sit-ups?

One year ago today, I was sitting in this same office, tired & sore from my first boot camp workout in Prospect Park. (PS – Look closely and you’ll see me on the website – Proof!) I’d sweated and strained my way through push-ups, sit-ups, and a 2-mile run.

Today, I sit eating mini Hershey milk chocolate bars. (You see, since they are mini, the calories are mini too – right?.) Tasty.

Last year I was motivated by upcoming nuptials to get myself in wedding dress shape. This year I am overcome by overwhelming chocolate desires.

Chocolate or sit-ups — Which would you pick today?