201 Street

There are some dream experts who say that whenever you are dreaming about a house, that the house is a representation of you.  This is usually the case when there is something very significant about a particular house in a dream, not where it’s an incidental setting.  Some of my favorite dreams are about a house.  It’s not a house I’ve ever lived in, and I’m pretty sure it’s a house I’ve never even really seen.  But it’s always the same house.  Sometimes the dream shows me that there is another section of the house I’ve never even set foot in, and this makes me inexplicably happy all day long.  When I check this against the interpretations of dreams, I see that I’m not insane at all, at least not as far as the dream is concerned.

When a house opens up like this in dreams, revealing more rooms than before, it means that there’s a period of growth going on, that you’ve passed through some major life incidents, and are ready for the next part of the journey.  This excites me, and it’s sometimes hard to explain to my friends why I’m suddenly feeling this way, because it’s based on a very internal event that has no visible effects in the world.  I do get the same excitement when I make changes to my house in waking life.  When I got new blinds, I had a feeling that something wonderful had just happened, and I really couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.

In this case, my friends thought my excitement was very well-founded.  They saw the difference and appreciated it as much as I did.  It was certainly the same house, and it was the same rooms, but suddenly the entire feeling was different.  With Next Day Blinds, criticisms are very minimal, and that’s very good news for dreamers like me, who see the possibilities in the spaces I live in, even the ones that only get to visit late at night, when there’s no one around except for me, and the houses I live in.

Forte dei Marmi is a wonderful waterfront resort town that is was once the shipping aid to the popular marble that came out of the Apuan mountains. This old jetty was quite the spot for trade in long past but is now filled with colored umbrellas and beach towels accommodating the many visitors it gets every year. In 1788, Leopoldo II finished an outpost that protected the port town from any pirate or military adversaries that loomed on the waters horizon. Almost all of the early European nobles where protected by this outpost. Diplomats, business man, artists and famous people had their villas here under the amazing mountain range.

Now the area has become quite the resort vacation town. The early monuments and ruins have become tranquil gardens leaving man to enjoy nature and let his mind wonder of the early history that played its roll here. The town itself is lined with calm sandy beaches. Check into one of these Forte dei Marmi hotels along the beach and have some lunch while you read your favorite novel.  Take a stroll into the village and hit some of the local shops and cafes along the old streets. You might even catch a wedding on the pier.

There are many people who come to vacation here because of the opportunity in sports. There are the water sports of course surfing ( when the weather allows), fishing both of the pier or boats, swimming and scuba diving, windsurfing and sailing are also popular. Then there is the mountain activities. The Apuan Alps offer up some great sport too. Climbers of all styles come to test their mountain climbing safety talents against the cliffs. Hikers come to get the conquer of the mountain top feeling and there are also some old forgotten villages hiding in the forest that are really great to walk into. There is even the possibility to see the marble mines.

I have a friend who lived in Los Angeles. He would often take a drive out to Santa Monica to get away from the city and get some fresh air. He was walking long the Santa Monica Pier and saw the famous actors Owen and Luke Wilson walking along the boardwalk. Of course being a great fan of theirs I was jealous to not have been there. That would be so cool to have seen them just enjoying normal life. Are they as funny and cool as they seem to be in the films they have done. My favorite of Owen Wilson was Shanghai Noon. Hilarious. Anyway, I wondered who lived in the neighborhood so if I visited I could keep my eye out for a night time stroll of the rich and famous.

There are a number of famous people who are now from Santa Monica like Christian Bale. Did you see him as a child actor in Empire of the Sun. Wow, it was fantastic. Oh an Marcia Cross, I love her in Desperate Housewives. Anjelica Huston is an amazing actress. Sean Penn and Toby Maguire are a few more great actors. Then there are some musicians to like the poetic Bob Dylan.  Suzanne Vega who is one of my favorites from the 80s.

If you are into sports there are some famous sports figures that live there too. Skateboarders Jay Adams and Tony Alva live there. Baseball’s famous Sean Berry and Ryan Braun. Braun is a little far from the Brewers isn’t he. There is a long list of rich and famous who live in Santa Monica. Make sure you can recognize their faces because you just might see one on the pier or shopping. Make sure you get a room with a balcony at one of the hotels Santa Monica has waiting for you and keep your eyes open for you favorite faces.

Fame is elusive, but everyone looks for it.  Or for fortune.  Either one is never everything that people claim, and they still go looking, and sometimes it’s as easy to find as time.  Taylor Swift at 20 probably isn’t concerned with running out of time, and doesn’t seem to have much trouble with fame either, and fortune has definitely been a by-product of all of her good luck.  If pressed about which is more surreal, however, fame gets the higher Swiftrank every time.  And it probably should, because it seems as though everyone who’s been where she is has the same feeling about it.

Andy Warhol said interesting things about fame, is perhaps the most observant philosopher of fame for the 20th century (for the 19th, it would have to be Stendhal, whose cocktail party ramblings about the good life, and being draped in velvet still influence our definition of celebrity-dom). He understood all to well that it was an illusion that everyone pursues, and also understood that when it does come, it never stays for very long.  These are difficult lessons for anyone who spends a lifetime looking for it, so in the case of Taylor Swift, it’s not so much of a heartbreak if it does go, because she seems to be concerned with keeping an eye on the larger picture.

It might be difficult, however, at this point in the 21st century, to pinpoint exactly what the larger picture might be.  As her songs suggest, we are a construction of texts, of various texts, and they don’t always fit together neatly.  Some of these texts are images, and image becomes a new language in the 21st century.  Some of the texts are spoken, and some, of course, are songs, and quotations of songs.  Her ability to revamp and remix a tradition, with a very personal and introspective touch, is a remarkable feature of her talent, which speaks to the way fame can and should work when things are out of joint.  It might be velvet, or it might be denim, but it hints at a revolution that tries to open a road where things like fame no longer matter.

Visiting Frankfurt is always eye-opening.  It has been one of the most influential centers of culture for years, and it saw some of the most remarkable minds of the 20th century living in its borders.  The legacy of this time runs very deep, and for many new artists working here, the mantle is necessarily enormously heavy.  It seems to make for great art, because it continues to be a place where some of the most exciting work in the world gets developed.  The philosophy of the cultures here that make art, that is to say, the counter-culture in general, determines some of its decisions in how systems and structures should be run.  This makes for some very exciting collaborations, and ways of conceiving work are always at the cutting edge.

Staying here is a uniquely splendid experience.  There is a sense of hospitality here that is genuine and exceptional, and there seems to be a conscious effort to always be stylish, and always enjoy the possibilities of the moment.  This certainly extends to the Frankfurt am Main hotels, where hospitality can be practiced without any kinds of pretense that it is anything else.  It’s lovely to wake up here, refreshed, and ready to enjoy some splendid meals, and take in some of the many attractions here.  Lucky travelers might happen to be in town when Tamara Grcic is mounting a new exhibition.

This artist works in a variety of media, and one of her most prominent forms in the global art world is sculpture.  She was born in Munich, and now makes Frankfurt her home, with occasional side trips to New York City.  She might be considered a mid-career artist, but the work always seems fresh and engaging.  Her Gaggiandre at the Venice Biennale this past year has caused another wave of excitement over this very prolific artist’s body of work.  She did some of her schooling in Vienna, which interestingly further strengthens the already deep connections between these two cities.

Many people wanting to redecorate their living spaces today are faced with issues such as money, and time.  But it really does not take much to spruce up and to refresh your house or your apartment.  And this is a great option, for those who were intended to find a new place, and now see themselves hanging on to their current one for a few more years.  At Next Day Blinds, there are many options for adding new window treatments in a variety of colors, which will enhance the overall look and feel of your home.

Although finding just where to start when redecorating may seem a daunting task, this is really a very rewarding project to undertake.  The first step, de-clutter.  In a spring cleaning kind of way.  Living in small spaces tends to lend oneself to a life that may be filled with the things that we simply just do not need.  Large spaces tend to allow this collection too, however in a small space, you really must keep it cleaned out in order to breathe.  So after the cleaning and the de-cluttering has taken place, take note of what it is you want to change.  Those with carpet running through there houses may consider a return to basics.  If the carpet is older, rip it out and stain the cement.

There are options for great rugs and throw carpets that will match your newly covered windows with the selections from Next Day Blinds. Re-arranging the furniture in a small space will also serve to free up the area, to give you a new feel of open space.  Gallons of paint, are not very costly and by adding a fresh coat or a new color, you will be amazed at the lift that will be created.  Start with one wall, and move to the next.  Sometimes, just a focus wall is all that is necessary to give a room a new feel.  During these times, there are still many things that one can do to give their living spaces the face lifts that are necessary and important to your own sense of well being and your joy to coming home each night.

Back in Singapore, we hit a dead end at the Embassy. The Indonesian visa can’t be issued. Most of my fellow tour members are on some resort in Bataam, so it seems only right that there is some kind of compensation. My husband joined me in my exile, actually he was very happy to oblige. We found what we were looking for as compensation with the island of Sentosa. It’s a small island that belongs to Singapore and is connected to the mainland by a monorail, a road bridge and a cable car.

Sentosa is essentially a resort island. We went swimming at Palawan beach, visited a butterfly kingdom, saw a lot of turtles, toured a fort from WW2 and took pictures on what is deemed to be  the southernmost point on Continental Asia. We past by the famous Merlion statue, It like the one in Singapore, but this one is much bigger. We didn’t want to pay to go up it, plus we got a better view from the skytower. From the skytower, we could see just how busy the port of Singapore is. There’s a huge container park and the harbor, bay and estuary is crammed full of cargo ships all waiting to dock to be unloaded. It was kind of fun to look one way and see only palm trees and water, then look the opposite way and see a huge conglomerate of cargo ships.

We then took ourselves to one of the Singapore Sentosa hotels. We really enjoyed the five star treatment, which helped us eagerly forget and forgive what we now refer to as a misunderstanding at the most loveliest Indonesian islands that we had the privilege of not entering.

Soothed, relaxed and calm beyond belief, we floated back to downtown Singapore the next day, drifting without a care into hustle and bustle of central Singapore, where we entered a waterfront buffet and got all lush as we wined and dined. Replete with satisfaction, we now no there is no country or no place on earth where we would rather be.

Singapore is certainly one of the most fascinating places to visit, being an island city state with a complex cultural atmosphere that is always changing.  It is also one of the most exciting places to visit right now, being at the forefront of arts and technology.  There is a uniquely cosmopolitan feel to the place that makes for some splendid tourist pleasures.  Those who have visited before will always be amazed at the new and innovative things that are happening, and those who have never visited are in for some delightful surprises.  The vibrant urban setting is exhilarating during the day, and comes even more to life at night.

There is always something happening in town, with an extremely lively and active local culture, as well as many international performers that pass through.  It’s a fabulous place to get in touch with the essence of global culture, and one of the nicest ways to begin any evening is with a superb meal at one of Singapore’s Chinese restaurants.  After tasting some magnificent food, there is so much to choose from, and you might come across some of the rich and exciting jazz stylings of Aya Sekine.

This young musician has had an amazing career behind her, and there is much more to come.  The artist was born in Osaka, and has spent her first twenty years between Japan and Singapore.  She also lived in New York City for nine years, and put together a terrific festival that lasted for 10 days and featured local New York artists, as well as seven experimental music groups from Japan, called the Japanese-Smackdown New York.  Her energy has not eased up one bit, and she can be seen performing in Singapore, as well as being always connected to an impressive roster of projects with other artists.  Her music is a wonderful introduction to the complexities of Singapore culture.

Not many people expect a Smithsonian Museum outside Washington D.C., much less a Space Museum, much less one containing the actual, recovered capsule from the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in the mid-70s, and certainly not in the state of Kansas.  But if you take a brief forty-five minute drive north west of Wichita you will find the Cosmosphere, a museum and space center, one of only three museums in the world that contains three recovered capsules from all three of the early manned American space program.  Here, you will find the following capsules: The Liberty Bell 7 from the Mercury mission, Gemini 10, from the Gemini mission, and, of course, the capsule made famous by the Ron Howard movie, Apollo 13, from the Apollo mission.

If you’re staying in Wichita in one of the fine hotels Kansas offers, then travel on the 96 highway North through the mid-western farmland; in December, it’s pretty cold, but in the Spring and Summer months, you’ll find these fields teeming with wheat.  You’ll pass towns off the highway with such names as Haven and Yoder.  The latter is a small Mennonite Community with a terrific Mennonite restaurant.  Farther on, you’ll find an air field, and then reach the town of Hutchinson itself.  Find your way to 11th Street, and a tall rocket looms over the Cosmosphere, which in addition to the museum, boasts an IMAX theater and various astronaut camp programs, including Future Astronaut Training, Mars Academy, and Overnight Space Adventure.

You’ll want to spend a couple of hours or more at the Cosmosphere, but if you’ve only got an hour, here are at least the highlights you should see: V-1 and V-2 rockets from Germany, Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2, the Redstone Nuclear Warhead (disarmed, without nuclear material, for everyone’s comfort), a 109 foot Titan rocket, a Russian Vostok spacecraft, a Liberty 7 Mercury spacecraft, a Gemini X spacecraft, an Apollo White Room, and then the main attractions, for me, at least, are the Apollo 13 command module, Odyssey and a Moon Rock.  That’s a lot to do in an hour, so give yourself some more time.

The Cosmosphere also boasts a fine gift shop, full of space toys, key chains, books and posters, with a helpful, friendly staff.  In fact, most of the magnets on my overfilled refrigerator door are from the museum — featuring shuttle launches and capsules and panoramic scenes of Mars — all purchased from the middle of Kansas.

Helen and Troy thought they had planned their dream wedding. They both had large families who were all interested in attending it and there is a big difference between planning a large wedding versus a small one. Their first plan was to go small and simple but they quickly realized this would not work. So, they went all out and made it not only large enough to accommodate their families and friends, but they also decided to make it as fantasy oriented as possible and include their dream elements. This included everything from the ballroom in which the reception would take place to the string quartet that would play before the outdoor ceremony.

Oddly, with all of the commotion involved with the wedding planning, they somehow forgot to plan on a honeymoon location. When Troy realized this and confided it to his friend and best man Paul, he almost couldn’t believe it. They honeymoon was supposed to be the best part of the ceremony, how could they have both forgotten about it? It wasn’t that they weren’t looking forward to the whole thing, the wedding itself just continued to grow and became their entire focus. Paul quickly told Troy’s parents about the mishap and they in turn contacted Helen’s parents.

Together, the four of them planned a great weeklong stay in the Caribbean Island of Curacao, which Troy’s parents claimed was one of his favorite places on Earth and Helen’s stated they knew she had always wanted to visit the Caribbeans. They paid for their flight and room in one of the best hotels Curacao and then surprised the unsuspecting couple with their gift at the rehearsal dinner. And not only were they surprised at the thoughtfulness and effort of the gift, but also by the fact that the honeymoon had completely escaped them. And it truly was an amazing trip. They loved touring all of the historic buildings and were impressed with the Dutch architecture. They also spent a great deal of time on the beach and had the time of their lives while they were away.

Sherman burned this town to the ground more than a century ago but that was not the end. Over the past century, Atlanta Georgia, has become the new capital of the south. In the 19th century, Atlanta was originally called Terminus and only had a railroad stop to offer travelers passing through. Now it stands as a mega city thriving with 5 million people and many large and small companies. Visitors can check into one of the best hotels Atlanta has to offer and engulf themselves in the city that brings rich history from the civil war days to today. Atlanta city of culture, commerce and a trail of history to keep one occupied for days.

You can learn about people who came from here such as Margaret Mitchell and of course Martin Luther King Jr. In the last 60 years Martin Luther King Jr. is the one many come to learn more about. His contribution to civil rights is and will always be legendary. Visitors can follow his life from his home to his church to the place of his death and then to his grave that stands in memorial. People come from all over the world to the museum where they can learn about his speeches and contributions.

Other modern day notables are Ted Turner and CNN. Ted Turner started CNN from Atlanta and it is still being broad casted from this city. Ted, now retired, still has an office in Atlanta and I am sure still has a few things to say in the business. Another big corporations started here is Coca Cola. In the basement of a pharmacist named John S Pemberton is where this ever popular soft drink was created and distributed. Many visitors come from all over the globe to visit the World of Coca-Cola. It has details of all the Coke products, all the products they send around the world and all of the creative advertising campaigns they used to make this such a huge international company.

One of the great aspects of this time of the year is all of the sales that are going on throughout the nation and in addition to that there are numerous specials that will extend well into the New Year. What this means to the wise consumer is not only that they can count on special prices for holiday gift giving, but they can also look for that special new appliance or household luxury item that will be on sale and may end up as a Christmas present for someone, but for the wise consumer it is just the time of year to be making these major household purchases.

One of the popular home improvement options that is becoming a strong priority across the nation is restructuring the backyard and creating more of a home entertainment environment. This is benefiting families in many different ways and one of the most obvious and important is that it is helping to build greater connections between family members and it creates better options for family home nights. In addition, it allows for greater social entertainments to occur at the home, such as a teenage party. And creating a beautiful backyard landscape with additional features such as an outdoor kitchen and dining area will add value to the property, which is extremely important in today’s market.

With all of these elements to consider, it is natural that this time of year is the perfect time to find bbq grills on sale. It is also a great time to make the purchase and increase the pleasure potential of your backyard and the value of your home. With all these reasons to support buying a new grill or complete outdoor kitchen there is really no reason to put it off or resist it. Buy a grill, enjoy your life and improve your home.

Curtis grew up in Dallas, Texas and wanted to be in a rock and roll band. Some of his friends told him he would have to move to Los Angeles if he really wanted to make it big, but Curtis just wasn’t interested in going there. He had nothing against LA or California; he just happened to love his home state of Texas and believed he could make a go of it there. Well, at least he was willing to accept making his living by playing in bars and local clubs if that meant living where he wanted and also following his passion. Besides, Austin was a great music town, in fact it was famous for its music scene and he was proud and excited to move there.

His friend Jim agreed to go with Curtis to help him find a place to live but also because Jim wanted to check out the scene in Austin. They booked a couple of rooms in one of the best Austin hotels and headed out of Dallas. Curtis had been to Austin plenty of times before though Jim had only been once and that was when he was a child so he really didn’t remember much. He noticed a strong atmospheric change right away and though Austin was the capital of the state, it had a distinctively easy going feeling.

On their first night in town Curtis suggested the go to an open mic. Jim was not a big fan of these but Curtis had brought his guitar and really wanted to get a feel for playing in Austin. Jim suspected it was really because Curtis couldn’t seem to go for an entire day without performing for someone. However, he finally agreed that he would go with Jim to the Water Tank. After a few minutes Jim began to enjoy himself and the two of them stayed there most of the night. When it was Curtis’ turn to perform he decided to try out a new song he had written and received a positive response from the crowd. He then coaxed Jim to join him in a song they both knew. That evening left Curtis with a great feeling about moving and left Jim considering the idea of moving there himself.

There’s nothing quite like being famished in a new city, one that you have never been in before, and also in arriving there in your state of hunger. However, this is quite another experience when it occurs in New York City. The problem here is not going to be in finding a place to eat, but rather in choosing from the endless amount of possible options. This is exactly what Jack encountered when he landed at La Guardia Airport in Queens New York. He was so hungry that he was just going to grab something at the airport before hoping in a taxi and heading across the bridge to his Manhattan hotel. He came to New York to visit his friend Max who had moved their two years prior. Instead of eating a quick bite in an airport venue Jack decided to tough it out until he could get ahold of Max and demand that he take him to one of the best Manhattan restaurants.
Jack was a huge fan of food, and although he was constantly hungry, he was also extremely particular about where and what he would eat. And whenever he visited a new city, he would in part gage his like and respect for it by the quality and diversity of cuisine it offered. And now it was New York’s turn to be put to the test. Max was well aware of this aspect of his friend, and was eagerly awaiting his phone call. He had been planning on taking Jack to Keens Steakhouse. He felt that his friend would love not only the food but the atmosphere and historic elements of the establishment. It has served great steaks since 1885 represents the unique historical aspect of the city. Max new that environment, atmosphere, uniqueness and charm were as important to Jack as the food. And he also loved restaurants that somehow represented the city. This was certainly the case for Keens and Max was eager to introduce it to his friend. And Jack could not have been happier or more satisfied. He immediately loved the old charm and feeling of the place. And he loved the steamed Maine lobster and filet mignon he had as his entrée. As he sat there looking at the numerous historic pictures on the wall, he was certain that New York was a great city.