"The sky settles everything...

... not only climates and seasons but when the earth shall be beautiful."

American Airlines is having a fare sale to India. Ahhhh... India.

A Love Song to NYC

My January edition of Conde Nast Traveler came today-- ah, the day of the month I always look forward to (thank you my dear Aunt Anne for the lovely gift!). It's the 2006 Gold List edition-- "Very best that travel has to offer." *Sigh.* More destinations to add to my wishlist of wonders to see.

There is, as is often the case, a blurb about my beloved New York, and the fact that Harlem is experiencing yet another Renaissance (which, by the way, has been happening for years, only now that it's getting the attention of big(ger)-time investors, it's finally making the "posh" list, hence CNT).

But I predict that this "Renaissance" won't have quite the same lasting impact of the art-infused Jazz Age. Instead, the yuppies, the guppies-- and even the boomers, are buying up townhouses (well, that's been happening for about ten years, now...), and just opened is Ginger, an organic Chinese restaurant, and Carol's Daughter-- a "beauty emporium" (oh, and look-- in addition to shopping there, as so gloriously highlighted in CNT, Jada Pinkett-Smith is also the spokesmodel). And, the pièce de résistance? Move over Bill [Clinton]. Starwood is shopping around 125th Street for a new W Hotel location. WTF?! I mean, I get gentrification and how, to a certain degree, it CAN be good for a neighborhood... but this is Harlem, for heaven's sake. Looks like the "two-eight" might be on the verge of losing their "most dangerous, biggest-drug-infested-in-the-smallest- neighborhood in New York" status (a whole 0.49 square miles). Welcome to the Upper East/Upper West Side, my boys in blue (not to mention you three-oh- and two-five-ers). Oy vey.

The Scariest Thing

"What's the scariest thing in the world?" asked the boy.
"Love." answered the girl.

Politics My Ass

For all those Chicagoans who get their knickers in a twist about the "Windy City" not really being windy (because the descriptor originally stems from a reference to their shady politicians being "full of hot air"-- and, by the way, WHY would that be something to BRAG about?!?), try spending the day on the 20th floor of my office. Not only was I freaking motion sick all day because of the swaying-- yes, swaying, of the building, the constant creaking and groaning coming from the high rise due to the stress caused by the WIND was enough to instigate a near aneurysm. So to all you high-and-mighties who are convinced that this city ain't any windier than any other city in the world: BITE ME.

It's been five years since my last international trip

Okay-- so that's not exactly true either. I did go to Vancouver in late October to celebrate the big 3-0 with a some of my favorite people in the whole world (does Canada still count as another country, especially with Prime Minister-elect Harper, aka President Bush's new best friend?). But I'm trying to erase that trip from my memory because we were robbed and all of our belongings stolen-- including my beloved laptop. STOLEN. In CANADA!! All those reports of "nice, friendly and trustworthy" Canadians? Yeah-- thank you, Michael Moore, for perpetuating the stereotype ("Bowling for Columbine," anyone?). Needless to say-- I will not be going to Canada again anytime soon. Give me the mean streets of downtown Hartford any day. At least there I'm prepared for the possibility of feeling utterly violated.