So last week, I went to New York–this time, with the wife. We saw a Yankees game during the last season at the historic Yankees stadium, saw Rent before it’s way out of Broadway. We also had more yummy cheesecake (carrot cake cheesecake at Junior’s, if you’re interested), and finally went to both MoMA and the Guggenheim. I also got glowing reviews of my nerdy communication and computer training.
But that wasn’t the highlight of the trip. No, sir.
Stepping into B&H Photo for the first time…WOW. It was like Santa’s workshop, with little elves waiting to help you (except they were Jewish, which explains why the entire store was closed for a week for Passover). Overhead are conveyor belt things that send things you’ve selected to purchase around the entire store to meet you on the way out. What an awesome experience.
Just like previous visits to New York, I got caught up and bought something (the iPhone and the iPod touch comes to mind). This time, it was a sweet and fast 24-70 f2.8 constant lens. That mates with the new Sony DSLR-a700 I purchased the weekend before leaving for New York (leaving it in San Diego, unopened, waiting for me to return). The a700 joins the a350 I purchased the month before.
So what a great last week. The weather was freezing, but the city was awesome. Not to mention the yummy Oreo cookie brownie at Bruce’s. Ah, New York, I miss you already.
Now to tend to the extreme Red Bull Air Race sunburn covering half my body.
Sun Microsystems picked up Innotek not too long ago. Now the virtual environment that has allowed me to run Linux within a window on a Vista machine–now allows running Vista and Linux within the MacOS (beta).
So I have been staying at the W Hotel New Orleans in the French Quarter for the past week. As a hotel itself, it’s not bad. I mean, it’s not the best place—I would probably relegate that to the Andrews at Long Island, New York—but I would say that it has the best friggin’ shower I have ever used.
The best shower that I have ever used.
Just to get the point across. The best shower that I have ever used.
In a city where drought isn’t an issue (I am a couple blocks from the Mississippi River), in a modern hotel, taking a shower in my hotel room is akin to being a young child on a hot summer day on the corner of the street playing in the water of the fire hydrant. Just that it’s not a hot summer day. And instead of a street, you’re standing on gray slate. And you’re naked.
It’s not a bath tub. It’s just a gigantic shower room with a glass surround. It’s quite a beautiful bathroom (especially since I am in the middle of remodeling our own at home), but as soon as that shower head starts spewing water, the shower floor begins to fill with maybe one inch of water. It doesn’t go beyond that, and it’s enough water to kick up and splash on the wall. And the water is a nice bubbly warm water. And it smells good (the W Hotels always give out this set of expensive soaps and shampoos that have a bit of a eucalyptus aroma). Every time I use the shower, I am in there for nearly an hour.
Am I recommending that you stay at a W Hotel? Sure…the hotel is nice. Here , in the French Quarter, it’s fun. If you like the sort of thing that the French Quarter atmosphere exudes (drinking late, walking around with alcohol in your hand, partying, looking at art galleries), then stay here a night or two. Frick, though, as valet is $30 a day. The pillows are very large and filled with feathers, the pool is heated and the courtyard is among the best in a standard hotel.
It has been a while since I have updated this here blog. It’s a variety of reasons, really.
Well, we had two weekends, back to back, of LAN parties.
Then cooking the cheesecakes.
We finished remodeling the office and putting together some furniture.
We shopped.
Played with Jaiku some.
We watched some horribly acted, yet mildly entertaining (funny, I should say) horror movies–The Death Tunnel (ridiculous at how bad it is) and Plan 9 from Outer Space (uhm, I don’t know why I even had that on my rental queue).
Then before you know it, it’s almost a month since the last post…and it’s almost 2008.
So things are well, the wife–fine as always. Clearance, the amazing guinea pig–she’s good. Putting on some of that winter weight (that makes the both of us–Clearance and I).
So what comes up in the next few days, I’ll be sure to take pictures and update you fine readers, you.
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