Month: September 2017

NYC 2017: Day 3

/ Dav / 1 Comment

09.15.17 | New York, New York | 15:50

Brooklyn: So much to write about- I hope I’m don’t get too tired before I finish this entry. I woke up this morning at about 08:00. I decided that I’d walk the 14 miles from where I was in Jamaica to where I needed to be. Yes, that is correct. My thought process was this: Think of how many beautiful pictures I can take along the way!

After 6 miles of walking through sketchy neighborhoods, I was done walking. I stopped at a gas station and bought an egg salad sandwich and a bottle of water. I ate it in the park across the street. With food in me, I felt like I could handle the next 8 miles. Keep in mind, I have a heavy backpack on and am dragging a roller bag behind.

About a mile later, I knew that enough was enough. I called for a Lyft. See- my intentions were good, but as they say- the will is strong, but the flesh is weak. Soon, a driver met me and took me to Brooklyn, near my next Airbnb.

Once he had dropped me off and had left, I realized I had left my backpack in front of the house where I’d called for the Lyft! I am such an airhead sometimes! I start to freak out a bit. Inside that bag is my iPad and other expensive things!

I considered not going back for a brief moment. I felt that by this time, my bag would have most likely been stolen. I didn’t know what I should do, so I stood on the side of the road and said a prayer. I can’t afford to be throwing away iPads (especially 12.9-inch ones)! I decided to call another driver to take me back to where I’d left the bag.

A guy named Joseph came to pick me up. I told him the story, and he sped the entire drive back. Most of the ride, I’m chatting with him, acting like this is no big deal. When I’m not talking with him, I’m praying, hoping that my bag hasn’t been stolen. We get there, and low and behold- my backpack is there against the tree where I’d left it.

I’m so happy now that I could cry! I’m trying to keep it together in front of Joseph as he drives me back to Brooklyn. He told me that if I’d have left it anywhere in Brooklyn, we would have never found it!

I found my Brooklyn Airbnb, which is an entire story in itself because the Airbnb app sent me to the wrong location when I’d asked for directions. Thank goodness I was able to find it on my own! By this time, I’m so exhausted from the walk and the drama that I bring to my own life, but I’m thankful. I tried to fall asleep for a while but was unable to calm my thoughts. So I just lay there, pretending to be asleep for about half an hour.

23:01

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Dinner was at a Chinese restaurant on 8th Avenue called Chef Yu. Incredibly delicious chicken with curry sauce. I love finding new places to eat! I love food! I’m surprised that I’m not four times my size!

Tonight I went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was so cool! It very much reminded me of the movie but didn’t follow the same storyline. I had to call Kas, my sister-in-law because I remember she’d once told me that it is a story that she enjoyed.

I haven’t read the book yet, but a friend sent me a link explaining that the original idea for Charlie was to write him as a little black boy. But in the time it was written, that wouldn’t have gone over too well, is my understanding. This was discovered in an interview with the author’s widow. Click here to read the article.

NYC 2017: Day 2

/ Dav / 1 Comment

09.14.17 | New York, New York | 09:06

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The Neighborhood in Jamaica, Queens, New York

Jamaica: The bed here is so comfortable! I was mentally checked out last night by about 20:00. I slept all through the night until about 06:00 and then got up, showered, and ventured out to find something for breakfast. I met Roseann, my host, on my way out the door and asked if she could point me in the right direction for breakfast. Something local that isn’t part of a chain.

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Authentic Jamaican Breakfast

The restaurant she suggested wasn’t open yet, so I walked down the street until I came to one called Tru Jerk & Soul. I asked the lady behind the counter if they had anything for breakfast. She turned around and started lifting the lids on a bunch of pans. This was not a traditional breakfast food in the western sense- no eggs, bacon, pancakes, or anything like that. She told me that the food was authentic Jamaican. She gave me a plate with white fish, potatoes, some greens, and okra. It would call it southern style, but nothing was fried. It was very delicious! She made me a to-go plate, but I ate it all there.

After breakfast, I walked around for a while, wondering what there was to see and do. I consulted the internet, and it didn’t offer much help. I saw a park, a few churches, some more restaurants, but that’s all there was. I did come across a grade school, just as all the kids were making their way inside. The students wore uniforms, and as much as I wanted to take some pictures, I didn’t want to be the creepy guy who is by himself, taking pictures of the little kids. They were cute as hell, though. Instead, I headed back to the house to prepare for whatever was next.

The house was shaking because they’re doing construction nearby. I noticed on the map that it’s about a 3-mile trek to the nearest train station. I plan on walking there, to avoid having to stand around waiting for any busses. I need to get an early start toward Manhattan. Wicked tonight!

23:04

My walk to the rail station was just over 3 miles! I could have called for a Lyft, but the more I walk, the more money I can save since this entire trip will be on a credit card (thanks to a $1400 mistake by my bank)- the less I swipe my card, the better.

When I stepped off of the subway in Manhattan, it was only a few blocks walk before I came upon a street that had been blocked off by the police. This was the yearly San Gerrano Festival. I had no idea that I would find this, but there was every kind of street vendor imaginable. All the fried food a guy could ask for in life, games with prizes, and all the restaurants had set up select dining areas out on the street itself. It was awesome!

From Wikipedia: 

The Feast of San Gennaro (Festa di San Gennaro) is an Italian-American festival. Originally a one-day religious commemoration, the festival was first celebrated in the United States in September 1926, when immigrants from Naples congregated along Mulberry Street in the Little Italy section of Manhattan in New York City to continue the tradition they had followed in Italy to celebrate Saint Januarius, the Patron Saint of Naples. His feast day is September 19 in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church.

I grabbed lunch at a restaurant called Paesano. I wasn’t craving Italian food, but I had to pee like a racehorse, and I saw a sign that read: RESTROOM IS FOR CUSTOMER USE ONLY. At that point, it didn’t matter what kind of food they were serving. I was going to eat something so that I could use the facilities. The food was good!

I made my way to the SoHo Apple Store for a few minutes. I was hoping they’d have the iPhone X on display, but the guy in front told me that they wouldn’t get any until we can preorder them. I’m going to have to wait, in other words. I’m not sure if I’m going to order one or not. Yes, I’d love one, but there’s nothing wrong with my iPhone 7. If I do get one, I’ll pay for it by working extra trips, so I don’t have to spend any of my savings or go into any debt for it. I’m a responsible adult, after all (yeah, right).

I walked further south and then ended up coming north to Washington Square Park. That was a great place to sit and rest for a while. There were thousands of people in the square. It was mad! Many people love to be in the city, but I think they need these parks to keep their sanity.

Reba Shirt
It is amazing the number of looks a person gets when strolling around New York City wearing a Reba McEntire shirt.

I walked north until I got to Time’s Square. This is the place to go if you ever want to people-watch. Every kind of person is here, including this man whose name is Jason Hunter. This is his song/art piece called Ignore. It’s was catchy, albeit annoying. You can Google the words ‘Jason Hunter Ignore,’ and this same song comes up on YouTube. It seems as if he’s been pushing this same art piece for a while now.

Finally, it was time to make my way to The Gershwin Theatre and see Wicked. My seat was next to a girl who was visiting from Pahrump, Nevada. She told me she is in town for a continuing education seminar, something to do with nursing. She’s traveling by herself and says this is her first time in New York City.

This cast of Wicked is probably the best cast I’ve ever seen! The girl playing Elphaba had an incredible range, and she did some things with the high notes that I’d never heard before. This is my fourth time seeing this musical, and every time it just gets better! The first time was with Colee when she came to visit, the second time with LaDawn, the third time was when the traveling company came to Louisville, and I went with friends Ashly and Tammy.

Every time I see this play, it just gets better! There were even moments when I got goosebumps or a little bit teary-eyed. I know the storyline, and I know what’s coming, but this cast did so well, I was in constant chills!

I grabbed a Lyft outside when the play was over and rode back to Jamaica. This was a long ride and one that cost me about $60! So much for saving money- I only did this because I wanted to get back faster. I’m not sure how late the subway runs, but I knew that even if I rode back that way to Jamaica Station, I’d still be getting a ride for that last 3 miles.

/ Dav / 9 Comments

NYC 2017: Day 1

09.13.17 | Denver International Airport | 07:10

I love my life so much and so I often I feel guilty that I need a vacation. I guess need is a harsh word. I want a vacation, that is. I would like a brief escape from my everyday, where I won’t have to set an alarm in the morning. I thought that it was time to check off another item on my bucket list. I’ve always wanted to spend a week in New York City, as I first mentioned here on December 10th. (Link: https://davsaddiction.wordpress.com/2015/12/10/2189/) As of today, this dream is becoming a reality.

Years ago, I went to New York City for 4 or 5 delays with my friend Colee and her friend Amy. Even though that’s close to a week, I haven’t checked off bucket list item #72. This is because it wasn’t a full week in the city and because we actually stayed on the New Jersey side, taking the Weehawken ferry over each morning.

I arrived at the airport way too early! That’s the thing- if I’m going somewhere that is fun or exciting, I don’t sleep very well. I woke up at 04:00 and after 45 minutes of laying there, I decided it was time to get up and get ready. My flight doesn’t even leave until 10:20. I remember the same thing happened last year when I was going to Scotland. My body woke up so early, long before the sun even came out. My flight wasn’t leaving until about way late in the afternoon but I want to get to the airport. I remember Dawn having to tell me to relax and go back to sleep. There is no way I’d be able to fall back to sleep! Why even try?

08:42

I’m having trouble staying awake in the airport. After I get my boarding pass, in another 38 minutes, my mission is clear: Find a Pepsi.

DEN > LGA | 10:54

My seat is 27 C. The girl in 27 A told me that she is an art student on a class trip. There are about 20 students in their group, and they’re going to spend a week in New York City where they will go to different galleries. She told me that she is excited, but a bit nervous about getting around in the city. I told her not to worry and that it’s very easy.

The guy in seat 27 B is a Yogi and he’s making his way to London where he is going to attend University for the next 18 months, this will be his first time flying internationally and he’s also excited. London is wonderful, and he’s going to love it! I’d like to get back there someday. I’m somewhat jealous. At the moment, he’s sitting cross-legged doing some kind of meditation. At least he doesn’t smell like he hasn’t showered. I sometimes worry when the person next to me has dreadlocks. It’s my understanding that you can’t really wash your hair with dreads. Yes or No? Who knows?

I’m watching Lara Croft: Tomb Raider on my iPad. I don’t think Angelina Jolie does a very good job with the Lara Croft character. I’m scratching my head wondering what caused me to purchase this movie in the first place. It must have been on sale for like $4.99 or something on the iTunes store. Perhaps I bought it because Daniel Craig is in it. That’s very likely- he’s a great actor!

Jamaica, New York | 18:42

img_8018I finally made it to New York City! After a 50 minutes Lyft ride (that only cost about $32), I’m happy to have found the first Airbnb. The neighborhood is very cozy and homely. It seems rather safe. My studio apartment sits above the family home. It’s small, but more than I need. I will post more tomorrow. It’s early still but I’m extremely exhausted!

Forward to NYC 2017: Day 2

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For my own safety and security, I usually don’t post in advance any information about the places I’m traveling to. If I do post, I never give out the dates of when I’m going to be there. I hope I’m not being overly cautious, but I’ve learned that often times, people are crazy. If I posted half the things that I happen to see when I’m riding some sort of public transportation, I’d have to start questioning my own sanity.

Most of the hotels for my work layovers are rather nice. They are nicer than anything I would ever pay. Not that I can’t on occasion afford them, I’m just far more frugal than that, when it comes to the bed I’m going to sleep in. My personal room requirements (whether I’m paying out of pocket or I’m there for work) are the following:

1. The bedsheets must be clean. The first thing I do when I get to a room is pull down the cover on the bed. If I see any marks, hairs, or even signs that someone had been in that bed, I’ll call down to the front desk and request a new room. Years ago, when I was a new flight attendant, I pulled back a blanket and found a condom wrapper. Should I just be thankful that I didn’t find the condom? New room, please.

2. The room may not smell like smoke. Not only do I hate that smell, but I don’t want it on my clothes the next day. Most importantly, I don’t want to get blamed for it. Many hotels charge anywhere from $200 to $500 for a cleaning fee if they think you smoked in the room. New room, please.

3. The shower has to be clean. We used to stay at one hotel in Las Vegas (which no longer exists) and on two seperate occasions, I found loose dirt in the bottom of the bath tub. LOOSE DIRT! That tells me that they didn’t even TRY to clean the tub. That could have been hidden by simply running the water for a moment. New room, please.

Other than that, I’m not very picky. Don’t get me wrong, I love the nicer hotels and I love well-planned decor, but those are just extras. I love a good fitness center, but I don’t include it in my must-haves, because I don’t work out as much as I should.

The other night, I found myself in College Park, Georgia. My airline put me up at a Renaissance Hotel right next to the ATL airport. This is one of the nicest hotels I’ve stayed in in quite awhile. So nice, that I took some pictures to share, including that picture of my dinner (Geechy Boy grits, done up right).

Travel should inspire!

Tonight I’m in Denver. Even though I’m based here, work has me staying at the Westin DIA tonight. Yet another beautiful hotel! Earlier, I took the train into downtown Denver to walk around and have dinner at The Avenue Grill. This is a great restaurant downtown that I used to come to, when I would get Denver layovers years ago. I hadn’t been in about 5 years, so it was good to get back.

I repeat: Travel should inspire!

I have been making plans for Scotland 6

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Yesterday I was perusing the internet to estimate what my flight to Edinburgh is going to cost. Even though my job gives me great flight benefits, those benefits are usually on a space-available basis. This should happen in the early spring of next year. Overseas flights don’t usually fill to capacity in the early spring. Still, since I like to book my lodging and transportation in advance, I don’t really want to be stuck in an airport somewhere, waiting for the next plane that happens to have an empty seat.

In pursuit of a good deal, I checked kiwi.com and noticed that Norwegian had some excellent deals going on. They are the airline that I flew on from Denmark to New York last year (see post). I clicked over to their site, Norwegian.com, to find out which U.S. airports they fly to. In doing so, I found a killer deal! PVD-EDI for $99 + taxes and fees! The grand total: $186! They may charge me for checking my one bag (it’s usually a colossal backpack), but even if they do, it’s still a great price- and this is for an exit row, window seat! I couldn’t pass up this kind of deal! I whipped out my credit card, and bam! It finally feels real- Scotland 6 is happening!

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It never fails… I just finished making this year’s birthday video, and I’ve been watching it over and over again, unable to hold back the tears. I’m pretty sure that Heavenly Father has given me the absolute best family and friends! He has filled my life with so many amazing people!

If you’re not familiar, this is my yearly I Scream, You Scream video. It all started 7 years ago (if you know this story, feel free to skip it)- I was stuck at my Baltimore crashpad, as Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc on Maryland. I remember wanting to be with friends for my birthday, but that was impossible. I sat there wondering how we could celebrate together, even though we were far apart. I came up with a brilliant plan (if I do say so myself): I asked all my friends, via Facebook, to go out and buy their favorite pint of ice cream, and to take a bite at precisely 21:00 (eastern time). When each of them took a bite, they were told to take a selfie (or have someone take their picture) enjoying the ice cream. Next, they’d send me the picture and I’d turn all the pictures into a slideshow.

So here is this year’s offering. I want to thank those who took part. I hope you know that this means so much to me! I love you guys!