Travel Log - Day 3, Part 1
Awakened around 8:30 am by nature calling, aided and abetted by the Housekeeping staff rattling around in the hallway. Got beautiful (ha!) and the Boy woke up around 9:30. Told me he was going to hook up with his German friends today. I felt certain beer would be involved. We agreed to do our own things and meet up around dinner time.
I went to breakfast, solo, at Fluffy's Cafe. Had a good Western omelet, home fries and toast. There is no good toast in NYC. They know very little about whole grains, apparently, unless it is a health food restaurant.
I proceeded with my plan to stalk Bono - or at least his NYC apartment. Went to Columbus Circle station, where I learned: a) there were no C trains running that day; and, b) I have no business catching trains there. Because, naturally, I got on a southbound when I meant to go north. Got off, then accidentally got on an Express A train and couldn't get off until 125th St. Got on the local A and (finally) got off at 72nd - phew! Walked two short blocks to Bono's place. I was after stalker pics for my friend Suse. If I haven't mentioned it, she is a rabid fan of Bono and has been in the U2 fan club since she was 13. That's 25 years, if you're counting.
Took shots of the front of the building from the sidewalk, the towers from the sidewalk, then went into Central Park, climbed some hills and hiking trails and took pictures of the towers again. Also took pictures of the view of the reservoir as it would be from his apartment (though much closer to the ground, of course). I called Suse while there so she could share the experience vicariously. Unfortunately, Bono did not make an appearance while I was in the area. It's a good thing, too, because I never would have heard the end of it. Really wished she was there with me.
Back to the hotel for a quick break, then I headed toward the Build-A-Bear on Madison Ave.
Labels: Vacation
Travel Log - Day 2, Part 2
Afternoon, Friday, March 9. On the way back from The Cloisters, we took the M4 bus again. Not because it was so much fun the first time, but because there was a store called The Africa Shop my son wanted to check out. I believe the bus took a slightly altered route south, because we never spotted the store. Once we realized we missed it, we had the bus stop at 125th St so we could get on the subway. I, in Caren form, dropped my camera and we had to make the driver stop a second time. I believe I mentioned it was that sort of trip.
Had to climb 3000 steps to get to the A train, which is elevated at 125th St. Escalator not working, naturally. After those steps, there were more. Did I mention I had not been able to breathe the entire day? Despite every OTC medication made, I had felt wretched the entire time we were at The Cloisters. The meds didn't help with the stair climbing. Neither did the 10-degree wind up on the train platform. Got on the A and off at Columbus Circle. Walked back to the hotel.
Snacks, phone calls, phone charging. I put on my Birkenstocks with tremendous gratitude. My feet wept. We were going to head over to the Met Museum since our tickets were good for that one, too, on the same day. We blew it off. Boy had a great idea we could buy a video cable and watch DVDs from his laptop. We headed to Times Square (the station didn't confound us this time, since we didn't have to be anywhere) and ogled everything.
We went to Gap and I bought
(RED) items for Suse and my girls. Bought Boy some shirts, since all the clothes he brought with him were dirty (remember?). We took cheesy pictures of each other in Times Square with neon all around us. Checked in a Computer Video store and they wanted $25 for a $5 video cable. No thanks. Took a picture of Boy by the huge, neon-lit Scientology headquarters. Creepy how it's nestled in the theater district and looks like another theater.
Went to SWATCH, where I resisted the lure of a gorgeous tapestry-banded watch in autumnal colors. Oooh. It was only about $80, but I imagined my darling husband freaking out about how much the trip cost us and I said, "No." The little sales chick, Kimberly of the sparkly eyelashes, helped talk me out of it. In an effort to be charming to Boy, she led us to the conclusion that the watches were not as durable as they could be. Under the guise of me coming back tomorrow, Kimberly managed to tell us exactly when she was working on Saturday. Hm. Boy thought he might come back. Not to buy a watch, either.
Went down Restaurant Row on 46th and checked menus at approximately 100 restaurants. Plagued by indecision and growing exasperation, we chose Meson Sevilla, a supposedly Spanish restaurant. Sadly, I have had much better Spanish food in Charlotte, NC. They had great Shrimp Ajilla, middling veggie paella (which was nothing more than glorifed saffron rice with mostly canned vegetables) and great flan. Boy mistakenly ordered an Italian dish rather than the Spanish one he wanted. It was fine, but not Spanish. The tapas smelled and looked good, but they were mostly things we didn't care for - mussels and whatnot. The restaurant had nice atmosphere but was quite close (very NYC) and not to our taste.
After dinner, we went back to the hotel where I, of course, collapsed since it was after 9:30. I tried to read and make notes about the day, but ended up falling asleep. Boy went out around 11:00 where he apparently met some German young people, Bjorn and Matteas. He told me, when he came in, he planned to hook up with them on Saturday. Mysterious phone ringing in the middle of the night. I remember why I love it that he doesn't live with us. Out of sight, out of mind, out of the Worry Zone!
Labels: Vacation
Travel Log, Day 2 - Part 1
Friday, March 9. I am awakened at 4:30 am by sirens. Welcome to NYC. Go back to sleep and am awakened at 7:30 am by the insistent crash of garbage trucks. I got up while Boy slept. Had a leisurely bath (knowing Boy would not be up anytime soon) and soaked my feet, which already had walking damage. Got ready, woke Boy up.
While he showered, I spent half a lifetime at the
Starbucks by our hotel. There were some amusing people getting their panties in a double wad about their coffee being wrong. Most amusing was the lady who was waiting on some half-something, half-something else with half a Splenda in it. They had lost her order (or someone else took it) so they made it again, supposedly. She snatches it and runs to where a large group of students and a charter bus is waiting for her. She comes back quite a few minutes later (I am still waiting for my drink, having secured Boy's minutes ago) and says hers is still not right. Um, that's because she took mine! My panties remained wad-free. Finally got the coffee and went back to check on the progress in our room.
Boy was futzing around and worrying inordinately about his clothes. He messed with the scarf/jacket/shirt/belt/hat combination until he was satisfied and I wanted to scream. Went to some little Tel-something cafe near the hotel and had very fast and tasty breakfast. Went back to hotel to get the maps we had forgotten, then headed off to
The Cloisters. Strategic error. I should have studied the MTA map more and not trusted the directions given on the
Metropolitan Museum of Art website. At their advice, we took M4 bus from 86th past 207th all the way to Fort Tryon Park, home of The Cloisters. While the trip through Harlem was educational, and we saw many interesting spots that might warrant closer inspection, it wasted precious time!
The Cloisters was magnificent. All medieval art and architecture, all the time, in a setting that models a Benedictine abbey. There was a complete Chapter Room - where the Benedictine monks would gather each day to hear a chapter of their Order read and to pray and have fellowship. I found out the abbey where the Chapter Room was housed, in France, was abandoned after the French Revolution. The Chapter Room was used as a stable from that time until the 1920s! That was fascinating to me. Yes, I'm a big history geek. Also, the site where The Cloisters sits - high on a hill overlooking the Hudson River - was the site of a private estate that burned down in the 1920s. Fort Tryon Park is beautiful and I'm sure is positively gorgeous in warm weather. You know, when the wind chill is above 10 degrees F.
Trip back through Harlem and Times Square to follow when Day 2 continues...
Labels: Vacation
Travel Log - Day 1, Part 2
It's taking much longer to write this than the actual trip took! Anyway, once Boy secured his hat, we went to a noodle shop for lunch. Nice, hot tea, good dumplings, good food. Then we headed down to Century 21 Department Store (highly recommended by my hairdresser, Jesus). It is right across from Ground Zero, which has much less impact, IMO, now that it is a construction site. We had lots of fun at Century 21. Boy found some wool socks and a funky ribbon belt that looked quite 70s with a side of preppy thrown in. But it matched his tri-colored Members Only jacket so well! (Never thought the Members Only jacket would be resurrected, btw.) We went upstairs and I found an almost-perfect black leather jacket. FYI, I have been searching for a black leather jacket for at least 3 or 4 years. This one was the right length with nice long sleeves (no elastic). It zipped fine, but then I thought it didn't lay quite as I wanted, so I was able to say, "No." Good thing, too, since it was still too expensive, even at Century 21!
I found wonderful gift boxes (suitcase-style with handle) and lovely personal care gift sets for my critique partners. I hope they appreciate the fact that the TSA was so suspicious of these three, identical, fully-loaded, large boxes that they had to inspect my suitcase! It had already been a fruitful trip for me, since one of my goals was to find something special and lovely for the Hip & Edgy. Headed back to midtown to dump our parcels at the hotel. Still no hairdryer, but I am hopeful. I call to ask about it and am told someone will check on it We walked over to FAO Schwartz.
FAO Schwartz really is a kid's paradise. Besides the huge puppies, there were the cutest penguins ever! One of my critique partners pointed out there were Huskies in the picture, too. What do you know? I really only saw the penguins and seals. Loved the old school toy area. I got a kaleidoscope and bought Adam some Robot blocks. He hasn't opened them yet, but my kaleidoscope has already gotten a ton of play. Also bought a couple of things I cannot disclose here because they are for my friend Suzell's birthday. In July. Yes, I know how horrid and cruel I am to tease her so. They had more Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings stuff than you can shake a stick at. They also had a very cool design-your-own Hot Wheels program. Anyway, we enjoyed the life-sized Lego Chewie, Batman and Hagrid (who had some pieces broken off). These things are especially amazing because they are made from small Legos, all put together then glued. Not the big cheater Duplo blocks, but tiny Legos. Makes it all the more impressive, IMO.
As we were checking out, the cute cashier told Boy she liked his hat. Yes, the chewed-up one. She asked him if he made it (didn't I tell you it looked like it?). He told her where he bought it. Then, she said she really liked the Robot blocks he was buying. After we left, he figured out she was totally flirting with him. Duh! For a smart guy he's a bit dim at times. He also has no idea how cute he is. It's kind of sweet. On the way back, it was bitterly cold. We decided to go to a place called Sushiya near our hotel for dinner. Nice atmosphere, very warm (have I mentioned it was freezing?), lovely green tea, really good Shrimp Dragon and California rolls, great miso soup (who knew it could be so good?) and pretty good katsudon. Waddled back to hotel to get ready for the theater.
Got changed in record time and dashed to the subway. Took the yellow line down to Times Square station. Big mistake. I had forgotten this is the most confusing station ever. The markings messed me up badly and I got a bit disoriented. Went all the way down to 8th, then headed north a block, turned the corner and - bam - there was the Majestic Theater, home of "Phantom of the Opera". We picked up our (really great) tickets from the Will Call window and slid into our seats about 2 minutes before the lights went down. I told you it was that sort of trip! Confession time: I had never seen "Phantom" in any form. Not live, movie or made-for-TV movie. I didn't even know the story beyond the premise. The staging was dramatic and magnificent. Great performances all the way around. I, Boy and the hundreds of teenaged girls in the audience were captivated. Passed up the merch as too expensive, though. Made the big mistake of going back to Times Square station. Got on southbound train rather than north. Got off at the first stop, got back on the northbound and off at 57th. Sheesh!
Went to 55th St Deli (next door to Carnegie Deli). Great selection of many yummy things. Everything from cheesecake to whole grain Kashi cookies. Yes, I got the Kashi cookies! boy was lured by the hot food and got some intensely good eats. At the hotel, I collapsed. boy made hone calls and tried to unwind. Unsuccessful. He went out for a bit around midnight but came back relatively soon. Said he found some cool shops. I slept.
So ends Day 1.
Labels: Vacation
Travel Log - Day 1, Part 1
This is the Day 1, Part 1 entry covering my recent trip to New York City. Please note: this trip was taken with my son who was not-quite-21 (this will be important later) as an early birthday present. Why go in March? It was Spring Break, natch.
Thursday, March 8: Awakened by alarm clock @ 4:45 am. Check on my son, who was supposed to come over in the middle of the night, "After I do laundry." Of course, he wasn't there. Call his unfortunate roommate on his cell phone and ask him to go kick my son and tell him he was going to miss the trip. The (obviously well-trained and polite) young man agreed to do so.
My son pulls in the driveway 2 minutes before we are supposed to leave for the airport. It was destined to be that sort of trip, I mused. Repacked his stuff a bit because, as expected, he hadn't checked the FAA or current airport regulations to know that no liquids or gels more than 3 ounces can be taken in a carry-on bag. We get to the airport parking deck with him dozing and me in a bit of a fog (this also becomes important later). Make the flight and get through security with no problems. Good weather, good flight, arrive at La Guardia about 8:45.
Catch a cab right away. Cabbie takes the longest route ever to the Park Central Hotel - seriously. Through Spanish Harlem to the far side of Central Park, then down 7th. But, we got a great tour of Central Park, so it was worth the extra $9, I suppose. There is snow on the ground from the day before, the wind is icy, the sun is shining. A lovely day.
The hotel lets us check in, even though it's only 9:30 am. Sweet! Especially since my son has been camping in the mountains for several days and only skidded into town in time to make this trip. All his clothes, he informs me, are dirty. At least he can shower, since we're in our room. "Showering" takes about an hour and a half when you are my son. The selection of the right outfit for one's first day in NYC is, apparently, mission critical. There is no hairdryer in our room. Sensing a crisis brewing, I call for one. It does not appear before my patience evaporates and I force my son to put on a coat and leave the room.
We walk to the Tourist Information center to buy Metro cards and pick up the requisite maps of subway and city. Armed, we head to Chinatown. My son has never ridden the subway before and is charmed by how NYC everything is. In Chinatown, he haggles with a guy over the price of a knit hat with flaps, but doesn't buy it (he regrets this later). He
does buy a hat from a different guy. This one looks like a fourth-grader made it from scraps of fabric he found lying about, then gave it to his dog to chew on. It has a poorly-executed skull-and-crossbones on it. My son adores it and wears it the rest of the day (this also becomes important later).
More to follow, wherein shopping is accomplished and leather is lusted after.
Labels: Vacation
Getting To Know Caren!
FYI: The following post is one I created for the Packers Work In Progress blog, which has not yet been deemed fit for human consumption. It is the group blog for some of the 2006 Golden Heart Finalists. We call ourselves the '06 Packers, hence the "Packers Work In Progress". I'll be sure to post a link when the FDA approves it for the general public. In the meantime, here is my introductory post over there!
When did you start writing? Or if you've been writing all your life, then when and how did you decide to pursue publication?
I started writing, with absolutely no idea what I was doing, in 2000. I did it to escape the mind-numbing tedium of my work as an electrical engineer. I was inspired by a girl at work whom I didn't know well, but who was a real character. I wrote a completely fictional story about her (that was, I'm ashamed to admit, a bit mean-spirited but completely hilarious) and shared it with my good friends. One friend had been a member of
RWA and my local chapter,
Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and she suggested that I join.
I realize now that she saw a spark (quite a small one) in my writing and meant to encourage me. Like many, I thought my writing was brilliant at the time, but later discovered it needed
lots of work! I'm blessed with wonderful - and tactful - friends.
What books/authors have influenced you?
Since joining RWA, I have been influenced by the groundwork many brilliant authors have laid. From an educational and mentoring standpoint, I owe huge debts of gratitude to my dear friends
Sabrina Jeffries,
Claudia Dain,
Liz Carlyle,
Virginia Kantra and
Deb Marlowe.
From an inspirational standpoint, I owe debts to
Susan Elizabeth Phillips and
Jennifer Crusie. Why? Because they are both pantzers and slow writers like me! I know if they can do it and enjoy success, I can too. You can't buy that sort of inspiration.
Describe your writing process.
There's a process? Oh, yes, I recall other people
have one of those. As mentioned above, I am a pantzer. Not by design, but because I can't teach my brain a better way. My books are almost completely character driven and that is what always comes to me first: the people. Once I have these wonderful people, I have to figure out a situation to put them in that will highlight where they need to grow and enable them to do that. Easier said than done!
This thing they call "plotting" usually involves many fits and starts, followed by long periods of "marination". The marination time, like with all good recipes, varies each time I need it. Unfortunately, I have learned enough and become disciplined enough to continue working even when my story isn't. Because of that, I started my last book 3 times and got about 1/2 to 2/3 written each time before I figured out why it wasn't quite right (though both discarded stories were good) and how to fix it. My dream is to get to the point in my career where this is no longer necessary and I can write more than one book a year. Hey, I said it was a dream.
And please, nobody mention color-coded index cards or detailed, scene-by-scene outlines or my head will explode!
Tell us about your current Work In Progress and what is next for you?
The book is about a chef, Sarah, and a building contractor, Luke. They are great characters and I know oodles and gobs about them, their histories, their heartbreaks, their families and the town they live in (Laurel Mountain, North Carolina). What I don't know is exactly what happens in their book. It's marinating.
Any advice for others or personal observations?
The best advice I can give anyone is: respect your process. Even if, like me, you don't really have one. I have put myself through untold traumas trying to follow other writers' recipes (including color-coded index cards and detailed, scene-by-scene outlines). None of them worked for me.
Why not? Well, everyone's brain is wired a certain way. It's quite difficult to force your brain to operate in another fashion. I was quite successful, for instance, in filling out color-coded index cards and in coming up with detailed, scene-by-scene outlines. Did they help my books? Not at all. That is because my characters don't come alive on index cards or outlines. They come alive when I write. So, until I start writing, I have no idea how they will react to people or situations. In other words, I have no idea what the "plot" will be. I don't really need to. I simply need to know how they should feel toward their situation and those around them when the book ends. How they get there ends up being an organic extension of who they are.
Plus, the marinade fills in the blanks! Anyone else find plot to be the last thing you know about your book?
Back On Top
Those who know me well will tell you I don't stay firmly trenched in "reality" for long. So, I have bounced back up on my wave of natural optimism and am excited about a number of things right now.
First, I am starting to feel better, so I will be starting back to the gym tomorrow. My sadly sagging muscles are so glad about that!
Second, my son and I are headed to
NYC on Thursday, which is always a thrill. I can hardly wait to indulge in some street cart
falafel, which will make my younger daughter insanely jealous (insert
evil grin here). We were unable to get tickets to any of the shows we wanted to see taped (Conan O'Brien, Daily Show, Colbert Report), so we are going with no real plans at all. Those who know me well will tell you this sort of thing makes me crazy loco, but it's not my trip, it's my son's.
He says a couple of his friends will be in NYC at the same time, so we may hook up with them. No telling what we will end up doing! Stay tuned for news stories involving a middle-aged Southern woman and a group of semi-legal youth getting bounced from dicey establishments in NYC. Ack!
Third (see, I remembered this was a list), I have a first annual writers' retreat with my critique group, the Hip & Edgy. You can check them out on the pictures page of my
Caren Crane website. My critique partners are Regan Black, Tracy Leigh Brown and Kimberly Justen. They are fabulous writers and keep me straight. I am so looking forward to a weekend of brainstorming and plotting!
Fourth, I will be seeing my dear friend
Liz Bemis toward the end of the month. Liz is a friend, confidante and advisor to me. I adore her and can't wait to see her again. And, since she's come to see me twice since I last visited her, I owe her. We are also going to see a band I really like,
Great Big Sea. They are from Newfoundland and rarely make it to the sunny South, so I don't mind combining a trip to Ohio to see a friend with a great concert. Oh, I just realized that the last time I went to see Liz, we went to a
Guster concert. Now she'll think I
only come to visit when there's a concert. Not at all! I just like to multi-task. Really!
Then, of course, it will be Easter and I'll get to see my wonderful extended family. Always the best part of any holiday!
Anyone else have things they are eagerly anticipating? A great trip? A season finale or a great book coming out, maybe?
Labels: Life
