Tag: USA

4 nice things about frequent flier miles

boarding-pass

  1. Just 20,000 of them got us from Montevideo to Miami;
  2. “TSA PRECHK” exempts you from the more ludicrous aspects of American Security Theater inspired by the “shoe bomber” and ”liquid bomber” made-for-TV dramas;
  3. Priority AAccess means you can get on the second-rate plane used on the non-competitive MIA-MVD run early enough to find an overhead bin for your carry-on bag;
  4. Between MVD and MIA and LAS (Las Vegas), we have none left to expire.

The last point is not trivial, since 80,000 of my frequent flier miles expired earlier this year.

 

Florida sightings

stop

Thanksgiving parade hint for the directionally challenged

 

perseverance

Here’s to the crazy ones …

 

Morbidly obese diners in Vero Beach, Florida

TooJay’s Deli, Vero Beach: fellas, ya don’t hafta order extra fries with that … every single time … honest ….

 

sandhill_cranes

Sandhill cranes in the ‘hood

JFK

Sitting in the Business Class Oasis Lounge at JFK Terminal 4 – great little spread of food and beverages, after dropping our rental car and taking the wonderfully efficient free AirTrain elevated shuttle. Then on to security which was delightfully un-obnoxious. No cancer radiation scanners. One person patted down; the agent explained to her very carefully what she needed to do, and they shared a laugh as it was in progress.

Being a little bit of a plane buff, I was awestruck with the sight of this Singapore Airlines Airbus A380-800. Watched another of these double-decker jumbos from Korean Air lumbering down the runway towards rotation (takeoff).

Wow.

Connecticut: comfort

For the wedding, we stay in the house of a friend of my sister. Lush, monogrammed towels, a couple of large-screen TVs, tennis court and swimming pool. Though no expert, I find no difficulty imagining the property selling for $4-5 million.

Open garage full of bikes, tools, kayak. House full of amazing artwork collected from around the world. Security briefing: just walk in, the door is open.

Of course we were welcome to do laundry. The laundry room also houses the guts of the heating system.

heating system, expensive Connecticut house

With a total of 14 heating zones in the house, safe to say you’ll be comfortable. As long as you can afford heating oil.

So if comfort were all that mattered….

New York City: convenience

 UruguayManhattan
Great meal30 minute drive to Solís, open weekends only 9 months of the yearGreek restaurant a few doors down as good or better than best we know in UY
Buy new blazer30-60 minute drive one way to Montevideo. Unimpressive quality, limited choices, $200+7 minute walk to Macy’s. Third floor, nice quality, $225 marked down, then additional sale price, total $137 (but overnight tailoring $40)
Ship via FedexOne-hour drive to Montevideo or Punta del Este (the latter ridiculous in the summer because of traffic)Two minute walk to FedEx
Basic office suppliesManila file folders, hanging folders not sold in UruguayTwo minute walk to Staples
Consumable
coconut oil*		Unavailable5-minute walk to Vitamin shoppe. (What brand/size do you want?)

*Food grade coconut oil became available in Uruguay within a year or so

A surprisingly pleasant experience, coming from a place where ‘getting things done’ is a sort-of kind of proposition.

So, if convenience were all that mattered….

New York’s incredibly awesome Highline

nyc-highline2

Some creative citizens spearheaded resistance to destruction of the ‘visual blight’ elevated railway built to eliminate rail traffic from the meatpacking district of lower Manhattan that produced so many accidents as street level that it was called Death Avenue in the early 20th century. By the 1960s it was abandoned, and over the next decades plants grew and soil developed.

Now it has become a totally impressive, totally awesome ‘back yard’ for NYC residents, almost a Frederick Law Olmstead (creator of central Park, the ‘lungs’ of NYC) redux.

nyc-gahry-bldg

Here’s a treat, view of a Frank Gehry condo building from the Highline. Even more impressive, we’re told, illuminated at night time.