Scared to be Excited

What about writing?
Could this be a match?
A "fit" as they preach in corporate speak?
Want to do it. Feel fulfilled by it.
Not sure if this is where my talents lie.
Have to try.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Thank you to everyone who came for making my birthday very special.

Thirty DOES Feel Different!

I shed a little tear this morning when I realized my twenties are over. I know, I know, such a statement is likely to give my elders a knowing chuckle - I'm okay with that.

It wasn't one of those depressed, pathetic tears. It was more of a sentimental one. I really never believed my twenties would be over. I think when you're in your twenties, or at least when I was, you sort of just think they are eternal. I know nothing is permanent but for some reason, I've always had a lot of trouble anticipating the landscape of life very far into the future.

I can honestly say this morning I contemplated what I've been doing for the past ten years and thought, "Okay, here is beginning of a new chapter; perhaps a more self-assured and thoughtful one." My goals, beliefs and choices have really become my own. Not ones for which I seek approval from others.

For me, the reality of limitation seems to have sunk in. Certain things will not happen. It is clear. I will not be a pop star by the time I'm 25. I will not have children or be married by thirty (duh). Unless something drastic happens, I'm not going to be filthy rich and my debt won’t go away just by virtue of ignoring it. These things may sound obvious to wiser folks out there but when you're looking at life from age 20 you believe literally anything can happen.

Lest you think these limitations are depressing, I would like to point out I actually find them comforting. It's like some organization has been dropped onto life and I now know where to direct my energies. Prior to this time, I wanted so many different things I would run in any direction at the hint of great possibility.

I spent my twenties exploring and exploring and exploring. I always felt I should try new things, travel the world, meet new people, see plays, learn new dances, try new foods, get fired ... ahem ... I wanted to exhaust the world of the unknown, rather than just sit still. I didn't much care to hear what other people had to say about something like graduate school or learning a new language. I wanted to experience it for myself and really understand it.

There was a tradeoff to all this, I’ve learned. Constant change and running in all these different directions came at a price. I haven't exactly impoverished myself but my financial net worth is a bit in the red. I’ve made mistakes; some were due to naïveté, some to arrogance and others to impulsiveness or impatience. I've hurt some people. I've even hurt myself. There are some things in my past I wouldn’t repeat. I would’ve been a little more forgiving of others and doubted myself less, but, you know, I really feel like I did the right thing learning about the world around me.

Age may just be a number but experience can only come from well, experiences. By seeking out the world I learned lessons I didn’t anticipate. I love that.

I know that I'm only so knowledgeable in a world of near infinite wisdom and information. The past decade has taught me the importance of humility and discipline but I know in other ways I am still searching. Spiritually, I'm still looking and contemplating. In my relationship, I constantly work to be better and relearn bad habits that are second nature to me. When I read this passage again in five years, or even just a month, I cannot know what I will have learned or from what perspective I will come.

What I do know is that I accept the passing of my twenties. I know my attitude toward the future is just that – my attitude, my choice. It's like I've got this sense of owning my life, of being responsible for what my life looks like. I'm not looking at life and asking myself what I should do when I grow up. Instead, I'm telling myself what I want my life to look like and not compromising on taking the steps needed to get there.

I am in control and ready to roll. Bring it on Decade Four.

Predictably Uninspired on the Eve of the Big Three Oh No

Boo. The weather sucks today. Rainy, cloudy, dark, pretty much all day.

And now the sun is going down.

I think the weather has had a pretty strong effect on my mood today. Of course, there is that one other factor... tomorrow is the day... Black Wednesday.

The drama.

Why is it that, on a day when you're a bit glum, you place a glass-half-empty interpretation everything possible? It's sort of like 12-18 hour regression into teenage angst. I'm too fat, I'm too in debt, in the wrong place in life, etc etc (okay, I didn't worry about debt when I was a teenager... but it would've made my moodiness more substantive don't you think?)

I'm going to go watch internet TV and eat chocolate.

My mistake.

Someone pointed out an error in my last post "Northwest Airlines - civil liberties?"

I should've rechecked the heading and the first paragraph as I mistakenly referred to this story as involving Northwest Airlines when it should've read Southwest Airlines.

This was a bit sloppy as I did actually refer to the airline correctly later in the post. In my effort to respond quickly and thoughtfully to a story, I overlooked a bit of quality control. Let that be a lesson to me. Thanks to the anonymous poster who took the time to point it out.

I've left the post in its original form.

Northwest Airlines - civil liberties?

I've seen some coverage on the Today Show and on CNN about the young woman who was nearly kicked off a Northwest Airlines flight for wearing revealing clothing.
CNN
The Today Show

Now, the media's first instinct seems to be to ask, "Well, was her clothing too revealing?" But, I find that very question frustratingly shallow. It makes me ask, "Too revealing for what and according to whom?"

Too revealing for someone three times her age that may not be accustomed to short skirts? Or perhaps who used to wear short skirts and no longer can, so they go about harassing younger women because they are jealous?

Too revealing for a Christian? A Jew? A Muslim?

Too revealing for the mother of teenage boys to let her sons sit next to this woman?

Too revealing for, as Southwest so aptly puts it, families?

Too revealing for an old man? A middle aged man? A young man? A gay man?

Too revealing for a misogynist? Too revealing for the owner of a strip club? A nudist? A doctor? A lawyer? A musician?

Who? Who is this skirt too revealing for? I don't understand this justification.

On behalf of whom is Southwest speaking? Southwest flight attendants? Even the ones who were cheerleaders in high school or gymnasts or who wear swimsuits?

What is the standard of dress one is expected to hold when flying? Pants? Skirts no higher than two inches above the knee? This is like Catholic school uniforms all over again!!!!!!!!!! And goddammit, I hope someone tells me the policy before I violate it!

The government requires airlines to have a policy on how to compensate passengers who have been delayed. Does it also require airlines to have a policy for what to do when a passenger is inappropriately dressed? What is the standard of care and airline must meet?

Is the airline considered a public or private institution? Don't airlines rely heavily on the government for subsidies? So, it's been awhile since I was in law school, but is it possible that this is a violation of her civil liberties?

Something like this goes beyond the question of whether a woman is being held to a different standard than a man. It clearly goes beyond whether or not this woman's skirt was "too" short. (See above - who's definition of "too" are we using for that question?) It reminds me of racism and racial profiling and general ignorance.

It's nothing new, of course, that those who are different can make other people wary. It's this very characteristic of human nature against which the law protects those in the minority. It's not clear to me that a passenger complained about this woman but let's say that's what happened. Ignorant Passenger complains to Air Steward. Air Steward takes Victim aside. Victim is humiliated by Air Steward and allowed to stay on flight.

Looks like we've allowed IP and AS to pass judgment on V. Seems just one step up the slippery slope from allowing other IPs and ASs to pass judgment on other people they don't like - they might be smelly people, ugly people, fat people, people who don't like peanuts, people with bad skin, with a different color skin, who speak a different language, who wear non-Christian religious symbols (this is America after all) blah blah blah and so on.

Alright, I've beaten this horse to death.

Just trying to do some critical thinking in a land of sensationalist, shallow media coverage :(


Slightly tangential is this interesting article about how NY is trying to implement a traveler's bill of rights. Not sure how much progress has been made. Unfortunately it doesn't address clothing :)
NY article

Hanging Tough

A discussion I had earlier this evening with a friend got me feeling a bit nostalgic. Here is an image that brings back tween memories I had all but forgotten...



Source: Wikipedia

I'm live!!!! Check it out!! Wheeeeee!!!!

Here's a pub I've been accepted as a contributor for. One step closer to an actual travel writer. OMFG. I am high.

Not For Tourists Boston

(scroll down to the Boston contributors)

Neato - Flat Screen As Art

If I had a flat screen and a wall that wasn't already not recessed (or made out of brick for that matter), then this would be cool.

Check out part two of this funky design here

Source: http://hometech.apartmenttherapy.com

Astronaut Vignette

Source: Subseia.com

Wow, super cheap fares on Spirit Airlines

You have to book by midnight tonight - but some of the fares are as low as $1. That's nutz.

Cheap Fares on Spirit

Cool travel tool but is it worth using it to book?

I just found about a cool travel tool - farecast.com/hotels

How It Works:
You type in a location and it tells you how much hotels in that area cost. I checked against a recent deal I got on a trip to Miami SoBe (yes, going back again!) and found at least one hotel that was cheaper for the same dates than a rate I recently booked.
Farecast.com Sample Search Results - Miami

I do like how this tool gives you a sense of the greater picture. Once you select a hotel you can also compare hotel rates by season by hovering your mouse over a nifty bar graph. I stayed at the Wave Hotel last month and checked it out here. The description here is consistent with what I know about the Wave.

Making the Purchase:
To purchase, I was taken to a third party website, Reservetravel.com. I actually had the option choose a lower rate than what had shown on Farecast.
Reservetravel.com Purchase Page

Taxes and Fees:
Here's what the purchase page said about taxes and fees.
Hotel Tax is included in this amount. Additionally, in order to guarantee your room and guarantee your room for late arrival, a non-refundable deposit of $25.00 is included in this amount and is charged at time of purchase. This deposit amount will appear on your credit card statement as Alliance Reservations Network, Phoenix, AZ ... This fee will be subtracted from the total amount shown [above] and you will pay the balance of $508.50 to the hotel directly.

Not sure how I feel about the $25 non-refundable deposit.

1. The Sales and Occupancy tax is 13% in Miami Beach so it looks like you're paying $25 just for using this booking service.

2. The $25 "deposit" doesn't appear to be credited towards your hotel bill either. The hotel deposit policy is "1 NIGHT ROOM AND TAX WILL BE CHARGED AT THE TIME OF RESERVATION".

I don't know if you will always have to pay this fee when using Farecast as the third party reservation sites vary by the hotel that you choose. It may be worth it if you get a really cheap hotel. Otherwise, it seems a little misleading to call the $25 a "deposit." Also, last time I checked, hotels don't give away your room just because you check in late. I'm pretty sure you get charged a no-show fee or the cost of one night's stay. What is more, I believe if you are delayed and notify the hotel you are still coming that they will hold your reservation!!

Conclusion:
Neat tool but not impressed by the $25 fee or the explanation for it.

Peter Pam

I don't know who this is but damn she looks funny.

Source: gofugyourself

My Friend and Seaweed

Well, rather than keeping the celebration to one terrifying day, my new decade is being heralded in already. Yes, in anticipation of the BIG THREE OH NO, a dear pal treated me to a spa day this Labor Day weekend.

First disclaimer: I love my friend. She is very neat. I love her presence and her presents.

Continuing along then ...

Just wanted to touch on the spa treatment situation. Here are some interesting tidbits.

1. My entire naked body was painted green - front and back - by a man.
Yes, I was invited to completely disrobe in a dimly lit room whilst soft music played in the background. Subsequently, a man whom I had never before met, painted me head to toe with a brush. This happened in the middle of the day on a normal city street.

2. Did I mention I was naked and painted green by a man I didn't know?

3. It took over an hour.

4. My skin smelled like ambrosia (nothing like seaweed).

5. Most of the clients who frequent this salon are men. Need I emphasize that they were all quite handsomely groomed and clearly utilize the services of an expert waxer?

6. Due to the sexual persuasion of my treatment-giver, the enjoyment was likely one-sided.

7. I want to do it again.

"Can't Let It Die" or "More Fun with Miss South Carolina"

Well, who knew that Miss South Carolina would be the gift that keeps on giving?! As Labor Day draws to a close I find myself presented with this quippy little number which gives me a good chuckle.




Merci C.E.W.