Mind-boggling Music and Sunshine

The first week of February my wife and I were in South Florida. We flew from New York LaGuardia Airport to Ft Lauderdale. At the car rental desk the helpful customer service person handed us an Area Guide Book. I usually don’t pay much attention to the guidebooks since I’m a lousy tourist. However, I   browsed it that evening. I was glad I did. The first thing I noticed is that they claim Ft. Lauderdale has 3000 hours of sunshine per year. I already liked the place.  Reading on, I see a reference as follows: Jazz lovers flock to the Riverwalk in downtown Fort Lauderdale the first Sunday of every month for the SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch. Jazz bands and solo artists perform from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on five outdoor stages along the New River. We just happened to be there the first weekend of February. Being jazz enthusiasts, we couldn’t resist. Besides it was February, 80 degrees, and we wanted our share of the 3000 hours of sunshine.

From Miami, where we were staying, we took the downtown Ft. Lauderdale exit off Interstate 95 and easily found convenient parking for the Riverwalk event. The guidebook said people flock to this event and that wasn’t an exaggeration. Carloads of people were pulling into the parking area, unloading lavish picnic baskets with all kinds of delicacies including wine and champagne. The lawn areas were covered with couples and families sprawled in their lawn chairs or on their blankets partaking of all kinds of food and drink along with the music. It would probably be a good idea to arrive early and stake out your spot.

There are a number of outdoor restaurants along the Riverwalk which were serving their various forms of brunch to those who chose not to bring their own or who didn’t know enough to, like us. The music performers change each month. A schedule is provided on the website (then go to Parks and Recreation special events). We heard some incredible music on the three stages. First there were Davis and Dow Hot House Swing Band. Moving down the Riverwalk we caught the Blues Therapy Band (my favorite). Finally, we encountered an incredible Latin Jazz guitarist, David Fernando (Katherine’s favorite).

The New River winds just to the South of Downtown Ft. Lauderdale and is lined with marinas, docks, Water ferries and tour boats. If you tire of people watching you will find just a few feet away, a parade of every type of boat you could imagine. They ranged from kayaks to huge, gleaming white yachts adorned with bathing beauties (my favorite).

We walked to the end of the Riverwalk and continued into the downtown shopping and restaurant area of Las Olas. The Big City Tavern attracted us. It provided great service in an elegant but relaxed setting. The brunch turned out to be delicious and reasonably priced. I enjoyed a steak with asparagus and baby baked potatoes adorned with hollandaise sauce. Katherine ordered Rigatoni pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and basil. “Delicious,” she exclaimed after every bite!

If you are in South Florida on Sunday, the first weekend of the month, head for a good time with music, friendly people watching, food and a parade of boats that never ends. It’s free! And the sunshine and warmth is mind-boggling.

Stan the Man  

 

A Mind-Boggling Change Once Again

I arrived late last night. It was warm and humid. Peering through the sliding glass door facing the water, I could see the lights of distant buildings. The lights twinkled and wavered, reflected in the water as in an imperfect mirror. Opening the door and stepping out onto the dark deck I looked upward at the cloudless sky overhead sprinkled generously with stars. Being the dark of the moon nothing extinguished the stars. The soft, gentle air lightly massaged me. I wanted to remove my clothes and let it embrace my entire body. I removed my shirt. The air surrounded me. I smelled the salty, humid odor of warm salt water. One can almost taste it. The only sound was the barely detectable lapping of waves against the concrete bulkhead below.  Tired, I climbed into the king size bed in my new bedroom. I felt like a king. I was quickly lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the gentle waves.

 I awoke, wondering where I was. Quickly I remembered and sat up in bed. The large open window of the bedroom faces east. I gazed at the sunrise that looked back at me. The red sun had just risen above the horizon. It was surrounded by a haphazard crowd of clouds. The sun’s red rays reflected off the billowy clouds. They were transformed, becoming a massive art deco collage. Reds, oranges, pinks of every shade mingled seemingly and artist’s creation.

The air felt warm, humid and salty already. I pulled on my shorts that hadn’t been worn in months. My bare feet sank into the thick carpet of the bedroom then pattered on the cool tile of the hallway and living room. I surveyed the apartment more closely. The constant presence of salt air has taken its toll. The refrigerator door is pockmarked with rusty spots. The metal chairs on the deck are rusty. Everything I touched seemed to have a salty film covering it. The round wood table with four comfortable chairs looked inviting. I sat at the table and enjoyed the rich aroma of my brewing Cuban coffee. There is an empty four shelf bookcase against the wall. It reminds me of Walmart. There are two other chairs that match the two-tone brown of the chairs at the table. There’s a couch and a coffee table. Sitting on a stand in the corner next to the door is a TV. Experimentation tells me the remote doesn’t work.

Now I have my coffee and am sitting in one of those rusted chairs. It seems sturdy. The sun is higher, gaining strength. It warms me quickly. I love the smell of saltwater mixed with the hot sun on my skin. I’m aware of the light breeze ruffling through my chest hair. Between the bulkhead and where I sit is a kidney shaped swimming pool filled with sparkling blue water. The pool is surrounded by manicured lawn studded with various exotic plants.

To my left grows a large green leafed tree. It is adorned with flowers of purple spires. To my right is a giant poinsettia plant.  The scene is framed by tall palm trees laden with ripening coconuts. A lone pelican flies across my view, appearing intent on some destination.   

I sit several hundred yards from the Inter-coastal Waterway. Looking across Biscayne Bay I see gleaming white yachts cruising north and south. I wonder about the owners of those yachts. Their money, their lifestyles, how do they have sufficient resources to buy and maintain such yachts? I will never know.  I’m satisfied with my new home in Miami, Florida. Dare I say again, it is mind-boggling how much difference a warm and somewhat exotic climate can make in one’s attitude? It will be even better when Katherine the Great, my wife, joins me later tonight.

Stan the Man

There's Snow End to This!

Can you believe it? It just keeps snowing and snowing in New York City. I’ve always said, being a warm weather person, there’s one place I wouldn’t ever want to live: Alaska. Well it seems Alaska has come to me. It now resides as my neighbor in New York City. And as the AMNY newspaper says, “There is snow end in sight.” Wednesday night another 19 inches fell. More snow predicted tonight and tomorrow and another big storm next week. It looks like we are on track to break the all time record for seasonal snowfall: 75.6 inches. Not only does the snow keep coming, it’s cold. See the pictures to your right. The Hudson River is full of ice floating towards the Atlantic Ocean. It was 8 degrees with a wind chill of 5 below in the City the other morning. I would celebrate if the temperature would rise above freezing……looks like I won’t celebrate for awhile.  

Even worse, I was going to fly to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for a week of writing and thawing and viewing the now famous piano bar. After the storm Wednesday night the airports were closed and I wouldn’t have got to my flight anyway. I am car- less and the taxis were stuck in two foot drifts. Oh well, I can try again next week. Of course, there is the storm predicted for exactly the same time my flight is scheduled. We shall see…..

Whatever happened to the dreaded Global Warming?

Stan the Man

New York City to Miami and Back Again..

My experience in New York City, Manhattan primarily, has been and continues to be mind-boggling. Buildings and skyscrapers crowded together, concrete everywhere with only glimpses of sky. That is NYC. Granted, there are patches of nature left but they are few and far between. Now populate this cityscape with an average density of 27,000 people in the City per square mile. Take this high density population and add the millions of visitors and tourists who clog the streets and sidewalks every week and you have what could be chaos. However, it is mind-boggling how smoothly everything seems to operate when one thinks of the enormity and complexity of this place and all its needed services. There are exceptions of course like the December 26^th 2010 blizzard. The weather can throw a curve at civilization easily, as we know.

The cold and snow of the winter does diminish the population of New York to some degree. We needed a break from the winter and went south to Miami Beach for few days. Nearly everyone we talked to or heard stories about hailed from New York City. The first person we talked to was the desk clerk at our hotel, the St. Augustine. He came to Florida from Queens. Next was the landlord who rented to us a furnished apartment we hope to keep for getaways to the warmth when needed. He lives in Miami but maintains his apartment in Manhattan. Apparently the stories of New Yorkers populating Florida are true.

We loved our visit. Beaches, views, Art Deco with character, sunshine and the warm, caressing air just slightly and naturally humidified met our basic needs. Moving ahead we will continue our life and exploration in Manhattan but add the Miami area as a major sidebar.  After all, there is nothing more invigorating and mind-boggling than contrasts and variety.

Stan the Man    

Moving Ahead After Tragedy

This would be a good time to write about resilience. That is our ability to bounce back after tragedy. The Tucson shooting was another incredibly impactful event. Obviously for those who died, were wounded and their loved ones but also for each of us. It is another American tragedy. We lived in the Tucson area until a few years ago. It has been almost a sacred place for me. I return there whenever I need to start over or rejuvenate. It’s not likely this event will change my feelings about that city. On 9-11-01 we were in Tucson when tragedy struck New York City. When tragedy struck in Tucson last weekend we lived in the neighborhood of Ground Zero in New York City. It seems ironic somehow.

Nine years after 9-11 the rebuilding goes on. Check out the photos to the right. They show the mind-boggling construction that will eventually replace the Twin Towers that were destroyed by the terrorists. There will be two or maybe three towers and a large elaborate memorial park, a memorial to those who lost their lives. The pain and grief doesn’t seem to have gone away but perhaps it has made the City stronger.

Tucson doesn’t have structures to replace but the emotional recovery will take a long time. These are both great American tragedies that affect us all. Hopefully, we will pull together and become stronger because of them.

But now, the snow, ice and cold keep coming at us in New York City. My tolerance level has just about been reached. Tucson is considerably warmer than NYC but we are going to try Florida this time. A brief warm-up will help. We do know what a warm sun can do for us. It is mind-boggling.

Stan the Man

Why don’t we learn from wars past….

My visit to “the Wall” in Washington D.C. is still vivid in my memory.  Standing in front of the black marble, covered with over 5000 names, I watched people trace down the column to find their loved ones. The now dead, some 20 years, were sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers, best friends, husbands and wives current and to be, who died in a faraway place, Vietnam.  Despite the span of time, I still see tears streaming down the faces of those searching. These only account for the pain of casualties on “our” side…what about those who died being in the wrong place at the wrong time?  Certainly they are not memorialized as grandly, engraved in marble, in the capitol city of their country.

I recall the shock and disbelief when my brother’s best friend, Lee, was killed in Vietnam.  He had such a bright future; a beautiful fiancée, healthy and handsome, top of his class, a really nice guy and a small town hero type. He had all the markings of a successful business man, husband, and contributor to a better world.  We were knocked off our feet, stunned.  I can only imagine the enduring grief his parents, and wife-to-be suffer yet to this day.

How can the anguish we are causing be any different from those who lost their loved ones in Iraq, and the insidious on-going war in Afghanistan?  On both sides…..The recent count for Afghanistan civilian deaths is between 20,000-40,000 civilians.  That’s hardly exact….could be many more. Then there are the families and the friends and on and on who have been impacted. And then there are the wounded that we probably can’t begin to document. The travesty of this and the fact that we let it go on and on is mind-boggling. When will we learn, war is not the answer?

Katherine the Great...

Beat Swords Into Plowshares.

The news and the media are preoccupied with the change in the power structure in Congress and what this means for President Obama, Democrats, Republicans and the Tea Party. Always they refer to a shopping list of issues that will be critical and that politicians will have to figure out by fighting, agreeing or compromising. Reduce the national debt, reduce expenditures and repeal the first step forward on healthcare we have had in years.

The mind-boggling thing about these media discussions is they never mention the fact that the United States is engaged in war. Do all the factions agree that continued war is good for the economy, good for you and good for me? That’s crazy! It’s also downright scary. A recent poll taken by the Washington Post indicates that more than 60% of Americans oppose our war in Afghanistan. That’s a majority of Americans. The so-called “draw down” of American troops that our President promised would start in July of 2011 has been postponed. There will not be a draw-down of any significance this year. The word now, is that we have a new policy.  A significant draw-down will not begin until the end of 2014.

I know, they keep saying progress is being made yet more Americans were killed in Afghanistan during 2010 than in any other year of this ridiculous nine year war. The figure I have seen is 496 casualties in 2010 which is one death every 18 hours throughout the year. Do we think that’s progress? So far for the war, 1357 have been killed along with the 4,427 killed in Iraq. That’s not counting the many thousands that have been wounded, maimed and traumatized who will never be able to lead a normal life again as long as they live. Because of this trauma and stress at least another 144 American military personnel have committed suicide in the last year. Think of the families and friends by these needless and horrible deaths.

Meanwhile the Afghan President is quoted as saying, “The war on terror is not here in our country, we are suffering the consequences.” He has made it clear he wants the Americans out of his country. Estimates range from 20,000 to 40,000 civilian Afghans, including woman and children are also casualties of the war. Many of them have been killed by our inaccurate bombings.

Why is the media nearly silent about this? Why is Congress so silent about the war? Why is there so little outrage? Where are the 63 percent of Americans who oppose the war? Why was there no discussion of where candidates stood on this during last fall’s campaigns? The Republicans and the Tea Party partiers say they want to reduce spending and the deficit. Stopping this war would be a great place to start.

It is mind-boggling how silent we are about this issue and simply let it grind on and on. It’s time we speak up. How about we take a look at adopting peacefulness as a national value and utilize as much diplomacy as we do war? How about expanding the Peace Corps?

Watch this blog for more regarding war and peace soon from my partner. She has strong feelings also.

Stan the Man