Helldersburg Bound

Funny...

I don't see Helldersburg marked as a destination on the morning call board...

But, I know it's there...

That's the only thing that's funny right about now...

Deadlines and Pressures

Important deadline due at work today... Need to "lock in" a work schedule. So many factors to be effected (and affected) that are completely out of my control, but must be factored...
Quite a stress mess!... Fact is, it doesn't even have to be perfect. Fact is, I can make changes later (though not easily). Another fact is, I probably could get an extension if I asked for it. Boss knows I have plenty of good excuses and am under extraordinary circumstances at the moment... Ahhhh, P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E. I don't much care for it... Been a lot of that the last coupla weeks, and the almanac forecasts I'm only in the middle of accumulating storm(s)... Day at a time...

Set the Tone: Think, Speak, Act

“See deeply the beauty and interconnectedness of all life; then think, speak and act from what you see.”
~ Maggie Streincrohn Davis

TKTS Android App

Just to inform that there is now a free Smartphone App for TKTS: the half price Broadway and Off-Broadway ticket service by TDF (Theatre Development Fund)...

Look for it in your respective Smartphone's Applications Store...

Some people should look in their Android Market...

Others in iPhone's famed App Store...

And for the berry people: it's available for the Blackberry, too!

First Official Day of Autumn

I'm all FOR it!

Wednesday Word of the Day

Overwhelmed

...with work stuff at the moment...


Just sayin...

Follies, Again!

Saw it for a second time the other day...

It's fabulous!

Set the Tone: The Purpose of Life

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose". 

~ Robert Byrne

Sunday Check In

As usual, the September start to the work year is kicking my butt. Some new twists added this year to make life extra interesting. Overwhelmed, much? You betcha!...

Day at a time! I can never say that enough...

Off to see Follies for a second time today with a couple of friends. Loved it the first time. Can't beat that score. And this production is sublime...

My back hurts. It's the shoes stupid. 60 block strolls in docksiders is not the way to go...

Some issues with my desktop 'puter lately. Constant hangs and freezes. Still trying to narrow it down to which app, add-on, widget or program is the culprit. This morning, I'm thinking it might be my beloved old Logitech mouse. I keep needing to re-plug it to keep re-installing drivers...

Blogging on the Sidekick from Starbucks now. The Android Blogger app is a good thing...

It's still kinda dark outside at 6.30am. Great autumnal chill, though. It helps. It definitely helps!...

TGIF: Tango Dance Break

Thanks to Nicomar for submitting this one.

Site of the Week: Hot Sauces

Check out Hot Sauces.


And, if you can handle the heat... You can also follow Hot Sauces on Twitter.

You gotta love a chili fan site with the following disclaimer:

Disclaimer: I, Shane Jones, will not be held responsible for you being in pain from some of these sauces, I went through the pain too at some point in time. It just seems that now I have built up an immunity to hot sauces and crazy chillis.

Pass the Cholula, please...

Set the Tone: Real and Lasting Benefit

"Nothing takes place without producing the opportunity for real and lasting benefit to you. Nothing at all." 

-- Neale Donald Walsch

Cynthia Sayer and Sparks Fly at Westside County Fair

Over the weekend, the Riverside Park Pier at West 70th Street was jumpin' with Cynthia Sayer and her Sparks Fly Band.

Sayer knows how to draw a crowd and hold em'!... She is a consummate professional entertainer and banjo artiste with an impressive resume and numerous recordings that feature her technical wizardry on the banjo and smooth vocals...

This Manhattan venue provided the world premiere of her newly penned "You Talk Too Much" as well as rousing renditions of "You Are My Sunshine" and "Oh Susannah". Sayer's  unique musical stylings included pop and tango in an effectively eclectic set...

"Don't Be Ashamed of Your Age" was another crowd pleaser. Sparks Fly musicians were top notch and provided solid vocals of their own...

Cynthia Sayer would be a wonderful addition to any indoor or outdoor venue or event...

Peace

That is all.

TGIF

Only been a few days and already the work year is shaping up to be challenging and intense...

TGIF!

Low Carbon Eating: Otarian

Went to Otarian recently for lunch on recommendation of Donner...

My first ever visit there.

Had the Laksa: Eggless udon noodles, tofu, carrots, zucchini, and green beans simmered in Otarian's vegan laksa sauce...

Also, a Very Berry cake...

Yes it was all very tasty and good!...

The dish and muffin together made up a "combo" and you essentially get a free drink... Or it's a few mere pennies difference... So I had unlimited seltzer with my healthy lunch...

Was feeling surprisingly satiated by that lil healthy lunch...

And now that I broke the Otarian ice, I want to try a bunch more of their other unique offerings sometime soon...

It IS nice to know that this meal contained no animal products at all...

Back when I was eating meat, I would have a Meatless Monday... Now that I'm not eating meat for several months now, (but still eating dairy and eggs) I may consider a Vegan Vednesday or a Wegan Wednesday, depending on your accent... LOL

Thanks to Lisa for sending this!

"Parent-Teacher Conference" on YouTube...

Here We Go...

First two days down...

The real fun begins tomorrow...

It's going to be a challenging year...

Set the Tone: We Will Always Have Your Back

"So, the next time you’re feeling down, or exhausted, or unappreciated, or at the end of your rope; the next time you turn on the TV and see yourself being called “overpaid”; the next time you encounter some simple-minded, punitive policy that’s been driven into your life by some corporate reformer who has literally never taught anyone anything, please, please, please know that there are millions of us behind you. You have an army of regular people standing right behind you and our appreciation for what you do is so deeply felt. We love you, we thank you and we will always have your back".

-- Matt Damon

Summer Break 2011 Reflections

"You may not end up where you thought you'd be, but you always end up where you're meant to be" ~ Unknown

Good Morning. It's Labor Day, 2011...

Summer vacation draws to a close... But ahhhh... What a glorious one it was!!

Lots of activities, personal growth, releasing old stuff, embracing new...

"You can't get to 'happily ever after' without turning the page" ~ Unknown.

I turned a lot of pages this summer. And have started many important but scary new chapters...

Weighed in at the gym at 196 lbs this morning... This certifies that I'm a big fat porker after a summer of lazy eating... I gotta pull it together... I know what I gotta do...

First and last summer vanilla milkshake at Goodburger the other day. Bye bye Donut Pub! Farewell Coldstone Creamery...

I could SOOO do without humidity... Awful!

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." – Oprah Winfrey

Had a chance to hang out in The Algonquin Hotel lobby the other day to do some reading and writing... Here are my Algonquin pictures...

Many great strolls from Union Square to Hell's Kitchen, From Hell's Kitchen to Upper West Side, And West Village to Hell's Kitchen...

Art. Art. Art. Galleries. Museums

Earthquake? Meh. Hurricane? Meh...

Theater. Follies. Busch. Halston. Catch Me if You Can.

"Don't be sad it's over. Be happy that it happened!" - Dr Seuss

The Max Ginsburg Retrospective

Realist painters earn extra points from me for... well... realism...

Max Ginsburg does extraordinary work and I was grateful to see his retrospective Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club before it closed in early August...

There's a beauty of a book available here or here.

Salmagundi Club, 47 Fisth Avenue always has great shows open to the public...

If I lived in that area I would definitely consider membership...

Here's another great shot I took of another Max Ginsberg masterpiece.

Here's a shot I took of Max Ginsberg The Friends.

Ever New... New York, Vintage 1962

A little documentary film offers some interesting footage of NYC of 1962...

But overall the film is a bore... I gotta warn you...

Check it out though if you want a glimpse ....

Pre-Labor Day Recollections

Last weekend of summer staycation... *Sigh*.

It's been a truly great summer break. Despite hurricanes and earthquakes... New events, sights, personal growth, and catching up with so friends old and new!

Had a flood down here from the upstairs apartment. The moisture badly warped the signed matte of a Disney sericel... Unfortunately, it's the only one I had that was autographed by a deceased voice over artist from one of the original classic films... Will take it to an expert to see what can be salvaged...

Accidents happen. And things are only things...

Doing cleaning and de-cluttering projects all weekend around the place...

I don't care for this new Blogger... Composing in Compose mode puts in too many line breaks... Composing in HTML puts in none. And the automatic saves trip me up all the time. Phooey. I'll give it some time to see if I adjust...

Generally speaking, I hate change... Usually... Though I acknowledge that I strive for it... Because I think it's good.  Go figure.

Needed to stay inside and out of the sun after a topical medical treatment the other day...

I can always use the excuse to stay in and do chores! Have cleaned the bathroom, and kitchen, cleared the hallway, defragged and scandisked the computer, reset a coupla drivers for mouse and keyboard, installed a Netgear N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router and vacuumed, too!... Still more to do: Do a test run of a new portable scanner... And start updating software on a notebook computer that I haven't used in a loooong time but plan to use it at work starting next week...


Yesterday morning at the clinic, I offered the nurse $20 bucks to permanently alter my birth year on my medical chart to make me 20 years younger. Said she just couldn't possibly do this. One little digit. ...Can you imagine?


Latest guilty pleasure: Portabello quesadillas from Burrito Box = Fabulous.

July 2011 rainfall total for NYC area was a whopping 18.95". Wettest month on record. Ever! Normal for August: 4.22". Previous record: September 1882, 16.85".

I'm fish sitting this week. Laura the goldfish.  She hates me and she is always trying to commit suicide by leaping out of her container. I just hope she keeps it together til her owners get back!

Next week: cat sitting for another couple of friends... Well, not as much sitting as running over and feeding them in their apartment for three days...

Haven't eaten any meat since last May. Need to get my cholesterol checked to see if that has made a difference... Though I know I need to give up dairy and do more cardio to probably make the real difference...

New York City is gearing up for the 9/11 tenth anniversary. I can't wait for it to be over. All too morbid for me... And I have no desire to re-visit any of it... I remember it all too perfectly well.

I thank God everyday for my parent's continuing good health and independence...

Let me just say, I'm enjoying my self-imposed media embargo. I plan to extend it... Makes my life happier!

I love 7pm curtain times on Broadway! I saw two shows this week with 7pm curtains. There oughta be a law requiring this!

Lots of new pictures on Todd's Flickr profile. Some are accompanying this post... Lots of new tweets on Todd HellsKitch's Twitter Profile if you want to fill in the blanks...

OK, I have to now go back and sing to the fish... It's the only thing that keeps her from slamming against the walls of her Tupperware mobile home... She seems to like my Ethel Merman impersonation.

But she still hates me, I'm quite sure...

Catch It If You Can!

One of Broadway's biggest musical comedies is sadly closing this weekend!

Catch Me If You Can.

So sad to see a Broadway musical close... So many incredibly talented people left without work... For now... But with talent like this they will all land on their feet, I'm sure!

Norbert Leo Butz's Tony winning performance of "Don't Break the Rules" stops the show!

Aaron Tveit is brilliant. As is the whole cast! Jerry Mitchell's choreography soars...

I was especially enchanted by the remarkable dance by Rachel de Benedet.

The sexy and exuberant Rachelle Rak commands the spotlight on the busy stage in many interesting characters and awesome moves...

Shaiman-Wittman's score is just plain great!

Become a part of Musical Comedy history...

Over this closing weekend: Catch it if you can!

A Simple NYC Walkabout

Keep it simple...