Faux Reel

New York City can seem like an overwhelming place only because it is one.  For every definition of overwhelming, this city fits all of them many times over, and in many variations.  But there is something that happens to people when they’ve been here for awhile.  At first, the overwhelming parts of the city come from its infrastructure, and a sense that there’s nothing anyone can do about the incredible speed at which things move.  Like the subway cars, forward is an inevitable motion, and it’s impossible to stop.  Eventually, this comes to reveal itself as the creation of human intelligence, and you start to see the way this city works.

When you purchase a brand new truck, one of the first things that you want to do is show it off. The second thing that you want to trick it out with some new custom parts like 26″ rims and custom wheels. As with all custom parts, you want to make sure you are getting the right part for your truck and, since custom parts are not cheap, that you are getting your money’s worth.
When deciding on the type of custom wheels you will get, you will first want to consider the types of activities you will be doing in your new truck. If you live in a rainy climate and will being staying in the city, aluminum alloy wheels are the best. They are the best at preventing rust; however, they don’t take well to being around off road. If you are the more adventurous type and can’t wait to get out into some dirt and do some off-roading, you are better off with steel wheels. While they do require extra care to prevent rust, they are strong enough to take just about any abuse you give them.
After you have decided on the right kind of wheels for your new ride, you will want to make sure you get them in the right size. Many truck owners get their trucks lifted and larger tires. Be aware of whether you have 20″ rims or larger. Getting the right size may seem like a no-brainer, but getting the wrong size can prove to be a costly mistake.
Many owners like to install new parts themselves but don’t underestimate the work involved. If you are uncertain what to do or do not have the proper tools, take it to a mechanic. They will know exactly what to do without damaging your parts and ensuring your safety down the road .
Once you have everything installed you are ready to hit the road, or perhaps the trail. Now you really have something to show off.

Philip was having a great day. He got off of work early, due to a storm that caused the lights to go out at his business, however Philip loved storms and rain and getting off of work early for any reason. This however, was not the only reason his day was one of the best he’d experienced all year, and true it’s only January, but still, last Friday continued to expand in greatness as the hours progressed. As Philip drove home the rain and wind started to die down and he stopped at the Starbucks on Market Street for a hot latte. This was a standard, or rather periodic late afternoon treat and although Philip loved Starbucks, this still wasn’t the major event that led to it being such a great day.

Just as he passed one of the luxury Philadelphia hotels his cell phone vibrated. He looked over at the hotel, which is the location of his first job and then checked to see who had called. Philip couldn’t believe his eyes, Tammy was actually returning his call. He couldn’t wait to get home to hear the message and pulled over into a Seven Eleven parking lot and even turned off his truck engine and took a few deep breaths before listening to the message. He looked out his windows to make sure no one was watching, just in case he ended up looking like a fool and slowly entered his code to hear the messages.

He loved the sound of her voice and immediately let a small smile slide across his face. Suddenly the message was over and he had to hit replay just to make sure he had heard her correctly. Sure enough, Tammy was agreeing to go out with him the next night. He couldn’t believe it and immediately his stomach turned and he felt a little nauseous, in a good way he thought. He wondered where he could take her and when he got home he tried to remain calm as he told his roommate Jimmy that she had called. Jimmy suggested they go to the Bayou, which was one of his favorite places. Philip liked it too, but wasn’t sure if Tammy liked Cajun food so he didn’t want to take a chance that she would not be happy with that choice. He decided to stick with a more neutral option, but then remembered that she once mentioned she loved Italian food. At once he knew the perfect place and immediately called to make reservations at Ralph’s Italian Restaurant.

Clive was a long couple of years ago in the corporate world. He was good there too. He bought a lot to the professional development of the companies that came to his company for help. Though he had played Chutes and Ladders, he never once encountered a chute in his career until he had a stroke.

Clive had a stroke at the age of thirty and if you know anything about strokes, that is extraordinary. The left side of his was paralyzed. He managed to get most of that part of his face back, but says it still has days where it just seems dead to him and he has trouble with certain words. He hated this kind of handicap, especially since he was a kind of golden boy at the company he did executive training for. He needed his face in order to be articulate.

During a training session he was doing for a gas company he will to this day not tell me the name of (he never will let slip a client name from his lips because he is like the 007 of the corporate world) a woman came up to him. On her name tag was a name of Margaret Watson. He also never forgets a name, a trait that kind of reminds me of that character Eric Roberts played in Star 80, except not creepy. Margaret started to speak, and Clive realized that she too had had a stroke, except she was older than him by about twenty years. He remembered she wore a broach in the shape of octopus too. Later on she would tell him she wore it because it make more limbs for itself when the other get damaged, a thing she wanted for her face.

She also told him how she had been demoted a couple of months after her stroke because she had difficulty with words but that his success after a stroke provided her with comfort that she might be able to get her old job back. He quit his job that day and got in with the government doing work for people with that were disabled.

While you are spending some time around the city of Greensboro either for business or vacation make sure you get in some relaxing walks. This city and state are so very green and filled with places to spend some time enjoying the natural gardens and forests. Within the city of Greensboro, and near some of the nice hotels www.hotelsgreensboro.com and attractions, there are some peaceful parks, gardens and zoo. If you find yourself around 1101 Hobbs Road you will notice The Bog Garden which is a preserve, botanical garden. Here you will find a luscious bog and lake that visitors see from a boardwalk that is elevated above it. They have marked the vegetation, labeling trees and other plants, so that he people can learn more about the environment they are witnessing. You will also see and hear the singing of may birds both native and migratory.

There is also the Greensboro Arboretum which is also a labeled collection of plants and trees. It has may different plant themes such as the Butterfly Garden, the Holly Garden, the Wildflower Trail and then the must have of any garden, the Rose Garden. This is a walk right out of some Victorian romance novel. You will be completely surrounded by lush vines, brilliant flowers, birds and small creatures. It is about seventeen acres in size and growing. It is open every day to the public and you can find it in Lindley Park.

If you would like to add some architecture to the mix then visit the Blandwood Mansion. It was built in 1795 a four room farmhouse by Charles Bland. Then Henry Humphries bought the property for fifty dollars in 1822. Humphries founded the first steam powered cotton mill in North Carolina, called Mt. Hecla Cotton Mill. Then the Governor, John Motley Morehead, moved in around 1827 and lived there until he passed away. The history of this home consists of the coming and going of numerous intellectuals and military people of the 18 and 1900s. It is the oldest building in the city of Greensboro with the original foundations. It is now a museum and beautiful garden accepting visitors and donations.

I remember her best for her love of Georgia peaches.  It has to sound like a cliche, but then again, everything about her was like a cliche.  She was everybody’s darling, the belle of the ball, and the secret dream of every boy in town.  That being said, there is so much more to the story, and like all of the best stories, the really important details have to remain hidden, because they are still too fresh, just like the ripe peach that’s only that way for a very short time.

I had a secret dream where she would be sitting in a small room next to a cupboard, canning all of the season’s peaches before the winter.  The dream always got strange at this point, because instead of staying in the cupboard, we always end up sitting in a restaurant in a hotel.  This was one of those extravagantly quaint luxury hotels that Georgia has always been known for.  Somehow, they always seem to mix quiet charm with excess in everything, and it’s a perfect balance.  In the dream, she is balancing a spoonful of peach cobbler, and she is about to tell me something very important.

In the dream, it always seems much longer than it really is, but she says things about how no one ever really understood her.  She was only allowed outside for half the year, and the other half she was kept hidden so no one could find her.  I always wake up from the dream with a sense that someone is playing an intricate trick on me.  Because I start to remember how she was always sick during the winter, all winter long, and would only start to get better when spring started to come around again.  And in Georgia, spring takes its time, like everything else.  In Georgia, peaches are more than just a fruit.  In Georgia, people sometimes turn into trees, like in all the best myths of Ovid, except our local versions are always fresher.

I came to New York City to watch Broadway shows. I managed to purchase my Broadway tickets in New York before even travelling to New York. The most treasured ticket of all was for the musical ‘Spamalot’. I love anything Monty Python, so when I heard about ‘Spamalot’ opening up on Broadway, I made sure I had plenty of vacation time stored up. If I couldn’t get tickets for ‘Spamalot’ on the week of my vacation, then my second choice for a Broadway ticket was for ‘Burn the Floor’. Never heard of it, but I love dancing, and this musical is all about dancing!

Suspense over, I found a ticket available on the date in needed. So, here’s my own take on ‘Spamalot’.  Naturally it follows the madcap adventure of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table with their quest to find the Holy Grail. I got the opportunity to see a long chorus line of legless knights, a killer rabbit, beautiful dancing divas, and men, this time with legs, in tights. As I’ve said, I’m a huge Monty Python fan and I’m a huge fan of musicals, so I wasn’t disappointed with this production.

The musical has a cast doubling up on characters, like Lancelot, Robin, Bedevere, Galahad and Patsy have to play other characters. The song are mostly new, except for the reprised ones. I found the new score much more melodic and witty, and some of the songs were absolutely made fun of Broadway itself! For example, ‘You Won’t Succeed on Broadway’ number was very, very amusing.

‘Spamalot’ was written by Eric Idle and he does a fantastic job of successfully producing a magical and irreverent piece of pure entertainment. Mike Nichols directed the musical, which he did a fine job with detailed staging and keeping the fun rolling along. The musical features a superb cast: King Arthur is played by Tim Curry, David Hyde is Sir Robin and Sir Lancelot is played by Hank Azaria.  The intriguing set was designed by Tim Hatley.

Sometimes, during the musical, I did find the irreverence to be a bit dreary, which is unusual for the sharp edged trademark of any Python production, but all-in-all, the price I paid for this production was worth it. I highly recommend seeing this gem before the star studded power is replaced by unknowns.

It had been a few years since I had visited, so when my friend met me at LaGuardia Airport we headed towards my opinion of one of the best restaurants New York City has to offer.  Of course there are a plethora of fine restaurants to choose from, but perhaps since this restaurant was my very first taste of not only food in the city, but real NY pizza, Rays in Times Square will always have a special place in my heart, and in my belly as well.  We then headed to Lincoln Center as my friend was very intent on my thoughts about the new fountain.

Last year, many people of the city were concerned over the changes and the renovation being done to the centerpiece fountain of the famous performing arts center.  The fountain has actually been entirely replaced, and the new fountain has a variety of special water effects, and the streams and spouting are now choreographed to music as well.  The same architectural design firm that worked on the Lincoln Center fountain, created the fountains located at the Bellagio Hotel and the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas.

My friend explained to me that New Yorkers were nervous about the project, as they wanted something classical, not gimmicky in any way.  The old fountain was an iconic structure in the city, and the memories people have associated with the fountain run long and they run deep.  The executive designer for the project, Peter Kopik, stated at the time that he was aware of the sentiments of the people of New York, and it was his challenge to create a new and a fresh design, without causing the people to be revolted.

Many have considered restoring or changing the fountain over the years, but concluded that it was a treasured symbol, and not something to be messed with.  And now, a few months later, many people do contend that yes, the fountain is elegant, and is an appropriate new centerpiece for the Lincoln Center.  My friend however, is a bit saddened, as the heritage and the history of the city is so important to him, and to most New Yorkers.  But he too agreed, as we sat on a bench and watched the water dance, that it is beautiful and amazing.

Our honeymoon was in New York City and we had an amazing time. In hindsight, though, we could have done with a relaxing honeymoon after our frantic last few weeks with all the preparations for the wedding. But, New York won’t let the weary rest, there’s simply too much to see and do.

Our 8 hour flight from Heathrow was okay, but there was a moment when the flight attendant asked if there was anyone on board who is a doctor! Fortunately, it turned out to not be a serious matter. Once we landed and gathered up our bags, we set off to find a taxi cab, when suddenly, this bloke pounced on us insisting he was a real taxi driver and he’d take us to our hotel. He actually grab my bags away from me and proceed towards his taxi. We did our due-diligence about New York with all the guide books, and the most we would be charged to go to Manhattan was $50 US, this guy wanted $70 and said all the guide books were wrong. We wrestled our bags back and headed to the taxi queue. He yelled at us to whole way! Welcome to New York!

It was hot in New York and by the time our taxi driver dropped us off at one of the top New York hotels where we had reservations, we were sweating up a storm. We were so thankful to enter the lobby of our hotel where there was air-conditioning. We basically stayed in our room for most of the day and then most of the night. But, the next day, we hit the pavement ready to experience the Big Apple. We weren’t disappointed, except for losing one of our tickets for the open-top bus tour, $60 US down the drain. To bad really, we enjoyed the open-bus tour. We went to see a couple of Broadway plays: Mary Poppins and Matt’s Choice; that last one wasn’t my choice after seeing it.

On our last night, we were at a pizzeria and I broke down in tears when they played our first dance song from the wedding; all the wait staff was giving my new husband the evil eye wondering what he did to make me cry, which made us both laugh.