Totally obsessed with James Blake right now…DLM
May 20, 2013
“Overgrown” by James Blake
She knows a good thing now
With our own cost
and all can hear the word
In my head and in my thoughts
James_Blake_Overgrown_at_Music_With_Insight_music_music_download_hip_hop_beats_06_Dlm
The Fat Radish – LES, NYC
May 20, 2013
Sister pup Iris got in late after a broken plane delay on US Airways. Typical. After some work commitments and a business meeting gone long, it was 9:30pm on Sunday night and I still had yet to have dinner! I was haaaaaaangry! Like The Hulk hangry! And when you get that desperately hungry, you can’t focus on what you want to eat…just that you want to eat!
So, we opted for the closest proven option – The Fat Radish – a fancy, British gastropub. I had never been but both my sister and cousin proclaimed its greatness. We speed walked the 2 blocks in an effort to beat the clock as the listed hours for Sunday showed a closing time of 10pm. Once there, the host worked his magic and squeezed us into the bar. Luckily, the friendly bartender, Lucas – though preoccupied – ably served me a lovely Tempranillo Rioja ($12/glass) and my sister had the special cocktail of the night, a Pisco (cross between a French martini and pisco sour). Continue Reading
AA0180 – LAX to NYC [First Class]
May 20, 2013
For my flight last Friday departing at 4:15pm, I flew American Airlines in First Class. I booked the flight using British Airways Avios as I have a ton of Avios banked from the Chase visa, BA branded card and spending. Now, normally, there are fuel surcharges and luxury taxes associated with flying via London or flying BA metal (see The Points Guy, One Mile at a Time, View from the Wing or Million Mile Secrets for more in depth coverage on the ins and outs of mileage affluence). So, I generally make it point to either a) fly AA domestic or b) fly Asian airlines outside of London (like my trip last winter from Tokyo to New Delhi on Japan Airlines). There is, of course, the 3rd option of flying BA metal in order to use your Companion Ticket from the BA branded card spending but that’s a whole other topic!
For this occasion, I went with option (a). Costing around 37,500 Avios + $2.50 taxes + bucket full of drama associated with my sister being a part of the “household” account, it was still worth it to fly first class. I got to use the AA Flagship checkin! For some odd reason, once again, I was not TSA pre-checked…maybe because this was effectively a one-way trip even though I purchased my return, also on AA, but as a separately booked ticket. The fancy Flagship guy escorted me up to the security line. Continue Reading
Long nights till sleep…
May 20, 2013
G’nite, selfie.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.
– Robert Frost –
Spitzer’s Corner – LES, NYC
May 19, 2013
I could eat brunch for every meal.
Krishna crashed on the couch after a full day at GoogaMooga and woke with a day-after-wine-hunger. Realizing it would take Stacey an hour before she would be ready for brunch, we hopped on over to the local coffee shop for some fancy drip coffee.
Coffee during a rainy day? Heaven.
Great GoogaMooga 2013! Brooklyn, NY
May 19, 2013
My lovely friend Krishna won tickets for the Great GoogaMooga in Brooklyn and said to me…
How many glasses have we had? Too many.
Peggy, I couldn’t think of anyone who would enjoy it more than you.
So, I checked out airfare from LA to NYC and they were way too expensive. Now, normally, I would balk at spending miles when I still need to earn miles to make status, but a festival with gourmet food stalls and equally delicious indie bands in a setting with a high probability for humorous hipster people watching…how could I resists? I was able to book a one way there in first class on AA with pesky Avios miles and found a $398 fare back. It was a nice compromise to be able to still earn some miles on this trip. And besides, with Avios fuel surcharges on practically every destination except when flying AA, I figure it’s one of the best uses of my miles. Continue Reading
Carving Joy
May 19, 2013
The past few years have been hard but also full of joy and it’s been finding the happiness in the difficult events life puts us through that has been so surprising and fulfilling. I think the hardships in life teach you to enjoy all the pleasure the world has to offer. Earning money makes you appreciate and enjoy spending it more. Every death makes every minute more important. And any time you lose, you remember the feeling of vindication that will come when you once again win. This blog is my toast to living.
In the past year, my cousin lost her father and my brother had his first baby. I worked a million jobs but made a bunch more money. I left the security of a staff position but got the flexibility of a freelancer. Life is balanced; it’s up to you to find it. I choose to focus on the joy. Continue Reading