Impact Fusion

We had heard about great skiing opportunities just outside of Boulder, Colorado and since my husband’s aunt lives in the city we decided that it would be a great time to visit her. Oh, I hope that didn’t sound too self-interest oriented. We had been trying to plan a visit to see his aunt Louis for over a year but we also didn’t want to be too much of a burden to her, she had been having some health issues, so we really wanted to try and make it a double purpose trip. She has a strong tendency to feel like she is intruding on others’ time and she would never let us visit her for the simple reason we hadn’t seen her in a while and wanted to know how she was doing. She had always been funny like that. Vincent, my husband, always said that he thought she was kind of unwilling to have visitors and liked her privacy and her insistence that she didn’t want to force anyone’s attention or time was a façade for the real reason she liked to be alone. However, he and his aunt had been extremely close when he was growing up and he still had a strong connection with her. Every couple of years we would try to make up some reason to fly out and see her.

Usually the reason would have to do with some urgent business need in Denver and we would stay there drive out to Boulder for a few hours everyday. I always thought this was odd, but it seemed to work best and she did seem genuinely pleased to see Vincent. So, this year when we realized we could make a ski trip out of it, we wondered why on earth we had never thought of this before. We immediately reserved our room in one of the small inns outside of the city. Boulder area hotels are incredibly beautiful and inviting and it’s easy to want to spend your entire time at the resort. When Vincent told aunt Louis about the trip she was immediately worried and didn’t like the idea. Vincent had broken his leg in a skiing accident as a teenager and his aunt never forgot this or other injuries he received growing up. However, the plans were set. We were going to get some great skiing in and also enjoy some quality time with Vincent’s aunt. It was the perfect plan.

Innovative theatre is a popular attraction for residents and guests in the hotels of New York USA. The Queen’s Company is a New York based all female classical theatre company. This dynamic company provides great entertainment in an almost reverse structure to what many of these classical plays were originally presented. For a great deal of classical theatre’s history, well actually, there’s a definition waiting to be reached as frequently on the academic side classical theatre refers to that of ancient Greece and Rome though in general usage it is used in a much broader sense, much like that of classical music, but that’s not the point, throughout much of theatre’s history the parts in plays were only performed by men. There’s also something to be said for long sentences, but again, that’s not the point here. Young male apprentices generally played the female parts while in later periods, though still frequently referred to as classical, such as the Renaissance some of the leading male actors would perform the major female roles like Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth.

So, the Queen’s Company is a daringly inventive company that brings classic works to the contemporary stage in an all female cast. Logically it follows that this is the case for the production that’s about to open on their stage, The Wonder. The play was written by Susanna Centlivre who also happened to be living when females could actually perform onstage. She was an English actress and writer who was one of the premier playwrights of the 18th century. Her career was mostly centered around London’s Drury Lane Theatre and she was so successful that she became known as the second woman of the English stage. Of course this begs the question of who is the first woman of the English stage and the answer is Aphra Behn. Meanwhile, Centlivre, the silver medallist or more appropriately the palm frond, enjoyed a highly respected and successful career. The production of her play The Wonder but the Queen’s Company is scheduled to open on the 26th of this month.

Kelly didn’t believe me when I said I knew where to find the best jazz music in the world. In fact, she flat out said that I was either lying or simply delusional. I had to laugh at that and though I confess to be a bit touched, I’m certainly not a liar and I do in fact know where to find the best jazz, in the world. So, to end the discussion I told her to get into the car and we drove all night and most of the next day. Fortunately we are young and carefree and it was the beginning of Spring Break, and on top of that neither of us had a job.

Dang, looking back on it I see it as much more than a great trip, oh and the chance to prove myself right, but it this really occurred during the time of our lives. I once vowed never to classified a particular period as the time of my life as it didn’t seem to give any of the other time periods or phases a chance. I’m going to have to give this some consideration and work toward readjusting my current circumstances or I might be doomed for good to always look back on that year as the glory days. Ugh, how pathetic and I’m only twenty four, but three years ago I would have considered someone who was twenty four to be pretty old, so I guess I know what that makes me.

But alas, I continue to digress and need to get back on topic. Like I said, we drove all night and most of the next glory day. We were so tired when we arrived in New Orleans that we stopped at one of the hotels in city. There are many to choose from and some of the New Orleans luxury hotels also have great jazz music in their lounges. However, the next day we kind of wandered around a bit and then I pulled her into a place on Bourbon Street. We could actually hear the music from the street and Fritzel’s patio was full of happy patrons. We found a great little table by the fireplace and I listened and waited for Kelly to admit she was hearing the best jazz in the world.

In Los Angeles, one of my favorite restaurants is Versailles, which offers quality Cuban food –  terrific garlic chicken, plantains, black beans and rice.  If I were in Miami, though, I know I’d have to find some of the most authentic Cuban food possible in the United States by taking a trip to Little Havana.  There you’ll find a landmark shopping plaza called La Camaronera Fish Market.  You’ll be served the freshest seafood on the face of the planet, although be forewarned.  This is not a fine dining experience.  There’s just a counter, not even chairs.

To order, all you need do is point at the food on display and, in moments it seems, it’s on your plate.  Add lemons, some tarter sauce, maybe a little cocktail sauce, and you’re ready to go to have one of the best fish dining experiences you’ve ever had.  There’s also homemade hot sauce for those with hearty stomachs.  You can get any fresher fish than if you caught it yourself and prepared it at the dock.  There’s fish soup, seafood and rice.  You certainly won’t find another place that has such fresh Florida salt water lobster. There’s a dish, too, known as Pan con Minuta.  This is a de-boned fish, headless, in an egg/flour batter mix, that’s deep fried, then topped off with some diced onions and a bit of tarter sauce.  Amazing stuff.  Try the breaded lobster chunks here, too.

Miami locals have been coming to this spot in Little Havana Miami for decades, ever since 1974, but it’s been a seafood market almost a decade longer.  If you want a complete Miami vacation, check out a nice place to stay, and then head for some of the best and certainly freshest fish you’ve ever tried.  The other attractions — from the Miami Science Museum, to the Venetian Pools, to the Coral Castle– will all wait!

It was 7pm when I arrived in Seattle. The bus dropped me off at the Space Needle, which looked fantastic at night. I walked to my hotel, which was the Best Western Executive Inn. I purposely booked this hotel online, because I thought it would be a nice place to stay, click here, if you’d like to have great service and great accommodations.

When I finished unpacking, I head to the lobby and the staff told me about a jazz bar. I went and had dinner at the hotels restaurant and while I was there, I over heard the group of people sitting next to me, about how they were going to check out this jazz bar. I entered into their conversation and told them that I was planning on going to. They invited me to join them at their table, which was great. There were eight people in all, 2 were from Australia, 3 were from New Zealand and the rest were Americans. Apparently, they were all acquaintances who met on the same flight to Seattle, and they really hit it off, so they met here for dinner and planned to check out this jazz bar. They all love jazz.

That night was a load of unexpected fun. They all have been travelling for ages, so they all told me stories as I continue on with my travels around Australia and New Zealand. I even got some of their email addresses, they told me to ask them anything when I’m in Australia and New Zealand.

It was after midnight when I got back to my hotel, and some of the Americans were staying there also. They asked me if I’d like to join them tomorrow an see the Snoqualmie Falls, which is about 15 miles outside of Seattle. They had a rental car and said it should only take about 40 minutes to get there. I accepted their offer and we made plans to meet at the front desk tomorrow morning around 7:30am.

I had no idea that Seattle would be such a friendly place, even though non of the people were from Seattle!

I have a friend who moved to Denver, Colorado about two years ago. It coincided with my own move to Northern California, though mine was for school and his was a major job transfer. His name is Mike and he works for a company called Old Chicago. He used to be a training manager and, ooops, to be honest I don’t know what he’s doing with the company these days. However, one thing I will say is that through Mike I’ve learned what a great company it is as he really enjoys working there and is extremely supportive of the quality of the food. I can testify to the quality of the taste of the food as I have eaten at a few Old Chicago’s in my time. In fact, before I even knew Mike, well, not technically as we were childhood friends who have since reconnected as many people do on Facebook, so we did actually know each other or at this point maybe it’s know of each other when I used to go to Old Chicago regularly after work with friends.

I used to love their pizza but would frequently get so full on appetizers like nachos and chicken wings that I couldn’t eat anything else. That was actually an ongoing aspect of our after-work visits. We would go almost every Thursday night and we would always say we were going to have the pizza. As soon as we got there we’d order drinks and wings and then one or two other things and before we knew it we were stuffed and no one had ordered a pizza. Oh one of the things that would always seal the deal was when someone ordered the signature platter with pepperoni rolls, garlic bread and Italian nachos. That was absolutely the best. We had a lot of fun in those days. I’m actually going to Denver next month and will visit Mike while I’m there. Thinking about those Thursday nights years ago really makes me eager to visit Denver’s Old Chicago restaurant. I’ll have to make sure there’s a refrigerator in the room at my hotel so I can bring leftovers. Maybe this time I’ll actually get to have a pizza.

When you move into a new home, one of the first things on your list of things to do is deciding a decor style and decorating. One aspect of home decor that really sets the tone for a room is your choice of window coverings. Whether you prefer a modern, sophisticated look or a more traditional style, there are window treatments to match. Even if you are on a budget, or like to change the look frequently, there are many curtains and drapes to choose from. If you are looking for something more permanent, such as wood blinds, shutters, or shades, consider Next Day Blinds.
When it comes to top quality customer service, Next Day Blinds is second to none. From the very beginning of your window buying experience, Next Day Blinds provides only their own employees– no outside contractors. After you have selected the right blinds, shades, or shutters for your home, professional window installers will come and measure your windows free of charge, when you purchase installation. This ensures that you are getting the best custom blinds to fit your home. With your blinds selected and the sizes determined, the Next Day Blind manufacture team can get to work making your blinds and getting them to you as soon as possible. When your blinds are done the professional installation team comes to your house and quickly and easily installs your new blinds. To guarantee that you are able to enjoy your blinds long into the future, Next Day Blinds offers a variety of warranties. For more information about Next Day Blinds and their outstanding reputation throughout the community visit the Better Business Bureau at http://www.bbb.org/greater-maryland/business-reviews/draperies-and-curtains-retail-custom/next-day-blinds-in-annapolis-md-22011727 .
Nothing makes the home renovating experience more stressful than working with an unreliable company. Make sure that you get the service you want and high-quality product that you pay for. Do your research and choose Next Day Blinds for all your window treatment needs.

This is the city where it all started, as far as I’m concerned.  Most of the critics I know also agree, and that’s not necessarily because of any kind of first in the temporal sense, but only for the density.  In terms of punk bands, really good punk bands, New York had the best of them.  I love the Clash, and the Saints always get short-changed, in the history of music, but for all that I know, and all that I learn, there’s no other place that gives me the same raw energy and excitement as New York, and that’s why I always keep it on the top of my list.  It’s one of the reasons I like to visit the city.

There are places to stay in the city that are truly spectacular without paying the executive suite rate, and this is important, because rock and roll  isn’t what it used to be, and these days, you can’t count on the kindness of strangers after a show.  It’s still a great place to see music, however, and any night of the week is a good night. But like anyone as interested in early punk as me, I’d give anything to hear the bands in the late 70s.  CBGB’s was by no means the only place to go, but sometimes, looking at their roster, it may as well have been the only one.

Lots of the coolest bands played here, like the Ramones, Television, Patti Smith, and the Talking Heads.  Some of these have faded away because of lack of interest among the members or the public, some fade because of the short lives that sometimes follow rock and roll stereotypes, and some because they seem to have just forgotten.  These were hard years on some people.  It’s sometimes easy to forget that bands from other places also had their beginnings in punk here at CBGB’s.  The Police had their first U.S. show here in 1978.  When I think about that year, and who crossed the stage at that time, I start to feel hungry for participating in my own history, here and now.

Music heals.  It heals the heart, the mind, and scientific research has shown, that it is not only therapeutic, but physically healing as well.  A collaboration is in the works right now, one which is bringing the gift of music to the masses in New York, via Carnegie Hall.  The Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall recently announced their partnership with the Institute for Music and Neurological Function.  This collaboration will bring not only the entertainment value of music, but the healing aspects to the Beth Abraham community in Manhattan. 

This will prove to be one of the most unique and  diverse musical events of the year.  Musical Connections is the viaduct, bringing the healing power of the arts to people who are either without insurance, or who would otherwise not have the means to experience the benefits and the joys associated with this kind of artistic interaction.  Throughout the year, any boutique hotel in New York, may find itself filled with not only musical talent, but with musical healers who will travel to the city to ‘perform’.  But really what they will be doing is taking a tour of the hospitals, the senior homes, the correctional facilities, and the shelters, offering not a Broadway musical, but a real life experience for the people that would not have the chance otherwise, to experience it. 

This project is dedicated to the interaction, the development of health and art through music, and has in the past provided ground breaking results in the areas of art, science and restorative therapy. This has provided benefits not only for those in the institutions, but for the musicians and the performers themselves.  Resulting in a more sensitive group of people, sensitive to the effects of and on one’s body, that are caused by a stroke, or the effects of those suffering from Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.  Leave it to New York, a big city with a very long history of bringing people together, with each other, through the arts.