Category Archives: Travel

The Parisian Flea Circus

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It took us a bit longer to get over jet lag than I would have guessed it should. Our first week in Paris was a bit muddled, but we saw some of the major attractions; including the Eiffel Tower.

Adding to the muddle, our first hotel turned out to be a flea bag. The night we got back from London, we slept well for a few hours until being awoken, horribly bitten by…we guessed fleas, but frankly, it could have just as easily been bed bugs. The hotelier proclaimed it was mosquitos, to which we replied, “yes, but if a hotel has a mosquito problem, isn’t that just as bad as fleas?” Naturally, we said this amongst ourselves. It’s too bad it turned out that way. It was such a cute hotel and we rather liked the hotelier, Nelly.

That day was a bit of a loss. Exhausted and bitten up, we went to the Eiffel Tower and had a grand time, but I suppose we were both a bit cranky, even under the sparkling light show of the amazing steel structure; which is glorious even though I’ve seen in a million times in movies and on postcards, it is still a sight to behold and literally one of the best views of Paris money can buy. It really is a grandeur you can’t imagine until you’re standing right under it.

I’m a bit strapped for time at the moment, so when I get a breather, I’ll post more – along with some photos. Today we’re heading to Montmarte for the flea market. huh. Seems to be a theme here.

Love from Paris, Kristen

Good Morning, Paris

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Somewhere in between the last post and now, AJB and I got married. The wedding reached far beyond my expectations and it was, as it was supposed to be, the happiest day of my life. I mean, I’ve had some beautiful days in my life, but this is among the top 3; the other two being arbitrary numbers I came up with for the purposes of this blog.

All the details of my wedding day are still being formulated in my mind and there is, at the moment, no way to put them down. I’ve tried. I think I’ll wait until I have photos.

I am, currently, sitting at the window overlooking houses and apartments, the backdrop of which is a grey Paris sky. A cool breeze floats in from time to time, the weather indicates rain on the horizon. Until then, it is stunning and actually rather comfortable.

We arrived in Paris sometime yesterday morning. We got to our hotel, the room wasn’t ready, so we strolled down the Champs-Élysées with the intent of seeing the Arc de Triomphe – which is very close. So very tired from the long flight, we stopped for coffee at a cafe on the way. AJB was chided by the waiter for ordering onion soup and coffee; against the recommendation of wine. I couldn’t help but laugh. Not because my darling had proven to this waiter that Americans are uncultured cretins, but the face the guy made was priceless. He was so offended, as if in one fell swoop, AJB has managed to insult all of France; at least as far as our angry waiter was considered. I suppose we should have known that when ordering onion soup, coffee is the worst thing you can drink with it. I’d imagine, working in a cafe on the Champs-Élysées, he doesn’t often run into tourists.

I thought it was hilarious because as an American, I’ve always heard about how rude the French are and here we were, only a few hours into the country and we’d already run into one. Other than that, everyone else has been delightful, helpful, and very sweet. I should also mention, that despite staying quiet and trying not to embarrass myself, I was also chided for using a fork instead of a spoon to eat my custard with. Go figure.

And then we slept. Jet lag took over completely and day turned to night. During that time, we watched a bit of French television – a whole lot of American TV dubbed into French, which is strange and fascinating.

Today we’re catching the train to London. AJB’s cousin Judy is putting on a play; we’ll be staying with the London cousins. Cousins all around. We’ll have dinner and stuff. I love London.

So far, this is the best honeymoon I’ve ever been on. It being the only honeymoon I’ve ever been on. I love my husband and I love Paris and I love London. Love, love, love.

Sponsored by Canada

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Yesterday while dragging out the final hours of our New York visit, I got AJB over to see the lovely Bryant Park, just behind the even lovelier New York Public Library (opening scenes of Ghostbusters). Bryant Park does a whole big deal for Christmas including setting up an ice rink, a carousel, and temporary gifty type stores; but it’s mostly like a super fancy crafts faire.

While there, we hopped into a tent and visited Canada’s Aurora Borealis via green screen.

As you can see, AJB was a lot more excited than I was. Perhaps it’s because the light show seems to be erupting from his ear. Totally planned.

Life is a Cabaret

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I figured out why I didn’t write a lot about New York the last time I was here…this city really takes a lot out of you. You give it willingly.

Last night AJB and I saw Liza Minnelli at The Palace. I know. You’re thinking, Liza Minnelli, WTF? No, seriously. Liza’s doing a short stint at The Palace, after a nasty divorce, two hip replacements, a knee replacement, and almost dying. That said, I honestly expected to see a little old granny standing on stage, waving her arms once and a while, and not anything like the Liza we know and love from Cabaret. Holy shit! Was I wrong! She’s 62 years old and thank God for stage lighting. She looked about 45. Not to mention dancing her ass off every night, she’s lost a lot of weight. While she is obviously older, she can’t quite kick as high, she brought it to the table. I mean, this lady gave every ounce of herself and sang her little heart out. Wow. AJB and I were flabbergasted. Flabbergasted!! It was like watching The Undiscovered Country where the ensign tells Cpt. Sulu that the ship will fly apart if they go anything further. Sulu responds, “Fly her apart then!” Oh yeah, just like that.

I’ve seen plenty of old timers make their comebacks on stage. What often amazes me is the sheer will power involved. When I see 60 year olds working like they’re 30, I feel like maybe I shouldn’t complain and maybe get up and do more things. Liza is truly a powerhouse. Yes, it’s true, she was a little more tired and her voice just ain’t what it used to be, but what you must realize, even taken down a few notches, she still manages to give the performance of a lifetime. This is the only show I’ve ever been to where the singer got a standing ovation after every song. She manages to talk to the audience as if we’re all old pals. She told us stories about her youth, momma, her God-Mother Kay Thompson, she even made jokes about her horrible divorce. If you don’t like Liza Minnelli, it’s because you’ve never seen her show. All I can really say is “Wow!” That lady has moxie! And she knows who her audience is: Older gay couples and old ladies. AJB and I fall into one of those categories, although we’re not sure which.

After Liza, we braved the cold, cold, streets of Times Square and had dinner at a steak house called Bond 45 – I can always find veggie foods at steak houses when put to the challenge. We then made our way to yet another show called Slava’s SnowShow. Slava is a Russian clown who, once upon a time, was part of Cirque du Soleil. So I was thinking, how bad could it be? Sorry to say, it was pretty bad. Boring as shit. Apparently people are saying this is the most beautiful show they’ve ever seen. I have to wonder if they’re talking about another show entirely. What parts are they talking about? The part where the clown walks across the stage excruciatingly slow? I fell asleep a few times and AJB woke me up to see the big finale. Ok, that was pretty great, but one great finale doesn’t make a whole show. All I know is, Slava was facing a wind machine, paper snow and smoke was flying out at the audience and that one song from Carmina Burana was playing as a super-bright light filled the room. Of course, it had nothing to do, whatsoever, with the entire show and didn’t actually mean anything. It was just random. No story, just small meaningless vignettes that weren’t actually funny.

Naturally, it’s hard to top Liza, so maybe anything I saw wouldn’t compare, but it wasn’t just that. Slava’s show sucked. I wish we’d gone to see Equus. At the very least we’d get some full frontal Daniel Radcliffe even if it comes with the poking of horses’ eyes out.

Today, it’s cold as shit, but we’re going to bundle up and see some things…in particular, the tree at Rockefeller Center. And what else? We’ll see.

Christmas Tree in Highland Park

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A few days after we got into Highland Park, it snowed. Lovely white layers of marshmallow covered the landscape. I kept singing, “It’s a marshmallow world in the winter…when the snow comes to cover the ground”. I blame 3rd grade chorus. Man, I hated that class. Mrs. Jardine. I wonder if she’s still around.

I wanted to take more pictures of the snow, but it was frickin’ cold. My fingers wouldn’t move shortly after this shot. I might use this for my Christmas cards this year…you know, if I can get off my ass and make them.

Christmas Tree in Highland Park

Christmas Tree in Highland Park

Highland Park Going Home

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I started writing this day before yesterday…

I’ve been in Highland Park since the 27th of November, but it sort of feels like we just got here. Even though we’ve been mostly sitting around and hanging out, I haven’t had any real time to blog. Mostly, I’ve been hanging with AJB’s family and kids, which is good. Getting to know them all a little better. Although I see his kids weekly and on every other weekend, they’re so bogged down with homework or other kid activities, we don’t really get to spend all that much time together. I guess we do, but this has been extra time and it’s been pretty great.

Arrived in Chicago on Thanksgiving. Had a nice dinner with AJB’s family including and aunt and uncle. Since I don’t eat meat, AJB’s mom fixed me a delicious grilled-cheese sandwich on the sandwich griller. It’s weird when you eat Thanksgiving dinner at someone else’s house…it’s never the same meal you ate as a kid nor is it ever the meal you equate Thanksgiving to. Funny how that works out and how we all have this idea of what a Thanksgiving meal should be. It’s almost always based on the one’s we had as a kid.

Friday, we got up late. By the time we all showered and dressed, it was time for dessert at the aunt and uncle’s house. Got over there, had some cake and ice cream and then gathered up the troops for a movie at Northbrook Court. We saw Bolt. Again. Still a good movie second time around.

Saturday, we got up late again and we’d wanted to go into Downtown Chicago, but that didn’t happen. At least, not right away. AJB’s mom had bought us all tickets to see Jersey Boys – The story of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons. Being a Frankie Valli fan, myself, I was actually looking forward to it…even though, as you know, I’m not a theater person. We left the house around 5:00pm, got in by 6:00pm. Dinner at Mity Nice at Water Tower Place. Rushed off to the show. It was actually quite good and by the end of it, you actually believed the guy playing Frankie was Frankie himself. Voice and all. I grew up with Frankie Valli. My Dad loved the guy, so as you can imagine, I have warm fuzzy feelings about the whole thing.

Sunday, we uh…what did we do? Oh yeah. AJB, me, and the kids went to the fabulous Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. For the last 4 years, AJB has spoken with deep love and affection for this place and credits it’s amusements towards his career choice. The MSI is a cornucopia of wonder and is far too amazing for a simple blurb. You’ll just have to visit it yourself some day. Later that night, AJB’s bestest BFF from when he was a kid (and his family) came over for dinner. It was nice catching up with everyone. They left a little early. AJB and I stayed up late fucking around on the internet.

iPhone Pictures from the Museum of Science and Industry:

Monday, AJB took his 16 year old son JAB to Northwestern for a tour…you know, just to check it out to see if he wants to go there and stuff. I find this concept unusual. My options for college were Oxnard Community College or Ventura College. Both of which meant living at home, paying rent, and taking the bus to school everyday. I moved to Pasadena instead. Naturally, these kids who’s parents saved up for their college and take them to college tours in other states, really don’t know how good they’ve got it. Because JAB is a good kid, one day he’ll arrive at the conclusion that his parents were really frickin’ good to him, he had tons of opportunities that I didn’t have, and that not every kid gets to go on college tours. Not every kid has their pick of colleges around the world and not every kid gets a free ride to education. I know one day he’ll figure it out. Right now, I imagine it’s par for the course and it’s just business as usual. I mean, what else is there?

AJB spent the whole day with his son and finally took him to the airport ahead of us. School the next day. Man, that kid works hard. I mean sure, he’s got his college taken care of, but he studies like a fiend and is one of the smartest people I know.

Tuesday, another lazy day. Slept in again. Fucked around all day. We had illusions of going into Downtown to see the Macy’s windows and eating legitimate Chicago-style pizza. Never happened. We settled for ordering pizza and watching A Christmas Story on DVD. Packed and got a few hours shut eye.

Today, came home and let out a huge sigh of relief. I’m so glad to be home. Happy to see my kittehs and sleep in my own bed. AJB asked me what I like more: Traveling or coming home? I love traveling. I’m down to go anywhere anytime. Dog Patch Idaho? I’m there. I love seeing the world we live in even if it’s small towns like Highland Park, Illinois or big cities like New York or Tokyo. It’s all good. And I love coming home. As Dorothy Gale once said, there’s no place like home. It’s so true. I live in a big, beautiful home that still has unpacked boxes from the move. The yard is a nightmare, but it’s getting there. My studio is still technically a garage, but I have my own office and one of the best views in town. This is my home. I love it and I love coming back to it. Of course, once I cross the threshold, I am suddenly transported into reality: Boxes to unpack, the holidays are here and the dining room is full of crap, the living room has no place for a tree, our bedroom is filled with more junk, and I have to figure out how to make money.

Alas, all things in good time. For now, I’m gonna rest up a little and maybe watch some TV. Even though we didn’t do much on this trip, just doing it takes the wind out of your sails.

I realize that these “sum up” travel blogs are pretty boring. I know. I’ve been reading Wil Wheaton’s blog pretty regularly again…which reminds me, I need to email him. Not like I know him, but I have a really great non-Trek question for him. The last time I emailed him, I told him he was a dead ringer for Tommy Kirk (which he is) and never heard back from him. So anyway, I’ve been reading Wil’s blog and I know he’s Wil Wheaton, King Geek, always entertaining and witty…but it makes me think about my own blog. But what? So I’m not as entertaining as Wheaton, but if I can come close…

BTW, the Vegan Zucchini Bread was a total slam dunk and no one knew it was vegan.

If Only For Myself…

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I was clearing out some files on my laptop when I came across two short movies AJB and I made on a plane. I looked at the date and couldn’t remember where we’d gone October 2007. I looked back in the October 2007 blog entries and found one: New York. I was there two days and only wrote one short entry. On that trip, I remember AJB and I went to the big Park Ave. Apple Store and strolled Central Park on a brisk Autumn day. It was a beautiful day. I even took lots of pictures. We also went to the Empire State Building and stayed in a lovely hotel overlooking lower Park Ave. Why didn’t I write about any of that?

Perhaps because I’m constantly thinking about cataloging my life in this blog, sometimes I think I do, but don’t. Which bothers me.

So why am I obsessed with cataloging my life? It’s not that I have to mark down every insignificant detail, but I love looking back and remembering where I was at a certain time, who I was with, and what I was doing…especially my travels; which I’ve done a lot of in the last four years. It’s all mostly for me. While I enjoy sharing it all with my friends, loved ones, and the occasional random passersby, the major reason behind it all is that I do it for myself. I know that there will come a day, when I’m old and gray…I’ll put on my 3-inch thick glasses (or maybe by then, they’ll have eye replacement surgery perfected), read through the archives, smile, and think to myself, “I had a pretty great life.”

Yesterday: Still in Florida. I woke up with the same headache I’ve been fighting for three days. I lounged around most of the morning, but eventually got ready and went down to the hotel restaurant for lunch. AJB met me and at first, we thought about going to the convention, but we were both tired and opted for an afternoon nap. AJB and I went to another industry event and ate finger foods. I had a Jack and Coke, which miraculously cured my 3 day headache. AJB chit chatted with colleagues and caught up with old friends. I did what I do best in these situations: I smiled, laughed at everyone’s jokes, and made the occasional witty comment. I later watched on as Dave Cobb once again evoked the magical magics of technology and won an iPhone from the company raffle. Don’t ask me how he does it. He has powers. We ended the night with NBC’s Thursday night Must See TV lineup and went to bed.

Today: In the morning, I was a whole bushel of sour apples. I was in a foul mood; one to rival the foulest of moods and one for the books. AJB went to the convention one last time and left me to sleep-in well passed noon. When he came back, ashamed of my rancid behavior, I apologized profusely and we went downstairs for lunch. We’d had the ambition of visiting Universal Studios for a few hours, but found out the park was closing early. We opted for Downtown Disney and took in a movie. We saw Bolt, which was as delightful as I thought it would be. A languid walk about the shops in the cold Florida night air, and dinner at Wolfgang Pucks; for lack of a better option. AJB showed me around (as he does) and reminisced about the days he spent working on some of the area’s finer amusements. Waxing nostalgic like Doc Brown who said, “Things have certainly changed around here. I remember when this was all farmland as far the eye could see. Old man Peabody owned all of this. He had this crazy idea about breeding pine trees. Back to the hotel and packing early – which is a new experience for us. Since we didn’t get out to Universal today, we’re gonna try and hit it before we fly home tomorrow. 4 years with AJB and I have yet to see anything he’s worked on. We’ll see how it goes.

I’m glad to be going home. I miss my kitties. On Thursday, we’re flying out to Chicago for Thanksgiving. This is a crazy month. I’m loving it.

In Florida for IAAPA

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I’m currently in Florida at the Peabody Hotel next to the Orlando Convention Center. My boyfriend invited me along to see the annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). I haven’t actually been to the convention yet, but last night we attended 4 industry parties, one of which was at Universal Studio Orlando. I got to ride the new Simpsons ride and it almost made me puke.

The Simpsons ride took the place of the old Back to the Future ride (which I’ve never been on) and makes use of some new technology that involves lenses or something or other. Eh, I was tired when they explained it to me. It’s actually a pretty cute ride that takes you and the Simpson family around Krustyland and Springfield crashing through things, falling twisting, bumping, jarring, flying. It’s pretty intense and you get jostled around a lot. I’ve never seen so many health warnings on a ride before; including claustrophobia. The best way I can describe it is: Star Tours on crack. If you like Star Tours, you’ll like The Simpsons Ride. I do actually like Star Tours, but I don’t like roller coasters. I get motion sickness pretty easy, but not to the point of actually vomiting. I can handle Star Tours, but always end up feeling a little light headed afterward. The Simpsons, on the other hand, really threw me for a loop and I had to close my eyes quite a bit. Not because it was scary, but because the motion was fucking with my head.

Anyway, I haven’t seen or done much while in Orlando. Mostly we’re here for IAAPA and I haven’t even seen that. I think my role here is “arm candy” and I’m actually pretty good at it. Kidding. I like supporting AJB and I especially like seeing him schmooze with his colleagues. He’s really great with the people skills and has this miraculous ability to remember people he hasn’t seen in 30 years; first and last names and where he first met them. I don’t know how he does it. In fact, people who haven’t seen him in 30 years remember him too. Don’t know how that works seeing as I can’t remember people I met last year. Mnemonics? I must learn.

Today, I think I’m going to see the show floor and we’ve got another party to attend. I dig the free food and drinks. I’ve also been battling a headache since we got here day before yesterday, since when my allergies have also been giving me grief. It’s cold here in Florida, but the air is clear and the sky is real blue.

I’m sorta out of it. I guess I’ll take a shower and start my day.