never B4

Early Morning Ponies & Police

Owning a car in Manhattan means living with persnickety street parking rules or expensive parking garages.  These days, I generally opt for the street which on Tuesday meant I needed to get up extra early to move my car out of its spot or face a $100+ parking ticket. 

Two options occurred to me as I climbed behind the wheel and the sun began to rise: get a head start on the pressures of the day by going to work 2 hours early, or find a Never b4 breakfast activity instead.  Option #1 was the wise thing to do but Option #2 had challenge appeal. Where could I drive at a ridiculously early hour that was safe, interesting, new to me and was either around NYC (home) or on the way to Westchester (work) .

Drive to Rockefeller Center to see the Today Show?                          

Energizing but also headache inducing, plus parking is even harder to find and pricier in that neighborhood. Scratched that idea.

The Cloisters in the far north of Manhattan island?  

Would love to have seen the 4-acre spread overlooking the Hudson River and the medieval building, but their website said they weren't open until 9:30am.  Too late. Next?

The Prayer Booth at the Roosevelt Island Tram? 

Definitely had the bizarre appeal but I bailed on this idea too because parking presented a problem - again.

Yonkers Raceway to watch the ponies practice.    Yes!

My route to work has always taken me by Yonkers Raceway and yesterday morning I pulled in for the first time to watch a lonesome horse and rider run their paces around the track. 

 

Cars raced along the highway by behind me as I leaned on the fence and watched horse and buggy glide around the track.  They seemed like a peaceful mirage in the midst of the swelling rush hour at my back; ghosts from a time when cars didn't matter.

Ironic, I thought, that the burden of my car led me to the exact mode of transportion it replaced more than a 100 years ago.  (Can you imagine the hard time people must have had parking horses back then?)

There I was lost in thought, munching on a breakfast bar and snapping pictures and little did I know, I was being watched too.  Not long after I arrived and way before I finished snapping enough pics, the police pulled in and shoed me away. They said the owner of Empire City Gaming, the slot machine casino that now looms over the track and owns Yonkers Raceway, wasn't comfortable with me on the property while the track was closed.  No one else was in sight so I could only assume this mystery owner watched me from a spy camera somewhere.

It felt a little too Sopranos for me so I wasn't about to fight.  My magical moment was over and even though this was one of my shortest Never b4's, it certainly was one of the most peaceful...and surprising.  I only wish I could go back for more but somehow I think that Tony Soprano might remember me.

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If you have a few minutes on your hands, check out Travel & Places for other great things to see and places to visit.

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As as always, I'd love to hear your comments so click on the headline above, scroll down and add your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

40: Nothing & Something

This week's never B4 was easy.  The clock did all the work for me.  As the seconds, minutes and hours passed methodically from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm yesterday , I experienced, for the first time, what it is like to be 40.  Here's a nutshell of what turning 40 felt like for me:

Free
Rain and wind spoiled my original plan to go rock climbing (for real) in Acadia National Park but I decided to take the day off anyway.  I jumped in the car and hit the road. 

My dad loved a good long drive and I definitely have a bit of him in me because nothing makes me feel more free than the open road, especially when I have no time constraints and no traffic in my way.  Yesterday, I was free of both and accompanied by a steady stream of 80's tunes to sing along to -- and sing loud, I did.

 

Exhilarated
The rain stopped, the sun peeked out, the traffic disappeared and Radar Love played on the radio.  Suddenly, I had this irresistible urge to see how fast I could get my 8-year old jeep to go.  The speedometer tops out at 100 mph and for the first time ever I got the needle passed 90 mph. At 92 the chassis started to shutter and as quickly as my reckless side pushed my foot down, my safe side pulled it up.  Yet those few reckless moments got my blood pumping. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pampered
I was amazed to learn that Portland Maine has an abundance of spas and after calling around, Akari was able to squeeze me in for a pedicure. So indulge I did and 45 minutes later I walked out callous-free, sporting shiny pink toe nails.

Silly
Once I knew that my rock climb was not going to happen, the only never b4 thing I was able to plan was a tattoo.  Now, those of you that know me well, also know I'm not brave enough to get a real tattoo.  I'm not a fan of pain but body art does intrigue me, so I opted for a Henna tattoo.  I met Mary Kearns, a Mehndi Artist, at the Homegrown Herb and Tea House on the outskirts of downtown Portland and as I sipped a Lemon Squeezer Tea and munched on Lavender shortbread, she turned my calf into her canvas.

 

 

 

Lucky
As Mary swirled her henna bottle across my leg and we both waited for the henna to dry, she shared the story of how she had been given up for adoption, searched for years to find her birth parents, was reunited with them for the first time in New York City on Sept 11, 2001, only to learn that they had lived just miles apart for many years.  In fact, her mom and aunts worked in a convenience store that she used to go to all the time as a kid.  Luck eluded Mary for so many years only to pop up one day in the form of an email that would eventually lead her to meet birth parents on Sept 11th-- unfortunately on one of the unluckiest days for thousands of people. Hearing such a story, reminded me just how lucky I have been for these 40 years.

Sexy
It's been a long time since I caught men checking out my legs but I caught  2 yesterday -- thank you tattoo!

Loved
All day long I received emails, text messages, phone messages and when I got home, a stack of birthday cards greeted me with more birthday wishes.   No matter what method or manner, it's always great to know people are thinking of you. 

Invigorated
Even though I didn't meet my goal of doing an adventurous never b4 yesterday, the drive enabled me to reflect on all the things I have done up until now and make a mental list of the many more things I still want to do.  There are 6 months left in my never b4 year and I'm more fired up than ever to get out there and try new things.

In the end, turning 40 was nothing. I didn't feel instantly old and no midlife crisis hit.  It was, however, something worth savoring and and I'm glad I took the day off to fully experience it.  

If you have something to add to this post (funny, serious or otherwise), click on the headline above then scroll down and add your thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

  

A Peace of the Pope

Never before have I witnessed one man draw thousands of smiling people onto the streets of Manhattan.  Despite extensive street closures and a massive police presence, the atmosphere in midtown on Saturday afternoon was peaceful.   So much so, that the police were turning their backs on the crowd to snap photos of their own.

Sitting on the hood of a police patrol car (there’s another Never B4!) on the corner of 59th and 5th Avenue, I overheard people talking about how far they’d come to see his holiness. A mother-daughter pair on my right came from Boston, the couple on my left came from Chicago, I came from a hair appointment just 6 blocks away but I was just as excited as they were to catch a glimpse of the Pope.

I didn’t expect the excitement I felt. Honestly, I have had mixed feelings about Pope Benedict VXI due to his infamous comment about Islam, his lack of action on the church’s sex scandal and his recent and very public baptism of an outspoken muslim journalist that some say fueled the fire between the Catholic and Islamic faiths. Yet, there I was excited to see him.

Was I simply riding atop a tourist thrill wave? Maybe.

Was it my Never B4 motivation kicking into high gear? Partly.

Was it because I knew it would make my Mom happy? For sure, that played a part.

Was it because I might receive a papal blessing?  Definitely!

But were those the reasons I had gotten up extra early, rushed to finish my packing, skipped a lunch with my brother’s family and ventured into the crowds to see the Pope?  Not completely.

Faith played a significant part. As I said, I am skeptical of some of Pope Benedict’s actions in the recent past, yet I have faith that he, as Pope, is trying to communicate a message of peace.  At the U.N. on Friday he called for a greater respect for human rights by governments around the world, he took an important and public step toward soothing the scars of the church’s sex scandal by personally meeting with victims of predator priests and he visited a Synagogue on the eve of Passover to foster inter-faith relations.

All that in just over 24 hours. I was impressed.  Pope Benedict XVI took significant actions in New York to spread a message of peace and that’s why I added my voice to his cheering fans on Saturday. 

Of course, there was also the temptation to see the Popemobile. Yes, it is as bizarre as it looks on TV but it is also extremely effective.  If it weren't for the Popemobile, I would never have seen the Pope above the crowd and not been able to take these pics.  Click here to see more.

 

A special thanks goes to my Mom, who reminded me that the Pope and I would only be a few blocks apart on Saturday afternoon.  Her suggestion to see him turned  into one of my most thought-provoking Never B4's to date.  Thanks again, Mom!

If you have an idea for a challenging, thought-provoking or even silly Never B4... or you'd like to share your opinion of the Pope's New York visit, please feel free to post a comment.  It's always good to hear what you're thinking.

To Go Before

I just found out that's what Prius means.  In fact, I just found out a lot about the Toyota Prius because I spent all Saturday afternoon driving one.  I can't believe I completely forgot to mention this in my last post.  I'll chalk it up to the senility that is surely approaching. 

Let me take you back once more to Saturday. My Never B4 adventure that started with offering up my seat at LaGuardia airport, ended with me upgrading my rental reservation to drive the Prius instead of some compact Chevy that I'd never heard of before.  I've always wanted to drive a hybrid and so I did -- for just an extra $10.  And I can assure you the extra ten bucks was a wise investment because I only used 3.7 gallons of gas for the 140 miles I drove from Portland to Bangor.

Have no doubt, that put a smile on my face but the real fun came from trying to figure out how to start and then drive the thing.  First of all, I didn't notice that it didn't have a traditional key until I had loaded all my bags in hatch and sat behind the wheel.  So back I trudged to the rental agent just to be told the clicker thingy in my hand is the key.  Very cool. But how the hell was I supposed to use it?  The agent had way too long a line in front of her to offer help and my growling stomach wasn't gonna let me wait.  No problem, I thought. I'll just skim the manual.

Question for Toyota Corportion:  What translator software did you use to create the English version of your instruction manuel?  Whatever it is, throw it out!  Or at least add a tutorial into the great dashboard control panel you have in the car.  You have everything else there -- gas consumption screen, temperature control system, radio control screen, trip details -- but no "how to turn on your car" screen. 

After a call to my husband at his computer and a little playing around with the power button, we figured it out.  Press the power button while keeping your foot on the brake pedal.  Then pump the gas just to make sure it's on because the car makes ABSOLUTELY NO NOISE when idling. 

Next step: moving. Another challenge.  The gear shift is more like a joy stick and it always pops back into its originally position.  So, unless you look at your dash board to see which gear is highlighted, the only way you know which gear you're in is to release the brake pedal. 

Bear in mind, I didn't take out ANY insurance on this rental so I was more cautious than normal.  But eventually I found the dashboard indicator and drove safely out of the parking garage.  And the car felt great.  Solid, not flimsy as I secretly feared a hybrid would be.  The seats were comfortable and the visibility was decent, although the back window was small.   It also had great maneuverability and remained remarkably quietly in motion. 

But the very best part was watching the many times the MPG gauge went up to an amazing 100 MPG.  On the mind-numbing drive from Portland to Bangor, this turned into a fun little game for me.  Just how many times could I ring that 100 MPG bell?  Not enough I guess because I averaged out at just under 40 MPG for the ride.  Buy hey, there's always next time!   And having to pay only $11 to fill my tank when everyone else was paying $40 at the pump was a true reward.  Thank you Prius!