An Awesome BlogHer '10 from a New Yorker's Point of View

New York, New York--it's a helluva town, and last weekend it was a helluva BlogHer town.  If I must say so myself, I thought New York did a first class job of hosting the biggest gathering of women bloggers in the world, but as a native New Yorker, I'm biased.

From the Battery to the Bronx, BlogHers were all around the town, taking in all the Big Apple had to offer.  Some did it in tutus, walking and running for a good cause, while others partied like it was 1999.

The hub of activity of course was the New York Hilton on 54th and 6th Avenue, where the conference took place.  The Hilton and I go way back.  One of the first Star Trek conventions ever was held there and as a kid, I ogled William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and George Takei in the Hilton's hallowed ballrooms.  Ah, the memories!

BlogHer '10 Has Arrived, and I Don't Have to Pack

BlogHer '10 has arrived but it feels like BlogHer '09 was just over.  Where does the time fly?

This year as y'all probably know, BlogHer '10 is in my home town of New York City. 

I can't tell you how strange it feels to read everyone's tweets and Facebook entries about packing and traveling when I'm not doing any of those things.  I'll just be hopping on my usual Manhattan-bound commuter train.

Besides the lack of traveling, this year feels a little strange for me in other ways as well.  Though I'm excited and eagerly anticipating seeing my fellow BlogHer Contributing Editors, a whole bunch of bloggers that I read throughout the year, and new bloggers I haven't even heard of yet, I'm a little apprehensive. 

This year, for the first time, I haven't had the time to immerse myself in the blogosphere as I would have liked.  Life and work changes, some good, some bad, yet all of them time consuming, have gotten in the way.  It makes me feel a bit cut off from my usual blogosphere connections.

Also, and this is highly unusual for me since I'm a bit of a ham, I'm feeling a bit shy about being around the nearly 2200 people who are attending. Yeah me, shy!

Who'd a thunk it?

Now, I'm certain all of these weird feelings will go away the minute I throw myself into the mix.  I'll be live blogging a couple of sessions for BlogHer Business tomorrow, so that alone should warm me up nicely for the big event on Friday and Saturday.

But feeling weird or not, I wouldn't miss it for the world, and I expect that by the end of the weekend, I'll be exhausted, yet re-invigorated about the power of blogging and where it might take me next.

I'll be sure to let you know!

Ideas For Fun in NYC During BlogHer '10

Ideas for Fun in NYC During BlogHer '10

New York City is my hometown so I'm beyond excited that within a couple of weeks, bloggers from all over the world will be arriving for BlogHer '10.  And though a lot of time will be taken up with conference events, hopefully many of those attendees will explore some of the fun stuff the Big Apple has to offer.

First off, if you're going to do some sightseeing, get yourself a Metrocard and a CityPASS.  The Metrocard is for public buses and subways all over NYC.  The CityPASS is a booklet of tickets to six of New York City's most popular museums and attractions and will save you a total of 45% off the regular admission prices. 

Now, here are some of my favorite NYC experiences. 

Go Hunting with Watson Adventure Tours Scavenger Hunts

My cousin first introduced me to these fun scavenger hunts when she gave me one as a birthday gift a couple of years ago.  It was a murder mystery hunt through the Metropolitan Museum of Art and my friends and I had a ball. 

In addition to their museum hunts, Watson also organizes scavenger hunts in Chinatown, Central Park and even one in Greenwich Village that features locations from "Sex in the City."

Hunts start at around $25/adult and can go up to $40/adult for museum hunts.  Check out the Watson website for schedules and prices. 

Slip Sliding Away on "The Amazing Race"

It's only fitting that after coming back from a week of travel, my first post should be about a travel TV show, "The Amazing Race."

And though I know I'm a week behind, can we just talk about Mika and Canaan for a minute?  You know, one of those "newly dating" couples the Race is so fond of.

Mika was the 22 year-old from Hazard, Ky, whose fear of water and heights kept her from going down a six story water slide known as the Leap of Faith, in Dubai.  Because Mika couldn't bring herself to close her eyes, think of England, and fling herself down the chute, she and boyfriend Canaan were eliminated.

Problem was, while Mika was flapping her floaties in terror for a good 25 minutes, the Globetrotters had time to catch up.  Once the Globetrotters arrived Mika and Canaan had 2 minutes to take the plunge or else they had to make way for Flight Time and Big Easy.

Blogging While Brown: An Interview with Cheryl Contee of Jack & Jill Politics (Video)

As part of my BlogHer coverage of the 2009 Blogging While Brown conference in Chicago last weekend, I did several video interviews with attendees.  Up first is an interview with Cheryl Contee of the blog Jack and Jill Politics.

I'll have more video interviews, photos and posts on the conference up and running as soon as my little fingers can type them. Stay tuned.

Blogging While Brown: Touring Chicago

How does the song go?  "Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin' town..."

Well the last couple of days I've been toddlin' all over Chicago, using my valuable sightseeing time, before covering today's Blogging While Brown conference for BlogHer.

Even though I was in Chicago once before, this is my first real trip here.  The last time was only a hurried taxi ride around the city during a two hour layover at O'Hare. 

The weather hasn't been very cooperative, but even with all the rain and thunderstorms, it's still raining less than it was in New York when I left.  And I can't complain too much because I got enough sun yesterday to get in an architectural boat tour of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan in a Seadog speed boat.

Our tour guide was Heather, an English major at the University of Chicago.  She writes her own material and she was not only informative but very funny.  She told us about the "black and boxy," "boxy and black" style of architecture, but also about all the other creative designs that trim the Chicago skyline.

There's the triangular shaped building that's a prison with an exercise yard on top, the three cloverleaf-like Lake Point Tower, the twin corn cob shaped towers that make up Marina City, and of course the third highest building in the world, the Sears Tower.

After seeing those buildings from the water yesterday, it was great to see another perspective of them today from the top of the Sears Tower itself. 

I got there before the skies opened up so the visibility, though not ideal, was good enough for an exciting experience.

Call me naive, but for some reason I was startled by the airport-like security we had to go through to get to the observation deck.  Of course, I shouldn't have been, but it caught me off guard.

I paid the extra $5 for the audio tour and I'm glad I did.  It helped identify all the important Chicago landmarks. 

Several of those landmarks I've seen from the back of Chicago Transit buses the last couple of days.  Yesterday I took the bus to the very cool Navy Pier and today I took a ride through the South Side of Chicago to the Dusable Museum of African American History. 

I figured since it was pouring rain when I left, a museum day was just the ticket.  But of course as soon as I spent forty-five minutes on the bus getting there, the weather had turned bright and sunny.

Two women got into a fight on the bus, which made me feel quite at home.  The bus driver made me pay twice because I took the bus in the wrong direction to the end of the line and then wanted to take the same bus back.  Considering I only went about seven stops the wrong way, I thought she might have given me a break.

The museum was interesting, but just okay.  I get the feeling it's still a work in progress and hopefully their collections will expand after their new wing is opened.  Most of the exhibits were either African in origin or displays of artifacts from the civil rights movement.  There was also a tribute to blacks in the military and a small gallery showcasing paintings and sculptures by black artists.  I was disappointed because I thought the exhibits of paintings and sculptures would be more extensive.

The most startling thing at the museum?  A moving, life size, seated figure of the late Mayor Harold Washington that at first appeared to be real.  It scared the life out of a six year old who started screaming when she saw it and I sympathized 'cause an animatronic Harold Washington wasn't at all what I'd expected.

That's enough for now.  I'll have more on my Chicago travels, and of course the Blogging While Brown conference later today and tomorrow. 

Here Comes BlogHer '09 and Blogging While Brown!

It's hard to believe but BlogHer '09 is only a little more than a month away.  It seems like only yesterday I was writing posts about last year's community keynote and fabulous meals in San Francisco.

But all of a sudden BlogHer '09 is here and I'm getting myself ready for another rip roaring weekend with the BlogHers and BlogHims of America and beyond.

Since this year's conference is in Chicago--a town I've only seen for ten minutes from the back of a taxi cab during a layover at O'Hare--I'm jazzed to get to know Chi-town a lot better.

In fact my first real trip to Chicago won't be BlogHer '09, but Blogging While Brown '09 which is being held June 19-20th.

Coincidentally, this year's BWB is also in Chicago.  BlogHer is one of the sponsors of BWB and I'll be representing them and publishing several posts from there beginning next week.

But back to BlogHer, in the next two weeks there are going to be pre-BlogHer meet-ups in several cities for attendees to get together before the conference and last weekend I had the chance to meet some amazing women from the NYC area. 

The meet-up was only supposed to be a couple of hours but we were having such a good time, we went far beyond that. We talked about movies, TV, politics, technology and of course blogging!

We organized the meet-up via the NYC Area BlogHer Group which now has 49 members.  Be sure to join if you're a NYC blogger and would like to stay in touch with other gotham bloggers.

Here's a list of the attendees at our meet-up and their blogs.  Definitely check them out!

The Bronx Bohemian of the blog:  Bronx Bohemian

The Evil Slutes of the blog:  Evil Slutopia

Bri of the blog:  Unwellness

Jena of the blog:  Jena Wellness

Steph of the blog:  Steph Unwired and Next Steph

Jennifer of the blog:  Connect With Your Teens Through Pop Culture and Technology

I've never had so much fun with a bohemian, evil sluts, the unwell, the well, the unwired and the connected!

So keep an eye out for my posts from Blogging While Brown and BlogHer and if you're going to be at either conference, let me know so we can stay in touch!

I Had A Blast At BlogHer Boston '08, Part 2

You've already heard about my trip to Boston, or rather to Burlington for BlogHer Boston, now it's time to get to the nitty gritty, the conference itself.

First thing in the morning, I got my name tag, introduced myself and plopped down at a table up front in the ballroom.  The breakfast spread had plenty of choices:  from fruit to pastry, to cereal to egg sandwiches to excellent coffee.

I was pleased to meet Candelaria Silva since I've read her thoughtful comments on BlogHer and have checked out her blog as well.

I took a look at the sponsor tables and got a bit of swag.  Katie Greene of Playtex was there.  She was one of our pub mates from the night before in Fitzwilliams.

I Had A Blast At BlogHer Boston '08, Part 1

Yes indeed, I had a blast at BlogHer Boston.  I learned a lot, I recharged my creative batteries and I also got to chat with a diverse group of smart and energetic women.

Though the conference was on Saturday, I'd planned to take Amtrak up early Friday.  The conference was being held at the Burlington Marriott, right outside Boston and since I'd never been to Beantown before, I'd fully expected to get a chance to tour the city.

That didn't happen.

You see, I called the Marriott weeks ago to find out how far it was from central Boston, and was told it was about 9 miles and a $20-$25 cab ride.

Very doable, I thought.

BlogHer Boston '08: A Little To Whet Your Appetite

I arrived home from BlogHer Boston yesterday with ideas and inspiration. 

The conference was a big success, if the women I spoke with are anything to go by and I can't wait to give you all the details, but...that'll have to wait until tomorrow.

My BlogHer weekly post is due today and once I finish that, I'll sit right down and give you a blow by blow of my BlogHer Boston experience---have I got some stories for you!---and a blogroll of the great women bloggers I met there.

In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures to tide you over.

BlogHer '08 Day 2: Meet-ups, Card Swaps, & Dooce

I've returned to my native coast from BlogHer '08 and dude am I tired!  But it's a good tired.

When I left you last, I was basking in the glorious afterglow of the Community Keynote Speeches that closed out the first day of BlogHer '08.

Then it was party time at the club Ruby Skye.  It was sponsored by TNT and had as special guests Gina Ravera who plays Detective Irene Daniels on "The Closer," and two of the writers, Talicia Raggs and Roger Wolfson of "Saving Grace."  Gina is pictured here with reporter Rauhmel Fox.

BlogHers shook their groove thangs to the rockin' music and there was good food and drink aplenty.

Day 2 of BlogHer '08 involved more sessions on subjects of interest to aspiring bloggers and experienced bloggers alike.

It was also the day I led a session for women of color bloggers.  I didn't quite know what to expect, but I was very pleased by the end of the session.  I had the pleasure of chatting with about twenty-five very bright women about what kinds of things they wanted to see at future conferences---a women of color Mommybloggers session was suggested by Sandie Angulo Chen to discuss raising multi-cultural children.

Sandie was accompanied by her own adorable child, little Jonah and almost every time I saw him he was comfortably asleep in his Mommy sling.

One significant point brought up by BlogHer Contributing Editor Gena Haskett was to advise the bloggers to fill out their profiles on BlogHer.  We can't link to them if we don't know who they are and what their blogs are about.

The day before, I had the pleasure of participating in an entertainment bloggers meet-up hosted by myself and Melissa Silverstein of Women & Hollywood.

BlogHer '08 Day 1: The Community Keynote Rocked!

Last night, the first day of the BlogHer '08 conference ended with what has been the hit of the conference so far:  The Community Keynote Speeches.

And I say that not just because I happened to have the honor of being involved.  That's right, last night I got up on stage in front of a grand ballroom full of people and read one of my own posts:   "Michelle Obama Enjoys "The View:" A Recap."

I nearly didn't make it because I got caught waiting for the elevator and then got turned around trying to find the grand ballroom.  By that time, our mistress of ceremonies BlogHer's co-founder Elisa Camahort was calling for me from the stage.

Embarrrrrasing!

Anyway I was third up on stage and once I got there, was very happy I spent all that time in front of the mirror practicing my delivery.  I'm a bit of a ham at heart anyway and I wanted to give the audience their money's worth.  I'd carefully chosen my outfit and felt very comfortable up there in front of the lights and the blur of faces.

I used the time adjusting the microphone to take a couple of deep breaths and then plunge right in.  It was fantastic fun.  The audience laughed where they were supposed to, I got tongue tied only twice, but plunged ahead anyway, and by the end of my reading, I felt such a sense of gratification, because little did I know when I started Megan's Minute a year and a half ago, that last night I would be reading my words to a room full of fellow bloggers who were appreciating what I had to say.

That's heady stuff.

Afterwards, I sat backstage in the tiny Dressing Room A with the other keynote speakers and we had a great time supporting each other, tweeting our thoughts, and making jokes about the very strange "zombie bathroom" as Deb On The Rocks dubbed it.

We listened, we laughed, we cried and we bonded in a way that was very special.

BlogHer '08: A Sumptuous Lunch and BlogHer Preliminaries

Yesterday in San Francisco was action packed.  Since I was so crazy before I left home, I had no time to get the manicure/pedicure that I wanted so I made an appointment at the Westin Hotel spa.

Nothing against my local CiCi Nails, but having your nails done in a spa is the height of luxury.  The New Agey music was playing, the scented candles were glowing, the massage chair was massaging, and Wendy, my pedicure practitioner was treating my feet to a world of pampering.  Ahhhh.

Afterward, I showed off my pretty nails on the #38 city bus.  I took it all the way to the end of the line and the Cliff House.  The last time I was in San Francisco many years ago, I had lunch at the Cliff House overlooking the Seal Rocks.  It was my first trip to California, my first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean and my first delightful experience seeing and hearing barking seals.

Well yesterday after I got off the bus and walked down the hill to the water, imagine my surprise when I realized the Cliff House I remembered had been replaced by a modern Frank Lloyd Wright-esque building of multiple levels.  It turns out the building was renovated and reopened in 2004.  As for the seals, the gentleman who seated me told me that about an hour before the last big earthquake, the seals left and the basically haven't been back since.

What hadn't changed was the gorgeous view of the Pacific and nearby Ocean Beach.  I had lunch at Sutros, one of the two new restaurants and it was amazing. 

Big News At BlogHer '08 & I Made It To San Francisco

There's big news at BlogHer '08 and the conference hasn't even started yet!

But first some tidbits about my travel day from New York to San Francisco:

*I never want to fly any airline but Virgin America again.  Their new high tech, mood lit planes are a pleasure, their cushioned leather seats with the adjustable headrests are super comfortable, and they left on time.  What more could you ask for?

*I took the BART from the San Francisco airport thinking, I'm the big, bad New Yorker who can maneuver her way around any city on public transit.  And I could.  The problem was, when I got to my stop I discovered the "quick" five block walk to the hotel was all uphill.

*I took my first cable car ride and it was thrilling.  Riding by and watching the locals walk up and down those hills, makes me think SF has got to have the fittest population in the world.

*I took the cable car to Fisherman's Wharf, got some dinner, got some sour dough bread for the room and got a cup of Starbucks to go with my peanut butter square of Ghirardelli chocolate.

All in all a very successful travel day, especially considering last night I got a total of three hours of sleep.

As for BlogHer's news, a joint partnership was announced today between BlogHer and NBC Universal.  The agreement will involve NBC's properties iVillage.com, BravoTV.com and Oxygen.com.  It's a partnership that promises to bring more exposure to BlogHer's talented group of women bloggers and all of the blogs in the BlogHer Ad Network.

More details can be found here.

Daisy Tells BlogHer To Stuff It

Daisy's not real happy about BlogHer '08. 

Or more to the point, the fact that I'm going.  You see Daisy's in her twilight doggie years and change of any kind in her routine is greeted with civil disobedience. 

Hunger strikes, sit-ins, candlelight vigils, she's done 'em all.

I've tried to explain to her the importance of this trip, but all I get for my trouble is maniacal barking and lasting views of her backside.

It doesn't help that I was away for three days last week on a trip with my mother and stepfather to Newport, Rhode Island.  Even though I enlisted my cousin as doggie sitter, Daisy was not amused.  When I got home, I'd finished unpacking the car, airing out the house, showering and changing before she even looked at me.

Then I told her about BlogHer and she had a doggie fit.  She was not impressed by my going to meet a bunch of women who sit around all day blogging while ignoring their families, friends and especially their long suffering canine companions.  She was quick to point out she doesn't go running off to Dogster Conferences at the drop of a doggie bone, leaving me alone to fend for myself.

Oh yeah, I thought, paying for Rena, her personal assistant, having my cousin stay over to sit with her, and then having no less than four other backups to take care of her every need...that's leaving her alone.

As you can see Daisy's a big believer in the power of the guilt trip.   But I'm not falling for it.  I'm going to BlogHer '08 tomorrow and Daisy will just have to deal.

And another thing...er, oh sorry...I gotta go, she's barking for me.  For those of you going to BlogHer, see you in a couple of days.

Ahoy There! Mom Goes For Her First Sail

My mother is a nutjob.   That's right, you heard me...a nutjob.  I know it, she knows it, everybody knows it.

Take the amount of nagging your mother has ever done, multiply it by ten and that will still be a fraction of how neurotically anxious my mother can be. 

To say she worries is kind of like saying the Pope prays sometimes.  And being her only child, I get the pleasure of bearing the brunt of all that "caring" attention.

That's not to say I don't love her, because I do...but she's a nutjob.

That said, I have found ways to set strict boundaries where she's, concerned and as long as those aren't breached we get along just fine. In small doses.

However, my mother, who is afraid of water, went on a sailboat for the first time last week, and I'm here to unequivocally state how very proud I am of her for facing her fear. 

Let me give you a bit of background. 

Last year, for the first time in a couple of decades, I went on a trip with my mother. (See nutjob statement above.)  She, my stepfather and I took an overnight jaunt to Newport, Rhode Island.  We toured the Vanderbilt playgrounds of the rich and famous and had an all around surprisingly good time.  Surprising to me because I didn't come home bald from ripping my hair out.

It was so successful in fact, we decided to make a return trip this year. Out of the blue my mother announced she wanted to take a sailing tour of Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay.  My stepfather and I chuckled and said we'd believe it when we saw it, but danged if she didn't make liars out of both of us.  Last week, the three of us went sailing on the eighty foot Adirondack II. 

The day we went was made for sailing with a brisk breeze and a sun kissed, blue sky.  We arrived for our tour several minutes early and just long enough for my mother to figure out where the life vests were and determine that one of the crew on the boat, Abby, was a lifeguard.  She took that as a good sign even though she had to be convinced that she didn't need to put on the life vest unless the sailboat hit an iceberg.

Looking For Fun? Try A Scavenger Hunt

Last year my cousin Gaby J. gave me tickets to a murder mystery scavenger hunt as a Christmas present.  The hunt, "Murder at the Met" was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and it was run by a company called Watson Adventures.

Well, a few weeks later, Kay, Gaby and I joined up to form the Sherlock Dames and compete with other teams to solve the mystery of a murdered Met curator.

This is how it worked.  We were given a list of questions including directions to the general vicinity of where the answers were located.  A sample question: "Go up the great staircase and into gallery 22.  What woman in this gallery looks like she needs a good day care center?"  You and your team would then have to scrutinize the paintings in the gallery, often deciphering the tags as well, to get the answer to your question.  Once you had it, you'd jot it down on your answer sheet and move on to the next one.

We got to scavenge from one corner of the Met to the other.  From the Picasso gallery to the American Wing, from the Medieval gateway to the Temple of Dendur.  Though we ultimately failed to deduce the name of the murderer, it didn't matter because we had a blast.

Of course with a two hour time limit, there's not nearly enough time to linger over the museum's wonderful sights, but think of the hunt as a way to whet your appetite for a more leisurely return visit.

A couple of weeks ago, Kay and I did another scavenger hunt called, Naked at the Met.  This time there was no murder mystery, but as the Watson Adventures' website described the hunt:

You’ll scrutinize paintings, sculptures, period rooms, sultry sirens, a literally bronzed Adonis, a medieval codpiece, an incontinent Cupid and a randy reveler who’ll make you exclaim, “I never sausage behavior!”

The theme was all things ribald and randy---at least as it relates to the art world.  Once again the hunt was well organized by helpful Watson Adventures' employees and the competition took us from one fabulous gallery to another.

Oh, and the result?

We rocked!  Kay and I tied for first place. 

Our little team of two got all the answers correct, as did our stiffest competition, a team of four.  We won "Watson Adventure Winner" t-shirts, and Kay and I were a couple of happy scavengers. 

So if you're planning a visit to New York, or if you're a native and looking for something new to do, a Watson Adventure scavenger hunt might be just the thing to awaken your inner sleuth.

Farewell My Little Canon

Megan's Minute lost a significant contributor over the Christmas holiday.  In fact it was so disturbing, it's only now I've been able to bring myself to write about it.

Sniff, sniff.

This contributor captured the beauty of Longwood Gardens.  It roamed the back alleys of the 2007 US Open to document the qualifying rounds.  It was there on opening night when I saw Serena Williams play in person for the first time.  It took every picture of every Handbag Of The Month.  It helped make my beloved Daisy a star.

It contributed thousands of words, but never touched a keyboard.

It was my Canon SD630.

Oh God!  Sniffffff.

The picture you see here of the pretty woman in the lovely blue dress was the last one taken by my little Canon.  You see, it all happened while Kay and I were taking a Christmas house tour late last December.  It was a brisk winter night, the carolers were singing and tour guides were dressed in festive Dickensian costumes.

We had just entered this little house all decorated and glowing with Christmas cheer when we heard music.  It was a performance by the children of the house.  A girl of about eleven played the piano and the young man who must have been her brother accompanied her on the violin.  I had just taken the picture of the lady in blue and was juggling my Canon, my gloves and my handbag.  Suddenly the music stopped.  The children had completed their piece.  They were so adorable, I raised my hands to applaud their performance and the unthinkable happened.  Like in slow motion, I watched as my Canon slipped out of my grasp and crashed to the planks of the hard wood floor.

As Kay gasped, I cried out, "Noooooooooo!"

Adorable children forgotten, I immediately fell to the floor and cradled my little Canon in my upraised palms.  At first glance it looked undamaged, and then...I saw the lens.  The lens that was usually so straight and true was now tilted at a grotesque angle.  I tried desperately to save it.  I gently prodded and pushed and coaxed the lens back into the camera's battered body, hoping that would resuscitate it to its normal function.  But no, it was a camera in critical condition.

You see my Canon SD630 Digital Elph was my very first digital still camera.  I bought it last February primarily as a way to upload photos for Megan's Minute.  It had a 3 inch LCD screen, a 3.0x optical zoom, a top ISO of 800 and because it was only 6 megapixels, I got it at a bargain price of $239 on Amazon.  As soon as it was delivered and I saw its sleek little body, handled it's smooth, slim frame and shot those first few photos, I was in love.

That's why first thing the next morning I contacted my local camera repairman and asked how much a repair for the damage of my little Canon might cost.  I had already made a tough decision.  If the repair was less than $100, I would do everything humanly possible to save my camera.  However, if the repair was $101 or more, I would have to let it go.

After consulting at length with my camera repairman, he informed me that a repair of the kind of damage I was describing would cost upwards of $150-$200.  My heart sank.  It was too much.   As hard as it was, I made the decision to let go.

Sniff, sniff.

Looking forward to the future, I went on Amazon and searched for the most recent version of my little Canon SD630.  It was the Canon SD750, the 7 megapixel version.  At first I didn't want it.  Nothing could replace my SD630 so why not start fresh?  Choose something totally different.   A Nikon Coolpix or maybe an Olympus Stylus.  But after comparing spec to spec, I kept coming back to the SD750.  Forcing myself to be brave, I ordered the camera. 

I packed my little SD630 in its box and placed it on a shelf and out of my heart.  When the SD750 arrived I hardened my heart against it.  It would never be as good as my SD630.  But then after several days, something miraculous happened.  As I got to know my new camera, I came to appreciate its increased ISO (1600), it's improved menu function, and its responsive handling

All my photos for my Christmas windows post were taken with the SD750.  And I had to admit, they were beautiful.  As good, if not better than my SD630 could have taken.

Now a month later, I'm happy again.  I use my SD750---wrist strap always attached---with confidence, and yes, now I can say it...love.  But every so often, when I glance at the lady in the blue dress, I remember my first digital love.  Sniff.

Farewell, my little Canon.

Commuter Lightening Strike

Don't mess with a woman of the railroad.  You'll be sorry. 

Last week was one of those full on drencher, rainy days.  By the time I left an appointment with my nutritionist to make my way to Penn Station and the commute home, it was pouring and though I had an umbrella, I was soaked, my knapsack was soaked and my sandals were shrinking to my feet.

When I got to Penn Station, I ran for my 5:50 train only to discover it sitting there with the doors closed.  It was 5:51.  I looked hopefully at the conductor.  The doors miraculously opened.  The commuter Gods had blessed me! 

I bolted inside only to hear the conductor over the PA:  "Ladies and Gentleman there was a lightening strike at Valley Stream and all train service in both directions has been suspended.  This train is going out of service."

Okay, the commuter Gods hadn't blessed me.

My sandals squished as I went back out to the platform with all the other thwarted passengers.

Directly across the platform was a train to Westbury.  It occurred to me if I could get to Westbury maybe Kay could pick me up.  Also, there were seats on the train to Westbury because the people from the 5:50 hadn't quite figured out what they were doing.  It hadn't occurred to them that anything going to anywhere on Long Island was better than nothing.  I got on the train and into a seat just before the doors closed.  I sat next to a very nice woman who was doing the same thing I was, and she and I commiserated.

We motored along very nicely for about fifteen minutes.  I called Kay and she happened to be in the Westbury vicinity so she would be able to pick me up.  Maybe the commuter Gods had blessed me after all.  I told her I'd call as we got closer. 

A minute later, the train stopped.  And sat.  And sat.  And sat some more.  After twenty minutes of sitting the conductor made an announcement:  our train was going out of service at the next station because there was flooding in Mineola.  The station in Mineola is at ground level, so if there's flooding in Mineola, there's nothing's going to Westbury. 

Okay.

I called Kay and gave her the bad news and told her I'd let her know where I would be as soon as I knew where I would be.

The woman seated next to me was as frustrated as I was but there was nothing to do but wait for track space at the next station and play backgammon on my Blackberry.

It never fails in these situations that some big time corporate exec blow-hard has to start spouting off in a very "no one knows what they're doing, but me" manner.  He (and it's literally always a man doing this type of griping) can't take the lack of control and the fact that his fate is in the hands of people he considers his inferiors.

He starts grumbling about incompetent railroad personnel and how disgraceful it all is that no one knows what they're doing.  This shouldn't be happening and it especially shouldn't be happening to him.  The result of an interminable rant like this is to make everyone else sitting around him feel even worse.

Well, one such exec started up while we sat.  What he didn't realize was an off duty woman who worked for the railroad had just walked in from an adjacent car and was standing right behind him as he spewed insults about the railroad and their "incompetent personnel."

"This is outrageous.  There should be contingencies.  It's ridiculous, they never have a plan.  There's never a contingency."

As soon as he got the word "contingency" out of his mouth, the railroad woman piped up in her very best no-nonsense, loud, Long Island accent, "There are no contingencies.  If lightening strikes Valley Stream, I gotta wait for LIPA to come and turn on the power.  If there's flooding in Mineola, I gotta wait for the county to come pump out the water.  There are no contingencies.  It's lightening.  It's flooding.  There are no contingencies."

The guy whipped his head around to see who had spoken and when he saw the woman wearing her railroad ID proudly around her neck, whatever he'd been planning to say just stuck in his throat.  I nearly burst out laughing like a crazy person, I found it so funny.  Somehow I restrained myself but I couldn't resist smirking.  And as I glanced around at my fellow passengers, I wasn't the only one. 

That woman was my new hero.

Needless to say, I finally made it home, but I had learned a valuable lesson.

Don't ever mess with a woman of the railroad.  You'll be sorry.

The Lovely Longwood Gardens

I have returned!  My trusty Oldsmobile did its job and got me to Longwood Gardens and back without collapsing into a heap of tired, rusting metal.  I never had to meet up with Clem and for that I'm grateful.  So, why didn't I post on Saturday as I promised? Well you see, I play tennis.  On Saturday morning during my weekly tennis lesson, I did a "stretch/twist/reach" contortion with my body while I was scrambling for a ball. Between that and the seven hours I spent driving on Friday, my back had had enough and decided to make me pay.  Needless to say I spent the entire weekend icing, stretching, resting, and of course popping pills.  Luckily I didn't seize up.

So now, here's my Longwood story along with a photo album of snaps.

First of all, I have to increase my vocabulary because I keep using words like gorgeous, glorious, incredible, beautiful and dazzling to describe Longwood and none of those ever do it justice.  It's in Kennett Square, PA, on the border of Delaware, and is a former Pierre du Pont estate that is home to some of the most wonderful displays of plant and floral life I've ever seen.