Tag Archives: thoughts

September 9, 2012 · 10:31 am

A September Morning

The sky

Crystal blue in its brilliance

The air breezy, light and warm

A beautiful day but not perfect

We remarked that there were no clouds

And wonder now, were they frightened away by impending

Horrors to come?

The bliss of our ignorance a comfort still.

A glorious backdrop

For a summer day thrown into sharp contrast

A decent into darkness, confusion and doom.

From ferries, bridges, building windows and street corners…

We came to identify, were slapped hard by, the worst within us

We came to know and taste the hate

We shook from the violation

We cried from the pain, the loss, the fear.

We saw what we should not see

We smelled what no one should smell

We felt, though we could not feel

Our senses blurred and betrayed

Our minds unable to conceive or believe.

A sleepless city silenced and stunned.

From near, explosions ripped through buildings and hearts

Fire and noise and glass and panic

Plummeting potential lost to despair

Then, billowing clouds of smoke and death

From far, the stillness remained for a time. For a time.

As news traveled, streets emptied

No traffic. No people. No noise and, no planes.

No planes.

Unrelenting rays of sunshine attempted to warm blood run cold

An endless sea of blue sky our only shroud for man-made hell

Heaven a far away witness

As we reached out for desperate consolation.

The Sky

Crystal blue in its brilliance.

(2004)

It took me 3 years, after witnessing the explosions on September 11th, from a Staten Island ferry set to take off for Wall Street, to write this poem. What could not be conveyed on the Evening News was the smell of death that hung over the city for weeks as the fire continued to burn from within. That the National Guard stopped us in cars and buses to sweep for bombs before we drove over bridges and into tunnels or patrolled commuter buses, staring us down, to ensure there weren’t terrorists in our midst. That the only sound that we heard at first, and what persisted for weeks and months were sirens from police and fire department vehicles. That no matter where you went, from supermarket to library, there were pictures of those who perished, plastered everywhere. And so many funerals that whole streets were blocked off and traffic diverted, for them to take place. Funerals that went on for years. That FDNY firehouses lost large numbers of men, my fire department having lost 11 (11 in Heaven). That people were panicking-in subways when hysteria set in and in underwater tunnels when traffic was stopped on the FDR highway for the huge metal beams from the WTC to be transported to barges. That in a city with 3 major airports and constant air traffic, the resulting silence was deafening when that traffic came to a halt. And when planes took to the skies again, people held their breath or panicked when planes went overhead or seemed to fly too close. Not to mention that only two months after the attacks on September 11th, there was a major plane crash in Queens, NY, where another 260 people died and which sent us all over the edge again. And that if there was a possible threat, the city would shut down essential bridges and tunnels leaving people stranded or unable to return to their homes for hours. The effects of this day lasted years and for those who lost loved ones, a lifetime.

We Will Never Forget all who lost their lives and all who worked “the pile” to reclaim the World Trade Center and our city, piece by piece.

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Tagged as 9/11, life, national, poems, Poetry, random, September 11th, thoughts, World Trade Center, writing

May 21, 2012 · 10:54 pm

Mexican Coke-It is the real thing!

I was in a Mexican restaurant that prides itself on having only the freshest ingredients. Instead of the usual cheese covered Mexican food that we all know, it was clean, crisp and delicious! My husband asked for a Coke and the question came back, “would you like to try Mexican Coke?” Mexican Coke? We didn’t know there was such a thing. So, being the adventurous travelers that we are, we tried it. Wow! I was instantly transported back to my childhood. Back to glass bottles, and the simple sugary taste of Coke shining through without the bite or aftertaste that all sodas seem to have nowadays.

It got me thinking, as most things do, about why American food and drink is so often second-rate in the ingredient department. We seem to be the only country that accepts without question questionable even dangerous ingredients and ingredients that are genetically modified. The only reason Mexican Coke tastes different, going by the list of ingredients on the label, is that it has replaced high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar, an ingredient that is more natural and not modified. I assume the reason that Coke uses high fructose corn syrup is because it is dirt cheap, coming from the thousands of acres of genetically modified corn fields and because, frankly, we accept it where other countries don’t.

As it takes hundreds and thousands of years for species to change there is no way to know what the effects of genetically modified food is having on us, is there? It just seems to be common sense that it will have some effect as we are ingesting things that are not natural. How long will it take to adapt to the myriad of chemicals and alterations that are being thrown at us every day? It reminds me of the film the Incredible Shrinking Woman and instead of shrinking what do we see but high incidents of cancer. Does high fructose corn syrup and genetically modified food cause cancer? I don’t know, do you? Young, middle-aged and old people are getting all sorts of cancer, the prevalence is taken as normal now as cancer rates grow exponentially and we throw our hands up in the air and give millions of dollars to research as if it is such a great mystery. How can we take in all these chemicals and think it wouldn’t affect our systems? Again, I don’t know what the effects will be or have been but how can we just accept it without knowing? I have noticed lots of these Frankenstein additives such as high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, sucralose and propolene glycol-a synthetic liquid petroleum, used in making plastic and anti-freeze and oh, it happens to be cheap and sweet and therefore used in ice creams, drinks, mustards, bacon and loads of other products. Next we’ll be seeing commercials taunting “Don’t be silly, your body doesn’t know the difference between petroleum and sugar” Really?

I bought nuts one day and then threw them out when I realized they had sucralose on them. Why on earth would a nut need an artificial sweetener on it? There must be a reason they do this right? What is it I wonder?

Other countries have refused to have chemicals and GMOs in their foods and their governments have responded by banning them. Let me say it again. People in other countries said that GMOs scared them and that they didn’t want it in their foods and foods were pulled off shelves and banned as governments listened and acted on behalf of their people. But no, we allow them all, no matter the consequences. For a country that is supposed to be the epitome of Democracy, why aren’t OUR voices heard when we say we don’t want Franken foods? There are some organizations out there screaming about this.

So, now we are importing an American icon, Coke, from Mexico because it IS the real thing! Thousands of people want it and stores here are already stocking it. While Americans stick their head in American sand, corporations are raking in millions on inferior products using cheaper and potentially dangerous ingredients. They are benefitting from our increasing tolerance of unpronounceable concoctions. Why don’t companies do the right thing and make their products with the finest ingredients they have access to, to begin with? I think we think that companies will really choose safety and health over greed. It’s not going to happen people. Look what we are importing from China-lead, pesticide and chemical laden products that are making people sick every day. I know Coke is not equivalent to carrots and celery but bravo to Mexico for providing a product people can trust and enjoy and for showing America how it’s done. That mentality is refresco! OLE!

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Tagged as Coke, culture, food, franken foods, life, Mexican Coke, musings, People, random, thoughts

May 20, 2012 · 6:12 pm

Tempest in a Teapot

I am a self-proclaimed tea fiend and am very passionate about leaves that steep and swirl, calm and heal, color and bring life to hot water. There is never a cup big enough and I always yearn for that one last sip. The picture below is of the first Autumnal Afternoon Tea I hosted for family members.

I also started partaking of Afternoon Tea when in my 20s in places as grand as the Helmsley Palace Gold Room complete with balcony and harpist as well as other tea shops, hotels and small tea rooms. My grandmother introduced me to tea as a little girl and we would often spend evenings making and sipping tea, enjoying quiet chats together, Some of my fondest memories are of time spent with family or friends enjoying brewed happiness.

Although it has been the source of ceremony for hundreds if not thousands of years and symbolic in this country as well, dare I say the catalyst for our very freedom, it has become all but an after thought and caused undue hardship for those who rely on it daily. By now you must be thinking, what is she going on about! I hope to educate you here and now with some of my own examples. Do you realize that there is an institutionalized bias when it comes to tea which has been eclipsed at every turn by coffee? And, by institutions I refer to hotels, restaurants, diners and yes coffee shops. Do you know how difficult it is to get a decent and complete cup of tea and harder still to get a refill in this great country of ours?

Logo of Socialist Solidarity Česky: Znak Socialistické Solidarity (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I know there are more “important” causes out there: ending poverty, world peace and all that but there has been a division in this country and I’m sure those in the majority do not even understand the depth and breadth of this appalling issue. However I for one have suffered in silence long enough and am now calling on tea drinkers everywhere to unite! SOL-I-DAR-I-TEA! SOL-I-DAR-I-TEA!! Stand up, be proud and shout it from the rooftops. We are stepping out of the shadows and demanding equal rights!I’ve just returned from a 4 star hotel and 6 days of having to beg for a cup or refill of much needed tea. It was a 3 1/2 hour drive and as neither of us had eaten breakfast and had driven halfway to our destination, we decided to stop at a roadside restaurant to eat. While my partner received a cup of coffee the second we sat down, they had to go and find me some hot water and a teabag (how long does that take). Miss, my tea? “Oh, it will be out in a minute”. Ok I get the cup of water and a teabag thrown my way. Then as the water slowly gets cold I have to beg for milk, “you want a glass of milk?” No! I want milk for my tea!?! You know, to pour into my tea? I act out the universal gesture of pouring to drive the point home. And can I have a teaspoon and sugar please? (Are you kidding me?) And…still waiting…By this time my partner has just slurped his last sip of coffee and in a flash the waitress is back, not with my milk mind you, but a freaking coffee pot to refill his cup! When she brings the milk I actually need another cup of hot water as it is now tepid at best. To ask for more hot water means more confusion for the waitress so I let it slide. I am a hardcore tea drinker and luckily can drink any manner of tea at any temperature so am not put off. I continue to eat my meal and as my partner declines a third cup of coffee, “oh no I couldn’t.” I want to slap him. That’s how bad it is! I had to request another cup of tea I was not asked if I needed a refill. “You want more hot water?” Yes and can I have another teabag please? “Oh you want a teabag too?” Count to ten, Dana, count to Yes! I will need another teabag to be able to have another cup of tea, half-hearted smile and glaring look from partner. Then calling after her, and can you make sure the water is hot please? Why must I ask, cajole, beg? Why?

In our hotel room, there was, of course, a coffee pot with two portions of coffee and two styrofoam cups. Not one teabag to be found. I therefore watched from the sidelines as my partner gleefully made himself a pot of coffee and had to wait for him to drink it up before we could go downstairs for breakfast where I could embark on my quest for a cup of tea, parched and cranky.

I went to one of my favorite breakfast places and asked for a Chai Latte. It took 15 minutes whereas my partner had his coffee in 3.4 seconds. I got the “it’s coming, I’ll be right back, they’re making it now” responses, ad nauseam. This time I thought I’d outsmart the waitress so when she came round asking if the food was ok, I said, yes and I’ll be having another cup of Chai please. HA! Bob and weave, bob and weave!

At the hotel, they had a Starbucks franchise in the lobby however someone apparently forgot to train the staff how to actually make Starbucks drinks. We were lounging on the beach but didn’t feel like having cocktails so thought it would be nice to get a couple of drinks from the coffee place there. My partner got a Mocha Latte and ordered me an Iced Chai, something I get all the time at Starbucks. When I received my drink I took a much anticipated sip only to spit it out immediately. I said, this is coffee! I brought it back to the place and the girl behind the counter actually said, “you didn’t want espresso in it?” ESPRESSO! No I said, trying to be patient, I asked for a Chai TEA. “Oh, I asked your husband if you wanted a Chai Latte and he said yes.” Through gritted teeth I said, yes, that would have been fine. The girl said, “well a Latte has espresso in it.” I could feel my blood pressure rising with each exchange but realized she was green, an innocent in the world of international beverages. I explained that the word latte means steamed milk in Italian. And to add latte means to add milk. An iced Chai is chai, milk and ice. I explained that I ordered this particular drink because I don’t drink coffee. But no, she maintained and believes to this day that a Chai Latte is a combination of tea and coffee. God help me.

Chai tea, formerly in a tea bag; the leaves and spices that give it the distinct flavour. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are you getting a picture of what tea drinkers must endure for their love of the leaf? This is only one in thousands of interactions I have had when it comes to tea. Waiting on the wait staff, begging for a refill and all the various components, waiting ages for them to return with said components to the table piece by piece. We tea drinkers are used to this second-hand sort of service but it’s really ridiculous. It’s not like they are boiling a stove top kettle each time we ask or actually blending Indian spices for Chai. They have machines and they have mixes. And speaking of machines. If they can have coffee machines, why don’t they just have tea machines? They do exist. I for one have no problem making my own tea. Just bring me the ingredients for goodness sake! If a waiter can come to the table with a pot of coffee, why oh why can’t he also come with a pot of water? Better still why don’t they provide teapots? Is it that coffee is so engrained in the American psyche that we don’t even question this or is it sheer laziness on the part of businesses that it’s just quicker to make coffee and to hell with everyone else. Why don’t we make time for the ritual of tea anymore? It’s a chance to unwind, to turn off and just enjoy the simple pleasure of complex tastes dancing on the taste buds. Tea relaxes the body and mind. Instead people are in long lines at places like Starbucks hustling through their day with more agitation and heart pounding caffeine pulsing through their veins. And no, it is not true that tea has as much caffeine as coffee, a nice lie perpetuated by the coffee industry no doubt. Even the Mayo Clinic states that coffee and soda has more caffeine than tea, without the health benefits associated with it of course. If I haven’t bored you to death, I actually found a great website about tea: http://www.teaclass.com/lesson_0111.html

A nice cup of tea (and a sit down). A Denby teapot and cup with milk jug. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Don’t even get me started on teabags. I don’t have to have loose tea with all the necessary accoutrements, though that would be lovely. But a decent teabag that is not made up of tea dust which has been scraped from the bottom of the barrel and is so typical of the type of tea one finds in any establishment these days, would be appreciated. There are some restaurants and hotels that try but in their ignorance they fail miserably. I don’t need 50 selections of herbal teas and no I’m not drinking Raspberry tea with my salmon, thank you very much. And don’t offer me Earl Grey as an alternative which is infused with Bergamot and is very very fragrant. Bergamot smells like Desitin if anyone remembers what that smells like. No, I can not sip on Earl Grey while eating bacon and eggs. It just does not work. I need at least one black tea from which to choose, is that asking too much? Just like coffee drinkers, we tea drinkers also rely on that morning pick me up but with a milder dose of caffeine instead of a jolt and black tea provides just that. Although I could go on for days about the quality of the water, that the water should have just boiled, that the pot should be warmed and that black tea combined with milk and sugar is an elixir from heaven, this is not the cause I’m fighting for…today.

What do we want? Ree-fills. When do we want them? Now!

No! today I am asking for equal rights. Give me a cup or mug, at least one teabag, boiling hot water, milk, sugar and a teaspoon. Listen, when I need to take a sip, I need to take a sip. All this waiting around does not work. If coffee drinkers get immediate refills then I want one as well. If coffee drinkers get half and half with their cup of Joe then I want a creamer of milk on the table. If one is lucky they can put one cup of tea together during a meal, but a refill? Now you’re reaching for the stars! Did I mention the amount of times that a waitress re-filled my cup or tried to fill my cup with coffee just because she saw a cup sitting there. Too many to count. It has been trying to say the least.

The Bantam Tea Rooms Sign outside the tea rooms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Coffee is coffee no matter what state you’re in. I’ve noticed that the type of service or lack thereof does depend on what part of the country you are ordering from. I was once in Vermont on a very hot day and asked for an Iced Tea. The waitress did not know what I meant. I tried to explain it but it was useless. In the end I had her bring me a glass, some ice and a cup of hot tea and I made it myself! In the South, Sweet Tea is huge and if you say “I’ll have a tea, please” you will be brought a glass of Iced Tea instead of hot tea. I must say that New York diners get it right. If you ask for a cup of tea, you get a cup of hot water, 2 teabags, a pitcher of milk, a teaspoon and there is always sugar on the table. I lived in England for several years and was spoiled beyond belief with tea times at 8:30am, 11:00am 3:00pm on the nose! There were tea shops in castles, department stores, parks and garden centres and one could obtain a teapot full of tea at rest stops along the motorways. Not to mention quaint little tea rooms sprinkled around the country and in the most remote areas. Oh it was a tea lovers paradise! I don’t think I ever had a bad cup of tea the whole time I was there. I learned what all the bits and pieces were and purchased them for myself. England was the only place I ever lived where the assumption was that one was having tea and oh what a glorious thing that was!

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Tagged as food, hotels, life, musings, People, random, restaurants, Tea, tea drinker, thoughts

May 7, 2012 · 8:09 pm

You’ve Been Freshly Pressed, Now What?

My Year In A Cubicle-screen shot

Well, I’m not going to Disney World, I know that much.

If you thought I’d follow up with an intellectual essay or reflective poem you’ve got to be kidding. Last Friday was one of the best days of my life and yes I’m writing about it.

I had written about cubicle life and oh! the irony. There I sat in my dark cubicle last Friday morning, toiling away, when I stopped to check my iPhone for blog stats, wondering if anyone at all had checked out my latest creation. I was shocked when I saw I had a full email inbox and hundreds of hits on WP. My heart quickened and with bated breath, I checked WordPress to see if indeed the literary Gods had smiled upon me. Sure enough, I’d been Freshly Pressed! To say I was stunned would be an understatement. I couldn’t jump up and down or yell it from the rooftops as I really wanted to. No, I sat stifled as the number of hits increased exponentially and my ability to concentrate and breathe decreased considerably! I had to take an early lunch to take it all in and call family and friends with the great news. The funny thing was I told them that I had 256 views, then 500 views, not realizing that number would grow to almost 5,000 each day! Thank you WordPress for doing it on a Friday. I don’t think I could have functioned if this occurred in the middle of the week, I would have had to take vacation days to recuperate.

I went to a restaurant, where I could focus and read one fantastic comment after the next. I know I had a permanent smile on my face and can only imagine what other patrons were thinking. I loved reading about other people who commiserated about being stuck in a cubicles themselves, shared the ridiculousness they’d experienced and were generous enough to praise my work. Woo hoo, this is fantastic, I thought. I felt as if I’d hit the lottery and I think I now have a vague idea of what winning the lottery is like as I walked around hardly able to breathe, unbelieving that this wonderful thing was happening to me. I managed to limp through the rest of the afternoon while more comments, likes and followers flowed into my reality. Answer the phone? Send a fax? Are you kidding? I have followers. There are people out there who appreciate my writing and WordPress, in their infinite wisdom, actually read my post and felt it worthy enough to highlight it on Freshly Pressed as a sample of good work! An achievement I thought was years down the road. I still smile when I think of that.

I longed to be home with laptop in hand to savor it fully. Of course, someone up there has a sense of humor and strategically placed a student driver in my path for most of the ride home. Friends, I’m not proud of this but I must come clean. I hit the gas and passed the child driver on the left and on a two lane road, embellished with double yellow lines. As I said, I’m not proud of it. I reasoned that I was a good example of what not to do and hoped the driving instructor had pointed this out.

Once home I settled in for the evening to read the comments I received. They were funny, enlightening, witty, generous, creative and cheeky (you know who you are). Spending an evening with writers from all over the world was amazing. I had the Diana Ross song “Sweetest Hangover” in my head and do feel drunk from the experience. I was so awash in attention that it was dizzying, a cascade of interest and praise as well as sharing of experience and connecting with other writers which has been overwhelming in the very best sense.

There were times during these glorious past 3 days that there were 50-100 people viewing my post at time. It was unreal and a ride of a lifetime.

What is the etiquette when one is Freshly Pressed? I had to Google to get up to speed. Common sense told me that I should respond to any comment or congratulations that I got which proved challenging with so many coming in at once. I felt that it was most important to respond to anyone who took time out of their own lives to comment on mine and to say that I appreciate that is such an understatement. Knowing full well that this may never happen again, I really want everyone to know what their acknowledgement and validation has meant. I’ve been humbled by the outpouring, encouragement and enthusiasm you have shown me. This experience has opened my eyes to many interesting people and blogs out there and I was planning to check those blogs out out as soon as possible, which….I now find will be sooner than I thought was possible! Views had been coming in at record speed and I actually thought I’d have even more today than yesterday which was unbelievable in and of itself. However, I have since been moved to the Freshly Pressed second page which I think should be called Day Old Press or Yesterday’s News because hits dropped dramatically, from dozens every few minutes to a few every half hour and the writing, I can see, is on the wall. Currently I’m limping along and I expect that very soon I will relegated and return from whence I came. Oh, if you could see the stats, it’s so sad.

The strangest thing in the world has been how this has messed with my thoughts. At first I was elated, as I said. Then, like a junkie, I got used to the high of it all and in 3 short days, it started to feel “normal” to have thousands of people viewing my work. And now, like any drug addict would attest, my binge is headed for the inevitable crash. I can see Kubler-Ross’s stages of grief before me and it’s started already. I see my numbers slipping and part of me is saying noooooo, not yet, just one more day. Please! One more day, I’ll do anything (Bargaining). Then, no this can’t be happening. It’s only been 3 days, no this can’t be right. Don’t they keep posts up for a week? (Denial) I don’t think it was enought time for Anger or Depression. I can’t imagine what it must be like for rock stars and stage actors who are put out to pasture after decades of getting attention. I can see that 3 days of intense focus was enough of a treat without having any of the “I’m ready for my close-up Mr DeMille” psychological side effects that accompany it. Decadent and fleeting though it was, I will cherish this experience and always be grateful to WordPress and everyone who clicked ‘like’, made a comment or decided to follow me (Acceptance!). I raise my glass to you with a big thank you and the wish that I’ll see all of you on Freshly Pressed very soon.