Saks Fifth Avenue

I find it interesting how news impacts one's memories. While perusing another site I frequent, I discovered that the local Saks Fifth Avenue will be closing. It's this news that with which a flood of memories flowed through my mind.

It was 1991, I was working for a technology firm delivering computer systems for large department stores. I had been working on a project rolling out software updates to the SFA stores throughout the country. We were entering a critical phase where we were not performing adequately. So, I was dispatched to Denver to oversee the update.

At that time, my first wife and I were increasingly disenchanted with our lives in NYC. I was born & raised in NY, she had emigrated from Sweden before we married. A year prior we had toured the Northwest, thinking perhaps Oregon or Washington would be a good place to relocate. It was in November that I traveled to visit Denver. I had extended family there; cousins who had moved back in the 60's. I met my cousin Mark, who offered me a job if I could make the change.

I took care of my work, and had a free day to explore. Having lived all my life in the shadow of Manhattan, I was not prepared for the beauty of the Front Range. I drove through central Denver, into the foothills, and over the peak to peak highway to Boulder. The day was warm and clear. I was scheduled to leave the next day, when the snow started falling. In 24 hours I experienced the extremes of Colorado weather I've come to love. And, my flight back to NY left that morning without incident.

Back in NY, I asked my wife, "So, Denver?" She said yes, and we made the move in January. She actually traveled from Sweden directly to Denver site unseen. So, thanks SFA, you are the reason for a life changing event. And a series of good memories.

Turing Test

On occasion I get these unsolicited IM requests via my Gmail Instant Messenger service, Gchat. Gchat also gives you the ability to connect to AOL Instant Messenger (AIM,) so I do not have to keep both services open. I have some friends of either service, and it's nice to have them aggregated into one spot.

The other day, I got a chat request, via AIM, from a Kelly Heim. I know one Kelly, but her surname is not Heim. Herewith the chat transcript:

KELLY:  helllooo

 Sent at 4:05 PM on Thursday

 me:  Hi

 KELLY:  heyy sorry ii l botherred you i was just kinda IoneIy wannna im?

 me:  sure, I have a few minutes

 KELLY:  nice i waas so bored it's nice to have someone to chat wiith so whatcha doing?

 me:  I'm working right now. You?

 KELLY:  ah cool, i just finished workin ouut im actuaIIy about to get to work doin these shows wanna comee seee?

 me:  no, I cannot. I am at work

 KELLY:  i am bout to get on my caam ive been doin these while i am in college annd i thinkk i stiII have a freee invite Ieft hang on i'll Iook

 Sent at 4:08 PM on Thursday

It was at this time I noticed two things:

• She did not reply until I typed something
• Her messages were not in direct response to me

It is this time I decided to try a mini Turing Test.   For those who do not know, a Turing Test is a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior. I attempted to engage in conversation, but the responses were all related to getting on a webcam to see her.

me:  ok

KELLY:  sweet!!! it's stiII working i just need you to give me a reaIIy good rating so i can get moore but iIl earn it

 me:  i see

 KELLY:  ok mmy cam is hooked up through a chat nettwork to keep away these stupiddd lil aim geeks soo don't woorry if ya don't have a camm or it don't work ok??

 me:  I am not on aim

 KELLY:  aIright this is gonna to be so funnn just ggo to http://xxx.xxx/7/sexyprincess and make sure you cIick the invite on the sidde there ok?

 me:  do you like football?

what college do you attend?

 KELLY:  alright aII you need to do is make a name with your name and stuff and you do need a cc of some kind to verify your age but you will NOT get charged a singIe cennt see where it says that?

 me:  I don't have a cc

 KELLY:  Iet me know when u get your pw from youur emaiI so you can start teIIing me what u want me to do i'll warn you though i can get kinda loud sometimes

 me:  sorry your link does not work.

 KELLY:  i cant wait i was really bored no one was taIkin just let me know when you are in and hurry up so we can get this party goin

At this point I got bored & blocked "her." I wonder how many people fall prey to these attempts...

Did I Really Watch 214 Hours of a SciFi Series?

Last night, I completed a marathon viewing of Stargate: SG1. I started in September, and viewed 10 seasons, with 214 episodes. I've lived through battles with Gould (or is it Go'auld?) Replicators, Ori, etc. I endured numerous pop culture references, puns and catch phrases like: "We've got a problem," "Indeed," and "Open/Close the Iris," "Are you KIDDING ME????" and so on.

I watched beloved characters live, die, ascend, fall, die again, and live again. Main characters exited, and new ones arrived. I cannot fathom how many rounds of P-90 bullets were shot, people killed and injured, planets, and even solar systems destroyed.

All this was done with a nod to our current lives, using our times as a backdrop for the story lines and mythology. The basic premise was humans discovering they are not alone, and it's a really scary galaxy out there, with credible threats to our every existence. So, our intrepid warriors, scientists, and yes, archeologists, set out to seek out new life and civilization. But also find weapons and technology to blunt the force of the baddies. This was not the Utopian ideal of Star Trek. This was a story about a ragtag team of Earth's elite, trying to survive. Sometimes with comedic results.

Now what? Oh, have to watch the movie "Ark of Truth," Perhaps re-watch Atlantis, and view the final 10 Universe Episodes...

Creative Doldrums

I cannot believe it's been over a month since my last post! Time to rectify that right here & now by randomly posting my thoughts and feelings as March comes in like a lamp, at least in Colorado, can't speak for other parts of USA.

So, the past month or so has seen me mostly slacking off. Slacking off from exercising. Not getting out, not socializing, etc. Now that it is nice again, I am getting that motivation going again. My bike is beckoning from afar (I locked it on the rack, not kept in my bedroom.)

Time to find a new place, a larger place, a cozy place. I started looking, and found some nice choices. Follow along here if you are interested:

View Apartment Search in a larger map

Feel free to add comments, provide feedback and other options if you wish. It's a work in progress. I want and need light, access to our extensive trail system, and proximity to my kids.


OK, not a well-written epic ode to creativity, but still, it's something I've written. Please comment.

Aerobics?

I woke up this morning, thinking, I'm not too thrilled with my current exercise routine. I had a good thing going until I traveled to Las Vegas for a sales conference.  That was in November, and no, there was no debauchery, no late late nights, just a change in my routine once I returned. The weather turned cold, bicycling seemed a chore, not the joy that propelled me around Denver since the prior Spring. My twice weekly bike rides ended, and my attempt to increase the gym time to three times a week never happened.

The elliptical and weights at the gym seemed so boring, and I needed to break out the customary and mundane. Then, the holidays arrived, and exercise began to recede from my consciousness.  While I was at a loss to find a way out of this cycle, my weight started creeping up again.

So, I turn on the TV, and found  there are exercise videos On Demand, free from Comcast. I never thought about these before, but I am glad I found my way. At first I was skeptical; me, doing aerobics in front of a TV?  So, I hit play, and try to follow along.

I've never been a good dancer, I have multiple  left feet, and probably look like Elaine Benes dancing on Seinfeld. Close the blinds. OK, at least the hostess is cute. I start following along. It was not that bad, or even that difficult. Yes, my heart rate was up, and I wondered if I could make it through the 20 minute routine. But I did! Something new I've never done, and easy to do on my own, and a marked change from my past routines. The videos have a companion calendar. I will try them all & see if I'm an aerobic fool within a few weeks.

I'll check in periodically to share.

NYC for the weekend

"Front." The phrase rings out from behind the reception desk. It's a phrase I've heard only in the movies, within a script of a play, or from a book. I am standing at the desk, checking in at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, renown worldwide as classic residence for many, many people both great and humble.
I was born and raised in NY, Long Island specifically. Manhattan was my playground as boy, a place I worked, and a place I escaped nearly 20 years ago, for the wide open spaces of Colorado. This weekend, thanks to my employer, was a mix of nostalgia, happiness and sadness. I worked a scant three blocks from this place in the heart of Madison Avenue. Herewith are some thoughts and images from a weekend in New York:

Aroma of chestnuts from the pushcart vendors, contrasted with new high-end food truck gourmet options. Steam rising from the streets. My old place of employment, the Swedish Church my first ex and I visited, Rock Center, the tree, and a light show on the facade of Saks. A cop at every intersection. How many cameras tracked my movements?

Windblown walk down 5th from the Jewish Museum on 92nd. Hanukkah menorahs on display by Daniel Liebskind, who's recent Denver triumph is the Art Museum. White bakery boxes with red twine. Walking down Madison in the 70's, realizing there are no restaurants or cafes among the boutiques.
Cole Porter's piano sits in the Terrace Bar above the Park Avenue entrance. Water stains from his highball glasses can be seen. Standing in line at the Shubert Theatre, realizing the last time I saw a show here was "A Chorus Line," probably in the late 70's. The excitement of seeing a Musical. Memphis made me misty. Peacock Alley for supper and a nitecap.

Sharing time with my sister, whom I invited as my guest. Offering her my F-class seat for the flight out. Having her meet my colleagues, seeing them through her eyes, and seeing myself through her eyes. Seeing my first grand nephew all of 6 months old, my 91yo dad, my NY sister and nephew and niece.
Flying high over Chicago on the way home, reflecting on a wonderful weekend.

10 miles on bike today is energizing and rejuvenating.