Music: Metric vs Blondie

   I don't know. I'm a big eighties fan.

   Don't get me wrong, I love Metric, with songs like 'Gold Guns Girls' and 'Stadium Love' they break the mold. Yet they've tapped into a whole vibe that seems archaic and retro now, but that vibe used to be called punk and  new wave. Today it is called 'alternative'. Why is that?  Why is eighties music still relevant now? Metro is playing on college radio the way Blondie played on college radio back in the day

I'm posting both videos as a comparison. Notice the stiff legged dance, the shoulder shrug,  the color of the dress (black and gold stripe?), the shots of the band...the hair color of the lead singer.

and now Blondie...

Did they think nobody would notice? Which do you prefer? Please comment.

Travel: Roxbury NY, 2011

     People may wonder why I go to the Catskills. What is there to do? Where is there to go? The short answer to that is...The Roxbury Motel. The Roxbury Motel is the Disneyland of the Catskills.  Each room has a different theme. Think about your favorite escape. Is it: science fiction, comedy, drama? Then you will find it here. The attention to detail is exquisite and you will find yourself looking around your room to find a new detail you may have missed. All of the amenities are here, wet sauna, dry sauna, hot tub, reading room, conference room, continental breakfast room, the list goes on and on. And if you're feeling especially adventurous, schedule a massage in your own private treatment room. If you're the outdoorsy type (like me) then you'll want to find the closest hiking trail which is located down the street at the local park.  Ask any local and they will point you in the right direction.

http://www.theroxburymotel.com/ 

     Of course, you have to eat sometime. Then you could walk down the street to The Public, a storied restaurant. You will learn more by reading the menu. I recommend the personal pizza, and a beer.

http://www.publiclounge.net/ 

If you're looking for finer dining, then you will find it at The Andes Hotel, about a 30 minute drive from Roxbury. I recommend the Grilled Portabella Sandwich from the Tavern Menu, bite into it and you will swear you are eating a delicious roast beef sandwich.

http://www.andeshotel.com/

When you're ready to get out and about you might consider the various antique stores, art galleries, and used book stores that abound in the nearby villages. One of my favorite things to do is visit the Hobart Book Village.  I highly recommend the Bibliobarn which is excellent for those rainy afternoons which frequently occur in the Catskills.

http://www.hobartbookvillage.com/ 

Anyway, these are a few of the reasons I go to the Catskills, you will find many, many more.

Travel: Canajoharie, NY

Spring is a beautiful time to travel through the Mohawk Valley, and the Catskill Mountains. The trees are budding and give the valley a chartreuse glow, as forsythia bushes add yellow highlights. My travel buddy Craig and I arrived in Canajoharie, NY, the home the Beech-Nut Factory where wholesome foods like peanut butter, and baby foods were manufactured. The founders of the Factory were benefactors to the community and created the Arkell Museum which is located next to the factory. Another unique aspect of the museum is that it is combined with the local library to form a special learning experience.

http://www.arkellmuseum.org/

   During the time that I was there, a senior citizen group was visiting and they were rather chatty and noisy. It was a little distracting. There was a very good exhibit of Homer paintings that captured the bucolic settings of the area.

My hosts for the night were our friends Alfonso and Bruce who own a beautifully restored turn of the century farm house complete with a barn and all of the out-buildings. We were joined for dinner by a couple more friends and we shared wine out in the gardens until dinner was served. Alfonso and Bruce are vegetarians so the dinner was healthy, and filling! We had pasta with mushroom sauce, corn on the cob, tomato and cucumber salad and a delicious baked beet with fetta cheese dish. For dessert, Craig brought a rum cake baked by his mother. The cake was oozing with rum. The wine and conversation flowed into the evening. I finally crashed in a quilt covered bed, as the lights from across the valley twinkled through my bedroom window.


    The next morning we were treated to a brunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, and broiled asparagus. A perfect meal to send us on the next leg of our journey.

more soon...
Preston