Are you living in Heaven or Hell? - Delta Skymiles Limited Time Offer

This is truly a limited time offer that is not for the faint of heart as it involves some serious trust, but if you understand the math, you will surely want to jump in with both feet. SO, Delta is currently running a promotion until December 16^th, 2011 where if you transfer miles from your personal account to another person’s Skymiles account they will give a 100% bonus to that transfer – Happy Holidays Delta! The limit per transaction is 30k, so let’s take this simple example: I transfer 30k Delta Skymiles from my account into your account and then when you open your account you see 60k miles. Math is FUN isn’t it? For 60k Skymiles it cost me $330 USD and 30k Delta Skymiles.

Now the gift of giving is all well and good, something I do believe in, but what about the idea of seizing an opportunity. If you were to purchase 30k Delta Skymiles directly, it would cost you $1,050 USD – not happening. If you were to purchase a ticket from JFK to HKG, in economy class it would cost you approximately $2,000 USD (I just looked for a random time period in July of 2012) and only net you 16k Skymiles (32k Skymiles if you are a Gold Medallion member or higher as they double your miles flown for being a loyal Delta Skymiles member). Neither of these options seems like one I would want to take (though I do plan on traveling to Hong Kong sometime in the near future). Can anyone see the opportunity as yet?

To explain this opportunity I am going to speak of a parable I saw mentioned on a recent episode of Boardwalk Empire (I figured it out before watching the episode but it was something I had wanted to have written down somewhere, so why not here).

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like." The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell".

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand." "It is simple," said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves." ~ Monotheistic.org / Wikipedia

Help your fellow man!!! Pay the $330 USD to send 30k Delta Skymiles to someone but then have them also do the same for you. In doing so you both would pay $330 for the transaction but net 30k Skymiles in the process. When you think about it, the cost of a flight domestically for Delta on award travel is 25k (economy low) + $5 taxes give or take. The cost of a flight for the same time period I mentioned above in July from JFK to LAX is $549.40. Why not feed one another and hedge your bets (the airlines do this with oil prices, why can’t we as customers – hey wait a minute there is an idea there for a business where you purchase an open ticket now that can be used at a time in the near future from zone 1 to zone 2 for example regardless of the price of that same flight at said time, hmmm…) to lock in a domestic flight at the cost of $335 approximately? Why not do it twice with another fellow man and pay $660 + taxes for 60k Delta Skymiles and secure the price of a flight to South America?

This is too good to be true huh, or could it be that Delta is trying to give us an opportunity to help each other during this holiday season? There are limits on how many times a person can do this (receive up to a maximum of 300k into an account / send up to a maximum of 150k into an account) as well as other restrictions…nothing crazy just read the fine print: 100% Bonus Offer. Either way, look into it yourself, crunch the numbers, find a trust worthy friend (once you send it, they are gone and now you are sitting waiting to be fed) and if you take the plunge enjoy trip as well as post a comment below of where you are going. Happy Holidays!

Delta Buy or Transfer Miles

30 in Santiago

A different vacation from the one I had in my mind, but still profound in representing a turning point in my life. I had thought I was going to be in Santiago, Chile partying up a storm at the crack of dawn on my 30^th birthday. And though I was at a party at the W Santiago Whiskey Blue (W Santiago Review), it wasn't as I had pictured. But that was a good reflecting moment for me as I realized that though it wasn't as I had pictured, it wasn't a memory I would want to forget. Whatever your belief may be, I have yet to meet someone who can see the future correctly, which is probably a very good thing because maybe I would have seen the future picture when I was 29 and said to myself: "this is not what I want for my 30^th". Who am I to know what a 30 year-old person needs in their life, I was only 29! Now being 30, I can appreciate the birthday that was and the picture I have now in my life is much better than the one I had pictured for myself. So in “whoever’s” wisdom it was to not have us see the future, it has been equally divine that we can hold onto our memories (Alzheimer’s and poverty should be a CRIME…but that is for another discussion) for we live moment to moment, picture to picture.

Below you will see a slideshow of photos from my birthday trip to Santiago. I took a number of photos of different things but something I hope to change about myself going forward is to step out from behind the lens.




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Tripadvisor Reviews: Astrid Y Gastón, Boragó, Blue Jar, The Coffee Club and Cuerovaca

While in Santiago I went to a football match between Audax Italiano vs. Universidad de Chile. The game was held out at the Estadio Bicentenario Municipal de La Florida. The seats my wife got for us was so nice, leather and padded, which made watching the game that much more comfortable. It’s always interesting when going to events in other countries because as we left the game there were these TV cameras at the entrance taping some guy who appeared to be famous, since everyone around us was trying to get his autograph as well as photos taken with, but we were just trying to leave. Christy ended up being on the TV because it was impossible to get around him without stepping in front of the camera. Nice!

It has come that time again for me to get on my soap box but this is more for me than it really is for anyone else (I understand the confliction as this is a public blog that anyone can read but just go with it). My beautiful wife (inside and out) who I have known since I was 14 years old (married for 21 months) took me to Santiago Chile for my 30^th birthday. Now, who when they were 14 years old thought of what they were going to be doing for their 30^th…not me! But, I have to say just as everyone before us has said, GOOD! The one thing I must have heard over and over when I was younger was “don’t rush to get old, don’t worry it will come in time, stay young”. Just as in the movie “Wedding Crashers”, the scene where John (Owen Wilson) talks about how life got away from him but he feels as though he is young and can still do crazy things. This is where Claire (Rachel McAdams) turns to him and says “Well... you're not that young”. That is where I think 30 sits. Some may consider it to be a “sweet” spot, but as I have only just turned 30, I am not wise enough to say at this point. But as many, who have before me, have come to share their wisdom I have heard similar tales of one’s 30’s being a great time...getting better. When I was 14 I had only met this girl from queens who I became friends with. Now at 30 she is my best friend who I want to share the world, my world, which is really the only world we really know, with. BETTER! I do not know what the future may bring but having a partner adds character and color to the soul.

You can have your own beliefs on whether we are “alone” in our existence, seeing as we come into this world alone but I think it’s the life we choose to lead, interactions we care to be a part of, memories we love to share in, that helps us leave this world together, just at different times. Who knows what will happen today or tomorrow, but the marker in time we call our birthday is a memory/moment/picture we as individuals can use to better understand who we are from yesterday…understand ourselves by connecting with others, growing our perspective to change the world, our world, my world, together.

Dent the Universe - Steve Jobs

One's travel

 “Life is a journey, not a destination” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


A concept that is lost at times as we are too busy making plans for our life. The choices we make in this one life we live (even if you believe we are reborn, this life, the one you are living right now, is the only one you will have as “you”) can mean so much more than the actual choice itself. My choice to travel hasn’t been about going to Korea or Brazil (destinations) but the interactions (journeys) I have with the people who are there. This is probably why I have not really been that interested in going to Antarctica or why when I go somewhere, walking through a museum doesn’t make me feel as though I have journeyed (though the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is one NOT TO MISS).

This may be why I have such an affinity for New York City, one of the most diverse metropolitan cities I continue to journey through...but such kinship was not embraced by my younger self (I grew up in South Side Jamaica Queens). I knew I wanted to get out of New York City at my first chance (which for me was college), but that was just me choosing a destination. It took that journey away, for me to realize what New York City is to me…a lesson well learned.

As I look back on my travels on this planet, I have grown an appreciation for my blessings (all of them). I am a firm believer in individual perspective and of course you are entitled to yours; how your interpretation of destinations and journeys reveal themselves to you is but your own!

Below is a Tripadvisor map that shows where I have been (yellow dots) and where I would like to visit (green dots). If the list gets bigger or stays exactly where it is, I plan to embrace my journey through the destinations of Random Lives!  

• View my profile
• Create your own travel map or travel blog
• Top vacation rentals at TripAdvisor

Transition

As this blog talks to random parts of my life that I feel are pertinent to share, I am talking this moment in April to reflect upon change. Recently, I left my employment for a new job. In this job market (Q1 2010), I have noticed that it has been quite hot (for now). 5 of my colleagues left within a 4 week span, now some might speculate on the reason those people left, but I choose to take it for what it is. I do believe of everyone that did leave, the least amount of years spent with the company was 2 years with one person being with the company over 10. Now, I only say this to place perspective on the situation. I can only speak for myself and I truly enjoyed my time with my previous company. I can honestly say, in my short life, it was my best job ever. Yes it had its challenges, but in totality it was a place I will never forget. But as I left one job to join this great job, I felt it time to leave this place to experience something new. I have no plans on jumping from job to job, that is not fun at all, but I do feel I am at a time (recently married, no kids) in my life where I can afford to take moderate risk to see how I can enhance my skillsets to make me a complete contributor to an organization. I do know that with change comes a level of unknown that can be daunting, but life is short and we must do what we can to live each day to the fullest whether we are on top of the world or walking the streets below it.

Now I do write these blogs to all out there that are willing to listen to this man’s thoughts. But this blog post is dedicated to a friend of mine, from my previous employment, who always asked me: “Charles when is the next post coming out? Your public wants to know more!” And out of the respect I have for him, I will end this post in a similar manner of a television show we both love (Criminal Minds):

“The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.” – Lloyd Jones

Lua de Mel

So for those who have been following the “saga”, after the wedding comes the Honeymoon (lua de mel is honeymoon in Portuguese). For those who are getting married, I would say having a honeymoon is an important step in your journey together. It is during this time you both get a chance to not only relax, from all the wedding planning, but really enjoy being Mr. & Mrs. away from everyone else. You meet people who will only know you as Mr. & Mrs. since they are meeting you for the 1st time, while friends and family knew you together or separately, which I think is pretty cool.

So onto the goodies…the trip started off quite interestingly. It was the day that we had a snow storm here in New York City (we left 2/25/10) but our flight left right before the full blast hit New York (there was enough snow to be worried, but we made it out). My computer was acting up in the airport, which made me a little cranky since I need my computer! And when we were on the flight, there was a drunken lady that had to be escorted off the plane, which delayed our flight from NYC to Atlanta (our connecting city to Buenos Aires --Video below will show). After all this, we were pretty much sailing right in South America.



When we landed the weather in BA (Buenos Aires) was beautiful, definitely a welcomed change from snowy New York City. We stayed at the Glu Hotel, which is a beautiful boutique hotel located in Palermo – Soho (upscale fashion area). The hotel has its quirks here and there, but overall I would recommend staying there if you are in BA. While in BA we participated in Graffiti Mundo (purchased our 1st and certainly not our last piece of artwork as Mr. & Mrs. Nixon), a polo lesson and enjoyed 1st class dinning (Social Pariso & Casa Cruz) at a rate of 4 to 1. BA is a place I will not return to, unless I am already in that region, even though the exchange rate is fabulous. One issue I had with Buenos Aires is that a lot of the addresses to things are not very clearly marked, so when using googlemaps for directions I had to get creative, so if anyone wants the location to any of these things just leave a comment.


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Next stop, Sao Paulo Brazil. For those who know me, I travel to Brazil quite frequently. So far, this was probably not my best trip there (the weather did not cooperate at all) but I enjoyed every moment with my wife. When we travel to Sao Paulo the only hotel we stay at is the Unique, which is very “unique”. It is one of the top hotels in Sao Paulo and it shows! The hotel service was fabulous and they were helpful every step of the way. We were there for a week, so we had a chance to speak with a lot of the staff and even the manager (no problems with English, though my Portuguese has improved considerably). During our stay we went to great restaurants (Dalva e Dito & DOM), partied at Mokai (VIP set up by the hotel), watched AVATAR in IMAX (Bourbon Shopping; movie theatre was packed), lunch @ Google Brazil (a friend of mine just moved there for work) and our usual activities (dinner with a friend’s family, delicious room service dinner, etc.). The week before we arrived was extremely sunny, the week after we left was very sunny, but the week we were there was extremely cloudy with a lot of drizzling. ALSO, the traffic in Sao Paulo is some of the worst in the world. To give a little perspective on this, I will provide you with 2 examples. The first example comes when we were in a cab traveling from the airport to the hotel at 9:30 at night. The cab driver decided to ride the shoulder of the highway for 30 minutes because the traffic was so bad. Next example comes from us trying to get to a night club at 1:30 in the morning and traffic was so bad we got out of the cab and walked the 8 blocks remaining in the cab ride because traffic was almost at a standstill.


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All in all the honeymoon was one my wife and I enjoyed and will certainly remember for the rest of our lives. We are most certainly looking forward to our 2nd honeymoon… ;P

Change Thy Name

I just got married about 3 weeks ago now and one of the most dreaded parts of getting married is the combining of both people’s lives. Now I am not speaking of the emotional and mental part of the union, but where the real meat occurs…finances and government! And for those ladies that have to change their name, I hope you are organized.

If you are like me, I am a fan of the wife taking the husbands name. And in doing this, there are quite a few steps that are necessary in becoming one surname. One of the things I found for my wife (1st online reference to her – feels good) is this service called missnowmrs.com. Its $30 for the deluxe, but the basic should be enough to get most through what they need. In all honestly it can be done on your own, the website just helps you with the questions and pre-fill the forms for you to send out. My suggestion for all the women out there changing their name is to do it in the following order.

1. Department of Motor Vehicle (In NYC $15, $80.50 for renewal)
2. Social Security (Free – NYC)
3. Passport ($75)

Each of these can be done through a simple search of the item needing to be changed and the text “change name”. Now what my wife and I did was mail our license in before we went on our honeymoon, so that when we came back it would be waiting for us, as it did. We then needed to take that marriage license to the DMV as proof of the change, which then gave her a temporary drivers license with her new name on it. We then took the marriage license, social security card and passport (old name) with us to the social security office (they no longer accept drivers license as a form of ID). And finally we went to the post office and mailed out the forms, pictures, money order and original marriage license. What’s important to note in this process is that the passport office wants a certified copy of the marriage license, which would take time to obtain since we just received the license itself, so we just sent the license since the other government documents could be done 1st and we don’t have plans for international travel for some time.

I was with my wife through this entire process. I would say as long as you are organized and take 1 day off to get this done, it isn’t as horrible as one might think. All the other stuff, bank accounts, professional licenses (she is an attorney), cell phones, etc. can be just notified via phone…usually. We also took a scanned copy of the license in PDF format so that it could be emailed to whoever would need a copy.

If you do your homework, prepare and get the paperwork in order you too can truly become ONE!

I wonder…22010

“And I wonder if you know
What it means to find dreams…”
The growth of one’s life can be measured in multiple ways, but for the purposes of this discussion I would like to highlight one metric: DREAMS!
1 yr. ago - Background Story

When I was a kid, I had all sorts of dreams. Some of them I forgot, some of them transformed while others I grew out of. One of them was to fall in love with a person who I could share my life with…Nytimes.


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So as we begin our lives together, I am not disillusioned that there will be good and trying times ahead, but with as fast as our vows went so can life. And I in this short existence we have labeled life, I have 1 question for you…

“You ever wonder what it all really mean
You wonder if you’ll ever find your dreams?
~ Kayne West, I Wonder”
I have and she has a name: Christy Nixon!!!


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NOTE: The inside joke that occurred during the ceremony was about the presentation of the vows. I decided to write my vows in a note (in High School we use to pass notes to eachother, folded up in a special way). The night before the wedding, I spoke with Christy and until this moment we had not discussed any details about our vows. But tonight she told me how she originally wanted to write her vows on a note as we did in high school, but decided to do it differently on the day of. What is interesting, she called me only 15 minutes after I shared the details of my plan with a good friend of mine. Who I used at the wedding as my witness to this idea not being STOLEN!

DROID

Yes people you are reading the headline correctly, I have switched over to the new Motorola Droid on Verizon! I have left my blackberry in the dust. Now, I do not believe this phone is better than the upcoming Nexus One but for a loyal Verizon customer...I am happy. I originally wanted to go with the Eris, but based on a friends account of the poor battery life, I felt that the upgrade to 2.0.1 was worth the dive. For me the droid make more sense since it is linked to google (I am a google services guy) and everything pretty much just WORKED!

Anyway, to help some of you out there with the droid are the following 2 links:

Yahoo Mail on Motorola Droid for FREE
Other Dorid Instructions

I told you 2010 was going to be HOTTTT!


Quick Tips
Reset = shift+alt+del
Voice Search = HOLD the spyglass face button until option launches
Last 6 Apps = HOLD Home button
Copy Text From Email = Open keyboard, hold shift and slide finger across text you want copied
Wallpaper Size = 960 (W) x 854 (H)

settings->application settings->quick launch
search + e: email
search + y: youtube
search + b: browser
search + c: contacts
search + g: gmail
search + l: calendar
search + p: music
search + s: messaging

A New Decade...

As we go into the New Year…no, the New Decade, I wanted to just wish everyone a safe and happy night. There was so much that happened in 2009, that I must say I am excited for 2010. As I began 2009, this time last year, I had a post that spoke to my excitement for the New Year. But, its not just any new year but we are entering a new decade. I remember 1999 as being a time of beginnings as well, but for some reason I have to say we ALL haven’t seen/experienced anything yet. 2010…mark it down everyone; I certainly will be with my blog.

I will know this year as the year of DOING IT RIGHT!

Lebron vs Knicks

November 6th 2009 was a pretty good day in NYC. Android has landed on the Verizon network...something I have been waiting for, for a VERY long time. No, I did not get the Motorola Droid or the HTC Eris. I am waiting to see if the Eris gets Android 2.0 before making the dive, but I have to say I am very excited about getting on the android OS.

Other than that, Lebron has landed on the Knicks. His only trip to MSG this season and I was in attendance (thanks to my brother Glen) to watch the man do his thing. I was there with my brother and it was one star-studded event. Since the Yankees won the World Series just a few days before, the big stars were in attendance to get their just desserts. This was along with Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Larry Johnson and other big name people to see what “could” be after the summer of 2010.

There is much discussion of whether Lebron will come to New York, which I think will be great for him and the Knicks. The Knicks will pay him whatever he wants, players will want to come to the Knicks not only for Lebron, but because it is New York and Lebron will be able to grow his brand. The Knicks return to their dominance and all will be right in the world once again! Well Ill let you ponder such things, but enjoy the view (taken with a crappy phone) and video (also from a crappy camera phone). Android, soon enough!

Fifa 10 Going Against The World

As the title of the blog mentions, this is Random Lives coming at you 24x7! My post today is of a personal nature. One of my favorite teams in the world is Chelsea (I got hooked on them for two reasons: Didier Yves Drogba Tébily & José Mourinho). Moreno (loved how he was always in a long black coat and his team could be up 20 nil and is expressionless -classic) is no longer there, but I have loved the team ever since.

Anyway, I recently got the game Fifa 10 and even though my friends don’t seem to love it (I play online all alone now, since they all have kept their Fifa 09 games for PS3) as much as I do, I have to say I enjoy the game much more this year. A feature, not new, I am beginning to explore more is the online integration. Up to the game release I was watching fifa earth and EVERYONE around the globe was talking about it. Now that it is out, people are still talking about it. What is even cooler is Fifa Earth -- no words, just check it out!

Below are two of the goals I uploaded from my gameplay, one in Fifa 10 (Chelsea game My Live Season –redemption for the game they lost to Aston Villa recently) and one from Fifa 09 (Brasil – enough said). If you love football (I know which one I am talking about), have a PS3 and purchased Fifa 10 – I am ready anytime…to WIN!

EA Sports: Aston Villa 2 - 3 Chelsea

EA Sports: BRAZIL - BARNSLEY 4 - 1

Distinguished Wisdom

“So what I tend to do is to think of today as the past,
It's funny when you comin' in first but you hope that you last,
You just hope that it lasts…” – Drake, Lust For Life (So Far Gone)

I will be turning a ripe age of 28 this November…2 years till the date that most look at as being a milestone. I have yet to turn 30, so I can only speak of how it is to turn 28, of course while I am still 27! As I have gotten older time has been playing tricks on me, years turn into what feel like hours…it is as though today is the past. But, I do not say this to say that it is over by any means. If today is the past then we are always having a new beginning.

I previously had a post on my blog: No Excuses… which featured a video from Michael Jordon (MJ). Michael Jordan was recently inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. In an interview he did with Michael Wilbom on ESPN, MJ was asked why was this induction, that for anyone else would be symbolic, something he wouldn’t want to have. His response was that he felt as though it was something so finite, the end of something. As we go from summer to fall and inevitably into winter, we must remember that there will be a spring (Global Warming is for another discussion). Would the dream of immortality lose its luster if there were never an end?

I have watched movies where the main character feels as though he can write his life better than “the higher power”. But, what ends up happening is he rewrites his life by filling it with only pleasure, no pain. In the end he is worse off, having gone through no struggle, no opportunity to appreciate the life he was granted. Could you make the choice for you to lose a father at a young age or watch your child suffer through leukemia? There are a number of terrible things that can and do happen in people’s lives, but I believe it is that will to conquer that is innate in everyone that truly helps us all grow.

In youth we learn; In age we understand ~ Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach

It's a Bike?

I saw this "bike" riding in the street recently but didn't know what type of machine it was. It has the most appealing design for a vehicle I have seen. And though it may appear to have a bulky body that may slow it down, the gentleman riding this bike was hauling some serious asphalt. It doesn't have the agility of a two wheeled ninja that can cut through lanes like a hot knife through butter but it certainly does turn heads.

Could this be the prowler of the motorcycle world? Its a question I pose for anyone who may know...

Citi Field - A True Experience

The last time I blogged about the Mets it was at Shea Stadium. Now I am talking exclusively about Citi Field, where the Mets play baseball, who knew! I had pretty good seats at Citi Field, but honestly every seat looks like a great seat. Finally, sports venues are realizing they need a more modern approach to their architecture that accommodates the patrons a lot more (Red Bull Stadium – I CANNOT WAIT). Well Citi Field accomplishes that and then some.

The grounds are extraordinary; from the Jackie Robinson rotunda to the sweet smells of delicious eats everywhere (except where you are sitting of course). I believe the smells are reflective of the ethnic diversity of queens. I smelt all types of foods while walking around this amazing place. One thing I would seriously not like to overlook was the abundance of Citibank ATMs. Now, of course you would imagine this being an obvious place for a bank named Baseball Park but take a moment to think about it. You are sitting down at the game, wishing for an ice-cold brew but you didn’t take out any money because you were rushing for the 1st inning. Would you want to pay the surcharge in most baseball fields to get cash or just take cash right out of your CITIBANK account…wait for it….brilliant!

Another item I would like to mention was how Citi field has done a great job of making ever patron feel as though they are special. There was a location to relax, mingle and enjoy a brew with friends and family, for each “type” of ticket holder. This is a change from most stadiums where places to kick back in a lounge setting is usually reserved for those who have paid top bill on their tickets. The Mets have done a great job to realize that all the patrons of baseball have paid, in some way, top bill for their tickets and the Mets have welcomed said ticket holder with a small, but very awesome, perk.

Unfortunately, the game today went by so quickly I really didn’t get a chance to explore as many nooks as I had wanted as well as sample all the different options of eateries available. Below are the shots I took from my Citi Field experience, one I hope is share by all those who venture out of the City to get a taste of Citi…I know, give me a break…GO M E T S!

All Natural Snapple - Free

After just picking up a quiznos sandwich, my friend decided to walk a different way back to the office...to flip it up. Well, it was meant to be because on 22nd and Broadway, Snapple is giving away free bottles of All Natural Snapple. Not sure if it is going to still be there by the time you read this but it doesn't hurt to try.

*Note: I got the last rasberry tea!!

Change of Seasons

The seasons are changing right before our eyes…and no I am not referring to President Obama’s ability to change the perception of America abroad. I have not written to you in some time, but this hiatus has only lead to one of the best events in my life. I had to go into silence for some time because of something I was planning to execute, for well over a year.

My girlfriend and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary on February 20th, 2009. And I planned to make this day more memorable than the 1st day we committed to each other (@ 17 years old). Now for someone who has shared a life with you already, how can that even be possible? This was my mission!

Right before the new year of 2008, I had decided that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. So, what does one do when they have this epiphany? Unfortunately, throughout our relationship, I had always told my girlfriend that “if” I were to propose, my proposal would knock her off her feet. And as the years past, the conversation would come up in passing (she in no way pressured me, it was honestly natural conversation) of how would I do it? I being the on the feet creator I am, would come up with ideas, that once I shared it with her she would love it, but obviously now I couldn’t use it.

One idea I had was where we would be going to a bank (@ the time she was working for Citibank), to make a deposit. While standing in line I would casually show that I was going to deposit a sizeable amount of money. This would then lead to a conversation, where I would talk about the importance of life, building one’s future is important and putting this money into the bank helps to place stability around that idea. When we get to the teller and I deposit the money, she would hand us back the slip, where it has both of our names on the account. It is at that time I would get down on 1 knee and propose. While all this time, our family would be patrons of the bank, kept out of her direct line of sight but there to share in the moment. She loved it, but *snap I couldn’t use it!

Now, I wont go through all the ideas I had, but with 10 years under my belt and her standing by my side, never pressuring me to propose, she deserved all I had in the creative tank. I went to the calendar to plan when I was going to execute and being that our 9-year anniversary was coming up soon, it would be easy to fulfill my excitement and do it on that day. But my excitement took a back seat to her fantasies. She always told me that she never cared how we got married or ended up together, but what she felt was more special than anything was how she was proposed to. Challenge accepted!

February 20th, 2008 fell on a Thursday, which would not be conducive to adequate celebrations being that we both work. February 20th, 2009 falls on a Friday and is our 10-year anniversary. This then became the focus of my plan. Center her proposal around a day we have always held special in our hearts. After deciding that I will propose in over year, this allowed me just enough time to prepare the most unique moment I have ever been a part of.

To give you an idea of some of the planning that was involved. Other than keeping this secret from everyone in my life (no one knew, because my plan was predicated on complete surprise – engagements that are surprises have always been a favorite), I had to coordinate all the pieces myself, determining exactly how I wanted each moment to play out. I only informed people who needed to know (exactly a list of 10) and only when they needed to know. My mother knew approximately 4-6 months prior to the event. I had her ring designed to my specifications, chose the venues and items involved…everything was on my shoulders to not disappoint.

My girlfriend loves these small (3”) string dolls made by Kamibashi. I contacted the manufacturer and with her guidance, designed a large (12”) version – never before sold doll. This was custom made for me and I had it shipped directly from Thailand. I also coordinated with the W Court – Hotel (we love this hotel, stay many times throughout the year and have only received the best service) to my plans and what I needed them to do.

Flash back to mid-2008, when I gave my girlfriend a Tiffany charm bracelet for her birthday/law graduation. I used this as a base for subsequent charms to come that would then lead to the mother of all charms. I followed the titanium heart, with a pink sapphire heart charm for Christmas. And then for our anniversary, I gave her a Tiffany 1837 Padlock watch charm that I set to 10o’clock to represent our 10 years together (this was to throw her off to any suspicion, if she had one).

Fast-forward to February 20th, 2009 and we are walking into the W Court Hotel. The person, who is checking us in, tells us that our room is not ready but because of the delay on our anniversary, they can upgrade us to a suite for the inconvenience. The only caveat is that, the suite wont be ready for 1 hour. Sounds like a sweet deal, all we have to do is keep busy for an hour…how about a walk around Manhattan while I take pictures (something I love to do, not out of the ordinary). We happen to walk to Madison Square Park, where NYU students approach us about a game show called Street Smarts…



The box in the video had within it the last charm in this plan, a Tiffany Blue Box. The card in the video was a save the date card (designed online) for our wedding February 20th, 2010 (this is our actual planned date) and on the back I wrote my speech.

Anything is possible if you have a plan, enough patience and the determination to see it through to your goal. To see her expression and have this memory (photos) for the rest of our lives makes the past 10 years worth it!

Beginning of New…

Happy New Year to All! The turn of the New Year has come via the road of tumultuous travels. Our economy is not where it once was and some may even believe it may never get to that point ever again. To take an excerpt from Kayne West’s song Good Life, “Having' money's not everything, not having' it is”. But I do believe Obama will do his best, with the countries best interest in mind. A new world has welcomed us and we will see who is up for the challenge.

President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address from White House on Vimeo.

Garbage View

I wanted to post something I thought was quite clever executed by the new york transit department. I noticed this morning more police patrol at Jamaica LIRR than usual...believe there are usual quite a few. Anyway, when I reached the top of the stairs I noticed they changed the garbage bins.

One thing you see if you travel on NYC transit frequently are signs that say "if you see something, say something". With these new see through garbage bins (pictures within post), it helps to show what is inside. This is something that should go nationwide at airports, malls, etc. In these times of worry, maybe seeing someones garbage can be helpful!

1 Itunes & Multiple Ipods - Solution

I thought this would be a good video for those who are looking to have multiple ipods hooked to 1 Itunes, but you didn't want share all the music. Now you can manage your ipod and then you put on there what you want, but if you just want to set and forget take a peek at the VID!

Holidays Season Begins!!!

As this holiday season begins, I am noticing a change in the atmosphere but yet to know if it is for the better. We have a new hope in President-Elect Obama, pointing to the possibility of change for the better but our nature across the globe is showing more of a change for the worse. This is being echoed in the actions ranging from terrorist attacks in India to Black Friday shoppers!


Terrorist Attack in Mumbai

This man is trying to do his job to report the news but has to flee for his life as bullet wiz by his head in Bangkok because of the unrest in Thailand.

Bangkok TV

This walmart worker was killed at the Walmart in Valley Stream, NY 5 miles from my home just because he opened the door for people to SHOP!

Walmart Worker Killed

With people still shopping and laughing, even though this fellow man was in need…

Cell Phone Video of Walmart Worker

These actions taken by my fellow man have really dampened the spirit of the holiday season…at least for now. The holidays do tend to bring people together, let’s hope that is the case this year since it isn’t over yet.