Gotham Gal

Telluride

Telluride has to be one of the most beautiful places in the Rockys. We flew in from Aspen (which is gorgeous but not as beautiful as Telluride).

Our friend let his captain fly us over on his plane. The ride is only about 30 minutes vs. 5 hours in a car. It was very cool. This was my first flight in a private plane. My husband was bit freaked but made it with sweaty palms and all. Flying over Colorado and seeing each place is breathtaking. There is a desert area where u can bike ride on these hard packed down sand dunes. U can see it from the air. U wonder how did a desert form there?

When u land in Telluride, it is pretty wild. Telluride literally sits on a mesa in the middle of mountains so when u come in the plane swoops down and lands on a jutted out peak. Makes u feel like u are staying on top of the world.

I felt very much like a mountain girl while we were there. We took the gondola up to the "peaks" and had dinner at Allred's which is a restaurant, enclosed in glass, and jutting off the side of the mountain. The food was really good and the views were even better. The gondola is no big deal. It is very low to the ground and u almost feel as u are slowly pulled up the mountain.

The next day we went on a 3 hour hike up the Wasatch trail. Wow! There is a house that sits on top of an incredible waterfall. I have never seen anything like it in my life. Getting up there is hard enough, living there, that is a whole different ball game. The family that owns that house, the husband went to mining school and decided to buy that piece of property years and years ago right out of college. He then turned around the sold the water rights and electricity back to the town. Pretty damn smart.

Anyway, we walked up the trail. Beautiful views, incredible steams, blossoming flowers. I was waiting for Heidi to greet me at the top. Unfortunately we saw major clouds coming our way. I did not think explaining to our kids that we were hit by lightening was a very intelligent move so we immediately came back down to tree level. Then, it hailed. Hail as big as skittles. It was wild. We hiked it down and back into town where I walked around in barefeet because my shoes were soaking wet. In this town, noone cared. In fact, I fit right in.

Next day we took a 3 hour mountain bike. Again, incredible views. At one point you could actually fall 50 feet downward through rocks. I took quite a nice tumble over my bike but did not crash that far off the path. I'm feeling it today. Nice bruises. After a massage, dinner and a few glasses of wine...I'm was feeling fine.

I'm back in NYC again, breathing that good old thick air. A week out west was just what the doctor ordered. I must admit everytime I drive back into NYC from La Guardia/Kennedy or the Hamptons and our car goes up the small incline and u get the full view of the skyline, I always say "I love this town and thank god I get to live there."

Charlie Rose meets Ted Turner

My grandmother's 2nd marriage (actually 3rd but we don't talk about that one) was to a man named Lawrence Gassenheimer. He was an amazing entrepreneur. He made lots of money during the depression by being in cash and owning hotels. When my Grandmother married him, he was probably around 75 years old. He had never had kids in his life, so the 3 of us (my brother and my sister) were a bit overwhelming to him. He made a real impact on me. He had a saying about being old. He liked it because he felt that anyone over 75 and anyone under 6 could basically say anything and get away with it. He lived by that.

Last night, I saw Charlie Rose interview Ted Turner. I can see that Ted Turner lives by that principle too. He is probably the best entrpreneur ever. He was brutally honest last night. He had more one-liners during that interview that had me howling. Nothing that someone hasn't thought about but he has the balls to come out and say it. He was fantastic. He talked bluntly about his sale of CNN to Time Warner. The relationship he had with Jerry Levin. Why he is giving his money away. How he has been humbled in the past 5 years. How important it is to restructure the government. How we should give to people less fortunate and change the education system. You name, they touched upon it. You can probably see the interview on PBS in the next few days. Absolutely worth watching.

Turner was out there. He gave people something to think about. He reminded me of my step-Grandfather. Bold, brash and in your face honest. I only wish more people who are involved in running this country and large Fortune 500 Companies had the wherewithal to look at themselves every morning and really speak the truth. Obviously, Ted Turner does and has. I applaud that.

Mountain biking in Aspen

I have been out West a variety of times during the winter but it has been probably 20 years since I have been out here during the summer. It is breathtakingly beautiful. Truly magnificent.

My husband, who is now the big "macher" in the family is at a conference out here. I actually remember being the big "macher" at one point but I am happy to take the number 2 position as the COO of the Wilson family. So, he was invited to a conference called Brainstorm and I came too. I am really looking forward to tagging along and hearing some of the speakers.

Today we woke up and went mountain biking. This is the 3rd time that I have been mountain biking. The other 2 times was once in Arizona and the other in Montauk. I need to get out to Montauk more. First of all, it is so exhilerating. Since I am a skiier and a snowboarder, I love the thrill of navigating down the mountain and going at a pretty high speed. I also love the challenge of getting up something steep.

The most amazing thing out here is that we were in an area of the world where we were the only people on the path. The vista was so gorgeous that I had a hard time following the path because I wanted to keep looking at the beauty. My head kept going up and down. Wild flowers are rampant, you can hear the babbling steam running down the mountain, tall grass is blowing in the wind, u can smell the clean air. Incredible.

Every time I am surrounded by sheer beauty like this, I wonder if it will remain this way forever. I sure hope so. My fear is that the GAP (Great American Public) will come stomping in there and people will start to construct homes. Thankfully, there is a hard core group of Environmentalists in our country. My hats are off to them because something as beautiful as the land in Colorado is something that should be preservered forever. I hope other people have the intelligence to see that too.

I might have to make my way up that mountain again tomorrow.

Supersize Me

There was a very funny cartoon in the New Yorker this past week that I pulled out. 2 women talking to each other and the one woman said to the other one, "you are what u eat". So true.

I have had a weight problem my entire life. I always wished I was one of those thin girls who could eat whatever they wanted. I was what my Grandmother used to say, "a minute on your lips, forever on your hips". So, in essence, I have been on a diet forever. I think about food when I wake up and think about what I ate over the course of the day when I go to sleep. It is a never ending journey. Believe me, if I let myself and didn't care about my health or comfort, I could weight 200 lbs. I love to eat.

I have taught our kids the benefits of eating in moderation. You can certainly enjoy the finer things in life but at a minimal. No Supersized chocolate cakes on a nightly basis. Don't consume 4 pieces of chicken, try to stick to once piece and balance it out with some vegetables and if you are still hungry, how about a piece of fruit. Understand what a calorie is. What fat content is. Ice cream is delicious but how about a low-fat treat instead. Again, a never ending battle.

We went to see Supersize Me last night. A clever documentary on the horrors of fast food. The movie made an impact on me. As I am walking through the airport today and seeing these huge fat tushies. The consistent theme of the movie is the food industries desire to have us eat more food. Not vegetables and fruit but supersized sodas, supersized potato chips, supersized processed cookies, etc. The media is coming at your stomach too.

I'd love to see more non-profit organizations take a stand on overweight Americans which will end up costing all of us more than smokers. Obesity has long term effects more severe. Heart disease, diabetes, liver problems, etc. But, Americans continue to consume. We are after all the consumate consumers. This movie should be edited down to show to schools across the country. Education is in order. Just like we have trained every kid in America that smoking is bad, we need to do the same thing with unhealthy eating. People need to take charge of their own health instead of sucking down a supersized cola.

I am absolutely going to show this movie to our kids. This is a movie that touches on a theme that I believe will be one of the most talked about problems in our society over the next couple of years. At least I hope so.

Shakespeare in the Park

Nothing could be more like summer in New York than going to see Shakespeare in the Park. The setting is fantastic. All seats are good. There is no roof except for the stars and sky. The stage is large which gives a certain freedom to the performance. You actually feel as if you had taken a journey back in time and were now peeking in on an event from the past. The way the stage flows into the audience creates that feeling.

First off, Shakespeare is tough, at least for me, to follow. Thankfully, the playbill actually describes the actual play in detail before you see it. Shakespeare always takes me awhile to catch on what is happening because the English is so hard to follow. I don't always get the jokes either. Perhaps I am too pedestrian for Shakespeare.

Last night's play was Much Ado About Nothing. A classic that has been performed a million times. It is very long. The seats are not actually like sitting in first class but a very tight coach so comfort is tough.

I have always been a fan of Jimmy Smits. He was by far the best actor on the stage. His presence lit up the stage and he was very much into character and had tremendous grasp of the language. He was funny too. Kristen Johnston, who played Smits love interest was not as comfortable as Smits on the stage and playing Shakespeare. She was good but perhaps a bit stiff. Sam Waterston, who I have seen before in other performances, was not at his finest last night. His daughter also played in this performance which was probably a wonderful experience for the both of them. Elisabeth Waterston who was ok not great. I'd like to be able to see her in other roles down the line. 2 other actors, Julio Monge and Lorenzo Pisoni, who I was not that familiar with, were far better than the more "famous" actors except for Jimmy Smits who again, was clearly the lead in terms of talent in this performance.

Was it great? It was ok. Way too long. Certainly stiff in some respects. Shakespeare's English did not so easily flow off the tongues of any of the actor's on stage but it was enjoyable. Walking into Central Park on a warm summer eve and stepping into an outdoor theater is half of the experience. So, I would say, how could you miss it when it only happens once a year.

Esca

There are a variety of restaurants in the Theater district, most of them are not very good. We generally eat after the theater because we find ourselves nodding off after a good meal. So, we try to eat a light meal post-theater. Esca is one of our favorites.

In the past, we just go to the bar and sit. Unfortunately, they are getting rid of the bar due to complaints of people who are eating in the bar area through a reservation. But, there will still be seating available for people who just walk in. Also, in the summer, they take over the sidewalk with out door seating which is always nice.

One of my favorite things about Esca is the "italian sushi". The appetizer menu is a variety of fish, served raw, but spiced up with an Italian twist. The tuna carpaccio is rich and buttery served with olive oil and chives. Each of the fish appetizers are either served with some type of olive oil - plain or flavored - with one other flavor such as crushed almonds or clay salt or even juniper berries. All simple but delicious and light.

The main courses are also delicious. Nothing is too heavy but just touched with the right amount of spices to let the fish stand out on its own. The pastas are good too. If you so desire, you could go for the classic Italian 3 course meal. I generally stick with a smorgasbord of what I want since it is generally post-Theater.

When u sit down, they always start u off with sliced and toasted italian bread with a white bean tapenade. It is delicious. White beans combined with onions, peppers and spices. I could eat it with a spoon. Always an added bonus, they have a great wine list.

The desserts are also heavenly. We had a cookie platter and everything was bite sized delights. We also had a deep rich chocolate cake with a coffee ice cream scooped over the top that was the sweetest richest coffee ice cream that I have ever had.

I have been back to Esca many times and will continue to return when ever I am in the neighborhood.

Kerry picks Edwards

I was thrilled yesterday morning to see that Kerry picked Edwards. Great choice. The 2 of them were the popular candidates in the Democratic primary. Polls have shown that people really like Edwards which is a huge asset.

I saw Edwards at a fundraiser this past year. He talked about being on the road and working it for Gore. He explained to our audience of Northeastern Democrats that a lot of people in this country vote for a candidate just because they like him. He had conversations with many people in the South who said as much as they preferred Gore's policies they were voting for Bush. Why? Because they just liked the guy, they could go out and have a beer with him. As Edwards explained, it is hard to change that mentality. So, as the polls show that people just like Edwards, as Edwards explained, that is a major plus in the Democrats favor.

My heart sank when I saw the front page of the Post, although I knew that Edwards was the choice already. Did I make a mistake? No, the Post made a huge guffaw. But, thank god they were wrong. The thought of Gephardt being the number 2 man would have been a tremendous error for the Kerry camp. Gephardt does not represent a winner. He represents the losers in the Democratic party that need to move out of office. I have met Gephardt and he does not strike me as anything but a politician in the worst sense.

Bottom line, my hats off to the Kerry campaign choosing the right man for the number 2 job.

My son has a shirt that my brother gave each of us to wear. He loves wearing it. It just says November 2nd on it. Whenever anyone asks what it means, he just says "the day that we vote George Bush out of the White House". I hope that the choice made yesterday is the right step in that direction.

Sight Unseen at the MTC

We had tickets to see Sight Unseen a few weeks ago and had to reschedule the date. There are a lot of benefits of being a member of any of the theater groups in NYC such as MTC, the Public Theater or the Roundabout Theater. There are other organizations too. One is you are supporting the arts which is a great thing. Another is that if you need to make a change in your date, you can. That is a huge bonus.

We were members of the Manhattan Theater Club this year. There is always the hit and miss chance with some of the productions that are put on. This year, I found that the majority of their productions were not very good. Sight Unseen was so fantastic that they redeemed themselves last night. We will be members again this year.

I enjoy theater that is drama with a small cast. So, Sight Unseen fit that bill. 4 actors, 2 acts that are each broken up into 4 different parts and a thought provoking drama. Also, incredible actors who have been on the stage for years.

The play revolves around an artist, played by Ben Shenkman, a fantastic actor, who is making his debut overseas with a retrospective of his work. He goes back to visit a former lover that he knows owns a piece of something he painted years ago as a student. He is an arrogant shallow successful artist that u wonder if he is really an artist or something that was built by the galleries and public relations people. He comes from a Jewish family that seemed to have seeped into each decision that he had made in his life. Once they die, he seems confused about who he actually is. When he visits his former lover, played by Laura Linney, it appears that she is the only thing in his life who was actually real.

Laura Linney is an absolutely incredible actress. Her character is living in Norfolk, England when her former lover comes to visit. She has married an archeologist, she is one too. The 2 of them are barely making ends meet. Her husband, played by Byron Jennings, has incredible stage presence. When he speaks, all eyes focus on him. He's amazing. There relationship seems to be affected by the prior relationship of the artist and his past lover.

The scenes take place randomly. The first act breaks down into 4 pieces. One being where the former lovers reconnect at the house in England. The second in the Art Gallery in London a few days later being interviewed by a German reporter, played by Ana Reeder, who is also excellent. She interrogates the artist about his work which reveals a lot of things about him as a person. The 3rd part is back to the farm house an hour before the first scene where the lovers reconnect. The fourth part is in Brooklyn, 15 years earlier. Then we go to Act 2. The first part is the farmhouse a few hours, at dinner, after the lovers reconnect. Part 2 is the art gallery, continuing in the interview. Part 3 is the farm house a few hours after the dinner and Part 4 is 17 years ago when the artist and his former lover meet.

It seems like a lot to focus on but it really works. As each pieces goes back and forth, it reveals something of the characters to u. Who is this artist? Is he really a great artist or just a successful one? What did the lover represent to him? Why are they no longer together? Why did their break up leave each of them with a different mark on their past? Why did the lover meet and marry the man she did? As the interviewer delves deeper into the artists work, who is this guy?

All and all, a real thought provoking play. The first time this play was shown was 15 years ago at MTC. The one thing that I really like about this play is how incredibly modern it is. I hope that they reproduce this play again in 15 years, because it will be interesting to see again. Also, the story of people's relationships, past histories through family and life and how they affect the person we become and want to become or wish we could change is always food for thought.

Spiderman 2

Ok, I went to see Spiderman 2. Why would I go see that when all my kids are at camp? Good question. I was obviously not thinking clearly. The reviews were good...weren't they?

I happen to be a fan of Toby. Off we went. What can I say? Bad, bad, bad. Poorly edited. The movie went on forever. Unfortunately it has set us up for Spiderman 3.

As we left the theater, my husband said to me, we don't make go see Spiderman 3, please!

The Spice Market

I had to try the Spice Market. It was being reigned as the new hot restaurant in town. So many people I know have been. I had to go and make my own assessment.

I called to make a reservation about 2 weeks in advance. The hostess told me that the only availability was starting at midnight. Pleeaasse! The place is pretty large but there must have been a run on reservations that evening or my voice didn't sound important enough. God knows. So, I called my friend who has some "ins" in the restaurant biz. He got me a reservation. I was set.

We were going to have 3 couples get together. Fortunately for my husband, who had no interest in going to this Spice Market, had to be in London last night. So, it was a girls night.

My friend was already sitting there when I arrived. It took us both a second to look at each other and say that we felt like we were at Disneyworld. The place is so over the top decorated that I truly felt that I was at a theme restaurant in Disneyworld.

We placed our drink order. The waiter was even Disneyish. He was wearing a ridiculous looking outfit. He wanted to know if we had been there before so he could explain the type of food they served. Is this a tourist operation? Do they actually think that I have never eaten Asian foods?

I had heard that the appetizers was the best thing there. So, we stuck with what we were told. We had the black pepper shrimp which was incredibly sauce and spicy. Not that interesting and it was hard to figure out which pieces were shrimp and which were something else. The lime noodles were pretty good. It was layered concoction. Noodles on the bottom, some type of green vegetable like rabe in the middle and then vegetables everywhere. A nice sauce and tasty. The shaved tuna which the waiter told us was signature was not tasty at all. Big pieces of tuna surrounded by shaved artichokes and roe. Not even pretty to look at and not interesting in taste. We ordered another round of appetizers starting with the fried chicken wings. The leg part of the chicken wing. The wings were deep fried and the skin was very bulky. We also had a pulled pork samosa served with a green curry sauce. This was the best thing there. The meat was tender inside. The samosa was the a bit soft on the skin but was highlighted by dipping in the sauce. We also had a sushi looking roll with chicken. It was terrible. The outside part of the roll was a vegetable which was really stiff and hard to bite into. All and all, the meal was not that good.

I crawled into bed and realized how much garlic was in the food. I also thought that everything sort of tasted the same. Nothing stood out except the samosas. The were a variety of sauces but everything sort of mushed into one. Restaurants survive because of good food and service not because of themes. This may be the hot place of the moment but mark my words, this place will not last. The meat market area is hopping but as time passes, the restaurants of the moment will have to be good enough to have people want to come back. I have yet to find a restaurant like that in the meat market area except for Florent which I used to frequent for years. It probably is not as good as it once was but it has been there for easily 15 years. Restaurants that survive have built a loyal customer base who can hardly wait to return.

I did not even want to go to the Spice Market when they told me midnight was the first available table. Now that I have gone, I do not want to go back either.