Hip Young Things

I remember the moment I fell in love with William Shakespeare. I don’t mean that in the romantic sense in case anyone has already become disturbed by that statement. I meant it of course in the poetic sense and anyone who loves the bard will known exactly what I mean and will likely remember their moment of discovery as well. And I’m not talking about a first encounter with reading one of his plays or even seeing a live production for the first time. For every lover of Shakespeare, okay I mean for many, there is an epiphanic moment that occurs during a particularly fabulous performance or production or even moment of “ah ha” reading a play that will forever bind one’s heart and soul to the great plays of this Elizabethan writer.

So, with that elaborate introduction, I set the plot in motion and say that mine occurred very recently. In fact it was last October when I was in DC with my father. My father is a lobbyist and had to be in town for his work. I always find this to be particularly tedious and am not interested in his field. I also happen to be a sophomore English major in college and have been more interested in the twentieth century American writers than anything else. Last semester I took a Shakespeare class, it was required and didn’t really want to. During the last week of October my dad told me he had to go to DC for a couple of days and really wanted me to go with him. You see, my part time job is taking notes for him in these situations and sort of acting like a secretary. Generally I would stay in the hotel room and type up his notes.

Anyway, while we were there I noticed an ad for the Folgers Theater production of Much Ado About Nothing. It happened to be on our list of reading for the semester and my idea was to see the play and not have to read it. So, I talked my father into taking me to it. What happened was utterly amazing. I had never imagined Shakespeare could be so dynamic, spectacular and well, easy to understand. It was like it took place in a sort of Caribbean carnival context, though I believe it was set right there in DC. It really felt like more of a contemporary play and I didn’t have any trouble getting it, if you know what I mean. Ultimately I couldn’t wait to read the play after I saw that and was excited to tell my instructor about it when I returned to school. The funny part is he thought I saw it because I was interested in Shakespeare, not because I was trying to get out of reading a play. I decided not to make much ado over it

During WWI, people across the United States had lived a conservative and a frugal life style.  In the years following, freedom of the boom in the economic status of many, and the time of peace gave way to what is now referred to in the history books as The Roaring 20’s.  This was a decade of celebration, of excess, and a time when the philosophies and the ideologies of wartime thinking was done away with.  Artistic endeavors were now something that the people of the country invested in, be it at the cinema, or at the speakeasies listening to some of the finest musicians in the country’s history. 

Music was everywhere, from the street corners to the fancy clubs to the best restaurants, New York City was alive with the vibe and the era of the Jazz Age.  This was a time of rebellion, against the limited access to consume alcohol, and against all forms of government control for that matter.  One of the best places to catch this vibe at the time, is now a famous idea…a feeling that was encapsulated in a movie not too long ago.  It was the Harlem speakeasy, The Cotton Club.  This club was a bit of an oxymoron, as at the time, only black performers performed, and the only people allowed to come to the club were white. 

Huge celebrities at the time, Bing Crosby,  Doris Duke and Cole Porter would attend the club with the sole purpose of seeing performances of musicians who are now legendary, but who at the time, would not be allowed in…other than to perform, such as Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington.  It is hard to imagine now, that kind of separation, but I have to believe that a man such as Bing Crosby felt no separation from a man like Duke Ellington.  That is the beauty of the arts, it is a world that is a bit apart from the trivial misconceptions.  It is a world of the heart and of the soul.  This was a time, filled with fashion and music and ideas that is still perpetuated today, in the hearts and the souls of the young Jazz musicians.  And it all began in Harlem, in the 1920’s, in the Jazz Age.

Dahlia has had different jobs throughout the years. She once worked as one of those people who tests out the latest and greatest video games that come out on the market. She got all kinds of perks that go with the job too, and because she was friends with someone who works a little more in depth in the industry, she got even more free perks. Dahlia also has a thing for bad puns, and would call that old job the reason why she was so perky back in her college days.

One of the games that she once had the pleasure of testing was the original Silent Hill. Incidentally, she loathed the movie as it was not true to the original in many ways. Dahlia is a huge fan, especially because on of the main characters actually has her name, the mother of Alessa Gillespie. For Halloween, she dressed up as the character even though no one knew who she was supposed to be: the game had yet to be released yet. She kind of misses the old days before she got what she calls her real job now in management training program.

She still does play video games still but not for pay. Dahlia collects old consoles too. She has them in her office on the walls as decoration. Most of them still work too. We actually met in college because I had the same job as her before I also got my real job. We still get together every Friday night to play some old school games like Mario Brothers. I’m a Luigi fan whereas she is a Mario fan. She gives me endless insults for my taste in the famous video game duo: Luigi is supposed to be the lesser of the pair even though I know better. I joke back that my job in organizational development is better than hers in the same way she teases me about my love of Luigi. We actually work in the same company, but in different parts of it. I actually put in Luigi’s Mansion into one of the consoles for a joke. It took her a week to find it, but only a second to figure out who had done it.

Julian is an odd kind of guy but not in a bad way. He works in professional development. He has a degree from Harvard in business. He has dog named Gibson after the famous guitar brand. He also has superstitions.

His superstitions are mild superstitions though. There is a fountain pen he absolutely must have at every board meeting he ever goes to. He will even make up an excuse to come in ten or fifteen minutes late to find it if her must. It is a rather nifty fountain pen. It has a pulp fiction dime novel wrapped around its top while the bottom where the pen tip is has a checkerboard pattern in white gold and onyx. He said he had the pen in his hand when he got the phone call that he was hired at his first job as a cashier at some dollar store. His father bought it for him as a graduation gift from high school. Every time a good thing happened to him for work, he had the pen on him. It got so he never went anywhere without it, and a couple of refills. He pockets it before he pockets his wallet. That is how important it is to him.

Julian also has a horseshoe he got tattooed on the bottom of his feet, a part of the horseshoe for each foot. He got while on some executive training in Chicago. He was sober when he got it. He always wanted to get a tattoo because he was so buttoned down, but due to his work, a tattoo might be frowned upon if in an obvious place. He got it on the arches of his feet, thinking two things: it would be hidden and he would always be walking lucky. Unfortunately, it also hurt, and he could not walk around for a while. It has faded quite a bit, but the word lucky  is still there. He plans to go back to the same girl and get it down on the top of his foot so it will last longer, and his luck too.

If you really enjoy all the things that the nature of the maintains and plains provides than finding a room at one of the quaint hotels in peaceful Fort Collins Colorado could be the right place for you. There are many ways to experience the wonderful outdoor setting. The town is nestled at the foothills of the great Rocky Mountains. Horsetooth Mountain is the name of the grand, tooth shaped, peak that is the majestic setting in the western sky. With in those mountains and the surrounding are outdoor enthusiasts and find many lakes, forests, plains and sunsets to enjoy. The hiking trails are plentiful but not crowded and the lakes are filled with fish for the taking.

This city has taken an active roll in preserving the environment that is so loved. Colorado State University has a The Warner College of Natural Resources which teaches those who want to learn all about how to manage the natural resources of the earth. The staff and scientists are known around the world for there knowledge and the teaching of it that takes place here. They couldn’t come at a better time now that the world is ready to take on preservation of the land, sea and air for the future generations to enjoy.

The college did not rise out of the current main stream acknowledgement of the pollution in the world. It was started in 1909 and was committed to natures well being over a hundred years ago. It has grown to be the most complete natural resource college in this country. They also offer small programs to the novice with interest as well as the kids. There are group leaders ready to take your child for summer camp and show them how to explore the great outdoors and appreciate the gift that nature provides the human race.

The art of screen painting began out of necessity.  A grocer from Czechoslovakia noticed in 1913, that the heat, the sun and the humidity was wilting his produce displays.  Upon moving his displays inside his store, he then had to come up with a colorful way to entice people inside.  His name was William Oktavec, and he had no idea that he was about to change a bit of art history, he really just wanted to sell his fruits and vegetables.

Oktavec painted his window screens, and just a few days after he did this, one of the regular shoppers of his store came in and asked if he would paint her screens.  She had a favorite photo she had found in a calender, and she wanted that reproduced.  Soon, the Czechoslovakian grocer was the artist of the neighborhood, painting the screens of businesses, houses, restaurants and the luxury hotels of the city of Baltimore.  Not only were the painted shades decorative, but they offered further privacy as well, for even though people could not see in, the inhabitants could still see out.  Soon this became a pastime of many of the people of the neighborhood, and creativity was flowing.

Tom Lipka was a famous screen painter, and in his memoirs he states that in the years of the 1920’s through the 1940’s you could not walk down any of the streets in Baltimore, without seeing someone hard at work, painting their screens.  This tradition fell out of practice in the years following WWII, but in 1988, Elaine Eff formed a society, the Painted Screen Society, in order to educate the people of the city about this tradition that seemed so long gone.

During this year, PBS produced a film about the tradition, “The Screen Painters“, which not only gained awards but illustrated to the country this time honored tradition. Now when locals or visitors walk down the city streets, they will notice the brightly colored paintings, some of them more like murals, and a bit of history is revealed.

Plymouth, Massachusetts doesn’t need to do anything other than exist to represent its major historical significance. It was founded in 1620 and stood as the original settlement for the pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower. It is one of the oldest municipalities in the entire country and is the oldest in New England. It also holds the distinction of the being the oldest continually inhabited English settlement that continues to exist in the modern day United States. All of this, or at least the original settlement status and association to the Mayflower is likely known and impeded in the symbolic history understanding of most Americans. Its legendary status is also one of the major reasons so many people visit it and stay in a hotel Plymouth.

It is also conveniently located, nice of the original settlers to consider the ease of tourists almost four hundred years later, near Boston, which makes it a perfect day trip for visitors to this great Massachusetts city. Also, knowing that it is about forty miles south of Boston makes it easy to locate and visual for people who are planning their trip from across the country.

One of the major historic and mythological associations to Plymouth that has not yet been mentioned her is its having been the location of the first Thanksgiving. This took place in 1621, a year after it was founded. The story is often told that Chief Massasoit had formed a peace treaty with the pilgrims and after a successful season of harvest he and many other members of the Wampanoag tribe joined the pilgrims for a tremendous feast and celebration. The memory of this event has been celebrated continually and in 1941 it was recognized as a federal holiday. It continues to be celebrated in Plymouth and every year there is a great parade and a reenactment of the initial feast. This event draws numerous visitors every year who feel that it brings them closer to the true meaning of the holiday.

Georgia is one of the most beautiful places in the country. This is deep south, the stuff of legends. This is the place where people talk fondly about childhoods spent playing in nature, in a place where old world manners and niceties are not decorations, but a way of living. Hospitality is expressed in every kind of social activity, and one of the most important is food. The other is, of course, lodging, and when it comes to luxury hotels, Georgia has a fair share. There are plenty of sumptuous accommodations available, so that you can have the perfect time, whether you’re looking for old fashioned charm or contemporary conveniences.

There are many different Georgias to visit, and there are many different cultures and world views that exist here. It’s entirely possible to meet people who have never left their rural homes, and also possible to come in contact with some of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. It’s also a great place to get your socks scared off. If you’re here around Halloween, you’ll probably hear a lot about Netherworld. It’s one of the scariest haunted houses in the U.S. There are many places here where you can find charms that run along the more spooky end of the spectrum, with plenty of old places where spirits seem to gather.

This, however, is pure fabrication, and there’s never any sense that it’s possibly real, but it’s still absolutely effective at making even the most seasoned veteran ghost hunters quiver like a scared dog on bath day. Netherworld has an excellent pr campaign, so you’ll hear about it from all corners, but they also have an absolutely top notch production team. The set designers, costume and make-up people, and the actors put together some of the most delightfully haunting attractions, and really, it’s two different haunts. The level of technical precision is high, and the images are really pretty ghastly. This is a perfect way to get to know Georgia in the spooky season.

Tennis is actually quite an old game.  It has roots in history that go back thousands of years.  Initially made up by some bored monks in Europe, tennis was for entertainment in religious practices and celebrations.  Perhaps one of the most interesting facts about tennis is that the racket did not exist; instead players used their hand to hit the ball.  Naturally, a glove made out of leather came to being employed.  However, as soon as this invention came along, the racket finally got created as hitting a ball with your hands is not an especially effective way of playing tennis.

The racket has had many alterations throughout the years to make it better and better, and as the racket improved, so did the ball.  Much like the first incarnation of the racket, the first incarnation of the ball was not terribly efficient, being made out of wood.  Other versions after it gave it the bounciness it is now known for and expected.  Leather and cellulose were used to create it.

However, the Church disliked tennis very much.  It did not fit with their ideal of serious monasteries and pious monks.  It was the 14th century version of football, either United States or United Kingdom style.  Most adored in France, it was known as the game of the palm.  French nobility thought much of the game.  In fact, the French actually provided modern day tennis with its name.  Fans of the game would shout out the word tenez or play in English.  Tenez slowly became tennis.

Rules and regulations for the game came in the 1800s with Walter Wingfield, a major in the military.  He soon organized the game into what it looks like today.  The actually tennis court initially started in the United States, which was more similar in shape to an hourglass and had much length in comparison to the courts of our modern tennis.    For aficionados of tennis, such information and trivia helps deepen their appreciation for tennis opens, the most recent of which is the Australian Open Tennis.

It was a quick trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco and a welcome sight after being 19 hours on the move. Our first sightseeing tour was to Alcatraz Island. I won’t bore you with the details, but the place is fairly impressive, but it is overrun with over-sized tourist and over-sized seagulls feeding off the over-sized tourists scraps of junk food. All that being said, the Island is definitely worth a visit.

On our way back to the mainland, we checked out the seals who have taken up residence on pier 39, which is not far from where the ferry station is located. The seals, apparently, just turned up one day back in 1989 after an earthquake and have never left. These smelly beasts are protected by state law, before that, they would’ve been turned into minced up meat. The seals just seem to laze about all day and really sink the place up. We felt like we were visiting a smelt.

For the next couple of day, we hit the streets of San Francisco. One of the places we hit was the recently renovated Ferry Building that is now a center for excellent things. like nice food, nice chocolates, nice wines, nice almost everything. We had a great lunch at a San Francisco restaurant. With our stomach’s full and with our tipsiness, we made our way all across the city to the legion of honor. It’s a memorial built in honor of our fallen Americans from the first World War. The memorial has been turned into an art museum with a substantial collection of impressionist and post impressionist works. It also has a nice Rodin sculpture collection.

The next day was time for us to stop walking and drive off to Sonoma Valley for a day excursion of wine, food, swimming and all around fun. We were lucky enough to have already visited the Napa Valley on our last trip to San Francisco. We spent the day tasting wines and for dinner we ate at a superb Italian restaurant. It was late in the evening when we got back to San Francisco and proceeded to crash for the night.

The saddest thing about visiting San Francisco it having to leave San Francisco and all the great food, sights and people.