With winter here one of the pleasures of life is going skiing. Although we only go for five days, for me it is enough. We head out west and this year we will be going to Telluride in Colorado. Time flies, the last time here was five years ago – seems a whole lot shorter than that. Telluride is where Quentin Tarantino filmed the outdoor scenes of the Hateful Eight. It is a bit off the beaten path and is a small Western town. We go the first week in April. At the end of the season the slopes and accommodations are empty. No lift lines here and when skiing it’s not like you’re on the LIE. Even if you have skied an area before, each day is different. Skiing is one of the sports where you can exercise for six to eight hours per day. You’re at 10,000 feet, the air is lighter, the sun in April is shinning and you’re doing aerobic exercise. New York City seems to be very, very far away. After a day of skiing a plunge into the hot tub and a quiet dinner in a nice restaurant is especially rewarding. At night it is generally very quiet and you realize how much noise we put up with at home. The best part is that after several days, you relieve all the stress that you have accumulated over the year. Yes, there is a learning curve. It is important to learn how to ski – meaning how to turn and stop. Trees and rocks don’t move for you. In fact trees like to embrace you TO SKI OR NOT TO SKI HOW TO GO SOMEWHERE WITHOUT EVEN GOING
if you ski too close. For me the only down side is when the chairlift stops moving in midflight. Then you are hanging in the air with nowhere to go. It’s not like you can just jump off. Foot rests on the chairlifts is a needed bonus in these situations. Telluride is a lot friendlier than Beaver Creek or Deer Valley. Maybe because I lived in California for many years I prefer a more laid back atmosphere. So hopefully you’ll be going somewhere special over the next several months and possibly I’ll see you on the slopes.
One of the joys in life for me is found in reading. Yes, you need to be able to sit still and concentrate, but books can transport you anywhere without leaving your favorite chair. Reading is the most intimate interaction between two strangers. You can go into the future or the past. It can be realistic or fantastical. As one reads you can quickly discern a good author from a hack. If I buy a book, I try to finish it unless it’s a disaster. For me, I only read hardcover books where the type is bigger, probably due to the fact that I’m looking at teeth all day. I was never into the Kindle. I like holding the book in my hand or maybe I’m a Luddite. I also like there is not a light looking right into my eyes while reading. So, now if you decide reading isn’t too big of a challenge with the lack of filmed entertainment on television or at the movie theatre, the question is: where are you going to get a book? The easiest source is Amazon. Yes it’s impersonal but quick, easy and for new books at the best price. I
like their feature look inside where you can see the size of the type of the book you’re purchasing. The other good feature is if you don’t like it, just bring it to the UPS store and Amazon takes it back with an immediate refund to your account. Since you’ll eventually be purchasing something else, it’s a quick and easy turnaround. However, sometimes you just want to see the book and hold it. At other times, you just don’t know what you’re looking for. Then it’s down to Union Square which for me is just a quick jaunt on the Q train. Here you have two choices. The multilevel less crowded Barnes and Noble is where I go here if I’m just looking. They have a Starbucks upstairs so you can get a coffee, sit down and peruse some titles before buying. However, if you’re a real book sleuth, the book Mecca is Strands a few blocks south of Union Square. First you have the bargain carts outside where all books are five dollars. The question here is do they smell and/or are they falling apart. However, you can find a lost title here at times in good condition.
Inside Strands, the front part is like Barnes and Noble but as you proceed to the back there are the stacks where thousands of used books in good shape are available to purchase at vastly reduced prices, typically seven dollars. You can find long lost titles from some of your favorite authors. The adage, so much to read and so little time, like most things require you to choose carefully.
2 www.reitdds.com
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