Category Archives: Travel

July 3, 2023 · 12:12 pm

Look At Me, I Am Old But I’m Happy…

Reflections on Five-Oh!

IDROS has woken up in the morning 18,263 and a half times so far (an accomplishment in and of itself many of those mornings). And yes, it has certainly been better than the alternative.

If this were an anniversary it would be “Golden.” As a birth milestone, however, the shine is dulled. It’s a number better used for speed limits, interstates, prolific NBA individual scoring nights, Grant’s currency, Curtis Jackson, shades of grey and ways to leave your lover.

IDROS has now lived a year for every state in our union (though the past three have felt more like Alaska, Texas and California). But I digress.

To mark this auspicious achievement, IDROS put together a random list of top (and sometimes bottom) fours…his own Mount Rushmores (Mounts Rushmore?) of memories, truths and arcana. Follow along if you choose. Please know IDROS will not divulge the impetus or theme for any of these un-presidential stone carvings. Debate them if you must but allow this newly anointed AARP member the dignity of his own rankings. Some come from days of yore, so clearly there could be some haze, cobwebs and senility contributing to rankings and omissions you may feel are objectionable. Don’t fret. Even the original Mount Rushmore has its misgivings and predated some deserving replacements.

Before we begin, IDROS would be remiss in failing to honor and acknowledge family, friends, classmates, influences and meaningful connections he lost during his climb to the fiftieth floor. No human can make this journey alone, and IDROS feels blessed to have been part of their lives.

These will be listed in no particular order, and from left to right, meaning honorable mention on the left, then third, second and winner, winner chicken dinner moving to the right.

Here’s to 50 more:

  1. Japan; Costa Rica; Italy; Israel
  2. 1981 NFC Championship Game; 1987 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6; 2008 World Series Game 6; Super Bowl LII
  3. Snickers; Kit Kat; Reese’s PB Cup; Reese’s Take 5
  4. Franklin Field; Aiden Lair Park; Mundauk Common; Robbins Park
  5. Tipitina’s; Roseland; Tower; Beacon
  6. Birthday with friends at a Chateau in Cognac, France; Limo from LaGuardia with Captain Kirk; Kayaking in Glacier Bay; Skydiving in Switzerland
  7. Shark; Alligator; Live Scallop; Blow Fish
  8. Herbie Hancock; Dr. John; Donald Fagan; Page McConnell
  9. Dalessandros; Pat’s; Dino’s; John’s
  10. The Wire; Succession; The Sopranos; Lost
  11. The City: Literature and Culture; 12th Grade Calculus; International Relations; 8th Grade English
  12. Blueberries; Pears; Raspberries; White Peaches
  13. Maui; Santorini; Ambergris Caye; Ko Samui
  14. West Side Story; Phantom; A Chorus Line; Les Miz
  15. Drakkar Noir; Eternity; Gendarme; Cool Water
  16. 1991 NCAA Championship UNLV; Every Carolina Game in Cameron; 2001 Final 4 vs. MD; 1992 ERF vs. UK
  17. Miss McCracken; Mr. Reif; Mr. Frankenberger; Mrs. Lane
  18. Waffle House; Wild Bulls; Steak & Egg; The Biscuit King
  19. Goodfellas; Original Star Wars Trilogy: Pulp Fiction; The Big Lebowski
  20. All NY and NJ Pro Teams; Atlanta Braves; UNC; Dallas Cowboys
  21. Gilhooley’s; Omar’s; Red’s; Maloney’s
  22. Photographer’s Assistant; Valet Parking Attendant; Bartender; Camp Counselor
  23. Aliens; Terminator 2; Godfather II; The Empire Strikes Back
  24. Wine Corks; Die Cast Model Cars; Ticket Stubs; Baseball Cards
  25. Bonnaroo; Lollapalooza; Jazz Fest; The Clifford Ball
  26. Will Ferrell; Chris Farley; Eddie Murphy; Phil Hartman
  27. Brunello di Montalcino; California Zinfandel; Barbaresco; Nobile di Montepulciano
  28. Mount Pilatus; Mount Marcy; Masada; Mount Fuji
  29. Conan; Carson; Letterman; Larry Sanders
  30. Gardens; Forest; Chapel; Ellington
  31. Knitting Factory; Irving Plaza; Wetlands; Tramps
  32. Donna; Whitney; Ella: Barbra
  33. The Glenn; Northern Lights; The Church; The Humbies
  34. The Dead Sea; Lake Geneva; Grotta Azzurra; Adriatic Sea
  35. Cod (at Nobu); St. Peter’s; Halibut; Dover Sole
  36. Phish (all 4); Shatner; Gervais; Steely Dan (both)
  37. Satisfactions; TJ Hoops; The Green Room; The Hideaway
  38. Broken Collarbone; Impacted Wisdom Teeth Extraction; Plantar Fasciitis; Kidney Stones
  39. Diff’rent Strokes; Cheers; Greatest American Hero; It’s Garry Shandling’s Show
  40. Cherry Coke; Ginger Ale; Dr. Brown’s Cream; Classic Coke
  41. 10th Grade Geometry Class; A Recent Presidency; Covid; 9/11 (note: there have been a few deaths in the family including dogs – these all win, but can’t pick favorites)
  42. Chez Es Saada; Madame X; Niagara; Belmont Lounge
  43. The Flintstones; Looney Toons; Superfriends; Scooby Doo
  44. Ohtani; Brady; Jordan; Gretzky
  45. Wall to Wall Sound & Video Willow Grove; Napster; Columbia House; 94 WYSP Labor Day 500 Countdown Contest
  46. The Simpsons; Arrested Development; Curb Your Enthusiasm; Seinfeld
  47. David Gilmore; Neil Young; Trey Anastasio; Jerry Garcia
  48. Tokyo; Venice; Tel Aviv; Paris
  49. Erin Grey; Tiffani Amber Thiessen; Natalie Portman; Michelle Pfeiffer
  50. Any Day at Camp or College; My Wedding Day; Birth of D; Birth of Z

As always, thanks for reading.

Happy 4th!

IDROS

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June 28, 2012 · 2:27 pm

Revisiting Israel: 20 Years Later

Twenty years ago today, I embarked on a trip that would change my life…my first journey to Israel.

People who are passionate about Israel can talk until they are blue in the face. They can write powerful prose extolling the virtues of the magnificent Pariah nation wedged among its most dangerous enemies on the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. They can share beautiful, awe-inspiring photos of a lush oasis amid the stark deserts and barren lands that surround it.

I do not disregard any of that, and appreciate their efforts. (In fact, I recently wrote my own Israeli passion piece…please click here to read it)

But this I can say with certainty, a guarantee I can make regarding very few things: Visiting Israel is a game changer; setting foot on the sacred ground depicted in the five books of the Old Testament, the Torah, and experiencing the juxtaposition of some of the most jaw-dropping, mind-boggling spiritual, traditional and cultural remnants of our ancestors (all of them: Jewish, Catholic and Muslim, alike), with majestic geographical and topographical marvels as well as an injection of inexplicable, mystifying modernity, technological advances and a population determined to defy all odds, will affect you in ways that are difficult to articulate.

Bottom line: Until you land at Ben Gurion airport and immerse yourself in the “Promised Land,” until you walk the ancient streets of Jerusalem , or listen as the waves lap upon the magnificent beaches of Tel Aviv; until you watch the sunrise from atop Masada, or lend a hand on a Kibbutz; until you dive into the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea or float in a chair in the heavily salted Dead Sea; until you catch fresh St. Peter’s fish from the Kinneret or rappel into a waterfall in the desert oasis of Ein Gedi; until you stroll the beautiful streets of Haifa or sample fresh produce in any of the wonderful markets throughout the country; and until you see the scars and devastation marking the constant rocket fire and terror attacks that have plagued the nation since 1948, you cannot truly appreciate how incredible Israel is in every way.

For those who made the trek with me twenty years ago, please find a list (in no particular order) below of some of the amazing memories of our eight week adventure:

1)      The Shoresh…and those Swiss Chalet-like huts;

2)      Bob Marley’s bus soundtrack;

3)      MSP3 Turquoise t-shirts;

4)      The Underground;

5)      Shady deals in the Arab market;

6)      Tevas;

7)      Dodging rocks in Mea Shearim;

8)      Our guards, packing Uzis;

9)      The Druze village;

10)   Planting Trees;

11)   The Mickey Mouse pool at our Kibbutz;

12)   Our group photos in the glow of sunrise atop Masada;

13)   Riding camels in the Bedouin camp in the Negev;

14)   Kayaking on the Jordan;

15)   Shawarma;

16)   Ben Yehuda Street;

17)   The Samples;

18)   TURKEY CHICKEN;

19)   Booze Cruise in Eilat;

20)   Watching Animal House in Ein Gedi;

21)   Michael’s Midwest (Wisconsin?) accent – get your byack pyacks;

22)   Craig’s letters from Sharmi (sp?);

23)   Our lost journal;

24)   Yardena Strahan;

25)   Archeological dig;

26)   Palestinian lectures;

27)   Mr. T’s;

28)   Israeli Salad, Hummus and Nutella breakfasts;

29)   Ari’s big trade – his boom box for a camping pack?

30)   Final night roast, and John’s comment about flying a plane through the gap in Yardena’s teeth;

31)   Boomer tearing the bathroom door off its hinges on our flight home;

32)   Ain’t No Crickets in Brooklyn…

Hope everyone is well. It’s been a wild 20 years.

If any of you have any others you would like to add to the list, feel free to do so in the comments area below. Also, if any of you have the email addresses or are friends with any of our other MSP3ers on Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn or MySpace or Friendster or whatever…please forward this link along.

Thanks,

IDROS

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