Gray Great Day

Yet another case of real-life intruding on my blogging…the nerve! So, there I was…all the favorite reads done read and beginning to scour the inter-tubes for things of interest when the phone rings. Rembrandt Auto Body on the line, telling me I can come pick up the Green Hornet, coz she’s ready. Well, now! Do wonders ever cease? They (Rembrandt) estimated the car would be ready on November 30^th when I put it in the shop back on the 15^th. I took this estimate with the proverbial grain, mainly because prior experience (with other businesses of this nature) has influenced my thinking in that way. So…imagine my surprise. It was considerable, to say the least.

I’m oh-so-pleased to report that Rembrandt did a wonderful job. All the seams align perfectly. The paint matches. Everything works. There are no new squeaks, rattles or other untoward noises. All in all: a wonderful job. George at Rembrandt runs a tight ship and is a genuine nice guy.

Ah, but the best part? My baby and I are reunited. Maybe a little bit of the ol’ “absence makes the heart grow fonder” is in play here, but driving the Green Hornet is sheer bliss compared to the generic rental car I gave up about an hour ago. I think she loves me. I really, really DO. And the feeling is mutual.

Yes, indeed. It kinda-sorta pains me to read this:

NEW YORK: In her Midtown office, Jennifer Chiara, a travel agent, pulled out one of the standard nine-page riders she faxes to Manhattan hotels on behalf of her clients. In it were the customary requests: organic coffee and snacks, a room in a quiet part of the hotel, smart water and San Pellegrino served at room temperature.

Chiara's clients aren't corporate executives or traveling sales representatives, though. They're rock stars - in this case, a "well-known, high-end" band Chiara declined to name.

Tranquillity? Health food? Rock stars? What about Jack Daniels and groupies?

"It's not nuts anymore," said Chiara, who has booked travel for musicians (including Björk, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alicia Keys) for 18 years. "These guys want to go back to their rooms and have peace and quiet. They want amenities. Gone are the days of people riding a motorcycle down the hallway." She laughed. "Whatever happened to the good old days?"

[…]

Of course, rock history - and hotels - are littered with stories of room demolitions and groupie escapades. In the '70s, Led Zeppelin and the Who were infamous for hurling television sets out hotel windows and cementing furniture to ceilings.

Today, such stories are unlikely to be repeated. During a stay at the Soho Grand, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin asked for a kiddie pool for his son; at the London NYC, the Who hit the gym. Today's rock stars, said Paul Stallings, the owner of the Hotel on Rivington, are "more into yoga than drugs."

Dang. Another bubble burst. One wonders what’s next… drug-free professional baseball, basketball and football players, perhaps? Nah. That’s waaay too far out there.

OK. I’m late. Gonna put this up to check the box and to ensure people who know me (fairly) well don’t call out the SAR guys.