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On the Edge

2 Jul

The Ledge at the Sears Tower in Chicago officially opens today.

I totally want to go and check it out.

I mean, when you’ve gone skydiving and taken a trapeze lesson, how scary can it be to stand in a 1.5-inch–thick glass box that’s extended out 4.3 feet from the Sears Tower’s 103rd floor, 1,353 feet off the ground?

If I get to do it, I’ll let you know the answer to that question. In the meantime, here’s a clip about the Ledge from yesterday’s Today Show.

The Sky’s the Limit

3 Jun

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words.

And then there are Pixar movies, where the beautiful imagery is just priceless.

So it goes in the company’s latest, the simply named Up, which is a gorgeous, bright, colorful movie that has as much depth and emotion as it does stunning visuals.

I just don’t know how those Pixar folks do it. Every single film they make is an impressive achievement, each one better than the last. Continue reading →

Homeward Bound

19 Mar

Sometimes things just work out. I was in Miami on Tuesday for a conference at the InterContinental, and my coworker and I were scheduled to be on a 7:45 p.m. American Airlines flight back to Boston. Neither one of us really wanted to get back at 11:00 or later — especially given that our flight down a week earlier had been delayed by almost an hour and a half — so I suggested we book it to the airport and try for the 6:15 flight. I won’t bore you with a drawn-out story, but I’ll say we were told the flight was full. Then, I guess, a connecting flight didn’t make it to Miami in time, so not only did we get on the 6:15 flight, but we had an open seat in our three-person row, providing plenty of space to spread out and relax. The plane left right on time, and actually landed about 20 minutes early. (Score!) Then our luggage came out pretty quickly, and we were off for home.

Is that all? Oh no. I got home to find that the post office had left in my mailbox all the mail they were holding for me, which saved me an early morning trip on my way into work on Wednesday. I was home by 10:15, giving me plenty of time to relax and zip through the night’s episode of American Idol. Yes, sometimes things do work out.

Spring Awakening

19 Mar

There’s something about going down to Florida in March and seeing a spring training baseball game that makes you feel like everything’s alright with the world again. You get that feeing the instant you walk up the ramp, see the green grass on the field, see the players (preferably in Red Sox uniforms) taking batting practice, and hear the cracks of the bat. After a long, cold winter, it’s music to this baseball fan’s eyes and ears.

So it was on Saturday when I went to see the Sox take on the Orioles in Fort Lauderdale. My guess is that because it was an away game for the Sox, and they’d just played the Yankees the night before, not too many marquee players wanted to make the trip south. (Plus there was the matter of the World Baseball Classic and a couple injuries.) The biggest Sox names who showed up were Jed Lowrie, Rocco Baldelli, and Josh Bard (who, as of this writing, has now been let go by the Sox). But no matter. It was a decent game (at least it was until the Sox lost in the bottom of the ninth) and it was fun to see the team back on the field live and in person. And even better, I didn’t get a sunburn this year, like I did last year. Woo hoo!

So, happy spring everybody. Baseball is back.

(Looking up at the right-field bleachers.)

(That’s Orioles outfielder Ryan Freel signing autographs. Unfortunately, our tickets were on the home-field side of the field and not the visiting team side, so I have pictures of the Orioles and not the Sox.)

High-Marks Hotel

18 Mar

If you’ve been looking for me during the past week, I’ve been in Miami, where I was on a (mostly) work-related trip. A productive trip, and it should be noted not a vacation, but I do have to tell y’all that I stayed at one of the coolest hotels for two nights, the Mondrian. Do you want to know why I liked this hotel? Well, it wasn’t because of the chi-chi design, which featured horse imagery in the elevators and exaggerated photos of faces in the rooms. It wasn’t because of the chandelier in the shower that turned out to be where the water came from. It also wasn’t because of the hotel’s proximity to Jerry’s or Lincoln Road (where I had lunch and dinner, respectively, on Thursday).

Oh, and it wasn’t because of the high-def TV and TiVo in all the rooms. Nor was it because the bed was totally comfortable, and the soft, dense pillows were awesome. Believe it ot not, it also was not because of the pool — so very warm — or the view I enjoyed while working there. Oh, and I promise, it really was not because of the very attractive young woman who checked me in.

Yes, those were all things I enjoyed about the Mondrian, but the real reason I loved this hotel is because of what happened when I asked for a wakeup call Thursday night. I called the front desk, and when someone picked up, she said, “Hello, Mr. Lieberman.” That impressed me. Then, after I asked to be woken up at 6:45 in the morning, the woman asked, “Would you like us to call you again at 7:00?” Clearly, the folks didn’t just know my name, they actually knew me, and knew I’d need the extra “snooze” time. For the record, this is not such an unusual thing; when I moved to the the InterContinental a couple days later, they did the same thing, calling me by name and offering a follow-up call. But at the Mondrian, they didn’t stop there: Friday morning, I got the 6:45 call, but when the phone rang again at 7, I didn’t answer it in time (even though I was awake). Five minutes later there was a knock at my door. “Just want to make sure you’re awake, Mr. Lieberman.” Nice touch.

And it’s worth adding that when I went out to the Mondrian’s pool on Thursday morning (to work) and I made myself comfortable in one of the lounge chairs, an attendant came running up within seconds and was apologetic that he had not been able to give me a seat cover and towel before I sat down.

The point is … and I may not be making it in the best way here because these are pretty small examples, but … the Mondrian has great customer service that, combined with the luxurious accommodations, locale, and, well, let’s call it interesting design made it an impressive place to spend a couple days.

"Don’t Let a Cheese Hit Me"

16 Feb

The Amazing Race returned last night for its 14th (!!) season. Even after all these years, the show remains new and exciting every season because while teams will make similar mistakes, they never go to the same exact cities or do the same exact stunts. Case in point: Last night, in Interlaken, Switzerland, the teams had to walk up a steep, slippery hill, where they had to grab four 50-pound slabs of cheese per team, and then they had to bring them down the hill on a carrying device. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t so easy. You can watch for yourself right here:

(If you want to watch the full episode, just click here. It’s worth it.)

Ten teams remain (including one with the show’s first deaf contestant). The show airs every Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS, and next week the teams really get creamed in Germany. One season, I’m hoping you may even see me racing. I mean, hell, if one of the stunts is doing a 70-story bungee jump, then I am so there. The world is waiting for me.

The Year of Martin

31 Dec

I can’t believe 2008 is already over, mostly because when I look back on the year, I remember it as being as a great one in the life of Martin Lieberman.

Three big things happened: I bought a condo, my niece was born, and I got a new job. All three were huge, life-changing events.

I mean, my niece being born … yeah. But the condo purchase came after more than six years of living in the same place, and the new job came after more than seven years with the same company.

So I guess there’s very good reason for some of my friends to be calling 2008 “The Year of Martin.” Continue reading →

Temporary Insanity?

29 Nov

Todd and I were talking yesterday while wandering around New York City and I commented to him matter-of-factly that I was having such a good time that I could see myself being very happy living here. He said it was just because the weather was so nice, and because New York is a fun city to visit. I called it temporary insanity. After all, I know full well that I have absolutely no desire to live in Manhattan. Hell, I don’t even like New York City. But that doesn’t change the fact that I had those thoughts again after another day of playing tourist.

I was in the city to see Todd — in from Los Angeles with his wife and child, Naomi, who is already a year old — and we did a typical tourist thing on the day after Thanksgiving: wander around Fifth Avenue looking at the various store windows at Saks, Bloomingdales, and Bergdorf Goodman. (Oh, and it should be noted, we did all this with Kerri.) Then we went to 30 Rock to see the tree (unlit until Wednesday). And I’ve gotta say, the combination of perfect weather and being amongst people full of holiday cheer (not just Todd and co., but the entire city, it seemed) was really fun.

When we separated, I was having such a good time that I made the decision to stay in the city and try to see a show. After an hour-long wait at the new TKTS booth, I had tickets for (of all things) Shrek the Musical. (I know, I know. But I had included it in a recent article for Continental and I was curious.) I’ll write more about the show a little later, but I’ll say I am enjoying this annual tradition of getting spur-of-the-moment theater tickets (last year I saw Spring Awakening). For laughs and, well, because I had to go, I returned to Charmin’s free public restroom, browsed the Virgin Megastore for a while, then fully embraced my inner tourist by grabbing a quick dinner at Planet Hollywood (mmmmm … Chicken Crunch). Suffice it to say, it was a cheesy couple hours, but I enjoyed myself.

Yeah, Todd was right: In small doses, New York can be a lot of fun. But small doses is key. I’m not moving anytime soon.

Remembering When It Was Dry

13 Sep

Watching all the news coverage last night of Hurricane Ike battering Galveston, Texas, I couldn’t help but remember my trip down to the island this past February and wonder just how much of what I saw was still there. The Hotel Galvez, where I stayed, is/was right on the water, and I’m sure it took quite a beating — along with plenty of other hotels and buildings, which were so nicely restored after the Great Storm of 1900. I wonder if things are alright in the Strand, including at La King’s (where Ernest Torres made the great taffy), and I hope all the nice folks I met back in February who took such great care of us (like Jackie and Jim) are okay. And hopefully people like George Mitchell, who threw one hell of a party for Mardi Gras, are also safe.

So today my thoughts are with all these people and places. If you want to see my pictures from the weekend, just click on that link. And if you’d like to read about my trip, click here. Otherwise, let’s all hope the city and its residents are alright and that they will recover from this storm.

Three’s a Crowd

25 Aug

You can say this (among other things) about Woody Allen as a filmmaker: He sure does know how to give his movies a sense of place.

His latest, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, unfolds in Spain (largely in, yes, Barcelona) and man if it isn’t just the greatest commercial for that city.

A (mostly unnecessary) narrator gives us the film’s basic premise: two best friends, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), are spending the summer abroad.

Both have different views about life and love: Vicky is more uptight and methodical (not to mention engaged), and Cristina is more carefree and spontaneous.

Both of their lives are changed when they meet Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), a painter just out of a troubled marriage (to María Elena, played by Penélope Cruz). Continue reading →

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