Philadelphia Trip - 09/10/24

 

The main tourist part of Philadelphia was on "lock down" today, as the presidential debate was being held at the National Constitutional Center on Independence Mall.  This meant that the visitors center and associated buildings would be off-limit to visitors due to security concerns, and that we'd have to go elsewhere for our tourism fix.

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As I noted in yesterday's post, I had GI Tract issues last night and blocked up the toilet.  This morning, RQS and I had to get up early, so that we'd be ready for the maintenance engineer when he arrived.  We were originally told that this man would arrive between 8 and 9 am.  But we later found out that he'd arrive around 9 and 10 am.  This was more than acceptable to us, as RQS would be able to get an extra hour of rest.  Around 9:30, the maintenance engineer arrived, and he used a snake to unclog the pipes.  (The one thing you can't say about me anymore is that I am full of s**t.)  It took a while, but he was done by 10 am.  Then, the cleaning ladies came in to clean up the bathroom before we could get ready to go out for the day.

Noon came, and so did RQS's cousin.  Now, we had to do the hokey-pokey to get into her cousin's clown car. After contorting ourselves into some unnatural positions, we had managed to fit ourselves into her car, and we were off to the Penn Museum to spend much of the day.  We walked through several galleries including Ancient Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa.  By 3:30, we were pooped, and it was time to go to South Philly for some fish at Anastasi Seafood.

RQS's cousin took us past the corner where Pat's and Geno's compete selling cheese steaks. And then we walked up the street a few blocks to a fish monger who would cook food to order to be eaten in a street side shed.  Her cousin had mistakenly this was another place she had gone to, but we decided to eat here anyway.  Can I say much about the food?  Not really.  This is not a restaurant after all - this is a fish monger that cooks food.  The seafood platter wasn't bad, but it wasn't NYC's Oyster Bar either.

We were dropped off at the hotel around 6 pm, and we relaxed a bit before going out for some ice cream.  It looked like this was a day where the police had to make their presence known, as they didn't want to be held to task if anything would occur in the upcoming debate.  Once we finished our ice cream, it was back to the hotel to watch the debate.  Would it change any minds?  No.  Hard core people with locked in positions would never be swayed by a debate.  But it did show that our former president wasn't up to the task of leading this country.  I hope that he doesn't get the chance to do so again.

Philadelphia Trip - 09/08/24

Philadelphia, "The City of Brotherly Love".  I'd never have coined that phrase for this city, but it is what it is. The last time I was here, it felt like New York City would have been had the Erie Canal not been built. Now, the city seems to be growing up with quite a few tall skyscrapers being built.  And this would be our destination for the next few days.

If we didn't have non-refundable Amtrak tickets, we would have postponed this trip.  What we didn't know at the time of booking was that the second presidential debate would be held during our visit, and that our plans to visit Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Constitution Center, and the US Mint would be scotched for the day we planned to visit.  However, there were enough other things to do, that RQS and I would likely be busy for the 3 days we would be here.

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Our day started by getting showered and dressed, and out the door to Penn Station, NYC.  Although this was a weekend, the subway's weekend schedule didn't make it overly hard for us to reach Penn Station in a reasonable amount of time.  (Often, the weekend schedules might force us to make multiple unneeded transfers to reach some parts of Manhattan, as some routes are shortened and don't facilitate the transfers we need to make.)  By 2:30 pm, we were on the train and off to Philly.

Once we reached Philly, it was off to our hotel.  I was surprised to find that the hotel was on a narrow street that was too narrow for a cab to drop off passengers without blocking traffic.  Yet, the hotel was in a busy an relatively safe neighborhood.  So it appeared that I again had a made a good choice in places to stay.

After having a chance to rest, it was off to a Japanese place for Sushi, and then off for Ice Cream before trying to take an Uber home.  And this is where the first glitch in or trip occurred - I entered in the hotel's address, 130 S. Juniper Street, and accidentally got 130 N. Juniper Street filled in for our destination. Our Uber driver could not speak any English - he was effectively a deaf mute to us.  We ended up walking several blocks with our melting ice cream to our hotel room.  At least the ice cream was still enjoyable when we settled in for the night.

I may never stay at the Tropicana in Atlantic City again.

 

When XGFJ and I were dating, we went to Atlantic City several times and stayed at the Tropicana. In the past, I'd think this place gave good value for prices charged - even with the nonsense "resort fee" tacked on to the bill.  Today, I have the exact opposite opinion, in part, because the hotel part of the complex is not user friendly.

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On Sunday, RQS and I decided to spend an overnight in Atlantic City, so that we could visit sites important to her and her late husband.  As usual, I did the driving, and it took us roughly 4 hours to make it from Northern Westchester to Atlantic City. And that's where our problems began....

Arriving in AC, we didn't know where the self-park lot was for the hotel (they have two).  Signage pointed to one, while we should have been directed to the other lot.  (That was forgivable, but is another issue.)  So we parked in the self-park lot that I was familiar with, and proceeded to the check-in area for the hotel. That's where our first frustration occurred.  Instead of having a human at a check-in desk, they only had machines.  It took a while for us to figure things out, but we got our room keys with some printed documentation.

At this point, we knew we had to go to the Chelsea Tower, but there was no signage from where we were to find our way there.  We asked one person, and he only pointed us in a direction, as he was not fluent in the English language.  So I ended up asking people at the next store how to get there, and they gave me the information needed.  AARGH! Upper management has made the hotel a human unfriendly experience, and it started to leave a disgusting taste in our mouths.  We did find our room, and then RQS went to the beach for the sunset.

Not everything was bad with the Tropicana, it was just second rate at best.  For example, the grill surrounding the HVAC equipment was not secured correctly.  But the AC unit did cool off the room to a desired temperature.  We had an ice bucket for the room, but the ice machine was on the floor below us.  We had a refrigerator in the room, but it was not working.  Although the bed was comfortable, the mattress and bed spring slid around on the bed platform when I was getting dressed.  No good thing was good in its own right, save maybe the restaurant we ate at.  The Chinese restaurant in the Quarter was very good, and we'd both go there again.

The next morning, we had our next set of problems at the hotel.  We had no information on how and where to check out.  We saw no check-in/check-out kiosks.  We saw no hotel lobby.  We saw no information posted anywhere on how to check out.  So RQS called the hotel staff for information, and they said to go to the main lobby.  But where was that?  No humans were in any of the expected places, nor was there adequate signage to direct us to that lobby.  The person at the other end of the line spoke in heavily accented English, and had a hard time understanding RQS's simple request.  By this time we were totally frustrated, and we went to the same check-in/check-out kiosks to check out - and couldn't complete the check-out process.  At this point, we were totally frustrated, and decided to leave and let things sort themselves out.  In the elevator, we met another couple who had the same problem we did. So we knew this was not a problem limited to us.

Later on, when we were in Ocean Grove, RQS checked her email - and they were billing her for 2 days' lodging.  RQS was upset enough that we agreed to try to get this fixed at my place, when we've had a chance to rest. And we took care of RQS's business in Ocean Grove before meandering back home. Yet, this was not the end of the story.  RQS called the hotel, and they referred her to the billing department, knowing it was closed for the day.  AARGH!  If RQS were prone to hair pulling, she'd have less hair than I do as a male. So, she let it all out in an inquiry form on the Tropicana's site, and I hope she'll get this fixed.  Otherwise, she'll deal with her bank regarding the incorrect charge.

 

PS: The hotel contacted RQS a day later and fixed the problem.  Although the problem was resolved, it still left a bad taste in our mouths due to the aggravation we dealt with that day.

Thinking of taking a short trip to Atlantic City for its cheap midweek rates

 

RQS and I have discussed taking care of a personal errand somewhere on the New Jersey coast.  But most of the good places to stay are way overpriced for this time of year.  So I had a thought: Why not stay in Atlantic City overnight and save a few dollars?  There are some good places to eat near the casinos, and we could be wide awake when we took care of our errand.

Assuming we take this trip, we'll be taking advantage of a midweek special, where the hotel part of the complex is giving away the rooms to make a few extra dollars.  There is no way that I'd pay to stay in Atlantic City on the weekend, as a room I could get for roughly $50+tax could cost me over $300+tax. Ouch! The big question which I might have asked would be whether I would travel as Marian or as Mario. But I think it would be best for me to travel as Mario, so that I can avoid possible complications with hotel/casino security.  Could I change while in the room?  Yes.  But why bother?

I have gone to Atlantic City several times in the past.  Once with a former GF from Staten Island, and two/three times with XGFJ.  Most of the time, gambling bores me.  So, on the last trip with XGFJ, I was in the room reading a book when she came to the room escorted by security.  She had won $7,500+ at a slot machine, and didn't want to get mugged on the way to the room.  As for me, I was happy for her. But I simply didn't want to allow myself to get used to sitting in front of a one armed bandit and letting it suck money from my wallet because I got into a zone.

So what do I expect from this trip?

RQS and I will get to Atlantic City in the evening, have dinner, and go to bed.  The next morning after breakfast, we'll drive to Ocean Grove and take care of an errand before returning home.  I expect that we will have a nice time, and that RQS will finally take care of something she was unable to take care of before.  Yet, there is not much that will get me to go to Atlantic City again, as there is little to do except to gamble in this seaside resort town.

The end of the week is here!

 

Above is another work of art from the same hotel/casino.  As much as I am not a gambler, I had a good time when I went there with a then special someone.  I know that she'd be surprised to see me getting up at 6 am every day, as that was the time one had to get up to use the spa's pool before it opened for business.

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Why do I mention a work of art?  Well, I'm thinking of going into NYC this weekend and visiting a museum before the tourists come back to town.  Yes, there is always the risk of catching the virus.  But without a special someone who cares what happens to me, the reward of enjoying myself while I can outweighs the risk of catching the virus.  It is depression or fatalism?  I don't know, but I think it's a form of acceptance of the things I can't fully control.  

Vicki once mentioned that at some time, we have to start living life again.  Recently, the two of us went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant which was busier than the restaurant that FH and I ate at the night before.  FH has little to worry about, as she has had her two vaccination shots, while I should be the one to fear contact with people.  Yet, I'm the one who feels confident going out to eat.  Go figure.

This afternoon, I saw the signs of the end of the pandemic.  Some of the meetup groups that I attend have started to post events for the spring.  It'll be nice to see people again.  But I know that because of last year and my dispute with the ex, that I'm no longer sure of being accepted anywhere due to the dispute.  Yet, I'll deal with those issues if they come up.  At least I can say that I made it through the worst of times alive.  That's more than a lot of people could say if they were able to communicate with us from the beyond....

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It's always nice to help a friend with a problem or two

 

To quote Winston Churchill: "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest."  The above picture may help answer the question posed of Churchill, as it is an Enigma from WW2.  Now to find the Riddle and Mystery....

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I opened this entry with the Enigma, as it was cracked with the use of early computers (and a touch of Alan Turing's genius) at Bletchley Park.  Learning how to use Google Ad services can be just as hard to master as the Enigma was to crack.  But with a little help, this is not as hard as it sounds.

Today, I visited a friend who was taking a course for her business.  One of the modules covered how to set up Google Ad Services to bring traffic to her business' web site.  My friend was quite confused, and reached out to me for help - and I spent the whole day at her place trying to make sense of things, then explaining everything to her, so that she could proceed on her own.  

While there, I found that she had a doctor's appointment the next afternoon.  One problem - they were expecting another 3"-5" of snow, and she didn't want to risk two things: (1) Driving home in bad weather, and (2) Having problems with the procedure being done to her foot that would prevent her from driving home herself. So she booked herself a hotel room in Mt. Kisco for two nights, and I drove her to that hotel on my way home.

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On the ride home, my friend commented that she thinks the reason that men are not interested in her is the chaos going on at her place.  This may be a factor, but I don't think it's the main reason.  Instead, I feel that it is her body.  She had problems fitting into my car, and then, we were barely able to buckle up her seat belt because of her hip size.  (This is why I didn't want to date this woman - I like her, but her body would turn me off if I had to be intimate with her.)  We all maintain fantasies of our attractiveness, but most of us have a good sense of the failings of our bodies.

Before leaving her at the hotel, we decided to have dinner.  There was a bar crowd (3-4 people) doing their best to obey New York's Pandemic Beer/Wine/Spirits law as it applies to restaurants - everyone was having a meal with their drinks, while they watched the hockey game on TV.  We were at least 20' away from the other patrons, and enjoyed an uninterrupted dinner in a restaurant that might be barely paying for its basic expenses.

Given that New York City will now be able to allow indoor dining at 25% capacity on Valentine's day weekend, I plan to make reservations at a restaurant on the NYC side of the county line that separates Queens from Nassau counties.  I figure that FH will feel much more comfortable at this place than the place we dined at last weekend.  It's not a fancy place.  But it's a place that's been in business since I was young.  So I think it'll be a good bet for us.

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I have to chuckle about strange coincidences.  The other day, a woman swiped right on my personal ad, and we ended up chatting on line for almost an hour.  Once she told me what she used to do for work, my ears perked up.  She has met me as Marian without knowing it, as she used to own a clothing store geared for plus size women. Now, she's interested in knowing Mario - even though she doesn't yet know that Marian is my other side.  It'll be very interesting if things progress to a point where I have to reveal this to her....