Life After The Carlyle

"It Ain't Over, 'Till Its Over"

That is only one of the famous utterances of Yogi Berra. It is a bittersweet time as we leave this little adventure of ours behind and return to the "real world." There is no doubt the the "fat lady" has sung." It is over and there is no turning back.


As Yogi would say, "when you come to a fork in the road, take it." I decided that this return to civilization should be something special. My original concept was to have the University of Michigan Marching Band welcome us back by playing "Hail to the Victors" upon our arrival home


That concept was short lived as the expense would be borne by us and not by the insurance company. A quick trip to Craig's List in hopes of finding a "band" we could afford did get results. We could get a first grader from PS 6 to play his Kazoo. 


Unfortunately, the only song he could play was "Rock-a-by Baby, and at the audition, he could not even complete the song.


So, we went to Plan B consisting of just getting out of Dodge.


On moving day, the "elves" descended upon our room to get our baggage and whisk us into the capable hands of the Carlyle doormen.  We were packed up and on our way in 7 minutes and in our apartment unpacking 8 minutes later.


It no time at all we were settled in our new/old digs, unpacked and on our way to our favorite coffee spot. So short a time span, but a major culture shock. 


The carpet cleaning company returned our Dhurre rug, but it no longer looked good on the floor. The floor in its previous life was a dark parquet and now was a natural oak finish. That was bad news, but followed quickly by some good news. The cleaning did not remove the water stains and our light rug now featured big black splotches. 


We reported this to our insurance company along with photographs of the rug for them to appraise. They gave us a figure and we did our research to replace the rug. First we went on-line and found a Dhurrie that we liked and an "on-line" store located in Texas that would ship at no charge. Since we had never seen the rug, we called a GIANT rug dealer in New York City to see if they carried Dhurrie rugs. They did and ordered in the rug we liked for us to view.


We liked what we saw, but their price was almost $2,000 more than the Internet store. After some discussion with store personnel and showing them the page from their competitor with the lower price, they lowered the price by a full $2,000 telling us that they would not be undersold.


No wonder "ole' Blue Eyes" sang, that if you make it here, you can make it anywhere."


While the main center of attention has been our adventures at The Carlyle  there is an equally important back-story. While we were having fun and games, there was a group of people getting our apartment for our return.


The leader of  the pack is Maher (Mike) Safa and the company is ASA Building Maintenance, Inc. I believe that it is almost against all natural instincts to say nice things about a contractor, but we must state that doing business with Mike is a pleasure. This is the third (and largest) job we have done with ASA, and the best yet. We are almost ready to have another of the various plagues descend upon us, so we can invite Mike back to do more work. (Only kidding!)


What makes his company special is:

• Mike
• amount of preparation done to assure that work starts on time
• quality of work
• communication. Never a surprise.
• competitive pricing. Not the lowest, but the best value for every dollar spent.

Enough of this unpaid plug, let his work speak for itself:

With this we have come to the end of this chapter of our lives. From the time of "the flood", we never would have imagined the journey that we would take. We hope that you have enjoyed sharing this time with us.


Some of the memories we take away from this adventure include:

• spending six glorious weeks as guests at The Carlyle paid for by our insurance company.
• returning home to a new living room and dining area.
• brand new solid wood floors.
• replacement of our damaged Dhurrie rug (not shown in photo).
• having a contractor not only deliver the finished job in the time promised, but do it in two less weeks than promised. I did every thing possible to slow the process down, but Mike was a man on a mission.

Most of all, I thank you (my readers) for taking time from your busy schedule to read and comment on my first ever blog. I received statistics on the blog and was shocked to learn that it has grown from a handful of people to an audience of 981 "followers." (Whatever that means!)

Many of you have written requesting that I continue to blog. I don't know if  I have anything to say, but will give it some thought and let you know. If you want more of this kind of stuff, drop me a line. A little push is always appreciated and needed.

Larry

"Thanks For The Memories"

With a nod to Bob Hope, this "issue" of the blog deals with our "separation" from The Carlyle. Six weeks in this little bit of Heaven is coming to an end. 


When I was a young "lad", I was addicted to listening to "old time" radio including the soap operas. My happiest days were when I was sick, and could stay in bed all day soaking up all the problems that these make believe characters faced. 


One of the longest running shows was Stella Dallas.The program's opening told the premise of the drama: "We give you now Stella Dallas, a continuation on the air of the true-to-life story of mother love and sacrifice, in which Stella Dallas saw her own beloved daughter marry into wealth and society and, realizing the differences in their tastes and worlds, went out of Laurel's life."


I know that the connection between Stella and me is a real stretch, but the question remains; Can I find happiness when I leave the land of make believe and return to life on 72nd Street.


One of my readers has already questioned what life will be like without those little elves who did everything. The answer is, I will adjust but it will be a culture shock. Perhaps it is time to figure out another disaster so we can have a double whammy; the need to do another renovation and a return to Nirvana. 


One can always dream.

In any case, we enjoyed a fine dining experience this week with Mr. Steinbock, Managing Director and Alexandra Tscherne, Director of Residences. I am happy to report that Jane and I did not embarrass ourselves.  


Since we had friends in high places, we dined (not ate) in a secluded corner of this beautiful dining room. I was pleased that we were like four old friends getting together. The conversation was free flowing and from all indications all had a good time. Oh yes, the food was good. This was a special white asparagus menu and we had some as an first course. this was followed up but a non-vegetarian Dover Sole and fresh fruit for desert. Jane had a creme brule'. Happy to report that not an ounce was added to our weight. A major achievement.


This week also saw the resolution of that lingering question of what happens to the JL & LL pillow cases. Just cast your gaze on this picture. In a major ceremony with much pomp and circumstance, the cases were presented to us. The gift wrapping is so good, it is possible that our heads will never rest on the pillowcases.




One final story to close this page of the blog out. We are back home, but I will save our reverse metamorphosis from a beautiful butterfly to a common caterpillar for a future issue.


The title of this story is...


       "How Larry Became a Shill For The Carlyle."

This morning Jane and I took our usual walk in Central Park and near the 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue entrance we were approached by a woman. She explained that she was a first time visitor from Canada to our city and wanted to see some of the points of interest in the park and that the Zoo and Carousel had not opened yet. 

I suggested that she take the 76th Street exit and visit the Carlyle Hotel. She had a doubtful look on her face until I explained some of the hotel's history including the President Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe urban legend. She left us and the last we saw of her she was floating on a cloud towards the hotel.

So much for Bethesda Fountain and Strawberry Fields.

I think that I have lost all perspective!

     
  

Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)

I can think of no better theme for this blog than the song sung by Doris Day. For a control freak like me, the very concept of "Que Sera, Sera" is beyond my comprehension. As I mentioned in a previous blog, "change" is difficult for the male of the species. Despite any apprehensions I may have, we are getting close to the finish line when we return home and leave this fairytale paradise we have enjoyed for the past six weeks. I decided the best way to approach this period of preparation for separation was to make journal entries and try to put some order into these random events at a later time.


Our youngest daughter, Sandra, and our Granddaughter, Sophia, (age 10) graced us with an overnight stay. This gave our good friends at The Carlyle an opportunity to excel; and excel they did. We had arranged for Roll-away Beds to be set up in our Living Room. In our feeble minds we envisioned cots, but we learned that we did not understand the level of professionalism that existed here.


We went out to dinner (our first time doing so in ages), so we were not prepared for the events that unfolded. To start with, there are two different personalities of the Carlyle.  While we were quite familiar with the daytime persona, we had no idea of what happens after the sun goes down. On our way to dinner, we passed through the lobby. Not the daytime lobby, but a lobby ablaze in a magnificent floral display. One that took our breaths away. 


Upon our return from dinner, in a rather full and tired state we opened the door to our apartment and were stunned by the sight. Our living room had been transformed into a bedroom complete with two over-sized beds. We quickly learned that our guests would not be sleeping on cots but on overstuffed beds. This was our first experience with turn-down service at the hotel, and we were sorry that we always went to sleep early and did not avail ourselves of turn down service during our stay.


It is time for a lesson in Upper East Side Economics. While we live only five blocks away from The Carlyle, the scene is different. Somehow once you cross Park Avenue and walk one block west to Madison Avenue the prices for comparable items in the stores increases greatly. For example, a simple breakfast at Saint Ambrose, an Italian restaurant and coffee bar near the hotel, cost over $100.The breakfast consisted of one order of eggs, an order of pancakes, one fruit plate, one brioche, two decaf coffees, one hot chocolate, and one coffee. While the price was high (to say the least), the food was delicious. I guess that shows how my perspective has changed.  


"Times are a changing" and the time is fast approaching to pack up and move back to our normal surroundings. Do not get fooled, we do not live in a third world country on 72nd Street. I am steeling myself for the impending move.


This week we are having lunch with the Managing Director of The Carlyle. Since jackets are required, I will have to take one out of mothballs and pray that it fits.


More to follow as we get closer to "M" Day.

"So Long, It's Been Good To Know Yuh"

The time is fast approaching when we will be parting company with The Carlyle. As most of you know, change is very difficult for the male of the species.

I am no exception to that rule.

Somehow our contractor, Maher (Mike) Safa, fell under the spell of Jane and is way ahead of schedule. While it is too fast for me, I fear it is moving at a snail's pace for Jane. More about Mike in another blog, so let's return to The Carlyle.

One thing in particular has baffled and bothered us since the very first day. That is the riddle of the missing toilet paper. Keeping in mind that this is a delicate subject, I hope that this does not upset or offend anyone.

No roll of toilet paper EVER approaches the end! Most of us were brought up in a world where the rules of science prevailed:

•  "What goes up must come down." 
• "Every roll comes to and end." 

Not so at The Carlyle. Once a roll is started, it is replaced never to be seen again. I wonder what happens to those partially used rolls. Do they end up at a high scale flea market where they are sold as "formerly used at The Carlyle." If so, they are probably on the same table with the partially used bars of soap.

One of the joys of life here at the hotel is the number of people whose sole purpose in life seems to make us feel welcome. They do that job to perfection. When you step out of your apartment (yes, in this world we occupy an apartment), you encounter the elevator operator (with white gloves) who welcomes you, asks how you are, and announces that you have arrived at the lobby. A lot of information and chatter going down from the fifth floor. Of course when you exit, you are wished a "good day." 


The trip from the elevator through the lobby and out the revolving doors requires responding to greetings from other staff and executive members of the "Carlyle Team." By the time you pass through the revolving doors, you are in a Carlyle Frame of Mind and ready to face the outer world.


I have found out that The Team is a large one consisting of 325 members and 75 Executives for a total of 400 folks dedicated to making life easier for the guests. The average years of service is 15. The number of guests fluctuates, but there are 187 rooms and 52 private residences. The latter comprises people who use The Carlyle as their primary residence or secondary (or more) home.


So far in our short time here, I feel like we have gone from the guest category to being a private resident. That will be short lived when we transition back to life away from The Carlyle.


I have found two major areas where The Carlyle has not stepped into the 21st Century. One deals with a reliable WiFi connection to the Internet and the second with cable TV. 


When we first arrived, the WiFi connection only measured two bars. Before we really had a chance to complain, two workmen appeared at our door to announce that they were in the process of installing new wires to improve the WiFi reception. Improve it they did, but solve it completely they didn't. A major problem still remains. Trying to download a video or view a program results in a continuous process of buffering. This makes it impossible to view anything.


The problem with cable TV seems to be familiar to all of us who use this service. The provider is slow to react and has no sense of urgency to find a solution to the problem. Living in this city, we chose to go with RCN a smaller and hungrier competitor to Time Warner. Yes, we have run into problems with them, but their response time is faster than we are experiencing at The Carlyle. It has been days since the problem with the "on-demand" services was reported and still no service.


I am sure that the hotel will solve these problems quickly as they want to remain competitive with other hotels of similar stature. As a matter of fact there is another hotel across the street that was recently renovated and has all the electronics that even a "Geek" would want. When we were doing our research to select a hotel, I was salivating when shown all the electronic gadgetry. When it came to a vote, my one vote lost to Jane's 1 1/2 votes. 


I am glad that I lost!


With the holidays coming up and our daughter and Granddaughter coming to share the Carlyle experience with us this week, there will be a delay in the next chapter of our adventures. So please hang in there as I will be cluttering up your inbox before you know it.

"So long, it's been good to know yuh!"