Independent Women

Skype is a necessity for any traveler. My Russian guests are as addicted to the service, as am I. Here, Paul struggles to learn the American keyboard so he can phone his family.

It's been an absolute delight sharing my home with foreign guests. They are grateful for the hospitality and eager to help. The girls are extremely traditional and would rather use the sink and stove over the dishwasher or microwave. Both are homesick already for their husband and children, I can see it in their eyes.

Paul is a little amazed to see so many independent single women in America. He marvels at how we can maintain a house, car and business on one meager salary. I try to explain the concept of debt, credit cards and a little bit of luck.

There's no denying that America has it's share of problems but our freedoms and equality try to give everyone the opportunity to live, love and succeed as they wish. 'Try' being the key word.

They are off to visit NYC today through Friday. I give them my best advice on restaurants, museums and attractions. The girls scored some cheap hotel rooms on the Upper West Side facing Central Park. They are minutes away from my favorite spot, the American Museum of National History.

"Crif Dogs" and "Rice to Riches" are also on their list of unusual but popular neighborhood eateries.

I worry the pending snow storm might disrupt their bus service coming home but I'm sure they'll find a way. They seem a lot more resilient and flexible than most women, single or married, that I know.

Grits for Breakfast

My Russian guests ignored my fine selection of Post and General Mills cereals this morning and went straight for the instant grits. The coarsely ground grain with a little hot milk was just enough to satisfy their breakfast needs. Oh, and of course, more green tea.

Hosting guests from another country is more than just setting up a room with a blanket and pillow. My house is like a B&B for the week. Mutti and me serve up eggs, bacon, toast and fresh homemade jam. We make sure to wash the linens and prepare transportation. The dogs are used to the extra faces and like the attention.

Every morning, before the days activities, the film director, Paul, either does yoga or goes for a long run around the neighborhood. Paul told me that when he decided to get into showbiz, he was told that if he wanted to make it he needed to exercise. He's done so every since.

Right now he is encouraging me to follow the teachings of Peter Kelder.

The all-female dance troupe called "Varen'ka" are staying busy showcasing their talents at area schools today. Afterward they will finally get the opportunity to go shopping! The two ladies that are staying with me are especially excited for this.

Green Tea for the Ruskies

My apologies for not writing since Tuesday but I have guests! Not one or two but three Ruskies are staying with me for the next few weeks. They are dancers, filmmakers and musicians from Russia here to perform in the second annual Russian Winter Festival in Albany, NY. A total of 12 are visiting, some for the first time.

I agreed to host two thirty-something, married-with-children girls and one vegetarian film director at my empty nest. Their names are Paul, Olga and Irena. Paul can speak just enough English and the girls manage to understand a handful of words. There will be no philosophical discussions or cultural breakthroughs but that doesn't matter. It sure is nice having two worlds cohabitating right here inside my home rather than on the road.

The last two nights we attended the Linda Norris Auditorium on Central Ave for the Russian Film Forum. The first flick was an endearing documentary about a semi-famous Russian poet and his wife that he affectionately calls 'Mouse.' Tonight was a historical docu-drama about an Empress of Russia who brought back civility to the country: Catherine the Great.

Both were fabulous films, the first called "Konstantin and Mouse" made poignant by following an aging beatnik intellectual with a drinking and smoking problem through his memories of the iron grip of the Soviet Union. The second film called "The Empress and the Rebel" was beautifully choreographed and attracted a leading actress to play Catherine pro-bono because she'd always been fascinated with Catherine's complexity.

In the evening my friends insist on a pot of simmering green tea before bedtime. What, no Vodka? I dusted off the shot glasses for nothing? Unlike Russia, maybe our upstate winters aren't cold enough for Vodka. They sip their tea without milk and only two lumps of sugar. Even though I have a dishwasher, they would rather wash the cups in the sink.

And finally my Russian guests want desperately to see a deer behind my house. Deer populate the area because the woods were once theirs, but, of course, when I want one to appear, none do.

Eat at Your Own Risk

Carrie earned this one! She burned off enough calories running up the Empire State Building on Tuesday to indulge in guilt-free hotdogs at Crif Dogs in the East Village.

Forget Nathans or Oscar Mayer. This crusty dive prepares the most incredible smoked frankfurters, deep-fried or grilled, and smothered with over 23 toppings.

Carrie ordered the "Good Morning" wrapped in bacon and smothered in melted cheese and a fried egg along with a can of PBR and bowl of tater tots. I inhaled the "Chihuahua," a dog wrapped in bacon and covered with avocadoes and sour cream. For dessert we split the "Spicy Redneck" with chili, cole slaw and jalapenos.

Most fans stumble in around 3am looking to feed an early hangover or use the graffiti-laden toilet under the staircase. Carrie and I were here to also sneak a peak at PDT, a gritty speakeasy accessible through the telephone booth. The bar wasn't open though (it opens at 6pm) and the staff recommends reservations.

Vertical Adrenaline at the Empire State Building

The Empire State Run-Up has been an annual tradition since 1978. Every year, runners race up the 1,576 stairs to the 86th floor. Some never make it others stumble, trip, and fall but brush themselves off and continue the climb. The record time of 9 minutes and 33 seconds was set in 2003. 2010 marks the 33rd year of competition and even the die hard marathoners agree that this is their favorite race.



This is the oldest runner in the race: 76 year old Ginette Biddard, originally from France but now living in Long Island. She refuses to rock away the years and instead rushed across the finish line in under 23 minutes. Her own son, half her age, also competed in the race. He didn't even come close to Mom's record. Biddard was being interviewed by television media stations and newspapers.



The first place winner in the mens category was defending champion, 25 year old Thomas Dold from Germany. This is his fifth straight win. He pushed hard to beat the record but finished in 10:16. Dold is recognized as the world leader in stair climbing. Right after this photo was taken he dropped to his knees in utter exhaustion and delirium.



When the runners leave the dry and hot stairwell they race around the corner of the observation deck at breakneck speed. The wind and air gives them that extra boost to the finish line. A mob of journalists are waiting to break their fall.

Albany Native Tears It Up

One of our own just dashed up 86 floors to the very tip top of one of the most famous buildings in the world - the Empire State Building! Miss Carrie Barown, 30 years young, invited PilotGirl to join her and document the run this morning.

206 hyper-athletic girls and guys of all ages from all over the world gathered in the lobby of the Empire State Building. Dozens of different languages and dialects exchanged back and forth inside the hall where the race numbers and pins were given out. Runners from New Zealand, Germany, Japan and even 76 year old Ginette Bidard from France anxiously prepped for the climb of their lives.

Carrie admitted her nerves were giving her butterflies. I tried to relax her with a short message. Carrie is a gym teacher at Albany High and in better form and shape than anyone I know. There would be no reason why she wouldn't lead the pack up the stairwell.

The boys and girls were divided into 2 groups. The girls took off 5 minutes ahead of the boys. Carrie had a strategy, having been training for the last month in the Agency towers at the Empire State Concourse. During her lunch breaks she would run a total of 20 flights over and over and over again until 86 floors was reached.

After a lifetime of announcements, a loud fog horn finally went off. A scramble of girls squeezed into a stuffy dreary stairwell, feet pounding the concrete stairs, exasperated breathing, the leaders pulling ahead in no time.

At floor 20, dozens of girls broke for a seconds worth of gulping water. Then they were off again. At floor 43 Carrie yelled "We are half way there!" and all the girls behind her breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn't until floor 80 that she checked her watch. She was beating her record of coming in under 20 minutes but better than that she might finish under 18 minutes. She pumped her legs into high gear and pushed the pain away.

Sure enough, she rounded the top of the Empire State Building in under 18 minutes at 17:52. Amazing! She placed 13th place in her age category and 142 over all. She couldn't have been happier! Dozens of photos online at Flickr.com.

From Russia with Valentine's Love

Being a busy board member I've voluntarily spent many hours this week building a flash website for the Albany Tula Alliance. This preliminary site is far from finished though. A truly professional design firm will be hired to finish the painstaking task of organizing 20 years of partnership into a polished showpiece that all of Albany (and Tula) can be proud of.

We've even gone mainstream with a Twitter account that desperately needs some followers. Next up, Facebook, a blog and Paypal. Hey, it's 2010 - time to show the community how close our two worlds really are.

Of course, the ATA is always looking for more membership, sponsors and donations. And if you're interested in a little love this Valentines sign up for our banquet dinner at the Opalka Gallery on Sunday the 14th. The traditional Tula, Russian Dance Ensemble "Varen'ka" will choreograph a dance performance after a wine and cocktail buffet. For more information check out the events page on the website.

I'm off to NYC in the morning to toy in some of Manhattan's best kept secrets. Check back soon for highlights.

Hey Baby, How 'Bout Caulking My Tub?

Today was spent prowling around the Great Northeast Home Show with friends Mariam and Stacy. And you know? This beats bar hopping any day. There's twice as many men and they all know how to fix a leaky faucet.

Stacy fell head over heels for a kiosk called "Basement & Crawl Space" while Miriam flirted with the "Fresh Coat Painters" and I went all googly-eyed over "Solar Made Simple."

We had found HGTV-nirvana under two gigantic roofs, the Times Union Center (formerly known as Pepsi Arena) and Empire State Plaza Concourse. We toasted to our good fortune with 3 plastic cups of Chardonnay sold at the concession stand squeezed between an exit corridor and "Carpet & Flooring."

We left with as many business cards as we could realizing that, sooner or later, we'd have to whittle it down to one contractor not ten. I went so far as to even accept a free estimate maybe two.

God knows what will become of me after all my gutters are clean.

True Grit at Ten Above Zero

Trying to keep a resolution in the dead of winter is no easy task but weather is no excuse. Not even a giant blast of cold arctic air nearly knocking me over as I force open the front door is an excuse.

My feet hit the pavement for the 28th straight day of running dressed wisely in several layers. It's no easy feat but the full moon supplies me with just enough light to dodge ice patches, cars and recycling bins lost to the wind.

I prefer running at night, well, maybe not especially tonight but exercising under the stars to hit songs by Coldplay... Look at the stars, see how they shine for you... makes this grueling resolution more tolerable than it sounds.

I round a bend and my new sneaks grip the icy gravel like a 4-wheel SUV. Great traction, no slippage, I'm happy. Some mailboxes are propped open from the wind. I aim to shut them dashing past but my hands are too numb from fiddling with my I-Pod volume.

Which leads me to ask: Why did Apple engineers design the I-Pod to be used only by bare hands and not, say, someone wearing mittens or gloves? Technology like that baffles me.

I take no shortcuts or breaks. I keep moving, mostly out of fear of frostbite if I slow down. Finally, I'm home! I clock in with a most embarrassing 5K time but the resolution is put to bed in clean conscience that is until tomorrow when I run the gauntlet all over again.

Smart Trash Cans with a Small Footprint

Tomorrow is garbage day in Bethlehem which brings me to rather dirty subject... trash collection. Yes, it's a rather slow travel week for PilotGirl but my second favorite subject besides travel is the environment so today's blog is all about municipal solid waste. Hey now, don't laugh, this is very serious issue.

Did you know that on average, Americans throw away 30lbs of trash per week? Some of the neighbors in my suburban ozone look like they contribute twice that much! 30lbs a week totals 245 million tons a year. When fuel, labor and equipment is factored in it's no wonder that some city governments want to curb illegal dumping and pilfering.



Voila! The solution - the BigBelly Solar. While in Philadelphia last year I noticed these receptacles but thought nothing of their significance. It turns out that the trash cans reduce collection trips up to 80% saving the city huge amounts of diesel costs.

It works like this: the sun provides the energy for a mechanism to engage inside the BigBelly and crush the garbage every time it reaches a certain limit. This allows the can to contain 4 to 8 times the trash load of conventional wire trash cans. Ultimately the increased capacity of the BigBelly mean less trips by noisy garbage trucks, hence reducing noise and air pollution as well.

Also, these smart trash cans contain a wireless device that alerts home base when they need emptying.

To date, over 2,000 BigBellies have been sold across the U.S. and in 17 countries around the world. Might Albany, Troy, Schenectady or Saratoga be in need of a few? It sure would be nice if my neighborhood trash bins could do the same.

Flight of Fancy

Are you ready for a virgin flight aboard the largest airliner in the world? The A380 is Air France's national carrier between John F. Kennedy, NYC and Paris, France and if you read my blog during my Tunisia trip I was lucky enough to board this new plane.

Read about the flight at GoNomad.com and say goodbye to claustrophobia if you plan to ride this double-decker. My economy seat gave me about 5% more room which was nice when the guy in front of me reclined his seat. I didn't have to stare at his bald spot or listen to his snores. Still, it was a coach seat and the business and first class are where you're going to want to be if you fly.

Running into Ron Houser

He's not a doctor but he plays one in his shop. In fact, he's better than a doctor. Ron Houser is a ABC Board Certified Pedorthist and, lucky for me, helped find the perfect sneaker to alleviate a painful sciatic nerve in my left leg.

After skiing Friday, Nola and I went looking for some winter sales at The Mountain Goat, a well-stocked outdoor clothing shop in Manchester, Vermont. I stumbled upon a collection of new shoes at the back of the store.

"Can I try this orange pair on?" I asked a sales person.
"Do you intend to run it in?"
"Yes, I cross train on roads and trails."
"Oh, in that case, you need this one," Ron pointed to a pair of baby blue Montrails, on sale with a sleek tread and mid-foot support for my high arch.

After that, for over 30 minutes, my feet, legs and hip bones were poked, prodded and pressed to determine how and why I have sciatica. The evaluation lead to a full and accurate description of my lower anatomy and footprint. Proof came from the insert of my overused pair of blue Merrills. My Yoga Instructor Nola listened intently to make sure that this was no sales pitch.

Ron is an athlete himself and schooled himself about orthopedics shortly after his own set of sufferings. He was able to do to me in under an hour what would have taken weeks at my HMO to learn. He went on to recommend an easy solution for stretching out the hamstring and the quadriceps muscles with a lightweight foam roller. All I need is ten minutes of time to prep the leg before and after running and no expensive PT.

Guess where I'll be buying my shoes from now on?

The Mountain Goat is at 4886 Historic Main Street, Manchester, right across from every Vermonters (mine too) favorite bookstore, The Northshire Bookstore.

Putting Politics into Perspective

Can you hear him? My politically astute pal Bob English in Saratoga Spa is beyond pissed. He's at the window now yelling “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” And who can blame him?

The McCain-Feingold Act is no more. Progressive radio Air America is no more. Health care reform is no more. And the sadness prevails in Haiti. But the worst news this week, brace yourself, is of a 13-year Saudi girl sentenced to 90 lashes and 2 months of detention for bringing a cell phone to school. Yes, a cell phone.

Saudi Arabia has been on the Human Rights watch list for hundreds of cases of human rights violations that include flogging, amputation, torture and beheadings.

In 2006, a Saudi teenager was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison after she was the victim of a gang rape.

In March, 2002, at least fourteen schoolgirls died at a school in Saudi Arabia after religious police stopped them from fleeing a fire. The religious police maintained that they could not leave the building because they were not wearing correct Islamic dress.

And, in February, 2008 religious police arrested a Saudi psychology academic for having coffee with a female student. He faced 180 lashes for the act.

The moral of this story is when things in the United States seem out of control they aren't anywhere near as bad as in Saudi Arabia... yet.

A Literary Lion on the Big Screen

Having visited his grand Utopian estate just south of Tula, Russia, I can't wait to see the film "The Last Station," by Michael Hoffman. The movie debuts at the Spectrum in less than a week.

When he was alive, Tolstoy was of the most famous writers in the world. Even though he was a wealthy man with 13 children, his radical philosophies included passive resistance, vegetarianism and celibacy. His writings influenced Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tolstoy's house at Yasnaya Polyana is a museum which includes his library of 22,000 volumes, his simple grave site, 10 acres of fir groves where Tolstoy gathered inspiration and the desk where he wrote manuscripts including 'War and Peace.'

Inside an Olive Oil Factory in Tebourba, Tunisia

While in Tebourba, Tunisia a few weeks ago, I shot the inside of a first cold press olive oil factory or mill as the owner calls it. His name is Abdelmajid Mahjoub and his famous olive oil company is called Moulins Mahjoub.

Bottles of his wonderful tabletop flavors (extra virgin olive oil, Mediterranean artichoke spreads and gourmet olives) can be found in high-end specialty shops like Dean & Deluca and Le Pain Quotidien.

I would have liked to have used subtitles in editing this video but I too couldn't understand each and every word Mr. Mahjoub spoke. Still, regardless, his passion and enthusiasm for his thriving olive oil business since 1993 is obvious and he welcomes visitors for a tour and taste-testing anytime.