Sarasota, buy the book

Just got back from Florida; folks have a condo on the gulf side in Sarasota.

I try to visit a few times annually, and always make it a point to drop in on A. Parker's Books/Book Bazaar on Main Street. Since 1980, rare, out-of-print and used tomes. Some great art history and technique anthologies, in addition to celebrity (auto)biographies. Part of a network of shops in New Orleans (Crescent City Books) and Boston (Commonwealth Books).

I make it a point to pick up one Hollywood exposé on every trip, usually on stars who are just about to shuffle off this mortal coil (STING, MERV GRIFFIN, LIZ TAYLOR, BRANDO, GARLAND). The one I bought on this trip was "More About All About Eve," a behind-the-scenes commentary on the classic 1950 film by director Joseph Mankiewicz. Script included. The copy was pretty beat up. $38...thought that was high, but prices are usually negotiable. The snooty know-it-all bespectacled blond behind the counter refused to budge on the cost, citing "abebooks.com is listing $50-100 for this copy." She lied; checked when I got home...$25-30. So avoid her and deal with the short, bearded, inebriated fellow who resembles Professor Lilloman from High Anxiety.

Searching for an illustrated copy of Ruskin's "King Of The Golden River," if anyone comes across...

A. Parker's Books/Book Bazaar
1488 Main Street, Sarasota, Florida, 34236
Toll-free in the U.S. (888) 317-7300
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Breathing at 32,000 feet

Shameless cross-blog plug about alleviating sinus congestion.

I have to go through a cuckoo ritual every time I fly, courtesy of my twitch-doctor, Geoffrey Pollack, Central Park West (right off the C train). An hour before boarding, I take a decongestant (Sudafed). Then I spray Afrin into each nostril while inhaling deeply. THEN I pinch my nostrils shut, close my mouth, and blow...til my ears pop. Once in my seat, I wear special ear plugs to equalize the air pressure in my head. AND THEN I chew gum upon take-off. Gotta do the WHOLE THING OVER AGAIN 45 minutes before landing. If I don't, my ear drums rupture. OUCH. The alternative is to get that tube surgery...yuck.
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T (high) 5

The new T5 JetBlue terminal at NYC's JFK airport truly is super-snazzy. No more convoluted lines or confusing gate-shuttles. All under one roof. Just like a mini-mall...25 retailers, including magazine shops, bars and a sprawling 22-eatery food court...you can even punch your food order into a drive-thru-like console at your particular gate, and have it ready by the time you walk to the restaurant. Mini-playground for the wee ones. Completely wireless, naturally. The whole facility was clean, brightly-illumed from skylights and logical.

Took my 89-year-old grandmother, Jeanette, to Florida with me. The JetBlue ticket-takers and bag-checkers couldn't have been more affable or accommodating. Travel tip: fly with someone who needs a wheelchair. You get to do cutsies in the security line, and you'll get chauffeuse service right to the gate from a JetBlue employee (thanks, Joy!).
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JetBlue still blows

OK, so I FINALLY got my TrueBlue points from my new American Express card. AND they were good enough to give me enough for a round-trip instead of just a one-way.

But in the tradition of their inconsistent customer care, they blocked all of my Thanksgiving return dates, claiming that "because the flights are so crowded, TrueBlue doesn't apply." I wanted to return from Florida to NYC on the 29th...no go. So now I'll be back on December 2.

God they blow. Or suck. Or both.
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Study suites, Heirloom eats...

Hanging with friends in my hometown of New Haven, Connecticut for the week. Whilst ambling downtown Chapel Street this brisk Autumn afternoon (on my way to lunch at always-yummy-and-inexpensive Mamoun's), did a double-take. Ramshackle Elm City fixture The Colony Inn was no more. In its place was...what? The smoky reflective floor-to-ceiling glass revealed...a furniture store? Lots of tables and chairs, but I spot a bar. Signage outside is vague: "Study" to the left of the entrance, "Heirloom" on the right. I question an all-in-black young man sweeping the stairs, and he informs me that, indeed, it's still a hotel and restaurant.

I dash up the stairs to sate my puzzlement. Wow. Ladies and gents, The Study Hotel. Three weeks old. The Colony was completely gutted and remodeled. Blond and bubbly Ashley greeted me at the front desk, and chirpily endured a mini-interrogation. 124 rooms, starting at $249. The 100-seat Heirloom Restaurant on the ground floor, open 7 days a week for breakfast and dinner, no lunch or take-out yet. A public Mac in the lobby, always a welcoming omen.

47-year-old Paul McGowan, formerly affiliated with Starwood's W chain, is now the guiding principal behind Study's development company, Hospitality 3. The W's influence is apparent on the first floor alone: gloriously chic, spacey, and uber-urban cos-metro.

The boxy facade dovetails (intentionally?) with Yale architecture, mimicking somewhat the honeycombed exterior of Beineke Library. Study definitely seeks to draw Yalies and their visiting kinfolk, as evidenced by Heirloom's opening just in time for October's Parents' Weekend.

The Study, in concert with all the groovilicious new eateries on Crown Street and Ninth Square, makes New Haven more than just the last stop on Metro North. Book a room. Have a libation. Tell Ashley Lil Bobbie Joy sent ya.

The Study At Yale
1157 Chapel Street
New Haven, CT 06511
866-930-1157
amoir@studyhotels.com
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Carry on, my wayward sums...

What's this rumor I hear that certain airlines are charging for carry-ons now? Isn't confiscating my mouthwash punishment enough? Investigate the costs and restrictions associated with your air carrier BEFORE you book, for checked as well as carried luggage. Weight limit for each checked piece is usually 50 lbs., 2-piece max per adult.
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Cryin' The Jet Blues

Love JetBlue, fly them whenever I can (most frequently from New York to Sarasota and Oakland/San Francisco).

So I'm heading to Florida for Thanksgiving, and I have about 50 points in my JetBlue True Blue loyalty account...100 points earns a free one-way flight. About 2 months ago, on JetBlue.com, I spotted an offer for a JetBlue American Express card. Don't really need more plastic, but this promotion promised an extra 50 True Blue points with your first purchase. So I applied, got the card, made a small purchase, and...nothing yet. Still waiting for my 50 points. JetBlue customer service passed the buck to AmEx, which is kinda lame. Between JetBlue and AmEx, I got 3 different answers...4-6 weeks, 6-8 weeks, 8-12 weeks (fine print says 6-8). Ho hum.

Anyhoo, can't wait to see the new JFK terminal...
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