Ramblings

Somebody’s sleeping in my bed ….

richlevyfcb Advertising, Ramblings Leave a comment

I had a very unusual thing happen to me last week. And in a way, I really can’t believe it happened.

Let me start at the beginning.

Last week, I was in Mannheim, Germany for a business meeting. Mannheim is a pleasant little town about a 40 minute train ride south of Frankfurt. I stayed in a fine hotel where the meeting was being held. I checked into the hotel around noon. They handed me a key and on the keycard envelope was written the room number — room 527.

I took the elevator up to the 5th floor, walked down the hall, put the keycard into the door, the door opened, and I found a small but clean room with a bed, chair and desk. The very basic business hotel room.
I took the next few minutes to unpack, charge my electronic devices and have a quick shower.

Exactly as expected. Nothing unusual.

After I got cleaned up, I got dressed and went downstairs into one of the conference rooms for an all day meeting. At around 8 PM, I headed up to my room to get something I needed – and I found my keycard wouldn’t work in my door. I tried again. It still wouldn’t work. Convinced I could make it work, I tried a third time, still no luck. Just as I was about to head down to the front desk, a woman walked out of my room. She was clearly surprised I was standing there – just as I was surprised that someone was coming out of my room.

Luckily, she worked for the hotel. In her broken english and my high school german, here’s what we discovered. I was given a key for room 527. Somehow, I used that key and walked into room 528. I didn’t even notice that I had entered the wrong room. Probably I didn’t notice because my key worked in the door. Later in the day, they gave a key to someone else for room 528 – and they went up to the room and announced that someone’s stuff was all over the room.

The hotel spent the entire day trying to figure our who was the mystery person in room 527. Since I was in the conference room all day, I never picked up the message or never went back to my room. I have no idea how long the hotel employee was camped out inside my room. I don’t think for very long.

But it got me thinking – how did that happen? How did my room key work in more than one door? Do all hotel keys work in multiple doors and we don’t know – because as honest people we only try our own door?

And what would have happened if the real owner of room 528 entered to find me fast asleep in their bed? Or I walked in on them showering or getting dresses?

I’ve checked into hundreds of hotels during my career, and I don’t think anything like that has ever happened to me before. But I know it will definitely do one thing differently next time I enter a hotel room. I will 100% chain the door behind me.

Because you never know who may have a key that fits into your door.

Calling All Guitar Players

richlevyfcb Ramblings 4 Comments

I’ve hit the wall.

I’ve run out of ideas of songs to ask my guitar teacher to work on with me. Perhaps I’m tackling too many songs at once. Perhaps my teacher is throwing too many at me too quickly. Perhaps I can’t see some obvious choices right in front of me.

Here’s what I’m working on right now:

Proud Mary – Creedence Clearwater Revival version – this is a lot of fun (a crowd favorite as my teacher calls it). I learned the song in about 45 minutes. It’s really easy. Now I’m working on the guitar solos that I’ll only play if I’m playing with someone else.

Someone Like You – Adele – Yes, I’m working on arpeggios. The interesting thing about this song is that unless you sing along, it really sucks. The music itself is nothing special. And really not that fun to play. And for those of you who have heard me sing – you know that’s nothing special, too.

Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People – is a request from my son to learn something from this decade. (Adele doesn’t count) This song has 4 notes in it. If Proud Mary took 45 minutes to learn, this took 3 minutes. But I have to admit, I enjoy playing this song and it’s definitely a fun sing along song.

Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley version – fingerpicking drills. I hate fingerpicking drills. But this song is so damn pretty, it makes it fun. I wish I could sing like Jeff Buckley. Nobody can except him. Great song.

Dear Mr. Fantasy – Traffic – every now and then, I hear a song and wonder if it would be fun to play. This is a very, very simple song (except the guitar solos which are not easy). I love the idea of this song more than I love playing it. Taking a very electric song and trying it out acoustically.

Now I need your help.

Please comment below on some fun songs you think a (sort of) beginner should know how to play. Added bonus – songs with F and Bm chords. For some reason, I suck at both F and Bm. So I’m looking for songs with a lot of F and Bm chords in them. That will force me to practice them a lot. I need to get better – as virtually every song has either F or Bm in the song.

Thanks in advance. Oh, and songs from this century would be greatly appreciated, but not required.

4.20.12

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

richlevyfcb Family, Ramblings 10 Comments

My daughter Kristen got engaged on Saturday afternoon.

It wasn’t that much of a shock, since her fiancé asked permission a few months ago. I knew it was coming. In fact, since we’re meeting his family this coming Saturday, I expected that it would happen before we met.

Ian (we call him I-an Mil-ler – like the groom in ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’) did everything right. He asked permission (huge), bought a vintage ring (perfect for my daughter’s taste) and proposed on a picture perfect Saturday at a botanical garden. They will remember that day for their entire life.

The interesting part for me is that everyone asks how I feel about it. Really? I’m thrilled for my daughter. I’m thrilled for Ian. I’m excited to help plan a wedding. I’m excited to watch my daughter enter the next stage of her life. (Just for the record – Ian is an incredible guy. The kind of guy I hoped Kristen would meet.)

And now the planning begins. Sometime after Saturday, I’m sure we’ll begin talking about when, where, who, how many, what kind, what color and all the details which make a wedding a wedding.

A date not too close, and yet not too far away. Something that doesn’t far on a major holiday weekend or someone else’s event. (Like Adam’s bar mitzvah next year)

Let’s avoid hurricane season. Let’s avoid rainy April. Let make sure it doesn’t fall on anyone’s birthday or anniversary. And most of all – let’s make sure it’s not a full moon. OK, I may be overthinking this already.

And since it’s never too early to plan – I have a few requests: The band can’t plan ‘Celebrate’ and the best man’s speech has to be short. I want to dance with my daughter but I don’t want a cheesy song. Perhaps ‘what a wonderful world’ from our favorite movie. (…when Harry met Sally) And of course, I want the details to be just right. Because it’s all about the details. Just like asking permission, a vintage ring and Longwood Gardens.

Because this should be a night, they’ll never forget.

Please join me in congratulating Kristen and Ian.

4.17.12

Cleavage and Crack Are not the same thing

richlevyfcb Family, Ramblings 2 Comments

Thanks to American Idol and The Voice, my son has discovered cleavage.

Yes, my (now) 10-year-old son who misses nothing — has noticed that the women on these shows like to show off their ‘chest crack’ (the phrase he was using).

First there was Christina Aguilera on The Voice. Check out the outfit on National TV.

After you get past the stupid hat, you almost can’t miss the neck line. I know my son didn’t.

Next there was Nicki Manaj

17 million people watched this episode – include the very same 10-year-old. And thanks to the wonder of DVR – he’s watched her almost have a wardrobe malfunction more than once. In fact, we got so tired of hearing him talk about her ‘chest crack’ we decided to teach him the word ‘cleavage’ — which isn’t the usual thing we teach our son — so at least if he was going to talk about it, he’d use the correct terminology.

When did it become OK to dress like a stripper on national TV? I thought Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake ended that years ago. When did American Idol – the king of middle America decide to let it all hang out? Am I over reacting? I don’t think so. But I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please fill out the poll below. I’ll let you know how much ‘chest crack’ I see on this week’s episodes.

4.16.12

My Son Runs Too Fast For Me

richlevyfcb Family, Ramblings Tags: 6 Comments

It’s happened.

My 10-year-old son has become a better athlete than me. OK, I’ll admit that I’ve never been much of an athlete – but I didn’t expect him to pass me so quickly. Why do I think my son is a better athlete? Here are three examples:

He’s a better skier
My son can ski faster. He can ski steeper stuff. He has less trouble in powder. He can ski the bumps. On our last two ski trips I have the feeling that I’m holding him back. And when we ski together, I can actually hear my son thinking “when can I ditch dad so I can ski the trails I want to ski.” And it happened so quickly. A few years ago he was skiing between my legs. He was falling on the green circle rope tow. He used to ski trails like “Paddy Wagon” and “Scooter.” Now he’s flying down “The Rapids,” “KT-22,” “Chute-75” and all kinds of trails that sound scary. A few weeks ago, while skiing in California he actually said to me “if you can’t keep up, I’ll meet you at the lift.” Thanks a lot.

He’s a better runner
This has been coming on for a few years. Once my son joined a running club at school he’s been hooked. He’s a great (OK, maybe I’m bragging) long distance runner. And on any given day, he can run longer and faster than me. Now keep in mind, I’ve run three marathons. I can run. But he can run better. I’ve begun riding my bike through our neighborhood while he runs. That way I can keep up. I can also help pace him. But basically, it’s because I can’t keep up his pace any more.

He’s almost a black belt in Tae Kwon Do
My son has been taking TKD since he was 5 years old. In May, he’ll be taking his black belt test. The information he has stored in his head would make my head spin. He’s very confident about the test. He knows he has a lot of work to do, but feels ready to tackle the challenge. I don’t think I could ever dedicate the time to getting a black belt. But he has. I’m proud of his achievement. It’s amazing to watch.

And yet, there are still a few sports where I can beat him.

I can kick his butt in baseball
I’m sure if I played a game on one-on-one baseball with my son, I could still kick his but. I’d strike him out every time, and he’d walk me every time.

I’m taking him down in basketball
My temporary height advantage would be too much to overcome. (I say temporary, because in about 4 years, I think he’ll be as tall as me, if not taller.)

I’d lap him in swimming
Ah, the only spot where I excelled in my youth. My son would not be able to keep up with me in the pool. But again, that is temporary. A few more years at summer camp, and I can see this advantage ending.

I can still bench press more than him
Hopefully, I’m still stronger than my 10-year-old.

My golf swing is better
As my son said yesterday while watching the Masters “my best score ever is a triple bogey.” I’ve actually ‘eagled’ a whole or two in my golf career. I think I can take him on the golf course for at least 5 or 6 years. But that’s only because he’s too busy beating me in other stuff.

At the end of the day, I’m very proud of my son’s skiing, running and tae kwon do abilities. Although I have to admit, it does motivate me to get into better shape. Yes, I’ll always be competitive. And very soon, he’ll be encouraging me versus the other way around. Oh, and I know it’s only a matter of time until he can kick my butt in everything. Except chess. I’ll always beat him in chess.

4.9.12

Four Burning Questions I Can’t Figure Out On My Own

richlevyfcb Ramblings 6 Comments

Today on my way to work, I noticed a few things that made me ask ‘why do people do that?’ and I decided to ask you since I couldn’t figure out the answer on my own. So here we go.

1) Why do so many women carry so many bags in the morning? Today on my walk to work I counted over 100 women who were carrying over 250 bags. Most carried at least a handbag and a tote bag. But some had a handbag, tote bag and a larger bag that was probably filled with other bags. Why? What are you carrying? Lunch? Computer? iPad? A stack of gold bars on your way to the Federal Reserve? What is in all those bags and do you really need to carry it around every day? I even noticed a few women who had coordinated all the bags to match their outfit. That’s a lot of bags to buy and have hanging around your house or apartment. Can’t you manage to fit everything into one bag? And if you can’t, doesn’t that tell you something? That maybe you’re carrying too much?

2) Why is it so hard to tie your sneakers? I passed at least 30 people on the street with their sneakers untied. Why? I can understand that they’re easier to get on and off. I can understand that it may look cool. But isn’t it really hard to walk? I know this has been going on for a long time. And it probably started as a fashion trend that has carried over way too long. But I watched the NCAA basketball tournament – and every player on the court had their basketball shoes tied. I even saw someone stop in mid-play to tied their shoes. But their player ‘wanna-be’ guys can’t tied their shoes to walk down the street. I’m assuming they do it to bother people like me. And they’re succeeding.

3) When did wearing jeans become a hardship? I hear this from my son all the time – and I’m noticing it more and more all over the place. When did wearing jeans become uncomfortable? When did sweatpants become the comfortable things to wear all the time? My son hates wearing jeans. He’d rather wear dress pants or sweat pants or just about anything else. I find myself having conversations like this:

Son: Do I have to wear jeans?
Me: Yes.
Son: Ugg, they’re so hard to move in.
Me: We’re going out to dinner, you can’t wear lounge pants or sweats.
Son: I don’t care.
Me: I do.

Has this generation rejected jeans as the fashion of the counter-culture? I hope not. I hope it just a passing thing. But my gut tells me it’s not.

4) When did the “Hunter” brand take over ownership of the ‘fashion rain boot’ category? Every time it rains in New York City they come out of the woodwork. Hundreds of women wearing Hunter rain boots in ever imaginable color, pattern and style. I even saw rain boots with a serious high heel on them. Has Hunter been around forever and I just didn’t notice since I’m not the target market? It this another trend that just hit the mass market in the past few years? When did rain boots become a fashion accessory? Or is this something that has been slowly happening over the past few years, and I didn’t notice until I bought a pair for my wife? I wish I bought stock in Hunter a few years ago.

5) When did the big ‘over the ear’ headphones take over the ‘cool’ headphone category? I have to admit, I hate wearing the white Apple ear buds, as they don’t really fit my ears. But I don’t think I’d really want to walk around the streets of New York wearing the big headphone either. Do they sound that much better? Is it just another ‘thing’? What’s the story about these?

I don’t know – these questions bother me. I like knowing what’s going on. What do you think? Or am I completely over thinking this? Please let me know.

3.4.12

There are no Hamburgers in Hamburg

richlevyfcb Advertising, Ramblings 1 Comment

Hello from Hamburg, Germany.

I’m here today for a meeting with a creative director from our Hamburg office to discuss how to better align on a global account. In the morning I leave for another meeting in Basel, Switzerland.

Doesn’t it sound pretty glamorous and exciting?

Well, I have to admit. It is. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of work. I’m physically tired. But it’s also a lot of fun. Don’t let anyone kid you, traveling the world on business is pretty cool.

I’ve already learned two things about Hamburg I didn’t know.  That everything is closed on Sunday. Everything (except restaurants). Want to go to the drug store. Sorry, don’t get sick on a Sunday. Want to shop for the perfect last-minute gift. Not on Sunday. It’s very quiet with all the shops closed. And I have to admit – it’s a little boring.

The second thing I noticed was at lunch – there wasn’t a Hamburger on the menu. Wait – shouldn’t every restaurant have a hamburger on the menu in Hamburg? That’s like not having a hot dog on the menu in Frankfurt. Wasn’t the hamburger invented here? Apparently not. Perhaps I just need to look a little harder.

The other thing I noticed about Hamburg is that people love their cars. I’ve seen more cool cars in the first hour after arriving than you see in a week in New York City. I saw two great cars parked on the street. An Audi A9 in a matte black paint finish and a Weisman sport coupe. I had never heard of the Weisman – but it was cool looking. People were actually taking a photo of the car as they were walking past.

Working in advertising has allowed me to travel to the four corners of the globe. Visit places that I may never had been exposed to without a business trip. I’ve been all over Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, the Caribbean and of course The United States. I’ve been to big cities and small towns. I’ve traveled to towns that were no bigger than four buildings. I’ve traveled to some amazing spots. Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Rio and Buenos Aries. I’ve been on millions of miles of flights. I’ve been to countless airports. And I’ve butchered countless languages.

And I would do it all over again – exactly the same way. I will admit I miss my family while traveling. (Thank heavens for cell phone, Skype and FaceTime) And I’ve probably missed my share of family events. But I think I’ve managed to keep work and home aligned nicely.

And I’ve learned a few things along the way. Like there are no hamburgers in Hamburg. I wonder if there’s basil and Basel.

3.19.12

I’m huge in Hong Kong!

richlevyfcb Ramblings 3 Comments

I don’t know why I’m so surprised.

Yesterday I looked at the global map of my blog and was shocked at the number of different countries my readers are coming from. In all, 26 different countries are represented in the last 7 days. Wow. I don’t know why, but I guess I was a little surprised. I thought I knew everyone who was reading this. Friends, co-workers and even my FIT students. But 26 countries? That was a surprise.

But then I started thinking ‘why isn’t anyone reading from France? I mean, I have readers from the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Belgium, so why not France? Do I not make enough Jerry Lewis references? Is it because I haven’t seen ‘The Artist?” Or perhaps my smart ass comments don’t translate into French.  I’ll have to ask one of my friends who is from France to give me some secret coded message that only people in France will understand. Maybe that will work.

I assumed that English-speaking countries would have the greatest number of readers. It makes sense that readers are coming from the USA, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK, New Zealand, India, Bangladesh and the British Virgin Islands.  But I have to admit that I was surprised at the volume of readers from Taiwan, The Republic of Korea, Thailand, China, Japan, Israel, Malaysia, Argentina, Brazil and the Philippines.

But I was equally surprised that none of my people – my heritage – have been to my site. Where are the Russians? My Polish brothers? The Greeks? Heck, I’m 1/4 Turkish – come on and read! You can read your newspapers later in the day. Make my blog a part of your morning with’ a glass tea.’

And finally, I’m also surprised that I have no readers from the Czech Republic. Hey, I just visited your country this summer. I was going to post some pictures of your beautiful corner of the world so more tourists would visit. But maybe now I won’t. You have to get here and read first. (Of course, if I put the photos up, maybe you will come.)

Oh, and one last thing. Thank you for reading. Thank you for coming back day after day. Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to spend it with me. After all – this wouldn’t be any fun without you.

Au revoir

richlevyfcb Design, Ramblings 1 Comment

I follow this blog – and I really like some of the posts. I loved this particular one. Although I’ve always been fond of really great knockers. Enjoy

3.4.12

frannyritchie's avatarsnacks & adventure

As I mentioned a few posts ago, Ian and I were recently in Belgium, where I took 676 photos in four days.  It made me realize how quickly Cambridge has become my home – while I’m certainly not immune to its charms, it very quickly became just the place where I happen to live.  I saw all sorts of mundane things in Ghent and Brussels that completely delighted me. The best example was the door handles/letterboxes that I saw on lots of the doors, particularly while doing the Victor Horta walking tour.  The variety was incredible, and some were so intricate and Art Nouveau.  I couldn’t get enough.

In fact, I had been taking photos of balconies (not sure that’s gong to yield a good collage yet…) when I pointed the door handles out to my husband.  He said “why don’t you make a collage of those?” and I said…

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