Since I started working at Middleton & Gendron, I’ve grown accustomed to staying in luxury hotels like Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas. When I told my friends and family that I was going camping in Yosemite National Park, they didn’t believe me. Who could really blame them? I’ve never been camping before and I enjoy hotels where “roughing it” is when room service ends before 10 p.m.

After psyching myself up by watching a mini-marathon of Man vs. Wild, I packed my bag and made the cross-country trip to Fresno, CA to meet my wilderness guide. In response to much probing, she assured me that I wouldn’t get eaten by a bear, but I wasn’t convinced.

With every bear deterrent packed along with the camping gear, we made the trek to Yosemite. Driving along the mountain roads, I thought that there couldn’t be anything better than this. I was completely and utterly wrong.

There is, in fact, no better feeling than to stand at the top of a mountain and look out at “God’s country.” Not a building, cell tower, car or hot dog cart in sight. While we are building bigger and more architecturally unqiue buildings, man can’t replicate views like this.

Having pitched the tent and carefully put everything in our bear box, we went for a short hike around the campsite. The plan was for a longer hike, but I saw people jumping off a large rock into a stream and I had to try it. I stood on top of the rock for at least 10 minutes watching 10-year-olds pass me by and jump straight in. I finally mustered up enough courage (I can only be called chicken so many times) and jumped off the rock. Problem was, I jumped to a spot lined with large rocks that is six feet deep, and I am 6’2”. Luckily I clutched my knees to my chestand didn’t break anything.

Keeping a watchful eye for any sort of wildlife that could mistake me for food, we hiked a mile and a half to the top of a waterfall. I had a little bit of panic attack when I saw a sign that said I would be incredibly lucky to see a mountain lion. Apparently, my definition of luck is different from that of park rangers. I didn’t fly across the country to get eaten by a mountain lion!

You never truly appreciate just how out of shape you are until you walk straight up a mountainside. Upon reaching the top, you realize that the juice was most definitely worth the squeeze. The views were breathtaking but then again, the entire hike took my breath away, physically and visually. I may or may not have jumped over the three-foot-guard rail that stopped people from drinking the water and being swept away in the waterfall. It was the cleanest, coldest and freshest water that I’ve ever seen.

I’ve told everyone the same thing since I’ve returned: if you have the chance, go! The fact that your BlackBerry doesn’t have any service is reason enough!

- Nick

Seven years. Clouds giving way to blue skies here in New York today, September 11th, 2008. Many of us who were living in New York back on September 11th, 2001 recall that day was much the same.  By the afternoon of “9/11,” the glorious sunshine seemed so absolutely out of place with the destruction around us.

Families from the New York area who lost loved ones have made new lives for themselves.  Some spouses have remarried, some children have new step-parents.  But certainly, we haven’t forgotten.  For while much has changed, much remains the same.

The New York City Medical Examiners Office continues to reach out to families of victims killed during 9/11, as new DNA testing technology has reopened a series of cases.  Our own family received just such a call last week.

Very soon, a long black car will make its way from New York City to Maplewood, New Jersey, to the United Methodist Church, just as it did in September 2001.

I largely ignored Bruce Springsteen’s album, “The Rising,” these past years – as I’ve managed to avoid most 9/11 themed material, from music, to movies, to novels.

Last month though, which actually marked my first chance to see Bruce live in concert (Giants Stadium) I decided it was past time, and I downloaded the album.  It’s become a curious comfort - aside from featuring great music - as the seventh anniversary arrived.

A haunting and beautiful refrain from the song, “The Fuse,” reads:

Trees on fire with first fall’s frost/

Long black line in front of Holy Cross.

Seems like yesterday.

But the sun is shining here in New York, there’s work to be done and my family will be waiting at home, so onward it is.  We’ll laugh tonight, play some games I hope. And raise a toast to Doug, who loved fall days like this one.

- Burns

It’s no secret that air travelers are spending more time in terminals than ever before, given the current “perfect storm” of security delays, a congested air traffic system, and budget woes for airlines.

It’s a pleasure, then, to find a glimmer of “blue” sky starting to peek through the storm clouds here in our hometown of New York City.  After four years of construction, JetBlue Airways new Terminal at JFK International Airport is set to open its doors within weeks (Oct 1, 2008).  The $750 million terminal is linked to the iconic 1962 TWA terminal designed by Eero Saarinen, which has gone unused since TWA’s demise in 2001.  (more…)

With the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games slated to begin on August 8 at precisely 8:08:08 p.m. China Standard Time, we asked our in-house spiritual advisor to illuminate the esoteric meaning of 8-8-08. That’s a lot of 8s, right? Well, two out of three. Modern numerology uses reductive addition, so 2008 is a 1 (2+0+0+8=10=1+0=1), not an 8. 8s indicate success and completion, while 1s signify purpose, action, fame and ego. Sounds like a winning combination for this year’s Olympics!

With Pisces rising and the chart ruler, Neptune, in the 12^th House of concealment, the horoscope for the Olympics (yes, events have horoscopes for the place and time they’re “born,” just like people) promises mysteries and surprises. And with Uranus in the 1^st House indicating upsets, keep an eye on the underdogs!

Leo is the sign of royalty, so it’s no wonder that on this day we’ll be celebrating the 20^th birthday of Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York and the [censored] ^th birthday of our own esteemed chairman, Yvonne Middleton!

 -Jay

Hoping to win by at least a nose? Opening day at Saratoga is this Wednesday, so I’m brushing up on my handicapping skills. If you need to do the same, why not dust off your copy of Picking Winners, the classic primer by Harvard grad and Washington Post horse racing columnist Andrew Beyer? It was first released in 1975 and remains virtually unchanged. Aaand they’re off! -Jay

For young ones, there’s The Little Engine That Could. For the rest of us, there’s Greg Mortenson. Three Cups of Tea follows Mortenson as he loses his way on the descent from K-2 (after failing to summit), then turns his crushing personal blow into an extraordinary achievement in a real-life tale that proves a lack of experience is no match for true passion. Nursed back to health in the remote Pakistani village of Korphe, Mortenson - who, back in the U.S., lived out of his car and booked just enough hours as a nurse to support his mountaineering - makes a promise to the townspeople to return and build a school. It’s a promise that takes on a life of its own, and today his Central Asia Institute has built more than seventy schools for boys and girls in isolated villages across Pakistan and Afghanistan. At a time when cultural misconceptions are fanning the flames of worldwide unrest, Mortenson’s schools are a testament to the power of education as a tool for peace and understanding. And www.penniesforpeace.org offers a great way for children to get directly involved in Mortenson’s work, providing a true-life lesson in the spirit of “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” — Lucy Vlahakis

During a recent weekend spent in Annapolis, MD, I ventured to the local crab house, ready to indulge in the region’s dining tradition of steamed crabs with Old Bay seasoning.  Our host immediately notified us that the restaurant had run out of crabs.  Dinner conversation that night (while enjoying other gifts from the sea), brought to my attention the struggling blue crab population.  I’ve since learned that one-third of the country’s blue crabs are caught from the Chesapeake Bay, and that its population has fallen nearly 70 percent since 1990.  The decline has been attributed to increased fishing, habitat loss and reduced water quality.  My crab-free meal was a gentle, but poignant, reminder of my own eco responsibilities. - Trish

The nautical theme is in full sail - and on sale - right now at the Ralph Lauren flagship on Madison & 72^nd. If the boat, beach or garden is calling your name, you need to check out the deals on sheets, blankets, throw pillows, candles and more. You’ll find cushions for your boat ($87), queen linen flat sheets ($122) and king navy-and-white cotton flat sheets ($87). Floor sample bargains include the Cape Lodge Bed ($8,313) or Club Chair ($4,431), Noble Estate Dining Chair ($1,433), and Modern Hollywood Ottoman ($1,071). Don’t miss the boat!

What’s the next best place to the Hamptons? It’s Bloomingdale’s, according to our (wo)man on the street, who purchased $5,000 of designer clothing for a scant $500 yesterday! One black cashmere short-sleeved sweater from Ralph Lauren Black Label was originally $600, marked down to $240, and rang up at $60! Other unbelievable deals included a black cashmere Sonia Rykiel sweater ($79), an off-white Akris cashmere blazer ($220), a Ralph Lauren Black Label navy silk blouse ($79), and a yellow silk Gabrielle Strenesse blouse ($58).

What are you doing still reading this? Go now!