I promised a mini TR from last weekend so here you go! It will be small since most of the weekend was taken up with music stuff.
I also need to say that this trip is nothing like any other National Concert trip I have ever taken. It was obvious that the economy has definitely affected this multi-national corporation too. Everything from the hotel to the food, the professional co-performers, and even the awards presented to the student performers were pared down
big time.
We left Fburg about 6:00 Saturday morning and were at National Airport and parked in the garage in under an hour. I wish we could fly out of National all the time, but the only safe time to drive up there is on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Any other day it takes hours to get home.
Nackie (my boss) had a total knee replacement a year ago and it takes her forever to get through security. That darned titanium sets off all the alarms.
Once through that process we had time to eat breakfast before our flight, which was on time. We had a whole row to ourselves so lots of room to spread out. The flight into Newark was uneventful and soon after arriving I saw Kathrin walking toward me.
I cant believe how long it has been since I last saw her. I am glad we have the beach trip planned for next month (5 weeks from tomorrow, people!!) because I truly miss her every single day.
The AirTrain whisked us off to our car rental and we were off. We opted to not hook up my GPS system since it was a pretty straight shot from the airport to the Courtyard Marriott in Paramus. Nackie got a phone call from her student letting her know that they were already at the local Yamaha School and getting ready to go in to start a rescheduled rehearsal, so we took a detour to the Bergen Mall where the school is located. An aside here
I am SO glad I work where I do. This school is located in the middle of a huge mall. There is no signage and in order to get to the upstairs location you have to use a glorified freight elevator. Once you are on the second floor the studios are off a hallway that also has suites that house a church (yes, I said a church), a MIS company and a real estate office. They are spread out all over the floor of the building with nothing connecting them at all. It was a little off-putting for this country gal (NOT) and we discussed that we would not feel safe having to work there until 9:00 at night. All the studio and practice room doors automatically lock when they close for just this reason.
Nackie headed into the rehearsal with Ben and his co-performers and I got a phone call from my students mother letting us know that they had arrived at the hotel and were checking in. Kathrin and I hopped back in the car and found our way over to the hotel. After we checked in I grabbed Paula and we went back over to the school so that she could get some practice time in that day. Did you know you cant make left hand turns across traffic in the state of New Jersey?!?!? You have to do U-turns in a roundabout. Sorry, Jen
this is CRAZINESS! The idea is not bad, but the signage to let you know where to go is awful. I have a suggestion for all DOT offices in the country
After you have built a road and put up the signs you think are helpful to out-of-town visitors, bring a few into your area and let them drive around with you in their cars. See if they can find themselves after they have gotten lost. I bet not! CRAZINESS!! Anyway
. We got about 30 minutes of practice time in before she was kicked out of the studio.
Bens rehearsal was over too, so we all went back to the hotel and I was assigned the task of finding a spot for dinner. For some reason my traveling companions thought I would be good at that
I found a place we later found out is part of a very small chain. It is called Napa Valley Grille with locations in three cities in CA, one in Paramus, one in Providence RI and one in Minnesota (??).
It was outstanding! The menu was inventive and the wine list was amazing. Kathrin and I each did a different red wine flight and the other adults picked a glass of their favorite wine. No adventurous drinkers there! The flight had a 2 oz. pour of each of three wines selected by the sommelier and we didnt find a bad one in the bunch. I had only ever had one of the 6 before, so it was a wonderful learning experience for us too.
After dinner it was back to the hotel and a little shopping. There was a SYMS department store next to our hotel and we decided to walk off some of our dinner before bed. Kathrin was the lucky shopper that night. She got an Anne Klein little black dress for $19 (it had been $169) and a new raincoat for $69 (it had been $169 also). She also had the chance to try on a few pieces from their Prada collection and almost bought a $2100 coat for $299. It was gorgeous, but she really needed the next size up in something that she would keep for the rest of her life. As she said, she probably wouldnt be the same size in 30 years. The rest of our party had already returned to the hotel so we walked on back and got ready for bed. Sunday was a big day for the performers and Nackie and Kathrin and I were headed on an adventure.
Hi! Our grill party of 25 has now dwindled down to 10 (and that includes Bob and I). Of course they all called/texted/emailed after I finished grocery shopping. Anyone feel like traveling to OH for burgers, hotdogs, potato salad, huge veggie salad, baked beans? It's ready around 5pm!
and wishes that you can work it out.
First time I saw them was going to see Bob's family in MI and they are known for those. They are proven safer than turning left at a light and keeps the rest of the traffic flowing which apparently doesn't cause as many accidents. 
(Right Vicki??) I don't like 'em either though.
