Category: Announcement

The Netherlands, 14-18 February 2019

[January 14 through 18, Amsterdam, The Netherlands]

I was booking travel to Tucson, AZ to visit my dad and everyone there. My friend Lauren at work was talking about Amsterdam so I was just checking prices on the airfare. Guess what, the flight to Amsterdam was cheaper than flying to Tucson! Airline pricing is the worst; right next to used car salesmen – maybe worse. So, I decided to go to Amsterdam 🙂

I cut the flights close. Like two hour layovers across all stops. Nothing like living dangerously! Woke up at 5:00am, went to work. Went from work to airport. Well great, plane from DCA to ORD was late. Ug. It’s always late! Well, the pilot made up a LOT of time in the air, so I got to ORD in time. In time, that is, to find out the ORD to LHR flight was delayed! What!? That’s critical – at LHR, the plane NEVER lands on time because of congestion, on top of that, I have to go from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 via (stupid, slow, not enough) bus(ses) and go through security all over again – I won’t make it!

You’re saying, wait, why are you flying backwards toward ORD when you are going to Europe? Well, the northeast coast airports are too close to Europe so you basically get enough sleep on the plane, so I fly backwards to get more sleep on the Atlantic flight. This is especially needed because I am going to get about zero sleep over the entire weekend. You thought my flights were tight, I booked four tours (I always do tours the first time I am at a new place) in three days. Crazy. But I digress…

The ORD to LHR pilot made it early and shockingly we landed after only one loop over London. Phew! I know, you are saying why didn’t you go direct from the US to AMS airport? Well, I thought it would be cool to take the train to the coast from London, take a ferry to The Netherlands and get to my hotel. Well, the ferry doesn’t go to Amsterdam, it goes to The Hague – which would lose way too much time to make it to my dinner cruise in Amsterdam, so I bought the LHR to AMS ticket to make up the time. Continuing, I land in LHR, breeze through customs (I am a UK Registered Traveler), hop on the bus (line was still not full, yay) and made it to Terminal 5, hopped on the plane and got to AMS.

Hopped on the AMS airport to Amsterdam Centraal rail which is right within the airport complex (I bought the ticket online, I suggest you do the same) and got to Amsterdam Centraal. Okay done right? Nope, I got turned around in the station and went in the wrong direction. I backtracked and found an information booth (and they speak English, phew!!!) and got to my hotel. Checked in and I am kinda-sorta exhausted. RULE NUMBER 1 – don’t sit down and don’t ever lie down or you will zone out cold within 5 seconds! So now I am thinking, I have to get to my cruise. I have to shower (recall I woke up yesterday at 5:00am US Eastern and it’s not 6:00pm Amsterdam time). I said, good grief, I have to take a shower, so I do; get a fresh set of clothes on and off to the cruise!

From here, you can follow the pictures to get the story. I took over 1000 pictures and narrowed it down to 355. That’s still a lot. Hopefully you will like them. Click on th picture below or the link and the photo page will pop up 🙂


Whirlwind Trip to Amsterdam

Key West Food and Wine Fest 2019

[January 23 thru 27, 2019 Key West, FL, US]

Key West Food and Wine Fest 10th Year Anniversary! Met old friends and met new ones. Always fun in the sun. Almost – it was more cloudy and rainy weather-wise but fun and spirit-wise, it was as good as always! Here are some pictures from the event, click on the pic below or the link under the pic!


Key West Food and Wine Fest 2019

New Year’s Eve 2018 Washington DC River Cruise

[December 31, 2018 Alexandria, VA, US]

New Year’s Eve 2018 was spent in Washington DC onboard one of the two dozen or so remaining operational paddle boats, the “Cherry Blossom”. It was a rainy and foggy night. Very foggy. In fact is was soooo foggy, you could not see the fireworks at midnight! Just bright flashes in the sky. At the very very end, we saw five or six faint fireworks. I think this was the first time I have been fogged in during a fireworks display…

That was fun in itself, as it was a totally different experience: on a paddle boat, in the middle of the Potomac, visibility near zero and you knew there were other boats out there… To top it off, as more and more fireworks were set of, the more and more dense it got. Eerie kinda cool.

Inside the mood was very festive, with the three hour cruise (10:00pm to 1:00am). There was a ton of sandwiches and finger foods including dessert. There was no shortage of food, which was different – I expected the food to run out just like most large events. Nope, food was there all throughout the cruise. And of course beer, wine, and spirits too. All included in one price. Oh and sparkling wine at midnight of course. So it was a fun fun cruise.

The paddle boat, the Cherry Blossom, is open to a public cruise only twice a year – New Year’s Eve and July 4th. So, if I am in DC on the 4th, I will definitely do the cruise again, and this time (hopefully) no fog! Here are some pictures from the cruise (click on the pic or the link to view them all):


New Year’s Eve 2018 Washington DC River Cruise

Here is information on the paddle boat, Cherry Blossom.

Who’s Fox Mulder?

Today I will talk a little bit about Fox Mulder, an FBI Agent assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit. David Duchovny portrays this character in one of my favorites TV series: “X Files.” Mulder is a troubled man obsessed by the disappearance of his sister. His high intellectual profile highlights among his colleagues and is graduated with first class honors from the University of Oxford with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Then, he participates as an outstanding student in the Quantico FBI Training Academy in 1984. While his career advances, Mulder gets involved in cases related to the paranormal.

Watching the series, I enjoyed the work of Fox Mulder and his partner, the agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), an instructor at the FBI Academy’s Forensic Science Research and Training Center, investigating a series of mysterious cases applying scientific theories in a particular matter called “The X-Files.”

Check the X-Files Trailer:

Richard Roszko is meeting Dave Duchovny in Nashville! (Updated)

On December 8, I will be to meeting Dave Duchovny and his band in Nashville, thanks to Hilton Honors. The legendary Fox Mulder of the X-Files TV Series is presenting his successful singles, accompanied by his talented musicians on December 9. I will have lunch with David and will attend to his private dress rehearsal before the concert. David Duchovny recorded his first album, “Hell or High Water”, in 2015, receiving good critical reviews.

Check this link, if you want learn more.

Californication

I’ve never watched the TV Series, Californication (2007-2014). However, it seems so interesting that I’ve done some reading about it. Californication tells the story of Hank Moody, a famous New York novelist who suffers a lack of inspiration because of the success of his latest bestseller (God Hates Us All). Later on, his novel is adapted to produce a movie. This event encourages Hank to move from New York to Los Angeles with his girlfriend, Karen. During the filming, Hank Moody realizes that the film adaptation is different than his book. The lifestyle in Los Angeles changes his views. It affects his relationship with Karen, falling into a spiral of sex and alcohol.

Californication is a story that keeps the protagonist on the edge of the abyss, with a huge desire to get the more out of life.

David Duchovny as Hank Moody in Californication (Season 7, Episode 1). – Photo: Jordan Althaus/SHOWTIME.

Watch Californication, Official Trailer (Season 1):

The X-Files, The Revival!

In this issue, will write about the X-Files seasons revivals. Fourteen years after finishing the season 9, and eight years after shooting the film (X-Files: I Want to Believe), the Fox network launched a new season of X-Files in 2016. This season is exciting. Mulder and Scully get back to action after the FBI closed the X-Files unit. In the first chapter, a conspiration theorist turns to Mulder and Scully concerned about a supposed government conspiracy. The Season 10 was launched in 2016 with six episodes.

On April 20, 2017, the Fox network officially announced that The X-Files would be returning for an eleventh season of ten episodes. This season started in January 2018. In the first episode, Scully is hospitalized because of a seizure. In this event, she has a vision of the future that involved her son with Mulder and herself. Then, someone called “The Smoking Man” reveals that some DNA impregnated Scully during an abduction.

This new stage of the X-Files is full of action!

Watch the Season 10 Trailer:

…and check out the Season 11 Trailer:

David Duchovny and his Musical Career

I was reading about the David Duchovny musical’s career. He started in music four years before releasing his first album (Hell or High Water). David learned to play the guitar and then, he has built a musical career with discipline.

This story started when Brad Davidson, president of the Boston label ThinkSay Records, heard the first demos of David. He immediately noticed his influences: R.E.M, Bob Dylan, Flaming Lips, and Leonard Cohen. Weather is the backing band of David Duchovny, consisting of Berklee musicians. Colin Lee, a member of this band, is the producer of David’s musical career.

David Duchovny’s music presents a folk rock, alternative rock, and country music sound.

Check the song “Every Third Thought,” played in Paste Studios, NY (1/29/2018)

“Hell or High Water”, The Debut Studio Album

Now, I’m listening to Hell and Highwater, a song of the first studio album of David Duchovny and his band. This album was recorded by ThinkSay Records in 2015. Duchovny enters the front door in music, with great influences like Lou Reed, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan. Of these big stars, David took his first steps in guitar. David Duchovny is mainly a poet who found his way of expression in music. David is also a novelist and songwriter.

This debut album has eleven songs written by David Duchovny and composed by the musicians of his backing band.

Hell or High Water Songs:

“Let It Rain”
“3000”
“Stars”
“Hell or Highwater”
“The Things”
“The Rain Song”
“Undone Undone”
“Lately It’s Always December”
“Another Year”
“Passenger”
“When the Time Comes”
“Positively Madison Avenue”

Watch David Duchovny singing “Hell or High Water” – Live at The Red Room @ Cafe 939