Rick's Roadshow: Topeka, Kansas

It's time for another installment of Rick's Roadshow: Topeka, Kansas where I am traveling on business for a few days. I flew from San Diego to Kansas City, on a bumpy ride amid some bad weather. It was raining when we landed, and a bit chilly too. We made our way from Kansas City and drove to Topeka, Kansas which is about an hour ride or so. It rained for awhile but eventually cleared up. I heard that somewhere in Kansas they had snow flakes yesterday, but not where I am. I'm on a tight schedule so there really ins't much time for to get out and about to explore the sights of the area. But take my word for it, it didn't look like there was a whole lot I missed along the drive past numerous corn fields. I couldn't help but think about Poor Dorothy Gale, from Kansas. Hopefully there won't be any tornadoes or any houses dropping on any witches while I am here. Keep your fingers crossed!

-Rick Rockhill

"Dog Talk" by Harrison Forbes

A little over a month ago I was in Las Vegas, where I ran into my famous author friend Harrison Forbes. Harrison is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Pet Talk" and has been an animal behaviorist for over 20 years. He is an interesting fellow with a fascinating background; importing and training over 700 police dogs in his career. Last month Harrison was in Las Vegas promoting his new book "Dog Talk, Lessons Learned from a Life with Dogs". I finally had some time to sit down and read his book, which I am pleased to report is terrific. I am hardly a book critic, so don't expect much from me here, but I will say that it held my attention from the very beginning. There are some riveting moments when he describes encounters with a few dogs that would make the hair on your arms stand up. His insights and and perspectives provide practical advice and observations about dog behavior. The chapter on dogs "Bart" and "Tico" was just such a story, a vivid tale with an uplifting ending. If you are a dog person and enjoy stories about dogs, you will find "Dog Talk" to be a fun read.

above: Here I am with my famous author friend Harrison Forbes back in September in Las Vegas.
-Rick Rockhill

The Palm Springs Riviera Resort & Spa!

"The Riv" is back baby! At long last the legendary Palm Springs Riviera hotel has reopened after an extensive $70 million renovation and restoration. This hotel's storied past echos performances by the Rat Pack and old Hollywood movie star legends that give the Riviera its icon status. The 1963 film "Palm Springs Weekend" starring Connie Stevens, Troy Donahue, Stephanie Powers, Ty Hardin and Robert Conrad was filmed at the Riviera. Even though its star had gradually faded since its heyday, it still attracted its share of names. In fact just before it closed for renovation, I had lunch at the Riviera and saw crooners Jack Jones and Connie Stevens lounging poolside. I stopped by the Riviera for cocktails one night to check out the property and was very impressed. It is contemporary Hollywood Glam with a fresh twist on retro style and a sophisticated feel. Most importantly, the re-emergence of the Riviera has created a buzz, snagging Playboy's 55th Anniversary Party, complete with Hugh Hefner and a major crowd from Hollywood. Super-trendy fashion designer Trina Turk has planned a fashion show for Spring 2009. The hotel has arrived on the scene once again, and Austin Powers would feel right at home.


above: At night, beyond the front water fountains, the hotel glows from the red hot lights.

above: the front lobby ambiance glows red-hot, but the white leather furnishes cool it right down!

above: the front lobby lounge offers a cozy spot to meet friends and be seen.

above: Fresh mid century-modern kitsch at its best: a red crystal chandelier hangs from fab red-glad ceiling wallpaper and mirrored walls.
In My Element...
If I may say so, the Riviera was practically redesigned with me in mind. Its a perfect place for me to don my ascot, and reminisce about the good old days with a refreshing martini. I could channel Dean Martin here. All kidding aside, the hotel really has an interesting history as a mecca for good entertainment in the desert. It easily attracted more than its share of entertainers who lived in Palm Springs. Some had planned performance, and others would stop in for cocktails and would end up on stage singing impromptu. Greats like Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley all performed here several times. The ballroom was known for attracting great swing band leaders like Artie Shaw, Dave Ace Hudkins, Tommy Dorsey, Buddy Rich, Duke Ellington, Vido Musso, Irving Mills and Georgie Auld. It was quite the place. The new renovation has retained the old glam feel with fun mosaic portraits of Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball in the lobby. There are fabulous mid-century modern accents and furnishings throughout, particularly in unexpected places. Right down to the signs on the restroom doors, there is a fun chic retro feel, yet it is all new, clean and fresh. The Riviera hotel boasts 406 luxury guestrooms and over sized suites, furnished with modern marble bathrooms, wide screen plasma TVs.The new SpaTerre is an 11,000 square foot facility, with 18 private treatment rooms featuring Balinese, Thai and Indonesian style therapy. The Watsu pool, hot tub, private steam room, luxury relaxation area and fitness center are supplemented with a full service salon as well. I have not tried the spa yet but its something I'll have to do one of these days!

above: this chair looks better without me sitting in it!


above: there are multiple sitting areas all with fun mosaics of famous folks.

above: the Frank Sinatra mosaic looks over the pool table, surrounded by mirrors and retro-chic glitz.

above: there are multiple lounges throughout the property. This one is very cozy with sleek black and white furnishings and crystal chandeliers for a bit of the unexpected.

above: one of the dining room areas with rich red leather high back chairs
Outdoor Desert Chic

above: Outside by the pool there are lots of great areas to sit and order food and cocktails.

above: the pool area was enchanting under the moonlight.

above: there are fire pits all around the pool area, with sitting areas and small tables perfect for small talk and a glass of wine. I'm pleased the hotel did such an outstanding job with the renovation. It's sure to be a hit with visitors and locals too. As a reminder, this is not a paid post, just me writing about things I enjoy~
-Rick Rockhill

Equality California Awards: Honoring Dear Abby and Starring Lorna Luft

Saturday evening we attended the 2008 Equality Awards Gala event in Palm Springs, honoring Advice columnist Dear Abby, and Tim Hanlon, of Wells Fargo Bank Foundation. More on the awards event in a few moments. You may recall my post last year when Patti Lupone was the 2007 award honoree. A FEW EDITORIAL COMMENTS: Regular readers know that I usually avoid political subjects on this blog. This site is intended to be light entertainment for all readers. I respect that everyone is in their own place with personal views and opinions, so I never "lecture" readers who take the time to visit. For those of you interested, EQCA is an organization whose mission is to achieve equality in California for gay and lesbian people. It does not seek special rights but rather, to extend the same rights that straight people already have and also reduce discrimination. Since is an this election year, EQCA has focused its efforts to defeat "California Proposition 8" which seeks to overturn the existing law that allows same sex couples to marry in California. Basically EQCA is trying to preserve an existing right in our state. Since I lean toward the more conservative side of the spectrum, I'm not an activist type by nature, and sometimes I get a little uncomfortable with fringe views within some special interest groups. However, on this issue EQCA seeks to initiate dialogue between everyday people, to share their own experiences about the topic of same sex marriage. During her remarks later in the evening "Dear Abby" said: "I believe if two people want to commit to each other, God bless 'em. That is the highest form of commitment, for heaven's sake, and what's wrong with a little more love and positive energy in this world?" Never one to shy away from expressing her opinion, I think Dear Abby has hit it right on the head.

"Dear Abby" with The Palm Springs Savant, Rick Rockhill:

Left: I found Dear Abby to be gracious, charming and very sweet. I enjoyed the opportunity to speak with her. The Equality Awards Gala is one of the early events of the Palm Springs social season. It is formal-wear event, although slightly more casual than some of the full black tie events. The evening began with cocktail hour and a silent auction. The auction featured a nice selection of vacation packages, certificates to restaurants and spas and art by local area artists, all fully donated. The costs of the evening were underwritten by sponsors, to allow revenue from the silent auction and ticket sales to benefit EQCA. When we reached our table in the ballroom, there were signs on the table that said "in lieu of floral centerpieces, we have used those donated funds to support the campaign to defeat Proposition 8", which seemed like a good idea.

above: a wonderful smooth-jazz band provided entertainment during dinner

above left: the tables were set with rose petals scattered on the black table linens. above right: a thin cucumber peel held the chopped salad nicely. The entree was beef tenderloin, I was so hungry I forgot to snap a photo!

above: they had two desserts, a strawberry or chocolate mousse on a round cake. The chocolate was better than the strawberry, which was a little too sweet for me.

above: Emmy Award winning actor/comedian/playwright Leslie Jordan was the emcee for the evening. He is probably best known for his sharp tongued character as "Beverly Leslie" on TV's Will and Grace. His career includes a number of terrific TV roles in "Boston Legal”, “Hidden Palms” and “Reba", along with movies such as "Sordid Lives". Jordan's quick wit had the audience laughing and kept the program moving along. He is very personable and easy to speak with; we chatted about his act and one of the jokes he told on stage. He enjoys Palm Springs and spends a great deal of time here in the desert.

above: The other honoree for the evening was Palm Springs resident Tim Hanlon, President of the Wells Fargo Bank Foundation. Mr Hanlon is a philanthropist in the Palm Springs community and has dedicated his personal life and career with Wells Fargo to improve the lives of all Californians. He was honored for a long history of community support, but also for questioning inequality in corporate policies and affecting change in the workplace. Wells Fargo is rated with a perfect score by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Mr Hanlon had a role in shaping some of the polices adopted by Wells Fargo.
Fabulous Entertainment

above: Actress and performer Lorna Luft was the headline entertainment for the evening. Miss Luft is the daughter of legendary entertainer Judy Garland and producer Sid Luft (mega superstar Liza Minelli is her half sister). She is a successful recording artist, Emmy-nominated producer and best-selling author. Her recent CD "Lorna Luft: Songs My Mother Taught Me", produced by fellow Palm Springs resident Barry Manilow (who is practically my neighbor) celebrates the music of Judy Garland. Lorna recently moved to the Palm Springs area so we'll be seeing more of her around town I am sure!

Dancing the Night Away

above: Following Lorna Luft's performance, the dance floor opened up with the music of a popular DJ who had the well-heeled crowd dancing. It was a fun evening and a great way to support EQCA.

-Rick Rockhill

Sunday Art Review: Statues of the Vatican Museum

Having returned from the Mediterranean cruise, I can now resume the regular features of the blog. I took a few days off from writing to recharge the old batteries and get back into the swing of things. I am pleased to return to the blog with today's Sunday Art Review: Statues of the Vatican Museum. The Vatican contains one of the greatest art collections in the world, with enormous variety and depth. I spent hours there, but could have spent weeks exploring. In many ways my visit to the Vatican Museum was a farce. Despite being on a private guided tour, I was moving so quickly it was next to impossible to absorb what I was seeing, let alone take notes. I chose to focus in on a few works in particular. This week I present the statues that were of interest to me. I deeply regret that I do not have any titles, artist names or date of origins, so you'll have to just use your eyes and enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by today's Sunday Art Review: Statues of the Vatican Museum. Next Sunday we will explore Vases.

-Rick Rockhill

Mediterranean Videos

While I was in the Mediterranean, I took a few videos with my cheesy camera, just for the fun of it. They are all short, so it won't take too long to check them out. I hope they are remotely interesting. I'm back home in California but not yet fully adjusted to the Pacific time zone yet, I have some residual jet lag going on. For those of you keeping track, I'm traveling today on business...off to the San Francisco Bay Area. Just what I need, more travel. Well that's all for today. Enjoy these videos.

Kotor, Montenegro:

Rome Italy:

Ravenna, Italy:

Venice, Italy:

-Rick Rockhill

Rick's Roadshow: Venice, Italy Part II: The Ventian Scare!

Today’s post is about my last day & night in Venice; it has all the elements of a good story: A posh restaurant in ancient Venice, a brush with local officials. looky-loo passers-by, a high speed boat ride through the winding canals, and a long evening of waiting and worrying. Welcome to Rick’s Roadshow: The Venetian Scare!

When we first arrived in Venice, I wondered what wonderful adventures this legendary city would bring. My last day brought all kinds of fun and excitement. My last night however, was an evening that will be etched in my memory for sometime, for very different reasons.
The day started on the water, taking a ride on the public transit boats, to see what it was all about. They are quite convenient, and allowed us to get around the city, hopping on and off here and there. We visited a number of stops along the routes, including some areas decidedly void of tourists, which was a refreshing change from the hoards of crowds roaming everywhere else. It was nice to see Venice through the eyes of locals. Little did I know that hours later I would have an even more authentic Venetian experience.

After lunch we did some shopping and meandered anywhere I found a store calling my name. While walking we stumbled on a cute restaurant on a side street that had an unusual menu, so I picked up their business card with phone number and address. Back at our hotel, we consulted the Internet for any information on the restaurant. We were thrilled to read all sorts of very positive reviews, details on the menu and accolades for the establishment. Buoyed by my choice, the concierge called and made reservations for dinner at 8pm. As it was our last night in Venice, I decided to dress up a bit and make a night of it. So in my Brooks Brother’s finest, and donning a new ascot I purchased earlier in the day, we headed to the lounge for a pre-dinner glass of wine. We didn’t realize how close the restaurant was to our hotel, having lost track during our walk back earlier in the day. We arrived early, but they were able to seat us right away. The dinner menu was not the same as the lunch menu we had seen earlier in the day. Most if it was seafood dishes, which is not my preference. I was able to order a pasta dish without the fish, followed by Lamb for a second course. The fresh crusty bread and wine arrived, which is practically all you need in Italy. Then, to our delight, the waiter arrived with a special treat from the chef. A tiny appetizer plate with a single shrimp, on a dollop of pea puree. Normally I don’t eat much shellfish, but not for any reason in particular. And besides, it was grilled, not raw, and it tasted so good. In just two bites it was gone, so tiny in size. As we sat enjoying the delicious wine, I felt the strangest sensation that I couldn’t quite describe, but I was lost in idle conversation I didn’t yet realize what was happening.

Suddenly my first course arrived, it was the delicious home made pasta with a veal sauce they made especially for me instead of the seafood sauce. It smelled so good I could hardly wait to dig in. I swirled the past on my fork, managing to balance the strands into a manageable bite. As my mouth closed on the modest forkful of pasta I realized what was wrong. There was nowhere for the pasta to go. I couldn’t swallow the bite I had just taken because my throat had been slowly closing. I began to perspire rapidly, so I excused myself and went to the men’s room, where I removed the pasta from my mouth and tried to look down my throat. I looked ok, maybe I just needed water, I thought. I returned to the table and told John I didn’t feel right. I attempted to drink some water but had great difficulty swallowing even a very small amount of water. I was getting nervous and played with my food and realized there was no way I was going to be eating any of my dinner. I began to consider my options. Should I let John eat and wait for this to pass? I told myself it was just something minor. But in the next minute it seemed to be worsening and I made the decision to call an ambulance. I got up, and spoke to the Maitre’D and ever-so-politely explained in very broken Italian that while the food was delicious my throat was closing and I needed an ambulance. His eyes popped out of his head and he ran to the telephone.

Suddenly it hit me. I was in a foreign country, with my throat closing and was heading to the hospital. What made me most nervous was that my passport was back at my hotel and John does not speak any Italian. While we waited for the ambulance to arrive, I felt my adrenaline rush from nerves, causing me to perspire heavily. I realized I needed to take some quick action, not knowing what the next hour would bring. I found some paper and a pen and scrawled out my information in Italian as best I could manage. I included the phone number of my brother back in Rhode Island, who speaks fluent Italian, in case they needed to speak with someone. I managed to dial my brother, (who was six hours behind the time in Italy), so it was around 1 pm or so for him. I started by saying: “Listen to me very carefully. I am at a restaurant in Venice where I ate some shrimp and my throat is closing up. I’m on my way to the hospital now. John is with me. I’m leaving your phone number if something happens”. I gave him the name and number of the restaurant and hung up.
The ambulance EMT crew arrived and none of them spoke any English. It was getting more difficult to speak, but I managed to communicate in some Italian and using my hands to describe my condition. I explained that I had no food allergies. After taking my vitals, they gave me a series of different shots. I kept asking “Che Cosa Questa?” (What is this?). I would interpret for John so he would know what they were doing. I didn’t think it was life-threatening, but I wasn’t sure if they were going to give me something that would knock me out. I was texting my brother back home to explain my condition. They whisked me off to the hospital-wheeling me down through a labyrinth of narrow cobblestone streets, up and over bridges where we reached the canal side, where the ambulance boat was waiting. My legs were like jelly, all wobbly and weak. The orange lights were flashing as they lowered me into the boat. It was surreal as I looked down and realized I was holding an IV bag that was flowing into my veins.The ambulance boat took off at high speed through the canals and out into the open water. I felt cold. I had been perspiring and then cool night breeze was blowing on me from the high speed boat skipping along the surface of the water.

I was admitted into the hospital where fortunately one of the doctors spoke some English and was able to communicate with me. They administered a few more shots to control the allergic reaction, and after a further exam sent me to a waiting room where I sat for several hours waiting for three separate IV drips made their way into my bloodstream. It was not until the third IV drip had finished that I started to feel better. Sometime around eleven, I was wheeled up to another floor to be examined by a specialist who spoke barely any English but we muddled through my very limited Italian vocabulary. After all sorts of exams, he gave me some medicine and send me back down to the waiting room to take the last IV drip. By midnight I was feeling much better and was finally discharged. John had figured out where we were, and we made our way back to the hotel, feeling lucky to be out walking the streets of Venice once again.

Although I’ve never been much of a fan of shellfish, I’ve never had an allergic reaction to shrimp. Needless to say, I have now sworn off all shellfish of any kind. My last night in Venice was not what I had planned, but I was grateful to face another day when the blog would need an update. Some story huh? WHEW.
And now, for some final views of Venice:





Thanks for following along and joining me once again for Rick's Roadshow. It has been one heck of a trip.
-Signore Ricardo Rockhill