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top ten coolest people i met countdown

June

friday field trip

A photo of Star Jones – #2 on my ‘Cool People I Met’ countdown.

So many exciting people to meet and fun things to do in New York City this past week! I really couldn’t pin down a Friday field trip, so I decided to do a countdown of the ten coolest people I met on my three day field trip to NYC. Are you ready?

#10. #9. #8. Hercules, Mercury, and Minerva

Yup, I am talking about the gods! Hercules, Mercury, and Minerva are the three gods depicted on the statues surrounding the clock on the facade of Grand Central Station facing 42nd Street. I actually took some time to look up and notice the clock…it definitely fits in the cool category (I know, I know…these three are not exactly ‘people’, but it’s my list :) ) I can’t believe how many times I have been in and out of Grand Central in my lifetime and have never really taken the time to notice the details on this amazing piece of work. At the time it was unveiled in 1914, it was considered the largest sculptural group in the world! Cool!

#7. The Hawaiian Airline Dancers

Hawaiian Airlines has staged a little piece of Hawaii on the streets of Manhattan as a part of a promotion to celebrate the start of direct, non-stop flights from New York to Honolulu. Hula dancers performing to traditional Hawaiian music really set a mood of the tropics, but it is the fragrance of all the real flower leis that just put the whole sensory experience over the top for me! Like many others passing by, I could not resist stopping to enjoy…and, I put my name in to win a drawing for free flights to Hawaii…aloha!

#6. Keenan Cahill

Keenan is an internet celebrity that became famous from lip-syncing popular songs on YouTube. If you don’t know who he is, you probably don’t know who ‘David going to the Dentist’ is either. He lipsynced his first YouTube video in 2010 to Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream. He has had some big name singers (rapper 50 cent for example), join him in his videos. He lives in Illinois and traveled to New York City this past week to speak at a social media conference, giving advice to a roomful of techies on how to achieve what he was able to at 14 years old. What is supercool about Keenan? He put himself out there and did what he really wanted to do, in spite of what anyone else thought or advised. In the process, he became an internet sensation by combining genuineness, a love for music, and a great sense of humor. His confidence and spirit get him on my list as #6. Keep singing Keenan :) !

A photo of internet celebrity Keenan Cahill. #6 on the “Cool People I Met” countdown.

#5. Ina Garten

With so many celebrity chefs today, Ina stands out as someone that ‘keeps it real’. Always cooking great food, simply and deliciously prepared, joining Ina (via Food Network) in her home to watch her cook for her husband, Jeffrey, or some of her friends, is always a treat. As lovely in person as she is on her television show (with a face full of adorable freckles), it was definitely a thrill to meet Ina Garten (who grew up and was married in my home state of Connecticut) and she comes in at #5 on my cool people list.

A photo of Ina Garten – #5 on my ‘Cool People’ countdown.

#4. Tim Gunn

Always impeccable and oozing with swag, Tim Gunn is #4 on my countdown of cool people I met this week. He was cool when he mentored young talent on the television show Project Runway (as a former faculty member of Parson the New School for Design) and he remains cool now, in all he does. You can catch him on daytime television giving “Timterventions” on his show The Revolution. You got it going on Tim!

A photo Tim Gunn – #4 on the countdown.

#3. Roble Ali

This hot, young chef is currently starring in the show Chef Roble & Co. where he and his team cater events for big name clients and celebrities in NYC. But, that is not why he receives #3 on my ‘cool’ countdown of the week. He attains this honor for judging the Teen Battle Chef LIVE in Harlem last Wednesday night. Teen Battle Chef is a program where young people learn to cook and explore culinary careers, nutrition, food systems and gardening education, while ‘battling’ obesity and chronic disease. Chef Roble helped confirm to the students that it is ‘cool’ to be interested in preparing and eating healthy food.

#2. Star Jones

Star Jones also gets on my cool list for supporting the Teen Battle Chef event in Harlem. She served as the emcee for the evening and did an amazing job of conveying the importance of eating right by speaking candidly about her own personal story of being overweight (over 300 lbs.) and requiring open heart surgery. Kudos to Star for using her personal story and her no-nonsense demeanor to help inspire others, while lighting up the evening with her sense of humor and sparkling personality.

Photo of Star Jones at Teen Battle Chef in Harlem – #2 on my ‘Cool People I Met’ countdown.

I am blessed with some really great friends…one of them works in health and wellness and invited me to attend Teen Battle Chef that was being held in Harlem this past week, sponsored by her employer, Emblem Health. I had never before spent any time in Harlem and hadn’t heard about the event I was attending, but it seemed to contain all the ingredients I love: celebrity chefs, education, and the chance to meet new people. I was in! I managed to negotiate my way to Harlem (thanks sweet, young girl from the performing arts high school that I met on the subway) and find my destination.

#1. Harlem students participating in Teen Battle Chef.

There is no question that the coolest of the cool I met this week were definitely the students that participated in the Teen Battle Chef in Harlem (I couldn’t pick just one) and they came in as #1 in my countdown. What a fun night I had with them all! I was lucky to get the chance to sample the creations in the appetizer category and the students were eager to explain the nutritional value of each ingredient. (Send me an email if you would like me to send you the recipe for my favorite – “Carribbean Salsa”.)

Every person that helped create and implement this program (an extra-curricular activity at school) and competition is #1 in my book…this includes Lynn Fredicks (founder of FamilyCook Productions), Former First Lady of New York State Michelle Paige Paterson (sparking the idea for bringing the program to Harlem), and all those that supported it – including Former Governor of New York, David Paterson and celebrity chefs Walter Hinds and Marcus Samuelsson. Bon appetit!

A photo of #1 on my ‘Cool People I Met’ countdown – the Harlem students committed to learning about healthy eating.

Congratulations to the students of Harlem for their committment to help their friends and family make healthier food choices to prevent unhealthy weight and associated diseases! Super cool!

Hope you enjoyed the Top Ten Coolest People I Met Countdown for this week’s Friday field trip!

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book giveaway winner for may!

June

state of wonder by anne patchett

May’s free book giveaway is State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. Ann was in Connecticut this past month and I had the pleasure to meet her when I attended one of her appearances with one of my bookgroups.

May’s winner of the free autographed signed book is Lauren P. who blogs on The Well Crafted Home. Congratulations Lauren! I know you will love the book!

For more details on entering to win next month’s book, 22 Brittania Road, click here: https://pleasureinsimplethings.com/book-giveaway/

Her are some photos of Ann from the appearance I attended.

Ann Patchett, the author of eight novels, including “Bel Canto” and “Run”

Ann, now a bookstore owner as well as an author, speaks to a packed house of over 400 in Connecticut.

Next month’s giveaway book:

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fifty shades of…oh, my goodness!

May

meeting erika leonard (aka e. l. james), author of fifty shades of grey

Fifty Shades of Grey author appearance in Connecticut

I walked into a ballroom with seating for over 1,000 – a black feather boa had been placed on each chair…that certainly sets a mood. Appetizers were passed and a line, too long to wait in, was formed at the cash bar. Where am I?

Tonight I spent the evening with 1,400 women listening to a conversation with Fifty Shades of Grey author E. L. James – the author responsible for number one, number two, and number three of the bestselling books in the country. A woman named by Time magazine as one of the most influential people in the world (really?! Come on!) You wouldn’t expect to find a black feather boa as a favor on your chair if you were coming to listen to an author with those credentials, would you? Or, expect that the biggest crowd response of the night was after a fan commented to the author “could you please package your Christmas trilogy with silver balls?”

Photo of Fifty Shades of Grey author Ms. James on the left and Ms. Coady, owner of R.J. Julia’s Booksellers, on the right.

Looking like any one of the many ‘housewives’ that graced the audience, the author participated in a casual conversation with Roxanne Coady, owner of R.J. Julias, a local bookstore in Madison, CT, that sponsored the evening’s event. It represented the third stop of the British author’s national book tour for the crazily successful Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed . The fiction trilogy details the love affair (sometimes sadomasochistic) between wealthy billionaire Christian Grey and the virginal Anastasia Steele.

Ms. Coady started the discussion by saying she disagreed with comments in the media that suggested the book Fifty Shades of Grey was a step back for women. She explained that Anastasia takes responsibility for her own sexuality (after all she doesn’t sign the sexual contract Christian proposed) and is depicted as having ‘all the power.’ The crowd roared in response…giving the room an atmosphere that resembled that of a pep rally, not an author discussion.

The ages of the fans ranged from college age to eighty-five! This is a mom and daughter that shared the front row with me.

Seeming totally comfortable with the crowd and dropping an occasional ‘f bomb’ in her British accent, Ms. James spoke to her fans as they hung on every word, describing her book as “a real escape..it’s a great holiday.” Inspired by the Twilight series books, Ms. James created her own personal fantasy in a series of three steamy novels of erotica dubbed throughout the media as “mommy porn.”

One woman in the audience bursts out “I just want to tell you that you are a genius.” Geez. According to the critics, the book is not even well written.

Ms. Coady referred to the books as a “gateway drug” – inspiring people that never read to pick up the books and read. With the type of media attention this cultural phenomenon has garnered, who wouldn’t be curious?

The movie rights already sold, Ms. James would not reveal her thoughts on which actor she had in mind for the lead role of Christian, saying it was way too early in the process to divulge any details.

As far as her thoughts on the media criticisms about how the book has affected views on feminism? The author simply said the critics were “giving it far more significance than it deserves.”

When fans questioned why the lead female character in the book was only 21 and not closer in age to the author, Ms. James responded “I think virgins are far more interesting” …then went on to blush when she was asked about women’s orgasms, responding only with “I guess I am really lucky” and left it at that. The mother of two teenage sons (who she claims have not read the book), commented on loving email banter and said “I am a terrible flirt and I really enjoyed doing the email conversations in the book.”

Ms. Coady closed the evening’s discussion by announcing to Ms. James “You have liberated so many women for thinking they don’t matter.”

The author was in tears, genuinely appreciating the standing ovation she received.

After the discussion part of the evening concluded, Ms. James remained very personable and accommodating to all her fans as she signed books. The line of people waiting to have books signed snaked all over the building… but, fans could keep occupied by purchasing a bottle of Beringer while waiting (Christian’s drink of choice).

The long line of fans waiting to have their books signed.

I went into the event wanting to dislike Ms. James, but realized that my beef is not really with her, but rather the media. The author is innocent enough. I do still think I will be disheartened come October when college girls are sporting their Anastasia Steele costumes, complete with bondage paraphernalia, at campus Halloween parties. It does still bother me that young tweeters are discussing the story and photos of the ‘rules’ page from the book are showing up on Instagram. And, I can’t say meeting Ms. James carries the same significance as meeting Khaled Hosseini or Wally Lamb, or even Bobby Flay, but, if Fifty Shades of Grey can bring the happiness I witnessed tonight to women all across the country…kudos to you Ms. James.