Category: Adventures

Watching a Baseball Game on TV with 10,002 Friends

Post author By Robert Schlaff
Post date October 5, 2024

Watching the Game with the 2 Friends I Came With

Watching the Game at a Watch Party in an Empty Citi Field

I just went to the first Mets game in their playoff series against the Phillies. The game was in Philly, but I stayed local and joined thousands of fans at the Citi Field watch party. Even though we were just watching a broadcast on the Jumbotron, the energy was unreal. You’d think you’d need to be at the actual game to feel that intensity, but trust me, that’s not the case. The cheers, the chants, the boos—they all created this shared moment that made it feel like we were actually part of the action. It was one of those experiences where you realize the power of the crowd, not just as spectators, but as an integral part of the game.

Adventures Life Lessons

How a Conversation is Like a Rainbow

Post author By Robert Schlaff
Post date September 17, 2024

I used to think that conversations were about what two people say to each other. Recently I’ve come to think of them as an improv game where each person adds something unique to the mix. One person might introduce a surprising idea, while another runs with it in an unexpected direction. After it’s over, we can try to untangle where an idea came from but often we can’t do it because the conversation has taken on a life of its own. It grows, shifts, and moves in ways that even the participants might not anticipate. It’s like a river that follows its own course taking everyone along with it.

Adventures ChatGPT

ChatGPT as a Museum Tour Guide

Post author By Robert Schlaff
Post date September 14, 2024

I’ve become spoiled. I love being able to look at the art and have somebody explain to me what’s going on. This started in college when I went to a Picasso exhibit with my grandfather. Picasso is quite difficult to understand without the background. I just saw a lot of random shapes. However, when I learned what Picasso was trying to do, combine the best shapes of each object and combine them onto a single canvas, the art made a whole lot more sense.

Adventures Life Lessons

How I Learned to Appreciate the Sunrise

Post author By Robert Schlaff
Post date August 28, 2024

As I was sitting on the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas, one of the world’s most luxurious cruise ships, I found myself immersed in the stillness of the morning. I like to meditate in the morning and wait for the world to wake up. The peacefulness of that time is transcendental, and it’s during these moments that I’ve come to appreciate the sunrise.

Adventures

My Night in (Netflix’s) Paris

Post author By Robert Schlaff
Post date July 11, 2024

Visiting a great old movie house is a magical thing. You get to truly experience the grandeur of older times. There are not many of these theaters left, but I got to visit one of them today. I saw Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F at the Netflix owned Paris Theater in New York. The charm of the Paris Theater lies in its vintage ambiance, from the classic marquee to the ornate interior design, offering a nostalgic journey that you simply can’t replicate at home.

Adventures Books / Audiobooks

How John Harrison Stole the Longitude Prize

Post author By Robert Schlaff
Post date June 19, 2024

On my trip to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, I learned about how important time was for navigation. In the 1700s, sailors had no reliable way to determine their exact position at sea, which often led to ships being lost and many lives being endangered. The primary challenge was determining longitude, as latitude could be measured with relative ease using the stars.

Adventures

Thank You for a Most Excellent 25th Reunion

Post author By Robert Schlaff
Post date June 1, 2024

This is my Thank You note to all of my classmates who made my 25th reunion so special.

Thank you for coming together to create such a wonderful event.I can’t get over the incredible feeling of connecting with old friends, building new connections, and feeling this pervasive sense of love and support. It was like stepping into a time machine, with memories of late-night conversations and impromptu adventures rushing back. It was more than a nostalgic trip down memory lane; it was a celebration of community, lasting friendships, and new connections. Each conversation, hug, and shared laugh reinforced a deep sense of belonging.

Adventures

Cheeky Royal Art

Post author By Robert Schlaff
Post date April 29, 2024

Royal art, with its grand portraits and stately sculptures, usually strikes a note of seriousness and tradition. Yet, hidden in the corners of museums and palaces are playful and childish works of creativity that show a lighter side of royalty. This post delves into the world where royal decorum meets whimsical mischief.

Adventures Science and Math

The Beauty of Standards: The Royal Observatory of Greenwich

Post author By Robert Schlaff
Post date April 29, 2024

London, April 27, 2024, 7 PM

Today, our journey took us to the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Much like our visit to Stonehenge, I was drawn to this global landmark. I realized that standing on the Prime Meridian is like no other place in the world. I was neither East nor West, but centered, anchored in global time and space.

Adventures Life Lessons

High and Low Culture: Pastry Fork vs. Spork

Post author By Robert Schlaff
Post date April 27, 2024

London, April 27, 2024, 7 PM

At first, I thought I was stepping into a world of high culture, of high tea, which many of us think of as posh and elite. But in reality, high tea is a working-class meal, hearty and robust, eaten at the end of the workday. It turns out I was going for afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is the high culture one. It’s all about elegance and light bites—think scones and tiny sandwiches, eaten in the late afternoon.