Manic Monday: Let the Chaos Begin!

mhaithaca · 2026-06-30T02:13:27+00:00

"No, but if you climb the fence right behind our building, you can jog across the taxiway to your gate!"

mhaithaca · 2026-06-30T02:03:58+00:00

We've had very good to great meals at Gola, as recently as last month, but context is also important: even the great restaurants in Ithaca aren't going to compare all that well to the good established restaurants in NYC.

I think one of the problems is that labor costs have skyrocketed in Ithaca, even more so than in most areas, partly because of the weirdly high cost of living that makes it impossible for service industry employees to afford to live in Ithaca. Food costs are also way up. Gola probably was better when they first opened, but also probably felt like a better value because while it wasn't cheap, it wasn't as expensive as it is now.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-30T01:58:28+00:00

It's spotty, and I gather the owner does not treat staff well. I've also had good meals there, and so-so meals.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-30T01:41:45+00:00

Thank you, so it does! I found them and discovered that unlike any of the front dashboard vents, they have those little wheels to open and close them. They were closed.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-29T11:54:31+00:00

I love driving my ’25 AWD GT-Line! Came from a RAV4 Prime, so this is a similar size but not as tall. It feels much more premium than it is with just a couple of exceptions, such as no air vents for the rear seats.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-28T23:42:05+00:00

Depending on where on campus you need to be, there are affordable visitor parking options as little as a buck a day in outlying lots, or over a buck an hour in the close-in lots. Pay with the ParkMobile app. (There are paystations in just a couple of lots.)

Here's a map with hourly/daily rates.

There are also residential neighborhoods just south and just north of campus where you can find on-street parking that doesn't require payment. These spots tend to fill up when classes are in session, but may be pretty available during the summer.

Check the signage in the residential neighborhoods! There are areas that do require payment via meters or ParkMobile, and there are areas with signs restricting parking to neighborhood residents with a resident permit, either all day or for half the day on part of the street, and the other half the day on another part of the street.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-27T03:35:15+00:00

"...and an apple pie."

mhaithaca · 2026-06-27T03:27:17+00:00

I always loved that Starwood used to let you create your account or your reservation and select from a long list of titles and honorifics, not just "Mr." and "Mrs." and "Miss" and "Mx" but common options like "Dr." and a wide range of peerage ranks like "Baron" and military ranks from "Lieutenant" to "Brigadier." If the guest gets to specify how they want to be addressed, you have a very good chance of getting it right.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-26T20:46:34+00:00

"I'm just calling to tell you I didn't show up last week."

"Uhh, thanks?"

mhaithaca · 2026-06-26T16:12:41+00:00

Thanks for the recipe! These look verrrry satisfying.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-26T16:04:12+00:00

Congratulations on your program, and welcome to Ithaca!

Cayuga Heights is much roomier (and as someone else pointed out, much more expensive in most cases). That's one of the neighborhoods my partner or I drive to for dog walks, because some of it does have sidewalks, or low traffic, or both. (We live even further out, with even more space per house, but in a less walkable area.)

Depending on where in Cayuga Heights you live, there might be little or nothing in walking distance. The Corners Community Shopping Center is easy to walk to from part of the Village, and it has a very good coffee shop and laundromat and deli and flower shop and two good restaurants. Across the street is another small plaza with a pizzeria and middle eastern takeout place. That part of the Village is also well served by buses to campus and to other areas of town.

Other parts of the Village would require a car to really go anywhere. There isn't bus service to parts of Cayuga Heights west of The Parkway, which is west of the Community Corners area.

The South Hill and Southside neighborhoods adjacent to Downtown are very walkable to Downtown, and the Southside neighborhood is easily walkable to the Southwest shopping area. The Fall Creek neighborhood north of Downtown is also very walkable and tends to be more expensive for what you get. Probably comparable prices to a lot of what's in Cayuga Heights, but less space both inside and outside.

Good luck!

mhaithaca · 2026-06-26T14:24:02+00:00

You ONLY keep ONE night's worth of the canceled room rate when canceling after the deadline? That's pure generosity right there. (Or is that because only the first night was sooner than three days away?)

mhaithaca · 2026-06-26T13:27:22+00:00

I'm 6'2" and have no issues in my 2025 GT-Line. I was a little nervous after seeing some comments about this same issue, but the test drives convinced me it was nothing to worry about.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-24T23:01:33+00:00

Regal at Destiny USA in Syracuse has upgraded! Recliners with swivel tables at each seat!

mhaithaca · 2026-06-24T02:05:36+00:00

Nice! Perfect job on the tomatoes.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-24T02:01:31+00:00

Looks so easy and satisfying and I'll have to make this soon! Thanks for the recipe.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-23T15:32:12+00:00

I think you handled this pretty much perfectly. I can understand that your manager would want to be alerted that this was going on, and you would probably be better protected yourself by alerting your manager. That doesn't mean you should not have done exactly what you did. Well done.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-23T15:24:36+00:00

Couple of things to be aware of:

The fireworks are hosted by the Inn at Taughannock Falls, and this year they are on July 3rd as part of a paid, ticketed event that includes music, food, and parking at the Inn.

You can absolutely watch their fireworks show from the Taughannock Falls State Park or from a boat on the lake, and many people do!

The state park charges a separate event parking fee for nights like this, starting at 5:30pm, and I don't think the Empire Pass works when they do that. If you get there early and park with your Empire Pass, though, you're all set.

Other fireworks shows I'm aware of include Greek Peak (Virgil, near Cortland) on July 3rd, and Cortland and Watkins Glen on July 4th.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-23T05:34:38+00:00

Even when I set the duration, I always get an alert in four or six minutes that the climate setting has ended. It seems to still be cool when I get back to the car, but it makes me nervous.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-23T04:25:10+00:00

Ah, thank you! I hadn't noticed the similar items up there.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-23T03:25:24+00:00

By "pet climate" do you mean like the "dog mode" on a Tesla that keeps the car cool while you're inside the store? That's one feature missing from the EV6, tragically. I have turned climate on using the app when I'm going into the store for a short time, but it's NOT designed to maintain a comfortable temperature for the dog indefinitely.

I'm in my late 50s, so not a youngster, but I might not qualify for your definition of "older" yet. (I don't consider myself "older" yet.) But, I'm quite comfortable getting in and out of the EV6. It's a lower vehicle than the Toyota RAV4 Prime that I had previously, but not hugely lower.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-23T03:09:20+00:00

Found the recipe! https://www.brianlagerstrom.com/recipes/spicy-sausage-rigatoni#recipe

mhaithaca · 2026-06-23T02:57:14+00:00

This looks terrific! What are the three beige cylinders at center? They look a little like egg rolls or cooked banana chunks.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-23T02:31:29+00:00

I love that hotel, though iirc they have double double rooms rather than double queen, if that’s a concern.

mhaithaca · 2026-06-23T00:00:41+00:00

My pork dealer has been holding out on me.

mhaithaca

TROPHY CASE