songbird's crazy world

 It’s fall, y’all.  Happy autumnal equinox.  And the weather is suddenly cooler.  Jacket weather!  Break out the boots! Halloween decorations starting to pop up on lawns.  I’m loving it.  I always love the change of seasons. But this means we will have to bundle up for the baseball games this weekend.  Ducks versus Blue Crabs.  Should be fun. Full moon tonight.  The harvest moon, I bought a shoe stretching kit for the boots. Hope it works. Yoga class tonight.  And maybe Planet Fitness tomorrow- yes, I finally went back.  My sister insists that I need to use weight lifting machines at the gym to build muscle and prevent bone loss, and the things I’ve been doing aren’t enough.  She goes to the gym all the time, she’s much stronger than I am.  But she doesn’t do any flexibility or balance work, and she said she needs to start.  I think convinced her to try yoga.  Fall prevention, you know. Too many people we kn...

 Shea Stadium, 25 years ago tonight. 9/21/2001. Do you remember that baseball season? Let’s go back to the 2000 Subway Series, when the National League Champion Mets lost to the American League champs, the Yankees, and NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani had to pretend to like the Mets as much as he liked the Yankees. Both teams entered 2001 primed for a pennant race. It was an exciting season. Remember who was in the Mets that year?  John Franco.  Todd Zeile. Al Leiter. Robin Ventura. Ray Ordóñez. Edgardo Alfonso. And, of course, Mike Piazza. The team was in a pennant at race. And then came 9/11. The first professional sports event in NYC came 10 days later,  on 9/21.  The NY Mets and the Atlanta Braves in Shea Stadium.  The Braves were the Mets’ arch rivals.  But that night… Police officers, firefighters and military personnel were on the field for pregame ceremony.  The Mets wore the caps of the various first responders,  Diana Ross sang “God Bless Am...

 

 Got my Ipsy bag. Sample sizes, chosen for me by Ipsy. Lip treatment, eye cream, mascara, blush and a makeup brush.  All things I could use, but the only one I’d buy again would be the lip treatment.  We went to Drew’s high school reunion Saturday night.  Class of 1976.  Nice party,  a local bar has a party room.  Food was good.  Drew had a blast.   I’m two years younger than Drew.  I grew up in a different town,  I graduated in 1978.  We were in college when we met. The weather Saturday night?  Autumnal.  My first opportunity to wear fall clothes.  I loved wearing my new blue sweater.  But the bouts I bought in line, the boots on clearance do they can’t be returned, were a bit tight.  Sigh. The Ducks swept Hagerstown, winning game 3 Friday night.  The championship series, against  the Blue Crabs    begins tonight.  It’s a best-of-five, with the first two games in Maryland. ...

  Everybody Loves a Clown Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to  answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions! Saturday 9: Everybody Loves a Clown (1965) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) Not everyone loves clowns. " Coulrophobia" is the irrational fear of clowns. Do you have any fears or phobias? No phobias but normal fears — bugs, vicious animals, etc.   2) This week's featured artist, Gary Lewis, sings that he jokes a lot at parties. In social settings, are you more a talker or a listener? Depends on who I’m with. 3) He's dreaming of a specia...

Rerun time   Music Monday  was all about cats …   The theme? Unbeknown to me, September is National Happy Cat month. You don’t have a cat or any animal to share some songs about these adorable four-legged creatures! Before I play my songs … You all know my dear friend Duchess And my other sweet girl, Moon Shadow.  We call her Shadow. Though I’ll hazard a guess I’m not the only crazy cat lady hopping on this theme today … First let’s play the song that inspired Shadow’s name …by (of course) Cat Stevens. And from Disney, the movie that inspired Duchess’s name Next up, Elton John Anyone remember dancing to this song? Tom Jones has a question The Stray Cats have something to add We must include something from Cats Yeah, one of my favorite musicals.  I actually named a cat Mr. Mistoffeles.  He was quiet, he was small, he was black … No, I don’t like cats at all… just because this hangs in the front hall … I loved this theme.  🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛❤️💙🩵🩷🧡💜

  Qigong (pronounced "chee-gong") is  an ancient Chinese practice that combines slow movements, deep breathing, and meditation to improve health and balance energy Tai chi is  an ancient Chinese martial art practiced as a gentle, low-impact system of slow continuous movements, deep breathing, and mental focus . Often called "meditation in motion," it is designed to harmonize the body and mind while promoting   Qigong focuses on simple, repetitive energy and breathing exercises for health, while Tai Chi is a structured, flowing martial art sequence that requires memorizing continuous movements .  [ 1 ]  and inner energy. Qigong is often used as a warmup for tai chi practice. We started with qigong, did some breathing exercises.  And then the instructor introduced us to the 24 forms, or poses. This is going to be challenging. This is going to be fun.

Great night at the ballpark last night.  The Ducks won and are heading to Hagerstown for game 3 of a best-of-five series.  Exciting.     Fire alarm went off at the office today.  We were told to evacuate the building.  Everyone grabbed their laptops and personal stuff.  And as soon as we were in the hallway they told us it was a false alarm … but you have to take these things seriously. My first tai chi class will be tonight.  Should be fun.

 The new session of my yoga class started last night. The previous session ended August 4.  I really missed the class, I’m so happy it started up again. Drew went to the Ducks game last night.  The Ducks won, 7-6, an exciting, come-from-behind win.  We’re going to the game tonight, and I hope it will be just as exciting. It was chilly this morning.  I actually had to wear a jacket.  The first sign of fall?

 So … the Ducks.  The Ducks play in the Atlantic League.  The League has two divisions, North and South.  The league plays a split season, with the winner of the first half in each division playing the winner of the second half in the first round of playoffs..   The first half winners were the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars in the North and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the South. The Lexington Legends won the second half in the South. In the North …the York Revolution were in the lead for most of the summer, with the Ducks in a close second. Until the final weekend. The Ducks and York were tied, and each had three games left. If the teams were still tied at the end of the weekend, the Ducks would advance to the playoffs because they won the series they played against York. So … Sunday.  The teams were still tied.  York was scheduled to play the Ferryhawks in Staten Island and the Ducks were hosting the Blue Crabs.  A distance of 60 miles.  ...

 Midnight sighting of front yard bunny. I think I’ve mentioned this before, Drew sees a specialist at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia.  We occasionally have to go to Temple to see that doctor.  I grabbed an interesting shot as we were driving over the Verrazano Bridge. Yes, that’s One World Trade Center. 25 years later … Also caught a glimpse of the Ferris wheel at Coney Island as seen from the Belt Parkway. Alas, no planes over the highway as we drove past JFK. I was in downtown Brooklyn last week.  I’d forgotten how impressive the Williamsburg Clock Tower is, Rental bicycles in NYC … the bike lanes are great for riders, not so great for pedestrians or drivers.  Watched the Emmys last night.  Michael J. Fox was honored with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.  So sad to see the ravages of Parkinson’s Disease.  I’ve seen the disease up close - my father died from Parkinson’s.  If you care to, please donate to  The Michael J. Fox ...

  The theme? Unbeknown to me, September is National Happy Cat month. You don’t have a cat or any animal to share some songs about these adorable four-legged creatures! Before I play my songs … You all know my dear friend Duchess And my other sweet girl, Moon Shadow.  We call her Shadow. Though I’ll hazard a guess I’m not the only crazy cat lady hopping on this theme today … First let’s play the song that inspired Shadow’s name …by (of course) Cat Stevens. And from Disney, the movie that inspired Duchess’s name Next up, Elton John Anyone remember dancing to this song? Tom Jones has a question The Stray Cats have something to add We must include something from Cats Yeah, one of my favorite musicals.  I actually named a cat Mr. Mistoffeles.  He was quiet, he was small, he was black … No, I don’t like cats at all… just because this hangs in the front hall … I loved this theme.  🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛❤️💙🩵🩷🧡💜

 Today is the last regular season game, and the Ducks are still in contention for a playoff berth. The Ducks are vying for the sane spot sought by York Revolution. The Ducks will play the a blue Crabs today, York will play the Ferryhawks. The  Ducks and York  are currently tied for first place.  If the teams remain tied after today’s games, the Ducks advance to the playoffs because 5hey defeated York in the series they played during the season.  But if York wins and the Ducks lose, York makes the playoff and the Ducks pack up and go home. Let’s Go Ducks!

 I need to say something before I answer this week’s questions. I am writing this on Friday. It’s the 25th anniversary, a solemn day.  9/11 was terrifying for all of us, but it was particularly intense in NYC and the surrounding suburbs.  I live on Long Island, and I spent much of my life working in lower Manhattan, though thankfully not in 2001. I knew someone who died, I knew someone who lost her husband, I know people who came home covered in dust.  I know people who worked in the area but circumstances kept them home that day.  Tonight is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year,  and the start of the High Holy Days, which end on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  It’s a solemn time of year, a period of introspection, when we examine our lives and seek to improve ourselves. We ask G-d to inscribe us in the Book of Life for another year. On Rosh Hashanah it is written, on Yom Kippur it is sealed.  On Rosh Hashanah in 2001 the Rabbi in my synagogue as...

 Where were you 25 years ago today? If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile you already know my 9/11 story. I was a single mother living with my parents and my children on Long Island. I was working for a law firm that had offices in Manhattan, but I was assigned to the Long Island office. Most of my career has been spent either in lower Manhattan or Jersey City, New Jersey, directly across the Hudson from lower Manhattan. But on that day, I was working on Long Island. I remember riding in my car on my way to work and listening to the radio. My favorite DJs were talking to a man who had seen the first plane hit the World Trade Center. While he was talking, the second plane hit, he was stunned. The DJs were stunned. No one knew how to react. When I got to work, my colleagues and I gathered around the one small television that was in the office. Remember, this was before the Internet was fully developed, and before streaming services were available.  We  watched the bui...

 From August 29, moonrise over the ballpark  #skywatchfriday

 Tomorrow is 9/11.  The 25th anniversary of a horrible day. Tomorrow night is the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. From mourning to rejoicing.

 So yesterday I signed up got two classes, yoga on Tuesdays and tai chi on Thursdays.  I’m looking forward to getting back into a routine.  I’ve been a little lazy lately and I feel it.  Tried to stretch and felt so stiff!  Even if I don’t go a full workout every day I need to do 5-10 minutes of yoga stretching every morning to feel ok. I’m going to miss class the week we’re on the cruise but I plan to take one of my yoga mats with me (I have a great mat that folds up and fits in a backpack) and take advantage of the ship’s fitness center.  I know they offer yoga.  I don’t know if they have tai chi but I’ll find out in a few weeks. We’re cruising to Bermuda.  The ship will be in port for two days and we’ll be exploring the country’s history and natural wonders.  But we also get two full days at sea yo enjoy the ship’s amenities. I’ve already spoken to the  cruise line about gluten free food, so I’ll be ok. Did you hear that Israeli scien...

 Now that the season is coming to a close and it doesn’t matter anymore, the Mets are on fire.  Maybe they can keep the momentum going next year. As for the Ducks … their season ends Sunday.  As of now they’re in first place by half a game.  The possibility of a playoff berth is exciting, we’ll just have to wait and see, One of my neighbors has already decorated their house for Halloween.  I expect to see the holiday merchandise in stores, but I wasn’t expecting to see it on someone’s house just yet. It’s not even Rosh Hashanah yet! But soon.

 Welcome fall! We had a great Labor Day weekend.  On Friday night we went to a comedy club.  We’ve got a friend who does standup, he invited us.  Saturday night we went out for Italian, I know a place that does gluten free.  Our Labor Day barbecue was a success.  Lots of food, lots of friends, lots of good conversation.  And we actually got to use the backyard, the weather was perfect. Now that Labor Day is behind us, it’s time to look ahead to autumn.  Changing out my closet — put away the summer clothes, take out the fall clothes.  I am excited to wear my fall clothes, I just bought a few new things. Of course I can’t put all the summer clothes away, I’ll need a few things for our cruise to Bermuda next month.  Drew is so excited for the cruise that he’s already started to pack.  Rosh Hashanah is coming.  Yeah, the same week as Labor Day.  Labor Day came late this year and the Jewish holidays are early.  We are host...

 And I’ve got Lionel Richie on my mind.

 I thought it was me.  It’s a systemwide glitch.  Most of us are unable to comment on. Blogger blogs

  Working in the Coal Mine Welcome to  Saturday 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!  Working in the Coal Mine (1966) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) In this song, Lee Dorsey sings that at 5:00 he's already on the job. What were you doing this morning at 5:00 AM? Sleeping. 2) He's worked so hard all week that he's too tired to enjoy his weekend. What are you doing for fun this holiday weekend? We are having a backyard barbecue Sunday.  Just a few friends, Drew will grill. We will have a variety of salads, chips and dip, corn…desserts. 3) Lee Dor...