songbird's crazy world

So tired

2012-01-26T22:56:00.001-05:00

Getting back into the workday routine after 6 weeks is NOT easy!

Monday

2012-01-23T15:15:00.001-05:00

A glomy, rainy Monday in the middle of January.

And yet I am not depressed, not wallowing in self pity and winter gloom.

I came back to work today, first time in six weeks.

I am glad yo be healthy enough to go to work. I am glad to have a job to go back to.

While I was away, one colleague got married. Another colleague's wife had a baby. And a third co-worker lost her elderly father. It was good to be back here offering congrats and condolences.

And of course thete's the excitement . . . I work in Jersey City, just a stone's throw from the Meadowlands.

I missed all of the holiday festivities here (well, not all -- today I got a bunch of Christmas cards and a few gifts from vendors), but I will be here for the Super Bowl excitement. Last year I won $500 in the office pool, so of course I plan to play again this year.

It's good to be back.

Deja vu

2012-01-22T22:37:00.001-05:00

Four years later, it's a Giants/Patriots rematch.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Let's talk football!!

2012-01-22T09:33:00.000-05:00

I am a Giants fan, more as a matter of hometown pride than of genuine love for the game. I've been to the late Giants Stadium, but never for football -- took the girls to see Green Day, and took Becca and her friends to the Bamboozle. And Drew and I saw Bon Jovi at the new ~~Meadowlands~~ Metlife Stadium. But football? No, never been there for that.

Still, as a New Yorker, I can't help but feel the excitement that today's playoff game brings -- our Giants meet the San Francisco 49'ers. The winner gets to go to the Superbowl and play the winner of the Ravens/Patriots game. You know I am hoping for a repeat of 2008, a Giants/Patriots Superbowl, with the same outcome, of course.

But I am getting ahead of myself. First comes San Francisco.And how to salute this momentous occasion?

My friend Daisy is a real Packers fan, even bleeds green and gold for her team. If fortunes had been reversed and Green Bay prevailed last week, I know Daisy would be talking about "eating the opposition", i.e., preparing a feast of foods associated with San Francisco. Crab Louie with green goddess dressing perhaps, sourdough bread, cioppino.

But I'm not really a cook. What could I make? "Rice-a-roni, the San Francisco treat"? Not really my style.Instead, I will offer up this musical salute:

Porgy and Bess

2012-01-20T16:15:00.000-05:00

Saw this on Broadway recently.

The Gershwins wrote this as an opera in the 1930's and it became embedded in our culture. Everyone has some familiarity with the music. . . Who hasn't heard "Summertime"?

I'd never seen a production of "Porgy", never saw the movie, so I had no preconceived ideas.

The current production has been cut down -- instead of 3 acts taking 4 hours, it's done in 2 acts taking just under 2 1/2 hours, with some dialogue added, to make it more Broadway-friendly. There are a few changes/updates/modernizations.

Audra McDonald was wonderful as Bess, Norm Lewis as Porgy and David Alan Grier as Sporting Life.
Amazing cast. Amazing show.

t shirt for my daughter

2012-01-19T17:29:00.000-05:00

Jen is smart, witty, funny, outgoing, friendly, loving and occasionally a royal PITA.She is also very blonde and very well-endowed, and tired of where men's eyes tend to focus.She wants to be appreciated for who she is, not for her . . . Assets.

current guilty pleasure

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

Diners Drive-Ins and Dives

It's one of Drew's favorite shows. We even ate at The Pit Stop, one of the restaurants Guy visited.

Never watched the show much, except when I was with Drew. But lately it's become one of my guilty pleasures. I'm not much of a cook, but I love watching Guy watch the chefs and cooks prepare their special foods, and I love to watch Guy dive in and enjoy.

The other night I watched Guy at some Cuban restaurant in Queens, the owner prepared Ropa Vieja for him. It looked so yummy.

I think it's time for another Guy-inspired road trip!!!!

memo to my daughter

2012-01-18T12:44:00.001-05:00

I know you think I am omniscient, but the truth of the matter is that I lack certain psychic powers.In other words, darling child, I am NOT a mindreader!!!!

On a Clear Day

2012-01-17T19:50:00.000-05:00

Had a chance to see this on Broadway recently. Loved the music, loved Harry Connick Jr. Hated the play. Just didn't like the way they reworked it. Sigh, I really wanted to like this one but couldn't...still, sad to hear it's closing at the end of the month.

Colonial Wiliamsburg?

2012-01-16T02:00:00.000-05:00

I think that's where Drew and I are going this summer. Perfect choice for two history buffs, don't you think?I've been there twice. I'm sure I postede about both trips before, but....First time was the summer of 1974, I was 14 and my parents took us on vacation. We spent a few days in Colonial Williamsburg, toured the town and the Governor's Mansion (loved the garden maze), took a candlelight tour of the Capitol. Spent a day in Jamestown and watched a glassblower do his thing, brought home a paperweight made of green glass. Toured the Yorktown battlefield in the rain -- boring.That was the trip where my dad made a wrong turn every time we drove back to the hotel and we'd wind up in the bus station. Where we joked that F and A (age almost 7) were on a tour of every bathroom in Virginia. Where my parents encountered those little cups of creamer for their coffee for the very first time.That was also the summer we stopped in Washington, DC for a day -- saw the monuments, drove past the White House but didn't go in -- that was just three days before President Nixon resigned.And it was the summer I learned that racism was still de facto, if not de jure, alive and well. There was a huge rest stop on I-95 in Maryland, it looked like a southern plantation house. There was a ladies room upstairs, by the food court, that was clean and bright -- and all the ladies were white. Later I walked into the restroom on the main floor, to find that it was in poor repair, and all the ladies on line for the facilities were African-American. You just knew that there once was a sign on the door indicating this was the "colored" restroom. Shocked me, actually. Place has long since been torn down, replaced with more modern and egalitarian facilities.In the summer of 1996 my sister and I took Jen and Becca to Williamsburg, Jen was 5 1/2 and Becca had just turned 4. We stayed in Colonial Williamsburg and spent most of our time there, with side trips to Busch Gardens and Jamestown. Skipped Yorktown. Thought about stopping at King's Dominion on the way home, but wound up skipping that amusement park and spending a day in DC instead.what I remember most from that trip -- the woman in Jamestown dressed as Disney's Pocahontas who told us the real story of Jamestown, getting a green glass paperweight in Jamestown, winning prizes for the girls in Busch Gardens. We ate in one of the taverns in Colonial Williamsburg and were entertained by period musicians. How I lost the tote bag with the girls' extra clothes in Busch Gardens -- Becca got lost in the playground and I went to look for her -- we searched the park for the bag but couldn't find it, asked at the Lost and Found but it wasn't turned it -- yet somehow they mailed it to us after we came home. One one night we ate in our hotel and the food was taking a long time to show up; we told Jen to close her eyes,that the food would be on the table when she opened them again -- and there was a power failure and the lights went out just after she closed her eyes...Yes, good trips, both times.Drew went to Williamsburg once, with the girls and with his ex girlfriend and her daughter. They did the colonial thing, Busch Gardens and Virginia Beach, or so I am told. It must have been about two years, maybe three, after I was there.Adults with an interest in history are going to have a very different perspective than parents with children along for the ride. Less time at Busch, more time at the historic areas. I definitely want to eat in one of the taverns again, and take a candlelight tour. Maybe a carriage ride?

wo Hop!

2012-01-15T16:45:00.001-05:00

I've posted about this place before:

http://songbirdscrazyworld.blogspot.com/2010/05/just-another-saturday-in-new-york-city.html

We really like this place, it's an authentic NYC experience. Not for the claustrophobic, the basement restaurant is so crowded you can barely move. Last night we shared a table with another couple. Not by choice, it's just how they utilize space. Larger groups are accomodated by pushing several tables together in the middle of the restaurant. It's a no-reservations, cash-only restaurant. You will find yourself waiting on the steps outside at peak times - the place seats maybe 50 at a time. It's open 24/7/365 though, so go at an off time if you don't want to wait.

We stick with Cantonese here, they offer hot and spicy but don't do it as well. Wonton soup, lo mein, sweet and sour chicken . . .

The other couple at our table . . .I think they were poor college students looking for a cheap meal. Can't believe what they ordered - huge bowls of soup, egg rolls, spare ribs, dumplings, lo
mein, sesame chicken . . .

We didn't get to wander through Chinatown, it was too cold and we had theater tickets. Guess that means we have to go back.

Has it really been 4 years?

2012-01-15T10:42:00.001-05:00

The Giants take on the Packers today. One of those teams will play the Saints next week, and then it's on to the Superbowl.

The Giants won the Superbowl 4 years ago, in 2008. The moment is indelibly tattooed on my brain.

Jen was a senior in high school then. She had applied at the University of Hartford and there was some program on Monday morning. The drive from Long Island to Hartford . . . We decided to drive up Sunday night and stay over, then drive home Monday after the program.

Did I mention that the Giants played the Patriots? And that Hartford, being in Connecticut, is Patriots country?

So the whole time we were in the car, Jen's friend Billy was texting her updates on the game.

Just as I pulled into the hotel parking lot Jen said" The Giants just won the game!"

The hotel lobby had a huge flat screen TV. And a lot of sad faces.

And here I was, with my NY driver's license . . .

Ah, well, at least we weren't in Boston. I LOVE that city, but would have felt very uncomfortable . . .

Four years later . . .she chose a different college, also in New England, and she's about to graduate. She's a Jets fan these days, but will root for the Giants as a matter of home town pride.

All of her housemates are New Englanders.

A Giants/Pats rematch this year could be . . .interesting.

songbird salutes the 70's

2012-01-14T07:44:00.000-05:00

In college I fell in love with a guy who loved Queen. this was one of our favorite songs.

friggatriskaidekaphobia

2012-01-13T07:21:00.000-05:00

Hope no one here has it!Happy Friday the 13th!

so annoyed

2012-01-12T15:47:00.002-05:00

posted a couple of days ago about how I was so proud of my nails.wouldn't you know it, I broke two nails in the last two days,

Songbird salutes the 70's

2012-01-10T14:59:00.001-05:00

Haven't done this in awhile, but the movie is on cable right now . . .

Remember this?

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0079945/

Star Trek The Motion Picture

Much anticipated, the movie opened in the cold of winter. We were college students, Trek fans and just plain crazy.

We planned to see the 10 PM show the day it opened. Got to the movie theater at 6:30 and were first on line, and more than willing to spend 3 hours in the cold to guarantee that we'd be able to see the movie.

Just after 7, the manager told us that he had four seats together for the 7 PM show. They were in the very front row of the theater.

We were crazy college students.

But we weren't stupid.

I still have the crick in my neck all these years later . . .

I forget she's still a kid . . .

2012-01-08T11:19:00.000-05:00

Lately Jen has been so grown up and mature that I tend to forget she's barely an adult.

She'd been giving me grief about taking time off from work to recuperate from surgery. She told me that my being home was driving her crazy. Wanted me to go back to work.

I was starting to feel like she didn't care about me or my health.

Finally figured out what was going on.

She assumed that if I wasn't working I wasn't getting paid. And she was stressing about how the bills were going to be paid if I have no income.

Adult stress and a child's understanding. Once I explained about disability insurance . . . Well, the stress seems to have gone away.

Go-to beauty product??

2012-01-07T23:34:00.001-05:00

I was never girly-girl.

But now that I am older I have an appreciation for certain cosmetics.

My hands always used to look horrible because I bit my nails. I must have been in my late 30's or early 40's when I finally broke that habit.

So I am more than a little vain about my nails.

My new favorite product? Sally Hanson salon effects. It's strips of polish that you peel from the backing and apply to your nails. No drying time! Great when you don't have time for a full mancure.

Quick and easy dinner

2012-01-07T09:02:00.000-05:00

Along the lines of "anyone can cook":

Cook a pound of pasta al dente (I used penne).

Saute an onion and two cloves of garlic in olive oil.

Cut 1 1/2 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Add to the pan and brown the chicken.

Add a jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Trader Joe's Organic) and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve sauce over pasta and add some grated pecorino romano.

I am quite proud of myself, this was actually quite tasty.

Torture!

2012-01-06T15:43:00.001-05:00

Redford made a trip to the vet yesterday, his first since joining our family last winter. for various reasons the vet instructed us to keep him in the house for the next two weeks, he is not allowed outside to play.

Poor cat already has cabin fever.

And the fact that Mr. Kitty is allowed outside . . . Do cats really tease each other the way children do?

Love my daughter but

2012-01-06T01:55:00.001-05:00

Not really liking her right now.

Seems that the whole time Becca has been home for winter break, the only time she talks to me without giving me attitude is when she wants something from me.

She's 19, too old for this sullen teenager routine.

Star gazing . . . Not

2012-01-04T09:23:00.001-05:00

Yesterday a friend posted about a meteor shower which could be observed early this morning.

I never get a chance to see meteor showers. The best time to see them is usually 4:00 in the morning, and who can be up at thst hour when you have to go to work just a few hours later?

But I am off from work right now, still recuperating. Still, I didn't plan to go stargazing last night.

But I woke up at 4:00 in the morning.

Briefly considered getting dressed and going outside.

Until I realized it was a balmy 13 degrees outside.

I really don't want to go stargazing in the artic . . .

Life with cats can never be boring

2012-01-03T20:41:00.001-05:00

So this evening my mother was going to feed Redford. She opened a can of catfood, but before she could put the food in the dish, the phone rang. She picked up the phone and walked out of the room to talk.

Redford was impatient and decided to take matters into into his own paws.

He jumped up onto the counter snd knocked the can to the floor, and was happily dining when my mother and I walked into the room.

The party's over . . .

2012-01-02T16:36:00.001-05:00

Or rather, the holiday season has come to an end.

I still have time off from work, though, thanks to my surgeon. So no post-holiday blues right now.

Not a bad thing . . .

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T08:42:00.001-05:00

Watch "Barry Manilow: It's Just Another New Years Eve" on YouTube

From last winter

2011-12-29T00:23:00.001-05:00

It sure looks lovely . . . From a distance!

Road trip

2011-12-28T13:46:00.001-05:00

Stew Leonard's

Ever hear of it?

It's a food Mecca of sorts.

My friend Donna wanted to go yesterday, for the prepared foods - Donna is about to have surgery and needs easy meals in the house duting her recovery.

So a group of us went all the way from Long Island to Connecticut to go grocery shopping.

Have to admit, it's a fun concept. Talking cows, singing butter, a parrot in the seafood section -- animatronics to keep you amused while you shop. Lots of free samples - we tasted roast beef, fudge, cookies . . .

I don't think I'll be making the pilgrimage often. But if they actually build one here, I will be shopping fairly often.

the difference between love and martyrdom

2011-12-27T15:50:00.000-05:00

The other day A screamed at me that she and F gave my daughters love and that they were there for my kids when I was not.They were at my kids' school MORE than any parent. They were living vicariously through my girls. They had so much time on their hands that they could hang out at cheerleading or play rehearsal, etc. Kids began to call them the "red aunts" because of their long red hair.All the kids at school knew who the "red aunts" were. Many of the kids loved them. Some laughed at them behind their backs. They had no other responsibilities, no jobs, no other commitments. They "helped" around the house but didn't have the responsibility a SAHM would have. So of course they could hang out at school.I admit, I was a bit jealous at times. I was around for activities as much as any working parent, but I would have treasured the chance to be there more often. But bills don't pay themselves and I never got the chance to be a stay at home mother.There were kids who knew about the "red aunts" who didn't even know Jen and Becca.Yeah, make a career, make a life out of hovering over your nieces instead of getting a job and making a life for yourself.It's like living with four teenagers, only two of them are growing up.And the other two . . . 44 going on 14. Living off their parents, no idea what they will do with the rest of their lives.Nope, can't say I envy them now.

Ugh

2011-12-26T14:05:00.001-05:00

Started a new medication as a result of my sojourn at the hospital. Looked up the possible side effectd the day I filled the prescription.

Sure enough . . .

Why, oh why, did I have to start a medication which leaves my hands and feet feeling cold - just as winter arrives?

New Year's Eve plans

2011-12-26T08:59:00.002-05:00

So the plans are set. Nine of us at Drew's house. Catered food,nothing too fancy, champagne and a casual atmosphere. Becca will be hanging out with her boyfriend. Jen and a group of friends are talking about Times Square but my guess is they'll hang out at someone's house instead. My parents have tickets for the opera, early curtain, and should be out of the city long before the ball drops.A casual and fun New Year's for all.

stereotype?

2011-12-25T20:32:00.001-05:00

Chinese food and a movie today - loved the new Sherlock Holmes.

Christmas plans

2011-12-24T16:10:00.000-05:00

Tonight will be spent at a friend's. She will cook dinner and her kids and mine will decorate the tree.Since it is still Chanukah, we will bring a menorah and light candles.A blending of traditions.Let us banish the darkness and let in the light of peace and understanding.

More about the twins

2011-12-23T14:58:00.000-05:00

Well, I know why my sisters don't like me. They think I lack gratitude and that I am a "taker" with no appreciation for all they did for the girls.they won't recognize what they did which offended me.They have no clue how many times, during the crazy divorce years, how many times I had to defend their behavior.I own what I did . . . In trying to ruin Drew's relationship with the girls. Drew owns what he did, in trying to ruin their relationship with my family and me. We have both taken responsibility for it.I allowed the twins to do stuff, too, because it served my purposes at the time.But they refuse to acknowedge that what they did was wrong, that what they did caused me grief in court, that I had to defend their actions to the law guardian and to several judges.I was threatened, numerous times, with a change in custody if my sisters didn't stop "interfering".If that had happened . . .

crying today

2011-12-22T14:00:00.001-05:00

I am so done with everyone today. Drew, my sisters, my parents, my children.You can all take your drama somewhere else because none of you give a damn about me.

The prisoner has been released!

2011-12-21T17:52:00.001-05:00

Surgeon says I can "ease into" my normal activities but that I am not ready to go back to work.

I am fortunate to have very good short term disability benefits.

So it's time to relax and enjoy the time off.

It goes sour

2011-12-21T10:44:00.001-05:00

Biggest mistake of my life . . . Pulling F and A into my inner circle, allowing them to co-parent with me. At first they respected me, but there came a point when they decided they knew better than me and somehow forgot that I was the parent and they were the aunts. Should have moved out of my parents' house as soon as that started to happen. When Jen was 11 and Becca 9 I said I'd hire someone to see to the girls after school. And was promptly told " We won't let them into the house."

Like I said, I should have moved out. But I was doing battle with Drew at the time.

My concern at the time was twofold. Primarily it was my rights as a parent. Good, bad or indifferent, it was my responsibility to raise my children. Doesn't matter if someone else can do a better job than I can.

And I had real concerns for my sisters. Neither of them has ever held a real job. They're currently 44 years old with the life skills of teenagers, living off my parents. No income, no health insurance, no prospects. What will happen when my parents are gone?

One of the reasons I am public enemy number one is because I started raising this isdue 10 years ago.

happy Hanukkah

2011-12-20T23:40:00.000-05:00

We had an evening with latkes, the menorah,presents and gelt - my father was glowing because all four daughters and both granddaughters were home.

Grrrrr

2011-12-19T14:57:00.005-05:00

So today I saw my primary care physician. Showed up on time for my 10:00 appointment. Wasn't seen until 11:00. Was supposed to see the surgeon tomorrow. That's been postponed until Wednesday.Not happy.

so about my sisters

2011-12-18T08:01:00.046-05:00

It's a sad situation. I blame myself, in part, because I contributed to it,but the real blame goes to my parents, who indulged them, and to their own poor choices.

As I said, there are four of us. I am the oldest, my sister H is a year younger than I am. F and A are identical twins, born six years after H, when my parents (for various reasons) assumed there would be no more children.

My parents had very clear expectations for me and for H . . . Once you finish high school you either go to college or you go to work. I went to college, graduated, went to law school, graduated and found a job . . .and found myself on the road to adulthood. H went to college, dropped out and went to work, went back to school . . .ultimately finished school, started a career, went back to school. . .adulthood.

Not so with the twins.

They found a passion for theater early in life. They had considerable talent, and went to a
regional performing arts high school part time to develop that talent. Followed up with BFA degrees from a fine university with a wonderful program in musical theater. Did a lot of summer stock.

And then . . .

Came home to Long Island. Started going on auditions, etc. Couldn't.
get a foothold in the industry.

I think part of the problem was distance . . . They should have been in NYC not buried in the Suburbs. And they were very picky about what they wanted to do . . . They wanted to work together as a sister act.

So they had a few jobs here and there . . . But nothing long term.

And then I got divorced. And moved back home with two little girls.

F and A love my daughters and easily slipped into the role of nanny to my girls. My kids were 4 and 2 at the time, I was going through a hellish divorce, and I was glad to have he love and support of family. My sisters accuse me of not appreciating what they did for me and my girls . . . But back then, I was overwhelmed, and couldn't have managed at all without them.So how did it all go sour? I leave that tale for another day.

the prisoner has been set free

2011-12-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am posting this from Drew's house. Got tired of looking at my own four walls, decided to look at a different set of walls.

Actually I am starting to feel a lot better. Still have some discomfort from the surgery but I am on the mend.

dysfunction junction

2011-12-15T12:41:00.000-05:00

I have been blogging for several years now but I don't think I have mentioned the issues I have with two of my sisters.

I have three sisters. Let me be clear that I love all three of my sisters and am concerned about their welfare.

But the youngest two . . . Don't like them very much. I have a lot of hurt feelings about things they've done. And about things they continue to do.

I seem to be their punching bag. I am blamed for everything that's wrong in their lives, whether it has anything to do with me or not.

What gets to me the most is that they profess to love our parents and my daughters, but put their anger towards me ahead of their love for our family members.

I've decided I need to talk about it. I have kept silent far too long.

home again, home again, jiggety jig

2011-12-13T18:54:00.001-05:00

There's no place like home!

It galls me to say this

2011-12-11T15:51:00.001-05:00

My gallbladder and I are about to part company. I had a severe attack Thursday night and I've been in the hospital since Friday morning.

I had some issues back in April but was mostly OK during the summer. Started having issues over the last few months.

So I'll be having surgery tomorrow.

Not my idea of holiday fun.

Another milestone of sorts

2011-12-08T18:08:00.001-05:00

Jen has been summoned to jury duty.

I doubt she'll be picked. We're still in the middle of the lawsuit from her car accident. So when the lawyers hear about it, they won't want her on the panel.

Still, being called is another sign she's growing up.

New Year's Eve plans

2011-12-08T00:49:00.000-05:00

Looks like this year we won't be going out. Instead Drew is inviting a small group of friends to his house.

It makes more sense. We always have trouble finding a restaurant that suits everyone's budget and tastes.

Last year we wound up at a seafood restaurant. Food was great, band was boring and we were overdressed . . . We dressed for New Year's Eve and everyone else was wearing khakis and sweaters.

The previous year we went to a great Italian place with a good DJ, but all the food had red sauce and one member of the group is allergic to tomatoes. DJ was great but most of the group didn't get up to dance - what a waste.

I'm willing to spend a little more for a nice evening but some members of the group can't . . .Or won't spend what I am willing to spend.

So we're getting food from a local restaurant and having the party at his house. Should be fun.

Madeleines

2011-12-07T15:43:00.000-05:00

That sweet cross between a cookie and a cake, made famous by Proust in his writings on Paris.

I have never been to Paris. But I have been to Starbucks.

I'm not a Starbucks groupie but I do pop in occasionally. And when I'm there I usually buy their Madeleines.

So you can image my disappointment when I stopped by the day before Thanksgiving. . . .I love the peppermint hot chocolate this time of year. There were no Madelines!

Were they out of the cookies? Or did they discontinue them?

Just had to go back a week later to find out.

The Madeleines had returned.

What a relief!

he likes croissant

2011-12-06T07:07:00.005-05:00

Ever hear of a cat who likes croissant?

I had a croissant for breakfast yesterday. Mr. Kitty jumped onto the table, sat down beside me and put his paw on my arm. . .begging for a piece of my croissant.

I should have made him get down off the table.

I gave him a piece of the croissant.

He loved it.

Cats must be psychic

2011-12-05T15:41:00.001-05:00

Redford is an unneutered male cat. And apparently determined to stay that way.

He was supposed to go to the vet this afternoon.

My sister let him out late last night. Usually he'd have come home for breakfast.

But today . . . He seems to be enjoying his freedom.

Next time we will have to put him on house arrest.

who or what is on your bucket list?

2011-12-05T11:01:00.000-05:00

The topic came up this weekend, because Drew bougiht tickets to see Neil Diamond in concert next summer, and his friend Marc said something to him about "Crossing it off your bucket list."

I never made a bucket list, a list of things to experience before I die. Not even when I was so sick 6 . . . almost 7 . . . years ago.

I guess it's because I am enjoying so many things now.

I suppose, if pressed, I'd probably put travel at the top of the list. There's so much of the world I haven't seen and want to explore.

I want to see Billy Joel in concert. I saw him perform at Citi Field during Paul McCartney's concert but I've never seen Billy in concert.

But what I really want . . .To dance at a wedding. Or rather, two weddings. I want to see my children with good careers, good friends and loving partners. I want to hokd my grandchildren in my arms.

2011-12-04T17:04:00.001-05:00

Watch "SLEIGH RIDE John Williams & The Boston Pops (Live)" on YouTube

continuing our PBS phase

2011-12-04T16:41:00.000-05:00

Today we saw the Boston Pops at the Tilles Center - the concert hall at CW Post College.

It was a holiday concert, they played selections from "The Nutcracker", popular music such as "Sleigh Ride", and with their guests Rockapella various Christmas songs. There was even a sing-along at the end of the show.

I love live performances, I get carried away by the music . . .

Love Walt Handelsman

2011-12-03T16:15:00.001-05:00

Urbanspoon

2011-12-03T09:11:00.000-05:00

Love this site Gives reviews of local restaurants by critics, bloggers and ordinary patrons. Want a good restaurant for a romantic dinner? The best diner? A good burger? Try this site.

And if you look at the Long Island leaderboard . . . Yes that's me as one of the top contributors.

Can't help it. Drew and I like to go out, and I like to share.

Funniest Urbanspoon moment?

We ate in PF Chang's in March. I wrote a thorough review, described every dish we ordered. Talked about the mediocre service.

Six months later we went back. After dinner I logged onto Urbanspoon. Read my review and laughed. We had ordered the exact same dinner. And the service was mediocre. No need for an update.

Yum!

2011-12-02T11:31:00.000-05:00

it's dead singers season!

2011-12-01T10:45:00.000-05:00

Want immortality? Record a Christmas album and hope it becomes a classic.

I mean, you never hear Bing Crosby, Perry Como or Burl Ives on the radio anymore, except at Christmastime. (Almost included Andy Williams, but he's still alive . . . )

One day a few years ago, I was in a store, the radio was tuned to an oldies station, and a Carpenters song came on. A young woman, in her 20's, said to her friend "It sounds like Christmas!"

Sad that such good music is only heard once a year, isn't it?

The Towering Inferno

2011-11-30T11:04:00.024-05:00

Remember that movie? 1974 big budget disaster movie, released around the same as Airport, Earthquake and the like. Saw it on cable the other day.

Stars included Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Fred Astaire, Robert Wagner and Maureen McGovern singing yet another disaster movie theme song. And O.J. Simpson, if you can believe it.

Simple plot -- world's tallest building in flames. People trapped, elevators fail, stairways collapse. One woman falls out a window.

Watching this movie in 1974 . . . Pure imagination.

Watching in 2011 . . .very different.

RIP Anne McCaffrey

2011-11-29T03:05:00.016-05:00

One of my favorite authors -- I love the Pern series. I imagine myself as a dragonrider, in the weyr, visiting the harper hall . . .

The series will go one, I think. . .Her son wrote the last few novels.

Sigh.

Going to look for her at Barnes & Noble, maybe download some of the books to my tablet. Worth reading again.

He died on Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-28T15:32:00.001-05:00

I didn't know the guy. He was a VP at my company. His department is on the same floor as mine, though, so I probably saw him around. When I got to work this morning most of his department was waiting outside the building : the company hired cars to take them to the funeral.

He was 73 and about to retire. He was a father and a grandfather.

Death comes in 3's, they say. I paid a Shiva call on Wednesday because a friend's father died. In synagogue on Saturday I ran into another friend who had just lost her mother in law.

And now this death. The death of a stranger, actually. Yet it hits me like a hammer.

I feel a sense of impending loss. I look at my father, at his declining health, and I feel a gloom overtake me.

How much longer will he be among us, I can't help but wonder. Not that anyone is ever truly ready to say goodbye to a parent, but I am not ready for this ...

parenting "adults"

2011-11-28T10:38:00.036-05:00

Jen is 21 and legally an adult. That doesn't mean she's no longer a child. I look at her and see a lovely young woman but also the silly little girl who once got Silly Putty caught in her hair and also the tiny baby in the pink bunting . . .

Parenting these days is a very different world. I can offer advice but I cannot tell her what to do. Her decisions these days are the decisions of an adult, with adult consequences.

Alcohol seems to be a large part of her social world. She casually mentions drinking at a party or going out to a bar with friends. She celebrated her birthday at a casino in Connecticut.

So we've had several discussions about responsible drinking. And about not driving while impaired. And she tild me about taking her roommate to see a friend in the hospital - the friend was a passenger in a car and was injured in an accident which involved DWI.

She gives me all the right responses. How she won't drive if she's impaired. And I trust she's doing all the right things.

There's nothing else I can do except trust her . . .

The joy of the season

2011-11-27T15:49:00.001-05:00

2011-11-27T12:45:00.001-05:00

Watch "Andre Rieu - Schneewalzer Snow Waltz 2011" on YouTube

Andre Rieu

2011-11-27T09:39:00.001-05:00

Picture it. Nassau Coliseum, usually home to the NY Islanders, American Idol on Tour, Disney on Ice and that sort of thing. People are wearing dressy casual clothes instead of the usual jeans and hawkers are selling white zinfandel and chardonnay by the glass from a Bud Light tray. Because for one night this sports arena has become a classical music concert hall.

Andre Rieu, a Dutch violinist, performs a lighthearted, joyful and frequently humerous program featuring Strauss waltzes, Puccini arias, Broadway show tunes, and anything else he feels like playing.

We had floor seats, 14 rows back from the stage, a really good view of the entire orchestra.

Which meant that, during "Snow Waltz" we were in the blizzard zone -- tiny pieces of shredded plastic fell from the ceiling as "snow". During the "Skaters Waltz" the brass section and the back up singers pretended to skate -- and to pass a bottle.

The soloist who sang "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" . . . she was magnificent.

At one point people were waltzing in the aisles.

When Rieu says "This is our last piece for the evening," don't believe him. Handel's "Halleluja" was supposed to be the finale, and he played for an additional half an hour after that.

A lovely evening.

shiva call

2011-11-26T10:34:00.019-05:00

So on Monday I got an email from a friend, telling me her father died Sunday night. The funeral was Wednesday afternoon, and she'd be sitting shiva Wednesday night throught Sunday night.

I wasn't able to go to the funeral, but I paid a shiva call Wednesday night.

Our synagogue has minyan - an evening service - every night. When someone is sitting shiva, we move the service from the synagogue to the home of the mourners. We as a community come together to comfort the bereaved.

I recited the prayers and made conversation.

And cried. Cried for my friend, who lost her father.

And cried for myself, imagining myself in my friend's role.

a (relatively) drama free holiday

2011-11-25T02:43:00.001-05:00

There were some arguments and tears before the guests arrived. But for the most part the holiday was fun rather than stressful.

My three sisters do all the cooking and my contribution is cake and pie from Reinwald's, the best bakery on Long Island.

At the table this year - my parents, my three sisters, Jen and Becca and our good friend Jenn and her three boys. Greg is 21, Matt is 17 and Ben is 14.

Matt is a high school senior, his band marched in the Philadelphia parade this morning. Very exciting.

These boys are the closest thing to cousins that my girls have. The five young people (two of them aren't teenagers anymore!) like to hang out in the living room and watch movies. This time around Matt spent a lot of time asking Becca about colleges.

The best moment of the night?

We were about to have dessert. Jen brought a can of Reddi Whip into the dining room. Just before she put it on the table, she squirted some into her mouth. . . Then acted very sheepish when Jenn said something about liking whipped cream like that. Then Jen squirted whipped cream into Matt's mouth. And Greg's.

We also sang happy birthday to Jen and to Jenn. Both have November birthdays.

Overall a great holiday.

And I get to do it all again at Drew's house tonight.

movie review - Tower Heist

2011-11-24T08:00:00.035-05:00

Saw this movie two weeks ago. Loved it!

It was shot on location in NYC and I enjoyed seeing familiar local land marks. They actually recreated the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (complete with a Matt Lauer cameo) for the pivotal scenes in the film.

Ben Stiller is wonderful as the central character, the manager of the fictitious "Tower" (really Trump Tower). Alan Alda is sufficientky evil as the Bernie Madoff type. Matthew Broderick plays the former Wall Street broker (Broderick is not aging well, I almost didn't recognize him.) But Eddie Murphy, as the petty criminal they hire to help them steal from Alda's penthouse, steals the movie.

Definitely worth the price of admission!

stressed out college student

2011-11-23T01:29:00.000-05:00

Came home ranting and raving about crazy professors and dumb grad students who don't know how to teach and OMG she has SO much work to do . . .

"sophomore" = "wise fool"

Though she's probably right -- there's at least one prof that's certifyable.

Home for the holidayd

2011-11-22T22:26:00.007-05:00

Two college students will arrive home tonight.

Can't wait to see my girls!

Laundered money

2011-11-21T18:09:00.001-05:00

I never check the pockets of my jeans before I wash them, because I never put anything in my pocjets.

Never say "never".

Opened the dryer last night and found a freshly laundered dollar bill.

A Fiddler on the Roof . . .

2011-11-21T09:01:00.020-05:00

You know Fiddler is one of my favorite musicals, the first one I'd ever seen live on a Broadway stage, the one with cultural significance for my family. I blogged about it here

http://songbirdscrazyworld.blogspot.com/

Yesterday Drew and I were discussing all the events we planned for the next few months and he said "You forgot about Fiddler."

We have tickets to see a touring company of the show at a local college.

And I completely forgot!

I should maybe cancel my membership in the Tevye fan club.

Saw the movie again yesterday on TMC.

Still wonderful.

dinner at Red Lobster

2011-11-20T09:20:00.000-05:00

So last night Drew decided that after the emotionally exhausting week he had he wanted, no, he DESERVED a lobster dinner. Since we are Long Islanders, lobster is readily available in a variety of places and prices ranges, from the supermarket up to the fanciest seafood restaurant on the North Shore.

Last night we wound up in Red Lobster. Yeah, it's a chain, but the food is actually pretty good.

We shared an appetizer - mushroom stuffed with lobster and crab - lots of butter and cheese in that dish. Salad and their famous cheddar biscuits. Drew had a lobster bake - lobster tails and assorted shellfish over linguini. I did the "create your own" with fried shrimp, a steak and garlic grilled shrimp. Brought half of it home for tonight's dinner.

Wasn't happy with the service last night. The four people at the hostess station were so involved in conversation that they left us standing for an eternity before greeting us and taking our name for a table. The 25 minute wait turned into 40. The kitchen was so slow we got our salad before our appetizer, then had to wait a very long time for the entree. Our waitress even got confused and offered us dessert and coffee before she served the meal.

I do like the place, though, so I am sure we will go back.

Thanksgiving plans

2011-11-19T09:36:00.000-05:00

the cute app on my tablet tells me it's 4 days 14 hours and40 minutes until Thanksgiving.

As if I need an app for that.

I love Thanksgiving. And this year I get to celebrate twice.

At my parents' house on Thursday all the food will be home made "from scratch". On Friday at Drew's house instant mashed potatoes and Stovetop Stuffing will rule the day.

Both feasts will be wonderful.

Let the countdown begin.

Nablopomo prompt - describe a favorite place. Focus on how that place affects your sense of taste, touch, sight, sound, or smell.

2011-11-18T09:20:00.042-05:00

Times Square. The crossroads of the world. Always crowded, always vibrating with excitement. You can feel the city pulse and surge around you. The soaring buildings, the myriad of over sized billboards and bright lights, the news zippers by ABC News and on One Times Square(where you can still see the New Year's Eve ball), the yellow cabs and pedi cabs...have your picture taken with Sponge Bob or Elmo or the Statue of Liberty, or New York's own Naked Cowboy. Close your eyes and listen to the street musician playing the sax, the hawkers offering tickets for the comedy clubs, the peddlers selling "I Love New York" tee shirts and "designer" bags for $10 ...The car exhaust mixes with the earthier aroma of something a police horse left behind...Get a burger at Hard Rock, a pizza at John's (whole pie only, they do not sell slices) or a Reuben at Ellen's Stardust Diner. Treat yourself to something sweet at the Hershey Store or buy a clever candy dish at the M&M store...then see the show at the Marquis Theater...

But if you want the true Big Apple experience...buy a hot dog or a pretzel from the cart on the corner of Broadway and West 44th Street...

NAILS!!!

2011-11-17T23:39:00.000-05:00

Suzanne http://suzannesez.blogspot.com/ likes Shellac and gels.

I'm a bit more traditional in method but not in execution.

I am a Sally Hanson fan.

Blue Streak Insta-Dri topped with Vintage Violet Crackle.

elder care

2011-11-17T08:59:00.051-05:00

I am fortunate, at my age, to still have both of my parents. But life with my aging parents. . . Well, it is difficult to watch the physical and mental deterioration. Last night my sister Honey and I had a frank talk about how to take charge and what needs to be done to maintain our parents' home, all the tasks my mother is no longer capable of performing. stuff like getting the bills paid on time, calling a plumber or repairman, picking up meds at the pharmacy. The "good" news of the evening is that my dad actually asked us to get him a handicapped parking permit, which will make his life so much easier.

And while I am dealing with this . . .Drew is in Florida attending to his father. Drew's father is a widower, currently living in a nursing home. He had life-altering surgery last week and Drew flew down to make sure all is well . . .Or rather, as well as can be expected.

Drew has been his father's caregiver for several years now, handles his father's finances, etc. Wants to bring his father back to New York but can't figure out how to do it.

And now he's got issues with his uncle -- his father's brother. Uncle never had children of his own and it's falling to Drew to see to his uncle.

They call us the sandwich generation ....

and nobody noticed!

2011-11-16T11:00:00.016-05:00

You know I love earrings, I've posted about them before. I've had pierced ears most of my adult life. Pretty, dangling earrings kept me sane at a bad time in my life.

Back in September, purely on impulse, I stopped at Piercing Pagoda on my way home from work, and added a second hole in each ear. So for the last two months I've been walking around wearing two pairs of earrings.

AND NOBODY NOTICED!!!!!!!!

SERIOUSLY.

I mean, I know my hair is long enough to cover my ears. But still . . .

Christmas in NYC . . . already?

2011-11-15T08:41:00.035-05:00

So on Saturday we took the train into Manhattan and walked up to Radio City Music Hall.

It's not even Thanksgiving yet but the city is already starting to look like Christmas . The tree has arrived in Rockefeller Center but it isn't decorated or lit. Macy's is decorated, but the Herald Square windows won't be revealed until next week. Though I was disappointed to see that "Yes Virginia There is a Santa Claus" now occupies the 34th Street windows instead od "Miracle on 34th St."

But inside Radio City, Christmas has arrived. You know what to expect from this show. Santa, precision dancing from the Rockettes including lots of high kicks, a teddy bear version of "The Nutcracker", the parade of wooden soldiers and the living Nativity. I like the Central Park scene with real figure skaters.

And you even get to hear the famed organ playing Christmas music.

Afterwards we walked up to 57th Street for dinner at Jekyll & Hyde . . . Where it is always Halloween. Seriously it's like eating dinner in a haunted mansion. Actors provide the creepy entertainment. All in good fun.

Cinderella's parking lot?

2011-11-14T06:12:00.027-05:00

So every morning I drive to the train station to begin my long commute.

The commuter parking lot is huge. It wraps around a small strip mall. Rather than trudge through the commuter lot if you park at the very back of the commuter lot it's faster to take a shortcut through the shopping center.

There are three storefront restaurants here, selling pizza, Chinese and West Indian food. I suspect the neighborhood teens hang out here, since the parking lot is often littered with food containers and soda cans.

But there's something else . . .

One day last summer, as I was making my way to the train, I saw it. A green flip flop. Not a pair of flip flops, mind you. Just a single green sandal. It sat there for about a week, and then it was gone.

A few weeks later, I spotted a single sneaker.

Last week it was a high heeled pump, brown suede, with an ankle strap.

There's always one shoe, never a pair, and never another article of clothing.

And the shoe disappears after a few days.

If it's not some Cinderella fantasy being played out I have no idea what's going on.

mmm . . . Mallomars!

2011-11-13T09:03:00.000-05:00

Nabisco first introduced this sweet treat in 1913 and sold them in West Hoboken, NJ. Even now over 70% of all the Mallomars produced are sold in the NYC area.

A plain cookie . . . Topped with marshmallow . . .Covered in rich dark chocolate. So simple yet so wonderful.

I think part of the mystique is that they're taken off the market every summer, to return in the fall. This was a necessity in the days before refrigeration. Now it's just a tradition.

Mmmm . . .Mallomars . . .

The time is out of joint

2011-11-12T13:36:00.065-05:00

No, this isn't a review of Hamlet. Though I do have a passion for Shakespeare.

It's just that, for the last few weeks, time has been "off".

It started at the beginning of October.

The Jewish holidays came "late" this year. The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, so Jewish holidays don't neatly coincide with secular dates. Rosh Hashanah can be early in September or at the end of the month. Yom Kippur,10 days later, can sometimes occur in October. And that's what happened this year.

So there I was, on a Saturday morning in early October, participating in a solemn, introspective ritual.

And that night we went to the Bayville Scream Park. We love to visit this place, but usually go towards the end of October. It's a very Halloween-oriented activity. But this year we went early because we went with friends.Which left us nothing "Halloweenish" to do when the holiday actually arrived. A bit anti-climatic.

Then there were the things I couldn't control. Mother Nature, for one. I love October because of the fall foliage. It usually reaches its peak right around Halloween -- there's actually a picture of me taken in early November 1990, taken in my parents' yard, just days before Jen was born, and behind me the fall foliage was in all its glory. But this year the foliage was "late". i/e/. we were still in the "some color" stage on October 29, when we got hit with a freak winter storm...we actually got snow. Leaves on the trees were still green, and we got snow...

And let me rant a bit about daylight savings time. We turned the clocks back on November 6th this year, later than ever before. Really upset my rhythm.

So it's the middle of November now, we've just observed Veteran's Day, we're planning what to serve for Thanksgiving...

So guess where Drew and I are going tonight?

We've got tickets to see the Rockettes. Yes, we're going to Radio city to see the Christmas Show.

on the 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year

2011-11-11T11:11:00.017-05:00

The called it the war to end all wars, but it didn't....

Today is Veterans Day. The day we honor those men and women who've proudly worn the uniform of their country.

I've mentioned before that my father is a WW II veteran, served in Italy. reason enough to celebrate.

But this year we have even more reason to celebrate.

After nearly 9 years, the Iraq War will soon be over. The American forces are coming home.

May true peace come to all of us.

2011-11-11T09:52:00.001-05:00

Watch "YouTube - Lee Greenwood - God Bless The USA (LIVE)" on YouTube

On this day in 1975

2011-11-10T09:51:00.022-05:00

the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

You know I like the Gordon Lightfoot song

Every year around this time I become a bit obsessed with it.

I don't remember hearing about the wreck on the news, didn't know back then that the song was based on a real event. Only recently have I made the effort to learn about the actual ship, not the ship as portrayed by Lightfooot.

He did take some license, but for the most part he stuck to the facts.

Love the poetry of the song though....the witch of November come stealing....the waves turn the minutes to hours....and farther below Lake Ontario takes in what Lake Erie can send her....

And despite the confusing lyrics...gthe church bell chimbed 29 times, one time for each man on board the ship,

Good music endures.

at least I got a dinner out of it . . .

2011-11-09T05:41:00.008-05:00

The saga of the debit card continues.

So Becca's new card arrived in the mail, and on Tuesday I brought it to her. Bought her dinner, stopped in Duane Reade for shampoo and laundry detergent . . .

On Wednesday she called me and told me the new card was defective. The bank is sending another one.

I think this time she's coming home to get her card.

movie review -- in honor of Election Day

2011-11-08T11:23:00.017-05:00

I recently saw The Ides of March. I was a little disappointed, I thought it was a George Clooney movie. While Clooney produced and directed it, his character is a supporting role . . . The movie belongs to Ryan Gosling.

As for the merits . . . It's very talky, builds way too slowly towards the climax. It's about idealusm vs. "dirty politics."

It isn't the least bit subtle and events are telegraphed to the audience before they occur; there are no surprises here.

Though I did live Cloobey as the candidate. He has injected his personal political viewpoint ibto the story, and I felt myself wishing he was a real candidate, not a character in a movie.

Overall I liked it, but my friend did not.

21 years ago today

2011-11-07T07:32:00.011-05:00

My first born child came into this world.

You hold your child in your arms, you can't believe such tiny perfection is actually yours.

You try to imagine what she'll be like in 5 years...10...15.

And you blink your eyes....and here she is, a woman grown.

I remember the day she was born as if it was yesterday. Where did all those years go?

Happy birthday, Jen. I am so proud of you!

Mitzvah Day . . . again

2011-11-06T08:59:00.028-05:00

It's an annual event at the synagogue. It's a time to teach our kids the importance of doing for others.

My project is to make sandwiches. Cream cheese and jelly sandwiches (we don't do peanut butter - allergies) which will be delivered to an outreach center. Some will be used in their after school program, the rest in their soup kitchen.

We collect cell phones. The company that recycles their parts donates the proceeds for calling cards for soldiers serving in war zones overseas.

A local salon owner comes to cut hair for Locks of Love. This year he may also do those feather extensions . . .supporting the American Cancer Society.

Of course we have the blood drive.

And the kids can make toiletry kits for families in homeless shelters - a decorated paper bag with sample sizes of shampoo, soap,toothpaste . . .

Books for Israel . . .The public schools in that country need books written in English, so we send paperbacks.

So many projects . . . And so many more we could do . . .

The poverty I see these days overwhelms me. And it's getting worse.

blogging for bloggings sake

2011-11-05T09:39:00.020-04:00

That's this month's NaBloPoMo theme.

Are you blogging for a reason? Or just because you want to do it?

As a tween and teen, even into my 20's, I kept a diary or journal. Filled many notebooks with my scribblings.

And then I . . .Stopped. I won't go into the reasons now . . . There were a few abortive attempts to start again, some half-filled notebooks. But once the pattern was broken I couldn't get it back.

And then I discovered the internet. And then I discovered blogging.

And rediscovered what I thought I'd left behind.

Jotting down my thoughts gives me pleasure. Having an audience is icing on the cake.

guilty pleasures -- reality TV

2011-11-04T09:00:00.021-04:00

My latest guilty pleasure -- Bridezillas.

The girls are all trashy, self-centered, egotistical witches. Most of them are broke, and the ones with money think the world revolves around them because they have a few dollars in their pockets.

I think some of them are putting on a show for the camera, but some of them....well, you wonder if they have any idea how bad they look.

Really, it's like watching a train wreck. You just can't turn away. the more outrageous the behavior, the more entertaining the show...

and then, when I've had enough of their bratty behavior....

I watch My Fair Wedding. The brides on that show are so grateful and so gracious.

RIP Daisy cat

2011-11-03T17:44:00.001-04:00

songbird's rescue mission

2011-11-03T10:43:00.010-04:00

So the same weekend Jen had the crisis with her car, Becca had a crisis too.

She called me from Philly, where she was visiting a friend. She was half hysterical.

Seems she got a phone call from her bank's fraud department.Someone used her debit card to make an online purchase, $300 worth of software.

She'd taken care of all the necessary stuff with the bank before she called me. And fortunately she already had her bus ticket back to NYC.

But she had a problem. The bank is sending her new debit card to her permanent address, and she was told it takes 5-7 business days to replace the card. She wasn't able to get to her bank to make a withdrawal, and she had about $8 in her wallet.

So on a Sunday night I found myself on the train, headed into the city to meet up with Becca, to give her some cash to tide her over until the bank situation is fully resolved.

I felt a bit guilty running into the city to rescue Becca just two days after telling Jen I was tapped out...but the circumstances are very different, aren't they?

Lord knows I love her dearly, but sometimes . . .

2011-11-02T10:18:00.023-04:00

So when Jen was home last weekend (and yes, she does need glasses, but only for driving at night), she took her car over to the dealer for an oil change.

Her car. The one she cannot afford but thinks I'm speaking Greek when I say so.

To be fair, she came up with the down payment. And even though my mother signed the loan papers, Jen has made (almost) every monthly payment.

But I pay the insurance, and the monthly premium is twice what the loan payment is.

So while she was there, the mechanic told her she needed two new tires and new brake pads, the rear brakes were shot. She told him to go ahead and do the work.

And only after it was done did she ask if I could pick up the tab.

Well, no, I'm a bit tapped out -- I paid the insurance, I paid for her trip last summer and I just gave her a chunk of money to indulge herself on her upcoming birthday. I couldn't give her the money even if I wanted to.

And more importantly, she didn't discuss the repairs with me before authorizing them (Drew says she could have saved a huge amount if she'd gone elsewhere), she acted first then expected me to pay for it -- a pattern she's falling into. and when I asked her exactly what work was done to the car, she couldn't expalin it to me. When you own a car you should have a real idea of what the mechanic is telling you.

Drew told her he'd give her some of the money she needed, but she'd have to go by his house and see him. She found half a dozen reasons why it was too inconvenient.

Ultimately my mother paid for the repairs....

Rolling my eyes here just a bit.

NabloPoMo redux

2011-11-01T10:06:00.013-04:00

Once again I take the proverbial pen in hand (which is much more poetic than saying my fingers are hitting the keyboard) and join NaBloPoMo.

All you have to do is write a blog post every day for an entire month.

Sounds easy.

It isn't.

You have to be disciplined and you have to feel the creative juices flowing, or you will be hopelessly lost.

So here it goes.

And this time around I'll be cross posting my best stuff on the NaBloPoMo site.

Wish me luck.

poor cat

2011-10-31T17:52:00.001-04:00

She has a mass in her abdomen. He prescribed drops for the eye infection and sent her home.

Sigh. . .

2011-10-31T15:38:00.001-04:00

Still dealing with the sadness from Drew's cat Cookie . . .

And right now my sisters are at the vet with our cat Daisy.

Daisy is 16. She has always been tiny, but strong and healthy.

She hasn't really been eating or drinking much lately and now she's skin and bones. And lethargic. And it looks like she has some sort of infection in her eyes. I picjed her up this morning and started to cry.

I think I already know what the vet is going to say.

Mr. Kitty just spent a few days at the animal hospital, he had a very treatable infection. He's home now and doing fine. I think my sisters are hoping the vet can treat Daisy and she'll be ok, too.

I am not so optimistic.

So true!

2011-10-31T00:36:00.001-04:00

Family Circus for 10/31/2011 - Family Circus « ArcaMax Publishing

Another lesson in the rituals of mourning

2011-10-27T17:28:00.001-04:00

As if my children needed additional "lessons" . . .

Both girls were upset when Drew told them about Cookie. She was their cat, they picked her out at the animal shelter, they chose her name.

Drew decided to have the cat cremated, and he wants to spread the ashes in the back yard. Cookie was an indoor cat, she never left the house, but she loved to sit on the window sill and look at all the activity in the yard.

He'll get the ashes in 2 weeks. And when the girls come for Thanksgiving we will have a little ceremony to say goodbye.

Cookie

2011-10-27T14:41:00.001-04:00

A sweet ginger cat who loved her human family unconditionally. Drew got her 11 years ago, when she was just a kitten. He took Jen and Becca to the animal shelter to pick out a cat.

Drew is devastated. And I'm trying to figure out how to tell the girls.

RIP Cookie

2011-10-27T14:34:00.001-04:00

The tablet ate my blog post

2011-10-24T13:22:00.001-04:00

Love my new tablet.

I have an app for blogger. Lets me type pists and save them to the tablet if I don't want to publish immediately.

Spent 20 minutes during lunch typing a post.

Tablet lost its 3G connection.

And I lost my post.

OMG -- too funny!

2011-10-22T23:55:00.001-04:00

So tonight Drew and I went to the movies . . . Saw the latest incarnation of "The Three Musketeers" in 3D (can you imagine Orlando Bloom as a villain?) movie was ok, kind of fun to watch the fight sequences in slow motion and 3D.

Afterwards he surprised me with reservations at PF Chang's. We were there last winter . . . I even wrote a detailed review for Urbanspoon . . .and it was time to go back.

So we ordered from the prix fixe menu. Dinner for two includes two bowls of soup, one appetizer, two entrees and either two mini desserts or one larger dessert to share.

So he had the egg drop soup and I had the hot and sour. We ordered steamed pork dumplings. Cridpy honeyed shrimp and Mongolian beef. He had the cheesecake and I had "The Great Wall of Chocolate." food was good, service was mediocre.

We finished dinner and went out to the car. I took out my phone and opened my Urbanspoon app to see if I wanted to update ny review.

So first I had to read my review from last March.

And I started to laugh.

Tonight' s menu was identical to what we ordered back in March. And the service was just as lacking.

No need to update the review . . .