songbird's crazy world

 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...

 Duchess in her chair We have two blue recliners.  They are, for all intents and purposes, identical.  But …. Duchess has claimed one as her own.  Drew switched the chairs…and Duchess still knew which one was hers. She wanted to know why we moved her chair. Drew had to move it back …

 Clouds in the neighborhood  #skywatchfriday

  By order summer lingers through September in Camelot - Alan Jay Lerner But we’re not in Camelot, are we? So when does summer depart and autumn start? A meteorologist would tell you that today is the first day of fall, an astronomer would tell you to wait for the autumnal equinox on the 22nd.  Around here we’re going to see some cooler weather this month, but we’re not likely to see real autumn weather until early October.  Fall foliage won’t peak until the end of October or early November.   But we will start to see fall produce, especially apples, in our markets very soon. Social constructs?  Our parks departments think summer begins Memorial Day weekend and ends on Labor Day,  school year starts around Labor Day and ends in late June.  And do I need to mention fall sports, with baseball winding down and football starting up?  Or the fall television season gearing up? Much as I am enjoying summer — it seemed to fly by this year — I am also look...

 And one day after losing Dolly

 Rest in Peace, Dolly. A national treasure is gone.

 A tree grows in Levittown 

 Another fun evening at a Ducks game.  This time they played the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars. With a mere two weeks left to the Atlantic League season, the Ducks are in contention for a playoff berth, and the crowd is hyped.  It’s also fireworks night, meaning we can expect to see a display during the national anthem (“and the rockets’ red glare”…), during the 7th inning stretch, and if a Duck hits a home run. And a full display after the game, of course. We sit in the upper deck, behind home plate.  Want to see an example of chutzpah? The sign says “As a courtesy for fans below, please do not set food or drink on  ledge.” And the guy who put the Coke bottle on the ledge wasn’t even supposed to be sitting there. Play ball! The phrase has a special meaning when the “ducks” on the pond are “Ducks.” At one point the Boxcars looked like the Keystone Cops.  They were charged with one fielding error.  The official scorekeeper was generous, there should have be...

 So … no lunar eclipse for us, it rained or was cloudy all night. That seems to happen a lot lately. Election season has begun.  Campaign workers for local candidates are ringing my doorbell to ask for my vote … I was actually told to eat more red meat!  I wanted to donate blood, but the phlebotomist told me my hemoglobin was too low and I should eat more red meat.  We’re going to a Ducks game tonight. Yes, again. We love this team. And they are in contention for a playoff berth.   When we were at Citi Field the other night I saw a fan wearing a “Candelita” jersey.  Remember this? He played for the Mets when “OMG” became a hit.  A baseball player and a Latin recording artist, singing at the ballpark after the game.  Well, his baseball career is apparently over.  But now he’s moved on to Broadway.

  Animal Crackers in My Soup 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: Animal Crackers in My Soup (1935) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . This month Saturday 9 will be tasty, featuring songs with food in the title. 1) Do you eat soup all year round, or do you consider it a seasonal dish? I eat it all year, but mostl y during colder weather.  2) Gazpacho is a popular cold soup. Made with water-rich tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers, it's considered a good choice for hot weather because it's hydrating....

 My office assistant  Shadow almost never meows.  Duchess is a real conversationalist, always vocalizing her wants or her displeasure.  But Shadow is usually quiet, and when she does speak, her meow is soft and squeaky-sounding.  So you can imagine my surprise the other morning when Shadow woke me up with  a loud meow, almost wailing, as if she were being killed. And then she hissed at me!  We had the windows open that night, and the wind must have slammed the bedroom door shut, and she was trapped!  Her sunny, carefree disposition returned as soon as I opened the door. 

  Yes, the ballpark is right next to LaGuardia.  How did you know?  #skywatchfriday

 Guess where we went last night? Hints. The view from the parking lot. Turn and look the other way and see a landmark. That’s Arthur Ashe Stadium,  when we drove through Flushing Meadow Park we had to deal with US Open traffic headed to Arthur Ashe on our way here. A couple of more hints. I think you may have guessed. Our destination: We are devoted fans.  This year the team is breaking my heart!  But since the tickets were free (I got the vouchers for donating blood) … Interesting night.  There was a giveaway at the gate, fans received a fanny pack. As if I didn’t have enough Mets gear …  It was Women’s Night in honor of the 19th Amendment, so instead of their usual walk up music some of the players had their wives or girlfriends choose a song.  You always see planes around Citi Field. They take off from LaGuardia (which is virtually next to the ballpark) and fly near the stadium. I love this next shot — during the national anthem there was a short bu...