songbird's crazy world

So there was supposed to be a rocket launch Monday. Unmanned, headed for the international space station. Launched from Virginia. VISIBLE IN NEW YORK!!! Alas. Delayed until Tuesday. And then ... It blew up on the launching pad. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses. What complete and utter nonsense! It’s really nothing serious, but to hear my daughter talk about it…you’d think it was a major tragedy. A turning point in her life, so to speak. She must have been 6 or 7 when the ophthalmologist told me she had an astigmatism and needed glasses. I dutifully filled the prescription, had her fitted for pretty frames. She almost never wore her glasses. The next year, the doctor told me “Don’t worry about it, she doesn’t need them anymore.” So we forgot about it. Every year we’d see the doctor, and he’d tell me her eyes were fine. She was 16 when she got her learner’s permit. No problem passing the vision test at the DMV. The first sign of trouble came3 years ago, when she was still in college. She needed to renew her driver’s license. She could do it by mail, but she’d have to go to an optometrist and have him send in the results of a vision test. He told her she needed glasses! S...

I stopped by the Dunkin' Donuts on Fulton Street to get my morning coffee. And there on the shelf, a perfect seasonal decoration... A glass cookie jar, shaped like a pumpkin. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

You know I love a good burger. It had been a looong time since our last visit to Five Guys, which was really kind of sad, considering I drive past the place at least once a week. The decor is retro burger joint, gleaming white. Counter service. A handful of tables. Warning: if you have peanut allergies, STAY AWAY!!! Not only is the food cooked in peanut oil, but ... There are bags and bags of peanuts. You help yourself to as many peanuts as you care to eat while waiting for your food. Menu is pretty straightforward. Burgers, hot dogs, fries, a few sandwiches, even a vegetarian option. You order your burger, choose your toppings, and wait while they prepare your food. Burgers are hot and juicy. But the fries .... Order a regular size fries to go ... They fill the cup, put it in your bag, then throw more fries into the bag...and a few more ... And a few more ... Incredible. They have a Freestyle Coke machine at this location. Loved my Cherry Coke Zero. Definitely a keeper. - Pos...

See, I told you we were going to do something Halloweenish! Saturday night we went to the Chamber of Horrors . Like most haunted houses around here, this is an interactive experience. You walk through a maze filled with scary and gory props. The lights are turned very low, though sometimes you may encounter strobe lighting for a special effect. Costumed characters talk to you, scream at you, chase you ... But are not allowed to touch you. This haunting is set up at what by day serves as a gym/sports center, so the maze is all on one level -- easier to maneuver in the dark. We arrived before opening, and were there when the zombies reported for duty. Well laid out, well performed, decent effects, lots of fun. I think we were the only patrons there over the age of 18. So I'm reliving my youth. At least I'm having fun! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I don't know how it's done in churches, but Bible readings in synagogue follow a calendar established hundreds of years ago, so that we are all literally on the same page. Today's reading is about Noah and the Ark. Considering the truism that "it never rains on the High Holy Days", but it rained on Rosh Hashanah AND on Yom Kippur, and that it rained for three days in a row this week, reading about Noah today is a little ...disconcerting. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad