songbird's crazy world

So a few nights ago Drew called me and asked if we had anything scheduled for Friday night, because he just won two tickets to see Stevie Nicks in concert at Jones Beach. Now, we had discussed buying tickets for this show but had passed (contrary to the position taken by their children, neither songbird nor Drew has a limitless supply of funds).   So when he told me he'd won, we were both excited. Concerts at Jones Beach are held in an outdoor ampitheater currently known as the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater.  (We were at Jones Beach just a few weeks ago to see Neil Diamond.)  The show goes on regardless of weather conditions, unless there's thunder and lightning involved, so when you get your tickets you hope for the best but prepare for the worst. The region is currently in the middle of a heat wave, but down at the beach a breeze was blowing.  By the time the gates opened and we could go into the theater it was actually comfortable. When we were here a few ...

Mini street fair outside my  office today. Handful of booths selling costume jewely - bought some nice "Murano" pieces -straw hats, scarves, sunglasses. And food! Wound up with sweet Italian sausage with pepppers and onions on a grilled bun.  And zeppole for dessert. And a mild sunburn.

Massive thunderstorm directly over my house this morning.  Woke up to the loudest crack of thunder.  Seriously, I felt the house shake. The rain was over by the time I left the house, though, and the skies should clear by the time I get to work. And then . . . HEAT WAVE.

Lunchtime, weather permitting, I sit outside on the pier.  My office is on the Jersey City waterfront, and the pier is on the Hudson River, right where the river meets New York Harbor.  You can see all the boats on the water, and you can hear the waves hitting the bulkhead.  The sun is warm, there are pigeons and seagulls.  Sometimes there are musical performances on the pier. It feels like a one-hour vacation.

Lest you think I am entirely baseball-obsessed, this weekend we also saw a movie, the Disney/Pixar collaberation, Brave.  Medieval Scotland and a strong, brave heroine named Merida.  It's a much darker film than most Disney stories, no sense of whimsy, though there is comic relief in the form of King Fergus and Merida's three young brothers.  The witch is both creepy and comic.  I loved how one of the clans showed up with blue paint a la Mel Gibson in Braveheart.  Another favorite scene . . .when Fergus and the men use their kilts as a rope to climb down from the top of the Tower. The focus of the movie is Merida's relationship with her mother, Elinor.  Though the two were once close, their relationship has become strained as Elinor tries to mold her daughter for the leadership role she will someday take, and Merida rebels and asserts her right to choose her own future.  This was something I could relate to, both as a daughter and as the mother of two...

So a few years ago they tore down Shea Stadium and built Citi Field.  Rather than honor the rich history that is the Mets' legacy, the building salutes a team that abandoned New York over 50 years ago.  Really, the place looks like Ebbets Field reincarnate.  I mean, the Jackie Robinson Rotunda?  That huge "42"?  I admire Robinson, of course, but he never played in Queens. We are frequent visitors, having enjoyed a fantastic Paul McCartney concert as well as numerous Mets games. We found ourselves there last night, with Jen and her friend Dave and Becca and her boyfriend David.  Interleague play was introduced a few years ago, and so every year we have the subway series -- the Mets play 3 games at Yankee Stadium and the Yanks play 3 games at Citi Field.  Last night at Citi Field was the last game of the series.  Usually when we go to the ballpark, Drew and I like to get there early.  We park in Drew's favorite lot on Roosevelt Avenue, leisu...

My NYC baseball pedigree is extensive.  My dad grew up in Brooklyn and to this day has unkind words for Walter O'Malley.  My mom is a Bronx girl who says she grew up in the shadow of Yankee Stadium.  Although they'd known each other for some time, their first "official"  date was to see Joe DiMaggio play. I understand about crosstown rivalries, but I never felt liking the Mets meant hating the Yankees, or visa versa.  I have always rooted for both teams.  In1973 it was the Mets, of course.  In the late 70's the Yankees dominated.  I remember the shock I felt when Thurman Munson died.  Freshman year of college the fire alarms would go off in the middle of the night, and I'd know the Yanks won another playoff game. And who could forget the 86 Mets,  and Mookie Wilson, and the ball rolling through Bill Buckner's legs?  I was working downtown then, and had to go to the ticker tape parade. The Yankees are the dynasty, the powerhouse....

A bittersweet occasion, with the man of the hour a guest in his own home. J and her three boys -- they call my oarwnts grandma and grandpa -- came over to the house, of coyrse. My sisters kept it simple, we actually ate at a reasonable hour.  Jen made tacos, and H grilled burgers and hot dogs.  We also had calamari, baked clams and mussels from the takeout place near J's house.  My sister F's pasta salad.  A veritable feast.  (And I only heard about the cake twice, a couple of subtle digs I chose to ignore.) My dad was in all his glory.  Yet he was weak and tired, and almost happy to be going back to rehab. What will Father's Day be like next year, I wonder.

Sometimes I think organizing a get-together with my kids is like organizing the invasion on Normandy. So it seems appropriate that this year we wound up doing Father's Day brunch at the 56th Fighter Group restaurant. According to the website http://www.56thfgrestaurant.com/56thfg/ " A visit to the 56th Fighter Group will transport you back to an era of Big Band music and unparalleled patriotism. This charming 1917 French Style Allied Headquarters Farmhouse sits on the site where the P47 fighter aircraft was built during WWII. The rustic timbered ceilings and cozy dining rooms boast seven fireplaces and a romantic view of the runway of Republic Airport in the heart of Long Island. You can enjoy an extensive collection of aviation and WWII memorabilia as you dine in the museum-type atmosphere. " The atmosphere lives up to expectations. Sunday brunch is served buffet style, with food located in one room and tables in various rooms. Our table ...

My father is coming home for a visit today, for Father's Day.   So we will have a special dinner tonight.  So how does this happy occasion turn into drama? Easy. My three sisters do all the cooking, of course.  So putting dinner on the table becomes an all-day affair.    Don't ask how it becomes such a drawn-out process, I am not a participant in the process.  At their choice. So today I was asked to pick up, and pay for, two cakes that were ordered from our favorite bakery.  I wouldn't have had a problem with this, except . . .and here's where the drama begins . . . Drew and I are having brunch with Jen and Becca at 12:30.  Becca was in the city last night, and had to take a train home this morning.  Jen went to a party last night and slept at her friend Jill's, and had to pick up Becca at the train station at 11:30.  Drew and I went to the Ducks game last night, and I slept at his house. The first time I heard about the...

Tonight found us at Bethpage Ballpark, which, counter-intuitively, is NOT in Bethpage.  The ballpark is in Central Islip, a good 20 minute ride east of Bethpage - if you take the parkway, that is. This little oddity occurred because the Bethpage Federal Credit Union bought the naming rights to the ballpark when Citibank gave up those rights -- I suppose Citibank didn't want any confusion between a 6,000 seat minor league ballpark and its 40,000 seat stadium in Queens. Bethpage is the home of the Long Island Ducks, an Atlantic League team. The Atlantic League is an independent league, not part of the farm team system of Major League baseball.  There are 8 teams in two divisions.  The Ducks currently hold first place in their division.  The team mascot is Quackerjack. Now you know I love the Mets. I have fond memories of games at Shea and Citi Field.  But Ducks games are fun in a different way.   You see a lot if families with young kids -- it's less e...

That is the north bound light rail train.   The SUV was driving where the train is.   He didn't see the cop because of the building.   Cop saw him, though.  ;-)

So my dad remains in rehab.    He's coming home for a visit Sunday (Father's Day) but I don't know when he will be home for good. My mom and my sisters have been spending a lot of time at the rehab.  My father certainly does not lack for company.  In fact, he has more company, more often, than any other resident at the rehab.  F and A have told me that I am the selfish, unreliable one because I haven't put my life on hold for a month.  Loved F's Freudian slip.  She meant to say "It's not for us.  It's for Daddy."  What she actually said was "It's not just for us . . ."  Those two thought it was cool to scream at me in stereo while I was trying to eat my dinner . . . My days lately . . .I leave the house by 7 AM for that lovely 2-hour commute from the Island to godforesaken Jersey City, put in a full day of work, have a lovely commute home . . .get off the train and head over to rehab.   I get to rehab around 7:15-7:45, ...

Sometimes there are no words. Today I saw a stupid/arrogant/dangerous situation involving an SUV. Let me see if I can properly set the scene. Jersey City waterfront.  Hudson Street  runs north/south, parallel to the Hudson River.  The neighborhood is also serviced by a light rail system (operated by New Jersey Transit),  the tracks are on the eastern side of Hudson Street, so that the trains travel alongside motor vehicle traffic. Hudson Street accomodates two-way traffic, with one glaring exception.  For one blick, from Montgomery Street to York Street, you can drive southbound but not northbound.  Where the northbound lanes would be is occuppied by the light rail station.  Two platforms - northbound, and a central platform servicing trains in both directions. Southbound tracks are separated from the street by a high curb. Very busy light rail station, it's across the street from the PATH station and the PATH trains into the World Trade Center. ...

So back in April I spent a "lovely" Saturday night in the hospital while Drew went to a concert, and our friend Bonnie went with him in my place.  I really wanted to see the Moody Blues, but fate (and my doctor) had other plans. Fast forward to last Sunday.  Drew is reading the newspaper and comes across a full page ad:  the Moody Blues are coming back to Long Island for two concerts Thanksgiving weekend.  Of course we are planning to go. One of my coworkers is an Avon lady.  I occcasionally buy from her.  In May I placed an order for some cosmetics and for a pretty denim tote bag.  I planned to use the bag when we went to Jen's graduation.  But when my order came in . . .no bag.  The order form said the item was no longer available. Today my Avon lady emailed me that my order had arrived.  I didn't remember ordering anything.  Guess what?  It was the tote bag.  I plan to use it next month when we go to Virginia. These...

Or rather, a Diamond. Neil Diamond, to be precise. Saw him at Jones Beach Friday night. Feasted on cheeseburgers and fries from the snack bar before the show . . .major league expensive but very tasty. But I now know just how large a puddle a $9 soda leaves when knocked over . . .It was cool and windy down by the water, but the wind died down just before Neil took the stage. He's 71 now, and still looks and sounds good. He sang for two hours, concentrating on hits from the 60's and early 70's, not his later songs. Of course he did Sweet Caroline and Cherry Cherry. And of course he did I'm a Believer. Loved it. Tonight we saw Prometheus, the Alien prequel.Drew still jokes about my reaction to the first movie, says I nearly pulled his arm right out of its socket. "In space no one can hear you scream." This movie was not quite as good simply because you could anticipate what was about ti happen, but it does work. Wound u...

Star Trek was so popular that NASA named the prototype space shuttle "Enterprise".  Enterprise will have a permanent home on the deck of the Intrepid on NYC.  One of the perks of working on the Jersey City water front - when they flew the shuttle into NY on the back of a jet, we saw it. And this iswhat we saw yesterday:

The scourge of chipmunk-kind is introducing his bad habits to Mr. Kitty.  Redford captures them and brings them up onto the deck, where both cats are entertained by the new "toy".  The Kittyman is a 20-pounder, I doubt he could catch a chipmunk on his own . . . In the photos, that's Red on the hood of my car.  Jen is holding Mr. Kitty.

So I went to the rehab facility yesterday and my dad was at an activity.  One of the local dance studios brought a number of students to the facility for a short performance. Well, I am a dance mom (retired).  Both girls took dance class at a local studio from preschool until high school.  Jen dropped dance when she joined cheerleading (yes, I am also a cheer mom) and Becca dropped classes at the studio when she made dance team. So it was quite nostalgic for me to watch these girls.  The little ones are so cute!  The older ones . . .some have huge personalities, some are really good dancers.  Some are awkward and trying so hard to keep up. It all felt so familiar.  Even down to the point where I felt the show ran about 15 minutes too long. But it was fun to revisit the past, if only for an hour.

Ben's Kosher Deli. One of my favorites. I think I am genetically programmed to yearn for such delicacies as matzo ball soup, chopped liver, brisket . . . A huge dish of cole slaw and a bucket of pickles (both sour and half sour) was placed on our table even before we ordered our meal. We all ordered sandwiches -- mine was pastrami on rye of course. Cold cuts are piled high. Gold's yellow mustard is on the table, russian dressing available if you ask for it. The guys ordered knishes -- Ben's makes their own round knishes (baked, like my grandma used to make), but you can get the square Coney Island type if you prefer. I ordered kasha varnishkes -- that's buckwheat and bowtie pasta. Gravy is served on the side -- a good thing because I didn't care for it, too thick. Remember, this is a kosher restaurant. They can't serve dairy and won't serve fake stuff like soy cheese, so don't expect sour cream with your latkes. ...