songbird's crazy world

Which is worse, the physical deterioration or the mental/emotional issues? Even on a good day my father isn't "all there". He can sound almost normal at times, asking me what I did at work, how are things at Drew's house, and what is the lawyer doing about the accident? But then he will ask you to take him home, not realizing he's sitting in his own dining room. Mor he will start telling a story about the past, and you have to wonder if it's real or if it's something he only imagined. On a bad day ... He's fight demons no one else can see. My mother is also starting to decline. There are so many things she just does not remember. Not just details, but Important events and things, like when she broke her elbow. It's worse when she has had a glass or two of wine. The other night she actually forgot who I am ... She knew my name, but didn't realize she is my mother. I had to remind her who I am ... My grandmother was in her 80'...

More drama with Drew's roommate. Things have been going well between them, they're talking again, but it's clear something is bothering M. So Drew's Thanksgiving celebration included his sister, his uncles and his aunt, as well as me and (very briefly) our daughters. M was invited, of course. When it came time to eat ...M didn't come downstairs. He called Drew and told him "I got to the top of the stairs...but couldn't make myself go down ..." Clearly a sign he needs professional help. But has six million excuses why he can't go to a therapist. If he really wanted the help, he'd work out the finances and logistics. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Another stressful Thanksgiving. It's hard to split time between two sets of relatives. In 2010 and 2013, Jen and Becca and I had Thanksgiving lunch at Drew's and dinner at my parents'. In 2011 Drew made his dinner the day after Thanksgiving. Drama!!! (No drama 2012, Drew was recovering from surgery for a hiatal hernia and didn't make a dinner.) Drama this year, too. Drew kept insisting they come for lunch, my sisters kept insisting the girls were needed at home to help prepare the meal. How did they deal with it? By completely ignoring Drew. Two ostriches with their heads buried in the sand. Honestly, we didn't know if they'd show up at Drew's house until they walked through the door. They stayed for about an hour. Later, when I got back here, my sister H was nasty ... And Becca was rude and disrespectful. I blame myself, in part. Some of the behaviors I allowed, or even encouraged, when the girls were growing up and the divorce proceedings were so ac...

And welcome to yet another holiday season. Tasty turkey, stuffing, tart cranberries and sweet potatoes beckon ... - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A new taco place has arrived in Levittown -- Taco Perfectos . A storefront/counter service restaurant located in a shopping center, buried in the corner next to the Five Guys and the Dunkin Donuts, it's easily missed, but definitely worth finding. They offer many types of tacos and burritos, including chicken, steak and seafood varieties. You can order yours enchilada style -- with a sauce -- if you prefer. Empanadas are available -- something You don't usually see at a taco place. Appetizers include fried cheese, nachos, jalapeño poppers and wings. Sides such as rice, beans, corn, and French fries are available. We arrived close to closing time, and decided we should do take out. The fried cheese appetizer was interesting. Thick slabs of cheese, double breaded and fried, were still gooey when we got home. Mildly flavored, the wedges are served with guacamole, sour cream and fresh tomato salsa. The tortilla platter was very good. I ordered mine with steak...

I found it on YouTube.

So on Sunday Drew and I caught "Kiss Me Kate" on TNT. We both love old movie musicals, and this movie -- with music by Cole Porter, starring Howard Keel, Kathyrn Grayson and Ann Miller -- was just what we were looking for. We'd both seen it before, of course, but it's one of those films you can watch more than once. So Drew tells me that the reason the actors throw things at the camera -- it was shot in 3D, but by the time it was released in 1953 the fad was over, and the film was released in 2D. And then we find another interesting bit of trivia. The movie was choreographed by Hermes Pan, BUT ...there's a young dancer in the cast named Bob Fosse, an up and comer in a featured role. Towards the end of the movie, there's a 68 second dance sequence where Fosse dances with another rising star, Carol Haney. For 68 seconds Fosse and Haney are the only dancers on the screen. Pan didn't choreograph that sequence, Fosse did. The whole style of the dance is...

There are currently three felines in my life. I've told many stories in this blog about my feline loves. But I never get tired of talking about my furry friends. First there's Mr. Kitty, also known as the Kittyman. He's a white cat with gray markings. He joined our family as a kitten, in 2001. Tiny little fluff ball back then, he's a bit larger now, like 25 pounds or so. He doesn't walk, he waddles. He equates food with love, and he needs a lot of both. How many cats do you know who will beg for tables scraps like a dog? Mr. Kitty holds court from the center cushion of the couch, and if you choose to sit beside him, be forewarned that you are in the "pet me" seat. I like to say that Mr. Kitty is a self- rescued cat. There's a pond about half a mile down the road where people dump unwanted cats and kittens. I've seen a few cats there that are clearly the Kittyman's relatives, so I am certain he was dumped. Somehow he w...

Having read the book, I wasn't sure that there was enough material for two movies. And I had heard that the movie was lacking in action. Wrong on both counts. The film starts with Katniss hiding somewhere in the depths of District 13, trying to deal with the emotional trauma and psychological aftermath of the Quarter Quell. It takes her to the destroyed landscape of District 12, and ultimately to her decision to become the Mockingjay, the symbol of the rebellion. The battle lines are clearly drawn after a visit to a hospital in District 8, tensions building for the final confrontation, coming in the second movie. There are a few minor changes to the plot, including a confrontation Katniss has with President Snow. Nothing that changes the substance of the story. I think the biggest problem with the movie...the first two movies put Katniss and Petah in an arena, where they had to survive not only against the other Tributes, but also against everything the Capital threw at them. ...

I've been enjoying Five Guys for awhile, but not at this location until last week.   Came around dinner hour, and it seemed kind of empty, even for a weeknight, despite the hustle and bustle in the shopping center parking lot.  But by the time I finished my meal and left, the crowd had picked up. What I like about Five Guys is that they cook your burger to order.  This means you have to wait a bit, but you can enjoy noshing on the free peanuts.  (Yes, they do post allergy warnings at the door). I ordered a "little" bacon cheeseburger -- that means one patty instead of two - with a small order of fries and a drink.  As always they filled up the fries cup to overflowing,  then added even more fries to the bag.    Burger was hot and juicy, fries were crispy outside, soft inside and had real potato taste.  Definitely enough food to satisfy.  And I do like the freestyle Coke machine. Kudos to the staff he...

So yesterday I finally got the rest of my November box. I give the company 3 out of 4 stars for customer service.  They sent the item but forgot to email me to let me know it shipped.   Better that way than the reverse -- remember IPSY? So -- mascara.  Basic black, nice brush, adds nice texture to my lashes.  A keeper.

Well, it happened again. The veneer has started to wear off yet another Wantable accessory. The silver toned ring that came in the April box is showing signs of wear. The base metal color is leaking through. You can see a bit of it in the photo. It's worse in person. You know what they say, three's the charm? The earrings, the stretch ring, and now this ring. Speaks volumes about the quality f the product. Overall I liked buying from this company. Customer service was excellent. And I got to try things I'd probably never consider for myself. Many of the items delighted me, a few disappointed me. But it's time to move on. I'm keeping the Wantable makeup subscription, though. So far it's been great. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I wanted to avoid drama for New Year's Eve. Wishful thinking. The plan is for the usual cast of characters to celebrate at Drew's house.  Drew will order food and buy beverages, and we will all share in the costs.  He's planning to order way more food than we can reasonably eat in an evening, so he'll be sending everyone home with leftovers. Let the complaining begin!!! Sigh.

As I was driving past my old high school this evening, it occurred to me that there was more computing power on the front seat of my car, in the form of my smart phone and tablet, than there was in that entire building circa 1978. Do you remember what computers were like back then?  The "computer room" was full of strange and mysterious equipment.  Keypunch operators fed punch cards into the machine.  Ultimately the computer would print out report cards or school schedules. or whatever was required.  I took a computer programming class my senior year.  We prepared flow charts and wrote instructions in "Basic". We sat at a terminal and typed instructions onto a roll of paper, then waited for the computer to respond.  It was considered remarkable when the computer was able to "draw" a picture using dots and dashes to form an image. My smartphone, a device I can hold in one hand, can:  make a phone call or a video call, tell me who is calling, serve...

So I started a new job at the end of June. I am a "consultant" now. Project is for a client located in lower Manhattan. Initially the team reported to the client's office. But now I will be working from a remote location. I'll be in my company's office. Ten minutes from home. Huge difference in the commute. Major difference in he office atmosphere, a small suburban setting. I'll miss the excitement of being downtown. Once a week, though, I need face time with the client. Best. Of both worlds. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

This restaurant has been in Huntington since forever. I've always enjoyed my meals here, but my most recent experience was less than satisfying. There were two problems. The first issue was service. We were a very large group, over 15 people, celebrating a special event. I don't think the waitstaff was adequately trained to handle a group this size. We did not arrive together, with some people arriving after others had already placed drink orders. So it's understandable that the waiter never asked me for my drink order, and that I had to flag him down to get my piña colada. But what happened with the entrees was not so easily dismissed. The waitstaff arrived at our table with all but two of our entrees. (Bet you can't guess whose entree he didn't bring.). When to,d he was short by two, he had an extensive conversation with the other diner whose meal he forgot, went back into the kitchen, and came out with ...you guessed it ... one dinner. . Then, with...

This is a phone book, an honest-to-goodness phone book, printed and distributed by Verizon, delivered just last week.  I have to wonder if anyone even uses a phone book anymore,  we all know how to Google.  But I guess Verizon thinks there's a need for it. Interestingly, the books were distributed throughout the neighborhood, not just to Verizon customers. Those who get telephone service from other providers, and those who rely exclusively on their cell phones, received phone books. Long gone are the days when there was a single phone company, and the best way to get a phone number was to use the phone book.   Remember what a big deal it was when you could actually choose your long distance carrier? Believe it or not, I still see pay phones on the streets of NYC? How long before they disappear?

There are two types of science fiction movie. There's the fun kind of movie, like Star Wars , full of action and gadgets and battles. Then there's the serious kind of science fiction movie, like "2001:A Space Odessy", the kind of movie designed to make you think. Interstellar is designed to make you think. The movie takes place in the not-too-distant future, in a time where the Earth has been ravaged by ecological disasters. Farming has become the primary occupation of most of the world, as farmers struggle to feed everyone while blight and dust storms are killing the crops. Our protagonist, Cooper, is a former engineer and pilot, now a farmer and a single father of two children. He undertakes a super secret mission to travel through a wormhole to seek out a planet suitable for human colonization. Through the mission, and through Cooper's relationship with his daughter Murph, the movie explores life, death, ecology, truth vs lies, survival of th...

When I was a little girl and the Space Race was new, we all expected that space exploration in the 21st century would be much further advanced than it actually is. Yesterday the European Space Agency successfully landed an unmanned spacecraft on a speeding comet. A historical first. It lacks the glamour and excitement of an Apollo mission, but it's a step in the right direction. Keep exploring! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Scaffolding accident at One World Trade Center today.  Two window washers were left stranded and had to be rescued. These photos were taken on John Street.

When I worked in Jersey City, my go-to lunch place was Au Bon Pain. There weren't very many other options, and Au Bon Pain was in the lobby of the building where I worked. Frankly I was getting a bit bored its Au Bon Pain. Then I changed jobs and started working in lower Manhattan. I've walked by the Au Bon Pain on Fulton Street many times over the last few months, but until recently I wasn't motivated to go inside. What brought me back? After trying a Dunkin Donuts croissant donut, I had a craving for a Crobun. Craving satisfied, barriers breached, and once again Au Bon Pain is back on my list of lunch spots. This location has a large selling area at the front of the store, with tables in the back. It's well laid out, makes choosing food items very convenient. Free wifi is offered, or so I'm told, but I don't stay long enough to use that service. Among my favorites are the soups, especially the chicken noodle, along with a soft, chewy breads...

When my father has his more lucid moments, if you ask the right questions, he will talk about his past -- his real past, not the mixed up goop that his jumbled mind puts together. Last night the conversation turned to Veteran's Day. My father suffered St. Vitus  Dance (Sydenham's chorea), a neurological manifestation of rheumatic fever,   when he was a little boy, and the doctors told his parents he had a heart condition and should not be overly active.  He was never to participate in gym class. He got his draft notice shortly after his 18th birthday.  Went to his physical thinking he'd be classified unfit for military service. When he came home and told his mother that he was going into the Army, she didn't believe it.  All the neighbors were incredulous. He made it through basic training in Georgia.  Most of his unit was sent to Japan, but because he was given leave to observe a Jewish holiday at home, he was sent to Italy instead. Tod...

The famed Cronut, I'm told, is croissant dough which has been fried, rolled in sugar, filled with creme and glazed. There's only on flavor available at a time, and the flavor is changed every month. The Dunkin Donuts croissant donut is a stripped down version of the famed pastry. The Au Bon Pain Crobun, however, is rich. Very, very rich. But it's not fried, and it's not glazed. Three pull-apart sections of dough are placed into a muffin tin and baked. A sweet bun covered with a flakey croissant muffin top. Each is filled with either sweet cheese or double chocolate creme, and finished with confectioners sugar. It's a lot like a different concoction they used to sell, the creme de fleurs. Loved the creme de fleurs, knew I would lived the Crobun. Sweet and dense and very satisfying. You don't want to know the calorie count. This will be a rare indulgence. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Back when Jen was in 6th grade, in her first year of middle school, I went to a PTA meeting. The principal was there to talk about a lot of things. He said: "Years ago, if I saw 'I'm going to blow up the school' written on the bathroom wall, I'd call the custodian. Now I have to call the police. They come with their bomb-sniffing dogs, but all they ever find is some pot in the 8th graders' lockers." In this post Columbine, post Sandy Hook world, you have to take these threats seriously, even though most of the threats are not real. I live in a district with two high schools. My alma mater is High School East. Jen and Becca are alums of High School West. East made the news again last week. Wednesday night, there were two emails, one to the school district and the other to the police. The author threatened to blow up East on Thursday morning. The cops came to school. They searched. There was an evacuation drill. They investigated. Nothing. The mark...

Last year Dominique Ansel created something called a Cronut, a cross between a croissant and a donut. It became a NYC sensation, people lined up outside the bakery for the chance to buy the remarkable pastry. This year, Dunkin Donuts has come out with their version, a croissant donut. It's nothing more than croissant dough, shaped like a donut. Flakey like a croissant, but kind of heavy. No cream in the middle, like you'd get with the Cronut. And the glaze tends to be overpowering. Not worth the effort. A regular glazed donut is so much better. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

At 7:32 AM .... Jen made her entrance into this world. Happy birthday to my firstborn. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Four items. The Celia Ring, the Alexandria Earrings, the Lucy Earrings and the Olivia necklace. - The Celia Ring. A gold adjustable ring with an oval criss cross design. Maybe a bit overwhelming for my small hand. I told the stylist my hands are small... The Lucy Earrings. Silver hoops with rhinestones. Very nice. The Alexandria Earrings. Gold multi hoop earrings, Also nice. The Olivia necklace. Gold chain with ombré effect of maroon, red and pink ribbon. It really does make a statement, doesn't it? Not sure if it's a statement I want to make. I really like both pair of earrings, but the ring and the necklace ... Not so much. Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Concealer, cheekbone highlighter, lip gloss and (oh the irony) nail lacquer. Surratt beauty Concealer Medium. They suggest using it under the eyes. POA Beauty Lip Gloss Bella. Pretty color. Fora Cheeky Cheekbone Enhancer. To be worn over blush. Liberty Public Spellbound Nail Laquer in Voodoo. I do like the color. But to be honest, no 'wow" factor. Maybe I'm getting a bit bored. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

So Julep tells you what's in your box before it ships, and you have an opportunity to swap items. I was going to cancel my Julep subscription because I really don't need that much nail polish. But I was able to swap out my nail polish for lip gloss and mascara, two item I use every day. So I chose a lip gloss and selected a mascara. And then I got the email. Apparently the mascara wasn't ready to go when the boxes were put together. I'll get it eventually. As a consolation I was awarded 950 "Jules" -- reward points. So when the box arrived, I knew what to expect. Just a lonely little lip gloss and two pieces of candy -- caramels. Still, it was a letdown. Pretty color, though. And now I have enough Jules for a free box next month. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

We saw St. Vincent . Saturday night. Vincent (Bill Murray) is retired and living in Brooklyn. He drinks too much, gambles too much, and has an ongoing relationship with a pregnant prostitute (Naomi Watts). He is always short of money. Along come new neighbors Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher). Maggie is in the midst of a divorce, coping with long hours at a new job. Oliver is coping with a transfer to a new school, a parochial school, where he feels out of place. Out of necessity, or perhaps desperation, Maggie hires Vincent to provide after school care for Oliver. Who is a saint? What qualities do we consider saintly? Through an assignment given to Oliver's class, movie explores this concept by viewing the relationships of the characters. As the relationships develop, we learn more about Vincent's past as well as hidden parts of his current life. While the characters grow and learn, there are no magical transformations. So why is Vincent a "...

 

Is green my color? Am I being trendy? Or am I too old for this?