songbird's crazy world

Joyce  has more questions. 1. Are you currently operating at 100% capacity? If not, what % are you? What's keeping you there? Not at all near 100% these days.  Knee and back pain are keeping me from doing all I want.  And I'm so busy at work these days that some other pursuits are getting left behind.  And I don't know what the solution is. 2.  Have you done your taxes? Planned/booked a summer holiday? Thought about or started your 'spring cleaning'? Besides what's listed here, tell us one task that needs doing before spring rolls around. Taxes are done, I always see the accountant in mid February.  Getting a small refund this year.  We do our "spring cleaning" just before Passover, and the holiday comes early this year, so I guess it's time to start thinking about it.  Haven't given much thought to summer plans yet. 3. What's a favorite food from your part of the country? I am blessed to live in the New York metro area, wi...

Behind the New York Public Library, with a great view of the park, is a nice little restaurant called the Bryant Park Grill. I was here for lunch a couple of weeks ago, and I really enjoyed the experience.  We sat in the tent area, right near the windows, and were able to watch all the comings and goings in the park.  Service was friendly and attentive.  As per the menu, if you want a breadbasket, you have to request it.   We started with the calamari — nicely fried, neither greasy nor chewy, and served with a thick, creamy sauce.  My entree was the stir fried turkey salad — white meat turkey, brown rice, vegetables and a side of field greens.  Very tasty,  lightly seasoned with an Asian dressing.  Lunch portions tend to be smaller, so no leftovers, but I was satisfied with the dish. Overall a very satisfactory experience, I would love to go back for dinner sometime.

Of course you knew we were going to see this movie.  We’ve seen just about every Marvel superhero movie. What I expect from a superhero movie:  a hero I can root for, villains to hate, lots of action, some humor. Black Panther  delivered all that, and more. James Bond-like technology and glamour.  Strong, admirable female characters.  And the richness of African culture. (And that last one is getting the bigots angry.  Pity.) There’s the ubiquitous Stan Lee cameo.  Hard to believe that man is in his 90’s. And not one, but two —yes, two — post credit bonus scenes. I won’t spoil it for you ... But we, the audience, have been set up for Avengers:Infinity War.  And I can hardly wait until May.

Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life ... I have always been fascinated by the tale, of Capulets and Montagues, of romance and sword fights, of love and loss and tragic endings.   Romeo and Juliet  was the first Shakespearean play I ever read.  And when I saw Zeffirelli’s film, the story really came to life. I even committed Romeo’s balcony-scene monologue to memory.   But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?  It is the east, and Juliet is the sun ... My friend B is a real aficionado of the ballet.  She has a subscription to the NYC Ballet at Lincoln Center, and attends many performances.  I go with her about 3 times a year. And when I learned that this year’s offerings included Prokofiev’s Romeo and Ju...

So I went to Lincoln Center last night to see the NYC Ballet.  The lobby of the theater is huge, as is used for an ever-changing display of artwork. This winter the lobby features the work of Jihan Zencerli.  Her chosen medium is ... balloons.   Her message:  life is transient, so enjoy it.  Balloons are not meant to last forever, you will only have this specific experience at this moment.   And her creation was amazing: You can actually walk through the sculpture: This little girl was actually dancing inside the sculpture. The detailing is incredible. Truly amazing experience.

March 2016, and our long-time next-door neighbors finally sold their house.  We expected the sale, of course.  The house had been on the market for awhile, the couple who owned it were snowbirds who spent more time in Florida than they did in New York. The young couple who bought the house didn’t move in right away.  They had plans to renovate the 50-year-old house, to expand it and make it their own. The new owners would come by periodically to check on the construction work, and to meet the neighbors and enquire about the best preschool for their three year old son. Renovations took over a year, the family moved in towards the end of the construction period.   In November 2017 we heard that they had adopted another child, a little girl.  In December they decorated the whole house for their first Christmas in their new home. The “for sale” sign went up last week, one month shy of the second anniversary of their purchase of the property. I’m ...

All you can eat sushi, and it's not a buffet. It's a small, storefront restaurant, nicely decorated.  They have a regular menu as well as an all-you-can-eat menu.  Choose the latter and you'll be given two order forms, one for sishi and another for kitchen dishes. We were a group of four, including one who doesn't really care for sushi, and we all found plenty of variety on the menu. I really liked the rock shrimp tempura, the beef negamaki and the pork gyoza.  The fried calamari, served with a sweet, fruity sauce, was a bit too chewy.  I'm told the squid and fried oysters were amazing, but I didn't care for either. We had so many different types of sushi that I lost track ... salmon with avocado, spicy tuna, soft shell crab... Dessert?  You can get ice cream, fried bananas or fried Oreos ...the Oreos were light and fluffy and very very gooey. Definitely worth a try.

Yesterday’s Google Doodle ...I must have listed my birthday in my Google profile because the doodle was “birthday candles” and it linked to sites that talked about all the famous people born on February 18. Yesterday I heard from my cousin.  Well, technically we aren’t related.  When D was six years old, his father married my aunt. His father died when D was 11, and we lost track of each other for many years.  I always hear from D on my birthday, because his birthday is the day after mine and we are the same age.  He texted me yesterday to wish me a happy birthday, and today I will text him to wish him a happy birthday. D lives in Parkland, FL.  His kids went to the high school where the shooting took place.  He was in a Starbucks near the school when the shooting happened, he saw lots of frightened kids. Another friend of mine posted about the hero teacher who came from my home town.  H grew up in my home town on Long Island, but he moved to...

So yesterday Drew and I went out to celebrate our birthdays.we had dinner at  The Milleridge Inn . The Milleridge Inn is a Long Island icon.  It began operating as an inn and tavern in colonial times.  Rumor has it George Washington dined here, but there’s no proof of that.  The original two-room building has been expanded into a large, modern restaurant, but care has been taken to preserve the colonial look of the place. Read about it  here . Also on the grounds are The Milleridge Cottage (a catering hall) and The Milleridge Shops.  And when you’re there, you forget that you’re right next door to a strip mall. They were still decorated for Valentine’s Day. All sorts of lights on the lawn.  Pink hearts, mostly.  I’m still trying to figure out what this is: Yes, that’s snow on the ground.  It was snowing lightly all evening. We got about 45 minutes before our reservation time, so that we could explore the shops. ...

The tears started to flow when I saw the mother on CNN.  She had just spent two hours planning her 14 year old daughter’s funeral.  She aimed her comments at the Oval  Office, unleashing her anguish and her anger in a statement so powerful it left the news anchor speechless and overcome with emotion. And then I learned that one of the hero teachers (there were three brave men who gave their lives protecting students) grew up in my home town.  The article in the newspaper mentioned the high school he attended — the same school I went to, the same school my sisters and my daughters attended. His family belonged to the Reform synagogue.   I didn’t know him, I don’t know his family ... but suddenly it felt real.  If it could happen to him, it could happen to any of us. Dear G-d, I am so tired of crying.

View of my office parking lot as I was leaving work the other day.  I Loved how the trees were silhouetted  against the sky. #skywatchfriday

So last night was Valentine’s Day, and Drew and I went to our favorite Greek place for dinner.  We drank sangria and dined on soft Turkish bread dipped in tzatziki, spanakopita, rice pilaf...he had kebabs, I had baby lamb chops. He finished with tiramisu, I had galaktoboureko.  They practically had to roll us out the door ... The gas company truck was still in front of my house when I got home.  There is now a third trench in the lawn, and the mailbox is now lying on the grass. I do hope they plan to put everything back where they found it once repairs are completed.  I mean, I’m glad our house didn’t blow up or anything, but oh my what a mess they  made! The gel injections for my knee have been ordered.  The doctor’s office will call me to set up an appointment when the medication is delivered to their office.  And just in time, too.  My knee is really starting to hurt again. Our big plans for the weekend include a movie.   The B...

Today's questions from Joyce. 1. When's the last time you had a heart to heart talk with someone? A change of heart? Experienced figurative 'heart failure?' Heart failure?  That's an easy one.  I had some errands to run after work yesterday, so I didn't get home until about 9 PM.  As I drove up my street I could see a huge truck parked in front of my house.  A little investigation revealed that the truck belongs to our gas company.  There were two large holes in my lawn. The truck was still there at 4:30 in the morning. When I left for work at 8:30, the gas company truck was gone, but there were two trucks from the electric company on the street.  A third truck arrived while I was pulling out of my driveway.  I drove down to the end of the street, where I saw two gas company trucks headed towards my house.  Yikes!  I don't know what's going on, but I hope they fix it soon. here's what the lawn looked ...

 I heard a song on the radio the other day, a song that brought back a lot of memories. It was 2004, and Jen and Becca were in middle school.  And, of course, I was so "uncool".    but nevertheless, I was cool enough to let them listen to their music on the radio whenever we were in the car together.  So of course I got to hear all the popular songs of the day. So of course we listened to that great song by Bowling for Soup.  You know the one.  The one full of nostalgia for a time before my daughters were even born. Yes, I'm talking about "1985". You know the lyric... Her two kids in high school, they tell her that she's uncool 'cause she's still preoccupied with 1985.   In 1985, I was 25 years old, had just started my first real job, and had just moved into my first apartment in Brooklyn.  And the music I listened to on the radio?  Springsten, Madonna, U2, Blondie... Yep, all the musical acts mentioned in the song... ...

A small but fun local business,  Bobb Howard's General Store  is a treasure for children of the 1950's and 1960's.  A small store annexed to an auto repair shop, it features "old" toys and candy. Drew has known about this place for years, but I had never been.   So when he told me that they were giving away free egg creams, we had to go. Step inside and you feel like you've stepped into the past. I especially liked Bozo the clown: Lots of other retro toys, a Coke machine, even popcorn. But the big draw is the candy.  Lots and lots of candy. Oh my...it was incredible. Here's my haul: Mallomars, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Babies, Bonomo Turkish Taffy, a candy necklace, Good & Fruity, Bottlecaps... Nostalgia Central  So much fun. If you want to learn more, I found  video:

I am a lifelong fan of the New York Mets.  I am also a huge fan of a local, independent baseball team, the Long Island Ducks. And what do those two teams have in common? Buddy Harrelson. Harrelson played shortstop for the 1969 Mets, had an infamous brawl with Pete Rose...  He later coached, and then managed the Mets. He is a part-owner of the Ducks.  In the past he coached or managed the team, but more recently his role has been a sort of good will ambassador, greeting and posing with the fans.  We see him every time we go to a game. Yesterday I read some sad news.  A sports writer for the New York Post  wrote about a recent interview of Buddy, in which Buddy revealed that he has Alzheimer’s. He got the diagnosis two years ago.    And today in the New York Daily News,  there was another column, confirming the news.   Newsday   has a story as well. They wrote that Buddy still talks to Tom Seaver often — To...

A view from Jersey City: the famous Colgate clock. Yes, it really tells time. #skywatchfriday

"Oops" moment of the week:  the National Weather Service accidentally issued a tsunami warning for the East Coast while testing the "push notification" system.  Of course, there was no tsunami.  But I didn't realize February was monsoon season in New York.  I had an appointment with my doctor on Wednesday, and I had to drive there and back in the pouring rain.  A deluge.  Highway signs indicating (superfluously) that there was poor visibility due to rain and fog.  The only bright spot?  It wasn't snow. Remember my frustration over my medical treatment, or absence thereof, for my right knee?  I wrote about it here .  Well, at my appointment with the doctor on Wednesday we revisited my treatment options.  And he made his pitch to my insurance company.  And the verdict is in:  my right knee finally qualifies for the gel injections.  I'm a tad bit upset with Dunkin' Donuts.  They "streamlined" the menu and elim...

This is one of the more popular Mexican restaurants in the area, so when we saw the prix fixe menu for Restaurant Week, we figured it was a good time to try CaraCara. The restaurant occupies a nice-sized space, but because the bar area up front is expansive, the seating area towards the rear of the restaurant seems a bit cramped.  The tables are so close together that the staff had difficulty maneuvering the supply cart for the table-side guacamole.  And no, this is not a place to have a quiet conversation. It's a very casual restaurant, but the food is very upscale.  Flavorful rather than spicy, though you can add hot sauce if you so choose. Tortilla chips were crisp, salty and served warm, with both red and green salsas.  Sangria was sweet and fruity.  He had the queso fundito, served in an iron skillet, the cheese buried beneath a generous serving of chorizo -- this could easily be shared.  My empanadas were less impressive -- two small pastrie...

#skywatchfriday

The shortest month of the year, in the dead of winter. Ugh. And yet a month full of fun. Small celebrations to brighten the midwinter gloom. Groundhog Day.  The Superbowl. Mardis Gras.  Chinese New Year.  Valentine's Day.  President's Day. And on a personal note, Drew's birthday.  And my birthday. I'm looking forward to it.