songbird's crazy world

So...the 1969 Mets were a plot point in the third Men in Black movie.  Remember, it’s July 1969, Griffin takes off to escape Boris the Animal, but drops clues about where he’d be found?  He uses words like “amazing” and “miracle”.  Agents K and J can’t figure it out until they overhear two Mets fans moaning about how lousy the team is...Mets fans were quick to figure out the Men in Black were headed to Shea Stadium ... I loved that movie. Last night we saw Men in Black International. Fun movie, it had sort of an “Indiana Jones meets James Bond” vibe.  A young girl named Molly has an encounter with an alien, a somehow the Men in Black don’t wipe her memory of the event.  She grows up wanting to join the Men in  Black ... for her first mission, Agent M is sent to London and paired with Agent H. Together they must save the world from alien invasion. I missed the interaction of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, but Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson...

Today at Citi Field, they held a ceremony honoring the World Series champions, the 1969 Mets. I watched it on TV.  Wish I could have gone. The team invited all the players, or their families, to join in the celebration.  On the field today were Cleon Jones, Bud Harrelson, Jerry Koosman, Jerry Grote, Ed Kranepool... Some of Tug McGraw’s children were there, but his most famous son was not. Noticeably absent was Tom Seaver.  Seaver is too ill for public appearances.  He was represented by numerous family members, including grandsons who wore his number 41 as they threw out the ceremonial first pitch.  Seaver, a/k/a “the franchise” received an incredible honor.  126th Street has been renamed Seaver Way, and the address for Citi Field is now 41 Seaver Way. To watch my childhood heroes being honored by the fans, and by the current team ... Yes, I shed a few tears...

So, after our trip to United Hebrew last week, Drew and I both want to go to Beth David Cemetery .  We both have grandparents buried there.  I'm not sure when we're going, we have to coordinate with Drew's uncle.... Beth David was founded in 1917.  I was fascinated to discover that my family shares a final resting place with such notables as  Joyce Brothers, Andy Kaufman, Saul Rogovin, Martin Landau, Sidney Lumet, Abe Vigoda and Herman Wouk (who died earlier this year). I am also told that notorious mobster Harry Strauss, a contract killer for Murder, Inc.,  was laid to rest at Beth David after his execution at Sing Sing in 1941. I guess death is a great equalizer.

I'm on a bit of emotional overload right now. On Sunday Drew and I took a trip to Staten Island, to visit United Hebrew Cemetery. It's where most of my mother's family is buried.  My mother's Uncle Sam was an officer of a burial society and sold plots to all of his family members.   My mother's 93-year-old cousin is now the president of the (defunct) society, and the only remaining members are our relatives.  My father's family is buried in Beth David, in Elmont, not too far from the Belmont Racetrack, and I had always assumed that my parents would be buried in Beth David, too.  But a few years ago, my parents informed my sisters and me that they'd chosen to buy plots in United Hebrew. The cemetery was founded in 1905 in what was then a rural part of Staten Island.  The roadways through the facility were not designed for modern vehicular traffic.  (Bad as United Hebrew is, Beth David is even worse...) It is Jewish custom to visit the graves o...

And time for summer songs! Keeping it light and upbeat today.  Let's start with Mungo Jerry. The Lovin' Spoonful Seals & Croft (one of my favorites) Eddie Cochran -- even the blues sound upbeat.... Let's have fun with  the Jamies: And we close it out with a classic:

You've got to get up every morning With a smile in your face And show the world all the love in your heart Then people gonna treat you better You're gonna find, yes you will That you're beautiful, as you feel -- Carole  King Tuesday night Drew and I got the chance to see Beautiful , the musical based on the life of Carole King.  Act I  deals with her first songwriting efforts for  Don Kirshner, her introduction to Gerry Goffin, their successful songwriting partnership, their marriage, and their friendship/competition with the songwriting team of Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.  In Act II, Cynthia and Barry are heading towards marriage while Carole and Gerry are headed for divorce. The show begins and ends with Carole's 1971 Carnegie Hall concert, celebrating her groundbreaking album, Tapestry . Both teams were part of the Brill Building hit factory, writing songs for the S hirelles, the Chiffons, the Crystals, the Drifters, and the Righteou...

Interesting clouds over Brooklyn. My favorite lunch spot has a view of pier 15.  Tourist ferry under the Brooklyn Bridge.  You can see the Manhattan Bridge and a piece of the Williamsburg Bridge behind it. #skywatchfriday

I love Japanese food.  I especially love watching a teppanyaki chef work his magic.  I had high expectations for Izumi. The restaurant is located in a shopping center, with ample parking. As you enter the restaurant you are greeted by a life sized statue of Buddha.  The decor is sleek and modern, with colored lights illuminating walls and ceilings.  At the front of the restaurant you'll find a sushi bar and a number of tables; the hibachi tables are towards the back of the facility.  We chose the hibachi tables because, as I said, I love to watch the chef work. We were seated with a large party, several of whom ordered from the sushi bar menu or the kitchen menu rather than have the chef cook their meal on the grill. We both ordered sake sangria from the bar -- sake mixed with citrus fruits and juices, served in a mason jar.  Very enjoyable. (FYI soda comes from the bar; there are no free refills. And you have to request tea if you want it.) He...

Terri's  questions this week: NATIONAL GARFIELD THE CAT DAY – June 19 NATIONAL GARFIELD THE CAT DAY Celebrated each year on June 19, it is National Garfield the Cat Day.  A fictional character, Garfield is a title protagonist from the comic strip  Garfield  which was created by Jim Davis.   Today is set aside to celebrate him and the entertainment that he brings us. June 19, 1978, was the first publication of Garfield which chronicles the life of the lead character, the cat Garfield (named after Jim Davis ’s grandfather); Garfield’s owner, Jon Arbuckle: and Jon’s dog, Odie. 2013 – Garfield is syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals and holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip. Set in Muncie, Indiana, common themes in the comic strip include Garfield’s laziness, obsessive eating, love for lasagna and coffee and hatred of Mondays and diets.  The focus is mostly upon the interacti...

So the big news of the week...My poor daughter Becca.  Yesterday she fainted in the shower, fell and hit her head. Gave herself a concussion.   She took herself to the ER.   AND DIDN'T CALL ME!  I found out what happened from her Instagram.  She told me she’s ok and that I shouldn’t worry.  I told her I’ve been worrying about her since 1992, I can’t stop now ... Switching gears here ... I’ve been a bit preoccupied with Billy Joel these last few weeks.  But it’s not just his music.  Over the past few years he’s taken to wearing a Star of David pinned to his lapel, similar to the stars that Jews were compelled to wear in countries under Nazi occupation.  Joel’s father was a Holocaust survivor, and Joel started wearing the Star after the Nazis  marched through Charlottesville a couple of years ago.  First time I’ve ever seen him make a political statement. I’m looking forward to Thursday.  There’s going to be a luncheon ...

Another free choice Monday, so I'm back to Billy Joel.   I’ve been lucky enough to have seen Billy twice during his Madison Square Garden residency, and will likely go again. Today's playlist  includes songs that mention New York City. Let's start with a hit from his 1976 album,   Turnstiles .  "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)".  The song was inspired by NYC's fiscal troubles and the famed NY Daily News headline: Ford to City:Drop Dead .  Joel described the song as "science fiction".   But after 9/11, when he performed the song at Madison Square Garden during a benefit concert on 10/20/01, he said  "I wrote that song 25 years ago. I thought it was going to be a science fiction song; I never thought it would really happen. But unlike the end of that song, we ain't going anywhere!".   He sang it again at the 12-12-12 concert after the city was decimated by Superstorm Sandy.  It has become an a...

It is so easy to keep me amused.... we went to another baseball game.  I think this bird had the best seat in the house. And we caught a gorgeous sunset. http://skyley.blogspot.com/

To say that New Yorkers do not like the Boston Red Sox would be an understatement.  The Yankees/Red Sox rivalry goes back to the days of Babe Ruth.   Mets fans, of course, remember the 1986 World Series.  (You may recall I discussed that last month, when Bill Buckner died. ) But some things transcend baseball rivalries. I was so upset to hear the news about David Ortiz.  I am thankful that the Red Sox are taking care of him, and that he will recover from the gunshot wounds. He had a very impressive baseball career, but I was never a fan ...until April of 2013. Yes, the Boston Marathon Bombing.  And Boston was aching the same way New York hurt after 9/11. And when the Red Sox took the field at Fenway on April 20, for their first game since the bombing, just hours after the second suspect was apprehended, there was a pre-game ceremony to help the city heal. (I think all of us were Red Sox fans that day.) And Ortiz, known to fans as "Big Papi...

Terri's  questions for the week. a real hodgepodge this time around. I'm going to reformat, all questions and answers have been moved to the end. There are some pretty serious issues on the  National Day Calendar  this week. Let's take on a few of them!!  The titles are linked back to The National Calendar. NATIONAL MAKING LIFE BEAUTIFUL DAY National Making Life Beautiful Day is observed annually on June 11.  It is a day dedicated to encouraging and celebrating men and women who are making life beautiful.  Whether you’re creating beauty through building relationships or helping others achieve personal success, one small action can lead to a ripple effect, making life beautiful not just for yourself, but for those around you, too. HOW TO OBSERVE Help someone you know to achieve a personal goal, donate time to a worthy cause, help someone less fortunate or just do something nice for someone.  On social media, use #MakingLifeBeaut...