songbird's crazy world

Excuse me while I whine a bit... Tomorrow we are supposed to get hit with the storm that's been making its way across the country. And just as it starts to wind down...low pressure and cold air pumping in from the Atlantic will revitalize the storm. So the misery will linger through Monday. I hate winter.

A photo from October 2015.  I somehow managed to capture these birds in flight. #skywatchfriday

By the time this weekend is over, I will have eaten three full Thanksgiving dinners and countless leftovers. I'm not expected to cook anything for my family's celebration.  Instead, I am always expected to provide a considerable amount of baked goods from our favorite Italian bakery.  Rainbow cookies, anyone? Drew does all the cooking for his family celebration, though if I have the time, I might prepare something. maybe something with brussel sprouts? Something a bit scary happened when I was at the bakery last weekend.  I usually park in the lot, but there was a spot open on the street, right in front of the store.  I got into my car and decided to send a text before driving away.  While I was texting...a man opened my car door, as if he were planning to get into my car and drive it!   His car was parked right behind mine...though how he could mistake my little blue Prius for his red SUV I don't understand. So the holiday season has officiall...

John Cleese Is At It Again

In a sort of a twist on the proverbial  "busman's holiday", I often find myself reading about the legal troubles of famous folk.  Willie Nelson's troubles with the IRS.  Britney Spears' conservatorship after she had major meltdown.  John Fogerty being sued for copyright infringement -- of a John Fogerty. song. Frankie Lymon and his three wives.  The wrongful death suit against Michael Jackson's doctor/drug dealer. But one of the weirdest cases involves Jay Black.  Black (born David Blatt) was the second, and more famous "Jay" of Jay and the Americans. When Jay Traynor, the original lead, left the group in 1962, Black was recruited to take his place.  When the group disbanded in 1973, Black continued to tour as "Jay and the Americans" or "Jay Black and the Americans". Black filed for bankruptcy in 2006.  He had accumulated considerable debt as a result of his gambling addiction, and owed the IRS over $500,000 in back taxes. And...

This week's theme: In honor of Black Friday and the holiday shopping season ‘ songs about toys (people or animal toys)' Do you want to play with a Red Rubber Ball? Or maybe this song by Bobby Vee is more like it? Well, I simply must include this song by the Monkees: The young lady in the video is the show's choreographer.  Davy Jones did this dance freestyle, and the choreographer was the only one unafraid to dance with him. There are several interpretations of the lyrics, most of them rather salacious. Maybe dolls are more interesting. Yeah, more salacious lyrics.... But the Four Seasons were always classy. But let's take it down now...a song that made me cry:

Can you get looped on one glass of wine? I am unquestionably a lightweight. We went out for Italian last night, tried a restaurant we’d never been to before, a place called Cara Mia. I ordered a Prosecco, Drew had sangria.  We shared an order of baked clams (whole little necks), he had veal francaise, I had veal parmigiana. And Drew knew I was a bit “happy” because I was softly singing ... “A bottle of red, a bottle of white, it all depends upon your appetite...” And then as we were leaving, I sang “Cara Mia, why must we say good bye ...” The cold air sobered me up ... 

Yeah, as you may have guessed from the Metrocard photo earlier this week, I do spend a lot of time on the NYC subway. A number of news stories about the subway caught my eye this week.. There are a lot of reasons a train might be delayed.  But ...a garbage bag?   Mysterious Garbage Bag Causes 90 Minute Delays    The bag was apparently wrapped around a "stop arm" that is designed to keep a train from moving too fast; the bag  tripped the train's emergency brakes.  It took 20 minutes to clean up the debris, but because it was rush hour, the back up took 90 minutes to clear. We are all used to seeing rats in the subway stations.  But a raccoon?   Raccoon spotted at MTA subway station   A commuter spotted the furry little bandit in Brooklyn. Then there was the flood.   Subway Entrance in Brooklyn   The MTA was testing its anti-flood equipment -- installed after the disaster that was Superstorm Sandy -- and deliber...

Yeah, another military helicopter siting fom our office windows. This was actually a couple of weeks ago. And this time...I got video, too. #skywatchfriday

It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but already the New Year's Eve drama is beginning... We spend every New Year's Eve with the same small group of friends.  In previous years we have:  (1) gone out to a restaurant to celebrate and watch the ball drop; (2) had a party at Drew's house; and (3) gone to a restaurant early in the evening, then headed back to Drew's house to watch the ball drop. Everyone wants to have a good time, no one wants to spend a lot of money, and no  one except Drew is willing to host the gala. One member of our group is allergic to tomatoes, so we have to be careful about the menu.  Last year we went to the New Year's Eve party at an Italian restaurant.  I love the restaurant, but they were not equipped to handle a party that night.  Disastrous. We left feeling that we had overpaid for the experience. The previous year we'd gone out for Japanese food and watched the ball drop at Drew's house.   The year before that was a ...

This photo describes my life at the moment....

Ah, Monday....I managed to leave the house on time, remembered to bring everything I needed with me, even had time to run into 7-11 for a cup of coffee...my 7:11 train didn't arrive until 7:20, and it was an old train, equipment that's been in service since the early 1980's...a very bumpy ride...no, that's not some exotic new perfume I'm wearing, it's eau de coffee...yeah, the train hit some sort of bump, and my coffee splashed all over me... So it’s the start of winter  dry skin season.  Yes, that lovely time of year, when Chapstick and Jergen’s Ultra Healing Lotion become my new best friends.  That time of year when I start to consider what previously was unthinkable: moving to Florida. Moving to Florida...that was the subject of   Alana’s blog post  on Saturday.  And she mentioned palmetto bugs.  I understand her disgust, as I had a nasty run-in with one of this horrid little monsters way back in 1987.   Drew and I flew down to Ft. La...

Another "your choice" week. See if you can guess my theme:

The sun came up around 6:40 Friday morning.  I left my house about 10 minutes later, intent on catching a train into NYC and my office.  I drove down my street, and as I passed the pond, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.  I turned my head just in time to see a stag jump over the bushes and disappear into the woods. It's not the first time I've seen deer in my neighborhood.  Here's a post from 2016: My community is a busy suburb pretending to be a sleepy farm hamlet.  It really was a sleepy farm hamlet until the housing boom of the mid 1960's.  My parents bought their house in 1968, and we watched the house being built in what had once been woods.  My father actually took us hiking in the woods once, so that we would appreciate  the beautiful surroundings of our new home. You can still see remnants of the sleepy farm hamlet throughout the area.  Most of the farms are gone, of course, but there are a few famsta...

It seems the organized book challenge fell apart.  But I am still committed to reading 10 books by November 30,  the date the challenge was scheduled to end.  I've read 8 books so far, and am working on  book #9. Current read: I had never heard of Pratchett or his Discworld novels until I read Nancy Wolff's The Dragons of Wyvern Hall.  Wolff is clearly a fan of Pratchett's series, so I thought I'd read one of the books. I'll post a review when I finish the book.

Or maybe I just have dragons on the brain....but doesn't the cloud over the house look like a dragon breathing fire? #skywatchfriday

I had an appointment with my doctor this morning. Or, rather, I thought I had an appointment. When I got to his office early this morning, the receptionist told me I wasn't on the doctors schedule. Well, that explains why I didn't get a reminder call... While I was standing at her desk, I remembered:  When I was in the office last summer for my annual physical, the doctor told me to to make a follow up appointment in November.  I stopped at the reception desk on the way out to make the appointment.  The receptionist was having problems with her computer, but told me that the appointment had been made and that she'd see me in November. Apparently the computer had other ideas.

1. Sadie Hawkins' Day. Also known as Turn-About Day. On this date in Dogpatch, Judge Hawkins declared a race between the town's eligible bachelors and the spinsters (including his daughter, Sadie) with the prize being matrimony. Nowadays celebrated as a day on which the girl asks the boy to the big sock hop. For those of us who are single: Any special plans? Is a restraining order and a monitoring anklet hampering you from finding true love? For those of us who are in a relationship: Do you have any words of encouragement for the single ladies? Advice on removing a monitoring anklet? Oh my goodness, you brought back a memory.  I went to day camp when I was a child, and for some show or event I remember dressing as Daisy Mae from Dogpatch. As for relationship advice...I am in a very weird relationship, it works for us, but I am not about to give out relationship advice. 2. Today is Indian Pudding Day. Colonists to America substituted cornmeal which they calle...

I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve. -- Admiral Isoroku Yamamto, on the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 1941. So what do two history geeks/World War II buffs do on Veteran's Day weekend? They head for the local movie theater and see Midway Midway was one of the most significant battles of the war in the Pacific.  The Japanese, having inflicted horrific damage to the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, intended to finish the job at Midway, thus ensuring Japan's unchecked dominance in the Pacific.  Instead, thanks in large part to cryptographers, American intelligence was able to determine the date and time of the planned attack, and the Americans were able to plan a counterattack.  The American victory at Midway was the turning point of the war. the Japanese were never able to recover from the defeat, and were unable to push forward with their plans to dominate the Pacific. The movie, as you'd suspect, is more a...

This week's theme: It’s Native American Heritage Month. Let’s share songs inspired by, performed by or about Native Americans’ A difficult theme, because I don't want to be politically incorrect or offer insult.  If I post something inappropriate, let me know. This is the first song that came to mind.  It tells how the Cherokee nation has been abused. Next up, a song from Cher.  I think the costume (which is fantastic!) might be problematic in this day and age, but not the song: I always thought this next one was a folk song, but I have learned it was written in 1907.   The song tells of a young Indian girl's loss of her sweetheart who has died in battle.  My grandmother, an immigrant to this country, learned this song at some sort of family-oriented summer camp she attended  when my mother was a little girl.  Grandma would  sing it to me and my sisters occasionally, even though she  couldn't remember all the word...

   A rerun from the very early days of the blog.  Original post can be found  here . You've heard the song...but did you know it was based on a true story ? The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee' The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead When the skies of November turn gloomy With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty. That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed When the gales of November came early. The ship was the pride of the American side Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most With a crew and good captain well seasoned Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms When they left fully loaded for Cleveland And later that night when the ship's bell rang Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'? The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound And a wave broke ove...

Ever read a book with prose so beautiful you almost don't care about the story?  A book that makes you sigh "I wish I could write like that"? The Dragons of Wyvern Hall is that book. Set in modern-day England, the book tells the story of Kate Mallory, a lonely teenager from NYC sent to live with her great uncle in her ancestral home, Ashley Manor.  One night Kate sees garden statues come to life in the moonlight, and soon discovers her own magical powers. Kate is befriended by Robin, a teenage boy whose mother is a Witch and whose father is a Faery Prince.    Robin, too, has seen the statues come to life. But there is evil afoot, dark magic that emanates from Wyvern Hall. In flashbacks to Victorian times, we learn the story of Ivor Wyvern, who sought the hand of Kate's great great great aunt Maude, and when thwarted, vowed to ruin the Mallory family and all of Ashley Manor. In the prologue we meet Chen Shi, the Dragon King, imprisoned in a basement....

Can you see these photos?

So last Friday I took a walk around the neighborhood. There's a small park at 55 Water Street.  You can't see it from the sidewalk.  You have to take the escalator up to the Elevated Acre.  There were a lot of flowers in the park all summer.  Here's what's left: A tree....or rather, some trees...grow in Brooklyn. Caught the Staten Island Ferry leaving its terminal. And yes, that's a cruise ship ....small one. That's the Silver Whisper.   Returned from Canada on 11/1 and headed to the Caribbean on 11/3.  I'd love to be on that cruise! #skywatchfriday

Today is my daughter Jen's 29th birthday.  Lucky girl is spending it in Aruba -- she and her boyfriend are invited to a destination wedding on Saturday, and figured they'd go down a few days early so Jen could spent her birthday on the beach. Becca posted a wonderful story on Instagram, calling her sister "my first best friend".  Jen was about six months old when this photo was taken.  What a difference 29 years makes.

It's time for the  Wednesday Medley ! 1. It's National Fig Week! We sing about figgy pudding in the carol  We Wish You A Merry Christmas . ♫ ♪ Now bring us some figgy pudding Now bring us some figgy pudding ♫ ♪ Now bring us some figgy pudding ♫ And bring it right now ♫ ♪ Ever eaten figgy pudding? Or its close relative, plum pudding? How about cooking or baking with figs? Or plums? I like figs, I suppose.  Do Fig Newtons count? I've never had figgy pudding. But I do eat plums.   They are one of my favorite summer fruits . 2. It is also Intimate Apparel Week. Lace push-up balconette underwire bra and matching thong? Or the comfort of practical and machine washable 97% cotton with 3% Lycra? Alternate question for male lurkers: Boxers or briefs? For me, it's all about comfort.  Here's something I wrote back in July.   Chub Rub . (I liked the shorts so much that I bought some tights from  Snag Tights .) 3. And it is National ...

No, not me.  Drew. Drew is a teacher.  He retired from full-time teaching several years ago and now supplements his pension by working as a substitute.  If he doesn't work, he doesn't get paid. Serving jury duty in the summer would not have been a problem.  Being summoned in October, however.... He had to report last Wednesday.  And he, along with about 30 other potential jurors, was sent to an impaneling room where a jury would be selected for a negligence case involving an injured child. So the lawyers start questioning each potential juror about their jobs, their families, their personal lives... And Drew tells them that his girlfriend is a lawyer, that she specializes in insurance defense, and that she currently works for "XYZ Insurance Company". And the lawyers say "Thank you very much, you are dismissed." And the clerk of the court says "Thank you for your jury service, see you next time you are summoned." (He's exempt for t...

I loved being an honorary co-chair last month.  I got to hear a lot of good music.  I'm addingsome new music  to my Halloween playlist...next year, instead of a cyber party, I'll be having a real Halloween party.  Did you know October 31, 2020 is a Saturday?  And that the moon will be full that night? Back to the present. It's another "your choice" week. How about songs about cars? Last month we rode in Aretha's Pink Cadillac.  Springsteen had one, too: The Beach boys liked their Little Deuce Coup: But they also liked T-Birds Sir Paul will let you drive his car: Gary Numan feels safe in his car. And Joe Walsh loves his Maserati.

Current read:

I wanted something light and fluffy, and this fit the bill. Maddie is a witch who knows only one spell.  She has a cat that might also be her familiar.  She runs a coffee truck in a small town.  but when one of her customers is murdered, she sets out to solve the mystery. The book is short -- I'd call it a novella, not a full-fledged novel -- and the mystery is a bit simplistic.  It was a fun read, but it didn't really grab me, so I'm not sure I'll pick up any of the other stories in the series. I've read seven books since this challenge began, and I've got to read three more by the end of this moth to meet my goal.  Wish me luck.

I FINALLY finished this book. In the spring of 1939, a 15 year old Polish girl named Renia Spiegel began to keep a diary.  Renia was from an upper middle class Jewish family.  At the time she began her diary, Renia was living with her grandparents.  Renia's mother and younger sister Ariana were living in Warsaw, where Ariana was pursuing an film/acting career.  (Ariana was known as "the Shirley Temple of Poland".) Renia's father was living on the family estate, raising wheat and sugar beets. When the war came, in September 1939, Renia and Ariana and their grandparents were in the Soviet-occupied portion of Poland, and Renia's mother was still in Warsaw, under German occupation. The diary chronicles Renia's everyday life -- missing her mother, going to school, friendships, teenage angst, and later, romance.  She included numerous poems, most of them gloomy.  But Renia also wrote about life under Soviet and then German occupation, about being sent...

I got a phone call this morning:  an elderly cousin died.  E was 92. I barely knew the man -- except for some exchanges on Facebook in recent years, I had not spoken to him since my wedding in 1987. But one upon a time he was my father's best friend.  They met in the Army during WW II.  E was 5 days older than my dad, they were drafted at the same time.  E grew up in the Bronx, my dad grew up in Brooklyn.  And get this -- they had the same surname!  It's a fairly common Jewish name, so no surprises that two young men with the same name, who were not related, would wind up in the same Army unit.  After the war, E introduced my dad to E's younger cousin, M.  Eventually M and my dad fell in love, got married and produced four daughters.  If my dad had never met E, he would never have met my mom, and I wouldn't be here.  My mom and dad weren't as close to E in later years.  But E was devastated when my dad passed away four ...

From the archives, a photo from March 2019.  Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World. #skywatchfriday