songbird's crazy world

You listen to the morning drive time show on your car radio and one of your favorite performers is chatting with the DJ's and promoting his upcoming guest apoearance on a tv show. . . And it turns out he plays a murder victim who dies 5 minutes into the show. . .

And in yet another "birthday" celebration.... We got together with a group of friends at Minado. This is a Japanese buffet.  Somewhat on the pricy side, but well worth it.  They feature sushi, fresh seafood and many cooked dishes.  Great for our group, since some of us love sushi and some of us (like Drew) would never order it.  Be forewarned -- if you order hot tea, it's green tea.  I like green tea, but Drew prefers Chinese tea. Of course I had to start with the sushi and sashemi.  So many choices!  Including items you might not usually see on a buffet, such as smelt roe.  The spicy mayonnaise was perfect - just enough "bite" without overwhelming the delicate flavors of the fish. I wasn't particularly impressed with the salads, but one friend raves about the mango salad.  None of us tried the soup or udon noodles. There were about four different types of dumplings.  Very light and delicate. Loved the tempura and the co...

Some day I will actually eat here in the summer, when you can sit on the dock and enjoy the harbor view.  I've only been here in the dead of winter.  We come here every February so that Drew can enjoy a lobster for his birthday. The place is large, almost cavernous, with dark wood decor.  Service is impeccable. The lobster bisque is, I think, the best we've every had on Long Island.  Smooth  and creamy, with nice chunks of lobster and just enough cayenne pepper to give it some bite.  Drew had a whole lobster, 1 1/2 pounds, which was served with an ear of corn.  I ordered shrimp with linguini in a plum tomato sauce.  Very nice, mellow dish -- I brought half of it home. Small complaint about the bread basket.  It's artisan bread, heavy crust.  Ours was reheated so long that it was impossible to get through the crust to the soft interior.  The second batch they brought was better, but still hard to break apart. No room for dess...

So Jen is learning about an old tradition - matchmaking. The synagogue where she works is having its annual dinner dance, and she's the only female employee who isn't coming with a husband or a boyfriend. She told me how some of her coworkers, some of her older coworkers, want to fix her up with their sons or nephews.  she was a bit surprised and bewildered. I said: "but of course they want to fix you up!  You're smart and pretty and fun to be with and you're Jewish.  You're a wonderful girl, and you're Jewish ." What could hurt if she connected with the guy on Facebook, if she chatted with him?  I told her, "So talk to the guy, and if you don't like him, don't go out with him.  But if you do like him, enjoy..." So for my daughter:

. . . the roommate wars are over.

You laugh at my stories about the crazy mixed up family I was born into. Truth is, it's actually sad. The other day they told me that I am "nothing", that I am "not their sister", that this house is "not my home", and that I "deserve nothing because I contribute nothing". You would think, from what they said, that I am the most selfish and self centered person on the face of the planet. I try to give them a lot of leeway these days.  After all, my father needs a lot of hands-on care now, and we manage without a home health care aide because my sisters have taken on the role of caregiver.    I know it's not easy, and they don't get much of a break. But honestly . . .

Rolling my eyes at my sisters.  They seems to think I'm the crazy one. Stupid domestic issues that have become all-encompassing. Example -- Jen is 22, a college graduate, and majorly underemployed. All of her money goes to her car and grad school tuition.  I've been helping her out a lot with other things.   At the beginning of the winter Jen went shopping with my sister A and found a winter coat.  Jen  asked me to pay for the coat and I agreed.  A short time later my sister found a second coat for Jen, whipped out my mother's credit card and bought the coat.  The other night my mother said to me "A laid out money for Jen for that coat, when are you going to pay her back?"  So you bought something for my adult daughter.  Something lovely and useful, but not necessarily something she needed.  You didn't ask me if I would pay for it before you bought it.  You didn't ask me to pay for it after you bought it.  You just ex...