We have been busy here on Calle Canta.
We were in New York for five days earlier this month, visiting our daughter Emily. We had a great time with her and Abigail. They met us at our hotel the evening we arrived, and after some champagne and tasty canapes in the hotel sky bar, we went to a lovely dinner at Rue 57. Lots of good things to eat and drink, lots of laughs and clever reparte from the girls.
The next day Emily met us for a visit to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, which were in full spring bloom, with the cherry blossoms in the starring role. The gardens were beautiful, the sky was blue, and a nice breeze kept it all cool.
Other highlights of the New York visit were two Broadway shows, Waiting for Godot and Blithe Spirit (we enjoyed both); the Museum of Modern Art; a movie (Shall We Kiss?); dinner in Little Italy at our favorite place there (Positano); a wonderful dinner prepared by Em and Abby at their apartment in Brooklyn; and lunch in Greenwich Village with Laryssa and Natalia. I also had a quick drink with my friend Stephanie Gaines, who told me that she had bought a house in the Hamptons! All in all it was a fine getaway. I hope we can go back again soon.
We returned to California two weeks ago today. Since then we have been down to Orange County a couple of times for family affairs - Bernie's birthday party, a wedding shower for our niece Nichole (I spent the day with Martin while L went to the shower). We had a small dinner party here this past Saturday, with Charlie and Nancy Walker, and Richard Del Belso and Mark Winkler. Claire came by later in the evening to say hello to everyone. Lynette made a terrific dinner (Talapia was the main event), and we all had a great time.
Joe and Marsha Grieco are coming by tonight for a little supper and a visit. We haven't seen them for a few weeks, so it will be good to catch up.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Post-Easter update
My sister Jackie and her husband Martin had the family to their house for Easter, and it was a lovely day. My brothers Mike and Alan and their families, and our sister Jayne and her husband Bernie, plus Tiffany and Caroline and their boy Elijah, and Nicole and Luke, who will be married in June, and a host of other loved ones were there. There was much good food, and champagne, and lots of laughs and warm feelings. We missed Lynette, who was in Kentucky with her sister, dealing with things that their mother left behind when she passed away in December. It wasn't the same without her.
Part of the fun on Easter was watching the final round of the Masters, with Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods fighting their own contest, playing in a twosome together, four or five strokes behind the leaders. Both of them made a strong fight to overtake the top spot, but they both ran into trouble and fell short of the lead. It was still very exciting to watch. Kris, Al, Mike, Martin and I had a good time, going from the tv in the living room to the food and good company in the kitchen and on the patio.
The next day, Al and I went to spend some time with Mike at the timeshare resort in Aneheim where he, Kim and Aaron were staying over the Easter weenend. (Their older son, David, stayed home because of work commitments. We missed him, too.) Mike made lunch for Al and me, and we all had fun playing ping pong and catching up with each other. Al and I had stopped for a few minutes in Laguna Beach on our way to Aneheim from Jackie and Martin's where we had spent the night, just to have a quick look at the ocean. The day was gorgeous, and our short visit was more than worth the detour.
That evening I drove Elijah home to Los Feliz, and he and I got to know each other a little better. We are good pals now. I watched him for a little bit the next morning, waiting for Jackie to drive up from the O.C., and we got even better acquainted. He now knows my name and calls me Dan. When it was time for me to go, Jackie said "bye-bye, Dan" and Elijah said "No bye-bye Dan." He didn't want me to leave, which was very touching. He is a great kid and I had a great time with him. I look forward to more time with him, now that we are such good buds.
That was a week ago now. Lynette came home on Wednesday, and we have had a quiet few days together. On Saturday we went to the new farmers' market at the Americana in Glendale, which was very nice. We bought a loaf of nice bread and a few other things, including a very tasty pear and peach tart. Mmmm!
Saturday night was the 70th birthday party for Kris's mother-in-law Sally, at a nice place in Whittier. We had a great time. Again, lots of our family as well as lots and lots of Sally's - brothers and sisters and all their kids and grandkids. It was put on by Diana and Henry, Sally's children, and was very nice. A few tears were shed during the slide show, which included photos of Sally's late husband Henry, who was beloved by all of us. But soon there was music and dancing, and the mood got happier. It was especially nice to see our friend Triana, whom we hadn't spent any time with for several years. She is doing well, has a young son and a handsome husband, and looks fabulous!
Yesterday Lynette and I decided that we would go to New York for our anniversary, which is April 29th. It's our 31st. We booked the flight and the hotel, and are excited about it. We leave on the 29th and come home on May 4th. It will be fun, and we will get to spend time with Emily. We called her and she is excited that we are coming. She and Abigail are busy, as usual. They are planning on seeing a "This American Life" show on Thursday, which will be fun. We have lots of things we want to see and do...theater, museums, gardens, and just walking in the Big Apple.
That's it for now. I did a little minor plumbing this morning (a leaky faucet in the back yard) and now I'm off to the gym. More soon!
Part of the fun on Easter was watching the final round of the Masters, with Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods fighting their own contest, playing in a twosome together, four or five strokes behind the leaders. Both of them made a strong fight to overtake the top spot, but they both ran into trouble and fell short of the lead. It was still very exciting to watch. Kris, Al, Mike, Martin and I had a good time, going from the tv in the living room to the food and good company in the kitchen and on the patio.
The next day, Al and I went to spend some time with Mike at the timeshare resort in Aneheim where he, Kim and Aaron were staying over the Easter weenend. (Their older son, David, stayed home because of work commitments. We missed him, too.) Mike made lunch for Al and me, and we all had fun playing ping pong and catching up with each other. Al and I had stopped for a few minutes in Laguna Beach on our way to Aneheim from Jackie and Martin's where we had spent the night, just to have a quick look at the ocean. The day was gorgeous, and our short visit was more than worth the detour.
That evening I drove Elijah home to Los Feliz, and he and I got to know each other a little better. We are good pals now. I watched him for a little bit the next morning, waiting for Jackie to drive up from the O.C., and we got even better acquainted. He now knows my name and calls me Dan. When it was time for me to go, Jackie said "bye-bye, Dan" and Elijah said "No bye-bye Dan." He didn't want me to leave, which was very touching. He is a great kid and I had a great time with him. I look forward to more time with him, now that we are such good buds.
That was a week ago now. Lynette came home on Wednesday, and we have had a quiet few days together. On Saturday we went to the new farmers' market at the Americana in Glendale, which was very nice. We bought a loaf of nice bread and a few other things, including a very tasty pear and peach tart. Mmmm!
Saturday night was the 70th birthday party for Kris's mother-in-law Sally, at a nice place in Whittier. We had a great time. Again, lots of our family as well as lots and lots of Sally's - brothers and sisters and all their kids and grandkids. It was put on by Diana and Henry, Sally's children, and was very nice. A few tears were shed during the slide show, which included photos of Sally's late husband Henry, who was beloved by all of us. But soon there was music and dancing, and the mood got happier. It was especially nice to see our friend Triana, whom we hadn't spent any time with for several years. She is doing well, has a young son and a handsome husband, and looks fabulous!
Yesterday Lynette and I decided that we would go to New York for our anniversary, which is April 29th. It's our 31st. We booked the flight and the hotel, and are excited about it. We leave on the 29th and come home on May 4th. It will be fun, and we will get to spend time with Emily. We called her and she is excited that we are coming. She and Abigail are busy, as usual. They are planning on seeing a "This American Life" show on Thursday, which will be fun. We have lots of things we want to see and do...theater, museums, gardens, and just walking in the Big Apple.
That's it for now. I did a little minor plumbing this morning (a leaky faucet in the back yard) and now I'm off to the gym. More soon!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
We sprinted from Phoenix to Glendale today. There was rain in Phoenix but it cleared quickly and we had a scenic, smooth ride most of the way. We stopped for lunch in La Quinta - nice place - and then barrelled on home. Got in at around three-thirty and unloaded the car. Lynette had a long chat with her friend Yvonne shortly after we walked in the door. We are glad to be home. Claire won't be coming tonight as she has a cold. We're settling in and trying to get the cat to recognize us.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The Final Turn
We left Albuquerque this morning, planning to head straight through Flagstaff and on to Kingman, Arizona. But the weather report called for snow in that neck of the woods, so we took a left and dropped down along the Rio Grande almost all the way to Las Cruces, close to the Mexican border. We took a short cut to I-10 via a little road that led to Dening, New Mexico, where we had lunch at the local hot spot, and then headed west. We made it through Tuscon and all the way to Phoenix, where we are now, settled for the night at the Hampton Inn. We just finished some Chinese food in our room and watched the end of "Monster In Law" with Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez. The fun never stops!
The landscape down the Rio Grande and along the I-10 was spectacular - mesas and rock formations that poke out of the ground and reach hights in the hundreds of feet, and we're already at nearly 5000 feet above sea level; beautiful expanses of wide open prairie and rocky terrain; mountains in the distance that look like strange sculptures. All in all a feast for the eyes. New Mexico seems like a very nice place. Albuquerque is compact and nice looking - I'd like to go back some time and spend a couple of days. We hoped to get back to Santa Fe, but it wasn't in the cards. Next time.
We're excited about getting home. We spoke to Claire today - she had a bad cold, but she's going to come up to Glendale in the early evening. Can't wait to see her.
This drive had been interesting and mostly fun (apart from the two days when we were both under the weather). Now it's time to get back to real life, such as it is, and figure out what 2009 will be about for us.
The landscape down the Rio Grande and along the I-10 was spectacular - mesas and rock formations that poke out of the ground and reach hights in the hundreds of feet, and we're already at nearly 5000 feet above sea level; beautiful expanses of wide open prairie and rocky terrain; mountains in the distance that look like strange sculptures. All in all a feast for the eyes. New Mexico seems like a very nice place. Albuquerque is compact and nice looking - I'd like to go back some time and spend a couple of days. We hoped to get back to Santa Fe, but it wasn't in the cards. Next time.
We're excited about getting home. We spoke to Claire today - she had a bad cold, but she's going to come up to Glendale in the early evening. Can't wait to see her.
This drive had been interesting and mostly fun (apart from the two days when we were both under the weather). Now it's time to get back to real life, such as it is, and figure out what 2009 will be about for us.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Year from Albuquerque, NM
We're still on our way home, spending tonight here in Albuquerque. We left Oklahoma City this morning and drove most of the day through very nice weather. Not much news from the road...just drive and watch the scenery go by. It was pretty but mostly flat - a winterscape, with bare trees and brown fields. Cows in pastures.
Our route - Interstate 40 - parallels the old route 66 for much of the way. The old route is in bad shape in most places - drivable at many points, but nearly gone in others. The most interesting thing to me was to see the abandoned buildings - gas stations, cafes, motels, et al - that were the charm and the appeal of the route in its heyday (or so I've been led to believe from movies and books). Now they look like scenes from the Depression.
The good news is that Lynette and I both feel a lot better today than we did yesterday - the bug seems to have passed. Now we are pushing to get home, which we hope will be on Sunday. We will try to make it to Kingman, AZ, tomorrow, and from there straight to Glendale. Can't wait to see our dear family and friends.
I finished "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" and have begun a novel from last year titled "The Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England," a satire. So far it's good enough. I'll let you know what I think when I'm finished with it. The "Yiddish Policemen" book was good. I'll try to post a critique when I have some time.
That's it for now...
Dan
Our route - Interstate 40 - parallels the old route 66 for much of the way. The old route is in bad shape in most places - drivable at many points, but nearly gone in others. The most interesting thing to me was to see the abandoned buildings - gas stations, cafes, motels, et al - that were the charm and the appeal of the route in its heyday (or so I've been led to believe from movies and books). Now they look like scenes from the Depression.
The good news is that Lynette and I both feel a lot better today than we did yesterday - the bug seems to have passed. Now we are pushing to get home, which we hope will be on Sunday. We will try to make it to Kingman, AZ, tomorrow, and from there straight to Glendale. Can't wait to see our dear family and friends.
I finished "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" and have begun a novel from last year titled "The Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England," a satire. So far it's good enough. I'll let you know what I think when I'm finished with it. The "Yiddish Policemen" book was good. I'll try to post a critique when I have some time.
That's it for now...
Dan
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Memphis and Little Rock
We left Henderson at close to three in the afternoon yesterday, and drove mostly in the dark to Memphis. We were both feeling a little punk, so we had a bowl of soup in the hotel restaurant and stayed in for the night. Today we spent a few hours along the main drags of Memphis, saw the clubs on Beale Street, visited the Peabody Hotel and saw the ducks, and had lunch at the Rendezvous, a very good rib joint. Then we hit the road and drove here, to Little Rock. It's now about five-thirty, and we're going to stroll the avenues and boulevards here, hoping to find an appealing place to have dinner. Tomorrow we will go to the Clinton Library, and then back on the road, heading to Oklahoma City.
Best to all,
Dan
Best to all,
Dan
Monday, December 29, 2008
End of December - Heading Home
I've been here in Henderson, KY, for eight days now. I came in last Sunday to attend the funeral of Lynette's mom, Helen Mathews. The funeral was very moving; we loved Helen very much and we are all sorry that she is gone. It was nice to see flowers and notes from many of Helen's California friends.
Lynette has been busy, along with her sister Amy and brother Gary, tying up some of the loose ends from her mom's affairs. Now, we are ready to head home. Our plan is to drive the car we bought for Helen back to California.
We plan quick visits to Memphis and Little Rock (the Clinton Library), then a straight shot across Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle to New Mexico, where we'll stop for a night in Santa Fe. We were there many years ago and would like to see it again. Then on through Arizona to Glendale, CA. If we are able to leave today I expect to be home on Saturday or Sunday.
But there is a hitch - Lynette came down with serious stomach flu, or something like it, in the middle of the night last night. Her sister and brother-in-law Alan are also suffering from this bug. I hope it leaves me alone! The question is, when will we be able to hit the road?
I hate to see Lynette feeling so ill. She is almost never sick, and has seen me through so many colds and flus and injuries. As I write this, at almost one o'clock in the afternoon, it looks like we won't be getting to Memphis any time too soon.
When I got here on Sunday, the temperature was nine degrees Farenheit, and it held at that level through the funeral the next day. But then it warmed up a lot the day after that, reaching a toasty 56 degrees, one degree short of the record for that day. It has been about the same for the last five or six days - shirtsleeve weather for the folks here. It was actually warmer here than in Southern California for a couple of days.
I'm looking forward to the trip home. The little car - a spiffy 2008 Toyota Corolla - is fun to drive, and it gets about 33 miles to a gallon of gas. I have made a few music discs for the journey - some Mozart, some Stones/Beatles/Kinks, and a couple of mixes of old stuff. Between that and NPR, when I can find it, we should be in good shape.
I went to Wal-Mart yesterday, at Lynette's behest, and bought snacks - crackers, cookies, chips (low-cal, low fat for all of these, of course) for the road. The last time Lynette and I drove across the US was in 1977. We had fun then and hope to enjoy this one, too.
It's been a nice visit, not withstanding the reason for my coming here. It was nice to see Clay and LeighAnne (Lynette's nephew and neice) and their families, and it was also nice to spend a little time with Gary and his partner, Eika. Eika and I had a day to ourselves last week when Lynette, Amy and Gary were busy at their mother's house, and we drove to Evansville to look around and have lunch. We walked around the downtown area and found some interesting buildings to look at, and dined at a Chinese restaurant. We also visited the casino and walked along the riverbank. It was a breezy, cool but comfortable day, and we had a good time.
That night, Amy and Alan, Gary, and Lynette and I went to dinner in Evansville at a very nice place called BoneFish. A good time was had by all.
I've been reading a novel titled "The Yiddish Policeman's Union," a very funny book by Michael Chabon. I haven't read anything else of his. I may check out his "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," which won a Pulitzer prize recently. The one I'm reading now is an inventive, satirical imagining of a Jewish settlement in Alaska. Suffice it to say that it cracks me up. I recommend it.
I'll try to post reports from the road. Meanwhile, I wish everyone who reads this a happy new year!
Lynette has been busy, along with her sister Amy and brother Gary, tying up some of the loose ends from her mom's affairs. Now, we are ready to head home. Our plan is to drive the car we bought for Helen back to California.
We plan quick visits to Memphis and Little Rock (the Clinton Library), then a straight shot across Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle to New Mexico, where we'll stop for a night in Santa Fe. We were there many years ago and would like to see it again. Then on through Arizona to Glendale, CA. If we are able to leave today I expect to be home on Saturday or Sunday.
But there is a hitch - Lynette came down with serious stomach flu, or something like it, in the middle of the night last night. Her sister and brother-in-law Alan are also suffering from this bug. I hope it leaves me alone! The question is, when will we be able to hit the road?
I hate to see Lynette feeling so ill. She is almost never sick, and has seen me through so many colds and flus and injuries. As I write this, at almost one o'clock in the afternoon, it looks like we won't be getting to Memphis any time too soon.
When I got here on Sunday, the temperature was nine degrees Farenheit, and it held at that level through the funeral the next day. But then it warmed up a lot the day after that, reaching a toasty 56 degrees, one degree short of the record for that day. It has been about the same for the last five or six days - shirtsleeve weather for the folks here. It was actually warmer here than in Southern California for a couple of days.
I'm looking forward to the trip home. The little car - a spiffy 2008 Toyota Corolla - is fun to drive, and it gets about 33 miles to a gallon of gas. I have made a few music discs for the journey - some Mozart, some Stones/Beatles/Kinks, and a couple of mixes of old stuff. Between that and NPR, when I can find it, we should be in good shape.
I went to Wal-Mart yesterday, at Lynette's behest, and bought snacks - crackers, cookies, chips (low-cal, low fat for all of these, of course) for the road. The last time Lynette and I drove across the US was in 1977. We had fun then and hope to enjoy this one, too.
It's been a nice visit, not withstanding the reason for my coming here. It was nice to see Clay and LeighAnne (Lynette's nephew and neice) and their families, and it was also nice to spend a little time with Gary and his partner, Eika. Eika and I had a day to ourselves last week when Lynette, Amy and Gary were busy at their mother's house, and we drove to Evansville to look around and have lunch. We walked around the downtown area and found some interesting buildings to look at, and dined at a Chinese restaurant. We also visited the casino and walked along the riverbank. It was a breezy, cool but comfortable day, and we had a good time.
That night, Amy and Alan, Gary, and Lynette and I went to dinner in Evansville at a very nice place called BoneFish. A good time was had by all.
I've been reading a novel titled "The Yiddish Policeman's Union," a very funny book by Michael Chabon. I haven't read anything else of his. I may check out his "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," which won a Pulitzer prize recently. The one I'm reading now is an inventive, satirical imagining of a Jewish settlement in Alaska. Suffice it to say that it cracks me up. I recommend it.
I'll try to post reports from the road. Meanwhile, I wish everyone who reads this a happy new year!
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