Thanksgiving 2009

I survived Thanksgiving Day 2009. Now on to the main event! My day began with a visit from son Joey, grandson Nicky and his Uncle Anthony. We progressed from pancakes and coffee through turkey and artichokes and desert -- and everything in between.

Thanksgiving Day was unseasonably warm for a November 26. So from time to time, we found ourselves outside sitting on the stoop. Annie and Louis, Anthony, Liddy, Alison, Pam, Vanessa, Chris and I began about 2 o'clock with anitpasto.

A Day at the Museum

Liddy and I drove into NYC to visit the American Museum of Natural History, AMNH, on 81st Street & Central Park West. The complex is a huge amalgamation of buildings fused into one enormous facility. It has been many years since my last visit and through the years, except for special exhibits, little has changed. The same dinosaur bones and stuffed animals awaited us, but same or not, the museum captivated our imaginations and excited our interests in diverse subjects. We planned to see the whale, the dinosaur bones, and the elephants -- and we did. We also enjoyed viewing the history of our north eastern section of America. We arrived about 10:00 A. M. and by noon the crowds were overwhelming. Happily we had seen enough by then and wearily make our way to the exit.

Liddy was hungry for a bagel and tuna, so we stopped at the Tick Tock Diner on Route 3 in Clifton, NJ to visit a second cultural icon in the same day. The Tick Tock Diner stands out as an excellent diner in a state known for its diners.

Halloween 2009

Halloween is here again. I know its Nov 1, but its the first chance I got to write.

Yesterday was a blustery, cloudy, damp, eerily warm, late October day. It was an ideal day for Halloween. From the first giggling child running to my door singing "Trick or Treat, smell my feet" to the last stragglers, it was AMERICA.

Where else but in America can we be free to participate, or not, in an ages old, constantly evolving custom that involves frivolity and candy? I get so frustrated when I hear the religious fanatics decrying the 'celebration' of Halloween. To all my 'religious' friends, I say that is the hallmark of theological arrogance. Halloween is a day, not so much celebrated as enjoyed. It is a day where parent's can be children and children can just HAVE FUN. It is NOT as I have been told, "the devil's birthday!" Halloween is, pure and simply for FUN. There is nothing nefarious about it.

So, whether you participated or not I hope you had fun. This morning, we were given an extra hour to prepare for next year's Halloween.

Autumn

One tenth of the school-year has elapsed. Where does the time go? Does time go? If, as the quantum physicists say, everything is happening at once, i.e. NOW. Why can't I just focus on a time of my choosing? Why does it have to appear sequential? If it is all an illusion, it is my illusion, is it not?

Ah, perhaps not all questions are easily answerable!?

School's Open

I have been in New Jersey since September 1 and back to school since September 8, 2009. This year, returning from vacation was more difficult than in years past. I guess that is because it was more like home in Florida than I expected. I know that I am ready for retirement, but I still need to work another 3 years after this one for it to make financial sense.

There is no A/C in my wing of the building (Woodrow Wilson School 19). I did not sweat as much during July and August in Florida as I did these past few days.

Albert and George weigh in about life!

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." -- Albert Einstein
This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
-- George Bernard Shaw

September has arrived!

Alas, we are back in New Jersey. I am not quite ready to return to work, but I will have no choice come Tuesday. No choice, that is, if I want to continue my standard of living.

I posted musings about our Marina Jack cruise, now I intend to post various visits we made while in Florida.

Starting on August 20, Liddy and I visited the Florida Aquarium in Tampa before we picked up Chris at the airport. We have visited several aquariums and this one ranks as one of the best we have seen. If you find yourself in Tampa with a few hours to spare, you can't go wrong at this spot.

Eleanor and John came to spend a week with us on Monday, August 24. One of the notable things we did during their visit was to take a boat ride offered by the Mote Aquarium. The ride was a two and a half hour narrated tour of Sarasota Bay. The tour included a nature walk on Edward's Island, a man-made island in Sarasota Bay. Before heading back to the dock, they dropped a net and talked about the creatures they harvested before returning them to their watery home.

On August 29 while the girls went to a local mall to do some shopping, John and I had lunch at the Linger Lodge then drove down to Myakka State Park to see alligators in the wild. Although there are many signs posted to beware of alligators, John found it hard to believe in what he could not see.

We finally made it to Disney on August 30. Since we only had time for one park, Liddy chose for us to visit Disney's Hollywood Studios. It was a great choice. Chris and I enjoyed the park and the shows and Liddy enjoyed the roller coasters. She rode on the "Rocking Roller Coaster" twice.

Today, Sunday September 6, 2009 we are going in to New York City to see the Broadway show, "Rock of Ages". More on that later.

Chris' B-day Cruise August 21, 2009

I finally got Chris to consider a cruise. Okay, so it was a two hour dinner cruise, but a cruise nonetheless. We had a really nice dinner aboard the Marina Jack II while cruising Sarasota Bay during a spectacular sunset. Michael and Takako came along to help us celebrate with lively conversation and a narration of points of interest.







Dinner was buffet-style with the main course being baked salmon and prime rib. Yes, for my health minded readers, there was salad and veggies and stuff. We boarded about 6:30 P.M. and disembarked around 9:00 P.M. We were a bit concerned because it rained from about 1:30 P.M. until it was time to leave for the boat, but it all cleared up by the time we arrived.

Parasailing Aug 13, 2009

On Thursday, August 13, 2009 we went to Anna Maria Island to take Liddy and Zoha para sailing. It was Zoha's first time and Liddy's second. Both of them thoroughly enjoyed being harnessed in together, whisked off the boat into the air then being dipped in the Gulf before returning to the safety of the boat.

While the girls were out on the Gulf, Michael, Tako, Sean and I walked around the neighborhood, poking into tourist shops before finally settling in to the Bridge Tender Inn for a cold drink and some lunch. Afterwards, we all drove down to Coquina Beach for a swim in the warm Gulf waters. We left the beach around 5 P.M. returning home redder than we were before and happily exhausted. Click here for more pictures.

Mote Aquarium

Today was cloudy all day. Not a bit of rain, but the threat hung heavily in the air while clouds kept the sun at bay. Even now, I hear rumbles of thunder, but no rain. Not a good day for pool or beach. The aquarium seemed just the ticket, especially since we are members and our admission is covered for an entire year!
Check out http://mote.org/

Most of the exhibits are indoors so visiting Mote turned out to be an excellent idea. Visitors were scant perhaps because of it being a Friday afternoon rather than a full fledged weekend day. Liddy and I were able to take our time and look at those exhibits we liked without being accosted or annoyed by extra bodies.

As always St. Armand's Circle was rife with beautiful people and tourists. Traffic was light and the drive was pleasant. We stayed about an hour then headed home. A short nap was welcome.

A Day at the Beach

When I woke this morning, I thought that a trip to Siesta Key would be nice for today. Nice, but certainly not easy.

This morning we experienced torrential rains. It was something to watch. Florida is notrorious for its lightening, and this morning was no exception. Well defined bolts of lightening flashed through the heavily laden skies followed by fearsome thunder claps. Sheets of rain pummeled the ground like the angels grew tired of sprinkling the earth and tried to dump the entire bucket of water at once.

I watched comfortably from the safety of my lanai, unaware that we had lost power until I was speaking with Christine on the [cell] phone. During the hour that the electricity was out, I thought about all the things I could not do until power was restored. The obvious were watching TV, listening to the radio, and working on my computer. Florida is noted for having cloud burst in one area and clear, sunny skies a few miles away, and sometimes, just across the street, so I thought we would just drive over to the beach, afterall rainstorms do not last long in Florida. But, alas, garage door openers do not work without electricity!

When the weather abated, and power was restored, it was time to leave. Of course Liddy was not ready. I, on the other hand, was bursting with a pent-up desire to get out of the house and enjoy the beach. Liddy decided that she should have the opportunity to just lay in her bed all day. I prevailed, but I can't help but wonder, just when does this teenage obstinancy disappear?

Picture Day

Just thought I would post some pictures. However, I was only able to post a few of what I actually wanted to post today. I don't feel like getting too deeply into this, so other pictures will have to wait for another day.

Waiting for Service

A benign but boring day waiting for two service people. I could not get them both at the same time; you know, morning or afternoon. It was the kind of scheduling that makes you want to complain. One a ceiling fan to be installed on my lanai and the other a locksmith to get us keys to the doors in the house that defied entry from the outside.

I did discover that Goodwill Industries runs a descent second-hand bookstore not two miles from home. I know where I'll be spending my spare time -- and dollars.