Today is Wednesday, the day is almost over and I or rather we had a very nice day. The morning was very brisk bordering on the cool side. I spent the morning doing a lot of not much. But around noon we started off to New Jersey.
It was a pleasant drive, didn't take long. Actually we only went to the Crematorium which is not a great distance away. After the visit we took a leisurely drive back.
At Edgewater we stopped at the waterfront and walked around the banks of the Hudson River. The view from the Jersey side is fantastic. Looking at Manhattan in that angle is nice. We saw wild ducks and wild geese and they all are very friendly.
After the stroll at the river we went into a Japanese supermarket. I was extremely interesting because with the exceptions of a few American staple they really only sell stuff from Japan. It was a good thing that the stuff is labelled in two languages otherwise we wouldn't know what we buy because we did buy some things.
There were a couple of interesting things we did notice. One, that the entire establishment was spic and span clean. The other was that there were several eating establishment located inside the supermarket.
These places had their menus practically modelled and displayed and they all looked very appetizing. We decided to have lunch there and the selection was not easy. But we eventually chose what we wanted to eat and the food was really good. The seating area was clean so we did have a good time.
Oh, and it was pretty inexpensive.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Tuesday
I have been watching Dancing With The Stars since the beginning which is about ten years ago. The title is very misleading because the people who dance with the professional dancers are anything but stars. If they can undergo an eight to ten week rigorous training then they are either unemployed or just don't want to work or out of circulation has beens.
Anyway the show goes at times from totally boring to mildly entertaining. The pros are worth anything. Their dancing and artistry is what make the show entertaining nd not the amateurs'.
This show which I think was the 20th had a veteran in it. The poor guy lost his left arm and left leg in Iraq in 2005 yet he was taking part in this competition.
I have to admit that he was good. Not excellent but good. He tried and many times he succeeded. He got good points and thus he went as far as now he is one of the three couples in the final competition.
And this is where the problem is. This guy's entire competing was built on the public's sympathy. The way the contestants move ahead is they take the judges' votes and the public's and the combination decides how these people move ahead.
The public vote is secret meaning the organizers can manipulate it any which way they want to. I am convinced that they manipulated the numbers in order to keep this person in the game. Lot better dancers than him lost out and have been removed in previous weeks. He is in because they feel they have to suck up to him and that is totally wrong.
I hope their decision will create some negative backlash.
Anyway the show goes at times from totally boring to mildly entertaining. The pros are worth anything. Their dancing and artistry is what make the show entertaining nd not the amateurs'.
This show which I think was the 20th had a veteran in it. The poor guy lost his left arm and left leg in Iraq in 2005 yet he was taking part in this competition.
I have to admit that he was good. Not excellent but good. He tried and many times he succeeded. He got good points and thus he went as far as now he is one of the three couples in the final competition.
And this is where the problem is. This guy's entire competing was built on the public's sympathy. The way the contestants move ahead is they take the judges' votes and the public's and the combination decides how these people move ahead.
The public vote is secret meaning the organizers can manipulate it any which way they want to. I am convinced that they manipulated the numbers in order to keep this person in the game. Lot better dancers than him lost out and have been removed in previous weeks. He is in because they feel they have to suck up to him and that is totally wrong.
I hope their decision will create some negative backlash.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Monday
Every time we come home, no matter from where we always come with packages. Regardless that we do weekly grocery shoppings there is always a need for something. That is why we always carry some shopping bags.
Sometimes it is not food but some clothing or whatever. I even remarked that it would be nice to come home once in a while without being loaded down with packages.
At least when we go to the Opera we come home in style. Nothing in our hands just each other hands and walking in like normal human beings.
Well, that style ended just recently.
When we came out of the Opera last week we took the car out of the garage and drove around looking for a place to eat. We found our restaurant and parked the car not even a block away.
On the way to the restaurant we saw a sidewalk fruit stand which incidentally can be found all over Manhattan. We looked at his stuff and decided that the prices and the merchandise were just too good to let them go.
So on the way back from the restaurant we naturally did a little fruit shopping.
Final result, even from the Opera we came home with shopping bags in our hands.
Sometimes it is not food but some clothing or whatever. I even remarked that it would be nice to come home once in a while without being loaded down with packages.
At least when we go to the Opera we come home in style. Nothing in our hands just each other hands and walking in like normal human beings.
Well, that style ended just recently.
When we came out of the Opera last week we took the car out of the garage and drove around looking for a place to eat. We found our restaurant and parked the car not even a block away.
On the way to the restaurant we saw a sidewalk fruit stand which incidentally can be found all over Manhattan. We looked at his stuff and decided that the prices and the merchandise were just too good to let them go.
So on the way back from the restaurant we naturally did a little fruit shopping.
Final result, even from the Opera we came home with shopping bags in our hands.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Sunday
The last thing I would ever do is toot my own horn. But something happened Saturday afternoon and I have to mention it.
We went out to Manhattan Beach in order to spend the weekend in our hideaway. I would like to say that it was a nice ride but I can't because the traffic was awful. It seems that it does not matter which we drive there is always traffic. Anyway we eventually we got to our destination and there the search for parking place started. Eventually we did find one.
While unloading the car a middle aged man walks by with a cute little dog. Me liking cute little dogs started to talk to it. The man looked like a butcher. Fat head, no neck, big belly. But he was very friendly and started talking to us in some very strong European accent.
I quietly made some not very friendly comment about him but fortunately he didn't hear it. Suddenly he addressed us in Hungarian. It turned out he was from Transylvania and has been here in the states for about 42 years and lived next to the apartment building we went to.
He told us his name and asked for mine. All this in a very friendly manner. Somehow the talk turned to our ages and he said that he was sure he was older than me. I said I doubted it.
He turned out to be 62. When I told him I was 78 he didn't want to believe it. He asked me what drug I was using. I pointed to my GF and told him she was my drug.
We went out to Manhattan Beach in order to spend the weekend in our hideaway. I would like to say that it was a nice ride but I can't because the traffic was awful. It seems that it does not matter which we drive there is always traffic. Anyway we eventually we got to our destination and there the search for parking place started. Eventually we did find one.
While unloading the car a middle aged man walks by with a cute little dog. Me liking cute little dogs started to talk to it. The man looked like a butcher. Fat head, no neck, big belly. But he was very friendly and started talking to us in some very strong European accent.
I quietly made some not very friendly comment about him but fortunately he didn't hear it. Suddenly he addressed us in Hungarian. It turned out he was from Transylvania and has been here in the states for about 42 years and lived next to the apartment building we went to.
He told us his name and asked for mine. All this in a very friendly manner. Somehow the talk turned to our ages and he said that he was sure he was older than me. I said I doubted it.
He turned out to be 62. When I told him I was 78 he didn't want to believe it. He asked me what drug I was using. I pointed to my GF and told him she was my drug.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Saturday
Today is Saturday and erroneously I titled yesterday's blog Thursday when it should have been Friday. Well, nobody is perfect even if I am convinced that I am.
Last night we had a good dinner in a neighborhood Applebee's on Manhattan Beach. I like this restaurant not just because they serve good food but because they have a drink called the Perfect Margarita. This drink is made with 1800 Reposado tequila, Cointreau and Grand Marnier and is slightly lemon flavored. In addition to the glass of drink it comes with a shaker filled with more margarita. This means one can get about three full size drinks out of this. If one lets the ice melt more even four drinks is a possibility.
We both like this drink so whenever we go to Applebee's this is what we order. And it goes with everything.
Last night she had blackened tilapia and I had a steak, oh and we had some salsa verde brisket nachos for appetizer. The only word I understood out of this entire description was brisket so I figured it couldn't be bad. It wasn't except that it was pretty hot since there were jalapeño pepper slices in it. But that was when the drinks came handy.
After dinner on the way home we went in to an ice cream parlor where they serve only soft ice cream or yogurt or whatever. There are handles in the wall and everybody fills their own cups with whatever flavor or flavors they like. At the end we pay by the weight. It's a sucker's place because it is very easy to be carried away by one's enthusiasm for the stuff. But at the end we have to pay for our enthusiasm.
Last night we had a good dinner in a neighborhood Applebee's on Manhattan Beach. I like this restaurant not just because they serve good food but because they have a drink called the Perfect Margarita. This drink is made with 1800 Reposado tequila, Cointreau and Grand Marnier and is slightly lemon flavored. In addition to the glass of drink it comes with a shaker filled with more margarita. This means one can get about three full size drinks out of this. If one lets the ice melt more even four drinks is a possibility.
We both like this drink so whenever we go to Applebee's this is what we order. And it goes with everything.
Last night she had blackened tilapia and I had a steak, oh and we had some salsa verde brisket nachos for appetizer. The only word I understood out of this entire description was brisket so I figured it couldn't be bad. It wasn't except that it was pretty hot since there were jalapeño pepper slices in it. But that was when the drinks came handy.
After dinner on the way home we went in to an ice cream parlor where they serve only soft ice cream or yogurt or whatever. There are handles in the wall and everybody fills their own cups with whatever flavor or flavors they like. At the end we pay by the weight. It's a sucker's place because it is very easy to be carried away by one's enthusiasm for the stuff. But at the end we have to pay for our enthusiasm.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Friday
Last night we had a fabulous night of entertainment at the Opera. We saw Franz Lahar's The Merry Widow. Actually this is not an opera but an operetta and it was sung in English but we didn't mind this at all.
Even though real opera lovers might frown on this kind of entertainment thinking this besmirches the sanctity of opera still there was an almost full house.
I have seen this operetta before, my GF saw it also but still we just loved the familiar songs and the innocent humor of the entire play.
Before the start of the show we did some people watching and were very amused by the variety of ways people dressed. It is amazing to see women dressed in such a horrible way that even I can see how bad it is yet they are convinced that they look good. Again there were women in long gown and men in tuxedos and tails. Since I am going to the Opera I saw more men in tails then in my entire life.
After the opera we car out of the garage and went out to eat. I was told that right across the Lincoln Center there are several late night restaurants and it was true. Street parking was easy at that hour (10:45pm) and we went to P.J. Clarke's for a bite to drink and a sip of food. I mean the reverse. I had the best Bloody Mary ever and I did drink a lot of Bloody Marys.
We also had some food and finally about midnight set out for the old homestead. I like night driving. Much less traffic, one can cruise homebound at a respectable speed and also get home at a decent time.
By 1 am we were in bed and almost ready to sleep!
Even though real opera lovers might frown on this kind of entertainment thinking this besmirches the sanctity of opera still there was an almost full house.
I have seen this operetta before, my GF saw it also but still we just loved the familiar songs and the innocent humor of the entire play.
Before the start of the show we did some people watching and were very amused by the variety of ways people dressed. It is amazing to see women dressed in such a horrible way that even I can see how bad it is yet they are convinced that they look good. Again there were women in long gown and men in tuxedos and tails. Since I am going to the Opera I saw more men in tails then in my entire life.
After the opera we car out of the garage and went out to eat. I was told that right across the Lincoln Center there are several late night restaurants and it was true. Street parking was easy at that hour (10:45pm) and we went to P.J. Clarke's for a bite to drink and a sip of food. I mean the reverse. I had the best Bloody Mary ever and I did drink a lot of Bloody Marys.
We also had some food and finally about midnight set out for the old homestead. I like night driving. Much less traffic, one can cruise homebound at a respectable speed and also get home at a decent time.
By 1 am we were in bed and almost ready to sleep!
Friday, May 8, 2015
Thursday
Today is Thursday and until now it has been a very unquiet day.
Got up at 6:45, took Abigail to school. Got home took my GF to work. Got back. Went to the bank, went to the supermarket and the shoemaker and got back home.
11am I went to get a haircut. After the haircut met my GF and we went together to visit my elderly friend.
After the visit we went to lunch that turned out pretty good. Came home and stayed for about 11 1/2 minutes before we went to pick up Abigail at nearby friend's house.
Got home and took a shower. Now my GF is showering. And at the same time we are also relaxing.
As I probably mentioned earlier we are seeing The Merry Widow from Franz Lehar. I saw this operetta on stage and in film but it is never enough. Its opulence is breathtaking, the music is full of well known numbers. So, I am looking forward to a nice evening.
I'll tell more about the evening next time.
Got up at 6:45, took Abigail to school. Got home took my GF to work. Got back. Went to the bank, went to the supermarket and the shoemaker and got back home.
11am I went to get a haircut. After the haircut met my GF and we went together to visit my elderly friend.
After the visit we went to lunch that turned out pretty good. Came home and stayed for about 11 1/2 minutes before we went to pick up Abigail at nearby friend's house.
Got home and took a shower. Now my GF is showering. And at the same time we are also relaxing.
As I probably mentioned earlier we are seeing The Merry Widow from Franz Lehar. I saw this operetta on stage and in film but it is never enough. Its opulence is breathtaking, the music is full of well known numbers. So, I am looking forward to a nice evening.
I'll tell more about the evening next time.
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