Sunday, October 23, 2022
Inside the book of Elena again, a little, with pictures.
HERITAGE OF WEST NYACK FALL FESTIVAL
HERITAGE OF WEST NYACK FALL FESTIVAL - Rockland Newshttps://rocklandnews.com › heritage-of-west-nyack-fall-...
HERITAGE OF WEST NYACK FALL FESTIVAL. October 4, 2022. Date: Sunday, October 16, 2022. Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Learn More
A week ago on a bright warm fall day the HERITAGE OF WEST NYACK FALL FESTIVAL had its festival over at the Traphagen property in Blauvelt or maybe West Nyack.
Poor West Nyack, about 100 hundred years ago between the Clarksville corners and the railroad tracks it had a thriving downtown. Where the Plastic Craft is used to be a hotel, across the street near the tracks was another hotel. Corner of Benson and West Nyack Rd (Rt 59 in those days) there was a guy who delivered milk. used to get my Uncle Ken up real early in the morning to help him out. Just east of the Clarksville Inn was a candy store owns by the Jones', I've been told or maybe it was across West Nyack Road where that house is. There was a black smith shop real early on a spur of the Railroad where there building the park now that a tender and maybe another rail car sunk in the mud. Shops along the northern side of the road heading toward the railroad tracks. It's all gone. I've heard it was a fire. I read somewhere they closed of the crossing at the tracks because a school bus got hit by a train. I'm not confusing it with the one in Valley Cottage in the 70's.
We hadn't gone to the fall festival in the last few years. Covid, I think cancelled it for two years and we'd missed the year before Covid and last year we hadn't gotten there. So this year seemed like a good time to go. Nastia was around that day, (yes Nastia that is a little dig at you never being home, but since you don't read this and may never,I have little to fear. I don't use LOL, so, I'll teehee...that is a sinister laugh) Well, Nastia joined Teri, Nancy and I for a warm couple of hours at the Traphagen property.We parked at the Germond's pool and walked the side walk over to the big house.
Off to the left where tractor hay rides sorta (there was no hay people sat in a trailor and were driven around a field.) There were pumpkins strew around that people could pick and buy. It was very popular and they did run out.There were musicians playing in the barn or garage foundation remains. Another house on an the adjacent property was open for the first time, for me. I went inside and it made me feel like I was upstate. It was old and quiet and had that smell of old exposed wood warmed by the sun and cooled by the nights for many years. I walked out the back door and the fields had been cut with a sickle blade mower. There were clumps of grass Nastia and I walked through 
reminding me of when Mr. Dibble would come over and cut the grass around the house upstate and occasionally he'd leave those same clumps. Near the top of the hill I turned around and everything thing feels so open, I felt the vast space I was standing in. Someone from 100 years ago would laugh at what I thought of as vast space, it still reminded of Rockland when I was a kid. You don't realize how crowded life has become in Rockland until a time like that. Teri calls for us to return and I am back in the present heading toward the throng of people who have gathered for the HERITAGE OF WEST NYACK FALL FESTIVAL. I walk by a tree and the ground is covered with fallen nuts. I check my handy dandy 'Picture This' app and I am told they are black walnuts on the ground.So, yes I have to pick up a bunch to try and grow black walnut trees next spring. When I get come, I put them somewhere safe and don'tremember where that is. Sometimes I'm so like my mom.
We walk around a little more talk to Karl and Madeline some. Nastia of course is hungry so she has a hot dog, then she wants fries, but the line is too long,so we go. Walking back to the car along the edge of the road I notice the remains of a fence post and rail. To me this is one of the treasures that no one else will notice or value. A simple post that might only be sixty years old, but it might have been used to keep the horses or cow on the property. I 
could be romanticizing something that was placed there by one of the last people to live in the house and it is just something that a suburbanite might have stuck on the corner of their property thinking it was cool. You know someone like me did it. I think I am going to go with my fantasy that it is over a hundred years old and Cow or horses were kept on the property and off of the dirt road and out of traffic.
/
Saturday, October 15, 2022
Electrical work and Tattoo you.*
*Yes, for all you sharp eyed friends'Tattoo You is the title of the 16th in England and the 18th in America album. My first thought is England is owned a couple of albums. My second, I remember when the album came out. MTV is still new and plays music videos. Mick and Keith do a video for waiting on a friend. I enjoyed the song, when I heard it, In the video, Mick is waiting for Keith. When Keith shows up at the end of the video, they kiss. My first impression is here are two old rockers (little did I know how much older they would get) trying to stir up a little controversy and be cool and relivent. The buzz it caused is like a small stone thrown in large placid pool of water. The ripple is barely noticed.
Now my daughter's newest tatoo,(nice segue, not Segway, that two wheel contraption they discontinued in 2020. Sounds the same, but are different.) I tried to be that large pool of water and her tattoo is the small stone that drops into it.
Over the last few months Elena has talked about getting a sleeve. For all you people not in the know that is a tattoo that runs from wrist to shoulder, I think. Over the month of September she'd say she was getting it in October. I took solace in the fact that it was still September and October was the future and maybe she'd forget about it or the world would come to an end, you know, something good would happen. (yes, that's a joke, I'm not that dark.) Well, since I'm writting this she neither forgot nor the world came to an end.
Every so often I'd trip over the fact she is getting close to getting her tattoo. I went on th ebank account and her checking had $1500.00 in it. For a moment I almost texted her to ask her why she had so much money in her account, then I remembered it is October.
My biggest fear when she went to get her sleeve was she would get something that ten, twenty years from now she would look at and say, "why did I ever get that." I even asked Teri to go along with her to make sure that she didn't do something like that. Elena's appointment is for a Tuesday afternoon, Teri can't go.
A cautionary tail I thought of, around this time Sylvester Stallone seperates from his current wife. In a fit of passion years ago he got her face tatooed on his arm, back, chest wherever. They seperated, so he has her face covered up with a dog he had back when he filmed the original Rocky, because it was the only thing that would cover her face. Then they get back together. I can't help but laugh.
Mid-day on that Tuesday, I receive a group text with my daughter's arm decorated in blue marker, or whatever they use as their template. I look and go back to work. Later I will receive a grainy video of the completed tattoo. It is pretty, but I know it will not end there and that is where the next problem arises. What's next?
Elena and I did spend a happy time together earlier in the week when I showed her how to change out a light switch. It is something everyone should know how to do and save some money. Life,(big sigh)....
I did get a little laugh. In the background of the video I think I hear Nastia saying that she wants to get the same thing except the roses in black. If you'd ever seen the video of her getting the rose on her back, well, you'd be laughing as much as I am right now.
??
Sunday, October 2, 2022
Summer's almost gone, almost gone, where will we be...*
In the flash of a quiet wink, summer left us the other day. It did turn around and blow us a kiss as it left. It just left like a spoiled child running away when no one is looking. I thought it might stay around a littler longer, but it's cool nights of August left no illusion. It is done with us and is headed south of the equator.
What makes it worse is after three weeks of no one swimming in the pool, it was covered today. To me that is the offical end of summer. The water is long past warm enough to swim in and I ran out the chlorine, so it turned a lovely shade of green a while ago. I dumped some liquid chlorine in it last week hoping to get the time (ambition) to cover the pool. Two weeks ago the pool is closer to swimable then it is today when it was covered.
Usually I uncover the pool in the spring by myself and recover it in the fall by myself. It is a peaciful and almost theraputic excercise. I'm left alone, because no one wants summer to end and I have a way of putting the top on the pool using rocks that works. In past seasons Teri has warned me that the rocks will fall in and damage the liner. Occationally the rocks have fallen in and I say nothing and come spring I recover them.
Today, Sunday September 25, 2022 Teri must have felt guilty and decides to help me. She comes out and asks what she can do. And the thing of it is she will do what is asked of her, but usually I'll have nothing in mind for her to do, because I do everything by myself. I'm not sure if I plan it that way or it just happens. One time years ago when all my friends were dating girls and I was single I got comfortable being with myself, maybe I'm too comfortable. Sometimes it feels that way.
Teri wants to help and I think why not, what's the worst that can happen. Well then she brings out a very relucent Elena. When Elena doesn't want to do something and your force her, well you pay the price. A long time ago, or maybe not too long ago I had to restrain myself from putting her through a wall and yes, I've told the story, maybe a few times too many, but I try to always remember that night and when it come to Elena, I try to remember the lesson learned that night. Don't get into it with her. So she comes out and is cranky, I make the old cranky pants joke.
When she was younger, I called her cranky pants and her reply was, "I no cranky pants, you cranky pants" So I said the line and she didn't remember having ever said it. I'm sure she also doesn't remember her song Pachestyzuby and chocolate milk. Which means brush your teeth and chocolate milk, right I know an instant classic. Elena mostly supervises, occationally she is asked to hold the end of the cover and she does it with all the enthusiasm you'd expect. Teri and Elena take a break to look at a strange shaped mushroom. The cover goes on pretty well and we are done in a short while. So now Summer is offically over. Christmas seems like it will be next week. I'm already trying to thinking about gifts for people.
* Yes another Doors song
Summer's almost gone
Summer's almost gone
Almost gone
Yeah, it's almost gone
Where will we be
When the summer's gone?
Morning found us calmly unaware
Noon burn gold into our hair
At night, we swim the laughin' sea
When summer's gone
Where will we be?
Where will we be?
Where will we be?
Morning found us calmly unaware
Noon burn gold into our hair
At night, we swim the laughin' sea
When summer's gone
Where will we be?
Summer's almost gone
Summer's almost gone
We had some good times
But they're gone
The winter's comin' on
Summer's almost gone
Saturday, September 10, 2022
Sushiiiii!!
Some how Thursday I pissed my wife off without saying a word. I was in the kitchen not listening to what Teri and Nastia were saying. When I look up from my phone. I hear Teri say something like, "I just cleaned that." and then Nastia says something disrespectful. So I put my head down and return to my phone thinking 'I'm not getting into this.'
So when I'm apologizing (yeah, I'm laughing too) later and she is telling me what I did wrong (don't laugh that much!) I'm thinking, 'hum, tomorrow is Friday.' "yes, but I wasn't listening to what the two of you were saying before that." 'It's causal Friday' (really, how else do you get through apologizing for not being involved and not saying anything)* Yes, I'm sorry, next time she is disrespectful like that I will say something (do I really have too?!) and make you feel more supported.
Sooooo, Friday does come, we have a little extra money in the bank and earlier in the week Teri wanted to go out to have sushi. Her and Elena love sushi. I don't, but it is an all you can eat place. So mid-afternoon while I'm counting the minutes until five o'clock rolls around, I do a family group text asking who will be home for dinner. Nasita has plans with Arrianna, which is fine. She is at that age where she wants as much freedom as possible. The only problem is she has a job that doesn't pay her enough to give her that freedom. So I ask the remaining two, the sushi lovers, "What's the price of Sushi tonight?" During the week it's cheaper, I'm hoping that includes Friday. (It doesn't.) Elena had stayed out of the conversation until I said Sushi. She chimes in with an enthusiastic 'Suuuushiiiiii' so I know she is in Teri says she believes it's $25.00 per person (Remember future people house only cost 1/2 a million dollars+ in 2022, so that is not cheap). Teri asks if we could refrain from alcohol can we do it?" Elena says she is OK with soda, it's my idea, so I can deal with it and it is settled. I can make last night up to my wife (I think I know what I did wrong. I didn't get involved in a conversation I wasn't listening to in the first place.).
Teri calls and say to meet her in Nanuet. she has a six PM appointment in Nyack with someone (she won't say who, hint, hint it has to do with the Nyack house and getting rid of it) So after that is over she wants to meet in Nanuet. Around 7:30 we meet at #1 Sushi. It's near five guys, the Auto Parts store and for all you people my age, it's in the old Korvettes Shopping Center.
After a short wait we are seated. They had us two sheets of paper that we are to mark what food we want. Teri and Elena are looking at the Sushi, I'm reading the other and I don't really know what most of this stuff is, so I begin looking it up on my phone.Takoyaki turns out to be; a ball shaped Japanese snack filled with octopus, tampura scraps pickled ginger and green onion. I think, nah and move on. Okonomiyaki; is a savory japaneses pancake consisting of wheat flour. It can include, cabbage, meat, and sea food, ah, maybe. After a few more look ups (thank god for the internet) I ordered a few appetizers, a couple of meat dishes and some rice. Teri says I have to try the Crab tampora. So that is added to the order. When you order a dish, you get a very little bit, but this is an all you can eat place, so if you want to sample everything on the menu and you eat it, no one will stop you. I had about six or so different items from the menu. I didn't over eat.
Teri and Elena ordered a platter of sushi. After a few apetizers, the sushi arrives and it disappears pretty quickly. Teri then lets Elena order some more. I'm not paying attention to what they are talking about (have I learned nothing!!)and they order a second tray. When it arrives it is almost as full as the first one. I think there is no way they will ever finish this. About half way through it Elena begins to complain she is full. Teri soon follows. There are twenty-six pieces left. They soldier on. If they don't finish it, we get charged for the food. After a while the twenty-six is down to seventeen. I'm debating if I should get involved because I didn't over eat and they are well past over eating. I ask them, "Which is the least icky one?" Yes I don't like sushi. I've had it once at The Hard Wok and didn't like it. I tried pickled ginger tonight and it was weirdly hot and sweet at the same time, so I think, what the hell. Teri points to a roll that has avocado. I don't like avocado, but I pop it into my mouth any way, and yeah, I don't like it.
At work every Friday several women in the office have sushi. One of the women, Dawn says sushi is an acquired taste. I haven't acquired it. Teri next points to the tuna sushi roll and says, "you'll like it." I still haven't acquired the taste for sushi yet, even after that one.
Teri and Elena manage to whittle the tray down to four rolls before they both quit. During most of the time they are eating the second tray Teri is telling Elena, "Ya had to order two's of everything didn't ya?" She says it with a smile and a laugh.(I'm listening to this conversation waiting to jump in at the least sign of disrespect in Elena's voice. This is a joke, you can laugh)
They take the foure lonely rolls away, ask if we would like something else. I'm thinking about fried oreos and a little ice cream, but after watching those two I doubt I will ever eat again. We pass on dessert. We pay the bill and a quick trip home. Elena says she is going up stairs to pass out. Teri later needs a little ice cream to settle her stomach. Me, I still didn't over eat and I still haven't acquired a taste for sushi.
Oh, almost forgot, later that night Nastia comes home with clothes and slutty underwear that didn't fit her friend Arrianna. She takes a few minutes before she goes to bed to show it to us. She shows a picture of her in it to her mother and a quick flash of it at me. I look up from my phone as Teri goes, "Don't show that to your father."
*In reality only most of that happened. I'll let you decide what.
Monday, September 5, 2022
The Book of Elena chapter 22 verse 2 line 3 through ...
Sunday the last unoffical day of Summer started as a very boring day. The sun is out, the temperature started out comfortable, but would raise to the point Teri would need the air conditioning. I had several tasks that were in need of doing according to my wife. One she'd been on me to do is switch the water faucet in the tub. I bought her an antique styled faucet for Christmas with the understanding it would slip right into place of the previous one. Last week I looked it over and thought it wouldn't. This week upon closer inspection I found it would fit like it is supposed to.
On my way to switching out the faucet, Elena asks me if we could do her screens in her room. "Bugs are getting in and making me crazy." she said. I do a 90 degree turn and get the screening material in the basement and show her how it is done. The first one I mostly do. The second one she does on her own. It is simple to do once you know how to do it. I learned on my own after a local hardware store charged more then what a roll of the material cost.
On a roll I go to the tub and double check how the faucet would fit. It would really suck if half way through on a Sunday late afernoon just before labor day with a movie scheduled for Sunday night to find out this isn't going to work and everyone has to take a bath or use the shower in the basement. The basement shower is my territory, while upstairs is the girls bathroom. It goes smooth and I even have time to relax before the movie.
THe movie, Thor, love and Thunder is scheduled for 6:30. It is going to be Nastia, Elena and myself. Teri is not a real big fan of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) I'm feeling lazy and ask who wants to drive. I know Elena will drive. Nastia doesn't drive after dark because of her eyes. We pile into her car. THe rain has just stopped recently. The rain is only the second one we've had since June.
Elena steps on the gas and everyone is pressed slightly against their seats. She makes a right onto Waldberg Ave. I'm in the back seat behind Nastia and if it wasn't for the seat belt I'd be sitting behind Elena. I say nothing. A left to King's Highway, she slows slightly in front of St Paul's School checking for Police. When none are spotted she hits the gas again, again we are slightly pressed into our seats. At the corner of Old Mill Rd. She cuts a hard right. I feel the tires begin to slide before they catch and a 
spin out is avoided. Which is a good thing, because a car is coming up Old Mill to the corner of King's Highway. I lose it. I am trying to let it go, but the corner where the car started to slide pushes me over the edge. I didn't know I was going to start yelling like that. Somewhere inside me something broke, or a spark lit something, I don't know.
The next moment I'm telling Elena, "to slow the fuck down." The rational me knows that is not the way to talk to her. She'll get defensive and she will not back down. It can get very dangerous. She replies to me, " What's wrong with that it was just a nice tight turn." I'm still not calm and I tell her, "pull the car over I'm getting out." I say it a half dozen times until she finally does. She throws a little more gas on the fire, "Fine, walk home." I take out my matches and tell her, "Well, no ones going to the movies I've got all of the tickets." Somewhere, somehow I don't get out of the car. We are pulled over on Babbling Brook Rd or some other side road near there. I think I realize I have just ruined the evening and I say Elena's name, I say it several times, but she is not replying. Nastia says, "she hears you" I tell her, "I'm sorry,I shouldn't have yelled like that. I don't want to ruin the evening." To me it looks like she is ignoring everything I say. She doesn't reply. I think she asks are we still going to the movies? I say yes. I think I apologize and second time and maybe a third time. I know when we pull into the parking spot I apologize. I don't see anything back from her and I get frustrated. I think well hell I'm going to the food court and I don't care what happens. I've long legs and I don't hesitate to use them. And use them I do. Somewhere about half way across the parking garage Nastia at a run catches up to me. At the food court, Nastia says Elena is asking where we are? I say, "at the food court". I check the time and tell her we will meet her at the theatre, there isn't enough time to eat. On the way to the theatre I call Teri asking her to call Elena and talk to her. I really wanted to try to repair what had happened. Teri later texts back that she tried, but couldn't connect to her.
At the theatre the three of us are trying to act like nothing is wrong, but Elena is wearing a mask and it strikes me as odd. It is her defense, her way of hiding. I didn't realize it at the time.
I haven't seen her wear a mask in a long while. I get on line for popcorn. I ask Nastia and Elena what they want. Nastia wants candy and a drink. Elena wants nothing. I get on line, I look over towards Elena from the line. She is leaning against the pole. For some reason she seems so alone to me. I go over to her hoping she'll let me hug her. She does and to my surprise she starts to cry. Later when I text Teri she will text back, "you made my baby cry???" She doesn't like to show weakness or unnecessary compassion so I am heart broken by what I've done. She crys for about half a minute. I loosen my hug and ask her if she wants something at the snack bar, she shakes her head no, I ask if she wants an icy, she shakes he head yes. I go get on line and while I'm ordering she drops some candy down. I now know things are better and maybe we can enjoy the movie. Well, the movie, like the reviews say was only OK. The humor is great, the story is thin and a better villian is needed, and he needed to be shown more often.
Walking out Elena tosses me her keys without comment. I try to not read into it. I drive home at a reasonable pace, for me. I yell at an idiot and realize maybe I'm more like Elena then I realize. The person was a real idiot though.
/
Saturday, September 3, 2022
Dutchess County Fair
We've miss the Dutchess County Fair for at least the last two years. Last year we ran out of weekends to go and the year before it was called off for Covid. It's funny how Covid now seems like a distant nightmare that happened a long time ago and the fact it lasted over two years and everything was shut down during a good portion of that time seems so unreal. Teri and I had plans to get a 2nd booster some time in June that has passed. We made that plan just after getting our first booster. Rarely is Covid talked about now, except when they say this program or that program has been scaled back.
Nastia wanted to go to the Dutchess County Fair the most. I wanted to go, but I was not going to push Teri and if she didn't want to go, I wasn't going to go. One evening about mid-week Nastia asks about the fair. I look at Teri and she says she doesn't want to go. I tell the girls that it looks like the three of us only. Teri asks if I'm going to ask Nancy. I say, no. She usually doesn't go along without Teri.
A while later Teri says if she goes can Nancy go too. I tell her, she sure can. In passing Teri says she doesn't want to spend the whole day there. I tell her we leave at nine (9:30, Muller time) and we'll go at 4 (4:40 Hilby time, I'll explain later) Teri seems to like the idea.
Nastia spends the night over her friends Jessie's house, before that she has Keshon, I think that is his name. He colors her hair black. She spends a little time with him after the hair coloring (W,W,N,N*) and she sends me a 
picture that evening of it. I thought it would look bad, but she looks pretty good and Keshon did a good job coloring it. She also texts she'll be at the house at 6 AM the next morning. When she is late, the next morning, yes, I will tease her about it.
The next morning we are in the car and rolling down the driveway at 9:22. We'll pick Nancy up at about 9:40 and are on the road. In previous years we tried all kinds of different routes to the fair. This year I remembered all the draw backs of those other routes and tell Teri the best route is stright up the thruway over the Rhinecliff bridge. We talk about it and I reminder her about all of the stop lights and traffic on route 9 and we head up the thruway. Traffic is heavy, but moving. It's mid-morning on a Sunday, I'd think it should be heavy south, but later in the day. The shy is bright blue and the weather says it will be in the low 90's today. It's weather I'll love, but not so much Teri.
On the way up Teri tells me she will need gas. I tell her to wait, let's get it up there. I'm thinking it will be cheaper. She doesn't like to drive with less then a 1/4 tank of gas so as we get closer to the fair she starts getting nervous.
I, on the other hand will wait to get gas until the little light on the gas gauge comes on and then I'll go get gas. Teri says she is waiting for the day I run out.
Up the Thruway she goes on her quarter tank of gas. At the Rheincliff bridge exit, I start to look for gas stations we pass one and then another sneaks past us. We pull into the fair with about an eighth of a tank. THe car predicts we can go another eighty miles. Teri is not happy.
We walk from the car taking note that we are in lot D to the right (to the left if your walking toward the fair) of a tall group of trees. We find bathrooms (always after a long trip) Teri commenting that when we parked on the 
other side even though we had to pay, we were right next to the bathrooms. Our next event is to walk through the buildings that have all the stuff you can buy and things like the 4H. It's mostly booths selling things, jewelry, pickles, dip mixes. There is no buying right now. No one wants to carry it around with them all day long. Everyone is hungry, except for me.The bagel I had in the morning is still with me. Nastia has rice and beans for $14.00 (I'll resist complaining about how expensive the food at the fair is). Elena will eat the same thing except with a few more items mixed in it later in the day.I don't think Teri buys anything, she just samples everyone else's food. Nancy, I think gets a sandwich. Later the girls will have corn on the cob. Elena's is dipped in butter. Nastia doesn't want her's in butter. While eating it she'll say it doesn't taste cooked. I try it and it seems fine. It is noted in passing, I do believe the danger girls have passed into history. Granted the selection of rides were very poor this year, but it is distressing to hear the two of them say that they are getting too old for that stuff. I told them the heck they are. Never say that your too old to do something. Why put limits on what you can do. I guess Halloween will still be dead this year for them. Either way the memory of the danger girls will live on. The sky is blue, the heat is up, so where else should we go, but the cow barns. When we get there, every once in a while Teri will go, "Joe come here, I've found 
MOOOsha." or she'll say, "I will buy you and name you SPOT-A-kiss!!"
About four we start to head towards the exit. The girls say they want to see that german juggler we see every year. I look at his scheadule and like the last time we were at the fair, he is where we exit and he was going on in 
ten minutes. We stop, Teri, Nancy and I sit on a stone wall. The girls get up close and personal. His show is basicly the same with a few new bits and a few old bits were dropped. The girls love his show. Near the end, Teri is hot and tired. She asks if she can go to the car. Now she asks in the way that it really wasn't an ask, so to provent any drama and why shouldn't she go if she wants to I tell her I'll meet her in the car with the girls. Nancy follows Teri a little while later. About quarter to five the show is over and the girls and I head to the car. A stop at one of the gas stations we passed in the morning and we are on our way home. We're home before seven, everyone showers and at least Teri and I settle in front of the TV. The girls, well they are still in their twenties and god I wish I was that young again....
/
Friday, August 26, 2022
Seaside whenever you stroll along with me...*
*As I'm sure you all know that is a line from a Queen song, sung by Freddie Mercury
And yes we went to the beach yesterday. It was a fabulous time.
There is something called Muller time, I've talked about it before. Once back when Nastia was dating David, he talked about black time. When he went into detail, what I heard was him talking about Muller time. I didn't patent it, so he was free to repackage it and rename it. I'm sure he didn't patent it, so I'm sure you can rename it, call it what you want and be late, fashionablely late to any party or gathering and have a reason no one can dispute.
Which brings me to yesterday and the shore. Sallyann said she'd be at our house at seven. She calls and calls are not optional and they do tend to lend a bit of class to Muller time as I still call it. She said she would be late about an hour, Precisely at eight (It's what makes Muller time so classy, when you show up whan you say you will, the second time.
We finish loading up the car. We are taking one car and seven people. The girls in the way back, Nancy, Sallyanne and Katie in the middle seat and Teri driving, me I'm ballast and first alternate to drive, but Teri doesn't share. The reason she drives is it is easier tobe with her when she is in control of the vehicle.
Traffic is heavy most of the way. We slow to almost a stop a little north of Newark, but surprizingly zip through the Oranges. Teri and I debated about where the Oranges start. I always thought it was after Newark. She thought it was just before Newark.After twenty-seven years, I didn't argue.
We park close to the beach. We took one car because gas is expensive. I was amazed at where we could stuff things in Teri's Toyota Highlander. With the third seat up there can't be more then twelve inches of floor space to store things. I put all the chairs and umbrellas there. I had the cooler next to me in the front. Between everyone in the back two seats there was something between each.I was amazed at everything we took out of the car.
It was almost eleven when we got to the beach. We parked ourselves on the beach in front of some people. One guy off to the left didn't appericate it, but he never moved. I set myself on the right of Elena's tent. Teri, Nancy, Sallyanna and the girls all went on the opposite side. I did try to move later, but the guy was still there and there was no space. So I was alone on the left, off on my own. The weather was very nice, lots of sun and it was warm. Aftersitting in my chair for a while, Nastia comes out of the water and reminds me I promised to go into the water. I can't remember the last time I went swimming when I was at the beach. I've never went during the time I've know Teri. Before that, the last time I was at the beachwas the early 80's and I was dating a girl who preferred to tan instead of go swimming. So I guess the last time I went swimming I was less then eighteen? maybe less then fifteen? Anyway, it was a long time ago. I walk with Nastia towards the water, she's giving me a pep talk telling me it's not really cold after you get in. I'm thinking death really doesn't hurt after your dead too. My feet touch the water, it's not to bad, calfs, still ok. A wave hits me mid-thigh, still not to bad.
I view God not as this stern no nonsense person, but as a pratical joker. Why else did he give us Trump. God reminds me of my dad.My dad was someone who could pull your leg and never let on he was messing with you. God, like my dad loves to play trick, at least on me.
I'm standing in the surf about knee deep when this large wave comes out of know where and douses me. I don't remeber if it knocked me over, I did spend so much tsime trying to stand back up when I got pushed into the surf after venturing in to close to the shore.
I'm wet, so I venture further into the water. Of course Elena see me and knock me over or splashes me. All I remember is my head was still dry, but after her it wasn't. I rough house with her for a while. I go over and spend some time with Nastia. At other time I try to make it seem lik I'm not trying to stand back up when the ocean has pushed me onto the beach and the surf is keeping me there.I spend a while have one of the best times with the girls. As with all thing, I decide to end my swim and go sit down. I can't believe how tired I am.
Later we go to eat at The Beachcomer, I have french fries and a large soda, $8.00. In then year 2100 dollars that's like $500.00, so yes it is a lot to spend on french fries and a soda. Fries were good though, I asked for them to be cooked well done. Elena and Nastia do a little play fighting, I take a video of it. Elena tries to do a sweep of Nastia's feet and misses.
After lunch, we all just hung out on the beach for a while. Nastia asks if I would go hunting for shells with her. Teri and Nancy join us and we find quit a few shells. On one of Nastia's sea shell hunts she gets blind sided by a wave and rolls next to Teri and I.
Around four or five, as Bruce Springsteen would say in one of his songs, "we closed our eyes and said good bye...to Gypse Angel Row...felt so right (I don't remember the song it came from, but they went to Greasy Lake on the dark side of Rt 88...I looked it up Spirit in the night) So as we are hum spirit in the night we went to th eBoardwalk, got an ice cream at Kohr's and repacked the car and were home by 7:30. A fun time was hadby all.
*****SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
Crazy Janey and her mission man
Were back in the alley tradin' hands
'Long came Wild Billy with his friend G-Man
All duded up for Saturday night
Well, Billy slammed on his coaster brakes
And said, "Anybody want to go on up to Greasy Lake?
It's about a mile down on the dark side of Route 88
I got a bottle of rose so let's try it
We'll pick up Hazy Davy and Killer Joe
And I'll take you all out to where the gypsy angels go
They're built like light
Ooh, and they dance like spirits in the night (all night)
In the night (all night)
Oh, you don't know what they can do to you
Spirits in the night (all night)
Oh, in the night (all night)
Stand right up now and let it shoot through you
Well now, Wild Billy was a crazy cat
And he shook some dust out of his coonskin cap
He said, "Trust some of this, it'll show you where you're at
Or at least it'll help you really feel it"
By the time we made it up to Greasy Lake
I had my head out the window and Janey's fingers were in the cake
I think I really dug her 'cause I was too loose to fake
I said, I'm hurt, she said, honey, let me heal it
And we danced all night to a soul fairy band
And she kissed me just right, like only a lonely angel can
She felt so nice
Just as soft as a spirit in the night (all night)
In the night (all night)
Oh, Janey don't know what she do to you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
I stand right up and I let her shoot through me
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Now, the night was bright and the stars threw light
On Billy and Davy dancin' in the moonlight
They were down near the water in a stone mud fight
Killer Joe gone passed out on the lawn
Well now, Hazy Davy got really hurt
He ran into the lake in just his socks and his shirt
Me and Crazy Janey was makin' love in the dirt
Singin' our birthday songs
Janey said it was time to go
So we closed our eyes and said goodbye to Gypsy Angel Row
Felt so right
Together we moved like spirits in the night (all night)
In the night (all night)
Oh, you don't know what they can do to you
Them spirits in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Oh, stand right up and let her shoot through you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night
Be-da-ba the night
All night
In the night
In the night
/
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Thursday, August 18, 2022
LaDeckero party and oh yes the trip, the trip, the best part is the trip.** both of them!!
** I used that opening years ago and I couldn't resist using it again.
It always seems the last few years that August is full of things to do. It's like a last gasp breath of summer we are trying to take. Last year was the first Ladeckero party, the beach and I'm too lazy to remember the rest, but it was 
so busy that we didn't go to the Dutchess County Fair. The fair as Teri has pointed out is the exact same thing every year, but for me it is a reminder of all of the Schoharie County Fairs in Cobleskill, I went to as a kid.
The Ladeckero family BBQ is in it's second year. I don't know if I explained how the name Ladeckero came about. It's simple. Teri's maiden name is Laudiero and her second cousins maiden name is Decker. They decided to form their own family when they felt left out over something I don't remember and most likely wasn't listening to and didn't think is important. I know having been married all these years to an Italian if she talks about it, it's important and I should take notes.
The party is on Saturday the 13 of August. The previous week I went swimming and the water is like bath water. This week, with the cool nights it had gotten cold. It doesn't matter the day is warm. I pushed Nastia in with some help,from Dylan and after a little coaxing I jumped it. It is cold and we stayed in for just a little while.
Sallyanne and Katie are here. While Kenny is sleeping for work. Katie and Art and their kids came along with Kimmie. There is the usual menu, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and all kinds of salad. Teri didn't make the lemonade and raspberry vodka this year, but she did have lemonade and raspberry vodka if someone (Me) wanted some (I had two tall ones). Most of the afternoon people sit around talking and just relaxing. Covid is gone and get togethers are still a little new. Kolby goes in to swim after everyone has gotten cold and got out. The left over food on the grill has gotten cold and dried out. Life seems to have reverted to what used to pass for normal or what I think it was two years ago. Maybe it was last year. The day slides by quickly and the night creeps in on us.
Around dark, when the mosquitoes have come out, everyone said good bye or goes inside. Kimmie, Teri, Nancy and I talked about the after effects of Covid. Forget about the disease it self. Some people are having trouble going back to the office. It's kind of like stage fright only worse and unexpected. People aren't used to being around people much any more.It's weird, but hopefully it will pass.
Nastia goes into the city with Dylan and Arrianna.
Arrianna had to work until eleven or so, but still wanted to go into the city. They decide to take the train into the city. So that's NJT in Nanuet down to Hoboken and then the path over to the World Trade Center or the other tube to where I think they ended up. I've only taken the train to the city once or twice and both times I took the ferry across. It is already late by the time they are there. I thought they were going to leave around nine, that would have made more sense. It's around three or so when they get to the city.They see, I think the Museum of Ice Cream and Arrianna wants to go in. Nastia says the tickets start at $50.00. Everything in the city has become 
tourist traps and for the average person to go visit is impossable. Nastia says she isn't paying that price to go see ice cream, she'll wait outside. Dylan offers to pay for her (I won't say it, but you can think it.) They go inside and you get to sample different flavors of ice cream. It is fun, I'm told, but not $50.00 worth of fun. It is already late and they need to take the 6:30 train, I think Nastia says or they will have to 
wait for the nine-thirty train and Nastia doesn't want anything to do with that. I thought they would at least eat in the city, but when you're there on your own with limited funds and even more limited knowledge of what the city has to offer, I can see why they did not. She is in Rockland by early evening and home not to much later.
Elena goes to the beach
Elena has become independant and she decides to go to the beach again with just Matt. You know the guy she is not dating. What is it with these adopted Russian girls and not dating.(Untwist your panties, it's a joke, Wokeness has killed comedy. If you don't know what wokeness is thank god. As with everything Hollywood does it is over doing that) She got up early. One of them drove, they got to the beach, had a good time and arrived home safely. The book of Elena then closed. I did find out the beach was very hilly again that day. (look at the first two pictures, it's a joke)
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Sunday, August 14, 2022
CTs* and HBD's
* If you want to know what a C.T. is, sent a self addressed, stamped envelope...
A few days ago I come home after work and Dylan and Nastia are watching TV. She called earlier in the day and asked if they could go swimming, so it was no surprise. What was a surprise though was when I came into the house and turned the corner from the kitchen toward the living room. I see Nastia sitting in the arm chair with Dylan. I'm cool about it, it's just another white boy she is not going to date, but I know what this kid is thinking. I call Nastia into the kitchen and then I call her to go outside with me. I even think of talking to her in the garage, but I stop just out side of the door on the deck. In my head I am going to talking to her calmly, but when I open my mouth I hear myself say, "What the fuck are you doing, you're going to brake his heart the same way your broke Kevin's heart." In my head, I'm thinking, oh gosh, I guess I'm angry about this. I yell some other things and tell her if she breaks his heart I will only blame her and there will be no more just you and him doing things together, minimum of three people from now on! Then in a calm voice, I say, "Thank you" and I hold the door open for her to walk through. I expected her to cry or say something, she does nothing,says nothing.
After Dylan leaves Nastia says nothing, she avoids me, I start to feel bad.I talk to Teri later and tell her what I said. We've discussed how she acts around 'boys' and I expected her to agree with me and be happy I'd taken the lead. S When it come to being the bad guy, she feels it's mostly left up to her. Teri does say I'm her best friend, but doesn't seem to agree on how I handled it. It's been a while since she said that I was her best friend, I thought it didn't apply any more.
The next morning I go into her room to say good bye to her before I go to work. I tell her that I yell at her because I love her. A typical parent thing to say, I know. She has forgiven me, but I'll have to wait to see if she 
understands what I have said. That was Monday, I think.
Wednesday was Elena's birthday. That is were the H.B.D.(Happy Birth Day) comes from (hint about the C.T.) For the previous week or so we ask Elena where she wants to go? She says in typical Elena fashion, "I don't know" So a day or two before her birthday I tell her we are going to Cho Cho San. Her response, "Okay". Invited are my mom and Nancy and for a total of 6 people. It is the usual act and still fum, the flaming onion volcano, the egg roll, the food throw and the saki drink. The food as usual is excellent. It always starts with a mixture of vegetables, then 
rice, spaghetti is next and finally your chosen protein. The only disappointment is the beer selection, their price and the one I ordered is just this side of cold. In other words a man dying of thurst would have said, no thanks I'll wait. After the show and food, we pay and leave.It is around eight or so. Nastia and Elena decide to go out and drink to celebrate Elena's birthday. They get Dylan (poor guy is getting sucked in like Kevin, I fear.) to drive them. He is the designated driver. Around 11 or so they come back (work tomorrow) I'm sitting at the head of the table Elena sits to my left and Nastia leans on me to my right. They both talk about their evening and Elena comments that she is drunk, but like everything she does she doesn't show it, because I think it would be a sign of weakness. Nastia on the other hand is bouncing off my shoulder every so often, occationally playing with a curl of my hair as she talks. After a few minutes they both say good night and Elena's birthday is over. It is a good night.
It was Ariann's birthday last week. Nastia said she wanted to go into the city. I didn't want Nastia to go and neither did Teri. She is almost twenty-four and I didn't feel we could stop her. I tell Nastia to make sure she tells her mother. I think one confusing day I hear her tell her mother. I don't remember Teri saying she did not want Nastia to go.
So it was a surprise when Teri sends a text to me saying, "Did I know Nastia was in the city?" I reply she told you and the rest goes like it usually does. I do say "At least she is not trying to go to a dance club at night there." She is in the city and we hope for the best. I didn't even know how they got there.I will learn the details later that night.
/
Saturday, August 6, 2022
It's my party and I'll cry if I want to.*
Yeah, I had to look her name up too, Lesley Gore
A couple of days before Friday, Nastia says she has invited people over to go swimming. Teri and I were both ok with that.
On Friday, a few minutes to four I get a text from Teri. She says there was apparently a pizza guy at the door at the house. Teri could see him from the ring camera, but couldn't speak to him (modern technology sometimes it sucks, other times it half works) She sees Nastia's car is there so she calls her phone, no answer. She calls it a second time and Arriana answers and says Nastia is asleep and she can't wake her. Teri says to pull her hair. Nastia gets on the phone and in a drunk voice is talking to Teri saying she is not drunk.
I tell Teri, I'll be home in an hour. A little later I get a message from Nastia saying that her mother is leaving work early and coming home. I call Teri and tell her she doesn't have to, I'll be there a little after five. But Teri is hell bent on finding out what is going on at the house, as I guess I should have. Later I'll learn more about what was happening.
I call Teri and tell her not to yell at Nastia, but to talk. Teri is angry. I tell her if she yells, Nastia will miss the message. She promises to not yell. Later I find out when Teri gets home she asks Nastia to come here so they can talk and Nastia is the first to yell, "I'm not drunk."
I don't rush home with Teri there handling things. I go to get the Algeacide for the green pool. When I arrive Kevin is cleaing up the trash from their food. Nastia is inside with Arrianna, I think and Jessie with her son might be inside too. Maybe Dylan is inside too. The thing Teri is most upset about is there is Jessie's son who doesn't swim at a party with a group of people over twenty-one (notice I didn't say adults) and no one is really watching. It reminds me of a movie filmed around Rockland maybe twenty, thirty years ago called 'Driving in Cars with Boys. The teen mother is drinking with her friend and not watching her son who is near the pool and he falls in. Neither of the two girls notices until it is almost too late.
I go upstairs, Nastia is in her room cleaning up some clothes. We start talking, she occationally weaves back and forth and says she is not drunk. She says she has alot of things on her mind and starts to cry a little. I'm a sucker for tears, as I guess most guys are.She tells me she is upset that her former boyfriend left her to become a fuckboy. I had to ask what that is. I remember when I was cool and knew what all the cool terms were. She says he left her to go sleep around. I asked how is that going? I think she smiles a little and doesn't say anything.
People wander away. All the excitement/drama is over. Later Teri and I will discuss all the fun of the day. We'll talk about Jessie and Nastia drinking/smoking and how they both need to be careful. I know at least one comes from alcoholic parents. Teri will comment that Nastia cried with her, cried while walking with Jessie, then Teri will say drunk girls cry. She's not unfeeling for Nastia's feelings, just for Nastia being drunk. She has little patients for drunks. It's a real good thing she didn't know me when I was younger. She still won't let me live down that last night in Vegas when she played Nickle slots and I snuck out to a strip club and got really wasted. I think I've told that story before. If I haven't send a self addressed stamped envelop...opps there goes all the millennials again.
I just checked, I've been making fun of the wrong group.I've wanted to make fun of the post 2000's people. The good old Gen Z'r it turns out are the ones who have no idea how to write a check or in script or mail a letter. So to all those Millennial's I've been tweeking, not tworking, hell I'm a WASP, I'd break a hip. Hell, I can't do it, I can't apologize. Let's leave it as an unspoken one then, mostly because both of those generations have their noses in their phone and with their short attation span** thier not listening any way to me now.
Generation Z
Generation Z – often referred to as Digital Natives or the iGeneration – is the cohort that comes after generation Y, also known as the Millennials. Gen Z starts from around 1997 till 2012 which means they are currently somewhere between 9 and 25 years old.
**8 seconds
Generation Z has become a prominent generation when marketing on social media. This is because it has always been surrounded by technology. However, this has played a significant role in the decrease of their attention span. The Gen Z attention span is a mere 8 seconds.
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