Nastia goes to her first concert and Elena stays home. Also can't forget the pool.

Nastia goes to her first concert and Elena stays home. That line sounds like the sisters who have only one dress story and both can’t go out on a date at the same time. I don’t remember if it is a song or an old folktale. I do know if it was a dress they both had to share, Elena would walk around naked. She hates dresses. SHe’ll consent to a pair of loose pants that might be mistaken for a dress, if you're not moving. I have a few pictures of her in dresses, but I think the last one might be the time we went to Washington DC to visit the Russian Embassy back when Putin was still considered a human. On the trip down to DC we listened to the search for the Boston Marathon bombers, it was that long ago. You know, pre-tattoos and short hair Elena. Saturday afternoon I’m working outside in the yard. Nastia is hanging out with Arriana. They were at the house for a few minutes before they got bored and went for pizza then went to visit Sean. When they returned suddenly Nastia is going to see Ed Sheeran in the Meadowlands at Metlife Stadium. This is another of those loosening of the apron strings moments and thank God it turns out to be an easier one. I talk to Teri and she says it’s OK. I talk to Nastia and ask who is going? She says it is her, Arrianna and Sean. I say, “And Sean is driving?” She replies, “No Arrianna.” I go again,” And Sean is driving.” She gets it finally and says yes, Sean is driving.

It turns out Arrianna is a good driver, she’s driven down to Virginia to visit her boyfriend, it’s just easier to have Sean drive. They say the concert is at 6PM. I know that is wrong, but I tell them they should leave soon and they do. Travel to the Meadowlands is quick until you can see the stadium, then it takes forever. Their GPS says they are a few miles from the stadium. It takes an hour and a half to cover those few miles. One thing I never experienced was people taking Ubers to the show. When they get stopped in traffic, they get out and walk. Arrianna picks up a group heading to the stadium who pays for parking for them, $40.00. What do these people do after the concert? Walk? Sean, Nsatia and Arrianna get to their seats, in the nosebleed seats just as Ed Sherran is going on. They send a couple of videos and it looks like a great concert. They are home before one AM, maybe even earlier. It’s a Saturday night so it doesn’t matter.

Elena went to dinner with Teri, Nancy and I. We went to a diner in Orangeburg. THe food was good. I know the owner Nick and I’ve only been there a handful of times in the 10-11 years since I left the milk business. Teri shows me a picture the other day and says, “zGuess who was in Nyack the other day? I see the picture and don’t recognize #19 until I read the caption. Mariano Rivera, a retired former Yankee pitcher, was in Nyack at the Strawberry Place.

During the last couple of weeks the cover on the pool was taken off. I knew we needed a new cover, but I didn’t know how bad until the cover was removed and the water looked like a large cup of black coffee. I tried to clean it but gave up after a couple of hours of vacuuming it. Teri agreed and we emptied it. Refilling it took a day and a half and about $200.00 in water from United Water now known as Veolia Water. Everytime I hear the name it reminds me of a joke on Seinfeld. He’s dating a girl and can’t remember her name, but remembers it rhymes with a body part. United Water’s new name sounds like it rhymes with a body part too. Don’t think about it too hard because I don’t think it really does, it just sounds like it should. Well, the pool is open and I tell Sean it is tradition to throw Nastia in first, which he tries and I have to show him how it is done. It’s icy cold and Nastia is the only one to go on that day.

They go in later in the week and I throw two rafts in the pool and yes Nastia gets on one on her hands and knees. Again I tell Sean it is also tradition for Nastia to be pushed off the raft first. I walk over to the pool to show him how when she gets off the raft and into the water before I can push her off. Fun times. Elena doesn’t join them in the pool. I think she and Matt have not talked since around the time she went and got him his dry cleaning. She doesn’t talk about things like Nastia does. I know alot about Nastia, but with me at least Elena is secretive, the book of Elena doesn’t open to me often. I hope she does to Teri. You can tell when she is not with Matt. She’ll smoke or at least have weed (really it’s called pot, and I don’t really want to get into it here) edibles, usually gummies and or she’ll drink Mountain Dew. And as all of us caffeine addicts know, it’s loaded with caffeine, just like orange soda, Coke and Pepsi. I guess Matt doesn’t approve of those things. Maybe that is something they fight over, or maybe not. I don’t know. I’m not privileged to open the book of Elena very often. It’s my mom’s birthday today. She’s eight-nine. Her brother is something like ninety-three. She’s doing pretty good for her age.