She's driving my car AGAIN!!!

I knew it would happen, so like William Shakespeare said if it is inevitable lie back and enjoy it. If You don't know what I'm talking about, ask Ted Antwan, the weatherman on channel 7 from the 1970's, that quote got him fired and Bill Beutell frowned at him.
  Any way out of the politically incorrect to who the hell is driving my car. Yes it is that young lady you saw screaming by you at fifteen miles an hour the other day. The same young lady who jumped when the door locks finally engaged when she got the car over twenty miles an hour, yes that young lady and lets sing it together...I don't know wither to use little old lady from Pasadena by Jan and Dean or The Beach Boy's classic 'Fun, Fun, Fun' . Since I put it in quotation marks,I'll use 'Fun,Fun,Fun'...
        Well, she got her daddy's car
And she cruised through the hamburger stand, now
Seems she forgot all about the library
Like she told her old man, now
And with the radio blastin' goes
Cruisin' just as fast as she can, now

Chorus 1:
And she'll have fun, fun, fun
'Til her daddy takes HIS MUSTANG BACK!!

I like the sound of that last line.Daddy gets his car back, 

I just listened to that great classic. 

Yes, my daughter is driving my mustang and it is not like she is forcing me to let her and yes, she will not drive it when she gets her license... Get off the floor and laugh standing up, it's not polite to laugh rolling around on your neighbors floor.

  She has been out several times driving and she is doing pretty good, She has driven on a road, going stright. She has driven on someone's lawn because I guess driving on the road was boring. She makes wide turns and sometimes she cuts them real tight to see if I;m still awake. It all fun and games until someone scratches my car.

  

She's driving my Car, I won't let her turn on the radio.*

*Sing it to Bruce Springsteen's song 'Fire'

Nastia finally got her permit to drive. It was the way the world will end, and may just of.  It was quiet and quick, almost painless.
  The World ended, I mean Nastia got her permit back in June. She asked me if we could make another try at it, So We went up on a Wednesday afternoon about two-thirty or so. Ive learned that if you can get to DMV before 4pm go any day but Thursday when they have the late hour because it will be crowded.

First time driving

  We get there,Our quick pass has expired and all our paperwork needs to be redone. While I'm doing it our number is called. We walk over to the same window as all the other times and there is another person there. I wonder if that is a good thing or not. It starts to go bad right away. I'm filling out paperwork and they try to give Nastia an eye test. I stop them and shove the eye form, with the eye doctors real signature on it under the glass. I divide up the paperwork from what they want and what is extra. They tell her to get her picture taken and to wait for her number to be called again.
  A few minutes later, it is called and she goes in. I go in for a minutes, because she is having a problem with something, then I leave.
   I wait and wait and wait. I see her get up and go to the counter. She walks through the door and smiles and says "I got it."

It's quiet time, time to say God bless America

This was written back on June 29th 2012 when we were adopting Leonid and Annya

I was a little kid in the sixties, yes it was a long time ago and god yes I'm too old to have all the birthday candles put on my cake.
  When I was a little kid, patroitism was a dirty word. Malikey McCourt, whose brother wrote Angela's ashes was on WMCA radio and would rile up everybody by saying he would wear the American flag for his underwear with no problem at all. What all this is getting at is this country is an amazing place. Iv'e only been to two other countries, but I look at the kids who come over here and are put on display. They put up with us taking their picture, speaking in a laungage they don't understand, eat food different from theirs all in the hope to become part of a family. I'd like to tell both of them their is nothing to worry about, they are going to stay, but I can't. What if something happens and we find we can't adopt them. That would be cruel. They would think it was their fault. We still don't know where the money is coming from for this adoption. We are still working on refinancing the house which will give us some of the money, then we will try for a second and have faith in god that it will happen. Their are other options like taking a loan from 401k monies and closing my e-trade account so if worse comes to worse we'll make it. I just feel this is meant to be.
  All of these problems are nothing compared to what these kids have been through. We bought them home and on the ride home they got to use Teri's Ipad and my smart phone and when I got home I went and read from my ereader. I got nothing to complain about.

Elena gets out of Felex Festa Middle School

Yes, Elena graduated from Felex Festa Middle school. She ended the school year with just under a b average, which I must say is pretty impressive for someone who didn't speak English five years ago and went almost catatonic when yelled at and who had behavioral issues for most of her time at Felex Festa. At the ceremony I was going to talk to Mr. Clemente, the dean of student behavior because I hadn't talked to him in several month and I'd been used to talking to him and Dr. Benjamin on a regular basis. I got to see Dr. Benjamin more often because her office is located in E-wing where Elena was and Teri and I would always run into her.
 The ceremony was a tight one hour affair. The
The kids walked in and sat in the first three rows of the auditorium. The School principle, made a speech, a student made a speech, a teacher described the awards some kids were getting and all of that was fifteen minutes. There were about five classes and each class lined up, half the class would be introduced, everyone would get a moment to clap , they would leave, then the second half would come up. This went on through five classes. Elena's was the second class to be introduced. Awards were given out with the certificate commemorating the day. Like I said a tight ceremony.
   Afterwards we went to Dave and Buster's for

The ultimate eye roll

some poor food. The girls had hot dogs wrapped in pretzel dough and looked good, I didn't try it. Teri had soup and some potato bits covered in bacon and some dipping sauce that was OK. I had a chicken Caesar salad and it was mushy like it had been sitting around for several hours. The chicken was not hot and over cooked. Won't go there again soon. Ten years ago I used to go there just for that salad, I remember it being really good. About three quarters of the way through lunch it was time for Nastia to go to work for training. Of course Teri walked Nastia to the theatres. Would You expect less? Teri, Elena and I went into the game room, which was why Elena wanted to go there. She was having some fun, but it didn't look like alot. So Teri said I should start playing some games with her, so I did and I think that was what she needed, someone to play with.
 

ALL HER TEACHERS LOVE HER!!

 The last game we played, Air Hockey, I left my card on the game. When I went back to get it,I start looking around. This young kid comes up and hands it to me. I buy them a game of air hockey and run off. It was a little cheap, but at the time made me feel good. The card has 25,000 points on it.

Nastia at the prom and her first job

Nastia was invited to the Prom by her boyfriend, David. The tickets were $90.00 each, a lot for a kid who works at Burger King when he is not at school. Nastia was asked to buy the flowers, a little odd, but again the price to go to the prom was a little steep. The plan was for Nastia and David to take a limo to the prom with some friends. There would be no after prom stuff. When I went to my girlfriends prom, I was twenty-one, she was eighteen, we went to the Jersey shore after the prom. I'd never let Nastia go to the shore at 16.
 David, driven by his Aunt picks up Nastia and the two are dropped off where the Limo is going to pick everyone up.  They go to the Prom, where Nastia dances and David dances a little, they have a great time and Nastia gets home around midnight.
    We were at the movie one night when Teri sees some help wanted signs. Teri was the one against Nastia getting a job until she could make change tells her to put in an application. There was a lot of not getting back to Nastia and her going to the theatres asking if a decision had been made and being told it was too busy to talk.

 We were at the movies at the Palisades Center and they were doing a major overhaul and they had help wanted signs up. Teri, who was against
  Finally, she is told to come in for an interview and again she is finally hired. Eventually she is told to come in on Sunday at 6pm for training. She stays until 10pm. The whole time they are training her. They go over the dos and don'ts, about what to do if there is a robbery, and I pick her up at 10. Her schedule says she will work on Sunday and Tuesday from 6:30 until 10:30. When I see this We go back into the theatre

At Amanda's graduation

and I ask for her manager. My understanding of child-labor laws and my desire not to get back home after 11pm motivates me to ask why she is working until 10:30, when the law says 10pm, I even ask it nicely. The women, I have forgotten her name says if it is during school, she can't work past 10, but during the summer 11 is legal, She might of said 10:30, either way, she said they follow labor laws closely. Not sure of that part of the law, I thank her and we go.
 Sunday, her first offical day of work Nastia gets to work the concession stand, (Oh no the change monster)  When I pick her up She says most people paid with debit or credit cards. She learned to make pop-corn and it was fun, Tomorrow she gets to clean theatres, she's not anxious to do that, she says it will be boring. After tomorrow, I am sure she will never forget to clean up her garbage after a movie.

A sweet apology.

This morning, a went into Elena's room where the remains of the office are. Most of it has been dismantled to be reassembled upstairs when I get it finished. The remaining piece there is the printer and a desk. I was faxing out some papers when I noticed a not folded up on the desk.

I thought it was from, Anna Lisa,a girl in school that Elena knows. It was from her teacher, Ms Sullivan. The not talked about how Elena came into the class room with her head phones on and to Ms. Sullivan the meaning was don't talk to me. So She wrote Elena a note about how she felt. I showed it to Teri by saying, "I know You don't like me snooping, but..." To my surprise after reading the note she wanted to talk to Elena about it. I thought it was no big deal, Teri thought it was a matter of disrespect.
   We go down stairs and Teri talks to Elena about the note and her actions and how she was to apologize to Ms. Sullivan. I put my two cents worth in and say she didn't have to apologize, but she should. An insincere apology was as bad as not apologizing. Teri gave me the death stare. So when Elena came back I elaborated on what I said and tried to leave it at that.I figured She would do what I would of done at her age, nothing.
  Later I'm mowing the lawn and Teri goes over to me and says"I heard from Ms. Sullivan,She said Elena came up to her, clenching and unclenching her fists. Elena says to Ms. Sullivan, "I've got something to say to You, but its hard."

Ms. Sullivan says"Would it be easier if I looked away?"
  Elena goes on with what I am told was a sweet sincere apology. Ms Sullivan says she looks away, as she is starting to well up with tears a little.
   I didn't think it was a good idea to take it as far as Teri wanted to but it worked out fine.

The Eighth Grade Dance, Elena dresses like a beautiful Young Lady and opening the Pool

 It was a year ago,the end of May when Nastia went to her eighth grade dance. Teri, Nancy and I went to dinner and picked her up around 9;30. She was flying high on the wonderful night she had.
  With Elena, I felt it was not unreasonable to hope she had the same experience. Her Mother went out and got her a very nice outfit. A dress you say? Not this young Lady. A stylish pair of short black pants and a white top, you know girl clothes. I don't know why She doesn't like dresses, maybe it's because everything is all open down there.
  Elena was dropped off by her mother, then she came home to make crab cakes for her and Nastia, I had a steak.
  A little after nine Teri says I should get going to get a good place to park. After a few turns looking for my wallet I'm on the road. I turn onto McCarthy road and go up the hill. At the top just before BOCES, traffic stops. They had moved the dance from the Gym to the Black and White Kitchen. The only problem, someone didn't plan out the traffic nightmare, when parents would pull up and stop and wait for their kids backing up traffic. It was backed up to the corner of Rt 304 and in the oppisite direction past BOCES. I parked in the bus parking lot and walked over to pick up Elena and Jessica. They were both standing with Mrs. Sullivan and I almost walked past them. Elena and Jessica were light as a kite, legally high. They were both talking loud and laughing. They had the great time I wanted them to. They listened to music, danced one dance, had ice cream and hung out with Ms. Sullivan. That was all it took.
   
We opened the pool at the end of May. Opening the pool is never an easy thing. We bought a new cover last fall. It split a seam, so I worked around it and kept the pool covered. Then during the Winter the dogs enjoyed playing Jesus Christ and were walking on the pool. Mesha decided that the pillow under the cover was a toy of hers and she made a hole in the cover to play with the pillow, which she ripped in half.

 To top it off the dogs started using it as their bathroom. They would leave it and we would remove it. It went fine until a sudden warm spell that lead to Spring. No one wanted to swim in that water. I drained the pool at the end of May
and let the water run down the side of the pool that we buried figuring that the water would push the dirt away from the pool like it did a few years ago and it would make it easier to fix the pushed in side. WRONG! What can go wrong will go wrong and it did. The Water ran under the liner and up the sides. The liner was floating. I emptied the rest of the water to confirm this, then dug a hole at the low point around the pool and put a pump in the hole until the water quit filling it up. We then tried to reset the liner, but you push the left and the right gets all out of place. We did the best we could and now the pool is clean and full of water. There was only one hole in the liner and it was again over near the ladder, which makes me think the ladder is putting the holes in the liner.

About a week ago, Nastia and I went back to the belly of the beast, the lair of the Dragon, the ... well you know DMV

About a week ago, Nastia and I went back to the belly of the beast, the lair of the Dragon, the ... well you understand, we went back to the DMV and she failed the test.
  It went so easy this time that I knew the only thing that could, would go wrong was she would fail the test.

GET ME OUT OF THIS SIT-COM!!!!!

It was a lovely spring afternoon, I pick her up at school, we dart over to the DMV, there is only a few people there on a Wednesday and we have our go to the head of the line pass still. And it was all over before I knew it. You know like...when... you know... great expectations... something you've been waiting for... anticipating... you know... getting your license. The anticipation was... hey she still hasn't gotten her license. She got sixteen of twenty right and had to get eighteen of twenty right.
  Watch, next time we go they'll just deport her.

Elena joined the track team and has been enjoying herself doing it. She has been getting good grades on her circle sheet and Dr.Benjamin and I have disconnected the hot line between our house and the school. Things could not be going better for her.She will go on to High School with about a B average or a little less. Very impressive from a year ago. Nastia will go onto tenth with an average around B+,also very impressive.
   Nastia's Spring concert was tonight and it was a joy to sit through.I'm used to going to the elementary school show that drag on forever and you don't want to be there and the kids don't want to be there and it drags on forever. This was a tight one hour show, with music I mostly knew and it was well done. There was So it goes, a Billy Joel song, Somebody to love, a Queen song and a medley of Beach Boy hit among others.I could of sat for an other hour. Very well done.

Let's do it again...and again...and again...anddd again...and yet again, do you get paid by the customer?

I have lost count of the number of times I have been to the DMV with Nastia to get her permit and have yet to give her the opportunity to pass or fail the test.
  This adventure started a few days after her sixteenth birthday. We gathered together the papers we needed and went up to the  DMV only to be told that most of her identification was not useable. I had copies of her adoption papers and her passport had just expired, and you get the picture.
  One time we did make it to the eye test which she failed miserably. She couldn't even read one letter on the chart.
   It took Us time and over $500.00 to get her hard contacts that improved her sight and were comfortable for her to wear.
  Sometime in late February or early March we tried again. This time the identification papers were no good. We needed originals, not copies. The originals had been misplaced. Teri thought she had given them to me and in the packet she gave me they weren't there, so I figured she changed her mind and so we looked and looked and looked some more. We knew they were in the house, they hadn't left, had never been taken outside since we brought them home. THEY WERE HERE!! Just hiding.
  A few weeks went by and we had exhausted all the places we thought they were in and several places we knew they weren't. We were at the point of looking in places we'd looked in two and three times before.
   Teri had a job interview scheduled with Orange and Rockland for a Friday and she went up stairs to a small rack of clothes I'd moved several times while insulating the attic. The rack started in the front eastern portion towards the road, then was moved to the north corner and then it was lowered, then it was moved to the western section of the attic, north side, then finally it was moved to deep into the north end to get it out of the way. On it was Teri's wedding dress, and a bunch of plastic bags and purses of her's. She was looking for a good purse to go  with the outfit she was wearing to the interview when she came across the papers. She called me and gave me the good news. Now if O&R would only call.
  DMV is open late on Thursdays, so Nastia and I decided to go on Thursday. I gather together the papers she will need. The adoption decree, her birthday certificate (in Russian), her out dated passport, I'm still hoping they will accept it. She still is who she is, that didn't change. I added her school ID, with a report card and her social security card. With all these papers I added the eye test paper. signed by Dr. Blumenthel and myself. Take note and see where this goes...
   Where it goes...where it goes...This is the DMV, where do you think it goes??
   I go straight from work to pick Nastia up from school. We get up to Haverstraw about 2:45 or so. We stroll in and present our paper to the person who gives out numbers. He gives us a number that starts with G instead od one that starts with A and we are feeling the love and feeling real special. We sit down confidently sure in our knowledge and our paperwork that this is the day we will succeed. We will over come!!
   Our wait is short and sweet. When we are called we are even sent to the same women as yesterday. We pleasantly say "Good Afternoon" and spill out our pile of perfect paperwork, sorted into two piles of useful and useless. Still carrying around that passport.
   I sort through the paperwork and hand over all the proper identification papers. Then as if I am placing a cherry on top of a pile of whip cream I slide the eye test out. It's a beautiful thing. It sits there shining in its new inkiness. Our overworked attendant separates the papers to her liking, asks for my drivers license. She then stops, I think she is dazzled by the beauty of the eye test paper, filled out in its ORIGINAL perfectness. She then asks me why I signed it and not my daughter.
I grab my anger in my fists choking it's purple foulness and sticking it in my front pocket, the one that holds my car keys the ones I want to use to gouge out her eyes with. I think the only sign of my anger is my smile that has gone to a smirk. I answer her, "I signed it because my daughter is a minor and all contracts are unenforceable in a court of law." My anger in my pocket turns blood red and screams 'what the fuck do you care bitch!' I always like my temper, it cuts to the chase very quickly.
  Our attendant reacts as if she has been slapped. "Really, I'm not trying to cause you trouble, but this form should of been signed by your daughter."
   My Anger makes a run for it, gaining a foot hold on my mouth and my smirk turns down to a frown. My Anger in full control of my mouth shoots out towards my fists and in an all out bid for control starts its crawl up my cheeks towards my eyes. In a moment the lower lids set in a cold contemptuous glare. The eyes begin to narrow and my hands are curling into fists.
  A moment before my anger has gained full control she say, "Let me get a supervisor." I know its a lost cause, just like yesterday, but I have a plan. The Supervisor explains there is no cutting breaks and the rules are the rules, are the rules, ARE THE RULES . Anger added the capitals, I didn't.
   You say I have a plan, well yes I do. Early this morning I jack assed to Engelwood NJ to have someone forge Dr. Blumenthels name, so I decide to go have some lunch and fill out another eye test paper and sign Dr. Blumenthels name to it, brilliant wouldn't you say? Why didn't I do it this morning you ask? None of your business.
  We go over to McDonalds about two minutes away. I figured if we had something to eat and filled out the form taking about half an hour no one would question that we went to get a new form.
 We get some food and sit down. After a few quiet moments Nasta looks at me and asks, "Dad, what if you get caught doing this will you go to jail?"
  I smile at the thought if everyone who did something like this went to jail and how naive my daughter at sixteen still is. I explain to her how the DMV is being unreasonable in not accepting the eye form and if I am caught they will just say the form is no good and needs to be done again.
 Satisfied, We eat until the floor show begins. Neither of us know what started it, but a woman starts yelling about something. I continue eating, while Nastia cringes like she will need to duck under the table to avoid flying debris or even bullets. I know there is no way I'll get under that table before being riddled with several high velocity bullets. Of course the teacher in me can't pass over a teachable moment and I explain to her why and how to handle an irate customer.
  The times has come, we go back to the DMV. There's electricity in the air, we are going to put one over on the man, the DMV for all their petty rules is goin to get fooled. We're gonna get them!! We park the car and stroll towards the doors. I laugh and tell Nastia, "It's a good thing we didn't wait too much longer, they close in fifteen minutes." We walk in like royalty, our fast pass guaranteed to get us fast service. We get pointed to the front counter, the Indian gentleman gives us a 'G' ticket, saying something about not understanding. I in all my confidence agree, "I don't understand either", Nastia quietly follows like the respectful peasant. We sit down and relax. Our new Indian friend comes up to Us and in one sentence shatters our master plan.
  He says, "I am sorry sir, as it is too late in the day to take permit test, You have to come back on Monday."
  Curses foiled again!!  Nobody beats the DMV!!

Twenty minutes in a microwave, still smells after three hours

Teri and I took a Friday night to have a date night. It was the first one in almost a year.
  We told the girls, we were going out and they were going to eat alone. They we're thrill to death. Getting to eat and watch TV alone.
  We left around five-thirty, the girls told us what they were going to eat. Nastia, soup and Elena, pizza.
  We ate dinner at 'The Yard House'. It was a little pricy. Teri had a drink and a crab cakes. I had a soda and jambalaya. The total bill with tax and tip $45.00. It was so reasonable,We debated selling the girls and eating out more often.
  We saw the movie Kingsman, with Colin Forth. I wasn't expecting much and was surprised. It was a nice way to spend an evening.
  When We got home, the smell hung heavy in the air. First words out of my mouth were '' Something smells.'' It was a brunt smell. Like something made burned. Like the handle of a pot, a chemical smell almost.
  Teri calls out for the girls and Elena answers. Teri yells to her ''What's that smell?
  Elena answers in that matter of fact way she has ''I burned the pizza. I put it in for twenty minutes in the micro-wave and it burned.''
  Well, their first night alone, they survived it and only killed one pizza. Well done, girls.      

Nastia went to the Movies and acted like an Ass and got it handed to her.

We went to see American Sniper the other day. Nastia asked if David could come along and I said OK.
  We picked David up a little late and went over to McDonald's to eat. David works at Burger King and didn't eat. We all had a little to eat. Elena met Jessica at McDonald's and I felt bad taking her away from Jessica, but We were on a tight schedule and we're running late.
  On the way to the Movie, Nastia picks the time to act like a teenager. Teri says something to her and Nastia says "I don't have to do that,I'm sixteen"
   Teri glares at me and I say "Just let it go and beat the crap out of her at home later."
David tells the story how he opened his mouth like she did and his Aunt put him in his place with the back of her hand, with his friends watching.
   Nastia then proceeds to open her mouth again and there is no holding Teri back. She rips into Nastia about being disrespectful and tells her to stay in the car when We get to the Movies.
  When they come in later Nastia is in tears and I try to tell her she picked the wrong time to act like a teenager.
  She gets over it and She goes off and sits with David and Elena. Teri, Nancy and I sit together and I enjoyed the movie very much. Best Movie in a long time.

Wandering the Mall and Cell phone repair

Nastia's phone quit working a week or so ago. You would swipe the screen and nothing. I had replaced the screen from a vendor in the Mall when she had cracked it several months ago. When It was taken to Apple they said it was the screen and We should take it back to the Vendor who sold it to Us.
  Nastia and I take it to the Mall and the guy asks if it was dropped, of course it was. He looks at it and says the screen is broken and needs to be replaced. He was willing to give me a brake on the price and I told him to go ahead, we'll wait.
  Nastia has always wanted to go to the Mall, with her friends, I didn't want her to go. Today while we were waiting, I went to the bathroom and left her alone for a little while. When I got back and she was still alive,I figured it was OK tolet her go wander around the Mall by herself..
  I played on my phone and off she went. About twenty minutes later, when the phone was ready and she hadn't returned, I became concerned. I started walking the lower level looking for her. I found her in Sharper Image, I think that is what it is called, listening to music and dancing a little bit to it. OH, the mischief she got into!!

Almost killing my Daughter in NYC

With the Girls off from school Teri gets the idea to go into the City to see the tree. We decide to go on a Monday, with nice weather expected and it being after Christmas. We set off about three-thirty and take my car. We head down the Henry Hudson and the GPS wants me to take the exit at the Boat basin, which I miss. We take the left at fifty-sixth street and head for FAO Schwarz. We cross the island to the east side. I drive past the intersection,  I think it was 5th ave. and 58th St. I find a parking garage two blocks away, turn in and as I read a sign that says  no SUVs, I hear my antenna tip scrap the roof. I'm about to turn around when Teri says there are SUVs down there. The attendant punches us in and off we go on our adventure. I'd been there twenty, thirty years ago the last time. This day it was packed.  We waited on a quick line and wandered around the store.  We went to the key board famous in the movie, Big. We were there about half an hour. We didn't buy anything. I saw few bags.
  We walked down town toward Rockefeller Center.  It was cold and I'm looking down at the sidewalk. Then I remember the best part of walking in the city is enjoying the show on the streets. I pick up my head and start looking around, just enjoying all the people,  the the buildings and the cars trying to go some where. I try to get Nastia to understand the fun, but she just kept saying she was cold.
  Teri asks to stop into a church and I tell her, OK without thinking. It was St. Patrick's.  They are doing work on it and I was there thirty years ago the last time. I walk in and I feel like I'm still outside. I don't remember it being such an amazing place The Girls were a little disrespectful and I told them they are going to Church. They didn't like that. I really want to get them there.
   After St. Patrick's We went a block West to Rockefeller Center. It was wall to wall people. It made Disney World look empty from several years ago. We managed to get up near the tree and get a few picture,
  We were going to eat in the City.  It was about 6;30 . I called Carmine's, a restaurant we lucked out at several years ago and got to eat at with Tony. This time there was a two hour wait. We decided to eat back in Rockland. So We started back up town. We stopped in the Lindt chocolate Shoppe and spent twenty-six dollars on real good chocolate.
   After We left the store. We stopped at an intersection, for a red light. I was not watching and the guy in front of me started walking. I had Nastias hand and we went too. The light was still red. I looked up as We crossed and noticed the don't walk sign and the cars coming at Nastia and I from our right. So I hurried Us up. I didn't understand why the guy in the first car was leaning on his horn until I looked behind me and saw that was Elena crossing too. Thank God, the car missed her. As the rest of the crowd crossed, I heard my wife cursing me as she crossed. It put a big damper on the night for me.
 IT WAS A FUCKIN MISTAKE!!! I WASN'T TRYING TO KILL ONE OF OUR CHILDREN!!!
      We ate at a Barbecue place on Erie St. in Blauvelt. It was a Monday night and it was busy. It is always busy. The food was pretty good.

going for her driving test and Christmas

My  greatest fear happened when Nastia and I went back to the DMV in Haverstraw. We had all of the required paper work and it had been accepted by the clerk. The next step was the eye test, the simple eye test. She scrunched up her eyes and leaned in and started to read the letters. The Clerk stopped her and said "No, please read the last line." She started again, got them all wrong. L was further back and they were all crystal clear to me. She failed her eye test. She failed it so completely, she got no letters right. I feel real bad for her. We knew her eyes were bad when we bought them home in 2009. The Eye Doctor said the best she could do was 20/60 then. I didn't realize how bad that was until the eye test. We are going to look into options after the New Year.

   It's Christmas Eve. The presents are under the tree and Teri and I are just getting to bed at midnight. I know it sounds like I did a lot of work, well I didn't. Teri did 99% of it. I wish I could say that I wanted to, but I don't. I find the Holidays difficult. The forced consumerism of the season really bothers me. I used to love Christmas and could never sleep the night before. I used to swipe Christmas lights from the stock pile we had and would put them up in my room. I would string a short line of the big old style lights around my door, on the inside. I would put up the decorations on the outside of the house every year by myself. I quit believing in Santa some where around thirteen.
  I got a big thrill and a little worried when my daughter's wanted to put cookies out for Santa this year. I thought they were a little too old to believe. I guess it is OK. I just worry. Nastia is dating a seventeen year old and she wants to be treated like an Adult. And Elena is this angry young women with attention issues, and they believe in Santa. I guess it's OK, maybe even sweet.

This afternoon, I went up stairs into the attic to wrap presents. Teri comes up a few minutes after I did. Then Mesha comes up and Bandi and finally even Athena. Mesha was bouncing around like a nut case. We find out later the reason was most likely she had to go out. That was after she left a new mountain range in the storage room. The dogs were causing all kinds of problems and made it difficult to do anything. When We finished, Mesha went down the stairs. Athena followed with a little encouragement. Bandi, he was a different story. The last time he came up stairs I had to pick him up and carry him down. Since then he's bitten me at least twice. So I got Oven mitts and still didn't want to pick him up. Teri put his leash on and that didn't help. Finally She picked him up by the leash , yes leash and put him in a milk case on the third attempt. Yes she was picking him up by the leash three times and on the third attempt he made it and was happy to be there. I carried him down and he was pleased to be down and if it wasn't for the leash pick up Bandi would still be up there, even if you are reading this thirty years in the future.
 CHRISTMAS MORNING
  WE went to visit Aunt Sue last night at the Adult Care Facility in Central Nyack where she is staying. Aunt Sue is 96 and has slowed some in the twenty years Iv'e known her but She is doing really well for someone her age. Above Nastia and Elena are choking/hugging her in the Dinning Hall. We went up into her room and she kept saying how terrible it was that she had nothing to give us and We kept saying it was no big deal and We are going out to dinner after. When We used to go to her house Christmas or Christmas Eve everyone would be there and She would be putting out all this food, chips and dips and everyone would sit around and talk. I think if I was Teri, I'd really miss that. Most of those people are gone now.
  After Aunt Sue, about 7;30, We went to dinner at Cinco de Mayo in Valley Cottage.They were preparing to close for their Christmas party, but they decided to serve Us.  We left about an hour later, after a fine meal.
   Christmas morning Teri and I are up by 7:30, She's in the kitchen doing stuff (Yeah, I have no idea what she was doing, it could of been important, doubt it (LOOK, tongue in cheek!!)). I was writing on the computer. It was a nice quiet morning, strange for Christmas, but OK.
  For some reason around this time of year I remember the time Mike and I went to the pizza parlor down the street. We were about fifteen I guess, and Bill Vines was there. Now the only reason anyone should know the name is he could of been a great man, He was then. He was my father's friend and helped Us many times with our business. Some where along the way he got lost and this vain, self serving, creature was created. He is the only Supervisor, who's picture is not on the wall in the Town Hall. Even Paul Mundt, who stole untold millions when sewers were put in got his picture up on the wall. Any way Mike and I go into the Pizza Parlor around Christmas, it's cold out and it must be later after dinner, but we order a slice each and a soda. As We get up to pay Bill Vines says he'll take care of it for Us.It always reminds me of the man he was before he changed and got lost.

Back to Christmas 2014, there was noise coming from upstairs around 10;30 or so.The girls ambled down soon after. The went over to the tree and looked at the presents very calmly like they were old pros at this. I waited for someone to do what   Ralphie's brother in a Christmas Story did "Oh,that one's mine and that one's mine and that one's mine!!!" No they were real cool about it and they waited for Us all to gather around and open presents together.
  We went over Karl and Madeline's for about an hour around 1pm while dinner cooked. The potatoes were done at 2, dinnertime. The Rib roast took it's time and was not done until about 3:30. We sat down around Joe Muller 2pm dinner time, which was 4pm. Regular Muller dinner time would of been 3:30.
   We ate, then at 6:30 went over to Lynn and Eric's to have desert and play a game that over the last several years, more then five (it predates Nastia and Elena) called, I don't know what it is called. But the way it is played is everyone brings a small dollar amount gift to play. Everyone picks and number and the first one goes and picks a gift. The second one can pick a gift or take the gift that someone has already opened. The fun of the game is to get a large group of people together (We had nineteen) and to steal a gift from someone else, just for the fun of it. It has become the high point of Christmas for me.
 

At Aunt Sue's Assisted Living 

 We left shortly after the game ended, everyone was tired and everyone was in bed early. Nancy had to go to work today, Friday. I stayed home from Crystal Spoon, Teri is looking for a job. I soon will be looking for something that pays more.

Nastiafest 2015 or SHE TURNS SIXTEEN!!

SHE TURNS SIXTEEN, ALREADY!!
  It seems like yesterday, we met  this scrawny little kid from Russia. She would talk to you like she knew you for ever and you spoke Russian.

I got down on my knees when we first met, to be on the same level and she climbs on my back like she'd been doing it all her life. I walked around most of the night with her on my back eating fruit, all forty pounds of her. Then her sister took her place.
   We adopted her and her sister in September 2009.
   Nastia's birthday, December 3rd, this year was on a Wednesday. I got her up at her usual six-fifteen. Her mother bought her to School.
   For Dinner, We went to Gilligans up in Mt. Ivy. David, Nastia's boyfriend was going to take her to Dinner, but he had to work. The four of Us had a nice dinner.
   On Saturday, we took Nastia, Elena, Kaley and David to Bounce for an hour. Teri and Nancy picked David up and Nastia called to find out where they were. Nastia calls her sisters phone, when David answers, she is confused

. He says she called him and that her mother just drove by and flipped him the middle finger. I'm on the other side watching her flip out. I call to find out whats going on and Teri says they are pulling a prank on Nastia. Nastia comes by me saying "they haven't picked him up and he says mom gave him the finger. Mommy wouldn't do that." I'm struggling very hard to keep a straight face. They pull into the parking lot, Nastia was out there looking for them.
  At Home, We had some Chinese take out, bought it home for the six of Us. At seven-thirty We had chocolate cheese cake. It was pre-sliced and the slices were too large and no one finished their's. The night ended early, David had to get home before eight PM. We got him home a little after eight.
  Teri and Nancy picked David up

Bad movie choices and Thanksgiving

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It's a Seinfeld Episode they missed*

This morning I went over to my mother's before I went to my high paying job in Elmsford. Just about the time I was going to leave Teri calls me and says she hurt her finger and thinks it's broken. She says she's not a baby when it comes to getting hurt, but she is. She shows me her pinkie finger. I ask her if she can move it. She moves it at the knuckle, but not at the last joint. So I know where this is going. She wants to go to the Emergency room and I tell her no, that is for emergencies. She then says what about Immediate Medical in Nanuet. This is where I make my mistake. I tell her they charged me $540.00 for a shot for poison ivy and they can go to hell before I step foot in there again.
   I tell Teri, who is getting pissed off at me we should go to the Doctor, that's where this would be taken care of properly and with minimal cost.
   Teri is fully wound up by now and she launches into her speel. It is WEDNESDAY. The DOCTOR is not open TODAY.
  We go to Nyack Hospital after I give up and say we'll go where ever you want to go.
   We go to Nyack Hospital. I drop her off at the entrance to the ER and look to park.  I tell her there is no place to park. Before she gets out of the car she points to a spot reserved for ER patients and says Park there, I don't someone gets it before me. I don't know if I would of parked there anyway. It still didn't feel like we shouldn't be here, it wasn't an emergency.
   I track her down, on a bed in the ER, waiting for a doctor to see her. A nice doctor finally comes to see her. The Doctor says she has dislocated her finger tip and she can A- put it back in. B- give her a shot and put it back in or C- get a shot, and four little shots around the finger and put it back in or D- get an IV drip and get it put back in. All of this for the most useless of digits.
   I give her credit. She let them try to do it straight away, it didn't work. She got a shot, her finger put back together, an other X-Ray to check it out and we finally got out of there at 1:30, about four hours. I hope they don't charge by the hour. A few months later we get the bills (ER, doctors and hospital) with good insurance it was still over $1,000.00.

* The pinkey toe episode where Kramer puts it in his box of candy I think? Friends does one too where they are in a flash back and Monica is trying to act sexy and drops a knife and cuts off Chandler's pinkey toe.

Got to make the best of a bad situation*

* Glades Knight and the Pips sang it right
Got to make the best of a bad situation, got to keep on keepin on.


I don't bounce back like everyone else in this house. When something like the fight that happened tonight happens, I feel it for a while. Everyone else treated it like a summer thunder storm. It blew in and blew out.

   This has been brewing for several weeks. Elena started the year doing straight threes on her circle sheets. October came in and there was a little slack in her sails, something was brewing. November it got worse. We paid a visit, Teri and I to Dr. Benjamin and one of Elena's teacher and did what boils down to an intervention. It was light hearted, it was straight talk,it was everything you can think of to get her doing the work she was doing in November.
  Then tonight comes.I was getting into the car to go to Costco when she got home. I asked her how the circle sheet was. She said "the usual."
  I told her, "no that wasn't going to do. What did you get?" She confessed to a couple of zeros. I told her to go tell her mother. I left.
  Teri called and said she'd blown her top at Elena and sent her up to her room. She'd gotten two zeros and a couple of ones. I told Teri to make sure she did not have her computer or her phone, because that would be heaven for her.

  I got back to a quite home, Elena doing homework and Teri cooking dinner.
  At the table dinner was going well when Teri goes to the bath room. Elena starts to tell an Anna Lisa story and I tell her don't. She's not supposed to be having any contact with her,it gets her in trouble. She gets angry and pushes Athena away from the table a little too hard. I smack her on the arm and tell her to leave the dog alone. I don't remember what happens next, but I think Teri come down and asks what is happening. And I think I begin to tell her and then I think she goes at Elena for hitting the dog and Elena who is already upset, gets angry and shuts down and is trying hard not to cry. Teri is pushing her and wants her to come closer to her and tell her what is going on inside of her. Something else happens and Elena is telling everyone fuck you. I ball up a fist and some how manage not to hurt her. Teri, the not violent one is going, "Funk me, no fuck you." She has fire in her eyes

and things might be spiraling out of control. I push Teri down into her seat and I talk to Elena in this overly calm voice, you know the one you use when you are trying to be calm and don't really feel it. I talk to her and tell her that this is her own fault and she could of avoided it if she just did what she did in September. I also say I want to hug you and take away all your pain, but I won't. It sounds cruel now, then it sounded like I was telling her she needed to do for herself.
  Somewhere along the line she had started hyper-ventilating.. It went on for a good five minutes.
  Somewhere about this time we, Teri and I start talking to her about how much we lover her and how we fell in love with them as soon as we saw them and how it was God that bought us together, which I truly believe.
  When things started to calm down, I wasn't sure Elena would want me to touch her. I gently touched her hand. When that was accepted I hugged her. Teri went right in from the beginning to hug her, she wasn't going to let her not accept a hug. I felt I had hurt her a little deeper then her mother and I might not be forgiven so easily.
  I did get the first smile out of her by telling her the story about how when I would come up the stairs at night and she would call out to me to fill her water bottle, I didn't want to. I would ask her why I should and she would say "because you love me." in an overly sweet voice, I would say "Oh yeah, I forgot." and I would fill it up.When I went into my bedroom, Teri would go "fool", that got the second smile.
  The night kind of petered out from there.I gave her a big hug in the kitchen and told her because I was a sucker and she had a hard night she didn't have to dry the dishes.
  And yes when I went up to my room after she had gone to be, she asked me to fill her water and I did. I gave her a big hug and a kiss and I don't think she saw the tears in my eyes.

He just wants to be my friend, yeah, heard that one before.

Nastia starts face timing with a kid from school. I ask her what is his name? She says it's Gene. Later, at the dinner table, she is talking about someone and is calling him a different name, and she mentions that he wants to go to the movies with her. I tell her he wants to date her. "Oh, no he don't.
 He just wants to be my friend" she says. As I am chuckling,  I tell her to watch When Harry met Sally. Where Harry says guys can't be friends with girls. I didn't go into further detail,  but I knew where this was going. And yes this past Monday he asked her out. Nastia now calls him David. He is nice from the little I've talked to him. He's smart, he tutors kids and he is black and I am sorry it bothers me. I wish it didn't,  but it does.  I will not stop it or say anything because he is a huge step up from any boy she has dated. And lets see where it goes. I wish I was as good as my words when it comes to dating other races.

New Movie Foot tight, The Nyack Hollween Parade and forced retirement

I heard a story from Nastia's school and everytime I think about it , I have to laugh. It seems Nastia was in hip hop class and she got angry that someone was on their phone and they weren't dancing. She goes up to them and tells them if they don't dance she is going to hit them. It's like a bad version of Foot Loose. Let's call it Foot Tight about the town that if you don't dance the tough kids, the little 5'1" 98lb  (yes) dancing queen, who runs the town will make your life bad if you don't dance.

  We went to the Nyack Hollween parade, Saturdays,  I bought a folding chair and set it up in the middle of Broad st. looking toward Main st., the parade route. I was very happy sitting  there, people were even staying out of in front of me. Then the nightmare started. A ninty year old women asks if she can hold on to my chair while she stands to watch the parade. She continues to talk to me. I resist asking her if she would like to sit in my chair. Yes, I am now going to hell. I did redeem myself when the parade started I did give up my chair and after a little no I don't need it I'm tougher then you she sat down and enjoyed the parade. I won't get sainthood,  but maybe hell is not so close.

  Now the shocker. I'm at my high paying job at Crystal Spoon, (a reasonable $13.00 an hour, but only four hours a day) , I remember it was a little after one in the afternoon she called, when I pick up the phone she says, just like I did that she's been fired. It didn't register right away. It was a concept that I couldn't understand. She had said it could happen, but I thought it never would. I knew she was unhappy and was going to try and leave in about two years but this I never would of believed.
  The story behind this is there is a new General Manager, that wants to cut costs. So he or she got rid of my wife because she did an excellent job over thirty-three years and was rewarded for it. How modern business is so messed up. What does that tell the people who are left. Work hard, put in unpaid overtime and get fired or goof off work regular hours and get fired. It is sad on so many levels. I fear for this country.

  She got a middle management's version of a golden parachute,  with a little golden shower mixed in. Access to her pension and well wishes from dozens of friends and colleagues.  It made her feel a little better.
  This is like a death in the family and we are in the middle of the wake and funeral. The hard part is always afterwards when you have to get back to the real world, that starts soon, maybe next week. That might include selling the girls and me getting a different job. ( Just checking to see if you were paying attention.  The girls are like used cars once off the lot they depreciate to the point it is cheaper to keep them.) Teri has many friends and connections hopefully she will find a new job that will make her happy. If not then we might end up in Florida and I'm not ready for that. We need more money to retire like I want to and retirement or even getting low paying jobs ends my dream of going to England and maybe living in Italy for a while. Those are two dreams that I would really be sorry to miss out on.

Life goes on beyond the Palisades*

* Guess who sang that?
Life has gone on in a big way since the last time I posted. Nastia went to the home coming game, then the home coming dance and afterwards came home on such a natural high (not drug induced) that it was one of the high lights of the month.

  Teri took Elena to a baseball game a few years back, saying it should of been me, so I volunteered to take Nastia to the Homecoming game. It was a bright sunny day and I thought I over dressed by taking a sweater. By half time clouds had rolled in on a north-western wind and I was wishing I had bought my jacket too.
  We were sitting in the stands and of course Nastia strikes up a conversation with a women who has two grand-daughters as Cheer leaders.
  With the game tied at twenty and the third quarter about to start, Nastia asks to go home because she is cold. Thank You God!
  The home coming dance had security that homeland security (hopefully you the future reader doesn't understand the reference, well I can hope.)  came to take lessons. You had to be there between seven and seven-thirty, At seven-thirty the doors were locked. No drugs, or alcohol.
  Nastia got there at seven-ten and Teri, Nancy and I went off to have dinner.
  We ate at Outback, they lost our name on the list. Then they lost our order and for that they gave us our appetizers free. On top of that my steak was excellent. I had almost as much fun as Nastia.
  We picked her up at about ten-thirty and she was going on how everyone was saying she was tearing up the dance floor and three boys are wanting to marry her and one boy, who wears the school mascot outfit, gave her a plastic ring. She was so very happy.
  Elena went with her boyfriend and his family to see the horror film Annabella. His parents must really love him.
  That was three weeks ago. Two  weeks ago we went to the West Nyack heritage festival. Karl and Madeline are big into it and it was fun There were a few booths with food and some craft doing stuff. Eric and his son Denis were there with the boy scouts. There was even a short play about the last witch trial in Rockland, which happened around there in 1816, hard to believe it was that recent. I was wondering around walking up a deer trail while the play was going on and I found a deer antler. It was a four pointer, from a four year old male. It was in some grass that had folded over it and it stuck up all white and brown. When the girls saw it, Nastia wanted to go show everyone and she did. Elena, the more calculating one asked if she could have it. What was I going to do with it? So I said yes, Nastia wasn't happy. A few day later I walked the edges of the Germond's ball fields trying to find one for Nastia. All I found were several old baseballs and a tick, who freaked me out when I found him on my face two hours later.

*Billy Joel in Miami 2017 the live version is better then the studio
We all bought Cadillacs and left there long ago. There are not many who remember...

In for a penny in for a pound

I was going to talk about dogs, garbage cans open to them and what is a tampon and how the hell should I know, even in a house full of women, but I think the Italian-American (there's that hyphen again. See previous blog) fair, festival, whatever at the German Masonic fair grounds in Tappan is better to talk about.

It was on for four days and we picked the final afternoon, like a thousand other people. Teri drove and the line was we have no money so we are just going there to do something. It was jam packed so we parked about a quarter of a mile away. It was a nice day and it was pleasant to get out. At the gate it was three dollars to get in. There never was a fee to get in. Teri wanted to leave, then asked my opinion and I punked  out and said whatever you want. She earns the money and if she doesn't want to spend it I will not get in the way. She said to go for it. Ten minutes in and Nastia needs a bathroom. While we are looking for it she asks what are we going to do. This is where in for a penny, in for a pound figures into the equation. The expression is English. Change Pound to dollar and the meaning is we spent twelve dollars to get in, so we'll most likely buy some other stuff, meaning food. Bathroom is done and Nancy wants to get something to drink, then we get some empanadas and Elena gets a ring and Nastia wants something because Elena got something. We stayed there for a couple of hours, had a good time, spent too muck money and left.
  The Girls did get to go on a ride. It was a bronco ride. They did it twice at five dollars a pop. That was OK. It made them happy and Teri happy.
  We were walking by this stand and saw a guy  who was wearing this very tall balloon hat. He stopped the girls and told them to hold it.Then he said to wear it and they did.

School Starts and Old Memories fade

School started last week. They had Thursday and Friday, then the weekend off and back to it yesterday for the first full week of School.

  This time of year is the start of new beginnings and for me a time to look back at where this family has been. I'm sure Teri, ever the forward thinker would consider thinking about the past a luxury for People with too much time on their hands. I would agree with her. She doesn't have that luxury working twelve hour days,
   I on the other hand have more time and

I'm a melancholy sort of person and I must admit I wallow in it like I accuse others of wallowing in their hyphenated existence. No One is just an American any more, except me. Everyone is from somewhere else and America.
My Wife is an Italian-American, except she is at least a quarter Dutch. If I was to become a hyphen I would be, in no particular order an English, Irish, Dutch, German, Italian, Turkish American. I'll just stay with Joe.
  What started the second part of the title is Elena was asked to do a short essay about what she was like as a kindergartner. Tears come to my eyes as I think back to both of them as skinny little kids and what I imagine was their existence. I told her she arrived at the orphanage at about four years old and I asked her what was it like when you were in Birobidzhan? She said she couldn't remember. I don't know if it is from wanting to not remember or if she really has forgotten.

  We sat down in front of the computer and I typed a few sentences about how I remember her as a small child of seven. She was quite. When someone yelled at her she would look straight ahead and almost shrink before your eyes and not talk. Imagine her not talking today. Then I used a little imagination had Elena wrote her version of what I wrote. Lastly I told her to write some of her friends names down and she could not remember. I don't know if it is sad or just normal to forget the past, for her it is half a life time ago.
  On that bright and cheery note this is the first full week of the school year. We are still getting into a routine. Elena goes to bed at 9:30 and Nastia goes to bed at 10 pm, I don't think it has happened that way yet. Nastia gets up at about six. I want it to be six-fifteen, Teri says what happens if she needs to go to the bathroom, so we are working on it. I have been going to bed earlier then before because I have been getting up around five or so and not being able to go back to sleep until I have to get Elena up at about seven-thirty.
  The good of this new arrangement is Nastia gets to spend sometime with her mother and she gets a mother's touch on all those things like make-up and clothing that I never did or would fight with her about.

  Elena gets up after all the others have gone and so far I have driven her to school all four days because it gets me out of the house and I do my job some and it makes me feel like..Oh, you didn't hear about my job? Its really nothing and I mean nothing. It is a full commission job and I have yet to be paid, though today I did make a connection that in a few days hopefully will be my first sale. If not then it might be the Nyack Water company. It is really a great importunity, but it is shift work and as I told a friend who owns Bagel Boys in Suffern, I'm fifty-seven almost I don't want someone looking over my shoulder asking me what I did all day. I have evolved beyond all that now I have become a superior human being, I just wish they paid more for the job.

NO, I don't smell fire

I took Nastia to get a bagel and drop off a job application in Nyack. Elena didn't want a Bagel or to go. 

  When I get home and walk in the door, I smell smoke. I start running around like a manic deeply inhaling trying to locate where the smell is coming from. I yell at Elena,"Did you burn anything?"  She answers "No, I didn't. " 

  After about ten minutes and a top to bottom search I send Nastia upstairs and quietly take Elena aside and quietly say, "I need to know if you burned anything, I won't yell. The reason I need to know is I wired this entire house and if it ever burned and someone got even a little hurt I'd never forgive myself."

  Her response was, " No, I didn't burn anything."

  So I push them both to go bike riding telling them to call me in two hours. I put all the dogs outside and begin another search. I'm encouraged that the smokey smell is not getting heavier. 

  On the floor in the dining room was a burn stick match that Elena was eyeing yesterday, wanting to try and I told her no, they were fifty years old and when I tried one I set the side of the box on fire.

  I called Elena and told her I was very hurt by her lying to my face several times, even when I told her why I was so scared.

  Fuckin Kids

Epilogue: I sat down with Elena and with Teri on speaker we talked to Elena about why we were making such a big deal of her lighting a match and then lying about it. She broke down and cried, why, I don't know. Maybe she was sorry for lying or all that positive calm talking or we just bored her to tears. ( hey, that's the first good joke in a long time).
  Well Teri thought it was a good idea to give a safety lesson and let them light a match. (Lighting matches is becoming a lost art), so I take the girls into the kitchen and tell them about the matches and the danger of these old matches. Elena lights a match after I do, then its Nastia's turn, she is afraid of getting burned and some how I end of wrestling with her to try and get her to light the match. If it wasn't so pathetic,  it would be funny. I finally realize what I'm doing and stop. My daughter is in tears and I'm angry. I tell her to go then tell her to come back. I tell her I am sorry a dozen time and it doesn't make me feel any better. I do try to approach the match lighting in a new way by striking the match first and give it to her, she accepts it and I feel a little better. She then agrees to light the match and she holds it for a few seconds then calmly puts it out. Things are better, but her father is not the person I grew up with.

Three Days of peace, love and spending lots of money*

* modern version of the Woodstock slogan, about 45 years ago this month. They closed the Thruway,  man

Teri has the last two weeks of August off every year. Teri wanted to do some stuff with the kids, because they had done so little. Except for the Circle line all I was able to give the girls was letting their friends come over and swim.
  On Tuesday, we took in the Bronx Zoo. Amanda, Nick and Nick's eleven year old brother came along, boy can Nick talk, nonstop.
  We went to see the bird house again and Teri wanted to see the lions, tigers and bears, oh, my.
  We stopped for some over priced food, expected, but come on now if you are going to charge big bucks for food at least make it good.
  We were there all day until the park closed at 5 pm. Considering everything it was a cheap day. Teri has a membership and we had fun.

  The next day, with the threat of rain in the forecast, we headed out to g
Great Adventure. The girls have been there every year with camp and this year there was no camp. Teri and I felt guilty, so we took them there. I hadn't been there in twenty years, so I have fond memories of it. Well I've become a grouchy old man I guess, because all I could see was how this poor imitation of Orlando was squeezing every penny it could out of their poor victim's pockets. First there was the premium parking for ten bucks extra. then the express pass for an additional twelve dollars and finally the extreme thrill rides where you could buy a book of tickets for twenty dollars. This was in addition to the entrance fee of about thirty-five dollars and the parking fee of twenty-five dollars.
  We get into the park and the girls want to do the Batman ride and I go on with them. It was a fun ride. The g forces pushing down on my neck in the loops and spins gave me a head ache and I hadn't eaten so I skipped the next two rides.

I wanted to eat at Johnny Rockets so we headed for it over near the entrance to the park. We spent fifty-four dollars for two burgers, chicken fingers, fries and two milk shakes and a soda. Again like earlier it was very poor food. I wanted Johnny Rockets and got poor midway food. Later we would grab a snack on the way out and I ate a boneless pork ribs sandwich that was almost good. Let me say here I am not a snob when it comes to food. I will eat a burger and be happy, just don't make me feel like a fool for paying fifty-six dollars for it if it is poor midway food and not Johnny Rockets.
  We hit most of the rides and the girls wanted to ride King Da Kah. It's a roller Coaster that goes straight jump, goes over the top and goes almost straight down the other side. It was closed when we got there.
  We got the snack I told you about and headed home with reports of  thunderstorms back home.
  We left the backdoor open in hopes of the dogs, Mesha not destroying the house and with the fear that they might of gotten out in the twelve or so hours we'd been gone. About half way home we hit some intense storms, slowing us down. We got home around eleven or so and the dogs and the house were OK.

King da kah!!

   Thursday was a choice between Great Adventure and the Dutchess County Fair, with the loser going on Friday. When Friday morning came I didn't want to spend the money to go. Great Adventure had been a small bundle so instead we went to an early movie, with Elena going to her boyfriend's house and missing out on Chinese food.
  It was an overly ambitious three days and despite the bad food it was fun and the girls really enjoyed it.