I forgot the Danger Girls Reappear at the Dutchess County Fair.

This happened on Sunday August 28, 2016 right after we did Slide the City
     Last Year I had to push for the Dutchess County Fair over Great Adventure. I know Great Adventure has all these great rides and it's all a great adventure,wow, yeah, but I can't go on the rides because of my neck and the food is awful there and very expensive. Yes, I know the food at every enclosed type of place is expensive, but at the Dutchess County Fair there is such a large variety and they are not owned by the Fair, and you do get some good food occasionally.
     We got up around eight or so with the plan of getting to the fair by eleven, so we could leave at six to go to the beach the next day. We got up around eight, Teri and I at seven, the girls at eight, we ate breakfast and picked Nancy up by ten. The GPS in the car said to take the Thruway up to an exit 19 Kingston, then go across the Hudson and enter into Rhinebeck from the north. I wanted to park in the lots near the fair grounds that are peoples lawns and are a short walk to the Fair. I knew that way and liked where we parked before. Teri thought going over the Tappan Zee bridge up the Taconic would be good. We decided to go the GPS said was best, I planned to go off that route to park where I wanted to.
We head up the Thruway and for some dumb reason I try getting off in Monroe, Route 17 instead of Newburgh twenty-five miles further north. I get back on get off in Newburgh, GPS is telling me I'm wrong to do it and it seems giving me attitude about it. I cross over the Newburgh- Beacon Bridge and go up Route 9 instead of going the Taconic like GPS wanted me to. I go through towns and stop at traffic lights and about half way through this it hits me maybe GPS was right this was not a good way to go. I turned a just under two hour trip into two and a half hours, but I did get to park where I wanted.
     We prepaid for our tickets and breezed into the fair. Our first stop, the long anticipated bathrooms. How sweet it was. Yeah, you know what I mean.
     We walk through some of the craft buildings and Teri gets a few things she likes to get there and then we get something to eat. I have been looking forward to the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich from that other vendor for a year, I knew where he was last year and I go there and he is not there. I hit this other one and to my horror after the first bit, it was the same one from last year, they moved and the other one did not come back. After a couple of bites of an overly air pumped bread, with imitation cheese sauce running down my wrist, Nasta asks me if I'm enjoying my sandwich. I ate it because I couldn't waste the eight dollars it cost me to purchase it. I should of read last years blog about the purchase experience and seeing the other vendor. I would of been sure to figure out what not to buy. When they were putting the sandwich together I had a sinking feeling that something was wrong. The Roll didn't look like a good one and the meat was all dried out and the onions and peppers were all 'been on the grill to long', but the price was the correct price.

     Well Iv'e finally learned my lesson, next year I go to the pizza guy who gave discount refills and get a slice and the discount refills there.
   

After food we wandered up toward the Animals and the girls wanted to pet all them. In all Barns there were signs to use the soap dispensers provided after leaving the barns. Mostly the girls did, but when they didn't and reached for my cup of soda or water for a drink, I recoil in horror and make them wash there hands, I'm becoming such a germ freak.
     It was getting late and as we wondered toward the exit.Someone notices the motorcycle/ ATV jumpers and everyone wanders towards it. We waste sometime there, then we decide we would eat at the fair to save some money. So We wander toward the midway until someone notices the pig races, yes we stay there for a while until we notice it doesn't start for half an hour.
We resume our wander toward the midway, until yes again someone notices the dog training tent and there is a show they at setting up for, and yes again we wait for a while until someone realizes it is getting late and we need to eat and we leave. We stop at a place set up by the local water company to wash your hand or get some cool water. Finally we get back to the midway. Nastia and Elena have corn,Teri eventually gets a Brisket sundae. I find the fact that they mix brisket, mashed potatoes and gravy all together disgusting. I thought I was over that, but I can't even look at it while Teri eats it, she loves it. I got a small thing of Pierogies anticipating eating Ice Cream before we left, and I did. We left the fair closer to eight then six or even seven. We went home the way we came and with no traffic it was a little over two hours when we got home. Great time. Now Tomorrow the beach.

Elena's Birthday, NOT NUMBER SIXTEEN!!!! OH NO!!

I am writing this a month after her birthday. Number sixteen, wow. That funny little kid who asked for my camera in Birobidjon by saying "fleas, papa fleas" and putting her hand in my pocket to get the camera is sixteen. Back in Russia I gave her the camera and she and her sister went around taking pictures of everyone. Who they are, they don't remember.
    Elena's birthday was on a Wednesday this year. We went to a BBQ place on Erie Street in Blauvelt called Bailey's. It was just a bar forever and one day their were a bunch of cars outside of it. I didn't think twice about it until Teri said they are cooking up some pretty good BBQ there now. We tried it about a year and a half ago. It was pretty good.
     They have a corn souffle that Teri loved and she found a recipe that I think is better then there's.
     We went to Bailey's and Elena was allowed to bring her boyfriend Mat with her. It was busy and they put us down stairs.
      We ordered an appetizer called burnt ends.

The main meal was family style (one big combination plate of food) something called the boneyard. It was Ribs, baby back and regular, chicken with three sides. Nastia, who doesn't like BBQ and had a shrimp wrap. There was enough food left over for leftovers a few days later. The place was loud and you couldn't talk, just yell. It was a nice night.
     Then about two weeks later, on a Saturday, at the house we had cake and guests over. My Mom, Karl, Madeline, Mat again, David, Nancy, Amanda and Nick all came over for Ice Cream Cake. It was a loud and nice night. About a month or so later Mat and Elena broke up.

Hi Tor Animal Shelter

I don't know how this will go, but the girls joined by my wife have gone to Hi Tor to take a class so they can do volunteer work at the shelter.
    I'd like to take credit for the girls volunteering, but Hi Tor was Teri's idea. Somewhere in the past Teri and I had talked about Hi Tor and the Girls volunteering. Nothing went forward. About a week ago I was thinking about Ryan and the volunteer work that was required for him and Cory to graduate High School. And the idea hit me that maybe by getting Elena involved in stuff she would be inspired to be more in this world. And want to do betterin school and have a goal. I thought Ambulance Corp. I told Teri and my Mother the idea and both came up the same reason it was not a good idea.
     Sally Ann had been a member of the Ambulance Corp. and quit because of the emonational stress it caused her. The Car accidents, drug over doses, things that I din't want thegirls to experence. My Mom said my brother Karl when he was about 17-18 joined and didn't last for the same reasons. Then Teri brings up the animal shelter again. And again I said it was a good idea.
      It was left sitting there again until today. During the week I'd signed the girls up for Russian at the ols Congers Elementry School for eleven weeks on Monday from 5-6pm. I didn't want to let anothergood idea go to waste. I looked up the web site, printed out the information and the girls looked it over and Elena came down very interested in it. The Web site instructions were very confusing, so when Teri got home she went over them and managed to figureout you needed to write the shelter first. The problem was the meeting for trainees was today. Teri e-mailed last night and surprised me by adding her own name to the list. And then this morning I got an other surprise when they replied it wasn't tolateto go to the meeting today. Paper work was filled out and off they went to the meeting.  

Nothing is happening, yeah, really

This I started in July and never finished.
Nothing is happening, yeah, really nothing  is going on.
     Well, some stuff has gone on since I last wrote. This feels like the joke about the dog dying.
     I forget how it starts out, but one of the early lines is the dog ate the meat and died. And in the joke are a series of bad things happening like the house burning down and it's a kids joke from the 60's. A joke eight year olds would of found funny.
     Anyway, the dog ate the meat and died, Nastia got fired from her job. It started on a Saturday, She was working a long day. Half way through the day I get a call from her could I pick her up. As She explained it to me, a boy, a co-worker had been hassling her about her age. He kept saying that there was no way she could be seventeen. So She finally had enough and told the guy to F off. I could understand and to me it was harassment by that guy. Well the story is a little more involved then that. First she cursed in front of customers. Second she had been warned about her truck driver mouth before and if this guy was hassling her she should of gone to management. No She handled it the way an orphan and a child would, in the worst way and got herself fired. Her Boss said to Teri when She went in to find out why Nastia was getting fired. Teri went in quiet and dignified. She looked at it as a manager would, not as an hysterical parent might, the my child never does anything wrong and everybody wins. It turned out that She had been warned about her mouth and Her boss didn't really want to fire her. After Teri got the full story Nastia was in a little bit of trouble for bending the truth to make her look like a victim.
     With the end of school, Elena is allowed to date again, (yeah, I'm doing cart wheels over it) and she got back together with Mathew. He is a good if a little wimpy kid.
     Around the middle of June, we had a BBQ. Elena invited Mathew, Nastia invited David. Whenever Nastia and David would disappear, I'd go find them. I would make a show of asking them where they are going. To give equal time, I did the same to Elena and Mathew. Elena is smarter in a street sense then Nastia. She know how to hide things better then her sister. To find out about things she is doing digging will need to be done. She has the privilege of going over Mathews house, where Nastia has lost that with David.
     The BBQ went very nicely,Eric and Lynn did a spectacular job of setting up and taking down the stuff. I might of inadvertently imposed the BBQ on them and if I did, I want to apologize. I had best of intentions. We don't get together much any more and I feel time is running out. I thought doing it where it was would be easier. If I forgot to ask you guys, sorry.
    

End of School and Summer School

Yeah, I know I've skipped the whole summer again without a post. I guess I've been lazy, but there seemed to be nothing happening until the last month or so.
     Back in June the girls got out of school and it seemed a long summer was ahead of them. Nastia went to a wedding on a Thursday, before a final and did a major... What's it called when you dive into a pool and instead of your body going in hands first, then your head and the body follows and it is real smooth. Well instead of that when you jump in and your body hits the water like when you slap your hands together...oh yeah, a belly flop, that's what she did. She had an 82 average and belly flopped the final with a 62, after her wedding night.
     I don't want you to think I'm picking on just her, I just haven't gotten to Elena yet. Our lovely youngest, well lets just say that she belly flopped most of the year, but her belly flop was more like that a middle aged man who likes to drink beer and has a big flabby belly that if he chose to get up out of his faded yellow lawn chair, with the stripes of flaking plastic strapping and attempt to dive into a pool after consuming too many bottles of the brown or golden elixir, SPLAT! She failed one subject, even after she put out the effort in the fourth quarter, poor unappreciated young lady. She was going to summer school, Nastia was going to a review class, then both were heading to an August retake of the failed exams.
     Nastia's review class was cancelled, not enough people. Elena conned us into just sending her to review class. So along with ESL summer class, she was busy from 9 am until 12:30, poor girl, why won't someone help her!!
     Elena had to get up on her own and she did a very good job of that. I'm always amazed that when she is willing to do something, she does it with out any fuss or muss. I just wish she would put it into her head that if she applied herself to school, her life would be so much easier. She just has to want to do it and she will succeed at it. I know she doesn't believe that. She thinks she is dumb, she's not, she gets things the same way I do, play with it a little and turn some knobs and after a little while you know how it works.
     Elena would catch the bus to ESL at Felex Festa about nine, I think, then spend some time at ESL until she was picked up at about ten-thirty, by my Mom, driven to the middle school in Haverstraw and picked up again at twelve-thirty. The rest of the day was hers.
   She really didn't really want to go to ESL summer. The one time I picked her up she was playing on a computer, tough life.
     We went through the two weeks or so of the review class. Nastia with the better school record was left to her own devices. On the day of the test Nastia had to be there at 8am and Elena at 12:30. It went mostly smooth, except for the results. Nastia got a 67, Elena got a 62. Both did better, sorta.
 
    

Girl clothes shopping and when Father doesn't know best.

Teri went to Toronto on Monday. On Monday evening Elena got a full blown chest cold. It had been creeping up on her all weekend and all weekend she insisted it was nothing. I kept her home on Monday and Tuesday mostly because of the coughing. I thought the teachers would send her to the nurse and I'd get a call telling me to pick up my daughter, with the implied 'your a bad parent for sending her to school today.'
  Elena enjoyed every minute of the two days. Wednesday I sent her hoping they wouldn't send her back early. All day on Tuesday she was fine. Then she goes to bed and coughs all night long. She was tired on Wednesday, but She sounded better, still coughing. Wednesday she asked to go to a friends house and I said yes. I probably should have said no being she was still coughing.
   It's 10:35 and she has been in bed for an hour and is still coughing. This usually ruins it course in a week. I have seen it before but I still feel like a bad parent because I can't get rid of her cough. I don't want to take her to the doctor because they will give her so medicine that won't really help and the cost. I'm sorry I've become a cheap bastard. We'll have good coverage again in June, can She wait?
  I went Girl clothes shopping with Nastia on Monday. I was supposed to take her to Wallmart, but I hate the Wallmart. So We went to Target. I stopped in the women's section, my daughter is a women and We should be able to find her clothes there. Nastia kept saying we had to go to the girls section and I kept telling her she wasn't a girl any more, she is a women. After ten minutes we went to the girls section, when I handed her a pair of black pants size zero and they were too big. Where do you go from zero? The answer, the girls section. We looked through it, it was a mess and there were no black pant.
  We tried BJ just for the heck of it and were out in two minutes. We then went over to JCPenney on Nastia's advice. We head straight for the girls section, not gonna fool me twice. We search around, I found some funky MC Hammer pants and Nastia laughed at them and me when I showed them to her. Did She know I thought she should try them on? Stop laughing, they might of come back into fashion. He is doing commercials in them.
   At some point in the adventure I noticed Nastia is following me. I stopped and tell her she has to be an active participant in this adventure. She replies Mom gives me clothes to try on, or something to that effect. I wanted her to be more active in the hunt. We needed black pant. How complex could that get. In JC Penny's, in the girls section in the back on the discount rack I find a pair of black pants with pockets, just like Nastia wants. Her response is the pants are too short. I say well then look for the right size. I had to find two pairs, one slightly larger than the other. I told her to go into the changing room and come out in the ones that fit the best. A few moments later she came out wearing one of them. I asked the standard question, How do they feel? Are they pulled up where they belong are they too tight (they were stretchy pants) and finally are they long enough. I didn't get them a little too long because over the last year Nastia hasn't grown. The original price was $32.00 with a 40% discount and a final price of $22. Still too much, but I wanted my trophy from this hunt.
  She got her pants. I proven to my wife I could go girl clothes shopping and pay too much. I proved nothing to her.
  The Air Force took Cory today for six years. God bless him and keep him safe I worry alot about him going in during this time in history. God keep him safe.

Princess Fiona

   Imagine a shorter Princess Fiona with a slightly darker hair and Shriek, taller, thinner and brown instead of green.
   Now that you got that picture imagine that in several months (8 months) Shriek could marry Princess Fiona and the king could do nothing about it. This is also the King who Princess Fiona said, "When I marry Shriek, we're going to move to Florida."
  This Princess Fiona's biggest issue in their relationship so far has been, "What do you mean Babe you have to work today, I'm off and I have to work tomorrow when you work, oooh, noooooo.
  Yeah, I'm pissed. Princes Fiona dropped this precious little gem on me as I was picking her up from the movies with Shriek. Yeah, I know all you mommies out there are saying don't take the ramblings of a child, yes a child that is seventeen, but still a child seriously. I don't really, but it is still hurtful and when I hear her say these things I ask myself what would she do when they are married living in a one bedroom or even a studio because both of them decided to get married instead of finishing college, because Shriek said he would have to break up with her if he went away to college. And now they are married and the bloom is off the rose. You look over at that person who you married a few short years ago and ask yourself can I stand to be with that person another minute. The honest person would most likely say no. Then they would find a way to work past the low spot in the relation. But Princess Fiona is a child,very much younger then her physical age. At 17, she is more like a 14 year old. Can someone that young, physically as well as mentally summon up the will power to go on in a relationship that right now sucks. Being married is HARD!! It is the shark in Annie Hall (watch the movie!!) If it's not moving forward it's dying. Dead Sharks smell real bad.
  I was lucky, Teri and I were older when we met. We worked at our relationship. There were times that it looked like it might end, but we soldiered through. And now it's pretty good. We can fight and know how far to go. We can fight and take it beyond that point and it will still be saved by us.
 Relationships force you to look inside yourself, good ones anyway. And you find yourself asking 'Why did I just do that.' and 'Can I be a better person then that.' I have asked myself those questions and more and have been surprised by the answers. I've asked myself why I yelled at someone who just came home for something that was so small. and been surprised that I was angry at the new or someone at work who did something. It has blown my mind.
   I had an argument with Teri. It was the first day of her new job. Her cousins wife, Pat had died and I wanted Teri to not do anything. I was only working part time and she had a lot on her plate. I made dinner and afterwards I was cleaning up and she wanted to help. She got in my way and I did not want her there in the first place and she knew I was angry and I tried to tell her she was in the way. She got angry and left. A little while later she came in and said she was sorry. I went over to her and put my arms around her and began explaining what was going on in my head. I didn't know what I was going to say until I said it. I was amazed by the truth. I told her I was trying to let her relax after a long day at work and I didn't want her to be doing anything in the kitchen. And I under stood it was part of her make up to not sit by and do nothing and I was sorry. Would Shriek and Princess Fiona, the child they now are have been able to pull that off. I don't know.
 Does a Child, I teenager, someone in their twenties have the ability to continue to go back and go back in a relationship until they make it work and if they don't make it work have they done everything in their power to make it work before they leave. The younger you are the less likely you will make it last.
  I have droned on for several paragraphs and hopefully not put you to sleep. I just want my children to be happy and not make the mistakes I made,but no matter how much you tell them, they think they invented sex, illegal drugs, curse words, all the greatest dances, and if given a chance they could put the world right. God help them!! We were like that all those years ago and some of us didn't make it.

Oh for Alzheimer's 4/11/16

I don't know how many people can actually put themselves in my shoes. First off you have to eliminate all the people without children. Then you need to eliminate all the women and finally you need the eliminate all the men who don't really remember what it was like being a teenage boy interested in girls. There are more then they know. Yes the world has changed in the almost forty years since I've been a teenager, but it is still the same focus for boys, to get a girlfriend and have sex. Now, tomorrow, next week, whatever, that is the focus of being a teenage boy. I was one and I very clearly remember it.
 I remember going on vacation with my then girlfriend's family and the mother getting all upset that her daughter and I were on a pullout bed watching TV. I couldn't understand why she was so upset. If We wanted to have sex there were plenty of places we could go and not have to worry about someone seeing us.
  Now flash forward almost forty years. I have a teenage, two teenage daughters, one with a steady boyfriend, who is also seventeen, the age of my first girlfriend when we met. Lately she has been complaining about her stomach hurting. It has been going on and off for several weeks.
  I get a phone call, I missed, then a text that Nastia has thrown up in school, could I handle it, it's my wife's first day at her new job. I text Nastia and tell her she is going to the Doctor's after school to get her stomach problem looked into. Oh, and I forgot to say her period is late by almost three weeks. Yeah, I didn't have to hit you with a blunt object to make you see where I'm going with this one did I. And if I do, here is a picture of my daughter with a baby, not hers looking a little too happy.
  We get to the Doctors office and I let her sign in. She doesn't read where and how to write her name and ends up having to cross out what she hastily wrote and rewrite it. (I'm making a point with this aside.) We sit down and wait for the Doctor. After about fifteen minutes we go to the exam room and wait a few minutes more. While there she is bouncing around and we get to talking. I don't remember what exactly was said, but I told her nothing she said today was going to get her in trouble. I don't think she got the hint.
  The Doctor's assistant comes in and asks some questions. I tell her that Nastia has on and off had stomach problems and she threw up in school today and it was time to find out what was happening. I also slipped in that her period was very late this month. They picked up on it. She asked some questions and when the assistant said if she's ever had sexual intercourse, I stopped the assistant and said to Nastia, "Do You know what she said?" Nastia says "No".
  I say, "Before I tell you what it means, if you want me to leave the room after I tell you, I will." So I say to her, "Have You ever had sex?" I was asked to leave the room. I make a point of telling the Assistant I would be down the hall if she needed me.
  So there I was, at the end of the hall where I could hear voices, but not make out what was said. I listen harder, still just static and mumbles. A few minutes later the assistant came out to get Doctor Katylar, Nastia, steps out of the room and looks where I am. As the door is closing I hear, "Come on Nastia, your father is not here." I start to get more nervous. I felt like someone has hooked me up to a caffeine machine and turned it on high. I feel my arms shaking, I was really starting to get nervous. I was not ready to be a grandfather. My brother has fully embraced the notion of grandfatherhood, I am not ready.
   A little while later Nastia leaves the exam room with a little piece of paper, for some drug that I have no idea what it is for. I don't want Nastia to think I am prying so I say nothing, ask no questions and anything I say is loud, so everyone can hear. Like when one of the assistants say she is almost a women, I reply that I have to walk behind her with a baseball bat to keep the boys away. I was going to add a Walking dead reference about barbed wire wrapped around it but that audience would of just thought I was weird and not thought hey a Negan, walking dead reference, cool. By the way Abraham is the one he killed, my guess.
  We leave the office and get in the elevator, Nastia asks if anything is wrong, I of course say no. We get to the car and going out of the parking lot someone is going to slow, then someone on the road doesn't go when the light changes and I almost hit them and I call them a bitch. Nastia starts to pet my arm. I tell her I am OK... hardly.
 We get home and Nastia goes inside. I text Teri with the details of the visit. She asks the question on everyone's mind, except maybe Nastia, (I don't know for sure) Is she pregnant? I reply I think not...
  So there We are, the live of a father of two daughters who wishes he did not remember so much about being a teenage boy and how his one goal in life was to get a girlfriend and get laid.
  Oh for Alzheimer's

Am I a good parent or...

The Night started out pretty good. Nastia was at work, Teri had a retirement party to go to. Elena and I were left on our own for dinner. We had planned Tacos, but with Nastia working it didn't see fair.
 I gave Elena the choice of having whatever she wanted for dinner, she chose the food court at the mall.
  We left about 6:15 and had a nice dinner, she had tacos, I had Nathans. We talked about school and her friends. I tried to be non-judgmental of whatever she said. She talked about a friend who was having sex and how she told the girl it was not a smart thing to be doing. I didn't judge, I listened and told her maybe why this friend was doing it. I even let her take her unfinished dinner and go by herself to put it in the car.
    About 7 or so We walk around the mall and she bought me into the store Backstage to show me the tatoos she wants to get when she turns 18. I hope she changes her mind. by then.
   About 8, Teri calls and says she is on the way to pick up Nastia, I tell her don't hurry we are still at the mall. I then have a great idea for everyone to get some frozen yogurt. Teri says it is not fair because Nastia is having stomach problems and that will just make it worse. I tell Elena she can go get her sister and meet me at the car. They get to the car and we head home. On the drive Nastia says she didn't get anything to eat during work. I tell her she needs to eat when she gets home. She is all of 87 lbs with her clothes on soaking wet.
  Here is where it goes bad. Elena says she can eat her taco for dinner, I don't think about how wrong that is until Teri tells me how bad of an idea that is. Teri makes her soup.
   A few days ago Nastia threw up in school and we took her to the doctor. She was given some pills and she threw up again last night. Tonight she threw up again and Teri wanted to bring her to the ER. I said it wasn't necessary. She was just throwing up real bad and the chills and the pain in the stomach were from that. I also said that I would not be surprised if she was dripping in sweat. In my younger days I spent more then one night, early morning after drinking hunched over a toilet throwing my guts up.I think I'm right, but all I have to be is wrong once and something happen to one of the girls and Teri would never forgive me. It's not her fault, She did save her father from dying at least twice by making him go to the doctor. I hope, god please, that I am right and she will be OK until morning and when we take her to the Doctor, they will says she just has something that is not life threatening and she just need something simple.
She did spend sometime in the bathroom and she did have the chills. She did feel better after it was over, except for a sore empty stomach. The chills have stopped and she is very tired.
  Tomorrow morning I will take her to the doctor and we will find out what is wrong with her stomach. Hopefully everything will be OK and not taking her to the ER tonight will not matter.
 

In the Mirror

A while ago Teri said Elena was just like me. At first I said no, but in the back of my mind something said different. Now all this time later as I struggle to see God's plan for all of this I am sure of one thing. When I look at my daughter, Elena I am looking in the mirror. And that is part of the big picture.
  We, Teri and I received an e-mails from Elena's teacher that she had a folder that she was to work on at home over the weekend so when she came into school on Monday she could write a paper in class.
Do home work on a Friday! Homework is never assigned on Fridays and it is never done over a weekend! How dare they!! This was the silent thoughts going through my daughter's mind when Teri and I told her to work on her paper Friday. At her age I would of felt the same way and I would of not done the work or I would of fought my parents the same way she was about to fight us.
   Teri  had taken the lead and Elena was sitting at the table doing, sitting in front of her work, when I came home She was sitting twirling her pen and wasting time. I knew where this was going and I didn't want to be the anger in the middle of it all. I went upstairs.
   I came down later when I heard Teri yelling at Elena. The rage in her voice made me glad I'd not stayed. Teri was saying something about sitting there twirling a pen wasting time, could of been done by now. That was just the beginning.
  Teri and I talked to her, threatened her, joked, explained to her all angles that we could think of to get her to understand the advantage of doing the booklet in advance of Mondays paper she had to write in class. She didn't even have to write the paper at home, it was a class project!
   I first bought up the subject of punishment when I'd gotten frustrated with Elena. I'd told her after dinner, we'd started eating when the latest assault on fortress Elena's pig headedness had started. I suggested right after dinner she clear her plate and go right up to bed. In a show of thick headed dutchmenness my father would of been proud of she said,'Well I'll just go to sleep.' Well I'd be damned if she was just going to go to sleep and not suffer and regret the consequences of her decision. How dare she thwart my plan!  Teri jumped in before I said something like 'No you won't being going to sleep. I'm making you stay up extra late for that!!' Teri said that Elena was to go upstairs and get her cell phone, her Ipad and bring them both downstairs. Teri had decided on the nuclear option, Elena was losing her electronics, her toys, her babies. The Ipad and phone were put on the center of the table and left there for everyone to see and be reminded of the futility of rebellion.  Later I got in on the destruction when I caught her using her computer. Her response to the expected question was, "No one said I couldn't use it." and she was right, so I told her it was included in the bad.
     That night We made her sit with us as we watched a movie she had no interest in. There was the occational seigh, but for the most part she was good. In an effort to end this I gave her a very impassioned plea. I told her if she got up early, not really early, maybe did her chiors and sat down about eleven and did her homework I would talk to her mother and maybe Elena would be allowed to go to the library (yes, we took that away to.no she doesn't go there to read books, they have video games to play there.) . I also explained how We don't want to punish her and if she just gives in a little she can get back most everything she's lost very quickly.
   The next morning she gets up, does her choirs, sits down at the table at eleven and does her homework. She is done in under an hour. All that for nothing,wow. She goes to the Library, she still loses her eletronics until Monday night when she is forced to sit through another family night.
  We both hope she takes something from all this, but I don't know, I hope.
  She has forced me to take long deep hard looks at who I was growing up and how I changed. I was just like her in not letting anyone tell me what to do.She is more overt then I ever was. If someone wanted me to do something I didn't want to do I'd listen and do what I wanted to. I remember my mom fixing me a plate of home made french fries and a steak. For some reason I didn't want to eat it.I sat there for the longest time. It was one of my favorite meals. The only cure for me was to grow up.

American Museum Of Natural History

The Girls had off for mid-winter recess the second week of February. Teri on Wednesday of that week decided it would be a good day to go to the Museum. I was working that day and I told her I was not going to go.Early that morning, I woke up and while I was lying in bed I realized I wasn't going to the Museum because that was what my father would of done. He would of gone to work and earned money so we could survive. The difference between my Dad's job and mine was I would not be missed if I didn't show up. I even had an agreement with my boss that I was paid a set fee and not by how much I worked. He'd taken advantage of it, it was time I did. So I called up the office as soon as Roger was in and told him I was not coming in and I told him the truth why.
  We got into the car a bit after 9 am and got into the city with no problem.Teri talked about going into the parking garage under the museum, bu I remembered parking on the street last time I went with Cory and Ryan about fifteen years ago.
 We drove up and down a few streets when I spied a car getting ready to pull out. It was a small spot, but I turned off the radio,told the girls to be quiet and backed into it on the first try. Nastia, who is learning to drive said she could never do that. I told her she would before she went for her license.Finding that parking spot, for me was the high point of the day. It got better when We realized we were only a block over from the museum.
  When We entered, Teri said the cost of tickets was $22.00 each, but it was just a suggestion. I was told to offer $10.00 a ticket, because that was all we could afford (1/2 a job between Us) I worked my way through the line thinking there is no way I will do that. We, I have always paid full price and wouldn't chinc on the price. What had this world come to when to get into the museum I would chisel the price. I got to the ticket booths and everyone followed me. I said five tickets. She asked how many children? I chiseled and said two, and three adults. Then She said the suggested price is $110.00. She gave me an opening. I took a deep breath, let it out  and said, asked I'm going to pay $50.00.  She accepted it without expression, without comment, without even calling me a cheap bastard, who has a lot of never short changing this wonderful organization, which was what I felt should at the minimum be my penance. She just says to remember to visit the food court, and smiles a strange smile, like there is a joke and I don't get it.* We go to the gate and get a smile from the guard, who takes our tickets and says don't forget to try out food court* and She smiled a smile that made me feel as if she knew something I didn't, like the world was going to end before I got my $10.00 worth of the Museum from my under paid ticket. We moved away from her quickly...
  The first place We headed was the 4th floor where the dinosaur was. He is so big that he doesn't fit in one room.
He is longer then my house, maybe even the length of our property. I have a video.
  We spend a good amount of time on the fourth floor. And when it feels like We have gotten our $10.00 worth* we venture to other places. We spend several hours walking through the different galleries and see things that you didn't know existed. Sad Things that no longer exist.

   About two in the afternoon everyone says they are hungry. Teri says there is a food court in the basement. A chill runs down my back as I remember the words of the ticket seller and the guard at the entrance.* Everyone agrees loudly, except me,who in a small voice tries to remind everyone what the witch, I mean the guard at the entrance had said, but they are gone and out of earshot* I give chase.

The cellar must be evil, it must house a deadly amulet that requires the sacrifice of a Russian father who's not Russian. It's all too clear. That must be that.* I run faster, but they seem to shrink further from me with every step I take. I raise my hand to yell for them to slow down, but I hear myself said for them to keep going I'll catch up. I start down a flight of stairs and suddenly realize I'm heading upstairs, the wrong direction. I stop and try to turn around and my feet are stuck to the steps. It;s like in a dream. I'm afraid to look down at my pant for fear that I will not be wearing any clothes. The lion heads on the ends of the banisters flare up like giant snakes, hissing and spitting at me.The rails next to me grab at me pulling at me, while twisting around me covering me, preventing me from saving my family. The rails prickly spines wind their way around me slowly suffocating me. They wind around my chest, forcing the air from my lungs. Around my neck and slowly into my mouth and nose, the thorns ripping at my skin, blood beginning to trickle down my cheeks. The Vines then cover my eyes pressing against them wanting burst them and enter my skull. As I begin to lose consciousness I hear two soft pops and the world goes black.

  The next sensation I feel is a soft nudging, then  a harder one to the ribs. My Wife is glaring at me, asking me if I've fallen asleep on my feet and do I want her to pay the bill for lunch. I shake my head, smile, she looks at me like I've just asked a street walker for directions. I look around, having no idea where I am. Then the realization hits me. WE ARE IN THE FOOD COURT, but except for it being crowded, not a hint of evil do I sense. I smile reaching for my wallet, for a brief moment I fear it will not be there. A soft bulge confirms it's safe. I slide it out of my pocket and go for my debit card, as I glance at the total. It doesn't make sense, it looks like someone printed their phone number at the bottom, where's the total. In the back ground two high pitched voices laugh at almost a screaming pitch and now I have found the evil in the basement. All the cheap, all the bargain hunters, all the poor are herded down to the basement and made into Soylet Green (AHHHHHH!!!!) (If You don't get it watch the movie) (AHHHHHHHHHH!) No the revenge of the spirits is we are charged over $100.00 for a lunch of two orders of chicken fingers, fries, a sandwich and an ice cream and three drinks,for four people. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! THE HIGH PITCHED LAUGHTER GETS LOUDER AND LOUDER SUFFOCATING, OVERWHELMING, OH MY GOD I CAN'T BREATH!!



* Where there is a * that didn't happen, I hope.

A Snowy Saturday at home.

The prediction of up to two feet of snow anywhere from Virginia to New York was known for most of the week before and everybody did their preparations for it. Of course the supermarkets were still packed the day before the storm and I was wandering around doing last minute things either I forgot to do or didn't make time to do. The most upsetting last minute surprise was finding the snow blower that I worked on last summer only sort of worked when I started it up. At full choke it would run at low RPMs and if I took the choke off the motor would stop. I shut it off and hoped it would not snow too much.

   It was supposed to hit starting at about 9 pm. I went to bed around 11 pm and it hadn't started, I was glad and when I woke up around 7:30 with about an inch or two I thought god had taken pity on me and We would get only a little snow. Well the winds picked up and the snow picked up and it kept coming down all day long. I went out to sweep around 11am, then again around 1pm and a third time around 3pm when I spent some time playing with the dog.
     Mesha loves the cool weather and wants to go out in it every time someone goes toward the back door. 

  I have spent the fall working on the mud room and finished putting down the new wood floor the day before the snow started. I feel I have to wait until the weather changes to put a finish on the floor. Hopefully it won't get damaged.

   No One was going out anywhere today, the governor declared a state of emergency and Nastia was sick and her work called anyway to tell her they were closing so don't come in.

 n Everyone sat around and watched movies under blankets in separate rooms. I went outside when the weather let up a little bit and played ball with the dog. Teri declared it a perfect day when we gathered in front of the living room TV to watch The Martin. It was enjoyed by the four of Us.

  Now it is two minutes to 11pm, the wind is howling outside and the snow every so often blows up against the window and it has gotten quiet. It might not be a perfect life, but the day was damn close to a perfect day. God has blessed my unusual family. I hope they feel the same.

From Nastia's birthday to Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve and everyone except me has gone out to visit Aunt Sue. The House is quiet, which is rare these days. The Girls get up for school at six am, Teri a little while later and I'm up by 6;30.

  The Girls go off to school by 6;50 and I leave for my part time job about 8am. I stop off at my Mom's until 9'30 and get to work around 10 am.
 I leave work at about 2 pm and always get home to a noisy house, so this is rare.
   Nastia's birthday was simple this year, we went to the Hard Wok in Nanuet on Route 304. She invited David and everyone had a good meal and some fun. We were going to go for Ice Cream,but it was cheaper to stay at the Hard Wok and eat it there.
  That was Thursday, On Sunday we had Cake and Ice Cream. Only Nancy showed up. David couldn't make it, my Mom was very tired and I forgot to invite everyone else, oops.
   This hollow day (no I spelled it correctly, Forced spending, fake cheer, stress, some day I'll get into it) season has had it's share of firsts. This year, Nastia and Elena were told to buy their own Christmas gifts. For the proceeding few weeks I would get them talking about items they might get for their Mom. Hoping they would get something original for her that I hadn't thought of.The Three of Us went to the Palisades Center about ten days before Christmas. At the door I told them to go and buy their gifts. They could go on the own to together. As they walked away I asked if everyone had their money?  Elena answered, "No", she left it home. So I gave her 60 dollars, yes a mistake in hind sight and off they went. I walked around the Mall figuring I had awhile. About twenty minutes in Teri gives me a call and asks how is it going? When I tell her the girls are off on their own she tells me that was a very bad idea and I shouldn't of done that. I tell her they have to start growing up and this is how it needs to be done. She says they are to irresponsible, She is right, but if We wait for them to become responsible they will be ready for nursing homes. The only problem with my way is if something happens once it's all going to come down on my head and be my fault. Bad position to be in. Sometimes I feel she wants them put in bubble wrap. She won't let them touch sharp object, feels real real bad when they get a cut. I want them out there and safe. She wants them safe, then out there.
  After about an hour after they started, they called and said they were done. We met and on the way out Elena goes, "This is why I hate shopping,it takes too long. They're really not real girls I guess.

Boyfriend,boyfriends, and boyfriends!!

Nastia is dating David, a nice kid. After some of the losers she bought home before, David should be a relief, and mostly he is. He does dumb things like driving his car when it is not ready to drive. He's had an accident and will not drive my daughter any time soon. He's invited her over and then told her she can't come over because he has to do work for his aunt. Most all his transgressions are because he is a young kid and will get smarter.
  Elena, she is not dating, I think. Reason I say that is, she wasn't dating anyone, then she says she's dating a guy who lives long distance and met through a friend. Teri and I got angry because she is not allowed to give out her number to people she meets on Xbox. She insisted she knew the kid from Congers Elementary. I didn't want it after the loser Nastia met on Xbox and wanted to invite over for a weekend. The Kid would tell her he didn't go to school today because his parents don't care. True or false I didn't want to find out.
  The next night, she says her and Mathew might get back together, I let it go and Teri handled it. She dated Mathew for a while and broke up in the Spring, no reason given from Elena. Some time last month he began sniffing around again asking if she was dating any one and Teri and her made jokes about what she should say. Elena seemed interested and it went on for a while. He just recently said he is not ready to get back together with her. Is she really that tough on guys or are they just that weak? Kids, I don't miss being single, it SUCKED.

An unpleasent surprise

Late night, Teri, Elena and I were having a quiet dinner. Nastia was at work at the movies. Teri left the table and went up stairs, it was just Elena and I.
  Elena starts scratching her face and rubbing her eyes. I think she is suffering from allergies, so I tell her the more you scratch, the more it will itch. She gets up and goes to the bathroom down stairs. She comes back, then so does Teri.
  Teri looks at her and asks her if something is wrong, Elena says, no, she continues to scratch her face. Again Teri asks her if something is wrong. I get up to clear my plate and I want Teri to quit bugging Elena.
  When I sit back down she is still pushing Elena. I lift up her glasses and look at her face. I see some red cheeks and they are slightly puffy. Teri is still pushing Elena to tell her what is wrong, I still don't see anything really wrong.
  The next thing I hear is Teri, her voice starting to raise a little and a touch of frantic entering it say to her what did you take. I'm thinking, take, our daughter doesn't take anything!
  It turns out Elena had a bad headache, so she goes upstairs to take some aspirin. The problem is She doesn't know what to take, so she guesses and since it is a bad headache, she takes three. When she tells Teri what the bottle looks like and I read oxycodone, I get scared. At that point Elena decides it is time to throw up again and She hustles down stairs, Teri follows, I am asked to call and find out about the medicine she took.
  I call CVS and talk to the pharmacist, a pleasant lady who reassures me that Elena took Percocet and being it was out dated, it was less potent. She also gives me poison control's number, which I call and get another pleasant women who reassures me again that it was not endangering. She says the same things that CVS said and also said her throwing up was good too, it getting some of the drugs out of her system.
Poison Control also said she would feel bad for several hours, head, stomach would hurt, she would feel a little dizzy and keep her hydrated. Give her something to eat.
  Now a day later, she is mostly good, but is complaining her stomach bothers her. Teri say she's like the comment about Barney Rubble in the movie Night Shift, that Barney Rubble, what an actor.
She's acting a little if you don't get the reference.
The thing that bothers me most about this, is I didn't notice the three trips to the bathroom in a short time and the change in Elena's behavior.
The one thing we stressed beside never take medicine you can't read is never take more then two pills, unless told to.

Everyone goes to High School, Dutchess County Fair and water gun cuts

It has been a busy last few days.
    The Danger Girls made an appearance at the Dutchess County Fair for most of ten rides.

They hit the Zipper, which made me sick just looking at it. For those not in the know, two cylinders rotate around an oblong tube, the long way, while the tube spins occasionally flinging these same cylinders over its long end. They went on it three times. They then went on 'Fire Ball' A line of cars sit in a large loop and it spins around the loop. They went on it three times. Then the scariest one, I think was called Khaos. They sit in a group at the bottom of a long metal beam sitting straight up and proceed to be flung around in large loops. I was invited to join the Danger girls, but my danger days, Lighting loops and the Great America Coaster at Great Adventure are far in the distant past. So I sat and imagined ways the rides would break and fling people to their death and pray it would not happen (Really Dad!!).

  WE left for the almost two hour trip there after some fun (Really Dad!!) at home about 9:30, picked Nancy up and got there at about 11:00. We had our advance entrance tickets and the Girls had their advance ride tickets, so We entered with no hassle. We had lunch soon after, I had a poor Philly cheese steak and later found a stand that sliced the meat there, gave you onions and peppers and might of not used cheese sauce. Of course this stand charged a dollar more.
  We walked the Barns and Teri talked to one of the women who had cows there, who described the fair as a spa day for the cows. They get washed and special care every day of the fair. Teri, Nastia and Elena all petted every Animal at the fair it seemed.
  We finished the day at The Cracker Barrel in Fishkill, one of Teri's favorite places to eat. Fun was had by all.
    The next day the temperature went from a comfortable mid 80 to the low 90's, with humidity. No One did much.

   Monday was the last day of Summer vacation before school so with the weather still hot Jessica and David came over to swim. I got home from work at 2:30, I know I have to find full time

employment, but I'm enjoying it while I can. I was asked to cook up some hot dogs for three of the four swimmers.\I called them to eat, when Elena gets out of the pool she is in a little pain and holding her left hand in her right. Some Blood is pooling in her palm and a few drops of red are running over the edge and dripping down spotting the ground, leaving a red trail, reminding me of the red wedding on Game of Thrones. (Ask someone who's seen it)
  No it wasn't that bad. She was rough housing with David and she grabbed for the water gun and he pulled it away and her hand caught on the plastic sight on the barrel and ripped a two inch, maybe a little more gash,in her palm. It looked real bad, but it didn't really bleed. I flashed back to when they were first ours and Elena hit Nastia with the branch, I did better this time. I got her a rag, yes it was out of the pile of clean rages and it was a former towel
 torn into a strip for her hand. She went with Jessica and got dressed. I took her over to Immediate Medical care in New City , where this Polish doctor with a gay assistant (not that there is anything wrong with being Polish. It's a joke, grow a thicker skin.)
  We had insurance issues over the Summer and the Girls insurance was cancelled. Even though We got it taken care of in a few days their coverage didn't take effect until... anybody want to take a guess? That's right, not until tomorrow, the first of September. The cost wasn't too bad. It was $100.00 for the visit and $130.00 for the stitches. Do You know they charge by the inch for cuts.Elena, got six stitches. I asked if it was cheaper by the dozen, Elena didn't like that. She was a good patient. She just didn't like the needle in the cut for the pain killer.
  Lastly today is the first day of School. I didn't sleep very well. I guess I was suffering P.T.S. from my days going to school.
This might be Teri's first back to school day. She was always going to her job. Wait last year she did take Nastia to the bus stop. This year they both walked to the bus. It's gonna be fun this year, NOT!!

Elenapalosa part 2

When We celebrated Elena's birthday and I wrote about it I said it was going to be hot out on Saturday. Well it was, I looked at the clock on the garage wall and it looked like it was bumping up against 100.
   I helped Karl mow his neighbor lawn. While doing that the pool turns green and the pump for the kitchen and downstairs bathroom quits working. It's the pump that pumps stuff out of the house. When I got back Teri had everything humming along.There is nothing to do about the pool on short notice and the pump downstairs quit working because the GFCI outlet got old (more Home Depot Crap) and quit working. Tomorrow I'll fix it.
 She bugged me to eat lunch. After that she bugged me to shower. After that I sat down and was watching the Yankee game and falling asleep, she tells me to heat up the grill to start cooking the chicken. AHH...married life.
  The Chicken cooked on some foil letting it cook in the juices. I added barbecue sauce and let it cook some more on the foil. The barbecue sauce didn't seem to stick to the chicken, so I took it off and put it on the grill. I have to work on that a little.
  I picked up, with Elena her friend Jessica and Justin's family dropped him off. All four kids hit the pool and would of stayed there all day and night if we didn't make them get out.

   Everyone ate hot dogs, burgers and chicken. There were salads and we ate outside. It was after 5:30 so I guess it had started to cool.
  Everyone had Ice Cream cake and Elena opened gifts
  About eight Justin's parents come by to pick him up, a little while later I get out the bug coils as everyone starts to say good night. It was a night day.

Elenapalousa 2015 part 1

My youngest turned 15.
I know one day I will look back at this day and think she was so young then and I will wonder where all the time went, because I am doing that now.

  Moscow, is a dream I went to in a drug induced  cold I had one day and I'm not sure I was ever there, it seems so far away. The Girls on the other hand seem to be growing up so quickly I can't imagine where the time went and how I got so old and fatter ( I was never skinny).
  When You start to go gray, it seem like you start to fade and when you look at old pictures it seems there is too much color in them and You look all bright and alive. Just ignore this last statement, I don't want to be a total downer.
  Yes, My Youngest turned fifteen the other day, We are so proud of the young women she is becoming. She is no longer the skinny little Russian girl, who was afraid to speak up. She is a noisy teenager, with more opinions, then knowledge, you know the type, a typical American teenager, yep that's the one. A special aside to Masha, the Russian who I stumbled across in 2008 when We first bought the kids over. She said only Russians could raise Russian children. I guess She was right, their no longer Russian kids. Their free thinking Americans and if they were to go back to Russia, they would be looked at like a virus, a free thinking virus, what this world needs more of.

Our plan for Elena's birthday was to go to Nanuet Restaurant. About twenty seconds away Teri says "I think they are closed." Oops, I forgot on Mondays they are closed. We went to Nanuet Hotel and the pie was as good as Nanuet Restaurants. We had our fill and a little to bring home to snack on the next day. It was nice.
   Saturday, will be the day for a little party, by the pool, starting around 4pm. It is supposed to be hot.

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."