Elena's new car

Well it finally happened. Elena has an other car. In a sense it is new, new to her. It's a 2003 Ford Taurus. It has 91,000 miles on it about. I drove it and it is quiet and a very nice car. With the money she got for them totaling the Toyota, $1,846.83 and $553,17 from her savings she will be the proud owner of this car.
       It's been a bit of a long and winding road to get here and if it wasn't for Teri's dogged determination we would still be looking for cars on the internet and at gas stations.
       This all started back on June 16th, I think. I'm at work and I get a call from Elena she's been in an accident. She is ok, but suddenly the distance I work from home is very great. It takes me half an hour to get to where the accident happened. When I got there both cars were in the parking lot of a dentist office on Rt 304. Her car had a crumbled front fender and two flat tires. It didn't seem bad. Chris Kelly towes the car away and so begins the long drawn out process of solving this car problem. Teri calls Franchino's Allstate office at some point and they tell her the money will be put in our account in a short while, I'm amazed at the speed. That person also didn't know what they were talking about. That phone call makes me think it's done and I ignore the calls from Allstate. When I do answer them a week later I'm told no such payment is on the way and Elena and the other driver have to make statements. Elena and I call one day and she answers questions, I clarify them when necessary. The other driver, a sixteen year old driving with only a permit and no licensed driver ignores all requests to be interviewed. It's mid-August by now and we are starting to get anxious about what Elena will drive. Nastia has been a trooper about sharing her car. When they both work and I get home after they have left there is no problem, they have worked out a driving schedule and who has the car picks up the other one. They've been true sisters during this, never a fight over it.
      About a week ago Allstate says the other side never responded to requests to be interviewed and because of that they are accepting 100% responsibility for the accident. We start looking for a car. Cheap cars, but a little more then her first budget. I get a little gutsey and bring up a subject that caused a nasty fight between us several weeks ago. I say why doesn't she take out a small loan. Teri doesn't think it is a good idea still. I still disagree, but resist going further.
   A day or two later Teri says she has found a car. It a 2003 Buick Alero in Pearl River. It was made during GMC's bad period  in the early 21st century six years before they declared bankruptcy. The guy wants 3 grand for it. We look at it and it is nice. I don't take any pictures of it. The interior is clean and the car looks very well cared for. The radio looks a little beat. Dan, the owner gives his speech about his little old lady grandmother driving it and they wanted to use it, but they have one child and his wife is expecting twins in a little while and it is too small for his new family. Elena and I take it out for a drive. In retrospect that was a mistake. I should have driven. She drives around the block and when she is going slow I hear a clunking sound. I've heard that sound often on cars and it is never a good sound or cheap fix. After losing cars because we've waited I've gotten a little quick to pull the trigger. I negotiate a price of $2,400.00 A good price if there is no problem with the front end. Teri is not happy. Nastia calls David who will be in town the next day and he agrees to go see the car. When We get home I call Eric and he tells me it could be a CV joint or something like that. Parts would cost about $400.00 then labor.
     So the next day David goes with Elena and Nastia to see the car. They get there and it pours, so they don't see much and don't drive it. I call later that evening and tell Dan we are backing out of the sale.
       A few days later Teri sees another car online. Her and I go to see it. It's a Ford Taurus just like my mothers car. It's blue and very clean. I drive it around the block and I listen for any odd sounds. The car is very quiet and I hear nothing. It is a very quiet car for having 92,000 miles. This time with Teri's permission  I ask the couple, whose daughter owns the car what is their best. They say $2,500. I hold out my hand to shake theirs and say $2,400.00 They wait a moment and say yes. So Elena owns what looks like a nice car.















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The Great Phone Exchange*

* Like the title to the Great Train Robbery with Sean Connery- don't tell me you future people don't know who he is?

I often wonder how this blog will read in the future. My daughters and wife exchanged their phones that were once really great phones and upgraded to IPhone 8s. The 8 is not as good as the X (10) I guess but not liking Apple products I really don't know. Why you may ask? I was never a fan of Steve Jobs. Then I read a book about him. He was an amazing person, but he was arrogant and a pig. That arrogance rubbed off on his company. Little things like not being able to access the interior of the phone to replace a battery. The huge pair the company has to charge $1000.00 for a phone. The single button mouse that no one will remember is my favorite. This is not to say he didn't have some brilliant ideas.
      Well enough of that, about three weeks ago my phone wouldn't charge. So I went out and bought a battery. It still wouldn't charge so I bought it to a kiosk in the mall. (Kiosk is a russian word we stole from Russia in the 90's when the Soviet Union fell) He said I needed a new plug, but if He put one in I'd need a new screen because if he removed the screen it would crumble apart. The gorilla glass was the only thing holding it together. It would cost $180.00. When I balked, he lowered it to $160. So I reluctantly agreed. I spent  about $210.00 to refurbish the phone.  It works great. FYI a new LG phone is three and change.
      Now about a week ago I'm with Nastia and I ask her to call the house. She does and gets angry. She show me her phone. It flashing bright then black, on and off. She has been complaining about this for months and I ignored her. When I saw it I guessed it was time for a change.
     We used to all go to the Sprint store, look at the phones we wanted and get them there and since we had a great and expensive plan we got discounted phones.
      Once a few months, maybe a year ago I looked into what was available. Sprite had ended the discounted phones and gone to leases. I didn't want that so I waited, thinking we could go to another carrier when all three phone lines were free of their contracts. That time had long passed.
      About a week ago I'm sitting out on the deck of the pool with Nastia. I'm drinking a beer and relaxing, it might have even been Friday. I get the big idea it's time to call Sprint. I get out my phone and call. The first person I speak to tells me I have to pay my back balance. I tell her it is going out the next day, which it was. She insists I need to take care of it before anything else can happen. So I pay it over the phone in full. She then transfers me to purchasing. Everyone I spoke to that day had an Indian accent. That is OK, except some of them spoke english a bit too accented and it was difficult to understand them.
      The second person I speak to tells me I can get Iphone 8's or 10's. I tell her I am a long time customer and I used to get discounted phones and I understand you don't do that anymore so what can you do for me? She transfers me to her supervisor. I ask him the same question. He tells me he can give me ten dollars off on each lease plan and he waves the fees on activation and another fee, then he changes his mind and says oh, I can't wave the activation fee. I know I have him on the fees because I'm still willing to walk away from the three phones. So I tell him to go talk to his supervisor and tell him to wave the fee or this whole deal will explode. He say, like he didn't hear me that he will let me talk to the connection specialist or something like that. I say I don't want to talk to him, I want you to talk to him and tell him this whole deal will explode over these fees if they are not waved. He finally relents. At this point I'm glad I got my phone a new battery, I've been on the phone for over an hour. Things are finally settled and the phones get shipped out.
   They arrive and sit on the table for a few days until Teri and the girls can all go and get them activated. Nastia has a date with David for yesterday, Wednesday and Elena has therapy. It's not optimal to do the phone upgrades and I've been through it so I don't want to go. Teri says I negotiated this deal, I need to be there. Then as an aside she says I should at least bring Nastia up early to get her phone started. I hear Teri say this, but it comes across as, I don't know, maybe like static, I hear it, but with everything else going on yesterday morning it is not something that makes an deep impression on me. It didn't seem important and that was how I treated it.
     About 6:30 Teri pick the girls up and goes to drop Elena off at therapy. After it is over around 7:45 I get a call. They are heading to the mall. I race over there and things have already progressed. I'm not needed and I'm wondering why I'm there. I get to hold the empty box the phones came in, so I guess I was needed. I also notice Teri isa little nasty to me. At one point I call her away from the counter with the idea to ask her if she is angry with me, instead I pivot and make a suggestion about something that was being discussed. I put my arm around her and it is shrugged away. I say my piece and she goes back to the counter.
      The Sprint guy tells us it will be an hour, so we leave. David arrives and he and Nastia are told to return around 9:30. Around this time I find out, yes Teri is angry at me because I could have gotten Nastia up to the mall earlier. Yes I did get home around six, but I had the time. I barely remember her saying anything about going early. So all that is accomplished is now I'm angry too. We eat and head back. The phones are ready and the girls love them. $81.00 are spent on protective covers for the phones ( 18 months @ $15.00 plus $180. to own even if broken) Everyone leaves happy, even Teri and I who are over our anger, well at least I am. 

















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I made my daughter cry

I tend to forget the tough outer shell Elena puts up is just a shell and is really very thin when it comes to Teri and I. So making her cry is not hard, but it is still upsetting.
      Yesterday morning I go to the girls bedroom and wake Nastia up and tell her to make sure her sister signs some papers for RCC and gets them in the mail. She rightly tells me to wake her sister up and tell her. Elena is already awake and tells me she is OK and will do it. I get down close to her face speaking right against her cheek and tell her it again. There are two envelopes on the table next to my computer. open them up. sign them and put them in the mail. She says ok, without opening an eye.
       I come rolling in about quarter to six that night. I didn't feel in a bad mood. Elena is at the table, I think sitting near the doorway to the family room. Across from her are both of the envelopes and they are not opened. I pick them up, look at them for a moment and toss them over to her and tell her in a slightly angry voice "You were supposed to take care of these this morning." She picks them up and begins to open them. After a moment I hear a sniff and I put a hand on her shoulder and ask her if everything is OK. She stands up, teary eyed and angry. I'm a little at a loss. I didn't really yell at her. Elena goes on about how it was just a mistake and everyone makes mistakes, even I do. I take her into my arms half expecting her to push me away. I slide my arms around her back also half expecting her to not respond, but then I feel her arms around me, I feel accepted by her and I hug her a little tighter. I tell her I'm sorry (tear are rolling down my face as I write this, well really just one, I'm a guy after all) and I shouldn't have yelled at her. (I really didn't think I did) She says its not fair for me to come home in a bad mood and yell at her for something so little. (that is true, I've done that before. Today I didn't feel in a bad mood, I think) She calms down and she proceeds with shaky hands to go through the papers. Nastia joins in to help her as I look at the contents of the second envelope trying to be helpful. She signs the papers and I put them in the mail.
      Later that night we go look at a car for her and get sandwiches from a place called B Balls. She puts a mountain dew up on the counter and later when her mother asks why she has that, I say with all honesty, "I made her cry so I couldn't say no."

Elena's new bedroom part 2 of.....

Or look who's sleeping in your bed.

When Elena was given the back bedroom, Nastia asked for the big bed. When Elena and I started on the room the big bed was moved into Nastia's room and one bed in there was taken down. So this five foot now one hundred pound girls has this huge bed. 

 Nastia decided to sleep over Jessica's house last night. Elena was invited, but decided she rather stay home. Elena has never expressed an interest in the bed so to my surprise this morning I found her sleeping in Nastia's bed.

Kind of reminds me of Goldilocks and the three bears. Would Elena be baby bear and was the bed just right?

Progress has been made on Elena's room. I've taken down wall of plaster and lathe before, the dining room for example, but I just don't remember there being so much plaster, lathe and dust. Elena took down the walls, I spent an afternoon taking down the ceiling and with most of the lathe down we have these huge piles. Most of it is out front for junk day. About 2/3rds of the ceiling is still up in the room with a huge pile of lathe. I'm anxious to move on and these piles have to go before we can.

 

For the nineteenth time in her life, it's Elena's birthday!!

Elena's birthday started early this morning. A few minutes to three in the morning Anetha, our white farty dog,
Teri's favorite child, the one who sleeps on the bed up against Teri's leg and almost pushes her off the bed, for some reason decided she needs to sleep at the head of the bed next to our heads. I wake up and push her away. She tries it again a few moments late and again I push her away. I see Teri's phone light up across the room and think maybe she is scared of this so I go over and flip them over. I get back into bed. By now Teri is awake and she starts to pet Athena. Things seem to calm down a little when two people walk down the street, I guess the bars were closing. I get up to pee and when I come back Athena has stretched out in my spot and pushed the cover all up in a pile. I not to kindly shoo her back down to the bottom off the bed. Now Teri has to go and when this happens all the dog want to go too. Teri leads them outside and I wait sitting on the bed with a headache. It's the best way for me to get rid of this type of headache, I slept in a bad position and have a bad neck. Teri doesn't come back so I go downstairs. She is sitting in the chair in the living room saying she can't sleep now and I should go back to bed,which I do and of course I can't sleep either. Nasita passes the door and goes to the bathroom. Finally I fall asleep after four or so.
     I wake up several times during the morning and finally get up around eight. Teri and I go in to wake up Elena to wish her a happy birthday. I want to annoy her to consciousness. Teri the nice parent doesn't want her to wake up grouchy. Elena wakes up as we are discussing it. Teri then proceeds to torture her by singing happy birthday to her, She wakes up happy. I offer to get her a birthday bagel or I will warm up an egg sandwich. She chooses a birthday blueberry bagel with butter.
      Last night Nastia says she has a UTI and she has to go to the doctor. Elena quips Nastia should keep her hands out of her vagina to avoid a UTI.
      Nastia is also now awake and she declines an Elena birthday bagel. I go get Elena's bagel so she can eat before the two of them go to the Immediate Medical Care in Nanuet. They are being adult about this. Teri and I both are liking it.
      Elena eats and they leave. About a half hour later Nastia calls saying they won't take our insurance because it is out of New Jersey. This infuriates Teri who then has a select few works about it while pointing out if we lived in New Jersey and got sick in New York they still wouldn't take it?
       It might cost Nastia up to $200.00 for the visit. We'll submit it to the insurance company and see what happens. They are gone for an overly long time and Teri calls them reminding them that we are supposed to be to the mall by 2 pm. I try reminding Teri it is Elena's birthday and it really doesn't matter. 
       It is agreed we will go to Dave and Busters at 2pm. Teri goes off to pick up Nancy and I am left to take the girls to the mall. Jessica will get there on her own. I have some time and I didn't sleep real well last night, so I take a short nap. At 10 to 2 I get up, get the girls and Elena drives my car over to the mall. Knowing how Teri is about being on time I should have gotten up a little earlier because we are late. It doesn't make any difference in the grand scheme of life but to Teri being on time can be a big thing. She feels that if you are on time for the little things, then being on time for the big things will come easy. She is right, but sometimes it really doesn't matter.
       At Dave and Busters I go through all the cards I have collected over the years. When I used to go there regularly I had accumulated quite a few points. I find the card. It has twenty-five thousands points on it. I put it aside. I collect the cards with points on them and left over credits. I put some money on three cards and have two or three cards left with a few credits on them incase someone runs out early. Teri, Nancy and I go sit at a table and prepare to order lunch. It's not going to really be lunch, it's more of a snacky thing. I order nachos, Teri orders a combo dip plate, Nastia orders hot dogs wrapped in pretzel dough and Tater tots. Elena orders a massive burger with fries and a drink with an electric ice cube, it's really cool and weird. Jessica a smaller burger. Nancy orders a philly cheese steak. No one finishes their meal. All the appetizers are huge and the bill is a little larger than I'd hoped. With tip its $135.00.
       After food the girls go about playing games. It starts to get loud and Teri says she has to leave. She and Nancy head to Macy's. A wander around play a game or two with the girls and they decide it's time to cash in their tickets. They won only a handful. I add up what is on all the card except mine. It comes to about 3,000 tickets. If I add in what has been on my card for the last decade it amounts a little over 28,000 tickets. If they can find something good I will add my tickets in so they can get it.

     
We walk into the prize area and there is the usual crap. I look around on the top shelves and what I see is not spectacular. There is an XBox game for 100,000 tickets. Elena finds a bluetooth speaker she wants Nastia is picking out crap to just have. She wants a remote control helicopter. It makes me think it would be cool if they had drones. I don't see any. Nastia hold onto the helicopter. On the top shelf in the corner Nastia sees the drones. I take one down and they look it over. The Drone is 13,000 tickets. I go and recheck the tickets on the cards and yes I can get two drones. I ask if they want the drones and get an enthusiastic yes. I feel bad for Jessica, I just don't have enough tickets for three drones. We get the drones and head home
   

  At home the instructions say charge the battery for 90 minutes before use. So the girls head to the park to walk around. They come back home too late to use the drones. We are finishing off the day with ice cream from Dairy Queen.
      Northvale Dairy Queen is the closest, it takes at least twenty minutes to get there. We get in just before a rush, most of us ordering Blizzards. We sit outside and can feel the weather begin to change. Fall is coming sooner than any of us want. With it comes no high school, we have two college girls this year. Those thought and the cool weather put a slight chill through everybody.
       At the end of the day Elena came into the living room and I asked her if she'd had a fun day, she said she had. I told her we should try to make the next three hundred and sixty five days as fun. She doesn't seem convinced.

By the Sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea....

By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea, you and I, you and I oh so happy we'll be..... come on let's all sing it together. Really, you won't? I'll just humm it while I write.
      About six weeks ago, (by the sea, by the sea) the girls wanted to go to the beach. So after much reflection, self doubt and the realization they would eventually go on their own even if we didn't say yes we said yes they could go to the beach. (by the beautiful sea) They went had a blast and sometime around this time I think they asked us to go with them. Teri's busy season at her job is the summer so no vacations. at least for her. I won't get into it too much, it just has to do with part timers and friends of the boss who got time off. Anyway (you and I, you and I , you and I oh so happy we'll be) I started talking about going to the beach on a weekend. Teri likes to go in August and I think the week after July fourth is the best time to go. We looked over our schedules and decided that the best time to go was the first Saturday in August. Technically it was still July type weather, but it was August.
     
 The Plan was to leave early and stop for breakfast at Perkins Pancake house. The high point for me was to be Perkins. Sally Ann, Kenny and Katie were to join us along with Nancy. We left at 830. picked Nancy up in Nyack and got on the road by 9AM
    Traffic is heavy, but moving. It slows in the Oranges. Our projected time getting to the beach is late. If we stop at Perkins we won't get onto the beach until almost noon. Teri asks if we have to eat at Perkins. I say yes, then I think about how selfish I'm being for the next half hour until I finally tell Teri let's just go to the beach. She calls Nastia who relays the message and we go directly to the beach. When we get there everyone starts saying how they were looking forward to Perkins. I felt bad and angry at the same time.
   

We set up our chairs umbrellas and whatnot as always right next to the lifeguard and the high water mark on the beach. At least I hope it is. The girls, all three of them immediately go running off into the surf. I remember in my good old teenage years most girls would spend 99% of their time  getting sun on the beach, Not our girls they were in the surf most of the afternoon. Of course Nastia would complain about sand in places it shouldn't be. We settle in still I haven't eaten anything. I get a soda out of the cooler and break open the chips and settle in.
      About an hour later people complain about being hungry. I'm not looking forward to getting food on the boardwalk, but what are the choices. I don't want to go to the Beachcomber or whatever it is called that Nancy likes, so we wander on the boardwalk until someone gets tired and we settle on a pizza place. Nastia wants seafood so I go with her to a seafood place that is a sit down restaurant and we go back to have pizza. It was bad, but the slices were huge. I ordered two slices, one for me, one for Nastia and some french fries with a cheese sauce. The fries weren't to awful. The pizza I didn't finish. With a very large soda I spent $28.00. Well north of what it was worth. We sat at several tables in the back, no table being big enough for all of us and we ate.
      Back at the beach Nastia and Katie went back into the water,

Elena started digging a hole. She kept at it with the occasional side caving in until the lifeguard said there is a rule you can only dig holes up to your knee. Then her, Nastia and Katie get in the hole and we fill it in. I have a video of them trying to get out afterwards. It's the highlight of the day.
       Teri asks what time I want to leave. I say about 4-4:30, she says how about between 5-6? I say as long as it's closer to 5. At 6:30 Nastia is off buying a crab and Nancy want to get ice cream before we leave. Forgetting it's Saturday, not a week day, I'm thinking traffic will not be good

going home.
We get on the road about seven. Traffic is heavy, but moving. Around Paramus I notice a flash in the clouds to the east. I think we've missed the thunderstorms coming out of the west. The lightning show continues and gets better as we hit the Thruway going east. It ends and I think that is the end. About an hour after we are home the night sky opens up with a storm of heavy rain and lighting. A great way to end a long and sweaty day. I hope everyone had as good a time as I did. And we'll definitely do Perkins next time, I swear.   

I know this song because of  Bugs Bunny Cartoons from the 40's and 50's
"By the Beautiful Sea" is a popular song published in 1914, with music written by Harry Carroll and lyrics written by Harold R. Atteridge.^[1] The sheet music was published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.^[2]

The song was originally recorded by the Heidelberg Quintet, topping the early American music charts for six weeks in the summer of 1914, during the outbreak of World War I.

By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
You and I, you and I, oh how happy we'll be
When each wave comes a-rolling in, we will duck or swim
And we'll float and fool around the water

Over and under and then up for air
Pa is rich, ma is rich, so now what do we care?
I love to be beside beside beside beside beside
Beside the sea, beside the seaside, beside the seaside
Down by the beautiful sea

Elena's new bedroom

July 22, 2019 When we bought the house in 2003-4, I don't remember exactly when. I know it was November, I think, but back when we bought it we had a new heating system put in. Our heating duct guy gave us a price to run a few new ducts into the back bedroom and the forward bedroom. He tore a hole into the kitchen's south wall behind where the refrigerator was to go when we were done with the kitchen renovation and connected up the vent to the back bedroom. All the walls in the kitchen were coming down so I
only minded a little bit that he tore a hole in this wall. When he went to connect the front bedroom I couldn't let him tear into the dining room walls and connect the heating system because of a small vent a previous owner had installed. It had something to do with preserving history and the uniqueness of this house, plus we'd just put up new sheetrock, I think. I know I took down the original walls and added outlets. We completely redid the Kitchen from its 1930's or so styling, Those were thing that needed to be done to make the house livable. That vent wouldn't change any ones life, I thought. I guess life changing is a little strong. Because of a lack of insulation and only the one heating/air conditioning vent that poration of the house has always been cold. I remember one time Amanda was sleeping in the back bedroom and complained she froze one night. I went in and locked all the windows in the room and that bought the temperature of the room up into the almost comfortable

area. What all this preamble has been about is Elena wants to move into that room. Teri has agreed that Elena and I can take down the walls and ceiling, insulate and put up new walls. Elena's job is destruction and nagging. She is taking down the plaster and lathe. She'll then bag it and put it out for trash. My job is to help a little with destruction. I'm to guide and to put up insulation and finally the wall board. Elena's last job is to nag me to make sure I finish the job.
       The pictures on the left are from the first day or two of Elena taking down the plaster. Throughout the day I'd come in and immediately smell the familiar dust of falling plaster walls. Then the rhythmic pounding with small rainfalls of plaster in between. The plaster on those wall is not in bad shape and if there had been a way to insulate the walls without the foam injection method that might be hazardous to your health and Teri being sensitive to a lot of airborne things the walls come down. After the plaster, then the lathe. They are done separately so the lathe doesn't put holes in the bags and the garbageman won't take them. This is a project that will take a while. So far Elena has done all the work. There will come a time when I will become more involved, but right now it is all her and I think she really is enjoying herself.
         July 30, 2019
         Elena has worked really hard on her room. She has torn all the walls down and only the lathe and the ceiling remain. Yesterday she tore down the chimney that ran up the east wall  of the room. It would have been a beautiful accent to leave in place, but it took up a large part of what will be the closet.
       Back again to when we first bought the house. We were redoing the kitchen. The Chimney runs from just to the left of the basement door up behind where we put the spice cabinet and into Elena's room she is working on now. Back when we redid the kitchen I wanted to take it down. It was not being used and I could never see it ever being used. The builder said it would be very expensive to take down. So we built the spice cabinet in front of it. A few years later a storm knocked down the chimney to just above the roof line. We got some insurance money and took the chimney down and had a shy light put in. It brightened a very dark area of the attic.
       A few years ago I started hacking at the bottom of the chimney hoping to bring it down enough to install a  laundry chute. I got nowhere.
        Elena started taking down the chimney over the weekend. I did some Sunday night and she brought down the final six feet of it piling it nicely in one of the corners of the room. She said I could have the fun of bring it down stairs. I want to use the chimney to add to the stones patio out the back door. I want the bricks to be under all the plants I have near the house to keep the grass down.
















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The Poster comes down

Well it finally happened last night, no not that.The welcome home poster made by Amanda and Thasha finally came down.

The Poster folded on the table

       Teri and I were in the living room watching TV when Elena and Nastia came home from work. Nastia let Elena take her to work at Stop and Shop in New City. Elena's car is still broken (another story coming soon) . Elena drops her at work and then she goes to work at Pearl River ShopRite. When Elena is done she picks up Nastia and they both go to New City McDonald's for dinner at 9:30 at night.
       They walk into a cacophony of dogs barks. Elena goes from the front door to the dining room to say hello. In the dining room I hear her saying help. Teri goes, "oh, help her." I have no idea what is going on I get up out of the chair and see Elena holding the right end of the poster Amanda and Thasha put up for the party the night we came home from Russia.
        Now We all knew this day was coming, but like getting old or the end of summer you never thought it would happen so soon. It was always going to happen sometime in the future.
        The Poster was never supposed to stay up on the wall after the party. It was just something that was a reminder of the great adventure we all were on, so it was left up. When the tape became dusty and didn't stick, I added thumb tacks. During the filming of the movie, 'I think we're alone now' a Russian was working as an assistant. She points to the sign asking about it. I told her the story behind it. I expected a, "oh that was very nice of you" from her. I got an expression that said only Russian's should raise Russian kids. She then points out that the sign is spelled wrong.

The left side of the poster

        Last night the right corner torn itself loose from the thumb tack in a strong change of weather wind. Teri said it has to come down. I didn't argue, it seemed the right time. I pull the two thumb tacks from the left side and with Elena's help I gently fold it into thirds. I always thought once it comes down I'd cut it into thirds and frame it. Now that the time is at hand, I don't know if I can/will.

The center of the poster

The right side of the poster

       To me it is a piece of history that one day someone might want to touch and feel. This is something that has only as much value as you put into it. If years down the road someone's grandchildren find it and are asked about it the story can be told about how one night all the people in our lives came together to celebrate the first day in America for Nastia and Elena. 

July 4th ho humm through to July 9th their first beach day without us into the evening

I'm starting this post on July 6th 2019. Hopefully it will end on July 9th 2019 in the evening after Nastia and Elena have successfully returned from the Jersey shore. I can think of all sorts of horror stories that could befall the two of them on this trip, but like everything in life that scares you and you don't know how ironic that sounds coming from the shyest kid to ever go through school in Clarkstown, they have to be allowed to spread their wings and learn to fly if I want them to be successful and happy in life.
       Several weeks ago there was talk going around that the girls wanted to go to the shore. I ignored it, it was a while in the future. I was reminded about two week ago by their talk. This time I took notice and listened to what the plan was. Nancy was going to be the guide. The girls would drive. Now I always meant to teach them to drive on the Thruway and the Garden State and the Palisades Parkway, but there always seemed to be more important things to do. Immediately I put my foot down and said they could not go without another licensed driver. Nancy found a friend who asked if her grand daughter could come along too. That was not a problem. Things progressed smoothly from there.
       We went to Sally Ann's house for the Fourth of July. Elena had to work and couldn't/ didn't want to go.

The weather was hot and I finally got to make my jello shots, they were the hit of the party to some. I didn't have any. I didn't drink. We picked up Sally, Sally Ann's mom from Congers and with Teri driving we went up Route 9W past all the people who drove from somewhere else to spend the day at Bear Mountain State Park. It was so crowded there must have been a hundred cars parked on both the sides of the road along Route 9W. As we passed Hessian Lake at the northern end of the park all you could see were BBQ grill smoke and people. It did kind of look fun. Crowded, but maybe fun. Past the traffic circle near the Bear Mountain Bridge and it was another world. The traffic stopped, the crowds ended and the sleepy towns of the northern suburbs on a holiday weekend reappeared. Open empty roads were ahead of us and we got to Sally Ann's house just in time to see their float before it left for the parade. I gave the first jello shot to Sally Ann, she said she needed it. Twenty minutes later or so we walk up to the main road near her house to watch the parade. The temperature still hovered in the low 90's with a thick blanket of humidity around three-thirty when the parade started. We hung out and watched the parade. Three time I thought the parade had ended because we could not see any more marchers. But everytime I said lets go, more would appear far down the road. Finally after the third time I'd had enough and crossed the road to go back to Sally Ann's. The Jello shot were handed out freely to anyone over twenty and a half years old. Nastia being the twenty and a half year old who was allowed to try some. She had one and she also had a Mike's flavored drink. I forget with what, she didn't like it. There were chips and dips, hot dogs burgers, the usual BBQ stuff oh and there were Jello shots by some thoughtful person. I got some time to watch the Yankee game. Sally and I talked about her condo in South Carolina she's thinking about getting rid of.

We also talked some about my failure to get anything build in Nyack on Tony's property and how much time it took her to get her place built and how that would never fly today. We left a little after nine at night. I wanted to get home before Elena got home so she would not come home to an empty house. Nastia said she'd prefer the quiet of an empty house. I drove home because I wanted to. I was also reminded why Teri usually drives when we go somewhere. She has a hard time driving with other people these days. I can understand, I have trouble driving with her sometimes.
       We survived each other and I took her directions when they suited me and ignored her fears when I felt they were unwarranted. She wanted to go the Palisades from the traffic circle near Bear Mountain, we went that way and arrived home safely and to an already sleeping Elena.
     

 Today, Saturday the girls got up early to prove to me they were competent to drive on the Garden State. I handed the keys to Nastia and told her to drive to the Palisades Mall. We got to the mall and I told her to get on the Thruway. At eight in the morning on a Saturday the Thruway wasn't bad. She used a little help from her sister and we were on our way. I didn't know how far we'd go, but I wanted they both to drive a long distance and to experience the different things needed to survive a trip on a major road like that. Nastia exited the Thruway to the Garden State. I explained that on Tuesday all you'd have to do is go straight and get off at the  beach exit you wanted. Nastia drove steady for most of the trip. She tended to drive a little too much to the right in whatever lane she drove in. One or twice she would veer into the right lane. She was unsure about passing cars, but all and all she was deemed to be reasonably a safe driver. She went through toll booths and switched lanes to get into the correct lane to take the Garden State to the shore points around exit 129 or so. We stopped at the first rest stop to turn around, it had been about an hours ride. I went to the bathroom, Nastia got an apple and a drink, Elena said she was good. Elena took over driving, we got gas at $2.92 a gallon. Since it was my expedition, I paid for the gas. Elena turned us north and we headed for home. Elena drives more then her sister and the extra experience shows. She was more comfortable passing cars and just in general driving. She did have a tendency to occasionally drift out of her lane. I don't know if her mind wanders or if it was something else. It happened three times. As the Garden State Parkway ended Elena picks up on the correct way to go. I tell her to get on the Thruway. She says OK and then takes the exit for Nanuet, After it was too late, I pointed to her where I wanted her to be.Then I tell her it is OK, you'll learn another way to get home if the thruway is backed up.
It was a fun two hours with the girls. I hope they will be safe on their trip and I can write a glowing finish to this story on Tuesday night or Wednesday. With pictures they have taken.
7:49 AM July 9, 2019
     

Well they just left. I was getting breakfast when I heard the car start. The Escape has an exhaust issue so when it starts it's a little louder then it should be. The low rumble of the car, a few slamming doors and then the sound began to fade and they were gone to pick up Nancy and spend the day at the beach. Nancy's friend, Michele and her granddaughter filled out the cast of characters in today's epic adventure.
       Preparations for there grand adventure started yesterday. The day started rainey. That type of rain that made you almost need your wipers and when you did use them they weren't needed. Around eleven it cleared and became a nice day. It was warn, but not hot, The girls cleaned the inside of the car. vacuumed it and ran it through the car wash. I got a call around two in the afternoon from Nastia. She called to say Elena was walking home from New City. They'd had a fight over something and Elena got mad handed the key to Nastia's car to her and decided to walk. Of course no one was at fault. They'd just spent too much time together and lunch in New City was a little too much time together. I called Elena who'd by then gotten to the high school and told her to wait for her sister. She told me her side of the story and by the time she finished Nastia had found her and they both drove home together.
       Last night I went to pick up Elena whos car is still in need of repair. Nasita asked to come and we took her car so we could get gas in it in Jersey. We found a station selling gas for $2.65 a gallon. With a full tank a cooler of cold drinks, two chairs, a blanket, 50 sunscreen they are ready to go. Everything was packed this morning and now they are off. GOD KEEP THEM SAFE!   
This morning came early and a little angry. The girls got up at 7AM, They mostly had everything they needed ready and in the car. Michele, Nancy's friend showed up on time and everything was running smooth.

The world was very crooked that day.

       Last night I made the mistake of bring up Elena's car. I wanted her to have a better car and I thought it was a settled thing, it wasn't. The numbers if you ran them started to not workout. We got $1640.00 for the car repairs. The tow was $200.00, new tires were about $150.00, rimes included. That left about $1200.00. The car we were looking at was $2500.00 I thought I could get it for around $2000.00. There was a gap of $800.00 I was hoping to sell the car for about a thousand. That left little room for the unexpected. I got the unexpected from Teri. She thought Elena should just fix the car she has. Elena know the car and there is no problems with it after the repairs(hopefully). Teri and I had a loud discussion about it and after a while I quit fighting and said I would tell Chris to just fix the car. When I fight with Teri it doesn't matter if I win or not because I feel bad whatever  happens so in my daughter's eyes I must be the biggest pussy they have ever seen. It's sad but the joke is true about who has your balls after you get married. (excuse the last bit. I'm drinking and have no filter right now) So after last night's 'discussion' I thought another 'discussion' would not happen. Teri is in a job that is sucking the life out of her. It kind of is like Marcus Dairy was for me. The only difference is her income is what keeps this family going. So after last night Teri needed to vent and vent she did. She feel forgotten, unimportant, except for her paycheck. She is left out of things and there has been time where she felt she would like to just disappear completely.
       Its several hours later and the girls are home and safe. I'm sorry if I gave away the ending to the story.
     

 Nastia drove part of the way down to the beach and Elena took over to finish. They texted they arrived at 10:36. I'd asked for pictures and they sent the above left picture, a beach selfie. During the day Nancy sent a few more pictures of the girls and around 6:23 Elena announced they were heading home. We got the occasional update of where they were. They hit a little stop and go traffic and Teri texted a warning about how quickly it can stop and to be very careful. At 8:26 Elena texted they were leaving Nyack. It took them a little over two hours to drive home, not bad. Teri and I were waiting for them and met them on the front porch. Nancy's friend Michele and her granddaughter came up to shake our hand and say how much fun the trip was and how well the girls drove. It was very nice of her to do that. She even pitched in for some of the gas. Everyone was happy and arrived home safe. I could not have asked for more. After dark Elena went outside to finish setting off her fireworks. I was out with her and Nastia the previous two nights to supervise. After seeing what was allowed by the state of tighta.., I mean New York I didn't bother going out to supervise. The fireworks were very harmless. They were just fountains. No firecrackers, M80's not even roman candles. All very safe. New York is so good at keeping the stupid safe. Now if they could just save the middle class and make New York affordable again. OOOh, that sounded a little to trumpey there.

The Graduation Party Post

Early on the day of the party

The Graduation party has been in the planning stage for over two months. It started as an idea sometime in the rainy spring time as a distant idea for a time in the distant future that would only come after a real long wait and there was so much time to do things.
      When the cover for the pool was taken off in early May and the water was a dark coffee color, no milk, no problem we have time. When it rained at least one weekend day every week, that was OK, we have time and I don't think I can work two full weekend days every weekend any more. Plus who wants to. And the rain, the excessive rain every week didn't bother us, me either there was time for the weather to change.
     




Late May came and it was still raining. The mower broke and for two, three weeks the lawn grew like a weed with the excessive rain. Around the beginning of June with a fixed mower and a little luck the yard started to come together. The raised bed /pot (not the smoking kind) vegetable garden got planted. Tho the gardens on the north remained patches of weed (not the smoking kind) heaven. Finally progress seemed to be made.
       Then the week before the party hits and I could see all that needed to be done. There was work both Saturday and Sunday. Teri came out and power washed the chairs take had gotten stained by the fall and winter weather. Occasionally during the week a little more work would be done.
       Friday before the party I pick up Vanilla and Raspberry flavored Vodka thinking I'm going to make jello shots. Teri wants to make a Lemonade and lemon vodka drink and she says the jello shots will be a lot of work and we don't have time or refrigerator space, plus I didn't get the small cups I needed. I did remember to get the ribs I ordered from work. I get home and re-mow the lawn and put out the lawn furniture. At nine at night I am making hamburgers with the hamburger former Amanda got me for Christmas.
       On the morning of the party I'm thinking why didn't I make the party for Sunday? There is still so much to do. Teri is inside doing all the food prep and there is still dirty chairs, pool vacuuming, pool stairs to be put in, tents to get and assemble, beer to buy. The Weather is cooperating  sort of today. It is not raining, but it is hot and humid, going into the low 90's. Maybe it is a little too hot to stay outside. Good thing we cleaned the house extra good.
       Sally Ann comes over a little early to help. Teri is feeling stressed and when she gets stressed she picks on things that need to be fixed and on this day she draws me in. We have a quick nasty fight. I apologise to my mother who was helping me set up the tents. I think I tell Teri that if she doesn't relax she'll be crapping diamonds by the evening.
       Guests start appearing and most everything is done. Katie says, "Why all the stress, it's just family that's coming over." Hearing her say it I still think, I couldn't have people over, even close relatives like what today is if the house and yard weren't up to it. I'm sure Teri feels the same.
       Teri makes salads, macaroni and regular. The menu is hots dogs, hamburgers, ribs, baked beans and deviled eggs by my mom, and lots of other stuff I don't eat.
       I was going to let Sally Ann work the BBQ grill like she did last year, but she has gone to get a table and Teri wants to start, so I pour a large glass of Vodka and lemonade, a dangerous drink because you don't taste the vodka and I throw a package of hot dogs on a medium flame and go get some of the thirty-six hamburgers I made last night. Over a medium flame things cook slowly. Teri brings out a aluminum pan to put the burger and hot dogs on, but I serve directly from the grill to serve the food hot. I keep working the grill and drinking the vodka and lemonade. I don't feel drunk, but every so often the earth stops spinning or maybe it would speed up and I'd lose my balance. Once the stairs going to the back door tilted and I almost slipped off them. Other wise I wasn't feeling the alcohol.

       This was also the day the first ever baseball game is played in London England and I wanted to see some of them. I heard the Yankees score six runs in the top of the first while driving getting stuff. I figured the games is over until the Red Sox scored six in the bottom of the first. Final score was something like 17-13 Yankees.
       The Pool got its first real workout of the year. The water was clear and only moderately cool, perfect for swimming. There were at least a dozen kids in the pool at a time. Even the trampoline got used. As I was walking over to tell them no flips someone with long hair does a beautiful flip landing reasonable well. That was the first and last one.
        The evening came and people drifted away. The party got down to a small group. I bought out a photo album I had from the eighties and Madeline and Karl and a few others got a laugh from it. Ruth would too.
       Clean up started and it was not too bad. All the stress (Teri did relax, no diamonds) was well worth it. Everyone had fun and it could not have gone better. I hope everyone even Elena had fun. I asked Elena the next day about the party to get her take on it, what she did, was it fun. It was like pulling teeth. I got a it was fun, even tho I didn't want a party. I swam in the pool, that was about it. God I love her. I hope deep down inside she knows just how much. Don't worry Nastia you are loved just as much. Good luck with David, make the right decisions.






















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Elena is a High School graduate

What started in the fall of 2009 has ended. Elena, our youngest daughter is officially a graduate of Clarkstown North, class of 2019.
   

   Elena followed what has become her usual pattern for school. Except this year she started out the year making us think she had been replaced with an exact duplicate who was interested in school and wanted to do well. For the first semester or two she was pulling a high B average. We kept asking who are you? Did someone switch you while we were sleeping? (I'd make a joke about pods and the horror movie Invasion of the body snatchers, but I don't think there is anyone alive who remembers that 1956 classic about the fear of communism) She was amazing. Sometime around January or maybe a little earlier because her second semester grades did fall a little it changed. At the time we did care, they were still amazing. I felt if she continued to do well like this maybe she would get accepted to a college that was better than RCC.
       The third semester our daughter returned and her grades fell into the toilet. It was so bad that the high 80's, low 90's average in English she had was not going to off set the bad third quarter and for a while lousy fourth quarter grades and she might not graduate with her class. So she again finally turned it on and it all ended well and good.
     

 Yesterday's (Tuesday,June 25,2019) plan was to leave at four-thirty and get to RCC before 5:15. I left work at three-thirty, Teri worked from home. I picked up my mother and was safely at home so we could all leave on time. Teri is, has become more so a person who can't, won't be late. It has gotten to the point that, well lets just tell the story. I'm taking pictures around four-thirty. Teri says we have to leave. I want her to be in a picture and she says we don't have time and so no picture of her at home with Elena. We get into the car on a bright sunshiny day that is a little too warm. It will be the first day the mercury will touch ninety. Last week we were having nights in the fifties. Teri starts to move and asks me if I know the back roads to RCC. I'm still a little pissed about the picture incident so I give an off handed yes. Nastia, proud she know the route offers to navigate and says go as if you are going to Davids.
   

 We take Lake road into New City, make a left onto Main Street and then a right onto Eckerson Road. Traffic is heavy and slow. We are crawling up Eckerson and time is moving faster than we are. Teri says something like she feels like she will vomit. Just a little east of West Clarkstown road Teri is about to have a coronary. She asks if I know another way. Having traveled these backroads for many years, but not having been on them for many years I give a guarded yes. I tell her to make the right onto West Clarkstown road. Teri starts right away where do I turn? I'm working on remembering the road, picking up landmarks and memories, trying to remember the route. God was with me and us. The route was simple and I remembered it. And the kicker was the traffic was light and we make it to RCC at what we think is five minutes late. We pull into the parking lot of the Fieldhouse. Kids in purple caps and gowns are still running around. It's a purple sea of soon to be graduates. Girls in big clunky heels are clopping around like Budweiser Clydesdales. Several year down the road they will all laugh at the shoes and wonder why they wore them.
 
   The Fieldhouse is crowded and warm, going to hot. Last year we got good seats and most all of my pictures were lost when I transferred them to my computer. This year I have hopes for better. It turns out we were not late, but we were also not early. All of the good seats have been taken and the ceremony was not scheduled to start until around six-thirty. We sit in an increasingly warm fieldhouse. I start to get sleepy. I put my head down and Teri asks if everything is ok. I answer yes. A few minutes later she asks if I am falling asleep. I answer that I am not able to because she keeps asking me questions or something like that. For all you kids in the audience, you never give your wife or significant other a wise ass answer when you are doing something that they feel is not appropriate for the surroundings. Yes, I pissed her off, again.
     
 Finally the proceeding begin. They start to call all the student, row by row to stand and walk forward and go behind the stands so they can make a grad entrance. It had finally begin. After a few moments some music started and from the other direction the class of 2019 starts to file in. Leading the group are the principle, advisors and students how graduated with special honors. After that the rest of the class in a mish mash order. I think it was the schools attempt to get away from alphabetical order.
     

When the class was standing in front of their seats everyone is asked to stand and say the pledge. Over the last few years the pledge has meant different things to me. After 9/11 I was intensely proud. When my daughters became citizens, I felt they had just become a member of one of the best places on earth to live. Now the pledge has become something that ultra conservatives have wrapped themselves in in defence from the far left liberals brand of new socialism. Leaving me in the center all alone. It's very empty here. Would someone want to join me please. It has worked for so long. Sorry for that pity party. I keep my mouth shut so much about it all that occasionally it leaks out.
     
 After the pledge, everyone sits. I was glad to stand for a moment. The Principle starts his speech.
I was pleased that he had a new one. Last years was OK, but I was pleased he took the time to write a new one. This years one was OK to and I was pleased that it didn't drag on for a long period of time like this blog.
       Next was the salutatorian and after that was the valedictorian. I looked it up and if you think about it it is obvious what they are. They are the first and second racking students in the class. After last year and this year I expect to never have to figure out how to spell these two words. For salutatorian, which I was saying wrong Google kept giving me Salvatorian fathers. While these two speeches were going on I was on my phone. I realized a the start of the first speech, I didn't have to listen. And I found the speeches annoying for some reason. I guess I have been jaded by sixty-one years of grads proclaiming the future is ours and seeing where I have ended up. It's not awful, it's just not what I expected. They began calling names a little while later
       I move from my seat and move forward and stand between two grandstands. Elena's row is next.  Nastia joins me a little before Elena's row gets up. I snap a few pictures more hoping to get the picture. Her group stands and I snap a few more. They move toward me and go down the outside isle to the front and stop waiting for their name to be called. Finally Her name is called. And as always they pronounce it wrong.  Ella na' Mule er' she gets it double. They can't pronounce either of her names. At least with me they got Joseph right. She accepts her diploma (really just the holder for it) she walks towards the center isle, stops for a picture and proceeds back to her seat. Her friend Jessica is in the last row and after she receives her diploma holder, she gets a high five from Nastia and she returns a big smile. A few moments later it is all over hats are thrown into the air a little half heartedly in celebration.

Some of the people who helped her

       I gather both girls and we start out. Teri, Nancy and my mom want to sneak behind the grandstand. I see the girls one moment talk to Teri and look again and they are gone. So I join Teri and we move behind the grandstands and wait near the door. After a little while I go looking for them and finally find them talking to some form teachers and administrators. As much trouble as she was in school everyone seems to love her and wants to be there for her. She has soo many people in her corner.
      She is given some gifts, a cat picture she hangs up in her room. There is some laughing, lots of happiness and finally it is time to leave. At the car Elena and Nastia have to go see someone and we are not ready to leave.
       When we finally leave we go to the Airmont Diner and have a very tasty dinner. Elena has a crazy shake she says was really good.

ENOUGH PICTURES!

        The night does not end there. Elena has the senior night event thingie. It's something new in the last so many years where the class go to a place and are supervised. They go from about 11 at night to about 4:30 in the morning. This year it was at West Rock in Nanuet. She played tennis, hung out with friend and had a real good time. About 4:45 in the morning we get a call, she is at the school. I get up and go get her. For someone who has been awake all night she is surprisingly awake. She talks on the way home about what she did. At home Teri calls her into the bedroom to hear her tell the story. Sometime around 5:30 everything quiets down and just as I fall asleep Teri's alarm goes off at 6.

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