About eight years ago

It's hard to believe about eight years ago two Russian speaking little girls of nine and ten became ours. I was reading about it this morning and when I was at work Teri texted me and reminded me of it too.

Eight years has flown by in a heart beat. It seems like yesterday I was telling my boss at Marcus Dairies that my Wife and I were adopting two Russian girls and I would need a month off to go get them and on top of that I'd only get a day or two notice when I would need to leave. He said he understood and when I gave him a twenty-four hour notice we were leaving He got angry.
    We left at night from Kennedy Airport. Teri and I had dinner at the airport We took a car service from the house to the Airport. I remember listening to the Yankee game on the radio knowing this would be the last game I'd hear for a month. The Yankees cooperated and won the game. The Driver gave us bottles of water to drink on the way to the Airport. The Day was warm, not hot and I remember falling asleep listening to the game feeling content.
    At the Airport We got on the line for Aeroflot, the Russian Airliner. For years it was the airline that represented the old Soviet Union. It was weird getting on that old symbol of communist supremacy. The Plane was a little surprising, it wasn't an old Soviet made jet, but a recent modern western airplane. I don't remember if it was Boeing or Air Bus I remember the map on the TV showing our location, how we went from Kennedy, north up the coast, then out to sea toward England and Europe. We traveled toward the sun and we watched it rise at a fast pace somewhere over Europe. The biggest regret the whole trip was the huge clouds that covered the world from England until we reached Russia, then they came back and as we descended toward Moscow, out of a puffy white cloud bank came the city. It was scary and exciting and the reason for our trip became very real and the thought there was no turning back now never entered my conscious mind, but I think it was back there somewhere.
     We waited to get off the plane until last and as we slowly rounded a corner We were met by a long line for customs. It went quick and we found our driver who hustled us into his car. He had the radio on and it played a strange blend of English and Russian music. Every so often I could close my eyes and forget I was in Russia until the announcer came on and spoke in Russian. Our Driver drove us on a trip to an out of the way place, down some Russian country lane that I was sure was going to be the place we were robbed of the few thousand dollars in my money belt, but We were safely deposited at the doorstep of a nice and quiet chalet type hotel surrounded by small houses on all four sides.

Someone didn't call the zoning board when that went up.
     Inside We were on our own again. We managed to get to our room and I remember being tired, but not sleepy. We stayed in our room for a while, then when it seemed late enough for dinner, we went down to the dining room. We had a pork dish, as we were to have several times while we were in Russia. Pork seems to be more prevalent in Russia then beef.
     The next Day we are up early and our driver takes us to the airport early so We could feel comfortable about not missing our plane. The six hours we spend at the airport are relaxing and the only stressful thing is trying to find the gate we are supposed to use for our flight. The gate turns out to be beyond a security check point that I had thought was just a gate. I don't remember how we figured it out, just luck I guess. One of the funnier, to me things that went on that day was me trying to buy something to eat. I went through a shop and found some candy that I didn't have to speak to have someone hand me. I just put in on the counter and handed him some money. I later realized I'd paid a small fortune for the candy, but it was worth it then.
     It was dark when the plane took off from Moscow and again We are chasing the sun and again the land below us is cloud covered most of the way. When I can see it, it's vast and unremarkable. Like when We flew to Vegas and the land just went on forever, with the occasional break from a road. We land in Kharbosky,

Over eight years I've forgotten how to spell it. It was lightly raining and in a picture I have rain is dripping off the wing of the plane. We exit the Plane and the day has turned sunny and pleasant. We quickly find our driver and I think our guide/interrupter, we gather up our belongings and head to the car. The Airport is smaller and less hectic, it's like small town America, it's nice. We get in the car and the prospect of a three hour drive seems like such a small price to pay on such a nice day.





 The Trip doesn't begin to drag until we reach the railroad crossing outside of Birobidjon.

A Train has stopped and closed the tracks to cars. We are not close to the train, but we can see what is going on. We wait quietly with the windows open enjoying what we can of our first day in the far east of Russia. After a while a car gets out of line and goes back the way we came. No One moves to fill his spot. Our Driver passes several cars and fills the spot. I think that if this was America there would of been people stopping that from happening. After a few moments we realize why no one moved, as we start swatting flies. Where We were originally we were out of range of the flies for some reason. The People who left couldn't stand the flies any longer I guess and left. So now We wait swatting hungry flies. How long We wait I don't remember, but after a while the train moves and we are able to finish out trip.

Somewhere before I think We pass the obelisk that proclaimed the area the Jewish Autonomous Region.
     We enter the Town, again it could be a town out of upstate New York. It is colorful and exciting. Because of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of Birobidjon, the
hotel is full so we were taken to an apartment, I think is owned by Nadejda , our fixer in town.  She is a large women, pleasant and business like. She tells our translator, also supplied by her how much money is needed and I excuse myself and go into the other room to remove several thousand dollars from the money belt everyone in the Apartment knows I am wearing. No One ever said how much she kept and how much she spread around to local officials, but when We needed something to move the adoption along We went first before the locals. Official papers were needed one day,We enter a crowded office, the first ones to be seen were us.
 

The Apartment I called in my blog back then, the projects. It was a third floor walk up with dark stairs that smelled of cat pee. Groups of cats hung out all around outside and there were several that Teri wanted to take home. There was this one old cat that reminded me of the old cat in the play 'Cats'. The Apartment had a small kitchen with a table where I enjoyed writing most mornings or on some very early mornings. One morning, I think we tried to make cheese omelets and we were moderately successful. That was after our trip to a local grocery store about the size of a large Deli back home. At the Grocery, We bought Cherry Juice and some Russian Vodka. Neither made it home with us.


     After our meeting We were brought to a place to eat.  I don't remember the name of the place, but it was close to the apartment. We were early and the restaurant was empty. Shot glasses on the table was our final culture shock of the day. At Home alcohol is so demonized, shot glasses on the table would never go or would never be used.  Our Guide, a young girl helped us order our food, she left, it was served a little while later. I had pork something or other. Teri had something different. and we enjoyed it.
     Our long day ended with a ride back to our new apartment. It was early evening in Birobidzhan, eight hours later in Moscow and fifteen hours later in New York or was it earlier? I still haven't figured it out. Wait it would be fifteen hours later in Birobidzhan. I was in the future when I was there.
     The next morning I awoke real early because my body had no idea what time it was. Two days ago it would have been evening, the day before. While in Moscow it would be late the previous night, while I was awake at 3 am or so in Birobidzhan.

     It was also the first time We would see the girls in over a year. It had been a long year. Teri's mom had died and Teri continued toward her goal of bringing the girls to America, I helped. I admit and have for several years, as far back as the trip, I followed and Teri lead. I did what she wanted when she wanted, but I'd been on board with the adoption since the phone call that summer afternoon in Stony Point, in that bad cell area when our social worker could not get hold of Teri and had to call me. I blogged about it, go look it up.
    I don't remember when our ride came or at what time, but I remember driving through the town getting on the road toward the orphanage and seeing the grain silos for the first time and telling myself I had to get a picture of them.Now for some reason I wish I'd had the chance to go explore them for a few minutes.

     We arrived in front of the orphanage and our hearts broke. The place just looked so cold and how could we have left the girls there for another year
   I walked inside slowly and a little scared. It'd been a year and I wasn't sure how the girls would react to our arrival. We went to the office and the girls were called down. When they entered the office, I wasn't sure they were our girls for a moment. They had changed,grown up some. They both had long hair.While in America they had talked about wanting long hair and Teri had told them to pull it back and no one would notice their hair was long. The number one memory of that day were the big white bows in their hair. Someone had tied to both of their heads. These little 45 lb girls had these big white bow stuck to their heads and the bows seemed bigger then their heads. Neither girl had glasses on and neither had warn them while in America. One day several days later Nastia would show up with these big clunky glasses on,same with Elena. Nastia had a cast on her arm having broken it a few weeks earlier. We took them out and I think our guide told us a good place to take them was a place called 'The Pit Stop' little did we know that we would spend the majority of our time in Birobidzhan there.
     I could go on and on and tell stories that I might of not written about or ones that I thought I didn't write about. Like the time We were driving to our Apartment or Hotel room and there were cows in the road and the Russian Army comes rambling down the road and had to wait for the cows to get out of the street before they could continue on. Or the time We met some Russian women outside the restaurant California and CJ held a conversation with them. During all our time there the people were always the friendliest. Never once did someone tell us to go home or give us attitude when We couldn't speak the language or did dumb things. The only time We had any problem was when one of our translators didn't like the fact that we wandered around while she was on duty. I was fifty-one at the time and she was maybe twenty. She may have been right that it was not safe for us to wander around, but We were restless and wanted to explore the town. The only other incident was when we learned the translator and the driver only worked until 6pm. We could not understand why We couldn't get rides from the restaurants to our Apartment or Hotel after dinner until someone explained it to us. We, I wasn't happy about it, but We managed I think and We didn't ask the driver to work to often after 6pm. In the end our first translator was quietly changed. I forget their names. The first one was a blond and the second one was a brunette. As I said I could go on and on and maybe I will some day.

9-11-17

I have maybe told this story before, but I always feel the need to tell it on 9-11.
     The Day was sunny and warm seventeen years ago. I don't remember what I was wearing, or even if I needed a jacket, but I remember it was a sunny day and I guess it was warm enough to not be remembered.
     I worked for Consolidated Dairies in a job that supplied me with a good salary, benefits and freedom to do pretty much what I wanted to do as long as I showed results and in 2001 the milk business was fun and easy. I headed down to Park Ridge New Jersey to a golf course run by a father and daughter who'd won a bid every few years to run it. I don't know if they had a problem or not. On my way back toward New York, driving on Livingston Ave,. Teri calls me and tells me a plane hit the World Trade Center. I remember back when a plane had hit the Empire State building and thought the same thing had happened. I make a remark to Teri in that vein and head for my Mother's house to see what is going on. When I put the TV on there is smoke pouring out of one tower and I am surprised at how bad it is. I'd expected it to be a small sightseeing plane or something. As I am watching, out of the corner of my eye the second plane hits and I can't believe what I'd just witnessed. Those things don't happen. I start thinking it must be terrorists doing it. I sit down on the couch and didn't get up for most of the rest of the day.
     The next thing I know and I don't remember how far after the first two planes hit reports start to filter into the newsroom about a plane hitting the Pentagon and a plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. It felt like we were under attack and we were.
     Several hours into the disaster one of the towers falls. I'm staring at the screen yelling at it, repeatedly asking, "What just happened!"
     The talking heads on the TV take a few moments to notice it and then make the statement, "It looks like The World Trade Center Tower number two has fallen." I commend them for their professionalism, but at a time like this a bland delivery of that line didn't seem to match what was needed. It didn't encompassed the gravity of the situation. Not since the war of 1812 had a war reached our shores. And not since the attack on Pearl Harbor had a nation been so appalled and enraged to go to war, but how should we fight and where? Those questions would be answered in the future and some of the answers would be wrong and we would have to fight battles that should have never been fought, but that was for later. Now one of the towers had fallen and the other they were talking that it might fall too. I'd seen the first go, I couldn't believe the second would go too, but then it went and the plume of smoke and dust it sent out was just like the first and for a moment the lower half of Manhattan disappeared again.
     Afterwards I remember a reporter slightly staggering around downtown saying I don't know if I am being picked up, but I will continue reporting, which he did. He went on and on about what was going on in downtown and there were picture after picture of dust encrusted men and women walking north toward safety.
     The Camera shot would change to somewhere on the west side of Manhattan, up town where the dust hadn't reached and police and firefighters were setting up for the big rescue from the world Trade Center. Hospitals all around were preparing to receive the expected hundreds of injured. I remember few if any people were pulled out from the  rubble.
     All of these years later I think people who witnessed things like the assassination of JFK or Robert Kennedy or Martin Luther King or the attack on Pearl Harbor most of felt the way I do each year. For People who were alive when it happened it will never be just history.

First Day of School and Nastia's last year.

It seems to sneak up on me every year, the first day of school. I know it is there and it is coming, but it always seems to get here quicker then I ever expect. It's like turning sixty, I knew it was coming, but I didn't think it would get here this quick.
     This is also Nastia's last year of school. She has this bright idea that once school is over life will be so much simpler. I've remaindered her that when she is out of school, after college she will not get summers off. There are no teacher conferences. It's work nine to five, five days a week, get two weeks vacation and some federal holidays and that's it. She doesn't hear me. I'd love to go back to school just for the sake of learning, it'd be fun.

Missed the annual 1st day of class picture

     The first day of school, like I said came quickly. The Summer heat never really kicked in like it should and the summer sort of started to petered out around the middle of July when We started getting 70 degree days. August didn't even live up to it's reputation. The mornings were cool, sometimes almost cold and the days usually only got up into the 70's.
     The First day of School was preceded by a rainy Tuesday, For all you Yankee fans the Yankees blew their game against Baltimore in the 9th when Manny Machatto hit a Dellin Betanaces slider for a walk off ninth inning home run, game over, Yankees lose. The Game started two and a half hours late because of rain and I'd gone to bed around 11:30. It finished around 1 AM.

How it rained that morning.

     That First day of School I've eluded to several times was as rainy as the day before, if not more. Around 4AM the dogs started barking and I figured I never get back to sleep. I must of because it seemed a minute later it was 5 AM and Teri got up to go to the bathroom. The dogs thought it was time to go outside and since Athena wouldn't go for anyone except Teri, she had to take them out. After settling back into bed, it seemed a minute later it was 6:03 and the alarm was about to go off. I got up and started to make my side of the bed, then the alarm went off.
     The Girls got up easily for the first morning of School. Nastia complained she had a first period study Hall and she wanted to go in later. Surprisingly Teri wasn't against it. Nastia ate freezer waffles and Elena ate oat meal.

Last Week of August at the Beach

     This is also a big year for Elena after our talk with Ms. Coakley. She started it in a bit of a cranky mood. When it was time to go Teri told them both to take an umbrella because even though it had stopped raining it would start up again. Teri said it looked like they took a small one. Neither of us watched them leave. A few moments later the sky opened up and I was even temped to get the car for them to wait in, then I thought they should of listened to their mother and who was I to interfere with an excellent object lesson. It's going to be a long year.

Early School meeting

It's almost school time. Nastia is in the homestretch, her last year and Elena is going into her last two years.
     Teri, Elena and I had a meeting today with Ms Coakley, Elena's guidance councilor. Last Year Elena got a slot for BOCES for this year and her schedule didn't reflect it.
    The Meeting was set for 9am. Teri is on vacation and she got up early like she has for the whole week she has been on vacation. All three of Us were ready at 8:45 and left to go to the school about 8 minutes away.
     We walked up to the doors, followed the directions and rang the bell on the far left and waited for someone to answer,no one did. Elena went over to the center doors and gave a pull, they opened. I guess the high tech security is not in use right now.
     We walked the halls towards the meeting room we usually meet to talk in . Teri asks if there is anyone in the office who could tell us were to go. Elena pips up that Ms. Coakley's office is in the annex. We go out the doors of the old Mansion, Elena looks over towards the Annex and says, " Yes, Ms. Coakley's there and points to her car, Teri asks, "You know her car?" sounded ominous.
     We arrive in her office and are greeted warmly. With the change in Elena's schedule and no notice last year about it and a few other over heard things, I was getting the feeling Ms. Coakley had given up  on Elena. If it had happened, I wouldn't stand for it, but I could under stand it. This Women has a lot of students to take care of and if one is refusing to be helped, how can you waste the limited time you have in a school year. Plus it's been two years of trying. I didn't notice, but I should of, but the confident, out going, sweet and funny young lady I knew was disappearing as we walked the halls of the school to Ms. Coakley's office. She was quiet and when We sat down in her office, I saw that defensive, slouching self-contained child with the hooligan front put up sitting next to her mother. I couldn't at the time understand why she had come out. The four of us where there to HELP (!)  her decide her future. I started talking wanting to tell Ms. Coakley in so many words that I felt Elena had turned a corner and not to give up on her. I told her how Elena had come to me on day during the summer saying that she was going to try to do well this year and We'd seen changes in her over the summer. The Girl who sat next to her mother in her slouch and defense manners denied every word I'd said. To Ms. Coakley's credit there was not one ounce of give up on display from her.
     When I was in school and yes I am so like her as her mother says. I did not receive an ounce of help from my guidance councilor. I feel now he was happy not to have the pleasure of seeing me more then once in my time there. I think it was my middle school councilor I remember most. I walk into his office to talk about my schedule for high school and I see this exhausted man leaning over with his elbows on his knees, like he had just gone ten rounds with Joe Frazier. I had been told by teachers what to expect as far as choices to be made for the following year. I only half listened, a trait I still exhibited to this day. I got it wrong and he exhaustively tells me the right way. During the whole time there I felt he would rather I not be there.
     He asks me about what language I want to take for 9th grade. I say German. He tells me it is a difficult language and I should take Spanish. I had never had anything in my life that reflected who my people were and I wanted something.
     Over the next half hour Teri, Ms. Coakley and myself try to impress on her this meeting is for her benefit and any decision she made would not be wrong. It would be her's.
     Some where near the end of the meeting Elena made a surprising decision. She was going to give up her slot in BOCES is year and concentrate on passing the four regents she has to take this year. There will be one in January, one in the spring, hopefully not during the time she has to take the two regularly scheduled ones for this year. Teri and I will try to help her, but it is something that needs to be approached carefully. I don't want to scare her off. The only upside, which might turn out to be a down side if I don't watch myself is her first regents exam is in history and I could take it now and get an 80 I feel. I jokingly told Elena that and she said I could help her study if I stayed with the material, no useless anecdotes. I'll try.

Grabin some at the Dutchess County Fair.

Today was the Dutchess County Fair. I bought the tickets on line on the 22nd and received an e-mail telling me I had five tickets and the extension is where they were.  I checked it out and they were there.
     ON the 28th, today I received an e-mail telling me the tickets were used. I thought someone had taken them and used them. When We got to the fair, they were fine. I don't know what the e-mail was all about.

     Every year We went a different way then the GPS told us to. And each year it seemed the route was way longer then it had to be. This Year We figured the best thing to do was follow the GPS. In the past I figured the traffic on the GPS would of made the trip longer then it had to be. This year the traffic made the trip longer then it had to be and everyone was in a crabby mood by the time We reached the fair.
     The plan was to get the girls up at 9:15, they eat and we leave by 9:45, pick up Nancy at 10am and get to the fair by noon. I got the girls up at 9AM, they ate and We left at 10:20, picked Nancy up at 10:30, took the slow direct route to the fair and got there at 12:45. Everyone was grumpy as we pulled into the north parking lot. We usually parked in the south independent parking lots and paid $10.00. Never knew the northern lots were free. They were nice and close to the gate and easy to get to the car to put things in. This year the free parking we didn't need to put anything in the car.

     We walked through the main gate and headed for the bathrooms, first things first. After that it was food and then finally after about two hours about 2pm or so it was time to enjoy the fair. This Year I gave up on Philadelphia Cheese steaks after two years of lousy food. So this year I got adventuresome and tried some BBQ'd spare ribs. The awning said it was award winning. and for fourteen dollars for half a rack (6 pieces)  it seemed reasonable, IT WASN'T. It was at best OK. There was a small piece at the bottom of the small pile that was soft and tasty. Maybe next year. We walked around the barns looking at the cows and every time the girls, Teri, Nastia and Elena saw a calf they were in love with it and wanted to take it home. On the outside of the barns the front end of the cows got to take in the sights and the sounds of the fair. Nastia and Elena would go up and pet the friendly faces of the cows. One Cow, a brown and white one, I think they are a Swiss something or other wanted to return the favor and starts to munch on Nastia's black loose shirt, Nastia laughing tries to pull away grabbing her shirt. I'm

 standing there with everyone else laughing, when I realize I should be taking a picture of this. By the time I get my camera up ,she is free.I tell her I missed it would she get the cow to do it again, Nastia ever the obedient daughter waves the tail of her shirt in front of the cows face trying to get her to do it again. I stop Nastia afraid the cow will do it a second time and Nastia will end up without a shirt.
  Around this time Elena wanted to get Nancy's attention and goes to grab at the tail of her shirt, but misses and gets the seat of her pants. So for the rest of the day Elena was accused of getting a free feel of her Aunt.

Elena and Nastia middle and right  of picture took a dozen to get this one.

    The Danger Girls made a subdued reappearance at the fair. They both had twenty-two tickets to spread around the rides and decide which ones to go on. I did notice a disturbing trend again at the fair. You buy tickets for 'the rides' and there are several rides that only accept cash. It was the same at Great Adventure a couple of years ago. I felt cheated there and a little cheated here. Unfortunately at Great Adventure they wanted to go on those rides, but we said no. Fortunately at the fair they said"oh five dollars, we can't go on that." The subdued appearance was good with me after the ride in Texas breaking apart at a fair in July. The Ride that was similar to the one that broke apart was a six ticket ride when they only had nine tickets left. If they went on it that would leave three tickets and no ride was three tickets. They hit the zipper,fireball and a few other rides and some of the new rides for this year. After the rides We met up with Teri and Nancy who were going through the craft buildings.
     We wandered around to the Apple Cider place, Teri had an Apple Cider shake; vanilla ice cream and apple cider, it was good. I had an apple cider donut, it was better last year. This was the third or fourth year we were at the fair, so about four-thirty we were done. We left and made our way to Olive Garden, bet you were expecting that other place, Cracker Barrel. The food was good and we ended up getting home after 10:30. It was a fun night.

I don't feel like an old Man

This is peripherally about the girls. It's more about how I am shocked sometimes about how old I am and how I don't feel it, and other times where I feel it shockingly.
     I have gone swimming once this year. It was early in the year and I didn't check out the bottom of the pool once the pool people had finished. The People who originally did the pool left it short of sand on the bottom. So as summer roars to an end I wanted to check it out. I know it sounds like a lame excuse to go for a swim, but that's me. I was going to go after mowing the lawn the other day, but it got late and I never did. Yesterday, I'm watching TV and Elena wants me to go swimming. I tell her no and she keeps bugging me. Finally she says I have until 4:30, then I have to go swimming. 4:30 comes. I'm sitting in the chair watching a Yankee game. I've done this many time this year, so off I go swimming.
     At the pool, I do the usual, you know test the water with a toe, this go over to the ladder and put a foot in then sit on the ladder with both feet in, extend both feet into the water until my hips touch it then I retreat cause it feels too cold for there.
     I retreat to the deck and I have my feet in the water when Nastia come outside. She said it was because she saw us in the pool. To me that says she wants to join in the fun, so I push her in the pool, shorts and all. She yells at me, saying she didn't come outside to get wet, I knew better. I help her climb the wall of the pool with a gentlemanly hand up and she is still upset about being thrown in, so I do it again. I help her out, again. She is still mad, so I pick her up, because her hair is still dry and I jump in with her in my arms. She comes to the surface and calls me a jerk, but stays in the pool with Elena and I for the next hour. After all of that I try to have a nice quiet float on the raft. I know better then to get up on it after throwing Nastia in the pool, so I lean my arms on it. Nastia and Elena spend a good portion of time trying to get on the raft and I flip them off. One time Nastia gets on the end of the raft straddling the end. I'm holding on to the other end. I look at her and say, "You should know better then that" and let go.
     After the raft flips over, I recover am empty raft and continue to lean on it. I do pick each one of the girls up and try to throw them into the air, into the water. I think with Nastia I still get some air underneath her. Elena, I don't think I was that lucky.
     At one point Elena gets me in a bear hug. The old Me would of broken it, no problem. The newer me had to wrestle her arms off me. I hate it when your kids stat to get stronger then you. I told her she would have to stop working out if this continued.
     It's like the time a few years ago we were playing wiffle ball at a BBQ, before Ruth moved to Florida. Sixteen year old Cory was catcher and I'm on third base. Someone gets a hit and I thought it would be funny if I gently tackled Cory as I race home. I go for a bear hug, a little low to lift him off his feet. The next thing I know is I'm looking up at Cory from the ground. It was funny then, even funnier now. Sucks getting old, but it can be fun.

Elena's 17th Birthday

I write this feeling a little melancholy, with tears in my eyes. Iv'e been looking at 'old' pictures of Yankee Stadium for the last hour and my eyes are tired from looking at the screen, hence the tears and I'm feeling a little sad because the pictures were taken, it seems a long ten years ago. It has nothing to do with the fact that my youngest daughter is now seventeen. I know all of you out there believe me. The problem here with me is they grew up real quick. It hasn't been ten years and soon they will be going to college or off to work. I used to laugh that I never changed a diaper, but by not having that experience and adopting them at eight and ten Iv'e missed half of their growing up. Teri and I have tried to make up for it and up until recently, maybe over done it. The hardest part is giving them more freedom, treating them a little more adult like.Letting them go to the Mall, talking about letting them take the bus somewhere, when you know if they get lost they would not be able to tell you where they are.We'd have to find them with the Apple find your phone app. It's a sweet/scary time when your youngest tells you a story about something that happened with a friend and she stands up to someone on a principle that you hope she learned from her parents.
     ELENA'S 17th BIRTHDAY

     It happens every summer, like it has for just seven short years, the annual Elena Birthday. There was some guilt back in 2008-9 when it took us a little over a year to get the paperwork finished. We had hoped to get to Russia, before Elena's birthday. We got there in September, missing it by a month. I think in the back of our minds we have alway felt a little guilty about that. Plus with the fact that Elena has need a little bit of extra help. Nastia always seemed the type of person who'd survive, Elena, as tough as she has become and earlier, she thought she was, I think the tides of western Russia would of drowned her.
     On her seventeenth birthday, my mom commented that she seems to be a bubbly, happy outgoing person. Not like the sullen, brooding person she once seemed, I have high hopes for her.
    At Home she was almost alway that first person. Out in the world she put up a wall and you had to prove yourself before she would let you in. Sometimes it was not an easy in, Iv'e got the e-mails from teachers to prove it.
   Over the summer, Elena out of the blue said to me that she was going to try these last two years to do better in school. Inside me I leaped for joy, outside I said good.

    Her Birthday started this year on Sunday the 6th. We invited Amanda and Nick to join Nancy and us for some dinner and a cake I made from blueberries Nastia and I picked from the blueberry patch  (it's a wonderful place, you should come and pick berries next year.) I'd put up netting this year so we got more berries then the birds, it was lots of fun. Sundays gathering was just a warm up, the real thing was to be on Thursday, her birthday. Elena loves wings and ribs and wanted some good wings. Teri said "Well Hooters in New Jersey has good wings" and yes it is called Hooters because the waitress' all wear tight shirts and short shorts.(The previous is for the edification of those in the future who don't know what hooters are.) and the wings, they were good. the location, questionable cleanliness.
     The Final part of her birthday was on Friday. She invited some friends over for a swim and pizza. The weather cooperated, but the water was too cold for swimming, so they went to the park for a while, them had some pizza, went swimming again then watched a little TV until Joshua's dad got home from work and picked him up.

This is one for the record books.

Things change. This is something I have acknowledged and for the most part, I hate. Some change is good and some change is just political correctness, which is bad. A Commercial for Ancestry dot com shows people who are descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence reciting the opening lines. I understand what point they are trying to make, but it is political correctness gone over board. If I was to judge the nation by that commercial I'd think 75% of the nation were women and 90% were minorities.
     That is not where I planned to start, here is. Things change, people change, things that were acceptable once, are now considered wrong or even offensive.
     I was listening to the 100th anniversary celebration of Baseball with Mike last week on our way to the Hall of Fame. Jimmy Stewart starts off introducing the history of Baseball. He does the first few decades and Curt Gowdy takes it starting with the forties. At one point they talk about Jackie Robinson being the first black ball player (Will my using black make future people uncomfortable?), but theinterviewer doesn't say black, he says "How does it feel to be the first ni--er in baseball."
      I gasp a little and look over at Mike and he goes, "Yeah, all those years ago we listened to this record and it never hit us"  I don't remember hearing that word and we did, it just didn't make an impression on us like it does now.
     This leads me to another story that always amazes me and who ever I tell it to. My Great Aunt Emilie was born in 1899. In the 70's I became interested in genealogy and she showed me the collection of family memorabilia several generations of Smiths and Hardens had. I saw fat books of small tin type pictures, now lost, of people Aunt Emilie knew a few. Charles Smith's civil War mess kit, also now lost, a letter from his wife he'd kept and draw on picturing the battle of Mobile Bay SC in which iron clad ships had engaged. There were many items to marvel at.
     A one point she opened a box and it contained several smaller boxes. She picks up one of the boxes, pulls off the lower half and out slides a straight razor. It was  one that maybe her father had used or maybe her grandfather. She looks at the razor for a moment and then to me and says "I'll have to go out tonight and bury this in the backyard so no 'Ni--ers get them." She never did and I have them, but this was a severty year old womenwho never cursed. When She was growing up the use of that word was acceptable. Things change, people sometimes change, others don't.

Job Interviews

Nastia went for a job interview the other day. The concept of not getting a job after an interview with me was an unknown until recently.
     I was given a job with my father delivering milk when I was a little kid. My Brothers and I kept our jobs with my Dad wither We deserved them or not for many years, even to the point when I wanted to leave and felt I couldn't.
    I became the owner of the business in 1989 when my Dad died. I sold the business in February 2000. I was offered a job with Consolidated and kept that job until 2005.My first and only interview during my first period of unemployment was with Marcus Dairy. I landed the job. I left that job returning to Consolidated Dairies in 2013. I felt my interview skills were pretty good at that point. The only problem was the world had changed and I hadn't.
     In 2014, Nastia went for a job interview at AMC, she got the job, it was too easy. She stayed at the job learning and growing as a person. Her final week on the job at AMC, she learned a valuable lesson, I hope.

     She had been warned about using bad language once before. The second time she was caught cursing out another employee who was harassing her, he liked her. She was fired and then compounded that by lying about the reason she was let go, which prompted her mother to go in and question why her daughter was let go. The resulting enlightenment was not pretty and the talking to Nastia received was surprisingly light.
     Now Jobless for over a year and broke this is her first interview and maybe she has learned the value of a job and won't loses them Willie nillie.

Submitting two job applications and a job interview

I was never and still am bad when it comes to applying for a job. I was always one of those people who thought ,who would want to hire me. When I grew up, it was better, but I still get so bummed out that I hate with a passion applying for a job. A job interview, I've always felt was easier.
     One Day last week Elena and Nastia wanted some help filling out job applications. Elena's was for Target, a nice place to work from what I'm told and Nastia for Bath and Body Works. Both Jobs were in the Palisades Mall.
     Everything is done on the Internet these days and it is nothing like what I used to do. In the old days, I'd get on my dinosaur ( I called it a CJ 5 Jeep) I'd start it up, spewing CO2 fumes into the already polluted atmosphere unaware that future generations would blame me for melting the polar ice cape. I know all of you are now driving battery powered cars in the future. I'd go to the store that advertised they needed help in the paper. The Paper? You don't know what that is? It's where you'd get your information from about the world and if you wanted false new you'd pick up the National Enquirer. If You want a real president, you'd go back to the... well, you'd have to go far back.
     I'd drive up to the store in need of help, I'd ask them for a job application, fill it out and return it to them, hoping for a call back for an interview.
     In the present, Nastia is on my computer, her sister is on her computer because she hit her computer and broke the hinge and it doesn't work any more. She will tell you it broke on it's own and she had nothing to do with it.
     Nastia is applying to Bath and Body works, while Elena is applying to Target. Nastia applied to Target earlier and they said they didn't need help, though they had a sign up at the entrance.
     The fun of this Day was going back and forth between the two answering questions about things that I felt were simple and straight forward, but to them who'd never done this it was a mystery.
    After a while Elena finishes and it is just Nastia. I relaxed on the coach and of course I started to feel sleepy. Nastia would ask a question and need to ask it a second time and I'd still have problems with the answer. And she only asks questions as I am falling asleep and it jerks me awake. Just too much fun. She finally finished and I am left in peace until I have to make dinner, which I believe is  fifteen minutes later,
    THE JOB INTERVIEW FOR BATH AND BODY WORKS
I am at work when Nastia calls me to let me know Bath and Body works called and they want to interview her for a job at 3 pm. I won't get home until 3 and with Friday traffic I'll still be on the bridge at three. I tell her three-thirty, forgetting about Friday traffic.
     It a hot and sunny Friday. I'd taken the Mustang to Elmsford and was looking forward to a comfortable drive home. I left a few minutes early to insure I'd get home in time and I swing out of the parking lot, turned on to 9A, hit a little Friday traffic and then a turn onto the Thruway and about a mile into my drive I slow down to a Friday crawl. I crawl towards the bridge and the Governors middle fingered salute to the people of Westchester and Rockland. Daddy's bridge is slated to partly open in December. He still hasn't confessed to the fact we'll have to pay $15.00 to cross it, but by then he hopes to be President, supplanting another fool.
     I manage to get home about ten minutes later then I thought, Nastia is waiting outside, I pull up ,she gets in and off we go. Ten minutes to the mall. At this point she tells me she doesn't know where the store is. Her mom told her and I tell her to follow her mom's directions and I'll look on the directory. By the time I find in and go there  she is in the store talking and smiling at the manager. She seems to sense me, looks my way. I turn and head toward the food court as the manager turns to look too. I was hoping to not be noticed so Nastia would look a little more independent and mature.
   I settle in with my Nathans hot dog and fries and some stories on the internet about the Yankees and get lost in another world. Before I'm done Nastia is sitting at my table, eating my fries and drinking my soda. She is asking questions while I'm trying to read.She ends up getting fries and a soda she can't finish (surprise, surprise). I answer her questions as best I can. Is a short interview bad, Is the Bath and Bodyworks on the third floor and the first the same store. Do You want some of my fries? Life can be good sometimes, funny others.

Go South to go home

Our last day in Myrtle Beach was a bright sun shining day like all the others. Our Plane took off a little after noon and we were doing a quick one hour stop over in Atlanta before We headed home, real easy.
     It didn't happen that way. Just before takeoff Teri says our connecting flight has been delayed. Now it would be over an hour We'd wait. Upon landing We find out the wait would be three hours. We were supposed to take off from Atlanta about three and land at LaGuardia around six. Now We wouldn't be taking off until after six.

    We spent the time in Atlanta's huge airport sitting at our gate mostly. The subway ride from one Terminal took up all of five minutes and the only highlight was Elena saying she didn't want to hang on. I wish I could report it resulted in a specular spill when the train started quickly or stopped quickly, but alas it was not to be. There was no lesson to be learned there.
     The only other excitement was a howling young child. The child, I think a girl was well over tired and started throwing a temper tantrum. She yelled about as loud as she could. Her poor tired parents let it go on hoping if ignored she'd stop, she didn't. Finally the exasperated Father puts her in the stroller, a little too hard. Hoping it didn't progress I turned to Teri and say I'm glad we never had them that young, I wouldn't of been able to handle it. The bawling continued.
     I tell Teri I'm going for a walk to find something to eat. I head down the long corridors in Atlanta's Airport, the sound of the wailing Baby starts to recede. The further and faster I go the more her cries become an echo and the a memory of an echo. I stop in front of a food place that has soup/ I imagine I can still her the howling of that child. I think it is just my imagination. The sound gets to the point that I'm sure I hear the child, what a pair of lungs that child must have. I'm sure I'm imagining the cries are getting louder. Then off in the distance I see a stroller and the wailing child. Their heading in this direction. It's like looking at a car crash, I just can't turn away. About twenty feet from me the childs mother leans down and ina praticed church growl tells the child to stop. The voricity of her voice stops the childs cring, done,game over. She should run for president.
     I get an expensive Mac and cheese meal and a Broccoli and Cheddar soup from the store. It was almost worth the price. The Mac and cheese has bacon and a few other items in it that I enjoy. Teri didn't say muchabout her soup.
     Our Plane boards about 6pm and wetake off soon afterwards. The Air towards New Yorkis bumpy and everytime the pilot changes altitude abd you think he's got it the plane starts to bounce again. It is a short trip to LaGuardia  and we land. As We taxi the Pilot tells us there are fifty planes backed up at the gates, but ours is open and We should be able to diembare soon. Other gates have a wait time of over an hour. An hour later We get to our gate and get off the flight.
     It is about a ten hour drive to South Carolina. It took us about the same amount of time to fly. Modern Technology sucks when it don't work.

Myrtle Beach day three.

This day started again early for me. The sun to my dismay was shining in the window. After last night's rain it was another beautiful day. But as luck would have it no one was in a hurry to go to the beach.
     Teri, again took the lead and got everyone to the beach in the early afternoon . I think it worked best for everyone that way. We were all in different states of being overly toasted. Amanda still was all pink from the shoulders down, Nastia was spotty, her face having recovered some. Elena's shoulders were red, but not as bad as could be. Teri held up surprising well, only burned in a few spots. Nick, well his chest was burned, but he had spent most of the day under the pier, out of the sun. Nancy, she doesn't burn it seems. Me, the tops of my feet. Even though I kept putting lotion on them.
     On this last full day in South Carolina we went to another beach. It was also a state park and it also was mostly empty. It didn't have a pier, and there were no sea shells to hunt for, odd. We were only a few miles down the beach.
     The Wind was back, but I was an old pro about it and set up camp with the cooler near me. Nastia wanted me to play catch with her with a football. I tried for as long as I could and a few things became obvious. The first was, I need to get my shoulder fixed. Second, I can still catch a football, even if it is only a nerf football well, I just can't throw it anymore. That lasted maybe twenty minutes. Teri and I then went hunting for interesting seashells. Then I went with Nastia, hunting. I saw Elena out with Nick in the surf. I knew Teri would not like it but I told her it was OK. Teriis very protective of the Girls. I'm trying to give them spaceand hope for the best. They are sixteen and eighteen, mentally they still act like they ae fourteen. I have seen changes, sporatic, but changes that makes me feel they will make great adults, when they get there.
    The Day endedaround four-thirty. On the way to the house We stopped at a legel Moonshine store. It hade verything Moonshine. Teri bought some pickles cooked in moonshine, I think. The Girls had some, so I guess they had no alcohol in them.
      We went home for seven showers.This time Nick said lets do it oldest to youngest. He said I should go first, I was insulted. I was the oldest, but I try to never act like I.more then fourteen, that is how I know the girls are acting like they are fourteen.
     After Showers We went to the Dead Dog Saloon, where at the end of dinner I lectured Elena about spending money on food that you end up bring home. It always makes me crazy. I thought she had tuned me out, and I guess she did. She stared stright ahead like she used to when she was a little kid, while I'm asking her to acknowledge what I'm saying.
     When She doesn't, I slam my hand on the back of this bench We were sitting in and walk off, angry. It ruined the evening and I'm sorry it happened. Teri was angry at me and we didn't talk again until later. She came into the bedroom, said she was sorry for being angry at me. I apologized for my anger. I explained why I was angry and how Elena is always bring food home from restaurants after eating little of it and sometimes it never gets finished.
     Teri talked about how Elena went into her old routine from Russia days. I saw it, I had just dismissed it.
     We call Elena into the room and I tell her what we had talked about and I apologized several time. I expected an apology back from her because of her behavior. Not receiving one, I let it go. Her moodbrightened quickly and everything was back to normal.
     The next morning Teri and I ate the ribs, no comment about that necessary.

Myrtle Beach day 2

On Day two of the Myrtle Beach adventure, the Lobster family, or at least Teri and I get up about 7am. We are up at that hour because the sun is streaming in our window. Usually I'd be very happy for a day like that, but I am beat up from yesterday and I'm not the worst case. Nastia's face is still pretty red and Elena's shoulders don't look so good. The good thing is no one is in a hurry to get back out on the beach.
     Teri decides to make deviled eggs. I make myself a cheese omelet. I eat early and just hang out in our bedroom reading and talking to Nastia's when she gets up or falling back to sleep. Everyone talks about returning to the beach, but no one makes a serious attempt to get anyone moving until Teri decides that one in the afternoon is late enough and We should be heading to the beach.
     This trip, we have a cooler, food and drinks. The Wind has let up and the sky is overcast, but no sign of rain. I surrender to the inevitable and go to the beach.
     It is again not crowded. The surf is still up, but not as bad as yesterday. We set up base camp, but with a cooler and yesterday's experience it is a better place. Before We hit the beach, a quick stop at the local Food Lion fills our cooler with ice and goodies. Chips, dips, cookies and other goodies await us on the beach.
     The Wind is down to nothing. Our Beach umbrella is content to stay rooted in the sand. Teri and I begin the day by going hunting for sea shells. We walk along the beach enjoying each others company and not bothering about anything else, it's good.
     Later in the day I'm near the water and Elena kicks water at me and if you know how things escalate between us it is a short time later we are chasing each other with handfuls of wet sand or trying to push each other in the water. Nastia gets involved somehow too and before it gets out of hand, the adult in me kicks in and I tell Elena we have to stop, there are small kids around.
     The Day end as a storm front comes in from the south. A few rumbles of thunder and a crack of lightning and they close the beach. We head home for seven showers.
     We go out to dinner at a seafood buffet called 'Crabby Jack's'. it's expensive, $34.95 per person, but it is good.  Nastia grabs two plates of crab legs, Elena, who doesn't like seafood eats some crab legs among other things. This place has just about every type of food. Fried, broiled,baked, anyway you want seafood. I had prime rib and beef tips. I went down to get fried seafood,with the intention of trying the broiled when I hit the wall. I was full. So I switched to desserts and had a small piece of pecan pie, then cheesecake. I was full, but not stuffed. It was a fun evening, with good food, but a little expensive. Tomorrow is Day three of four.

Myrtle Beach on the way

The Day started early, 4am. Our flight departed LaGuardia Airport at 8am and I'd heard getting to the airport, with all the construction could be tough. Up at three, or there about, dress, something or drink, an option on food, no thank you from everyone asked.
   Our Ride, to my surprise arrived at the correct time and off We go.
     It's raining and on the way out the door I eye my sweater. It June, why would I need it, plus we are going south. I shut and lock the door leaving a sleeping Billy three confused dogs.
    The Trip to the Airport is uneventful, if you consider the person giving the directions falling asleep nothing. I try to help out, and am not very helpful. It takes about an hour to get there with no problems. I guess not many people are interested in getting to the Airport at 5:30 for an 8 o'clock departure.
    The Airport is empty and cold. Everyone on duty is standing around looking for something to do or trying to avoid doing something.  We get to our gate before 6am and now I am content we will not miss our flight. And yes, I am still cold. Bastia, Elena, Teri, and Nancy all whip out sweaters and all I can do is dream of the warm sweater I chose to leave home.
     A little after 8 they call boarding and we are in the third group to board and yes the plane is cold.
     The Plane is a little odd for me. There are only two seats on either side of the isle. It reminds me of a 1950s movie.
     We take off in an almost driving rain. I have to remind myself that just fish do care it raining, neither do planes.
     There is a very short wait. The Captain guns his engine s and we're up and away.
     A short two hour or less flight later we are on the ground in Myrtle Beach.
     Everyone collects their belongings and Nick's cousins pick us up. The first thought I have after exiting the Airport is, it freakn  hot and humid here. I appreciate the heat, but the humidity might get to me.

     An other short trip later we're at the house. It's a one story house that is well kept that might of been built in the 60's. It is also has  a home owners association.
     The Day is sunny, the sky cloudless. A perfect day to head to the beach. With a storm front heading in, it might be our only day.
     A short drive to the Park and a little wait to pass the Park entrance where people without passes pay and we're on the beach.
     The Wind is whipping pretty good as We set up camp. We're unprepared for our stay on the beach. We do have the basic necessities, chairs, sun tan lotion, and for me a beach umbrella. Don't leave home without it. We did forgot drinks and food.
     I try the sand spike Teri bought, but the Wind isn't cooperating. One side of the umbrella flexes down,while the other side wants to launch you like Mary Poppins into the air. I use whatever I can to tie the umbrella to my chair and even then the umbrella makes several attempts to fly away.
     We stay out on the beach until about 4pm. By then everyone is in a state of well roasted. Amanda looks like she was dipped in Pepto Bismol. I've got a baseball size red spot on my knee where I must of missed that's all red. Nastia's face is all red like she's been crying. Everyone looks a little beat up. I'm hoping for rain tomorrow. We get home and go through eight showers. We head out to a place on the beach for dinner with Nick's relatives. We make a party of eleven.
     Everyone had some good food. Our group of seven paid me and I used my debit card.
     It had started a light sprinkle when we went into the restaurant. As We leave, it starts to pour. It rains most of the night. Everyone goes to bed thinking tomorrow we're going to the movies. Not so fast......

Bridge of Hope Party

THE BRIDGE OF HOPE REUNION IN CT.
     I was looking forward to this. I was hoping CJ and Fran would come or at least Howard and his wife. I knew Patrice would be there and I was looking forward to seeing her and Linda. They were always the best when we were going through the adoption process.
     The Day was hot, in a spring that had been a little cool and wet. The drive up, made by Teri, Thank You was not bad. Teri and I fussed over what to bring and she finally settled on a dip. At these gatherings I always feel like white trash. No one has ever treated me that way. They have always been very sweet and kind, but these last few years have been a little rough and we have not recovered like we would of liked to and the people who adopt like we did are usually of higher incomes, even when we were making good money.
      We get there a few minutes after the time it was to start. Few people are there. I strike up a conversation with a women I don't know telling her stories about our trip to Russia and how CJ and Fran were with us and how he was learning Russian and it made ordering food very easy. After a while we wander away from each other.

     The Other problem with the Bridge of Hope gatherings and I loosely take a quote from The Big Chill. We all knew each other for a short time a while ago. I wanted to sit down and talk to Patrice and Linda, because I do very much like them, but I had nothing to say beyond how are the adoptions from China going and did You ever do the Birobidzhan trip?
     We all had some burgers and hot dogs and some Ice Tea. Around three O-Clock, We felt it was time to leave. I took a few pictures of the girls on a big rock and then some pictures of all the kids from Russia and we left.

     I will go to the next one I hear about and the one after that. This will always be an important part of my life.

Fixing the side of the Pool

We decided to fix the pool up this year. Several Years ago I collapsed the side of the pool when I ran water I was draining from it on the elevated side and the wall bowed in. And over the last few years I'd made several attempts to fix it and only managed to make things worse. So this year Teri insisted that it was time to replace the pool liner. Early in the year, around February we contacted the pool company that Kristen works for. We wanted the work done early, like April.
     Well about mid May I go run into the pool place. I'd been short of money, even though we'd had a movie filmed at our house and we're paid well. It's funny how while you are sleeping the money gnomes come and steal your money. We were quoted a price of $1,200.00 for a new liner. They would take the cover off, drain it remove the old liner, add sand where we needed it and put the new liner in. I was told it would be two weeks before the liner would be in and then they would schedule an appointment.
     At five-thirty one late May day I Spanish fellow knocks on my door. He tells me he is here to do my pool. Trying to be nice, because I didn't want him to go away and never come back or worse come back late in the season, I explained to him I was not ready for him. He and his assistant opened the pool and started to drain it. I explained to him I needed time to dig out the side and I asked who much for him to do it. He said it would be on an hourly rate, as in they didn't know how long it would take them. I asked them to come back in a few days.
     I start digging the hole the next day. I am or was a physical person and I jam the shovel into the ground, taking overly large shovel fulls of dirt and begin piling the dirt, more like clay a few feet away

from me. My youngest daughter, Elena offers to help. She digs on the far side of where the hole will be and I'm where the cave in was worst. My hole is three times the size of hers in ten minutes. In fifteen minutes, I have to stop. As Danny Glover would say in 'Lethal Weapon' "I'm getting to old for this shit" Elena continues to dig. I dig sporadically over the next hour. We make some really good progress. As We head in that night I think I will be able to call the pool guys back before the weekend. It is Wednesday night.
     It rains for most of the next three days. We try to get back out there. The hole was covered over, but the rain as rain will do found the lowest point it can and that was our hole. All the clay is sticky and slippery. When We are finished, muddy clay is stuck to the shovels and the buckets we tried to use and very little of it wants to come off. At the end of this day, I realize that the job to be successful, I must increase the size of the hole to almost double. As work progresses, I dig less. My elbow and shoulder are hurting and the more I do the worse they are. Like Danny Glover said...
      After about a week of work the hole is nearing completion. Elena has done a good amount of the work and she has done all of the dirt jobs. The worst was getting down near the bottom of the side of the pool and clawing out the clay packed between the side and the bottom piece where the side should be.
     I get home after the pool people have left. I see a bright shinny liner with about six inches of water in it. The day is bright and shinny and it reminds me why pool and summer go together. But when I'm still looking at the bill for this job in the middle of February, I will try to bring back that memory. I hope it will work.

.

Mother's Day 2017

For Mother's Day, Teri had said she didn't want to do something at home. I didn't want to go out so it was Wednesday before Mother's day before I sat down and really tried to come up with a place to go. Amanda, who has started to become a really  responsible person reached out to me to help find a place to eat. I was told by Teri that Amanda worked from seven to three so it had to be a dinner. I knew Gilligan's was for Nancy's birthday the following Friday, so that was out. I finally came up with Bailey's Smoke House. I took a chance. We'd been there before, but I wasn't sure if Teri was going there for other people, or she liked it too. I told Amanda, she liked the idea.
     On Mother's day we had a reservation for seven people at five PM. Our Table was upstairs in the bar and I could see the TV and the Yankee double header games. They beat the Astros in a come back win in the first game, retired Jeter's number 2 between games and in the night cap bought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth before losing, but I didn't watch the game while at dinner.
     We decide on two combination dinners that would feed a small army. Nastia doesn't like BBQ so she wanted fish cakes. I thought she should have chicken, and her reply to why she didn't want to eat the chicken came out a little princessey. She said something like I don't want chicken , because I want fish. Whatever it was it hit Teri and I wrong. Teri took her outside to talk to her. When Nastia came back she was quiet. I tell Teri if she wants to give her fish cakes she can, and I won't care, but there is no reason for her to not eat the chicken. I look over at Nastia and she is now quietly crying. Again Teri and her go outside and when they come back her mood is better and dinner progresses.
     The Food was good, we did order enough for a small army, everyone got left overs. We had enough for three meals.
     Happy Mother's Day Teri.

The Evil Attic

It was Monday after work, I'd just finished giving a driving lesson to Elena and she had gone upstairs to take a shower before dinner. Nastia was looking for a portfolio for a school project. Elena just as she heads into the shower says there might be some in the Attic. I head out the door to drive around and look for some flower pots that come with store bought plants so I can plant vegetables in them at home. I'm gone about a half hour.
     When I get back home I see there is a message on the answer machine, but before I play it back Nastia calls to see if it is me down stairs. She asks, "why don't you answer your phone?" I never heard it. She starts telling me she went upstairs and got locked in the attic (Flowers in the Attic??) and had to stay there until Elena finished her shower and let her out.(READ THE BOOK, if You don't know or see the 1980's movie, book was better)
     After a good laugh, I play the answer machine back. It is Nastia calling the home phone asking to be let out of the attic. Even David laughed at her plight.
     Teri had a bad day, some people at her job were let go, some were friends, so I saved it for her and it brightened her day, made her laugh.
      I'm sorry Nastia if it hurt you,everyone laughing at what happened to you, it was something that made a bad day a little better.

Pre-Mother's Day running around

Mother's Day, it was like planning the invasion of Europe. I was Eisenhower. Nastia and Elena were Patton and Montgomery. I planned things and the helped execute things, without upsetting our Russian Allies. (That's a little joke Nastia says no one will understand, so I won't explain it) (Aw, hell you know I have to...Eisenhower had to preserve the Alliance against Hitler by keeping the Russians happy. I gave my children, the Russian tasks that would make them happy, simple, funny. Don't look at me that way it is funny....It's West Nyack funny)
        D-Day (yes, we're still going with the WW2 theme) was Saturday, the day before 'The Mother's day"
     At T-2 hours, noon civilian time, Elena comes up to me with a text she wrote me the day before about the gift she wanted to give her mother. I start reading it out loud. Elena jerks it away, giving me a look. It wouldn't do for Eisenhower to reveal part of the plan and be accused of having loose lips and sinking ships, Crises averted.
     After Teri has left to do grocery shopping, the three of us pile into the car and just like D-Day, the weather is poor. It's raining, sometimes hard, but We soldier on.
     Our first stop is a nursery in New City that used to be called Cropsey's, now I think it's Red Hill. I want a red dogwood tree for my mother. She has made comment recently that all of her dogwood trees are white and the one time she tried to buy a red one, the guy at Schimps Nursery, that used to be over near the middle school insisted the one he was selling her was red, it was white. We get there and the girls elect to stay in the car. I venture out and I am directed to cross a little bridge into the land of trees (my embellishment, you'll see why in a minute) I cross the bridge and enter a land of pretty flowering trees, I'm quickly walking around, because it is still raining, when a stranger appears from out of a flock of dwarfed red maples asking me what is my quest? I tell the noble spirit that I seek a red or pink dogwood tree. His reply is crisp and quick, that I have arrived at the land of Tree's of Statement and if I look to my left I will see trees starting at three-forty-three. I look at my watch wondering how time has flown so quickly in the land of statement trees. I ask the benign spirt the price of his noble green and pink friends and again he tells me the time, they start at three-forty-three. This time I've gotten the joke, I had inadvertently wandered into the land of dreams. I smile and tell the noble protector of the gold bearing denizens that I'm just looking for a give for Mom, not a statement. He bows and in a cloud of red dust or maybe red maple leaves disappears into his home make forest of statement trees.
     I smile as I turn occasionally laughing at having survived my adventure in the land of statement trees, but deep in my heart I only feel pity for those who have come before and those who will come after and be lured by the sweet serine's song to spend starting at three-forty-three, money on a statement tree, poor bastard!
      Our Quest, our invasion has not been defeated, only given something to write about in a blog. We will soldier on, next to another nursery!
     Our next stop after the magical world of Statement trees was to be another nursery center on Sickletown road. I can never remember their name  We instead do a quick side trip to the local liquor store and a discount card store. I head for the liquor store to buy some rum chatta for Teri and the girls head for the card store to buy cards.
     After that we are on our way to the nursery on Sickletown road. Its raining again and I go alone after confirming that the girls don't want to go. (Yes this will circle back in our story, it's the second time no one has wanted to go with me. That's okay, I didn't want company) I find Red Dogwood trees at $199.00 and some others at $139.00. I guess they don't stock statement trees. I did find vegetable plants at a cheaper price then Home Depot or Lowes $3.00 each. So I buy a few large singles at $2.49 and some four packs at $1.99. (I remember in the 60's when the price for a six place was less then a dollar. Wake Up.) Now having found only vegetable plants to buy at a reasonable price I get the brain storm to go to Home Depot. Why didn't I think of that before. They have trees and if they are not too abused they are reasonably priced, but are not statement trees, sadly. We head off to Home Depot. It is raining harder now then it has for most of the time We have been out. So I tell the girls I'll be back quickly. Nastia pipes up, (here it comes) I'll go with you and help you get a tree. I stop for a moment, then it hits me, David works at Home Depot. So I lay into her about the only reason she wants to go is to see David. I realize I am being a little hard on her so I circle back (see how that comes into it too) to a nicer tone and tell her she has two minutes to talk to him. She says she'll stay. Then I , hopefully in a nice tone tell her she doesn't have to stay in the car just because she wanted to go into Home Depot just to see David and I called her on it. She stayed anyway. Home Depot had no Dogwood trees.
     We go to Lunch in the Mall then head home with our bounty. Mother's Day is tomorrow and I think We have it covered. Elena got her a copy of A Dog's purpose, which she didn't wrap I guess because I didn't tell her to. Never thought I had to. Nastia got her a Sephora's gift card. I got her the Rum Chatta. My Mom did get her Pink Dogwood Tree, but I had to order it on line and it will get there about midweek.
  

Nastia's Junior Ball

The Junior Ball, a time for people, girls, may daughter to look forward to, to gat excited about dressing up and having some supervised adult fun. The beginnings of being an adult.
     Teri and Nastia went out sometime before the junior ball to pick out a dress, correction, the proper dress.
     Now Nastia has been bowling with me this year, starting sometime about the beginning of April she started asking me when bowling ended because she wanted to get her nails done for the Junior Ball. Every so often she would ask again. She probably only asked a few times, but to me it seemed every time I turned around she was asking. Bowling ended the end of April and thank god there was time to get her nails done.
     The day of the Junior Ball was a Friday. She had our permission to get out of school early. She never really asked, but Nastia and Teri were going to need the time. Teri was working for home. Nastia texts me soon after school starts that she needs a note to leave early. Silly Us should of thought about that one. I write up a note and bring it over.
     Nastia gets picked up around noon and Her and Teri go get her hair and nails done. Lat5er that day, sometime after three they both arrive home. Nastia has her hair braided. To me it looked poorly done, I told her it looked nice. Later after she gets dressed it did look nicer.
     About five, I guess Nastia starts to get ready. I'm hanging around in the kitchen drinking a beer figuring I'll be a spectator. Around six-thirty or so it starts. David is late. David is always late. David said something about someone being in the bathroom or something or other. I really wasn't listening. I didn't care. I had my beer, it was Friday and I was relaxing in the Kitchen. I think I even got out some Doritos. It's now 6:45 and I hear that they have to be there by seven-thirty or they will not be allowed in. I hear my wife mention my name. She's requesting I drive Nastia to the Junior ball and David to me her there, because there is not enough time. I agree and get my car keys. It is six-fifty now. I can see redness in Nastia's eyes. She is either upset or the cold she has been fighting is starting to win. At almost seven, I'm sitting in the car, David texts or calls Nastia that he is on the way and she says she will wait for him. I say nothing, I have said nothing through this whole incident. I will say nothing until She is on her way and I will only say it to Teri, until now. David always puts his family in front of Nastia. He is always canceling things with her because of his family. I guess it is expected, but when you have a girlfriend there are times like this one where you should be on time or early. there was no excuse for him being late on a night like this. Knowing Nastia it didn't effect her evening. She is the type of girl/women who can and does find the bright side of most any disaster or at the worst comes out smiling after it is all over. I hope life never robs her of that and I'm glad I haven't either.