28 Years, Nastia's first casino and Elena wants to fix the Mustang

I can't believe it's been twenty-eight years since Teri and I married in The Tappan Reformed Church in Tappan, New York. It was an unusually warm April 1st, and yes I chose it on purpose so I would remember it. Teri asked me a year or so earlier when I wanted to marry her. I keep choosing odd days, like the second Tuesday of next week, February 29th, which wouldn’t happen for three years, I think. Finally I said April 1st. She replied, “If it’s a Saturday, We’re getting married on that day!”Well it was, so we did. This past April 1st was again a Saturday and the weather was almost as good as 28 years ago. We received a little rain late in the day, and it was almost as warm as it was in 1995. It was still cold in 95, running around getting pictures taken without jackets. We again went to ‘Michael’s on Main’ in New City. It was expensive, but we both had Rib Eye Steaks.

We were unsure about going out for our anniversary after I’d spent so much money on her birthday. I gave her lottery tickets as a gift and she won $100.00. See, sometimes you do win. And we used that money plus fifty more to go out to dinner. It was a nice evening.

Nastia and Sean talked about going to a casino in Monticello for her birthday last December. Her mother and I thought it was a bit quick to be going away for the night together. There were no illusions about stopping anything, it just seemed too quick. It’s like Sean sleeping in a separate bed when he stays over. There is no illusion that anything is stopped when they are alone. It just doesn’t seem proper to let him sleep in the same bed with her or even the same room.

So with all of that said, they went to Monticello and stayed at Resorts Casino near the racetrack. They left after Sean got out of work and they were up there about an hour and a half later. It's a nice looking casino. Nastia sent pictures and Teri joked about there being only one bed.

When I was a salesman and that was my territory, I don’t think the Resorts casino was built yet, so I have never been inside it. I’ve been to enough off the beaten track Casinos and even though the pictures Nastia took made it look nice, it’s not Vegas or even Atlantic City. She took pictures of the room and said they won $70.00, but spent some of it and left up only $30.00. They had fun and Nastia said she didn’t try to gamble, she just watched. Teri and I ruined the trip a little for her when she told us she gave her license to Sean to hold onto. We both told her that was not very adult of her to do. She fought us and we pushed back. She couldn’t see what was wrong with her giving her license to Sean and we couldn’t make her understand it was not very adult of her. She got angry and went upstairs. Later we invited her down to watch some TV with us and she did come down. Back in 2017 or maybe 2018, most likely 2017 I was driving my Mustang convertible home from work. It was a warm sunny day and I had the top down. I only drove it when the weather was good because the top had a hole in it. About half way home the car shifted to a lower gear and a light came on on the dash. I parked it.in the garage. I had the intention of fixing it, but money was tight and money remained tight, then I got the Grand Am because Teri swore the Mustang was no good in the snow because I once slid into a pole during a snowstorm. The poor car has gone through ups and downs. I ordered it during the summer of 1999. I picked it up near the end of October. We drove around the next week in the cool fall weather with the top down.

I think it was within ten days, Teri and I were driving down Rt 59 in Nanuet and we’d just gone under the Rt 304 bridge when I hit something in the road and got a flat tire. I had a new car temporary roadside service plan, that was how new the car was so I called and a neighbor, who runs a tow service, Chris came out to change the tire. I was a little embarrassed I called and it was someone who’d helped me out big time towing my truck when it was needed. The car went through other unfortunate times. The hole in the roof originally was in the folds of the roof near the bottom of the window. I’d get water in the car and not know where it was coming from. There were times the car sat for months, if not years covered in a tarp, or like it has recently in the garage for the last four years. Everytime it sat it was because I lacked the money to fix it. The roof has needed to be repaired for many years and that is because of money. Eric said four year ago he’d help me fix the transmission issue, but I needed a new roof first, so it sat until I couldn’t start it because of a new problem. Both of my daughters have eyed the car. I taught Nastia how to drive in it. It was sidelined when Elena was learning, so she has never driven it. It has around 67,000 miles on it. My car is suddenly 23 years old. When the hell did that happen? Parts will be difficult to come by like they are for the Grand Am which is also 23 years old, but has over 127,000 miles on it. Elena works on cars for a living. She doesn’t have the knowledge to fix the Mustang yet. We are starting very simply to fix the car. Elena took an Interstate battery I had and was able to get a new one from work because Sean, Nastia’s boyfriend, has connections with Interstate. When the battery goes in, next buy a module that is bad to replace it in the fuse box. If it starts, I don’t know where to go from there? I’ll figure it out. If I don’t one day the car will be gone and someone will be trying to fix it at her job.

Teri's Birthday- Again with the party

Teri has always held herself to a higher standard. She has always strived to achieve it and one day it will put her in an early grave if she lets it. So when it comes to her birthday I’ve tried to do something special for her. Sometimes I feel like that quote from Winnie the Pooh- “When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”

I threw a party for Teri last year at Maggiano’s in the Riverside Square Mall in Hackensack NJ. It was a great success, I felt. Teri had time to share with people she is close to. We had a good time. Money being tight this year, I figured I’d throw her a party, but switch it up and order food from the Mexican Restaurant down the street, Sangria. Teri loves Paella and it was a nice family style dinner that would get put on the table and people would just scoop what they wanted. But just that bear, that thinks of things which seem very thingish inside you… it is quite different when it gets into the open. I’m not saying it wasn’t fun, it was. THe food was good and everyone ate their fill and then some. It just seemed less thingish when it got out into the open.

Originally I tried to keep the circle of friends and relatives tight because of cost. I invited Kimmy, and Katie, her cousins. Sallyann, her best friend and her sister, Nancy. Later I thought it was unfair to exclude Sallyann’s family, so I asked Sallyann if she wanted to invite her daughter and Kenny, her husband. By the morning of the party it was a gathering of ten. Teri, who knows about the party, asks me, what am I serving and how I’m set the table? I hadn’t thought much about it and Teri being the intense go-getter that has brought us to where we are today, almost single handedly is not pleased. I didn’t understand, well if I put myself in her shoes I do understand why she would give more than a passing thought to how the table is set. While I’d give it less than a passing thought. To me it was simple: how many people, how many leaves in the table, find a table cloth, it’d work itself out. It’s like when I’d go up the Thruway in the left lane passing the entrance to Spring Valley needing to get to the Garden State entrance with two lanes of cars between me, it and I would work it out. I’d get there. It might be a little intense for a moment or two, but I’d get there. I alway do and mostly in one piece. Teri says she will pick up salad, if I want, I say, “Ok”.

Nastia offers to help. I put two leaves in the table joking with her when her mother saw it the first thing she’d say was, “It’s too big.”, you had to be there. We decide on the nice dishes and are leaning toward the ‘silver’ silverware, because someone lost four of the regular forks and we only have eight. It wouldn’t work with ten people coming. With the table set, I receive a text from Sallyann saying stomach virus can't come. So now we are down to eight and the regular silverware is going to be used. See everything works itself out. I remove a leaf from the table, fold the table cloth in on itself and everything is set. I visited Sangria’s the previous day and they said they didn’t do the family style paella like they did during Covid. I visited them with Nastia about two, the day of the part and was told to come back a little later. Nastia and I go to get cards, see that worked itself out too, while we waited to talk to someone about the order. At 3:30 or so we go back and they tell us they can give us the food in trays, but the price is still the price. I was disappointed. I pay and tell them we’ll pick it up at 6 PM. Back years ago, when Teri and I would go to El Bandido in Spring Valley, the owner would give away free things. They were never hugely expensive, but it was nice, made us feel a little special. One night we were given a shot each of 43. It is a vanilla liqueur, I guess from Mexico. It didn’t matter because then and there a love affair was born with it. For better or worse when my daughters were introduced to alcohol, I introduced them to 43. Mexican food and 43 go together like rice and beans. Or like Nastia and going out drinking. She’ll order 43 when she goes out to drink, if that wasn’t clear. It’s funny how that night at El Bandido has trickled down to Nastia going out drinking.

Well, all eight people show up. Some 43 is passed around. The food I picked up at six is kept warm while we eat salads. Teri wanted me to make a sauce for ice cream that I haven’t made in years. I dug the cook book out from the pile of cookbooks piled in milk cases because with the internet, who needs cookbooks. She wants me to wait to make it. I wait until after dinner. I met the butter in a large frying pan. Add the chopped walnuts and brown them. While this is going on I melt chocolate chips and heavy cream in a double boiler. Who says I can’t do two things at once? When the walnuts are browned, I add the Grand Marnique, tilt the pan to the flame and flambé! LThat night the flame reached the top of the exhaust hood and burned for a good ten seconds. It was fun and a little scary. Something you can drink burns like that! I combine the chocolate and the nuts and it gets scooped over ice cream. It was a perfect way to end the evening. After cleanup, Teri comes over to me. She tells me how she enjoyed people coming together, but she didn’t like people giving her gifts, she called it mining for gifts. I understand and I wanted to tell people not to bring gifts, but I thought Teri would find that tacky. She asked for no more birthday parties. So next year it will not be billed as a birthday party, just a gathering of Laudecker’s.

Merry Christmas Elena

Elena is supposed to cook once a week, just like her sister. Friday, today is St. Patrick’s day, so we are having Corned Beef and Cabbage. Is that racist behavior on our part? I know I’m 3/8th or so Irish and Teri believe it or not is about the same, so can we still eat this ethnic meal on this ethnic day?

Give me a moment to get the train back on the tracks…. OK, Elena cooking is the topic. Well Sunday Nastia and I made scampi, Monday, we had leftovers, Elena didn’t cook. Wednesday she was spending with Matt. Shwas spending it with him to the point she slept over his house. How was grandma’s bed, Elena? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge (Monty Python reference) Getting off the tracks again. I really don’t care if she sleeps in Grandma’s bed or not, she was the one who bought it up originally. Nastia has been allowed to go away with boyfriends, so why shouldn't Elena go away with her’s? Even if it’s just to Northeastern New City. (Where Matt lives)

I think we’re up to Thursday now. Well Thursday evening she was supposed to come home and help to put St. Patrick’s ethnic meal together with her mother. Elena doesn’t get home until late that evening.(Don’t worry, there were no hickies, or should I worry?). So about 2 PM she texts, "What's for Dinner” Teri replies, “What are you cooking?” “Idk, I have nothing” is her reply. She quickly adds another text, “Matt wants me over for dinner. If you want I can do 2 dinners next week”

Teri, “ Idk, whaddya think dad??” I finally jump in with, “ So the rest of us starve” For good measure I add two emojis, which I never do. Elena, “You’ll be okay” Can you stand all that sympathy? She then adds, “You got something in the mecroavay too.” That unknown word will get clear. Teri alway one to jump when she smells a little blood in the water, “The what???????”. Elena, “The microwave” I guess the first time she spelled it in Russian. Teri feeling her oats, “Oh and look dad figured out how to use emoji’s” I’m impressed she could spell emoji’s, I had to look it up. Elena jumps on the bandwagon, Wow. That’s crazed” she then realizes she texted ghetto and added Crazy* I add a picture of my finger, Elena replies, “Awe” and “ I’m your number one fan” Teri not wanting to be left out, “You hug your mom with that hand?” Elena, always willing to one up you, adds two fingers in her photo and says, “Guess what pops You’re my number 2 fan”. I tell her that will be our Christmas card and send her a picture with Christmas designs around it. Telling her

I just got it back from the printers. Thinking I might have gone too far, I say, “Have I gone too far,I’m sorry if I have.” She tells me no so I go into it would make a fine Easter Card too with little bunnies and a Jesus in the corner. Teri, having gone back to work cuts in, “People are working yet.” I throw a couple more emojis at her and Elena, “That’s okay ma this is more of an important matter.” Life without the girls would have made us richer monetary wise, but life would have been so boring

Once again that feeling of, "I have to get there as soon as I can."

I'll never be able to relax when Nastia goes out driving, well at least for the next twenty years, I won’t. She has had so many accidents, it's hard to believe. Teri counted them off to me on her fingers recently. She started on her left hand and I think she finished on her right. She hit a car pulling out of a parking spot in the bowling Alley. She hit the bowling alley building. In Pearl River when she was driving her sister's Taurus she rear ends the car in front of her. She put her car into gear on a steep hill with the car off and crashes into another car, shattering the back window on the Escape. She crashes into a guard rail when a bee gets into her car, that's more than three. I know there are more, but I'm just hi-lighting here. We can add another one to the list, if you haven't guessed.

I get out of work at 4:45 to go bowling in New City on Wednesdays. I am driving up the Palisades towards New City when I get a call from Nastia. I answer it and she is upset saying she's gotten into an accident. I tell her, "I'm on the way" and Hang up. I get into the left lane and start driving faster. That old familiar feeling has returned. That feeling that I needed to be at her side two minutes ago. Of course the car in front of me doesn't know I'm in a hurry, so they don't get out of my way. A small voice in the back of my head keeps saying, "If you get into an accident that will help no one." So I slow down and I try to calculate my route to get where she is as quickly as possible. For many years I delivered milk up in the area and I knew the back roads very well then. It's been over twenty years since I've taken some of the roads. I guess and try hard to remember how to go. I'm stressed and of course that makes it harder to think. I make a left onto Central Avenue from Route 202. I turn onto Railroad avenue. My gps is sending me to another bank, but I recognize the road. Foley’s, a bar? Restaurant used to be on this road. I go up and down the other side of a tall hill and the Key bank is on the left. I pull in and it takes me a minute to find her car and her. I wrap her in my arms. I knew she was alright back when I got the call, but it made it so much better to see her and just confirm it. And Mom and Dad, I’m sorry for all the anguish and fear I put you two through when I was younger and stupid and drove like a fool after drinking.

I try to get Steve’s auto body, but it’s after 5 PM. I tell the officer to get anyone. Sean arrives a few minutes later and I tell him what I’ve done. He says, “No, he’s got a guy” and he believes he can fix the car at his Dad’s shop for very cheap. He calls his guy, leaves the keys and we leave to go bowling. I was going to call it off, but Nastia looked at me and said there was no reason to call it off. We got there late. The other team had started. The Management put us on our own lanes and we were able to bowl and be by ourselves. Somewhere in the evening Nastia began to smile again. During the second game she complained about aches and pains and bowlled a 79 to prove she hurt. Everyone survived this day and even the cars were not hurt too badly. Her car will be laid up for a while. Parts must be found and then installed. Until then Teri and I and yes Sean will be carting her to and from work. Such is life. It could have been so much worse.

Playing House

It's interesting watching Nastia and Sean 'play house'. I don't mean to make that sound mean. Last night (2/27/2023) it snowed. It is the first measurable snowstorm of the year on the last day of February (2/28/23). Everyone is out of practice and unprepared. I did get Bruce, a family friend, to fix the snow blower, so at least that was ready for the storm. I even started it yesterday to make sure it still worked, it did. Overnight it snowed about 4-5 inches, and was over by the time I got up. Couldn’t even watch it fall. I’m up at 6 to let the dogs out with Teri. I shovel the back steps, the walkway and I make a path for the dogs because they’re old. About seven I wake Nastia up telling her she’ll need to clear the snow off her car. She groans and mumbles something along the lines of She’s making Sean breakfast. I leave her, message has been delivered. About ten after seven, she is up and she is making Sean frozen waffles. Sean is clearing off the cars. I walk past the breakfast table and see two sets of waffles on plates, but no one is eating. I hear Nastia outside and I wonder how they will enjoy their cold waffles. It’s Tuesday, so I leave the front porch covered in snow. I’m at the point where I feel that it is time for someone else to shovel snow. Later in the day, Elena will shovel the steps. I’ll clean the snow off Teri’s car and my car, maybe the girls cars, if there is time. Today with this great new job with the early end time, anything happening early in the morning, I don’t have time for it. I even leave the snow blower plugged in for the electric starter ready incase Elena figures she wants to try and use it. She doesn’t and I’m not unhappy about that. It’s a big machine and I can just imagine her putting her hand in the chute after it clogs with wet slushy snow and her fingers get shortened when she touches the auger while it’s moving. Everyone thinks it won’t happen to them.

That afternoon I text Elena and ask her if she knows what she is going to cook this week. She has not idea because she doesn’t have a grasp on what varieties are out there. I text her and ask her if she wants to make Yankee Tower Meatloaf. She texts back, “Is that the one with the cheeeeesseeee” I answer yes. She wants to make it.

We start at about six. Teri is not feeling good so she comes home early. I have one way to teach and do things, Teri’s is exactly the opposite, from my view point anyway. Teri tells her to use this small cup with ounces on the side for the 6 ounces of milk. I’m on the other side of Elena saying, “six ounces is ¾ of a cup, just use that. Elena uses the small cup for the liquid and the ¾ cup for the bread crumbs. Somewhere the meatloaf gets too much milk or too little breadcrumbs because it spreads when it cooks. It still tastes fine. Elena makes macaroni and cheese and a couple vegetables and dinner is ready. She comments later that making the meatloaf was so easy. I was happy about that.

Saturday we had to put Bandi down. He is blind, he can’t always walk up and down stairs and he has become senile. Most mornings this last month or so I’d carry him down in a plastic container, turn it on it’s side pointing toward the wall of the stairs so he has a straight shot to the back door. After the first few times he’d begun to understand where he was and how to get where he needed to be, then it seemed to change and he’d get lost. I’d have to stand behind him and he’d play bumper car with my feet until he went in the direction he needed to go. Teri had said several times maybe it was time. I’d resisted hoping he’d die one night and save us the decision. We called the vet on Saturday morning and we’re told to bring him in around 11:30. It went like the other dogs in the past and he will be cremated and buried at Teri’s mom’s grave somewhere. He was 17 when he died, we’d had him for 15 years.

It's winter, all we do is eat, I guess.

The next morning, after the Super Bowl the refrigerator seems so full of food and for a moment I think it is a leftovers night. Here is the pasta dish Elena made last week but we'll cook that on Tuesday, not tonight. As I go through the leftovers I see the chop meat I need to break up and freeze. It brings to mind Teri saying she’d have to make a Yankee Tower meatloaf because of all the American cheese we have. I text her later in the day to see if that will go over well. It goes over like my cinnabon invitation on Valentine’s Day the following day (I’m sorry, not tonight, I’m tired, which almost sounds like I'm asking for something else.) Later Teri will suggest Koltetta, that lovely Russian type meatball (Damn Putin, he’s poisoned everything Russian for me, except the girls) I think it’s a good idea and I know we have everything. This is a trick the girls must learn when they cook. (more on that later) Kotleta is simple. Meat, bread soaked in milk, onion, maybe some garlic. Well whatever it is, it’s simple. I put it together in a short period of time. It is so short that when I’m just starting Nastia says she’ll help, but wants to shower first. By the time she is back, I’m done, cooked, everything.

I tell Nastia to get Pierogies and we’ll fry them. She offers to fry them and as usual it is a long distance relationship. She puts one in the oil, the ice melts into the oil,it sputters, spits and in its anger and rage looks for someone to burn. Nastia by that time is in the living room saying I should call her when it is done being angry because she will not put up with that. Teri gets home, sees all the oil on the stove and well, would you be pleased with the mess either? Nastia warms the vegetables and it’s dinner time. Elena is over Matt’s house. She’ll sleep over (mom, I’m 21 years old and I’ll sleep in his grandmother’s old bed, two points for originality, and two points for audacity and a point lost for denying something your parent’s know has been happening for a while and do understand.) She has Tuesday, Valentine’s day off and Matt will make her breakfast (Elena, “how does he not break the omelet?”). They’ll get wings from Rick’s Club American and eat leftover salmon for dinner. She’ll come home a little late Tuesday after trying to get permission to go to a 10 PM movie and be home after midnight and have to go to work the next day. She’ll be happy, relaxed and in a generally good mood. I envied her that night. Nastia gave Sean a cold over the weekend for an early Valentine's Day gift and she’ll spend it with us. Well back in August when she didn’t have a date for Valentines day, she did ask if she could spend it with us.

The night of the Super Bowl

After the hike, Sean and Nastia go to the grocery, where Sean goes full Italian and buys a bunch of food. Teri has already purchased enough food for an army, so with Sean’s purchases we will be eating Super Bowl food for a week. He buys chips and cookies and dips. Teri’s plan for food was sliced roast beef sandwiches, shrimp with horseradish sauce Wings, pigs in a blanket with chips and dips. I know why Teri likes Sean, they think alike, both are chips and dips fans.

Teri as usual prepares 90% of the food. I’ve been working in Elena's closet (yes, that room still) and I have a headache and decide to shower. After I’m finished I’m asked to do the pigs in a blanket in the air fryer and to do the wings. Years ago Teri showed me how to do wings and I thought I remembered how to do them. I cook them in butter and add hot sauce. Something happens and the hot sauce is nowhere to be found. I must have cooked it off. They taste good, but are not spicy. The game starts, it’s a good game. Everyone is sitting in the living room watching the game. Nastia and Elena are rooting for Philadelphia and the rest of us Kansas City. Matt, I think is not som much into football. THe girls enjoy the first half as Philadelphia dominates and would be way ahead if it were not for the fumble KC’s defense to in for a touchdown. In the second half Philadelphia’s lead dwindles and Elena and Matt go upstairs. Nastia gets quiet.

I’m in a pool and get the reverse for a quarter, but there is no payoff for that. At the end of the game, I look at my numbers and all I need is Philadelphia to score a touchdown and then Kansas City to do the same. It’s the fourth quarter, plenty of time for it to happen. Philadelphia scores a touchdown, tying the game. I have their number. Kansas City marches down the field and with about a minute and a half left, a player catches a short pass and is in the open. There is no one to stop him. He heads for the left corner of the end zone. At the one yard line I hear the announcer say, “ he needs to stop, there’s too much time left”, and just like that the player slides short of the goal by a foot. I’m thinking they’ll run some time off the clock, then go for the score. Well they sort of do that. The next two plays the quarterback takes a knee and then they go for the field goal. I don’t win my $700.00. Some other person on some other couch celebrates winning an unexpected $700.00 this night. They rejoice in their unexpected good luck or with my luck, the were asleep when it happened.. Everyone leaves to go somewhere else. Sean is staying the night again, so he goes upstairs with Nastia. Elena hangs out with Matt until he leaves around 11. It was a good game and a fun night.

Super Bowel Sunday Morning and more food, oh, boy.

Super Bowl Sunday Morning Saturday night Teri and I, with Nancy go see 80 for Brady. I guess to prepare for Super Bowl Sunday. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. After work, Sean and Elena come in the door, Sean is carrying a bottle of Grey Goose vodka. It’s an expensive vodka. The girls with Sean go out drinking to the Last Chance Saloon. Before they go out they play a drinking game called buzzed with the Grey Goose. I’ll find the bottle (40 proof) three quarters dead later that night. Sean is staying over Saturday night. So when we get home, I let everyone know that Sunday morning I will go get bagels.I get up early on Sunday, about 8:40, because they are planning on a hike around Rockland Lake for 10AM. I leave messages when I return and receive no reply. Well, it is early, 9:14. At 10AM, the beasts begin to stir. I guess there is a possibility that they are still going out for their hike. I feel a little cheated that no one has or will admit to a hangover. They come down, still planning their hike. They tuck-in (INFORMAL•BRITISH eat food heartily."today's a special occasion, so tuck in" ) to the bagels. I bought extra and realized it might be a mistake when Nastia said,”These bagels are huge, I don’t know if I can eat a whole bagel.” At the table Nastia asks me ,”Why hasn't she ever woken up with a hangover?” I reply, in my best wise ass, “Maybe you haven’t tried hard enough.” I hope I won’t regret it later.

Talk revolves around hangover cures, drink water before bed, and slowly morph into why Matt isn’t coming on the hike and after he is contacted, why he can’t make it. And yes, I’m writing this as it happens…Elena gives a small clap and a yeah. Nastia leans over to Elena’s phone and it turns out Matt is going to make the hike. They then drift into proper hiking shoes. Nastia telling Sean sneakers are not good and she is going to wear snow boots. I do a virtual eye roll and try to keep my mouth shut., but don’t manage. Talk quickly shifts to Elena and her Timberland work shoes; she doesn’t want to be bothered buying online because they are difficult to return. Nastia burps for a second time. I point out to her that early in relationships your partner finds everything you do charming and wonderful. It then morphs in, oh, that’s what she does and eventually it becomes, oh, she has no manners, the pig. Nastia asks Sean what he thinks. He’s at the point of, it’s what she does. Nastia notices I am writing and asks what I’m writing. I read some to her. To prove a point, which I am totally at a loss for, Nastia bites Seans nose. Elena growls and they both do their evil deep voices (yes, you have to be there to appreciate it) I read that back to them, they laugh and Sean doesn’t appreciate the evil voices. Nastia tells Elena to go get ready for the hike and comb her hair, says,”Elena, comb your hair, you got hat hair.” Elena replies, “No I have bed hair. And I’m not going to comb it anyway, I’ll wear a hat.” or words to that effect. They debate for a moment or two which she has until she goes upstairs to not comb her hair. Sean and Nastia clean up and go into the kitchen where it gets quiet and some whispering goes on. Oh, please go on your hike already!! Matt arrives and Elena actually shows public affection and hugs and kisses him. Will wonders never cease.

Getting uninvited to dinner

Thursday night Elena texts, " Do we have frozen beef?" Teri asks why. Elena replies, "Matt is coming over and I'm making tacos." Now from that you'd assume and you know what they say about assume... that she was making dinner for everyone considering that I do most every night.

Teri comments that if she’s cooking maybe we will stay home. I comment she should prepare for tacos tonight by taking the meat out of the freezer and to take out four pounds. I still think I’m eating tacos on Friday.

Earlier in the night I stumbled over going out to dinner on Friday with Teri. We talk about it and afterwards we are eating at home. No problem, it’s tacos. Elena asks me, in her own unique way, to take the meat out of the freezer. I take four pounds out of the freezer. I still think I’m eating tacos Friday.

The next morning I’m eating breakfast when Nastia comes down. She, I think, brings up tacos or going out to dinner. I tell her I’m staying home and Elena is making tacos, you know, I’m eating tacos, Friday for dinner. She say, to my surprise, “ My sister wants to make dinner for Matt and Sean and I are going out. She wants you two to go out too.” I say, “She didn’t say that.” and I pull out the texts she and I and her mother were writing last night. Stuffed away at the top of one page is a line from Elena, “Nahh, you guys stay out. Immma make dinner for matato” and then a question about 4 lbs of meat. I missed the message and only saw Why 4lbs, which I answered as if I was eating tacos Friday night, but I wasn’t invited to have tacos for dinner on Friday night.

I texted my wife and we re-established our plans for dinner on Friday. A BBQ joint in New City. I’m not having tacos for dinner Friday night, I’m having BBQ. Elena is cooking dinner for Matt all by herself. Meanwhile later Friday, sometime in the afternoon I get a text from Elena, “How many taco seasonings am I using for 4lbs of meat. My reply will not fit the screen as the subsequent messages on how to make taco meat with the seasoning mix. You’d think I like to type with the length of my replies, And you’d think I was having tacos Friday night, no BBQ. Elena will be completely on her own making a dish that isn't really hard to make, if you have cooked on your own before, you know flying solo. She should do fine. She’s eaten it many times and seen it made several. I bet she wishes she’d spent less time in her room while I make dinner.Your right, no she wouldn't.

Teri and I go out to the new Bailey’s place in New City. We came back several hours later to a spotless kitchen. Matt is nowhere to be found. I ask Elena later on how things went and she gives a very detailed, “fine.” I haven’t seen Matt since that night, so until I do I’ll reserve judgment as to how it went. If he comes over and is dead, I’ll know it didn’t go as well as she said it did. Nastia and Sean went out to dinner too, but I never found out where they went.

It's February, so I guess another story about dinner is fine

But first an Elena story. A few days ago Elena goes to her mother and says, "I'm going to sleep over Matt's." Now I'm getting this story second hand and will try to stay as close to the truth as I heard it but I will embellish where necessary to get the humor and feelings across. Her mother says something like," oh really?" "Mom" Elena replies, "I'm twenty-two years old, I'm staying downstairs in the grandmother's room and I'm twenty-two years old!" Tell me does it seem sweet or weird to think that Elena maybe having a normal life, if you know what I mean? She made a joke one day about where guy think it is and I asked her how she knew that? I later told her I was sorry and I Shouldn't have said that. I'm just so used to Nastia keeping nothing secret. Teri played with her for a little while and I’m sure she’ll be allowed to stay over Matt’s. Nastia has wanted Sean to taste Cajuin meatloaf for a while now. She’d wanted to make it one night during the week recently and Teri said it takes too long. (Cat out of the bag, we made it recently and it took two hours to make, not a weeknight meal.)

I told Nastia we’d make it on a Sunday afternoon about 4PM and have it the next day for dinner. I text her a little after4 and receive no reply. She is upstairs with Sean and I’ve decided to give her the space Al Galan gave me and his daughter, so I don’t go up there. I start doing the spices and. Teri yells up to Nastia to come down and help. She starts in on the cutting of the onions, celery and bell peppers. I leave for a while to get some stuff at the grocery. After I return, Nastia mans (wo-mans?) the stove. She melts the butter, adds the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and spices I put together. Everything is going well. I hand Nastia the ketchup and condensed milk. I tell her a ½ cup of each. The can of milk has been opened like you’d open a can of corn, not like a can of soda. She puts the ketchup in correctly and while I’m not watching the full can of condensed milk goes in. I go a little overboard when I tell her, she needs to read the recipe. I try to soften it, not wanting to ruin the fun we’re having. I apologize to her and it does pass. I pour out most of the milk. Unfortunately a lot of other things go with it. She cooks down what remains and it gets mixed into the meat. When I make this meatloaf, even though reheated is not as good as fresh, I always make two. So I tell her to start from the beginning and do it again. I guess that’s why it takes two hours. The second time making it goes quickly. Everything is cut and ready and she has made one and it is fresh in her mind. She adds the correct amount of milk and we put both into the oven to cook. I take five minutes off both meatloaf’s time in the oven so they don’t get over cooked when they are reheated. When we take them out Nastia says to serve the one she didn’t mess up on tomorrow. I tell her to not admit failure when you cook unless someone complains first and then to say, “Yes, this didn’t come out as well as it could have.” or something to that effect. Never admit to cooking a lousy meal first. Everything gets cleaned up. Teri, who made none of the mess, gets into the middle of cleaning up as she usually does. She is told a couple of times she doesn’t have to, but as usual she does help. It is 7:30 when the meatloafs come out of the oven. We are in the middle of having leftovers on this Sunday night. It’s cajun meatloaf Monday tomorrow. MONDAY I get home around 5:20 (still luvin that end of work time) I start preparing dinner. Water on the stove for Macaroni and cheese. Remove the meatloaf from the refrigerator and cover the pan in foil after putting some water in the pan. Nastia comes down and requests fried pierogies. I think fine, I’m not going to cook them. She goes down and gets two boxes. Sean who’s arrived questions two boxes. I assure him they'll be needed. Cooking dinner is easy, except if you are Sean. As you all know Nastia is deathly afraid of heat and getting burned.So to no one's surprise somehow Nastia making pierogies becomes Nastia handing Sean the pierogies to cook to Sean cooking the pierogies. He gets wounded in action when a splatter of hot oil catches him in the eyebrow. Everyone sits down for dinner. I see most of the meatloaf disappears, but Sean doesn’t go for seconds. Did he not like it? Am I getting too concerned about what other people are eating? Does this mean I’m starting to care?? Nah, let's get real. I cook what I like to eat, case closed. If you like it all for the good.

Clean up was easy and again Teri , even though she didn’t make the mess, was right in the middle cleaning it up. Meatloaf was very good. Mac and cheese with cream cheese in it wasn’t as good as it could have been. Even Elena commented about it. Was a fun night. Sean got to see Nastia cook using oil, always a treat and he finally tried cajun meatloaf.

My 65th and the girls start cooking regularly.

It hit me today that the girls have been in America longer than they were in Russia. We adopted them all the way back in October 2009. It was my 65th birthday on Sunday. I always hoped to make it to 65, I just thought it wouldn’t be this quickly. We celebrated at the Outback in Monroe. They have the tastiest, juicy, tender steaks around these days. My mom joined us along with Sean and Teri’s sister, Nancy.

I’d requested no gifts, just gift cards for the Outback. And like the real American girls they are, they didn’t listen to me. I didn’t want them to spend so much money just after Christmas, but they did. Hey gave the requested gift cards and they threw in some candy on top of that.

We arrived at the Outback at 5:30 expecting a busy restaurant or at least it to fill up as the night went on. And it being a work day the next day everyone thought it a good idea to make it an early evening. We were a group of seven this evening. Teri sat across from me, Elena on my right. My mom next to Teri and Nancy next to her, with Sean and Nastia down at the end of the table.

Elena dithered over whether to have a comb steak and ribs or to have ribs. She didn’t like the steak that came with the ribs and they couldn’t switch it out, so she ordered the out of left field option, a cheese burger. Nastia had salmon because as hse said, “It’s the only thing I can eat on the menu.” I’d feel sorry for her, except, I love steak and we go for seafood on her birthday. Everyone else had steak. The girls investigated mixed drinks again. Nancy ordered a ‘Wallabe darned’ and both girls liked the taste so both ordered it. Sean ordered a bloody mary he didn’t like. Nastia gave him her drink. If she didn't, she probably wouldn’t have finished it. I was pleased when I offered a second drink to Elena, she passed on it even though she wasn’t driving.

We finished dinner by a little after 7 and again this year everyone was too full to head to Dairy Queen. We dropped my mother off first, then Nancy. We were home by 8. It was a nice evening. On Monday Nastia started her first day at her new job, up at Helen Hayes Hospital. She said the first day was easy. They are easing her into the job. She didn’t have to change any diapers. She arrived home before me. I'd stopped off at the grocery to pick up a few items because I decided to try a new recipe. Chicken, peppers, mushrooms and onions with Marsala wine, sounds good. It didn’t come out so well. Nastia helped cook to fulfill her cooking once a week obligation. I don’t know where things went wrong for dinner. The mushrooms were over cooked, Teri insisted I chop the onions, not have long slivers and I used chicken thighs instead of chicken tenders. Yeah, what could have gone wrong with those changes. I threw the recipe out. Nastia cut the peppers, after I showed her how to cut it without wasting any of the pepper. I did the onions and mushrooms. Nastia and Sean did the flavored rice. The rice was the high point of dinner. I also forgot the green beans in the microwave, but they were not missed. Neither will the recipe be missed. Tonight Elena helps to make Korean Beef with rice. This is a tried and true recipe, it’ll be a fine dinner tonight.

More about Dinner and boyfriends

Recently I proclaimed, because as a father you proclaim and decree (I’ll wait while the laughing stops, We really do that stuff, but no one listens any more since it is no longer a white male world) that the girls were to make a meal each week, eventually by themselves because they have reached the age where they will eventually move out or at least need to cook for themselves. On Monday, Elena wanted to make tacos. I didn’t know it was her attempt to do her first meal by herself. I got home at 5:20 (love the end time of my new job) and she wasn’t home. So I started to cook dinner. She arrived home a little before 6. She’d stopped off to get Matt and pickup some dessert. She commented that I’d almost finished cooking and could she go shower off all the grease from her job in New City. I still didn’t know she’d planned to make dinner because of my pronouncement or did I proclamate?( Is that even a word? You know proclamate, when you're in the act of proclaiming? Google word tells me it is not a word, what do they know) She goes to shower. Teri, Nastia and Sean show up. Dinner is almost ready and Teri instead of being happy is asking all of these questions about Elena cooking, that I have no answer to. That is because I didn’t know anyone was listening to me when I made my proclamation (that is a word, but Google word still has an issue with it, Maybe because I’m beating a dead horse of a joke) Elena, freshly showered, comes back downstairs and dinner is served. I cooked two pounds of beef and I added about another pound of cooked meat from the last time we had tacos. I thought I warmed up too many flour shells and cooked too many corn shells. In the end extra shell were made up. The extra corn shells I’d left were also eaten. As a twenty year old way back when I do remember being able to eat that much, but then again it was all those years ago. It was a really fun night having everybody over. When you’re in times like these often you fail to realize how special they are until they have passed and people are gone. Even though this is a repeat of a night that has happened before with different meals, it took until just now to realize this is a special time in everyone’s life that attended or attends these dinners. I look back to my twenties and there are times like these with groups of people I no longer know or who are no longer with us and I remember the fun and family times I may have not appreciated then. There is a warmth in the memories and on this night, hopefully a few people will remember, if not the specific night at least the feeling from these nights. Dinner on Tuesday was unplanned. I’d taken over Elena’s taco dinner cooking plans, on Monday, unknown to me at the time. I’d wanted to make it up to her, so I thought chicken cutlets on Tuesday would be a good idea. She had plans with Matt for Tuesday so she said Thursday would be ok. (She’d later on Wednesday evening declare she had plans again with Matt for Thursday. So I'd taken the planned dinner for Tuesday and moved it to Thursday. (I’d make someone a great wife wouldn’t I?) until the last moment. In a very un-wifly fashion I’d planned nothing for Tuesday until late afternoon on Tuesday. Dinner slowly evolved into pasta with meatballs and left over eggplant lasagna. I’d even throw in garlic bread. I knew I’d cooked too much food, but I thought Teri would be proud (it’s an italian joke, if you don’t get it go ask an italian) It was just Teri, Nastia and I eating. I leave work at five (there’s that wonderful early end time for work again) and stop off at the grocery store. I pick up pork, bread, plus salad for tomorrow and I’m done off to home. I arrive at 5:40. Drop things in the kitchen and try to let the dogs out. Bandi is old, blind and should be put down. We just don’t have the heart. He also needs to be groomed and when he’s not certain things stick to him and this time it looked like a giant hemorrhoid. I take him to the basement shower. He’s to the point he doesn’t even argue with me. I clean him off while listening to the protestations of Misha upstairs. She is afraid of Bandi, but she also looks after him and will most likely miss him when he is gone. The Bandi problem is cleaned up as well as the shower I head upstairs. I’m now behind schedule. It’s after six and Nastia is home. I throw the pork and spices into a bowl and tell Nastia to mix and make the meatballs. I go on to defrosting the eggplant lasagna and getting the water for the pasta ready. I tell Nastia to pick the pasta. She loves shells and elbows. She picks elbows. I warn her that her mother will tell her that is not the right pasta to make. There is a rule book concerning pasta. What pasta you can use for what occasion and what dish. I’ve never seen it and I have a feeling it is like measurement for recipes from grandparents. The exact nature and amount of both is unwritten for the uninitiated. How much and what spices to put in meatballs? This is why Teri is alway saying her food doesn’t taste like her mother’s and her mother most likely said the same about her mothers food, so on and so on all the way back to the beginning of time. This is why I just threw spices into the meat. Nastia does say later as she mixes the one egg I put into the mixture, “Mom always puts two eggs into the meat.” I’ve lived with her for thirty years and I never knew that. And yes, my meatballs never come out like her’s. I’ve left the garlic bread for last. Nastia tells me as I collect the items I need for the bread, “ Mom makes the bread this way and she does it that way.” I’ve watched her make the bread and I think I remember how to make it. Nastia says I should call her mother and ask how to make the bread. I joke as I cut the bread that if I call her, she’ll say it is too late to make the bread and meatballs shouldn’t be made on a weeknight. I finish up the bread and into the warm oven it goes. Teri arrives maybe twenty minutes later. She is in a bit of a mood, but considering how she likes this job, it is understandable. She comes in, puts her stuff away and sees the pasta. “Nastia” she says, “that’s the wrong pasta for sauce.” I look at Nastia, with a smile and say, “ I told you so.” Teri hears me and doesn’t think I’m very funny. I darken her mood a little more. I tell Teri, “Nastia made dinner tonight.” The reality is she made most of it. Dinner is ready and I take the lasagna and bread out of the oven. I think Nastia comments to Teri that we were not really sure how to make the garlic bread. Teri asks why we didn’t call. Nastia, ever the honest, open person, mostly tells her, “Dad said you’d tell us it was too late to make it.” Yes, that didn’t help Teri’s mood either. We serve ourselves and sit down. Teri tastes the meatballs and tells Nastia they taste good. Dinner was so good that we heated up the leftovers on Wednesday.

I did forget to add there was entertainment on Monday. Nastia did a demonstration of arm and leg farts. She attempted to recreate some of her greatest hits from her younger days when she and her sister were world class arm and leg fart competitors. With Nastia and Elena narrowly missing metaling in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, the only year arm and leg farts were an Olympic sport. The Vancouver Times commented, their enthusiasm and athletic prowess were legendary that night. The Panel of Judges, mostly from Europe and Russia gave 8.5s and 9s. While the Russian judge’s 3 doomed the newly minted Americans to fall out of medal contention. When the Russian judge was asked why the low score? He replied, “they have become soft Americans and don’t show the promise they once showed before immigrating to America a year before the Olympics.They left because the America’s doesn’t have any farters like our daughters of mother Russia. Alas it was true. On this Monday many years after that almost glorious night in Vancouver, Nastia’s exhibition is a sad reminder of that Russian judge's words of soft American. Nastia still gave it her all even though she was unable to persuade even a squeak from her arm. By the time she’d moved on to her legs, she’d lost the crowd and those you were left to watch could only shake their heads and wonder about what greatness had eluded the leader of the former Arm and Leg fart queens of America. /

Dinner yesterday, today and all the way back to January 9th.

On Monday January 9th, 2023 dinner was going to be a family affair. Things changed and Teri and I had leftovers. Shrimp scampi was rescheduled for Tuesday the 10th. Nastia invited Sean and Elena invited Matt.

It figures that when you have a dinner plan or for that matter any plan it seems that it is a law work will keep you late and it did. Traffic on the Thruway south was heavier than normal. I think I had everything for the meal.The shrimp was in the freezer, the garlic in it's keep. Wine flour and some water and the shrimp shells to make the seafood broth. I usually only make one bag. With two extra people coming I made two. Elena helped me in the kitchen. She shelled the shrimp, butterflied them (cut their thick back so they cook evenly) It got to the point during preparation where I stepped into the background and let Elena do it. At the end of the day, Elena and I shared making dinner evenly. There will come a day, most likely sooner than I want where one or both will move out. I’ve talked about this before and I want each of the girls to be able to cook at least a few dishes.

Nastia starts a new job at the end of January, she’ll work at the Jen and somebody Davis learning center on the grounds of Helen Hayes Hospital. She’ll work 8:45 to 5:15. She is basically babysitting for eight hours a day. She was at Dave and Busters for about three weeks. She left Stop and Shop because they were giving her minimum wage after she’d been there for years. Dave and Buster paid her almost two dollars more an hour. Her job at Helen Hayes will pay her two dollars an hour over Dave and Buster and she won’t have to work weekends and holidays. With both girls getting home around 5:30, I’ve decided with Teri’s blessing to have the girls at least help make dinner at least once a week. Maybe Tuesday for one and Thursday for the other. In the beginning they'll help and then every week I’ll fade a little more into the background. It’ll be fun and interesting. I hope one of them develops a taste and desire for cooking, it’d be nice. I started writing this on the ninth. Today is the 22nd. Over that span Sean and Matt have been over several times for dinner. I enjoy the larger group of people for dinner. It does make the nights go fast and before you know it, your looking at the clock thinking how did it get to be so late already. After clean up, it’s like 9:30 and it’s almost time for bed. I enjoy the dinners and wouldn’t mind them continuing.

Sunday, I made popovers

Saturday evening Sean slept over at the house. Nastia didn't start work at Dave and Buster's until one and Elena had off. I thought it would be fun to make popovers. Yes, I was showing off a little. Sean waking up to fresh hot popovers.Maybe he'd never had them and it would be a treat.

So about 8:30 or so I begin to make them. I read a couple of receipts and decided the best way to make them. I warmed the oven to 450 for half an hour. I put the pans in the oven to warm them. I used warm eggs (left out overnight) and I scalded some milk( warm milk until you see little bubbles around the edge) Everything came together so perfectly. A little after 10AM I go and wake everyone up. I wake Nastia and she groans at me. I walk past Sean and wake up Elena. She almost gives me a groan. Sean is sitting on the edge of the bed, so I tell him Popovers in about five minutes. It's closer to ten. I go back to the kitchen. I get out spoons, knives, plates. The butters been out for a few hours to get soft. There are several jellies. Everything is all set. I really didn't think anyone would show up on time. I knew my audience. Everything was set up in the kitchen. If I'd been surprised, it would have been too small. The popovers came out of the oven and for the next twenty minutes I enjoyed them. They were toasty on the outside. A little soft on the inside. They were just about perfect. I ate about half of the mini popovers and two, maybe three of the full sized ones. Teri would occasionally pop in and steal a small one. After they'd cooled and were about half as enjoyable Nastia and Sean come down and have a few. LaterElena will have some. The only reason I Know she had any is because the large ones were all gone when I checked later. I love baking and cooking and eating.

This was me showing off a little to Sean, but it was big time me eating something I like to make. I am a snob. I would rather cook it myself than buy it from a bakery or a store in most cases. At work when it is time to bring in stuff for a special occasion, I cook or bake it.I won't buy it. to me, it's so much more personal.

All too rare

Nastia came home early (9:30) from a date with Sean. They went to the mall to find a charger cable for her car for her phone. Elena went out with Matt, he has the week free for some reason, so Elena alerted us to the fact she'd invited him to dinner every night this week. When I texted to be sure who was coming to dinner she said they were going out.

So Shrimp scampi was rescheduled for Tuesday and replaced with leftovers. Teri talked about sliced London Broil sandwiches, but I thought there wasn't enough, there was, but it was too late.

After a thrilling evening watching TV while Teri slept a good sleep, as I said earlier. Nastia came home. About an hour later, more or less Elena follows. Soon afterwards Teri heads upstairs and the girls follow. I hear all three of them laughing and having a good time. In the background I hear a buzzing sound. No more humming. Nastia is trying out her mother's waterpik. If water picks have gone the way of the dodo bird I'll explain. They shot a stream of water into your mouth to clean the teeth without all the abrasion of a toothbrush. They laugh, Teri says, " Keep your mouth open, watch out you're getting it all over." Nastia, always the one who's game for silliness. I stood at the bottom of the stairs listening to the fun they were having , wanting to join them, but I felt if I did the magic of that moment would be broken and I'd be sorry. I listened a little while longer until I started to feel like an invader, a snoop, someone eavesdropping on a private conversation. I left as quietly as I'd snuck there feeling a little left out, but happy they had shared those brief moments of sheer silliness together.

Just another Auld Lang Syne*

With Christmas and all the drama of buying poor presents for my wife and maybe only Nastia (now Anna) and myself needing or really wanting the presents (Sorry, Elena, you were quite when the gifts were opened and I'm sure you appreciate them.)in the rear view mirror New Years is rushing up upon us. New Years is a holiday like Thanksgiving that usually doesn't require purchasing gifts. You just have to show up to eat or drink or maybe stay home and be safe. When I was younger we had a friend who'd throw parties and New Years was one of them. If it wasn't for him I might have rarely gone out on New Years. Since Covid Eric has not had any New Years parties and look who is staying home. I guess that's not totally true. I went to the movies on New Year's eve yesterday. I saw 'Avatar, way of the water' ' or something like that. I hope all of you future people don't know what 'woke culture' is, but right now I am very aware of it. So aware of it that I count the types of people Disney has put into their films. I'm a live and let live person, but Disney has a check list when it makes a movie these days and they have to check all of the boxes. Make sure they include a little bit of everything, except when it comes to the bad guys, they're usually middle aged to old white guys, like in Avatar. Enough on the soap box.

This picture is from last January. This year New Years Day it was 51. Nastia, told her new job she could only work mornings, so it is no surprise when they ignored her wishes and schedule her for one in the afternoon to nine at night Saturday New Years eve and one to nine New Years Day. Teri told her to find a new job. In this economy, even with it slowing, there are alot of low wage jobs open she could get, but she'll stay until she gets worn out by them. It sorta of explains her dating life, except she's a stayer, you know someone who doesn't leave a relationship even if it's not perfect, He who will not be named, her former boyfriend is the perfect example.She was always chasing after him and he seemed to only be in it only when it worked for him. Sean is a 180 from him. He is fully invested in the relationship and so is Nastia. So when someone talks about the future...(it'll get here way too soon...), oh, boy. I did tell her if she wants to live here after she got married, if memory serves, she laughed and said "hell, no" or words to that effect. When she has to pay bills and fix dinner every night after working a full day, we'll revisit it, I'm sure. So Nastia is working. Sean is picking her up and Elena is going over to Matt's, while Teri and I are going to see Avatar. Just before the movie starts Elena texts us, Matt canceled, he has a headache. I'm beginning to wonder if something is up with him? So she stayed home. She ate dinner in front of the TV and is in bed before midnight, I think. I didn't see her or Nastia after Teri and I got home from the movies. I'm trying to give Nastia and Sean space, the way Al Galan gave his daughter (girlfriend when I was around 24) and I space when we were going out. Teri and I watch Netflix until five minutes to twelve. I put on Dick Clark's Rockin New Years with Ryan Seacrest. I didn't remember it being this stupid, insipid* and annoying. Does that mean I'm growing up or are younger people willing to watch all that stupidity? A woman is trying to interview a couple that was kissing and her questions just made my skin crawl and I had to yell. Once Teri found out what I was going on about, she ignored me.

Nastia was upstairs with Sean watching Japanese Animi Hunter x Hunter and something about the shower or bath scene scene. Nastia said she like his hair when it is down and wouldn't kick him out of her bed, while Sean kept calling him a pedophile. I think I watched the scene they were talking about and he is a perv. Japanese animi is a weird place, I've watched some. Elena continued to sleep. At midnight, Teri and I kiss and she goes to bed. Somhow I don't get to bed until 1:30 and yes, somehow I wake her up. The next morning, about 9AM or so, Elena is out of bed bright and early to go over Matt's house for the day.She leaves and everything is quiet. Teri is watching TV when I come down around 10AM. Nastia gets up around noon, to get ready to go to work. Sean slept over and is heading home, saying he is tired and is going to take a nap. Yesterday I made biscuits and they were good. Today, I ate some of the leftovers. They were not so good. Nastia eats the ones I leave. She hugs me and leaves for work. She'll work until nine and drive herself home. The eye doctor said her sight is good enough to drive at night. With her we always pray to God that she'li arrive home safely. I had eight days off in December. This is the last official day off until Memorial Day. *Lacks vigor or interest. *What is the poem Auld Lang Syne about? The lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne” are in the Scots language. The title, translated literally into standard English, is Old Long Since. The words can be interpreted as since long ago or for old times' sake. The lyrics are about old friends having a drink and recalling adventures they had long ago. Now we all know what the song means, maybe?

Christmas 2022

Well believe it or not, Christmas is upon us. Life gets into a routine,It's Monday, let me just get through Monday. Then it's Tuesday, almost half way through the week and so on, Wednesday, bowling, Thursday, last day until casual Friday. Then it's the weekend.This how the weeks mostly go and then suddenly it's Christmas. It seems like just last week I was looking at Christmas in the rearview mirror and now the weather is colder and it's suddenly past Thanksgiving, but wait, slow it down. I need time to get the tree up and the decorations outside up and I want to make cookies!!

With Elena's help and encouragement, sorta, a light that showed Christmas pictures on the side of the house and the light up deer were put on the north lawn. I was going to put up actual lights, but I got Covid after getting

a cold and Teri got Covid the same week. She could work from home, I said I couldn't. I checked when I went back and yes I would have not been able to work from home. Through all of this Nastia and Elena didn't get Covid or a cold or the flu. Nastia did get a cough and it got to the point she went to the doctor and got medicine for it. Neither Teri or I went to the doctor even though we both had Covid, mild cases.

Christmas Eve was a nonevent, nothing exciting happened. It was a Saturday, the weather was cold, below normal. I wrapped Teri's gifts. As good as I did last year, this year her gifts were all impersonal and functional (a soap holder for the tub, vacuum bags for the rumba- I'm embarrassed to even write them down.) My whole problem with what Christmas has become

was on full display this year. No one needed anything, but gifts you must buy.I feel that a gift to the 'Human Fund' would have been better then what I got her.* Now as far as the girls go, Teri came up with the idea to get them remote car starters. I thought they would be, "oh, thank you" and move on to the next gift. I was very pleased to see Nastia (who now goes by Anna, if I haven't said) was very happy to get one. Elena, I don't remember. I guess she opened it after Amanda's big reveal. I don't remember much after that. I was surprised.

Amanda had just gotten off a twelve hour overnight shift at Good Sam. She wanted to open presents as early as possible so she could get some sleep. The girls got up grouchily, oh for the days they'd wake up at 6AM and run down stairs when I told them Santa Claus had been her in the night. They don't even remember the story I told them about how I saw Santa when we lived in the Nyack House. Or when I told them I heard Santa and they better get to bed quickly and they did. They did get up and came down stairs. Everyone sat down and Elena and Teri started handing out presents. I didn't notice anything strange about the way Amanda was acting. She hands Teri a box to open first. I saw the corner of the picture, but I was always told Amanda didn't want kids. I guess everyone can change their minds Elena, and I guess she did. Neither Teri nor I knew what to say. Congratulations were handed out and the grandma joke started toward Nancy. I wish them well and I hope they can financially pull this off. Having kids cost so much and the costs seem to all be hidden, at least to me they were.

When we got the girls, the money started to flow out with the trip to Russia and for a while afterwards it didn't stop and I guess that was one of the things we did wrong. The other was a few poor financial decisions I made. The biggest was not wanting to refinance the house because I wanted the mortgage to end when I was still young enough to enjoy life. We finally refinanced just prior to Covid and I'll be 76 when it ends, if Teri doesn't insist we go south or I pay enough extra to end it earlier. Good luck to them, they'll need it, it's not easy to do. After presents Teri and Nastia made pizza-frete, you know fried pizza dough. It's always good.

Teri planned Christmas dinner for 2PM. It got tangled up in Muller time(still not patented) and we ate a little after 3:15. The meat thermometer, it turns out, didn't work and quit registering at 120. So our $5.99 Roast that we wanted medium rare came out medium well. It was still good, just not as good as it could have been. Dinner guests were only Nancy this year. Jessica (not the one with the son) had gone home on the 23rd. Sean spent time at one of his parents. Matt, who Teri was really looking forward to having him suffer, no that doesn't sound right, experience sounds nice and neutral. Teri wanted him to experience his second Christmas, but positive Covid tests were still happening around here. So he missed out. After dinner, Teri realized the dogs hadn't gotten their gifts. Athena really got into it, while Mesha and Bandi both looked at us with the expression, 'What are we supposed to do with this'. Mesha got so frustrated she left to find her ball. *What is the Human Fund from Seinfeld? Image result for Seinfeld- the human fund "The Human Fund" is a fake charity used by George Costanza. After getting a similar gift from his friend Tim Whatley, George gave out cards to his co-workers stating that a donation had been made to a charity called "The Human Fund", with the slogan, "Money For People." /