Poor MBB's Almanac

Yesterday, FBB was kind enough to procure me some chili from my favorite purveyor of said dish. It eventually served as the centerpiece of my dinner.

(You know that you're eating way too much when you refer to a part of your meal as the "centerpiece." It's almost as bad as using the words "plethora" or "sundry" when describing your repast).

Then, this morning, I awoke earlier than usual, as I had a (thankfully) rare early morning meeting.

Now, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. (I've played a stock analyst on TV quite a few times, but that was more than a decade ago, and frankly, it's a boring story). However, even I know that mixing chili with insufficient sleep is a particularly dangerous combination.

With apologies to Ben (or "B-Dog", as he was known to his fellow Founding Fathers)Franklin, I submit the following tidbit of wisdom:


"Chili for dinner and waking too early,
Will render any man (or woman) rather surly."





It was still worth it.

SPLAT!

One of the hazards of living in the suburbs is road kill. As referenced in the previous post, the development in this area has gotten so bad, that the little furry creatures are more often amongst the vehicular creatures, and therefore end up squashed on the asphalt with their guts hanging out. OK, maybe that's a little dramatic, but really, I think there've been more animals lately.

Recently however, I and my daughter witnessed a carcass of sorts, one that may haunt her for a long time. We were walking along the sidewalk near our home, when she gasped.

Loudly. And clutched my arm.

I turned to where she seemed to be looking, to try, as a parent, to ascertain what had so affected my young teenager, and see if I could do anything to ease what was becoming a traumatic experience.. And then I saw it. Right in the middle of the road, its red liquid seeping from it. I could feel her body cringing at the sight of it.

She turned to me teary eyed and said:

"Why would anyone throw a SLURPEE in the street?"

Frustrated

It's very hard for me when people use emotional arguments with no basis in fact to shape their political decisions. Often these people are only parroting something they've heard from others (community leaders, clergy, "smart" friends), but continue to spout it without really thinking the whole situation through.

Labels can be good and bad. When a liberal is saddled with that label, and doesn't make it into office, I'm thrilled. When a corrupt, unctuous, king of his own little fifedom, brands his opponents as anti-semitic to keep his iron grip on the bloc vote, it makes me nauseous. To be fair, he never does the branding. His willing minions do the work for him. They're getting just what they want from him, and they look the other way, when it doesn't fill their needs, and in the process the town is being destroyed. Building, by multiple building.

I wonder, when you need to get something done, if his confidential assistant hands you a paper with a price list. Does ignoring traffic problems and inadequate parking cost more, or less then giving permission to build directly up to the street line destroying every living plant in 100 foot radius? Does it cost more to get zoning changed for illegal schools, or illegal residences?

Not everything wrapped in religion is kosher, and that's the saddest part of all. We can keep shaming G-d, as long as our skirts are at LEAST 4 inches below the knee, because all our problems stem from the latter, and not a SINGLE one comes from the former.

Maybe the title of this post is wrong. Maybe it should say :

ANGRY.

Say It Ain't So, Jaweed

I'll admit it. I'm a rather cynical guy. As a consequence, very little surprises me, especially as it pertains to tales of Man following his baser instincts, even to the detriment of himself and his fellow man.

However, there are some things that even I am not prepared to handle.

Yesterday, I read an AP story that said that a U.N.-backed fraud commission threw out some votes and ordered recounts in the recently-concluded Afghan elections.

Voter fraud? In Afghanistan?! That's unbelievable! Chicago? Sure. New York? I guess it could happen. But Afghanistan,a hotbed of prevarication?!

Is nothing sacred???

Wow. I never saw that coming. (Henry Paulson just called, to tell me that he didn't see it coming, either).

What's next? Reports of alleged political corruption in Mexico?


How depressing.You just can't trust anyone nowadays.

Done

On an overcast morning, with the slightest nip detectable in the air, summer ended. Awash in different shades of blue, bulging knapsacks strapped on not yet tired shoulders, all newly shod, the girls waited for their buses. Different ages, different worries, some social, some academic, others just logistical (how will I know which bus to go on to get home?). Some seemed so blase it was evident they have completed more school years then they have in front of them.

They all came home happy, and basically on time. I waited to hear who got which teachers, and my own worries were laid to rest. Let's hope for a productive year. And needless to say, summer can't come back quickly enough.

I need to go make lunches.

Now Summer Can End...If It Must...

There was one thing I wanted to do this summer. We did a lot of very nice, very summery things, but there was one particular thing that I just so badly wanted to do, but it wasn't working out.

Not all members of my family can participate in this activity, and when everyone was away (away at camp, or in day camp)I didn't want to leave the Cheese Eater to indulge. Maybe I should have. It has become almost an obsession that I desperately wanted to do this.

As the days of summer are slipping away rapidly, MBB insisted that I go today. At first I thought, I'd go with him, but I felt bad about leaving everyone on a glorious Sunday with school just three days away. He managed to convince m that he really wanted me to go and do this, and that he would be very productive at home (the succah is now up!). So I took the three big ones and drove twenty minutes down to the river.

We went Kayaking. It was stupendous. We didn't really venture into the heavy water, it was a little too choppy, but we traveled through a salt marsh leading to the river, and turned around right at the mouth of the mighty Hudson.




I'm so glad I did it. It just seems like such a summer activity, and since I kayaked with MBB in Key Largo in November, this was something I've wanted to do again. I really don't want to wait until next summer to try again...they're open until Columbus day.

Anyone want to come with me?

Holding On To Summer with Both Hands

So my kids start school in one week from today. Actually, the two big ones go back on Tuesday for half a day, but Wednesday is the day that's in my head as the official end of summer. That's the day that we will change the mailbox cover from a summer theme (flip flops) to just our initial, as we await the calendral start of fall, and put on the colored leaf cover. We'll stand outside and wait for the bus, and with a bit of melancholy I will turn back into the house, look at the Cheese Eater and sigh. (I might then break out the bubbly and hoop and holler, but I doubt it).

In my efforts to make the summer last, we took a trip to Hershey Park on Thursday. We got there when it opened and left when it closed. I cannot remember the last time we had such a sustained good time across the board. From the cheese eater all the way up through MBB, it was just an amazing day, though I now know, that I don't have much to do at an amusement park. I don't like roller coasters, it seems I only like flumes in theory, and really, who wants to go on a Happy -Go-Pukey? The kids however had an amazing, stupendous, fantastic time. I had a great time because of that, and I keep thinking how great it would be to go back. That's how really perfect the day turned out.

MBB and the three big girls went on every roller coaster except the Farenheit, supposedly because the line was too long, but really, I think it was just too freaky a coaster. One of the girls, who never rides roller coasters decided she'd try an upside down one. And then proceeded to go on every roller coaster there was!

We drove to Baltimore that night, to spend the weekend with cousins. We were there back in February, I just love going to them, it's like walking into a cocoon. On the way from Hershey to Baltimore, the skies opened up. So much so, that I was about 3 seconds away from pulling over, I could not see anything. Things settled down, but to be safe I put on my hazards and just drove really slowly. The rain stopped and we were in Baltimore at about midnight, and after we were all settled in the house we were treated to a lightning show, such as one only sees in the movies. Constant flashing, every three second or so, and the thunder could not keep up.

Friday we went to the USS Constellation an old Naval Ship from the Civil War. We got caught in a downpour when we were done on the ship, and it was late Friday so we couldn't wait it out. So we now own six (MBB stayed with sleeping two year old) pseudo garbage bags with hoods.

Sunday was a rambling drive home, with frequent stops along the scenic route, farms and garden centers, and a trip to MBB's office.

Monday, we drove around the area of the lake we usually go to. It was a really cool day, temperature wise, so we took the opportunity just to drive around and get out to enjoy the views, and water, have lunch, take pictures. Then we went to a nearby town to a park, off the mountains, where they have a great playground, and the kids really ran around having a good time. (the first photo is a view from above the Bear Mountain Bridge, The second and third are the view as we ate lunch, and the fourth is just one of the stops along the drive.)








Yesterday was sleep late , do some errands for school, and just generally bum around day. Today seems like more of the same, though I'm thinking we need to get a swim in some time this week.

So in these travels we have discovered the following:

1)books on tape are great

2)Our children have the taste of young monied Italians from New Jersey, who may or may not be "mobbed up," when it comes to lawn furniture and fountains.

3)we need to be careful about mentioning how the beautiful cliffs and woods would be a great place to "dump a body," lest eldest child come home and make a mock website devoted to crime.

4)I absolutely love the summer and I am so sad that it's ending.