A journey. As the fall harvest holiday approaches and I was burning dvds to clear the hard drive of the aging work computer, I look at photos from last year visiting my mom. At funeral and during thanksgiving. After telling NW that I had no plans to visit mother for Thanksgiving and us making plans to go to Philadelphia for a day trip that weekend I am now seized by impulse to drive to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving day only. Drive Wednesday, Eat, drive Friday. Good. Now that I have written it down I does seem crazy. I may go a day or two earlier. Still driving back on Friday. The Teen can share in the driving and a 10-12 hour driving trip is certainly less painful than 6 hours in the hands of the airlines.

I'm made all the more family inclined by the travails of a friend from 10 years ago that I recently found in livejournal. He life partner is younger than I and had a stroke nearly a year ago and seizure of some sort this past weekend. In the face of mortality, greasy turkey gravy and dominoes with relatives because I can't talk sports with them seems almost appealing.

A journal.

NW have a routine of going out every Saturday and Sunday to do something if even to go to gallery openings. She does google for something free that might interest her. For that last 6 months unless busy with work or moving task I have accompanied her. Very often greatly enjoying the finding.

One such event this weekend, a performance of Desire by the Tail, a play by Pablo Picasso, was downright entertaining. Saw this Sunday evening. The previous day went to movie; Pirate Radio, a chortle of a romp through rosy Franklin style sunglasses of 60s british pop phenom of pirate radio. Glad that I read a proper warning review saying, "come ready to enjoy the music cranked loud and don't mind the movie too much" and so I did enjoy the experience.

The weekend dinners both were successes: Saturday we promptly marched from the movie to Lupa and were rewarded with immediate seating for two. It was meant to be. NW kept me conservative as is her wont and so I am hungry to go back. We shared the assorted meat cold cut platter and a small portion entree of sea bass. The former was great, the later merely good. In between the brocoli rabbe with ricotta and salad with lots of parmesan cheese were pretty good. I want to try more some time. Sunday night the Picasso play was preceded by lobster at this Spanish place on 23rd Street: Francisco's Centro Vasco Restaurant. They do lobster very well. Haven't ever tried anything else there.

I can rant about "I hate my life" but that is only because I don't like my work which enables me to indulge myself this way...

By the way, journey canceled because I've got to get my hernia fixed before the end of the year or lose the FSA. Feh.

I've had this cold which seems a bit more tenacious than what I've had in the past and feel feverish although no measurable fever. So I went to a doctor, the first in over 12 years. The last time I was about go embark on cross country holiday driving trip and didn't want to head out and turn out to be seriously sick. Nothing but my first prostate exam and clean bill of health. This time it is a little different: "Have you heard of Claritin? Try something more than generic benadryl clone. And keep drinking lots of herbal teas."

Oh, plus, since I am of an age now, they have scheduled me for a series of tests that they think people over 50 should be having.

At least now I've got referral to surgeon to get my hernia taken care of. Near 2 years since it first tore at me.

Not the temperature. The bug. Felt off on Tuesday/Wednesday. Took generic benadryl as I have fairly regularly for the last week or two. It ran out on Wednesday. By Thursday I should have been in bed but work needed getting done so full doses of a triple play Benadryl acetaminophen, diphenhydramine HCI and phenylephrine HCI, (as if I know what that stuff is) every 4 hours got me to Friday night when I fell straight into bed when arriving home from work at . . . I not sure when. Can't remember when I left the last work site for the night, some time after 8pm I think. Anyway slept long hours Friday night and somewhat over the bug for Sat and Sun but still no pep. This sick out report replaces my reportage of actually a busy weekend. I try not to complain to the New Wife and The Teen, pretty much because they have no sympathy or empathy, only expectations for me to get 'er done. I done. Thank you to those who did let these words roll past their gaze.

I do have some interesting things to point at, maybe tomorrow.

Another weekend past. Somehow there is not enough time in a day/week/perhaps life. I do have time management/priorities issues.

I did see a movie. That Maurice Sendak book that was adapted. Well done creatures. Am ambivalent about the content. Spent nearly all of Sunday getting photo CD burned and mailed to the in-laws fulfilling a commitment I'd made months ago. Am pretty well settled with the choice of not unpacking because I am not staying in this apartment more than the current lease. At least that is what I feel now. The stairs are worse to live with than I had thought and the plumbing issues will not easily be dealt with by the landlord.

Am still at work because my brain was too numb for the first couple of hours this morning to get work done.

Is it Tuesday yet?

LJ can be a journal but the whole readership aspect puts significant spin on that.

I'm not the only one who finds oneself ponder a moment or event of the day in regard to a possible LJ post. I almost never make the post. Will try one.

Saturday past, an afternoon of French opera sung by American opera enthusiasts. A night of young "alt" pop music sung in English by French men. The former to a room of a dozen or so in a musty New York public library basement room; the latter to a capacity crowd in New York Central Park.

Sunday, watched NYPL showing of DVD of Atomic Cafe. I saw it in New Orleans in the early 80s when it first came out. Curiously tragic that a discourse in regard to A-bombs is more relevant now than then. Afterward went to catch the weekly church organ recital at Grace Church on Broadway and 10th or so. Less than a dozen people. Churches as museums...

I'm at work and buried behind on work work work.

Life seems so fragile. Several terminations have followed some layoffs. The terminations were for the most part deserved but no less does it remind me how fragile circumstances are. I'm feeling it all the more since I have overextended myself with rent and storage places. What little money I had saved is going fast. Stuff stuff stuff. I want to put myself in storage.

That feeling reminds me of when growing up, school days, I often found myself in uncomfortable situation in regard to my classmates. I knew that come the next year the mix would change, different people, different teachers, different class. I just had to endure. I would wonder if I could somehow become unconscious until the disagreeable circumstances had past.

Well, better get back to work.

After an afternoon of sorta art film at the New Museum (actually mostly techno pop vids) we had pleasant dinner at Le Cubain and then went out to Coney Island. At the moment it is diminished but still carny glorious; we did a few rides. Besides the area associated with Deno's Wonder Wheel, there were a few rides from a traveling carny crew up from the south. One gent I exchanged a few words with said he was up from a small town in Georgia.

The equipment was battered and worn but we had our senses enjoyably discombobulated. I just about lost it on the big zero or whatever they called the car that goes in the upside down circle. Had to close my eyes and go with the flow to pull back from the ledge of panic and vomit. Yep, pretty fun. This photo is the NW looking at the ride in anticipation.




Then we took a chill down ride on Deno's Wonder Wheel.







Heart beats and sweaty palms under control, we headed over to the board walk. Fireworks scheduled for 9:30. I usually watch them from the far side of the park to see the rides and the fireworks in the same view but tonight we went to the rail.





A brisk breeze brought a slight chill but soon we were rewarded with flames coming up out of the sand.





I enjoyed this much more than the 4th of July show in Manhattan. Mostly because for the 4th I had gone up in a building with a primo view. Primo view yes, but we were inside and at a height where we were above most of the fireworks.





For the Coney show last night we had to bend our heads back to see it all as it burst and towered over us. Glorious night.

Tags: coney, fireworks

I should have posted about this a couple months ago but I wanted the Teen to take care of what he has got himself into: he has cats. He can keep only a cat. Therefore we have two females and one kitten that need homes. Perversely he has opted to keep the male. I say perversely because one of the females (not the mother of the kitten) has all the required shots courtesy of a trip to the vet brought on by pretty significant flesh wound done by the male. All that happened while I was in Japan for nearly 3 weeks in May so he dealt with it all himself, including all or nearly all the cost.

Anyway, a female who has all her shots and likes head rubs from humans.

A female with or without her kitten who is now about 4.5 weeks old.

And the kitten who will be ween-able in a week or so.

New Yorkers, e-mail me here. I'll even help with the shots for the other female and kitten if they going to good home.

None of them are neutered but that can get done if desired for reasonable cost. It's the shots that are costly.

If it matters, they all have black/grey/white tiger looks.

Last Thursday I was told I would have to go to Irvine CA for work. Not a good time. Still not finished with move. But maybe a good time because it is a bit of a break.

Office Park Cali style. This is where I was doing the work. No, I didn't try to play.





It has been a nutso trip, even saw a UFO. ( Photos inside... )

Phase 1 is just about over: packing and moving.

Phase 2 is underway but still much to do: unpacking and organizing.

Although I guess actually phase 1 was finding the place. I still have very mixed feeling over the place. Over priced, not for the square foot in this part of queens and so close to a good subway/bus station. Over priced because the stairs are narrow and long, because the plumbing isn't quite right, because I can't really afford $2300 plus electric a month. The final bits are delayed because I have been last minute dispatched to Orange County CA.

It looks to be a cakewalk job, just bad timing. Don't know anyone in LA, except for a few photographers and models/talent to whom I am a fanboy. If there was something going on I would go hang out. Lenora, any recommendations???? Most likely Wednesday night is light and free....

Wow, exhaustion and the Brooklyn Brown Ale I just chugged just kicked in. Totally forgot what I was about to write. Probably some tirade over the Teen and how he has helped but not helped in the move or about what a hottie my wife is. She is. Only vague clue as to the status of the Teen and how best to get his help.

Later, chillins.

A word to say am starting to move in to new place. Only thing here is tv and laptop and broom and dust pan. time warner installer left an hour ago. Internet so fast when not sharing it. Damn, the 2nd tv connection doesn't seem to work. I should have made the installer test it with me and not let him off with my "the other connect is ready to go?" question. Sure he said yes. Feh.

But the intersnets is fast, did I mention that?