It's A Dog's World

 

Beth And Tin Tin

It's 8:00, and Beth is off to school, leaving Rami and me — and the dogs, Kaia and Tin Tin — as the only ones up. The sky is partly cloudy on a 55° morning here in Dallas.

Tuesday was a preview of the days to come. Beth was up early and off to school, leaving the rest of us behind. None of us are morning people — we prefer sleeping in, then easing into a relaxed coffee hour before thinking about doing anything productive. By 10:00, though, we were all up and ready to go. Mitch got on his computer, signed into his Arup account, and worked most of the day. Rami had an early conference call and migrated back and forth between his office and the couch. Evie cleaned the kitchen and got herself organized while I drove to Trader Joe's to pick up some wine and goodies for the week.

Dallas Through The Trees

When I returned around 11:30, the lawn crew had arrived, along with a couple of guys fixing the gate to the backyard. I decided to take Kaia for a walk, strapped on his harness, and headed down to the lake — an easy ten-to-fifteen-minute walk, depending on how many times he stops to sniff the grass. It was a lovely late morning, and plenty of people were out walking or biking the nine miles around the lake. When I got back, Evie pulled out the leftover Thai food, and we had it for lunch. I think I'm still recovering from the long drive, because shopping and a short walk had me genuinely tired, so I took a nap — as did Rami.

Walking Kaia And Tin Tin

Cormorant

I was up at 2:30. Mitch was deep in work, headphones on, eyes on his screen. Rami was still asleep, so Evie and I sat outside for a bit, letting the dogs run around while the workers finally finished the gate and showed me how it operated. Around 3:00, Rami worked on syncing his car with the new swinging gate and garage door, and I took both dogs down to the lake. When I returned, Beth was home and Evie was already prepping dinner — Wiener schnitzel, baked potatoes, and broccoli. We enjoyed a glass or two of sauvignon blanc, courtesy of Trader Joe's box wine, until dinner was ready at 6:45.

We watched an episode of Top Chef, and then Rami, Mitchell, and I got busy in the garage for about forty-five minutes — bringing in pictures for hanging and organizing things so we could actually get to what we needed. Beth, Rami, and Evie were in bed by 9:00, leaving me to watch some TV and Mitch to keep working in the garage. I went to bed at 10:00, feeling a little guilty about leaving him out there. When I checked the garage this morning, though, Mitch had made remarkable progress. What a good son — and lazy father-in-law.

A Chilly Morning In Dallas

A Dallas Morning

It's 7:30 as I start writing this, on a crisp 51° morning in Texas. I was up at 6:40 to find Beth already heading out to school and Rami on a Zoom call by 7:00 — so three of us were up early. The sun has since come out, and there's a welcome patch of blue sky.

Yesterday was busy but good. Beth, Rami, and I were up early again, with Mitch and Evie surfacing around 8:00 or 8:30. It's still a little surreal to wake up in Dallas knowing we were in New York just a few days ago, half-expecting snow. Beth and Rami have recently downsized significantly, and their new house is still full of boxes carried over from the old one, which is exactly why we're here. The challenge is that neither of them is quite sure where everything should go, and much of it will eventually be donated since the new place simply doesn't have the room. It's a great house, just smaller, in a wonderful neighborhood.

Around 10:00, Beth and I headed out to Central Market — quite possibly the finest grocery store I've ever set foot in, and that's including a couple of Wegmans. It's a genuine pleasure to walk through: visually stunning, with an enormous wine and beer selection on top of everything else. We expected crowds but were in and out in 20 minutes, cherry pie in hand for dessert.

Live Oaks Span The Street

Back at the house, Evie and Mitch were deep into the unpacking project — pulling boxes, figuring out contents, deciding what went where. Rami was at work and couldn't join in. We had leftover pizza for lunch, and I was still dragging from the trip, so I gave in and took a 90-minute nap, waking around 2:00 feeling human again. I took Kaia for a walk down to the lake park and back. The lake has a bike path circling it, and on such a beautiful afternoon — mid-70s and sunny — it was busy with bikers and walkers out making the most of it.

Dallas In The Distance

Bike Path

The afternoon moved quickly. Mitch tackled the bedroom closet, Evie put together a ground beef spaghetti sauce, and Beth and I floated around helping wherever we were needed. I became something of an expert in breaking down cardboard boxes and tracking down the right tools. We sat down to dinner at 6:15 — one of Rami's favorites — with a Caesar salad and wine. Afterward, we caught some news before the Michigan/UConn game tipped off. Michigan won, though neither team played particularly well; it was more a matter of outlasting than outplaying. The three guys stayed up to see it through, while Beth and Evie called it a night at halftime. A full day, well spent.

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," Mr. Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform just after 8 a.m. in Washington. "I don't want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World."

Happy Dyngus Day

Our Grandson Mitchell And Kaia

It's 7:20, and I've been up since 6:30, joining Beth and Rami for coffee. It looks like a beautiful, blue-sky morning, and the dogs are already outside, enjoying the fresh air and the freedom to run around in their new yard.

By the way, Dyngus Day is celebrated by Polish Americans all over the USA — it marks the end of Lent, falling on the Monday after Easter. It often features a parade, polka music, and traditional Polish food like pierogi. Buffalo, NY, always throws a big celebration.

Easter meant another seven-hour drive, this time from Memphis to Dallas. It was easy going for most of the way, and the roads in Arkansas — especially Highway 40 — were in fine shape, likely because the region sees little snow or freezing weather. We stopped once for breakfast, once for gas, and skipped lunch altogether. Evie drove part of the way, which made things much easier on me. It only got hairy as we approached Dallas — four or five lanes of traffic, with some real crazies out there, literally drag racing. One misjudgment and it could have been catastrophic. I tried to hang back, stick to the speed limit, and keep a safe following distance, but it was largely futile — cars from other lanes just kept cutting in. We made it, though, arriving around 3:30. As Trump would say: Praise be to Allah.

It was wonderful to see Beth and Rami, and a real bonus that their son Mitchell was there as well, helping with their move to a new house. The weather was pleasant enough to sit out on the back porch — the sun almost made it too warm, in fact. Who would have thought we'd be overheating in April! We sat around with wine until we were ready for dinner and ordered Thai through Uber Eats. A feast arrived around 6:30, and it was a hit. Afterward, we talked through the plan for the next day — helping Beth and Rami move their things into the new house, which is why we're here. There's still plenty to do. We watched some SNL and Top Chef before tiredness got the better of us, and we turned in early, around 9:30.

Tin Tin

Kaia

A couple of observations about the trip: it was striking to leave Chautauqua — a winter of mostly black and white — and, as we drove south, roll into a blaze of greens, then bursts of color as we hit Arkansas and the outskirts of Dallas. The roads improved gradually too, with fewer potholes the farther south we went. I'm no fan of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas's governor, but her state keeps its roads in decent shape. My only real fear on the drive was other drivers — some drifting into our lane while on their phones, others weaving in and out of traffic at 80 or 90 mph.

"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fucking' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP"

Dallas Bound

Beale Street at Night

It’s 7:10 as I begin writing this, sitting in a very busy Hampton Inn breakfast area—which, unfortunately, didn’t open until 7:00 instead of the usual 6:00. I’ve already received messages from Beth and Linda McClure wishing us a Happy Easter.

Yesterday felt like a long day—and it was—a solid seven to eight hours on the road from north of Cincinnati to Memphis. The drive into Cincinnati was busy, then it eased up through Louisville, but from there to Nashville it picked up again, even for a Saturday. We took our time, stopping a couple of times for breakfast, gas, or lunch whenever we needed a break. Fortunately, we didn’t run into any backups. Our only concern was the occasional reckless driver weaving in and out at high speeds despite the traffic.

Great Sky

Evie drove for about an hour and a half and had to deal with roughly twenty minutes of torrential rain midway to Memphis on Interstate 40. Luckily, traffic was light at that point. Things got busier as we approached Memphis, but once we got off I-40, it was an easy ten-minute drive to our Hampton Inn, located right next to Beale Street.

Not So Great Sky

After checking in, we went upstairs and unpacked. I headed back down to park the car, only to realize I’d left the parking pass upstairs. So back up I went. By the time I returned, the turnaround area was so crowded that three or four cars had to be moved before I could get into the garage. Nothing is simple when you’re 82.

We talked about going out for the evening, but Evie was too tired, so I walked over to Gus’s Famous Chicken and brought back three chicken thighs and coleslaw for her dinner. We watched the UConn–Illinois game together, and afterward I headed out, hoping to find a bar where I could eat and watch more basketball. Every place along Beale Street was blasting blues music as I walked the couple of hundred yards to the end, where Blues City Café sits.

Blues City At Dusk

Inside, the restaurant was busy, but at the far end there was a bar with the game on four TVs. I ended up being the only person sitting there for most of the game, which suited me just fine. I made the mistake of ordering a “tall” beer—it had to be at least 24 ounces, if not more—and it cost fourteen dollars. For dinner, I had golden-fried catfish with fries, hush puppies, Texas toast, and coleslaw, and I loved every bite.

Catfish Dinner

Blue City Cafe

The game itself was hard-fought, but Illinois never quite caught a break or found its rhythm, and UConn came out on top. Afterward, I walked back along Beale Street, which was fairly quiet—probably because of Easter weekend. I considered stopping at the blues bar we visited a couple of years ago, but I’d had enough beer for one night, so I headed back in a light drizzle.

Evie was still up watching TV and had already finished her chicken. By the time the second game—Michigan vs. Arizona—started, she was ready for bed. I watched the first half on my computer, then read for a bit before turning in. The time zone change threw off our sleep a little, but I still managed a decent night.

Road Trip To Memphis

Hampton Inn Morning

It's 7:10, and I'm sitting in a Hampton Inn, drinking coffee, watching TV alongside a few other early risers. We have a seven-hour drive ahead to Memphis, cutting through Cincinnati, Louisville, and Nashville.

Friday was a busy morning. Up early as usual, I wrote the blog and had breakfast while letting Evie sleep until 8:00. Around 9:30, I went for a paddle, just to get some exercise.  Evie had a hair appointment in Lakewood at 11:00, so while she was gone, I vacuumed the living room, got the house squared away, and had our bags packed and loaded in the Kia. We were ready to go the moment she walked back through the door. We left at 11:45 and arrived in Mason five hours and fifteen minutes later.

The drive was a mixed bag. We hit a torrential rainstorm on Route 271 near Mansfield — maybe ten minutes of fury — but that was the extent of the bad weather. The real headache was Route 71 through Columbus, where construction forces you off the highway and through city streets before letting you rejoin somewhere west of town. We stopped once for gas and made do with hard-boiled eggs, cheese, and crackers for lunch, neither of us feeling particularly hungry. As always, the sheer flatness and scale of Ohio's farmland left us both a little awestruck — those endless green fields couldn't feel further from the snow we've grown used to back home.

Fertile Ohio

I was convinced the March Madness game tipped off at 6:00, so we didn't linger at the hotel and drove straight to the recommended Rusty Bucket. We lucked into two seats at the bar — only to discover the game was actually the following night. Idiot. No matter. The place was hopping for Good Friday, barely an empty table in sight, with at least six TVs showing the Cincinnati Reds opener. 

Bar Hopping

We ordered beers, soaked in the crowd, and genuinely loved our food: a barbecued chicken salad for Evie, fish tacos for me. The restaurant sits inside an upscale open-air district — shops, eateries, the works — and we capped the evening by wandering through a Whole Foods in search of dessert, eventually settling on blueberry scones.

Dinner At The Rusty Bucket Bar

Back at the Hampton Inn, we caught the UConn/South Carolina women's semifinal — South Carolina won — then read for a while before turning off the light.

“We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong,” he said, referring broadly to the country of roughly 93 million people. DJT

On The Road Again

Our Grandson Nick, With Great Grandson Tommy

Kayak Morning

Northern Sky

Mergansers

Mallards And A Merganser

It's almost 8:00, and I've been up since 6:30 on a wet, windy morning. The rain has just stopped, and the wind has briefly abated, which has me thinking about a paddle. We begin our road trip at noon today, staying just outside of Cincinnati tonight at a Hampton Inn — free breakfast included, of course. Well, the lake calmed down enough, so I went for a short paddle.

6:55

7:48

Yesterday was another busy, difficult day, largely consumed by decisions about what to bring and what to leave behind. It started as usual: up early, a coffee, the blog, then a drive to the Ashville General Store at 8:00, with a stop at Hogan's along the way to inflate a low tire. Only two of us made it to breakfast, though that's never a hardship — we always enjoy going to "The Ash" for its great breakfast choices and varied coffee brews.

I was home to an empty house by 9:15, as Evie had driven to Westfield for a test. I'd barely settled in with another cup of coffee when she arrived back. Around 12:30, I had lunch — the last of a sub from the Lighthouse — and watched my show, The Capture, on Prime. After lunch, I took a brief nap, but by 2:00, I was on my way to Jamestown to pick up my taxes. Each year, I seem to owe a little more to both the federal and state governments. C'est la vie. From there, I stopped at Wegmans for some prescriptions and a few goodies for the trip, then swung by Michaels, which handles Amazon returns. Finally, I spent forty-five minutes waiting for that tire to be repaired, listening for much of it to Ray hold forth on his various girlfriends and his divorce. He and his dad are both good guys — but talkers.

I was home around 3:45. I charged the Kia, tidied up a few things in the yard, and put the winter shovels away in the garage attic. By 5:00, most of our packing was done, and I opened a bottle of wine to celebrate. Around 6:30, Evie fried up some bacon and made a ham and cheese omelet along with roasted cauliflower— a simple but very satisfying dinner. We watched Colbert, which featured a wonderful interview with Meryl Streep, then struggled to find anything else worth watching and eventually settled on the news. After Evie went to bed, I did what I usually do: caught some basketball, then another episode of The Capture — which I highly recommend — on Prime.

Turkish Proverb: "When a clown moves into the palace, he doesn't become a king; the palace becomes a circus."

Overcast, Rain, And Cooler

                                                                       Juvenile Cardinal

7:12

9:35

It's 7:25, and we're both up. Evie has a test in Westfield at 9:00, and I have breakfast at 8:00. The lake is not very inviting — choppy and gray — so I won't be going out.

Yesterday was another busy day, getting ready for our trip on Friday. I was up early as usual, had my coffee and breakfast, wrote the blog, and was ready to go to pickleball just as Evie came downstairs to read and publish it. I played a bit better — enough that I might play again when we return from Texas. Who knows, because the weather will be nice and I'll also want to ride my bike or hike.

When I got home, I had planned to pick up my taxes and stop at Wegmans, but Evie suggested I wait until today, which saved me a trip. So I helped with a few things around the house and continued getting my stuff together for the trip. If I forget something, I can always buy it in Dallas, so I'm not too frazzled. On my way home from pickleball, I stopped at the Lighthouse for a sub sandwich — it was great, and Evie enjoyed it as well. I finished my show, Detective Hole, and I have to admit I got tired of it, especially the close-ups of Harry never smiling.

The afternoon was its usual mix: get something done, then read for a bit or watch TV. I took a good nap and read for much of the afternoon, finishing my book with a predictable ending. Evie did the same — lots of laundry and getting organized — until 5:00, when we both got to relax with a glass of wine. Dinner was pasta with chicken, and we watched Colbert and the final episode of Paradise. Evie then went up to bed, and I started a new series called The Recruit, which seems worth watching. I completely forgot about Trump's address, so I slept well.