DARIEN DAZE

Just dropped Tyler off at the train, Mitch just left to catch the bus, the rest of us are sitting around, drinking coffee and talking.  Marisa doesn't have to leave till 8:00 and Ramiro doesn't have to leave until then as well.  A nice morning, sunny but not too hot, with Beth's nine feet high rhododendrons peaking through the kitchen windows, a wall of dark pink flowers.  Like Chautauqua, all the rhodos are in bloom in Darien.

Beth's Birthday Dinner

We had a great sushi dinner last night to celebrate Beth's 45th birthday.  I even think we had enough despite Tyler's attempts to devour the entire platter.  Spicy tuna and teriyaki shrimp seemed to our favorites, though the white tuna was also amazingly soft and tasty.  Earlier, we had taken Marisa to her Hip Hop rehearsal and sat around for close to two hours as she had to stay for the entire performance so she could practice the finale.  It's a long show but fun and her group, by far, got the most applause as it's energetic and fun.  She really gets into as do all her friends which is fun to see,  no fear, just getting into it. You can see her thinking about what she's been told to do; many of the kids seem unconscious, but not Marisa.

Marisa Hip Hopping

We are not sure what today will bring, perhaps a trip to Ste Leonards for teriyaki steaks, the families favorite dinner, Delmonico's cut about a quarter inch think, marinated, then cooked quickly on the grill.  Tomorrow is the Dance Show, at 2:00 in the afternoon, and we may go out in the boat on Sunday if it's warm enough.

We just got back from Stu Leonards, are favorite grocery store, and came away with many goodies to take home, coffee, wine, tomato sauces, and I found a perennials herb I have been looking for called Hyssop.  Not available in Chautauqua, but Stu had it.  But I recently found out it's the wrong hysson, this one has an anise flavor, the one I wanted is bitter, found in the Middle East and it won't grow around here most likely.

Met Mitch at the bus stop, then we came back, dropped off Cody and picked up Marisa at school. Then, Evie and drove to get Tyler at the train only to find out he had a ride home with a friend.  Rami's home early but took off to get Mitch's Spanish book and a primer on Spanish for him to study for his exam next week.  Meanwhile Beth and Evie just took off, as Marisa has rehearsal for her Dance performance tomorrow.  Then, around 5:00, Rami and I will go to see her group dance before dropping Mitch off for lacrosse practice at  6:00.  Evie and Beth will bring Marisa home at 6:30 and then, after we pick Mitch up at 7:30, we can relax, have some wine, and eat our teriyaki steak dinner.  Life is complicated here in Darien; I am glad I am a grandfather!