The Year Ends in Darien (And A Day Trip to NYC)

Waiting for the Subway

Undulating Sheets Hanging From the Rafters

Swings

Enjoying the Moment

A View From A Supine Position

Marisa

The View From the Gallery

Supine and Wonderful

Up early again, the first up, and I made the coffee before sitting down to read my email, browse Facebook, then write my blog.  It's just beginning to lighten outside, 30º, and we may have some snow today, but not much.  As for December 31st, my sister Ellen's birthday, "to make an end is to make a beginning." T.S. Eliot  A nice way to think about change.

Yesterday was a full day in the largest sense, as we spent a good part of it in NYC.  We took the train in from Darien, leaving about 10:45, on a very cold, windy, day.  The train was surprisingly crowded for a Sunday but others must have had the same idea, to visit the city for a day.  Our first stop was at the famous Katz's Delicatessen. A destination place for both locals and tourists, we had to wait in a line of at least fifty people for about twenty minutes and the line was still there when we left.  When you get inside, it's pure chaos, twenty or thirty people waiting for a table, guys passing out tickets for each adult, and a long counter, with ten to fifteen guys making sandwiches and other delights.  You basically push yourself in line at the counter, order your food and then head to the back of the restaurant for any tables that are free.  All the help appeared to be minorities, and the only thing Jewish about the place was the name.  We had the usuals, pastrami, rueben and corned beef sandwiches and matzo ball soup.  Not a quiet place, it was filled with talk, carts going by with huge sides of corned beef, dishes, or other accoutrement's.  The place goes non stop until it closes, at 2:30 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, 10:30 on Sundays.  It was an experience, the food was worth it and I would go back in a minute, to try something else.

Chaos at Katz's

Making Sandwichs

After Katz's, we split up and Tyler went off to a guitar story, to test and play various guitars, Mitch and Rami went to a couple of skateboard stores, and Beth, Marisa, Evie and I just walked around Soho, stopping in various shops when we found something interesting.  It's hard not to have a destination because you don't know what's available and just wonder and walk too much.  We did stop in a cool place called BAGS, and they were giving a way hats, as you can see from Evie's picture below.

Evie's New Hat

A Cutie

We ended up meeting at a bakery around 4:00, for coffee and Rami had gotten some cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery, a nice rest before our trip to the exhibition.  We  then hailed two cabs and went to the Armory at 66th and Park, a huge open space, able to accommodate at least eight full size basketball courts, with one hundred foot ceilings.  It's a great place for an exhibition like this.  Basically, as you walk in, you see swathes of white cloth,  hanging from the ceiling, long sheets of whiteness, slowly moving up and down and sideways, creating all sorts of Caspar the ghost type of shapes.  Moving these sheets are swings, which hang from the ceiling, about twenty on each side of the sheets.  Adults and children are sitting on the swings, gliding slowly back and forth, while spectators stand around and watch and wait.  I

It's a peaceful atmosphere, quiet and introspective, as the swings move back and forth silently, suspended on chains from the one hundred foot ceiling, and the vertical sheets move in unison to the swings.  The kids loved the glide on the swing, as did all of us, and we took two or three turns on them, as others were waiting.  The other experience was to lie on the floor, beneath the undulating sheets, like  the robes of Lawrence of Arabia, and gaze upward and watch the whiteness move.  At least a hundred and fifty people were lying supine across the  length of the wooden floor, relaxing and enjoying the motion.  The most bizarre aspect, however, was taking place at either end of the Armory.  As we walked in, there was a large table with perhaps twenty individually caged pigeons.  Sitting at the table were two women, reading from a long ream of paper into a microphone.  At the other end of the Armory sat another women at a table, with a spotlight on her, a round mirror in front, writing poetry. Both of these framed the swings and hanging sheets, leading in and out of the swings and curtains.  We also met Rami's sister Lettie there and stayed for close to two hours before taking the subway back to Grand Central, and the train home to Darien.  It was a great way to spend the day and the Armory was a fitting climax.  We were all glad we went.

We got home around 7:30, hungry from our day, and ordered pizza from Tyler's favorite place, Anthony's Coal Fired pizza.  We had it last time we here and because the crust was burnt, Evie called them up to complain, only to be told that's the way it's supposed to be.  We devoured the pizzas, as well as some unique coal fired wings, baked with loads of onions.  They were quite tasty and different from the usual hot wings.

After dinner, Rami and I watched the Washington and Dallas game, the rest watched The Truman Show.  After a long day, we did not get to bed till 11:30 or later.  As I finish this, it's now 8:00 and I am still the only one up.

Off to New York City For the Day

Darien Morning

Marisa

Granny with the Boys

Making Maple Candy from Snow

Up at 6:40 here in Darien, the first one up, made the coffee, went outside to see the snow on the trees, and it's partly cloudy, though I could see some clear skies, even the moon, the last full moon of the year.  About four or five inches fell last night, still remains on the tree limbs, though the plow has already been in to clear the drive, no doubt anxious to make a little extra cash.  It's a chilly 28º here, high in the mid thirties later though quite windy.

Yesterday, I was determined to ignore my sniffles, so I went to Dew Yoga with Beth and her friend Nancy in Stamford, about a fifteen minute drive.  We were a few minutes late but we squeezed ourselves into the yoga room and as usual, I was the only dude there.  The teacher is supposed to be very knowledgeable, has written books, knows her stuff, but she went too quickly for me, did not come around and help anyone with their poses, and cut class short because she was in a hurry.  Not my kind of teacher.  O, yea, she split her pants before we got there so she was unable to demonstrate most poses because I was there!  It felt good though and the yoga breathing, the concentration of various poses, either made me forget about my stuffiness or it helped get rid of it for that hour.

We did not do a lot during the rest of the day, other than a few trips to the store.  Beth and Tyler went off to Sean's, the family hair salon, for hair cuts and trims.  The rest of us took the 'must do' Costco run to pick up food for dinner though we decided to hold off on the prime rib until tomorrow.  I have been looking for a compact camera with a powerful telephoto lens and just as I walked in, there was a Sony on sale (if there is such a thing) with an amazing 16X telephoto lens, lots of pixels, for two hundred dollars.  Amazon was selling it for 300.00 and B & H Camera was selling it for 250,00.  So, how could I pass up a deal. It's a little heavier than the compact camera I now have which is two years old, same price two years ago, but has lots more bells and whistles.  I think I am going to like it quite a bit.

It started to snow heavily around 5:30, so Mitch and I donned our heavy weather gear, got out the flashlights because it was dark, and took Cody for a walk up the hill in the wet snow.  It was great to be outside, to feel the snow flakes on your face.  Cody loved it as well, and Mitch worked on his snowboard skills with just his boots, sliding up and down the hill.

We came home from shopping and Beth made a spaghetti sauce with Italian sausage for dinner and along with garlic bread and salad, we had a great meal.  It always amazes me how full we get after, let's say a lunch or a hot dog at Costco's, but a couple of hours later we are starving, ready for another big meal.  It tasted good to all of us.  We put Marisa to bed early, as we are going in to the city today, and I told her a 'bad boy' story before Evie came up and read some with her. The boys watched Men in Black III with  Rami.  I watched it for about forty five minutes, but then went up to read.  I think Evie stuck it out but she did not like it much either.  Tastes are sure fickle from one family member to another, from one generation to another.

Today, about 10:30, we are off via the train to the city for the day, to do some shopping, eat at Katz's Deli for lunch, and see an exhibition at the Armory.

Getting Colder, Perhaps Some Snow in Darien

Dinner of Carnitas

Crescent Rolls, an Afternoon Snack

Cleaning Out the Crafts Cupboard with Granny

Up around 7:20, which is nice to sleep because I have a cold, something I have avoided over the past few years.  Not debilitating, just annoying, as most colds are.  It's 30º at the moment, with snow expected on and off during the day, an accumulation of 1-3 inches.  I also see that over the next few days, it's getting colder and colder, down in the teens here, single figures at Chautauqua, too cold usually for snow.

Guess What Father and Son Are Doing?

I am sitting here with Ramiro, and we are looking at cameras on line.  Tomorrow, we are going into the city with the kids, to visit a cool Armory that has a special exhibit of tapestry and swings, something the kids would really like.  We will also stop at B & H camera, the Mecca for camera buffs.  I am looking for a pocket camera with a better zoom then the one I have.  The one I think I would want does not seem to be in stock yet, alas.  But it will be fun to go into the city and look around, perhaps have brunch at Katz's Deli, where the great scene from Harry Met Sally Took Place.

Yesterday, because of my cold and because none of us had much energy, we just stayed in, watched TV and a movie, played some games, and just took it easy.  The boys were content to stay in as well, only Tyler going out to the gym for an hour.  Mitch and I did get two walks in up the street with Cody, Mitch on his Long Board, a new one for Christmas.  I took a two hour nap, something I must have needed because I have not been sleeping well.  For dinner, we took the pork from the previous night and made carnitas, pork inside of corn or flour tortillas, with all the fixings, from two or three salsas, to hot sauce, to sour cream, to cabbage and guacamole.  As usual, everything seems better the next day, so we devoured these as a family.

We finished the evening off with banana cream pie, and Marisa and Evie and Beth and Rami watched an episode of Chopped, one of Marisa's favorite shows.  We had not watched a full episode before so it was fun.  Marisa certainly was into it.  It's amazing to think that a cooking duel has become a major TV show, with a large audience.  Cooks, who used to be obscure, in the kitchen, have now become the new rock stars of the 2000's.  I wonder what is next, the new reality show?  Teachers?  Never?

This morning, Beth and I hope to go to yoga around 11:00, then sometime later, we are going to have to decide what to do about New Year's Eve, what to have, whether beef or seafood, just our family or guests.  I think we will stick with just us, less work and worry.  And the boys will be happy either way, as will Marisa, as long as they have their Granny (and Baba).

It's 8:47 and no one but Rami and I are up although I just heard footsteps on the stairs, Marisa I think...nope, it's Evie.   Everyone else is still sleeping, so we still have some quiet time left.

Dog Daze in Darien

The Boys and Granny and Banana Cream pies

Slow Cooked Citrus Fresh Ham

Consuelo with Her Citrus and Avocado Salad

The Albarrans and Evie

Lettie's puppies, Bella and Greta

Tyler, Our Little Grandson

Up around 6:30 at  my daughter Beth's house, and it's just me and Beth's mother in law, Consuelo Albarran, up for the week from Florida.  Lettie, her daughter, who lives in NYC, is also here with her two dogs, so we have quite a family of canines in the morning.  It looks nice enough out side, though cold, perhaps some clouds but quite a change from the slush and drizzle on Tuesday in Bristow.  It's just about 30º outside, high of 39 later in the day, 24º in Chautauqua, with some snow.

We were fortunate, yesterday, to have a easy drive from Bristow to Darien, no rain, no snow, just a bit of wind, and hardly any traffic till we got close to the Tappan Zee Bridge, where it always gets crowded.  It took us about six and a half hours,  just about what I expected, and we arrived around 3:00.  Beth and the girls were out walking, and when their dog Cody saw me, he ran to the car to greet me...dogs like me for some reason.  Perhaps because I walk them.

Consuelo had made her special dinner for us, which we have always loved, a slow cooked fresh ham, falling apart at the bones, cooked in citrus juices.  It's great with any one of her three home made salsas, so different from store bought, along with warmed red cabbage with sugar and spices, and an avocado citrus salad.  We devoured it all, but will still have enough pork left for carnitas tonight, another family favorite.  For dessert, Tyler, Beth's oldest son, had made two banana cream pies so we feasted on them as well.  O, I forgot, the kids wanted Evie's cinnamon crescent rolls, so they put them together before dinner, so we had them along with the pork.  I could hardly move after dinner.

Rami, Evie and I and the boys watched Arbitrage, a movie about Wall Street, with Richard Gere till about 10:30, a decent movie with a great performance by Gere, then we all went to bed, tired from our trip and the day.

Both Consuelo and Lettie head back to their homes today, so it will be just Evie and I and the Albarrans for the next couple of days.  We are both ready to relax for a few days, catch up on our sleep.

Bristow to Darien, Through Rain and Sleet

Girls Cooling It in the Basement

Jill, Evie, and Jill's sister in law, Carrie

The Two Faces of Christmas

Up around 6:00, as we hope to  get off to Darien by 8:00 at the latest.  We are hoping the roads will not be icy, just wet, perhaps slush or sleet, and rain.  It's hard to tell as the weather people are so dramatic, talking about only the worst possibilities.  It's seven hours for us to Darien, #15 to #78, to #287, to #87, to #287, to Tappan Zee Bridge, to Merritt Parkway to Darien, I think!  From the CI webcam, it looks like Chautauqua has gotten around six inches of snow, more to come.

We had a lazy day yesterday, not doing much of anything, other than hanging out with the kids.  Jill was not feeling great early on so she stayed in bed a good part of the day.  Because it was so terrible outside, my sister decided it was not worth coming over for a visit, a smart decision as it was nasty on the roads.  It's the kind of day where you did not want to go anywhere, just sit back and relax. The kids watched a movie, Zorro, during part of the afternoon, and Drew and I went off to Buffalo Wings, the local sports bar around 4:00, for a few beers, as we were bored with no games on TV.

For dinner, Evie made up the girls' favorite soup, corn and potatoes and bacon chowder, and we had it with left over prime rib and mashed potatoes.  Every one has a post Christmas hangover, a result of the excitement of the day before, not too much alcohol.  We looked for other movies to watch together as a family but its difficult to please both adults and children. We ended up watching A Christmas Memory, based on a Truman Capote short story.  Slow at first but it became much better towards the end and the girls seemed to like it.  The girls were very tired despite sleeping in, so they went to bed with no complaint, especially Halle who loves her knew bed.

PHANTOM: JOE NESBO

The fourth or fifth novel I have read by Nesbo, THE PHANTOM seems darker than the others,  Harry Hole, the disgraced detective, more lost and forsaken then ever.  The story begins when Harry's stepson, Olaf, is accused of murdering a drug addict, forcing Harry back to his old stomping grounds, as he flies back from Hong Kong where he had been living.  In the attempts to prove Olaf's innocence, Harry ends up in the middle of Norway's drug culture.  A drug called Violin has pushed aside all other drugs, master minded by a secretive dealer called Dubai.  As Harry slowly moves towards the truth, he uncovers police conspiracies, corrupt pilots, police burners (who get rid of evidence if a drug dealer is caught), and the conspiracy rises to the top, to one Mikael Bellman, who we have seen in previous novels.  We find that Olaf has become a pusher, addicted to violin like many of the young and he's accused of killing his best friend and fellow drug dealer, Gustavo.  Harry doggedly stays on the trail, barely surviving a couple of assassination attempts by Dubai, but eventually corners the old man, kills him but also finds that Gustavo, the victim, is his Dubai's son, complicating matters.  Meanwhile, Harry's love interest in Rakel is briefly rekindled and they hope to start a new life together in Hong Kong, but it ends abruptly when Harry realizes that Olaf actually was the killer of Gustavo.  And he cannot stop being a policeman and must turn his step son in.  The crime, one of passion, resulted from Gustavo having sold Irene, Olaf's lover, to a drug dealer for money. Violin, the drug,  becomes 'the lover' in this book, as it trumps any human relationship.  The story ends ambiguously; does Harry die?  What happens to Olaf and Rakel? Does Truls Bernsten, the cowardly burner, kill Mikael Bellman?  None of these questions are answered, just hinted at in the end of the novel.

The plot, the coincidences, seem oddly realistic and the picture of the effects of the drug Violin on  its users is palpable.  Nesbo gets inside this world about as well as any writer.  And his Harry Hole out does  Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallender in doom and gloom.  Not exactly a Christmas book, a pick'em upper.

The Day After Christmas

Christmas with Halle and Hayden

Yippee, an IPAD

Dinner

The Cooks

The Guys Putting Together Halle's New Bed

A Happy Girl in her New Bed

Drew and I are up at 6:30, to darkness and from the weather report, a miserable day, of sleet and rain, lots of gray.  No snow yet forecast and we hope this lasts for one more day since we are driving to Darien, to Beth' tomorrow.  I know snow is coming to Chautauqua, just hope it does not move east too quickly.  So far, it looks to be just rain.  Right now it sounds like pouring rain but when I looked outside, the deck is covered with white, either slush or snow.  It's  about 33º outside at 7:33.

Bristow Morning at 7:33

Yesterday began with a bang, ended with a whimper, very tired children and adults, as both Halle and Hayden literally passed out in the evening from tiredness.  Both were up early, but sent back to their beds till 6:30, when all got up.  The present opening went exceptionally fast, as each girl received one big present, lots of smaller ones.  For Hayden, opening presents was a appetizer to her last, a new Mini IPAD, which is really all she wanted.  As you can see, she whooped it up.  Halle got a new double bed from IKEA, a great gift unless you are Drew, who was up till 1:30 putting parts together.  Then, after the present opening, it took both of us another two to three hours to finish  it, especially the four drawers beneath the frame.  While Drew and I put the bed together, Evie, Jill and Halle completely took Halle's room apart so that when all was done, she had a new room.  She liked it so much that she went upstairs around 2:00 for a nap. How cute.

None of us left the house yesterday, even for a walk, the girls playing with their presents, having friends over, the adults recovering from a long night.  About 3:30, Drew's sister and her family came over with their three kids.  So we didn't see much of the kids the rest of the afternoon, as they immediately go down the basement to play with each other.  We sat around watching some of the NBA game, talking, sipping wine, and getting the prime rib ready for dinner.  With mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts and salad, we had a feast.  The prime rib was perfect, both some medium and rare done slices, and we did an amazing job on it, with only enough left for roast beef sandwiches today, alas.  The Brock's left around 8:00, we cleaned up the kitchen, watched some TV, as Hayden fell asleep downstairs and Halle struggled to sleep, overtired, with Evie.  All were in bed by 10:00, a good day for the Bissell family.

Foggy and Overcast on Christmas Morning

Evie and the Girls' Cookies

Drew's Cookies, Ready for Delivery

A One Direction Teeny Bopper

Dad and His Girls

Foggy Christmas Morning in Bristow

Up early of course, awakened by the girls about 6:00 so we could all go downstairs for Christmas.  Hayden, who usually gets up at 10:00 or 11:00 was the first one up.  Both girls were ready for bear.  It's not exactly a white Christmas but a good day to stay inside.  More about our day tomorrow.  Right now it's 43º and a dense fog advisory is in effect.

Yesterday, Drew and Evie made three more batches of cookies in the morning, the kids then delivered them in the afternoon to neighbors and friends.  None of us did much yesterday, hanging out, wrapping presents on and off during the day.  In early afternoon, Evie and I took the girls to Five Below, a crazy shopping store, to buy presents for their parents.  While Evie and the girls shopped, I hit Sports Authority next store and picked up a fishing rod at half price for the summer.  After Five Below, we all went to Chick Filet for lunch.  The girls love eating there and even Halle ate all her meal.

When we got back, Evie and the girls wrapped presents for Drew and Jill, and Drew and I went out for a beer at a local brew pub, our usual routine, to settle the world's problems.  We had an interesting wheat beer from Germany, Drew's favorite when he's in Germany.

For dinner, we made my son Tom's pasta with shrimp, asparagus, and sun dried tomatoes.  With a salad and good bread, we were happy campers as they say.  We were able to get the girls in bed by 10:00 and  Jill and Drew stayed up, getting things ready for the morning but Evie and I went to bed around 11:00, leaving it to the youngsters to finish Santa's work.  I am pretty sure I heard hammering around 1:30, so Drew was pretty busy till late. Or maybe it was Santa,  I'm not sure.

More Cookie Making on a Bristow Christmas Eve

Bristow Dawn

Evie and her Girls, Halle and Hayden

Hayden and Halle with their Cousins

A bright sky this morning, up at 7:00, with Drew, Halle, and Jill to follow around 7:45.  It's a very cold 22º outside and supposed to rain off and on during the day.  Halle's playing Hanging with Friends with Evie, who left a word on her Itouch.  We are watching Morning Joe, just like my mornings at home.

Yesterday, for the most part, was a cookie morning.  Evie, Drew, and Halle made three or four batches of cookies to put on trays for the neighbors.  While they worked, Jill and I took a brisk hour walk around their Kingsbrook neighborhood.  It is amazing how developed this area has become over the past ten or fifteen years.  And it keeps growing, with huge housing developments going on as well as another mall.  Pretty soon it will be too crowded, time to move farther away from the DC area.  This used to be the boondocks twenty years ago.  After we returned, Evie and I made a cookie recommended to us by her sister Claire called Oreo Truffles.  They are very easy; just take a package of oreos, grind them up in a food processor, combine the ground oreos with a pound of cream cheese, form into small balls, dip them in chocolate, sprinkle them with leftover oreos, and refrigerate.  No baking. They are sinful, to say the least.

About 3:30, we went to a birthday party for Drew's brother's daughter.  His sister and brother were there along with his Mom and Day  We had punch, champagne, and appetizers.  It was fun to see Drew's family, some we had not seen since Jill and Drew's wedding.  And the girls seem to enjoy their cousins, which is neat. We then went over to Drew's sister Carrie's house, with his parents, and sat around till about 7:00, watching football, drinking beer, and talking.  His brother in law is a font of wisdom when it come to football, has a great sense of humor, a fun guy to be around.  We got on Drew quite a bit about his changing attitude, shall I say infatuation with Britney Spears.  He thinks she's pretty cool.  Figure?

We came home  hungry, so we had corn and potato chowder, which Evie had made earlier in the day, along with toasted ham and cheese sandwiches, a perfect way to end the day.  We watched some TV with the girls and all of us went up to bed by 10:00, tired I suppose from cookie making.

Today, we make more cookies, pick up a few sides for tomorrow's dinner, then wait for Santa.  The girls are already hyper, especially Hayden, who doubts if she will be able to sleep tonight.  And it's the last night for elf as he heads back to Santa's house.

Two More Days Till Xmas in Bristow

Early Morning Walk/Run 

Halle and Her Dad

Hayden in Her Green Room

Drew and I are the only one's up and it's just short of 7:00, late for both of us.  We made the mistake of starting to talk about politics, never a good idea though neither one of us ( I think) are irrational but we tend to disagree at some things.  It's probably good to get a different point of view and Drew has made me see more clearly on that the gun control issue is very complicated.  Clearly, since he is in the military, he is surrounded by gun enthusiasts, but also one's who have been trained, know how dangerous guns are and usually handle them with care.  Halle just got up, so we will have to continue our discussions later.

She's excited about her new friend, Elf, the latest gimmick for Christmas.  Each night Elf hides in a new place, and leaves a message for Halle.  His purpose is to assess whether Halle has been a good girl or not during the day.  She leaves out a snack for him and is quite excited when she finds him each morning.  Yesterday, he was a bad boy and spilled flour all over the kitchen table.  Tommy's daughter, Marlena, also has an elf and loves finding him, too.

Halle with her Hanging Elf

Yesterday we took it easy, especially Evie who is getting better but tires easily.  Mid morning Jill and I went out for a brisk walk with Coco and Drew went running with a buddy.  In the afternoon, Jill and I did some shopping in a picturesque little town, about twenty five minutes away, called Warrenton. It was a mistake, however,  to be on the roads around here as every high way was crowded, backed up in many cases.  Jill picked up a gift card for her sister in law, and we walked around the town, lots of older, quaint looking buildings but none of the shops interested us much.  We did stop for a couple of lattes at a coffee/tea shop.   We then went to a palatial Wegmans, which makes our Lakewood Wegman's look like a dump.  Most of the aisles were  so crowded with shoppers that you literall y needed a traffic cop to get through.  We picked up lots of goodies for the next couple of days and went home.  While we were gone, Evie and the girls put together the dough for roll out Christmas cookies, our task for today...making lots of Christmas cookies.  In fact, its tradition for Drew to make six different kinds of cookies at Christmas; we all start helping him today.  He's currently making a list of all the items he will need, then off to the store.

With Coco

We had a great, easy dinner of chicken boursin, basically chicken breasts in a wine and Boursin cheese sauce over rice, with a salad.  Jill made a special vodka, cranberry, and pomegranate drink before dinner, which was just the thing for a sore throat, or so we thought.  We then relaxed after dinner, played on our gadgets, watched some TV and we were all in bed, tired from the day, by 10:00