A Calm, Easy Monday

We decided to put off our trip back to the lake for a day, to the delight of our grandchildren; it's always nice to hear how much they want us (Evie, mostly), to stay.  The parents go along with it nicely as well.  It's always amazing to see the change in Tyler on school days, with tie an khakis on, so grown up looking.  He goes off with Rami as their trains are about the same time.  Mitch leave early too and we were happy to see him wearing the KREW hoodie we gave him for Christmas.  He has very definite tastes and I think we hit the bulls eye on this one.

Not too much on the agenda today, a much colder day, perhaps a trip to Costco, help Beth reorganize her house after the hordes, and a few walks with Cody; he missed me yesterday, giving me the stink eye every time I walked by.

The boys leave around 7:00 but Marisa doesn't have to walk to the bus till a little after 8:00, which is nice for her because she gets some special time with Beth, and today with Evie and me.  She is a delight in the morning as well, happy and excited to head off to school.

After taking for a walk, we took off for our traditional Costco splurge, ending up with a mattress pad/foam/gel for our bed, some towels, and a few miscellaneous. We then hit Sports Authority, as Beth needed to return some things; Evie picked up some workout tees, I think, and I abstained.  Then, on to Barnes and Noble, where I now sit, drinking coffee as Beth and Evie hit TJ for the second time in two days.  Evie said 'no clothes shopping' and it has already been at least 45 minutes.  O, well, I am happy happy, that I am here, and not there. It's a beautiful day out, too bad we are spending it in side shopping but we have to stock up for the winter.

Kids are all home, popcorn snack made, and Evie's breading the pork chops and putting together a homemade macaroni and cheese, my request. Marisa is doing her homework; Tyler came home with all A's on his exams, and Mitch is playing with his Iphone apps.  A happy household once they all got their snacks.

It's 8:40 and I am watching the Stanford/Virginia Tech game after a great dinner of breaded pork chops and macaroni and cheese; Tyler devoured a couple of chops and all the kids enjoyed it.  Tyler then had a music lesson at 7:30 and I put Marisa to bed, told her a bad bad boy story, as Evie helped Mitch put a tree sticker on his wall.  It's really cool; Marisa has love and peace stickers on hers.  Ramiro has had to work late and he's not home yet, so he missed the 7:30 train.  I don't envy him his train rides back and forth, especially knowing that he has to head back in tomorrow at 7:00

Sunday Sunday

We didn't do much today except relax and recover from the past few days of family and over eating.  Tyler went off to work on a project with a friend, which took three or four hours.  Rami and I watched football on and off during the day, and Evie hung out with the kids.  They made funnel cakes with Mitch's Xmas present from us, and they were a big hit.  We watched George Clooney in  The American last night, a very slow, European style movie, which deserved its two and a half stars.  Rami and Evie went up to bed before it was over so Beth, Tyler and I were the only ones left up at 11:00.

Beth made spaghetti for dinner and we all devoured it, as the meals during the day with 'on your own', so the kids didn't eat alot until dinner.  I told Marisa another 'bad boy' story, a really bad one this time.  She is a doll at night, all snuggled up in her bed, loves to talk, but once you leave her for a minute or two, she' soundly asleep.  Mitch went up around 8:30, to karate with Evie, after watching the latest TV series obsessions with Tyler and Evie, old Twilight Zone programs.  They are fun and its amazing how many famous stars got their start in the programs, Robert Redford, William Shatner, to name a few.

A Lazy New Year's Morning

We have all been sitting around the coffee table in the sunroom, relaxing, having our coffee and watching, sort of, the news on TV.  The girls, though they did not get to sleep until almost midnight, were all up by 8:00 and have been upstairs playing, once again, in Marisa's room.  Only Tyler continues to sleep, and even Jill has been up since 7:30.  They have decided to head back home today, around noon, to avoid the rush on Sunday and get back in time to get organized for the week.  I think they made the right decision as the roads tomorrow are going to be a nightmare, especially on 95 south.  We had a mild celebration last night, as everyone faded out early, so only the boys were up to greet the New Years...too much good food and alcohol, I think.  Hayden and Halle are not too happy about leaving early but I think they will be fine once they get on the road.

It's a sunny day here, so unlike Chautauqua, which seems to be cloudy most of the time.  The girls were able to play outside a bit before breakfast of eggs and bacon.  Drew basically got things packed up as the girls played, they had breakfast, and were off by about 11:30, a car full of stuff, kids, pillows, books, and of course, Coco.  It looks as though they will have good weather all the way to Bristow; I just hope the short cuts a short cut.

Rami fixed my computer as it was telling me I had little if any memory left; he found that I had 45 gigabytes of emails somehow, erased them, and now I have another 45 gigabytes of memory, which is great. I also got Apple TV from the Albarrans, which once it's set up, will allow me to download and watch anything from Itunes on our TV, from TV programs to movies that Netflix does not have.  Both Tommy and Rami have it and tend to use it quite a bit.

Right now we are trying to figure out what to do with our day, stay home and relax, or head off and see a movie or do some shopping. At the moment, I just feel like sitting home and veggian out in front of the boob tube.  We'll see, as Beth wants to take Mom out shopping as a Christmas present.

Beth and Evie went off to find some clothes, so Rami took me off the Fairway, an amazing grocery store in a new development in Stamford, what was once a rough area, now being rehabilitated, with the financing done by Ramiro's group.  The store is huge, with every imaginable kind of food, from cheese to olive oil to coffee, to spices and goodies from any country.  The fruits and vegetable sections were huge, with four foot bins of brussel sprouts or arugula.  A section for olive oils from all over the world, with at least 50-100 varieties, many of which you could taste.  I did get a special coffee, peaberry coffee from El Salvador, and I found some kaskavale cheese from Bulgaria.  Both Rami and I tasted it and it was really good, salty but not to the extreme.  We also ate lunch their, had sushi and french fries; we loved the french fries.  He then drove me around and showed me the development, especially the renovation of the old Yale Lock company, now neat apartments with the industrial kind of  windows, and also commercial developments. It's a huge area, with some large companies having their headquarters there as well as condos on the waterfront.  We happened to run in to the developer as we were driving by, and Rami stopped to talk with him briefly.  We got home about 3:30 and the girls didn't get home from their shop a thon till about 4:15.

We are off for burgers in Norwalk for dinner; Evie and I will come home with Marisa and Mitch, while Beth, Rami, and Tyler will go to True Grit.

Just returned from BJ Ryans, had great burgers and fries, and some chicken wings for a healthy kick.  Then, Beth and Rami and Tyler went off to the movies, and I drove Mitch and Marisa home as they were really tired.  Marisa got a bad boy story and fell asleep almost immediately, as Mitch played his game on TV before heading off to bed.

Drew just wrote to say they made the trip in six hours, going the back route and avoiding the headaches and tolls on Interstate 95, a good route for the future because you can be a bit more certain of modest traffic problems, unlike 95

New Year's Eve Day/Night in Darien

Just got back from a walk with Cody and Beth has the croissants out and ready to eat and all are up except for Jill and Hayden.  I was the first up at 6:30, followed by Mitch, Drew, and Rami.  Then, Beth and Evie and Marisa and Halle, then Beth, the usual line up I think.  It's going to be a busy day, full of lots of preparation for tonight, playing with the grandkids, football, basketball, most likely a movie, lots of food, like a sushi lunch, a tenderloin dinner, so it looks like a good day ahead of us.  Also, it's pretty out, clear skies, a bit warmer, perhaps high in the 40's, so hopefully we can get everyone outside for a bit.  I am now surrounded by the girls, intent on devouring their croissants, so all is good.

Tyler and I had left over noodles and eggs for breakfast, my favorite, and the rest had croissants from William and Sonoma.  We are all alternating taking showers and Evie and Beth are working on dinner.  The girls are upstairs playing in Marisa's bedroom, something they seem to be able to do for hours without interruption.  They really get along well, which is fun to see and after their initial shyness, they are now good buddies.  It's amazing how kids can play for hours in their imagination, happy to be in the world of their minds, with a little help from the toys/animals/little creatures.

It's almost 4:00 and it feels like we just had dinner, as we sit around in Beth's sun room, after sushi, cheese and crackers, and dumplings steamed in collard greens.  After eating and we exchanged gifts with the Albarrans and Hayden and Jill.  Lots of good things for everyone and the kids all seemed happy with their choices.  Halle got an entire set up reading books from Beth and has been at them every since.  Hayden can't put down her book, either, and Marisa and Evie are working on various projects.  Not any interesting football on, though it seems like it has to be the background for a New Year's Eve day.  We need to get our energy and appetites back for the great dinner we'll  be having later.  Right now, all I want to do is go take another nap.  I think I need to go outside and take a walk to wake up.

The kids did play out in the snow for about an hour earlier in the day, with Drew and Evie, throwing snowballs, building a fort, and sledding.  The snow is pretty good for packing, and it's warm enough to really be out with a light jacket.  We are trying to decide if the kids should stay up till midnight.  I will leave it up to the parents.

Sitting at the kitchen table, watching Beth, Evie, and Jill  get thing ready; the boys are playing Wie, the girls have finished watching the movie Flipped, one we watched with Tommy in KC, and they loved it.  Now they are upstairs playing, waiting for their dinner.  It's been a good day of family together, everyone enjoying each other but also doing their own thing, the guys football, the girls talking and cooking, the little girls playing upstairs, the boys playing games.  The good life.

Quiet Morning in Darien--- Waiting for the Fun to Begin

It's 6:30 and Chello and me are the only two up, she getting ready to head off to Florida, me preparing for the day filled with the Albarrans and Bissells, the good life.  The girls slept in our room last night (actually Marisa's room), and they finally got to sleep around 10:00, but as far as I could tell, none stirred during the night.  They were strangely subdued yesterday, as they seemed to be adjusting to each other after having not seen one another since August. They seemed to be enjoying each other, however, just before bed time so I assume today will be a wild ride.

Lots of excitement this morning, unless you are Beth, as Chello's flight was cancelled so they had to find another flight and the only one they could find went to Ft. Lauderdale.  So, then, with the help of Jill and Evie, they found a car to drive her from there to Estero, for a tune of 250 bucks,  but it's cheaper than staying in a New York hotel for a night.  The last I heard she was on the plane so I hope her connection in Florida with the car works out as you is uptight enough about flying without all this other stress.

The girls are amazing, content to play up in Marisa's room for hours on end, with various sets of animals, dolls, and other munchkin type of things.  No fights, no quarrels, other than Halle sometimes getting the raw end of the deal because she is the youngest.  They did go outside and play in the snow for about an hour with Drew, Evie and the dogs, which was fun.  I took Drew on a tour of the beaches and some of the great homes, as this is his first time visiting the Albarrans in this house.  He has always been busy or deployed somewhere although he did live in northern CT at one time when he was in high school.

I am currently sitting in a Starbucks, waiting to meet up with Chris Galgano, one of my students from Reserve, who is currently a senior at UVA.  He has written an impressive paper on behavioral economics, which basically analyzes why many people seem to vote against their self interest.  He has become somewhat of a protege of Jonathan Haidt, the author of one of my favorite books, The Happiness Hypothesis.  He comes from Rye so it may take him awhile to get here, as traffic will be heavy unless he goes on the back roads.

A Yoga Morning in Darien

It's 7:00 and I have been up for about an hour, watching TV and reading my email.  Chello was up as well and is in the living room reading.  I am sure she wants her quiet time so I have stayed in the TV room.  Beth just got up because we are going to yoga at the Y and I couldn't resist a everything bagel.

Beth and I just got back from yoga at the Y which I thoroughly enjoyed because it was called 'gentle yoga',  led by a guy my age, Robert, who paid special attention to me, a result of my being such a rookie and his realizing that I needed help.  He had a really nice way about him, and his yoga style was to show you how just slight stretching and variations of the stress can be just as good a vigorous warrior pose like stuff.  This seemed the kind of yoga I would really enjoy and I think he caters to and older crowd as he kept talking about how this helps the older people avoid falling and getting hurt.  I think he was addressing this to me in particular but I could be paranoid.  He said he I like, he would send me some of the poses that he thinks would benefit me, especially those using the wall.  Beth's friend Nancy was also there, an aficionado like Beth, and we toured the facility.  The workout area is amazing, probably 50 or more treadmills and ellipticals,  all with a view of the ocean front.  Pretty amazing for a Y.

We then went to get coffee, then hit Palmers and the bookstore to pick up goodies for dinner, a couple of reading books for Halle.  It's about 11:00 and I'm eating my yoga, listening to Tyler complain about the fact that he has to give up his room to Jill and Drew (Mitch sits here smiling, knowing he gets to keep his room and Tyler doesn't).  Boys!

Took Tyler to the train so he could go work out at Fairfield with other members of his crew team.  Of course, he lost his ticket and had not money, so once again, Baba forked over some cash for the lost boy.  I then went and got my car washed, came home, walked Cody with Mitchell, and then Mitch, Marisa, Evie and I played out in the snow for an hour, just before dusk, thus the pictures.  Jill and Drew are not here yet and the last we heard, they were stuck on the New Jersey Turnpike.  I hope they are not delayed  long because they will also have trouble on their way to Darien.

Drew and Jill arrive about 4:00, a 7 1/2 hour drive, with lots of traffic and tolls.  The focus, of course, was the two dogs, Cody and Coco, and how they would get along.  Coco was the aggressor, and poor Cody had to put up with Coco's curiosity about a new friend.  At least they don't seem interested in fighting, and seem to put up with each other.

For dinner, we had Beth's chicken thighs  stuffed with goat cheese, noodles and salad...yum.  The girls ate pretty well and though Rami did not arrive till late, it was a fun dinner.  We sat around the table when Rami arrived and had dinner, and the girls went upstairs to play in Marisa's bedroom.  Mitch and Tyler played games on the TV and the adults ended up watching TV in the living room before heading off to bed around 10:30, as Rami had to work tomorrow, Chello was heading home early, and everyone was whooped from the day.

We Hit the Road for Darien

It's strange waking up in an empty house in Bristow, no little mice around to keep you hopping, just a TV, computer, and a cup of coffee.  I am still not sure of how the Interstate up north will be; I assume it will be slower but clear.  I just hope the traffic will be normal, not more than usual, especially as I go through the major cities of DC, Baltimore, and NYC.  We plan on leaving around 9:00, hoping to avoid the gridlock around DC.

We had a nice dinner with Ellen and Wally last night, making our stay here in Bristow much more fun.  We went to a recommended restaurant, the Asian Garden, and it was quite good.  They came late afternoon and we went to an early dinner, though we are not 'early birders' yet, and they headed  back to Hearndon by 7:45 because both have to work today.  They had a great holiday having the kids home though they ended up having Christmas at home as the Lange's all had strep throat.  It's been fun seeing them and it makes coming to visit Jill and Drew all the more special.

We finally arrived in Darien, two hours later than the GPS suggested our arrival would be; the roads were very crowded, once we got on the the New Jersey pike and at times, we were in a stand still.  The other side, however, seemed to hardly move, for what reasons, I am not sure, but I am glad we were heading north rather than south.  It cost us close to thirty dollars in tolls to get here, along with gas and food, not a cheap drive. It surprised me as I have never been on these roads before.  The irony, too, was as we got out of NYC, into CT traffic slowed down and it took us forever to get to Darien, through Greenwich and Stamford.  It  took us seven hours, leaving at 9:00, arriving around 4:00, about 315 miles.  With a less crowded highway, we could make it in six, perhaps less

Beth had dinner all set, salmon and spinach, our favorite and though the boys and Rami were not there, because of skiing, we had a good time.  They arrived just after we finished eating, with a bag full of Chipotle's wraps, so they were happy.

It was nice to see Chello again, as it had been awhile since we have last seen each other.  She was supposed to head back to Florida on Monday but because of bad weather, she has to wait till Thursday.  So, she seems a bit itchy to get back to her home and dog  Lettie was also here last night, and as usual, Bella became my friend.  She has been here almost a week, too, and couldn't get back to NYC because of the snow as well.  She had a car pick her up last night, around 8:00, as it would have been difficult with her dogs to make it via the subway.

We were all tired and went to bed around 10:00 though Tyler's friend was here, waiting for his parents to come and pick him up.