James and Robert's Great Adventure

Happy Birthday Brad and I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We had a grand time at Jean's with friends and family!  Congratulations Lindsay and Jesse!!!!  So much fun to look forward to a wedding (or two).

I thought you all might enjoy Robert's version of the weekend he and James had together recently:

Here's some of the things we did:

1. Walked thu Fort Greene Park. Highest point in Brooklyn and location of Revolutionary War Fort Greene.

2. Walked thu Brooklyn Metro Center. New area with tech schools and offices with large plazas where concerts are sometimes given. You thought maybe Marching Bands could possibly march thru and perform. Located between Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge.

3. Walked over Brooklyn Bridge

4. Lunch at Seaport. Found Bodies Exhibition, half price TKTS location, and lounges on third deck of pier 17.

5. Walked across town on Fulton St. to World Trade Center site. Saw St. Paul's Cathedral. It is the oldest public building in Manhattan. Here's the website: /www.trinitywallstreet.org/congregation/spc/

6. Subway to Columbus Circle, saw Jazz at Lincln Center. www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/

7. Walked up to Lincoln Center (Broadway & 64th)

8. Saw filming of "Tower Heist"

9.Walked to Gingerman (120 beers on tap, most in Manhattan) (36th & 5th ave)

10. Went to Tea Lounge. Quirky music club in Park Slope, Brooklyn. 

11. Walked home past Grand Army Plaza and the entrance to Prospect Park. (Largest park in Brooklyn, created by the same guys that created Central Park.

1. Next day went to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Found a retro junk place to check out. 

2. Went to Brooklyn Brewery and had a great beer tour. In addition to the old breweries, we saw St Mary's Church.Here's the website: 

www.mhtbrookyn.org.

3. Had dinner in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

4. Went to Smoke Jazz Club in Morningside Heights (Broadway & 105th). Saw jazz legend Curtis Fuller, tenor player Eric Alexander. Can't remember trumpet player's name. Here's website: www.smokejazz.com.

That's not to mention the two smelly guys and the Erkel look-a-likes on the subway.

And there you go!  By the way, a picture from the filming of Tower Heist is in this week's People magazine.

Now that Thanksgiving is done, I guess it's back to the real world.  Sending college students back; Christmas preparation  and back to work (for some of us!)

400 Posts and a Dead Deer

This blog will soon mark its third anniversary and between the two blogs I maintain (one for the Irish and one for the Italians), I have now reached 400 total posts!  I think that's a great accomplishment.  I hope to be able to maintain the pace of posting weekly.  And with stories such as these, it will be a piece of cake:

I have a little hunting story to tell (sort of).  As you may or may not know, I came home one day last week to have Jim point out that we were the proud caretakers of the dead deer in the backyard.  Indeed, he pointed out a large looking; dead looking; deer looking animal lying at the edge of the property pretty much where the tire swing used to be (Kathleen remember?)

Now, I know you all have met us and already are aware that this area of expertise is not in our frame of reference.  Jim had called the DEC (no answer); the town (no help) and the county--who told him that they would pick up dead deer at the side of the road but not on personal property. After conferring with his hunting and outdoor experts Ron and Glenn, it was decided that the best thing would be for Jim to drag the deer down to the roadside for the county to take care of.  

By now it is beginning to get dark and Jim is trying to figure out the details of how this might go.  He had the chain and the garden tractor and figured he was set.  He wanted to use the Lincoln to illuminate the area, but fortunately for me Glenn arrived just about that time.  I was worried that the weight of the deer sliding down the hill behind the tractor could out-race the tractor and drag Jim down the hill instead of the other way around.

I was giggling to myself at the silliness of this all and really wishing it wasn't so dark so that I could document this event for future generations.  Ryan called and I was explaining what his dad was doing while trying to peer outside and get a better view.  As is typical, it seemed Ryan was only about half paying attention to what I was saying (in this case that was fair because I was only paying half attention to him) and I could tell that he was texting while on the phone with me.  He was asking random questions peppered throughout the conversation about the size of the deer, did it have antlers, how many points etc.  He noted a friend nearby who might be interested in the deer.  OK OK I was thinking as I wasn't really giving it my full attention.

Glenn and Jim decided to drag the deer down themselves by its heels to the roadside.  Just in time to meet the truck that Ryan's friend drove over to pick up the deer.  The friend conducted a little CSI style investigation and determined it had been shot and that  he could use the deer for whatever and happily loaded it up and carted it away.  All before the 6 o'clock news on a random Monday night in November.  Only in today's connected world can a phone call from Cortland result in driveway to driveway carcass removal services before it even had a chance to settle itself again!  

What an interesting experience!  Jim counts this as his first "kill" and the neighbors have some extra venison in the freezer--thanks to texting.  And no one got hurt (well, except the deer who was apparently shot illegally).  So, as they say.....here's your sign!  You might be a redneck if.........you find a dead deer in the yard and drag it to curbside like a to-go window at McDonalds. Here's to 400 more!

Randomness

Just some random thoughts this week.  First, birthday shout outs to Brian, Thomas, Michelle, Steve, Lindsay and Brad!  November sure is a big month for you guys. 

It's been so beautiful out recently that it's kind of hard to reconcile the springlike sunshine with the bare trees and dead grass.  Well, some of you don't have either of those things but nevertheless (I did promise randomness today).  I was able to plant my spring bulbs--who knew I'd be able to do that (almost) comfortably so late in the season?  Whenever I plant new bulbs, I mark time over the winter awaiting their blooms in the spring.  Likely, I've just given the local squirrels and rodents a nice Thanksgiving feast with those bulbs!

As you may know, James has been spending some time with Robert this week.  It's great that brothers get to spend some time together.  When I saw Aunt Rose at Aunt Josie's coffin last week, I was reminded how difficult it is to say goodbye to your sister no matter the circumstances.  It might be for the best, it might be there's no more suffering, it might not be a surprise but it's never easy.  Siblings have special bonds and these need to be nourished so I'm glad James and Robert had some time this week.

Josephine Dalpiaz Albertini 1926-2010

This is how I would like to remember Aunt Josie--laughing and happy at a family celebration.  We were sorry to learn she died yesterday.  I always enjoyed our visits.  She had a great memory and ability to tell the stories of her family.  She was a trusted resource for me and I will miss her very much, as I am sure you will also.  May she rest in peace with her mother and her brother especially.