RUSS AGAIN-Saturn

  Ok, so I lost my temper a little. But there's some background.

 We bought a great new car a few months ago for the trip. We love it. A Saturn Outlook, identical to the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia. After a few weeks I noticed a minor pull to the right, and when I took it in they agreed, and said they fixed it. We left for Nova Scotia shortly thereafter, and they hadn't fixed the problem at all. 

  So I came back to Rochester a day early to give them time to try again before we headed west. Last Friday they kept the car the entire day, and said they fixed it this time. Well, of course, they didn't. They said to bring it in early Monday morning, the day we were leaving to go west, and they promised it would be ready by 11am. I got up early and brought it in at 7:30am. They said they would deal with it immediately.

   We called at 10am after not hearing from them. We got a recording in the service dept., which we got again at 10:30 and 10:45. At 11 we started over to pick up the car, and Trisha told the operator not to connect us, since we got a recording. The operator said that was outrageous, and she would personally walk over to the service dept. and get them on the line. Well, we got there 9 minutes later and were still on hold. It was now 11:15. 

  The car wasn't there. It was being test driven to make sure they fixed it. The service guy came back with the car a few minutes later and said it was fixed.  Trisha asked him when he started working on the car and he said 10:30, and that he was told it had to be ready by noon, not 11.The service manager suggested I drive it with him, and  I did. It pulled to the right the exact same way 7 of the 8 times we were on a straightaway. I was still a model of politeness and restraint.

  When we got back to the dealer, the service manager got out of the car and said to Trisha, "well, it pulled to the right about half the time". I lost it, screaming that he was a liar,and that it pulled almost every time, and why would he try to minimize the problem he was acknowledging still existed.

   Trisha at this point forced me to the car while she dealt with the matter. As soon as she got the email address of the owner, the service manager acknowledged they hadn't fixed the problem; that they were having serious problems with their service dept.; and that they would get it right the next time. Well, we were leaving at that moment for a doctor appointment and then we were on the road, so the next time would be October.

   The owner responded to an email Trisha sent later in the day, and for the first time, someone apologized. She  acknowledged their service dept was in turmoil, with many terminations and new hires, but said we were correct in that the car hadn't been fixed, which was totally unacceptable.

   So you decide. Did my yelling(albeit quite loudly, and in front of several people waiting for their cars), cross the line so badly that Trisha correctly characterized my walk to the car as the "walk of shame", or is showing a little emotion in this situation justified?

  It must be genetic. My father took me for my first suit when I was to be bar mitzvahed. After alterations, I got it home and it didn't fit. I was borderline "husky" at that age, and it was simply too tight around the waist. My father took me back to the store(THE place to buy young men's clothes in the Bronx in 1960), and quite politely told them the suit didn't fit. Well, they made a fatal error, trying to tell my father the suit in fact did fit.  My father lost it(unfortunately, with me standing in the store with the too tight pans on, being examined by multiple people, all pulling on the waist band while I died of embarrassment). But when my father got upset there was no calming him down. The police were called, and when two patrol cars rolled up, and the store was closed for the rest of the evening, I thought my father was going to be arrested. Thankfully he knew the officers, since he had a sporting goods store in the neighborhood, and perhaps more importantly, they saw the pants didn't fit!

   I honestly don't remember exactly how it got resolved, but I do know the pants I wore a few weeks later for my bar mitzvah fit nicely( and I did a hell of a job on the beema of our orthodox  temple when the chips were down, given that I hated every single agonizing minute of 5 years of hebrew school, which I went to 5 days a week).

    I lose my temper once a year. (Well, twice this year-Maybe I'll relate the Black & Blue restaurant incident some other time)My father lost his much more often.  He was always right, and always tried to resolve things calmly at first, but when he lost it he was total nut case. That's not me, no matter what anyone might hear from Trisha, Camaron, Josh or Matt. They are exaggerating, I assure you.

   That's it for now. Going to dinner in "historic downtown"St. Charles MO, near St. Louis. There's also a "french" district. Didn't know that.

   Tomorrow we're in Independence,MO, and then two nights in Kansas City. They have a combined Jazz and Negro baseball player hall of fame, and  we won't miss the Hallmark Museum. We had many tears over the years watching the Hallmark movies on Sunday nights with and without the kids. And we can't pass up the opportunity to see some of those greeting card commercials that were sappy and manipulative; and absolutely marvelous.

   Be well everyone. Russ

RUSS AGAIN

   I simply can't believe that Trisha bitched in her last post that I have the audacity to use her blog. Jealousy is a terrible, terrible thing.

   We're crossing Illinois, going from Springfield IL to St. Charles Mo. The mobile broadband works perfectly. We get internet service on our laptop everywhere. 

  Having been in Detroit, I have another reminiscence, so those not interested can tune out now. When I was about 11, my grandfather, who lived in Detroit, took me, my brother Marc and Jeff, aged 14 and 9, and our great uncle Willy to Denver by car to visit my mother, who was in the National Jewish Hospital for an extended stay. The hospital was known as a leading lung care facility. I don't remember the car trip, but I have vivid memories of Denver;where we stayed, what we did,etc. We ate in a restaurant several times that had a neon chicken symbol on a pole high above the restaurant. I found the place 10 years later when i went cross country in college, but not when Trisha and I were in Denver a few years after that.

  My grandfather wasn't a warm person, and never ever got along well with my father, but I will always be grateful for taking us on the trip. My mother died a year or two later, and that week with her was very important to us. Unfortunately, as my cousin Steve reminded me yesterday, those years were tough ones. My grandmother, who had been bedridden for most of my life, died a few years after my mother, and my grandfather, who I only saw once or twice again after the Denver trip(at my mother's funeral in 1959), died when he was shot in his liquor store in 1962. 

   But I remember all of this fondly, as perverse as that might sound. I thought I had a great childhood, despite the objective evidence to the contrary. Perhaps that's because the people around me(my father, mother, uncles and aunts on both sides of the family, and grandparents), semed to look on the bright side of things, as depressing as those things were. We obviously couldn't be shielded from the deaths of immediate family, but it was clear that we were expected to move on with our lives, and enjoy what good there was every day.

  Sappy as always as I reread this, but so what. You're not forced to read. And many of us can use this advice. Things are hard for all of us from time to time(more so for some than others); so put everything in perspective, and get maximum pleasure from every activity.

   On another note, we had to cancel our China trip in October because of my eye.  Just gives us more time to travel here. And we finally rented a great place in Ft. Myers. Better than the first two places we had considered. So book now for December and January at our Florida temporary home. Our plan is to try to find a place to buy when we're there in December, but we're in no rush. Renting isn't much more costly than owning if we travel in the spring and summer, as we intend to. All in all things are great.

 One final note. Camaron asked that I explain what happened at the Saturn dealer on Monday. I'll do that later today or tomorrow. Perhaps not my finest hour, BUT I WAS RIGHT. More later(and maybe i'll tell the story of my father and my bar mitzvah suit and the police.

   Russ

I remember when this was my blog.  Oh well.

More observations and highlights...

Back in Rochester sitting on the Eisenberg's deck with our best friends laughing out loud while the candles glowed -thank you Linda -and more good times accrued.

Finding out that Russell's Detroit cousins loved Pelican Preserve in Ft Myers as much as we did and may one day be part time residents there.

Spending time with Carol - Russell's cousin's wife in Detroit- we always have a great time together.

Cooking dinner twice - once in NY at Camaron's (short ribs) and again in Rochester at our friends.  I missed it.  I'm ready not to cook for awhile again.

For the past 10 nights staying with family and friends.  It was great but I must say we love our Marriotts.  We were born to stay in hotels.

Being alone again with my husband  (even though he became a crazy person at the Saturn dealer screaming like a crazy person - he was sent on that walk of shame to the car- but that's another story.)

RUSS AGAIN

We're finally heading west, leaving Rochester today for Detroit. We had a great time back in Rochester at the Eisenberg abode. Sue said it was like a 3 day sleepover, and we agree. Thanks a million.

After Detroit with my cousin(Steve and Carol)(and golf on Tuesday) we go to Nick in Indianapolis, and then Springfield IL(Lincoln library) and Independence MO (Truman library). We have, by mutual agreement, so far skipped every historical site we encountered, so it will be interesting to see if we actually visit these sites.

  Then Kansas City MO for two nights of steak and ribs,etc, and then to Denver and our vacation within our vacation-4 nights at the Vail Marriott Resort and Spa. Then the Badlands, Grand Tetons, Glacier National Park, Banf, Lake Louise and Vancouver, before meeting the Eisenbergs in Seattle and seing everyone at the wedding on 8/29 in Portland.

  Now a word about my health. If you're not interested, that's inderstandable, so know I'm ok, and you need not read further.

   But my eye is acting up. I had to see a specialist in Halifax, and when I got back to Rochester I had a yeast infection in the eye. It sounded like no big deal, but given the lack of healthy nerves  and a very damaged  cornea in the eye, this type of fungus is a problem to get rid of. My doctor gave me a list of doctors he trusts all across the country, and wants me to see one every week. He ordered an antibiotic from a pharmacy in California, which will ship it to our hotels every week or so in dry ice. Trisha  met with the doctor, and actually asked "why not just take the eye out"(which my sister-in-law Terry also thought sounded reasonable). Two mishugganah women. The doctor was polite, but pointed out that there was always the chance of some decent vision returning, and if I took out the right eye and had a problem in the left I'd be blind. He's sometimes a wee bit negative-he added that if I lost the vision asa result of a stroke I'd be blind AND wouldn't be able to walk. I think Trisha is satisfied we'll keep the eye for awhile, problems and all.

   Trisha continues her saintly performance. The doctor recommended we not continue the trip because of the driving, so Trisha drove all the way to Detroit today. She can"t keep that up, but we  lubricate the eye every half hour or so when I drive, so I'll do my share. He thinks China is a big mistake, but we'll see. In the meantime, we're enjoying every minute of the trip, and can't wait to hit the rockies. We're on the exact same page on everything(except getting rid of my eye).

   Be well everyone. See some of you in late August in Seattle and Portland, more of you in mid September in Phoenix, and the rest of you in Oct and November in Rochester and NYC.

   Russ

  Russ

I am amazed at how full our days our.  We just seem to float  thru them.  We get up when we want, leisurely get ready to leave and then just sort of decided as we go what we want to do. There is not rushing, no sense of we have to get to a certain place by a certain time.  When we left Prince Edward Island, we faced a 600 mile trip to MA and Russell's brother's house.  Was not looking forward to the drive but it was fine. We listen to the radio - something we rarely do.  We have that system with hundreds of stations and have programmed in our favorites.  We try to guess the broadway shows the broadway station is playing.  Russell was able to listen to the British Open.  We stopped in Bangor ME and walked around the downtown and waterfront area.  It's all so relaxing!  And speaking of northern ME - Stephen King had no choice but to write the stories he writes.  This is bleak country my folks. It truly is the perfect setting for his genre of writing.  

I feel we have completed our first part of our trip - New England and the Atlantic provinces.  The next week finds us with family and friends in the city and Rochester.  Then the second part begins - the Rockies with Vail, Boulder, Badlands, Utah, Glacier National Park, Banff and Vancouver.  Loved the Rockies many years ago and can't wait to hang my head out the car and sing Rocky Mt High.  

We just rented a place in Ft Myers for December and January.  Go to www.vacationrentals.com and put in #32845 and you will see it.  Y'all come!  Trisha

From Russ. Rain all day today. It's practice for us(well me-Trisha has it down pat)getting used to having nothing to do all day. Not a good test today, since my eye flared up and I spent 4 hours with doctors at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Halifax. No big deal; but what will be a big deal is getting Blue Choice to pay for it. That's always an experience.

  We're off to a very nice dinner(we alternate between nice and less nice, with a very nice thrown in once a week). Up to Cape Breton tomorrow and then Prince Edward Island.

 See many of you soon, since we will pas through the Berkshires, NYC and Rochester toward the end of next week on our way out west.  Russ

Observations and highlights...

You know how you have to clean your home.  Well when your car is your home it needs to be vacuumed, dusted and have the trash taken out.  Especially when you go to the beach.

We don't have a home, but we do.  The local Marriott. We've stayed at 6 now and they look the same with a bit of variation on a theme.  Comfy comforters, plenty of bathroom counter space, a bar area to mix up our martinis - we brought martini and wine glasses.  And most have great cookies @ 4:00.  And everyone is always smiling and chatting with you.  The Stepford staff.

Had to wait at the border an hour.  We blame the Republicans.  I blame them for EVERYTHING!!! Hopefully only 6 more months.

Having a picnic lunch on a rocky beach in Nova Scotia followed by a hike to a waterfall.

Drinking martini's - they figure heavily in this trip - on the the 8th floor terrace overlooking the harbor in Halifax.

Passing up whole belly fried clams because you've have them too often.  Seriously.  They sell them on every corner in ME, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Realizing that America does not have a hold on everything.  Had ice cream at Cows - their version of Ben and Jerry's.  Even looks like that store with the t shirts, souvenirs.  BUT the ice cream was better. Yes it was.

Reading the news from a not American perspective.  Hmmm.

Realizing at 8:00pm that it is Sunday and you did not buy the NY Times!  Partially because you did not even realize it was Sunday.  I don't think we've ever missed the Sunday Times.  Someone needs to save us the magazine, style and travel sections.  The rest I'll read online. 

Just knowing that this is just the beginning.

THIS IS RUSS AGAIN. WE got stopped at the Canadian border and had the car searched for a "random" search. Unbelievable. I think they profiled us when we said we had Trisha's French Martini ingredients in a tote bag. They were looking hard at my medication. I think they tought I was smuggling Lipitor to Canada. A far, depressing cry from when then might have searched us in the sixties for marijuana.

I resisted going to Nova Scotia for almost 40 years, and now know why. Pretty, but not as nice as so many places in the states. But that's probably the curmudgeon in me who didn't like Wicked. Seriously, is there ANYBODY out there who didn't like Wicked, or are we all alone on this?

We're VERY close to renting in Florida. Should have something in a few days. This is for December and January. We anticipate our kids might come down over the school break, but please figure out when you want to come down the rest of the time, and let us know. There are two extra guest rooms, so we can accomodate two couples at a time. And I think I know who not to book who with. And if you want to come with a particular other couple, arrange it and give us the dates. Our goal is to have people visit as much as possible. Seriously.

Our Florida rules will be that there are no rules. You can spend time with us and/or travel about on your own and visit other friends, and we will do likewise. We will be actively looking to buy, and hopefully I'll be able to play golf, but please plan on playing on your own or with others you know here if I'll still incapacitated, or even if I'm not.

More reminiscing about vacations. Renee, please correct me if I have any of this wrong,but my grandfather, who grew up on the lower east side and never had much money, loved to bet on the numbers and horses. Always only a nickel on the numbers or 2 dollars on a horse, and his preferable method of picking winners was a horse with the name of a grandchild or a number with a grandchild's date of birth.
Well, in 1960 my grandparents booked a trip to Europe. That's the first trip I ever remember them taking. Good news and really,really bad news followed. Then won third prize in the Irish Sweepstakes while on the trip(that was the 1960 equivalent of today's lottery). My father and Uncle had to tell them they won $56,000 without triggering my grandfather's weak heart. That was accomplished, but a few days later, while boarding a bus to Monte Carlo(something he always wanted to see), my grandfather died of a heart attack.

My grandmother had a stroke a few months later, and all the winnings and far more went for her care for the next 5 or more years until she passed away. Hats off to my father and uncle Stan and Aunt Renee for the care they provided.

So count your blessings. And don't wait to travel, retire, etc. You never know when something bad might happen. We're not looking back, even if the stock market completely crushes us financially. Good advice to all.

Russ

Some observations and highlights

Observations...

It is just beginning to dawn on us that we are not on vacation - this is our glorious life.

We've always suspected we could be the type of people to live in hotels.  We were right.

Want to know where the ice machine in a hotel is - step outside your door and listen for the hum.  Works every time.

We think we have the packing thing down after 4 reconfigurations.  We tossed the idea of a  shared bag to take into the hotel every night that held our toiletries and a few changes of clothes because we were not to put it politely, compatible bag sharers - Russell just throws everything in and I am very compartmentalized so we visited the local target - and contrary to what I thought there is not a target in every town but there is a walmart superstore - bought another duffel and separated.  It saved the marriage.  Most of our bag changes have involved getting rid of stuff - if you think you can travel with 1/2 the stuff you bring - try a third.  We really wear the same things over and over, wash them and do it again.  Russell has realized that the 11 pairs of pants he brought - most of which are EXACTLY THE SAME - he really does not need.  So the 4 hanging bags of stuff he brought are now down to 2 - I only have one - but I won't dwell on that because I'm not that kind of person.

Russell has always had stomach problems.  They are totally gone!  I mean non existent and we are only on day 13.  I guess he wasn't lying when he said lawyering really didn't agree with him.  That and the fact that all 3 kids are self supporting  and 2 out of 3 kids are employed with benefits and the 3rd very close to the same helps. Add to this that they are living Russell's dream of being in social service professions, he is happy and proud of them all - and we must include our son in law in this delightful scenario also.

Without a GPS we would kill each other.  Technology for a happy marriage.

The best A/C was not in our wonderful Marriott's - and they are wonderful - but in our little hole in the wall motel in N. Woodstock NH and it was 90` outside.

We ate dinner tonight sitting at the bar in a lovely restaurant in Portland ME.  We chatted with the couple next to us.  Russell broke his rule of never talk to strangers no matter what.   He was absolutely charming.  Really. He was.  I find him making small talk all over the place.  Barely know this friendly, glass 1/2 - all right maybe a third- full person.

Highlights...

Sitting on a porch in Franconia, NH on a sultry summer day reading the NY Times and eating one of the best salads ever.

Driving on the east coast and being constantly amazed at how much open space this country has.

Lunching at a nondescript roadside stand in ME and eating lobster drenched in butter on a toasted hot dog bun.  

Duckpin bowling with our kids. But Russell told you all about this but not about how I almost lost it with Josh because he was unruly.  Seriously unruly.  And he wouldn't stop.  Not nice.

Driving by our very first apt at 187 Bradley St in New Haven.  It looks the same!

Just knowing it's just us for awhile.  We like that.

 This is Russ again, blogging from Portland Maine. We just ate at a great restaurant, a 9.5 out of 10. Trisha correctly insisted on waiting for a table. We met and talked to several couples at the bar;one from France and they weren't obnoxious.

  First mini crisis today. I left all my medication in Lincoln New Hampshire. We called and the person at the desk, of undetermined  origin with only passable language skills, said they hadn't found it. Trisha called back and got them to search the room, and they found it under the bed. How Trisha allowed it to get there is beyond my comprehension, but all's well that ends well. They are mailing to the Eisenbergs and we'll pick it up in a few weeks.Hopefully BC/BS won't hassle me on getting an interim refill on them.

  Off tomorrow to Campebello and St. Johns New Brunswick for the ferry to Digby NS on Saturday. Digby scallops on Saturday evening.

  Living in hotels has been great. We are sleeping well and have never been more relaxed in our lives. Right now we don't miss having a place to return to, but no doubt in a few months we will want to settle somewhere. We're considering rentals in Ft. Myers in December, and hope to see you all there(staggered,of course), in December and January.  

  Trisha's a master at packing the car and keeping track of things(except for losing my medication-did she kick it under the bed on purpose?-will we ever know for sure), but for those of you who haven't heard this story(my  kids can exit now unless they want to check that I tell the story the same way again), in 1960, after my mother died, my father took the four boys and my grandparents (7  of us in total) to Florida in our station wagon. That meant 3 in the front seat, 3  in the back seat and Jeff or me lying on the luggage in the rear. There was no Cheaseapeake bridge, so my father took the ferry route. Unfortunately there was a 6 hour wait for the ferry, in 95 degree heat. We walked along side the car for 6 hours. Lucky my grandparents survived. We then drove through the night to make up the lost time. But the 6 days in Florida were magical. We stayed at the Sea Isle Hotel on Collins Avenue, aging, but a palace to us kids. The American plan gave us two meals a day in the big dining room, and I could order hamburger for breakfast.   I was 13, but 48 years later I remember the trip like it was yesterday.  

      Getting back to 2008, I recommend a trip like the one we're on, but not for everyone. Better if you can completely let go of most other obligations( we still worry about our kids, but that's about it). We're in a unique position, and taking advantage of it. See you all soon.  Russ

 

This is from Russ. My first post on the blog:

  This post might be of more interest to family, but all can obviously read if you're interested. We spent a few days in New Haven with our kids. Showed them our first apartment and some of our haunts when in law school. We went to Frank Pepe's Pizzaria, where pizza was supposedly first introduced in 1925.  It really was great pizza. We had gone there in 1969 and 70 when living there, and fun to return. 

   We also went duck pin bowling in West Haven. My father used to amuse the four sons on Sunday(his only day off) by driving from the Bronx to Bridgeport to duckpin bowl. Apparently there were hundreds of duckpin lanes in the fifties, but only a few remain. Camaron, Josh and Matt genuinely enjoyed it. I couldn't bowl because of my back(it's really bad), but just talking to the owner about the history of duckpin bowling was great for me as far as good memories were concerned.(For those who care, in duckpin bowling the pins are 1/3 the size and the ball the size of a grapefruit. You get three rolls in a frame because it's harder to score than in regular bowling. And the alley we went to was seedy like the one we used to go to in the fifties and early sixties.

   Some more reminiscing. My father used to take us and as many of our friends as could squeeze into his station wagon on Sunday to Little Italy in NYC to Vincent's, where we would "dine" on take out scungilli and calimari in the hottest red sauce imaginable. It was served in chinese food take out containers, with a biscuit in the bottom to absorb the sauce. The biscuit was really, really hot.

  More reminiscing(best suited for family and close friends who might care about my ramblings). My father, for all his faults, was truly amazing. He worked six days a weeks,usually getting home one weekdays after 7, but still raised 4 boys after my mother died when we were 15, 12, 10 and 3 years old. We lived in a one bedroom apartment, with the four boys sleeping in the one bedroom and my father in the living room. But on Sunday he somehow had more time for us than any of our friends' parents. Our tiny apartment was the center of activity for many of our friends, and we went somewhere like Bridgeport, Bear Mountain, Little Italy,etc. every Sunday, or he cooked soup for the neighborhood.

  One more bit of nostalgia. In driving around we would listen to The Shadow(Lamont Cranston) on the radio, and of course the Giant football games.  Grier, Modulewski, Katkavage and Robustelli up front, with Y.A Tittle or Charlie Connerly as quarterback, and The Chief, Alex Webster with Frank Gifford in the backfield. And of course, Sam Huff as middle linebacker.

   Hope you're not asleep yet reading, but you can always just turn the computer off. I'm enjoying this.

  Well, tomorrow we're going to Cape Cod, and then Woodman's in Ipswich for the very best fried clams imaginable(we are experts in fried whole bellie clams). Then Laconia and the lakes and mountains  in New Hampshire before heading to Portland and up the coast to St. John for the ferry on the 12th to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

  My back went out lat Monday, and it was quite severe for 4-5 days. Getting a little better, but it happens every 6 months or so, so it would have happened if I was still working, and I'd rather have it happen on this permanent vacation than while working. Just something to get through.

 The trip is everything we had hoped it would be. I know there will be ups and downs, but so far the first nine days have been great. Can't wait for the Maritimes in Canada and even more excited about getting out west to the rockies and the West Coast.

  That's it for now. Hope some of you found this a at least minor interest. I know I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. Try sending an email like this to a relative or friend, reminiscing about the past. It feels great.

  Best regards, Russ.

As promised ...

On our last day in Rochester our wonderful friends gave us a very warm and witty party. It even had a theme - the USA -with travel bingo, US state puzzle pieces scattered around and all American food. Shaped like the USA the cake had the states mapped out in blue and red - and much too much red there was!!! Go Obama!!! And like the good friends we are we gave everyone parting gifts - souvenirs if you will - of things culled from our house. Sam gave us this idea as one day she brought her kids to swim in the pool, took a look at all the boxes
and began to moan how sad, we will miss you until her eye caught the good will pile and she promptly asked if she could have the soup tureen and then claimed the wrought iron ashtray and cigarette holder that she even remembered from our first house. Russell didn't even realize we still had it. Which reminded me that Sue Eisenberg claimed the pepper mill as she was leaving our house one night. The luckiest of those, however, our hosts, received the last of the Mpower memorabilia - collector's items as Russell would say - all the place cards Camaron and I have made over the years for shared holiday dinners -and the piece de resistance - our used snow brushes. Use them well. It was a fabulous send off. It was then we realized we really had to go and so we left the next morning. Didn't want to give anyone time to return any of that stuff.

This past week has been spent visiting family - first Russell's brother Marc and his wife Kathryn in the Berkshires where as always we were treated to a first class B&B experience with brunch at a lovely farm house and one of Marc's famous mixed grills. We loved spending our first night with Marc's dgt Jamie and her family and some crazy games of spit with Rachel, Alyssa(remember the world's best flower girls) and Adam.

It was then off to the Hudson Valley which is much more picturesque than I remember and a great dinner with my Aunt Anne, Uncle Dom, their son Dom, his wife Andrea and their sons Michael and Dominick. They took us to a funky Woodstock kind of vibe restaurant which was lots of fun. At this point, Russell's back unfortunately began to fail. I think the culmination of 2 weeks of packing, etc... took its toll and he spent the next few days in pain missing out on 2 rounds of golf with his brother and nephews. But we did go to the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park. What an amazing place. Set high above the Hudson the view was spectacular. And watching all the students walk around with their white jackets and toques carrying cans of olive oil and knives made me put going to one of their 5 day boot camps on my to do list. We had a lovely lunch at their Italian restaurant and spoke at length with our waiter who is a student about his experience their. The meal culminated in a visit to their pastry shop where I had one of my all time favorite desserts panna cotta. You don't often find this on the menu so it was a treat but this one - as well as all of their desserts - looked like something out of a magazine. Served in a candle votive, it had vanilla beans and a slab of raspberry gel with gold flakes on top. And it tasted even better. Can't wait to go back and sample more of their restaurants. Our last night in NY was spent with all of Russell's brothers and their wives and our nephews David and Andy and David's wife Lisa having dinner together. A great time!

This weekend we are ensconced in a hotel in Trumbull, CT - near New Haven - with Camaron, Josh and Matt - we miss you Nick. We spent the day just sitting by the pool and plan to see the fireworks tonight in New Haven and allow the children to join us on a nostalgic trip past 187 Bradley St - our first apt.

Happy 4th to you all.