Tag: friends

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Coming back to the UWS

I’m a (50-something) comeback kid

After having Thanksgiving dinner at my family’s, my brother and his girl came back to our pad for a little bit.

One of my fave places to bring people to eat, pre-COVID, is this tiny little restaurant tucked away above a supermarket in my hood called The 74th Street Cafe.

Mentioned it once to you in passing, over a dozen years ago.

Well, that closed during COVID and it remained closed for the past three years. BUT a few weeks ago, it reopened – so off we went.

It was the first time I’d been there in years. The supermarket sold to new owners a little before the pandemic, so it was both under new management and pretty different looking.

But the food was still top-notch and we lucked out in that it wasn’t particularly packed, despite it being the weekend.

Gotta figure that people were just away for the Thanksgiving holiday maybe.

Her: These fries are great! They have rosemary on them.
Me: I’ll still eat a couple of them.

Another restaurant that I went to with regularity since I first moved here almost three decades ago was a restaurant called La Caridad, which was a Cuban-Chinese restaurant that had been in business since 1968.

The restaurant expanded two decades ago into the restaurant next door to it but, just like the 74th Street Cafe, closed over COVID.

But that just recently reopened as well – also under new management and in a new location – BUT with the same menu that I’d loved all these years.

Things are coming back in the Upper West Side of New York City.

Very different but still substantially similar to their old iterations.

Suppose I can relate.

Her: You didn’t tell me that you had a good Thanksgiving with me. I had to read about it in your blog.
Me: I thought you knew I did.
Her: It’d still be nice to hear.
Me: I had a great Thanksgiving. Thanks for coming.
Her: Thanks for having me.

Location: watching the kid do a double-leg takedown to side-control in the UWS
Mood: accomplished
Music: You can knock me out, you can hold me down. I’m a comeback kid (Spotify)
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Thanksgiving 2023

Quartering an entire turkey

Her: Happy Thanksgiving!
Me: Thank YOU! And SAME! (later) OMG, it’s pre-brined! This is glorious. Thank you so much again!

A few days before Thanksgiving, I actually won a HUGE turkey from a woman who was giving it away; I didn’t think I’d win so I just entered my name for the heck of it.

But, I won it and then had to figure out what to do with it.

Now, in between winning it and entering, I decided to see my mom and sister for Thanksgiving this year, which is the first time I was doing Thanksgiving by them in a while.

For the past six years, I’d been going to my in-laws; and before that, it was Alison and me. So, this year was already gonna be different.

Winning the turkey meant that it was gonna be very different as I found myself quartering an enormous turkey by myself for future meals for the kid and me.

And making broth until 2AM.

Because I knew that my family was gonna have Chinese for Thanksgiving, I braised and then roasted a leg and thigh for the Firecracker and myself, which is what you’re seeing above.

Me: What do you think?
Her: It’s great!
Me: (to son) And you?
Him: It’s ok.
Me: (sighing) Everyone’s a critic.

My brother was in town with his girl and the Firecracker didn’t have any plans so I invited her along with us.

So, to be a good guest, the Firecracker baked that pumpkin pie you see above. Of course, you know, I prefer pie to cake.

She couldn’t do a water bath because she did it in an electric oven but the taste was on point.

We took the train out to see my mom and my sister picked us all up.

Unfortunately, while exiting the car, she slammed the door on my foot – thank goodness I was wearing shoes because it woulda been really bad if I didn’t.

Her: OMG, I’m so so sorry, are you ok?!
Me: Can’t. Talk. Hurts.

Luckily, I was wearing shoes so it was bad but not terrible. I was 90% normal by the next day.

But I was pretty uncomfortable for most of the night, although I tried not to show it.

And alla the absolutely killer food helped for sure.

She and I both loved the fried shrimp you see above as well as the lobster rice, also above.

There was also fish for my brother, who was a vegetarian.

His girl seemed to like everything as well, which was good.

I was really happy to have Peking Duck, since it’s been ages since I last had it, but the Firecracker was already too full from everything else to eat too much of that.

Me: There’s dessert!
Her: I’m so full…
Me: Rookie mistake.

Afterward, my brother, his girl, the Firecracker, and I all headed back to my place for the night.

Spoke to my therapist about it not soon afterward.

Her: Why was this year different?
Me: (thinking) The last time I had Thanksgiving with…someone…
Her: (interrupting) A partner?
Me: (nodding) Yes, yes, a partner. The last time I had Thanksgiving with a partner was with Alison like six years ago. It’s been a long time.
Her: But it was good, right?
Me: Yeah. It really was.

Location: Earlier tonight, walking the kid back home in the freezing cold with him belting out gospel songs down Broadway.
Mood: busy again
Music: I say I’m not visiting cause I’m here to stay (Spotify)
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Proud of the work we do

Korean BBQ at home

My boiler’s been acting up again – I had an emergency appointment the other day because there wasn’t any water in it.

A boiler without water can crack so I shut the whole thing down and called up our old boiler guy, who sent us someone within two hours.

Within three hours, we were back on track.

So, not horrible but not great either.

The Firecracker’s sister and fella live just a few blocks south of us, so we had a kinda pre-thanksgiving get-together with them and their kid.

Because of the Frenchman and his wife’s amazing food the other night, we did our own version of Korean BBQ.

They brought over drinks.

Her: You’re not supposed to eat the cranberries!
Me: (grimacing) Ooooh, waaay too late.

We ate our fill of food and then decided to play a round of Codenames, with couple-vs-couple.

Her: Three [is the clue]. Two words.
Me: (after getting only one word) I’m stumped as to what the second word is. (after the game) OK, which other one was three?
Her: “Trip.”
Me: “Trip?!” Are you on drugs? How is “three” the clue for “trip!?”
Her: “Triple!”
Me: It said “trip,” not “triple.” No one would get that.
BIL: Well, I saw it.
Sister: Yeah, I did too.
Me: (grumble) You’re all clearly insane.

After a few rounds of that, we decided to up the ante a bit with the Firecracker’s BIL and me versus the Firecracker and her sister.

The Firecracker and her sister won both rounds BUT only by a single point.

Me: I’m not sure this is really a huge win. After all, you two have know each other more than 30 years while he and I only met like four months ago.
Her: But we still beat you.
Him: By a much smaller margin than I would have expected.
Sister: But we still won.

It was a fun night.

We’ll most likely do it again.

Oh, the kid got his first new belt in BJJ. I was thrilled.

Him: Are you proud of me?
Me: Of course I am, kid. But more importantly, are you proud of yourself?
Him: Yes. I worked really hard.
Me: Then that’s the most important thing. You gotta be proud of the work you do in life.

Location: Earlier tonight, the Bronx, looking at trains.
Mood: exhausted
Music: gonna twist your game, raise the stakes (Spotify)
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His First Concert

We’ll see

There’s a band that my kid likes called Kidz Bop – really, it’s just random kids that sing clean covers of current and older pop songs.

While walking past the Beacon Theatre the other day, the kid noticed that they were gonna play in town this month.

Him: Can we go, can we go?!
Me: Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know.
Him: PLEASE!?
Me: We’ll see.

 

I figured that I’d let the Firecracker be the deciding vote. If she and her kid didn’t wanna go, I wasn’t gonna go – the tickets were at least $120 each so it was a pricey gift for them.

Her: I’m not sure [my kid] will wanna go, BUT we can try.
Me: Really?
Her: Sure! This will be the first concert for both of them.

Considering how much fun they had on the Disney cruise – including the live music – I figured we’d be ok.

Once we made it into the theatre, the kid bounded up the steps. He was so excited.

We settled into our seats and I figured that we would have room to stretch out.

Her: Oh, no – this whole thing was sold out pretty quickly.
Me: You’re kidding me.
Her: Nope. Some people really love their kids.
Me: Seems that way.

She was right; the whole joint was packed – there wasn’t an empty seat in the house, including on the main Orchestra level, which I think was going for at least $400 a ticket.

Nuts.

Well, my kid was thrilled; her kid was pretty bored by the whole thing. He’s not really into music but he was definitely a good sport about it all.

But my kid was dancing and singing in the aisles – that’s him in the middle singing his little heart out.

Me? I was a little less enthused.

But, at the end of the day, he had a blast. And I think the Firecracker’s son, while not nearly as interested, enjoyed the next experience.

Him: Aw, why does it have to end?
Me: All good things must end.
Him: Is that true?
Me: Unfortunately, yes. But that’s a good thing, because it makes you value these kinda things.
Him: I guess. (thinking) Can we go again next year?
Me: We’ll see, kid. We’ll see.

Location: My kitchen, making turkey stock
Mood: busy
Music: Last Friday night, yeah, we danced on tabletops (Spotify)
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A night of stupid human tricks

Silver and Gold

Forgot to put up pictures of the cooked purple sweet potatoes (on the left) and the regular purple potatoes (on the right); the sweet potatoes tasted a bit mediciney while the purple regular potato tasted exactly like a regular potato.

I bought a bunch so I’ll keep messing around to see what I might be able to do with them.

The Frenchman invited us to his pad the other night for hot pot.

Me: We’re in! What should we bring?
Him: Awesome. Food-wise, I’m covered.
Me: I can bring an assortment of sticks and knives?

The Firecracker and I brought our respective kids as well, so it was a full house.

The Firecracker never had hot pot until this past summer with my college friends, so I told her that this was a Japanese version of it, which she was excited to try.

Now, the Frenchman is half Japanese so he did a bang-up job with everything, making a hot pot version of Chanko Nabe, which is a special type of Japanese soup that was designed for sumo wrestlers to gain weight.

Her: Wow, that looks so great!
Me: I’m particularly excited for alla the mushrooms.
Her: Me too!

The cool thing that no one realized was that it was the Frenchman’s birthday just a few days later so his wife Tess ended up turning it into a surprise birthday party – the Firecracker and I felt honored that we were invited.

Afterwards, we got to know some of his other guests – some of them, he’s known for over 25 years, which is pretty impressive.

Like that old poem: Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold.

They’re both in finance so their apartment’s view was full-on gorgeous.

The food was so amazing that we stuffed ourselves silly. At the very least, I did.

Now, I brought a six-pack of beer to go with dinner and the Firecracker brought a bottle of rose. However, considering that I drank five bottles of the six-pack and the Firecracker drank several glasses of wine, we essentially showed up with drinks for ourselves.

It also meant that, after several hours of eating and drinking, I started doing some stupid human tricks.

Now, the Frenchman is super athletic – we met in our gym, after all – and I mentioned that the ability to sit and stand without the use of one’s hands is an indicator of overall health and strength.

Well, we went one step further and did this drill I did in my 20s, which is sitting down, hugging your knees, shooting a foot out, holding that foot/ankle with your hand, and then standing up with one single leg, all while never allowing your held foot to touch the ground.

I had eaten – and drank – waaaaaay too much that night and kept falling down.

Me: Welp, honey, looks like this may be the first and last time we’re ever invited over.
Her: (laughs)

But the very next day, in the park with the Firecracker and our kids, I tried it again and was able to do it every single time – AND I have video proof of it.

I’m sure I’ll find ways to embarrass the boy even more as he gets older.

But more on that in another entry.

 

Location: earlier today, my kid’s gym, watching him get his first coloured belt
Mood: tired
Music: probably with that blonde girl who always made me doubt (Spotify)
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A Birthday and Halloween Party

Plus, another ferry ride

We went out to Brooklyn again the other day – it was raining cats and dogs. We were there for the Surgeon’s kids’ birthday party.

They had it at the Ferox Ninja Park in Brooklyn and it was HUGE.

I was in a pretty foul mood as I didn’t expect to have to walk as far as I did and do as many transfers via train as I did but I already promised the kids that we would do it, so we did.

Once we arrived, I just sat down and shoveled food into my pie hole.

Steele: (putting food in front of us) Here. Eat.
Me: We can’t be the only ones eating, man!
Her: As if that ever stopped you before.
Me: Fair.

The kids had a grand time and were a complete sweaty mess afterward.

We were only scheduled to be there for two hours but since it was so rainy and there wasn’t a party after ours, we ended up staying almost four hours before the staff – very politely – told us we were over time.

So, we all went our separate ways.

Didn’t wanna do all the walking we did to keep transferring trains so, for the second time in a month or so, we all took the ferry back to the city.

Her: It’ll take twice as long.
Me: But no walking and the kids wanna ride the ferry.
Her: OK, that works.

Soon, we found ourselves back on the ferry.

The kid and I got into a tiff because he randomly decided to hop onto my bag, spilling food everywhere.

Me: Jesus Christ, kid! Why did you do that?
Him: I dunno.
Me: I told you before, you better have a good reason for anything you do, because everything you do has consequences. (sighing)

But alls well that ended well.

We got home and both kids crashed pretty hard.

Then we went to the next-door building’s Halloween party.

The building next door has invited the kid and me every year since Alison died and I’m always grateful for their kindness.

This year, I asked the building president if I could invite the Firecracker and her kid.

Him: Of course! The more the merrier.
Me: I just don’t to take advantage.
Him: You’re not! Come on by! The kids’ll have a great time.
Me: Thank you!

We went trick-or-treating with my friends Wendy and Andrew while I chatted up the fella that I met at the other party in the park.

After all the candy and activities, we were ready for a break.

But there’s always something going on in the Big City.

Location: In my head again for a bit
Mood: worn-down
Music: Old habits don’t diе (even though you know deep down you don’t want them to) (Spotify)
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Both the light and the dark always come

Building roller-coasters

Just finished Pax, by Tom Holland – the book that the NFL Player gave us all for his bday party.

Man, if you thought Game of Thrones/Wheel of Time was messed up, fiction’s got nuthin on what the Romans were all about.

Life in Rome was dark, oftentimes. Very dark.

On a much cheerier side of dark, however, Halloween’s happening soon.

While I love seeing the kid dress up, it’s also a reminder that holiday season is right around the corner, which has its own darkness for me.

But I’m trying to be positive this year.

It doesn’t hurt that the Firecracker’s around and offers her own positivity around here.

Her: I made a flourless chocolate cake. Do you want some?
Me: Yes, please!
Her: You can come by and pick it up when you’re ready.

And the kid’s always doing something that brings me joy.

This past weekend, the Firecracker, her kid, me, and my kid spent a lazy Saturday sitting out in a playground for a kid’s party, drinking sodas and eating carbs.

Gotta say, I think that I engage with the world a lot just because I have to with the kid.

And sometimes, he gives me joy in the most unexpected but simple ways.

Him: Papa?
Me: Yeah, kid?
Him: I made something. Can I show it to you?
Me: I dunno, I’ve got a ton of…
Him: (disappointed) It’s ok…
Me: Wait. I’ll finish up and you can show me in five minutes. Is that ok?
Him: (happily) Yes! Oooooh, I can’t wait to show you! I built a roller-coaster!
Me: (laughing) I can’t wait to see it.

Location: Earlier tonight, a ferry from Greenpoint to Manhattan
Mood: so beat
Music: If you’re not ready yet, I’ll wait – cause when it’s good it’s great (Spotify)

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Belle and the Tacos

A serious taco kick

Her: (coming out of my bathroom with a Taco Bell bag) Were you eating tacos in your bathroom?!
Me: (silent shrug)
Her: Is this full?! (opens up bag) There’s a taco in here! You left a taco in your bathroom?!
Me: I sense judgement in your tone.
Her: What were you doing with a bag of tacos in your bathroom?!
Me: I feel the answer to that is self-evident.

Been on a taco kick lately and was in the mood for some Taco Bell but the nearest one to me is on 51st Street.

However, the weather’s been amazeballs in NYC lately, so we decided to take the walk from the UWS to Hell’s Kitchen, which is the next neighborhood south of us.

We picked up some tacos at Taco Bell but since it was just the two of us – sans kids – we decided to walk more.

We found ourselves at Rudy’s, which is a NYC institution – their claim to fame is that for $5, you can get a beer, some well scotch, and a hot dog.

Unlimited hot dogs, actually…

Her: That sounds like it’s right up your alley.
Me: Y’think?!

But we ended up not going in since we just had all those tacos – amongst other issues.

Still, because we were out, we snuck into another Mexican restaurant and had some margaritas.

Me: Does it get any better than tacos and day drinking?
Her: (laughing) I don’t think so.

No umbrellas, though.

We were both perfectly full and lightly buzzed, so we walked alla way back up to the UWS.

My buddy Cotton asked me how the Firecracker and I were doing, and I told him that we took that walk and he brought up Taco Bell all on his own, without any prompting.

Me: We’re great! What about you two?
Him: Pretty good – we’re going to a costume party this week and we’re going as Taco Bell.
Me: Taco Bell?
Him: Yup – she’s gonna be a taco and I’m gonna be Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
Me: Dude, I’m as straight as the day is long but if you two ever break up, I’m happy to sit her down and tell her what an absolutely *terrible* mistake she’s making.
Him: (laughing) Thanks.

Clearly, it’s a sign that I need more tacos. After all, what is a taco but a Mexican gyro?

You’ll note that I was too busy eating all these tacos to take a single picture of one.

Location: home, the whole day, waiting for some plumbers
Mood: sans tacos so…not great
Music: The better things I have to say will fall to you (Spotify)

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We’re on a quest, kid – Pt 2

Technically, it’s a keyboard

Getting back into the city was also fun.

We were supposed to head up to Ricky and Kathy’s for some clothes and stuff for the kid, so we headed to their pad in the East Village first.


This was actually shot on the way to Red Hook.

Wanted to take a ferry there as well but I couldn’t make the timing work, so we caught the express bus instead.

We found ourselves passing the same churro store the Firecracker and I were at just a week earlier.

Kathy was out and Ricky was feeling under the weather, so we just grabbed the stuff and left.

Him: A piano!
Me: Well, technically, it’s a keyboard.
Him: A keyboard!
Me: (laughing) Yes.

But we weren’t done yet.

I’d pulled him from his playdate with his friend Ralph but had a second one lined up for him with his friend, Chuck so we hightailed it back to the UWS, where we promptly found ourselves in the middle of another street fair.

Now, I still gotta tell you what the quest was for in the first place, but I felt that deserves an entry all its own.

Until then, here are some more pics.

Good god, I have a huge head…

Location: a playground with the kid, typing furiously on my laptop
Mood: beat or coming down with something
Music: I know we’re onto something good (Spotify)

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We’re on a quest, kid – Pt 1

All over the city

Me: You gotta leave Ralph’s place a bit early today.
Him: Why?
Me: Cause we’re on a quest, kid!

Early this past weekend, I grabbed the kid from his friend’s place, and we hightailed it down to Wall Street to catch a ferry.

Except for the Staten Island Ferry and the one to Govenor’s Island, I’m not really a ferry person.

But the kid is, and I definitely see the appeal.

We stopped off first at Atlantic Ave /BBP Pier 6…

…before ending up at Red Hook.

A cruise ship had just pulled in.

But we were in search of some loot.

I’d been to Red Hook a few times in the past; where we needed to be was going to be about 100 minutes from my pad by train and bus but with the ferry, it took less than half that time – maybe 45 minutes?

Where I needed to be was only an 8-minute walk from the pier.

Walking there, I passed these building and realized that I’d been there before – it’d taken me some two hours to get there from my apartment in the past; this was waaaaay before there was even a ferry service there.

Him: Why are we stopping?
Me: I’ve been here before. Years ago. When you mama was still here.

Like I always say, I keep running into old ghosts…

I got what we needed to get so we started to head back to the city for the next leg of our quest.

I’ll tell you what we went to Red Hook for in another entry.

Him: I’m hungry…

But we had to stop for food first.

Him: I want an egg sandwich.
Me: Not for $12!
Him: The chocolate croissant is $5.
Me: (dammit) Fiiiine…

There’s something humbling about being had by a seven-year-old.

We made it back to the pier as the ship was filling up with people…

…but the kid was pretty absorbed by the fact that the floodwaters from Hurricane Sandy were so high.

Him: REALLY?!
Me: Yup! Crazy, right?
Him: (shaking head) Crazy…

We still had more places to be, but I’ll tell you about that in the next entry.

Location: on top of my windowsill with the Firecracker, installing insulation
Mood: seriously exhausted
Music: stop the ship from sinking, let me drag you back to shore (Spotify)