The Shrine to Henry

Today I visited my family in Connecticut for a "reunion." When I arrived at the restaurant, I realized it was actually a "celebration of henry" party that my mom had planned. There was a table with pics of me through the years and balloons with congratulations. A cake was brought which had an old picture of me imprinted on it.

I was really a cute kid until high school then I had a few years of looking pretty bad with braces and acne. Thankfully that resolved.

The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock

The opening night of Bryant Park - HBO film night was very fun. As usual, the planning and execution before the event made all the difference. At 445PM I arrived with a large and small blanket in my hand, sandals on my feet. I made pleasant conversation with a squatter who let me onto the line. The I removed my sandals and held them in my hands. Speed would be essential this evening. The entire perimeter of the park was surrounded by a mob ready to pounce at the bell and lay claim to a piece of that prime Manhattan real estate, if only for an evening. A handful of security guards stood in the grass, keeping people from getting a head start, eyeing the crowd, then their billy clubs.

The announcer used her cell phone clock to keep time, which was 2 minutes behind schedule and served to envigorate the crowd even more. "10 - 9 - 8. Ok everyone. Walk, don't run to a spot. There is plenty of room. 3 - 2 -1. Go!" I bolted, striding ahead of the squatter to my right, then I cut a deep right and felt that I was ahead of the scrambling multitude. I threw down my large blanket and fought to stretch it out on the ground in its full size. Then the small one. Less than a minute had passed but most of the grass was covered. It was over. Borders had been defined.

I looked to my left and viewed Robert, which was unbelievable. Somehow we had managed to stake land very close to one another. Another group wanted to switch spaces and we did which allowed us to fuse our areas into a large L shape.

In total our group had 22 people, of which 19 actually stayed for the movie. We also made an alliance with the group next to us, which encompassed another 8 people.

The opening act was a show of tweety and the bad putty tat. Very fitting for a story about birds. The crowd was in high spirits and made some funny comments. We were fortunate because it threatened to rain at least 3 times and the chance of precipitation was supposed to be 60% yet the show went on.

Henry and Carol's Anniversary Weekend

It began as a pre-anniversary celebration on Saturday night. We picnicked at the Sheap Meadow in Central Park around dusk, close to closing time. Eventually two guys came through with flashlights and kicked everyone out.

So we walked the perimeter of Sheap Meadow and considered climbing the fence yet we kept walking and followed the sound of music. Our champagne and dessert was enjoyed on a quiet piece of land under a tree close to live Tango music but secluded enough so that we never had to see anyone. We shared a Dom Perignon, which Ben had given us for our wedding and let our Paynard cakes dance sexily to the beat of tango on our tongues. We shared many great memories, spoke of our future and of the impact of marriage on a couple.

Then the moment of truth came and we tried to rise. Dom Perignon sneakily wears away at your senses and lies in wait for your attempt to do something sober. On our way home we performed sobriety tests on each other multiple times which Carol failed and at which I cheated and would have failed. We discovered the fourth level of the Time Warner Center and were amazed that it had been hidden from us for so long. Then we passed some peaceful moments surrounded by the fountains of Columbus Circle.

The next morning we rode the Long Island Railroad to Port Washington in order to borrow wheels from Andrea, who was very accomodating and we thank her very much since we no longer own a vehicle. The ride to the eastern tip of Long Island was about 2 and 1/2 hours on 495 East then 111 south then 27 East. Roadtrip. It had been too long. It felt good to have my travel companion at my side in our true element - exploring mode.

Our plan was to explore as much of the Hampton area as possible. Montauk harbor had a very nice restaurant village called Gosman village. We ate combo fried seafood and grilled tuna steak. Carol was thoroughly enjoying her cole slaw before she placed it down for a second to drink. At that exact instant, a seagull swooped. He challenged us with his massive beak. I went for my plastic knife. Carol sat stunned. Knowing his prey was inept to act in time he seized Carol's coleslaw, did a 180 degree turn and flew off with his prize. The local family at the next table commented with pride about his "aptitude". Carol was heartbroken so I offered her the last calimari. For the rest of the meal, we were vigilant and one more bird tried to gain closer ground to us, but Carol shooed him away.



After strolling out on some rocks over the water, we drove towards the famed East Hampton. We were forwarned that it would be very difficult for non locals to find parking within adequate distance of the beach. Every parking zone was local permit only. After many attempts to find close parking, we settled for parking on Main Street by the shops. After a little window shopping we crossed the street and walked down another. At one point, there were trails that branched off. We took them and found our peace with nature. We came out on the other side of the nature trail and continued towards the beach.


The sand itself was not rocky. It was brown and thick and felt very good. We attempted to buy water from the exclusive golf club but our money was rejected because you can only rehydrate yourself on a hot day there if you are a member, which we were not.

The walk back to the strip was long. The entire area is much better navigated with bicycles and possibly inline skates or a car with a local permit for parking. After all that exercise, we treated ourselves to ice cream. They filled chocolate dipped waffle cones with four scoops of ice cream. We sat on an outside bench with our glutony and observed the wealthy element of the place. Every car was either a Porche, Mercedes, BMW, or Audi.

The trip to Bridgehampton began with getting lost on the back roads of East Hampton and checking out the houses. Once back on 27 West, Carol wanted to stop for a drink and I said I would look for a place. At one point we both glanced right and commented about how nice the Starbucks looks. As I was about to drove off, it struck me. Drink! This place was amazing, decorated with a leather couch and at least 10 cushiony chairs.

Later on the side of the road we viewed a strawberry field. Carol and I laughingly picked and ate a bunch of strawberries.


This was a very special weekend. We needed to take a break from our regular lives and focus on each other. It was the right idea to return to one of our most precious shared passions - travel. We have both changed a lot since our first encounter at the Boston University German club and as we both grow in our careers and personal lives we also both grow in our relationship and in our love for one another. This is what forges lasting romance - growth and acceptance.

Wall of Mirrors

Profile and one of the windows which is reflected in the wall of mirrors

The empty space - how will it be filled?

Tonight Carol and I installed a wall of little mirrors on one of our bedroom walls. We purposefully left one space empty. What should we place in this empty space?

We could place another circle mirror with a velvet background to match the bed cover.

We could build a small platform and place a pot with a plant in it.

We could add a picture.

We could add a fire bell.

We could use staples the color of the wall and add flowers.

We could change the object in this space monthly to demonstrate our changing spirits.

Let me know if you have an idea.

Israel Parade

We enjoyed an Israeli parade today on 5th avenue.

One disturbing site at the end was the political factions. The Palestinians had their own box, with an entourage of New York's finest performing security. They carried signs stating the amount of Palestine that was taken, plans to destroy Israel, and of course, the insane "the holocaust never happened."

Across from them were the allies of Israel, which were far more people than the enemies. They held up signs such as "Destroy terrorism. Israel is right."

There was thick tension in the air.

Sandwiched between the extremists were the people actually participating in the parade. Most of the kids passed by without much notice. One gentleman glanced at the Palestine booth with a look of scorn. What must they have thought when their first spectators were the extremists?