Saturday, December 31, 2022
Today’s paper carried the obituary of Ian Tyson, once part of the folk duo Ian & Sylvia. His lovely ballad, “Four Strong Winds,” was voted the most essential Canadian piece of music by Canadian public radio listeners. https://
. . .
"In court filings, Mr. Singer [central figure in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal] says unspecified childhood trauma played a significant role in his behavior.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/
“Your honor, my client’s behavior was unquestionably a result of childhood trauma. His mother’s Nobel Peace Prize and his father’s three Oscars were generally kept out of sight. He had to carry his own suitcase frequently on family ski trips to Chamonix, Zermatt and Telluride. His algebra tutor failed the entrance exam to Cal Tech and his French tutor had a lisp.”
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I don't like New Year’s Eve. Expectations of a good time have rarely been met. My first wedding was exactly 50 years ago today, New Year’s Eve day. Before then and afterwards, I often spent brutal evenings in miserable company on December 31st.
There was a notable exception exactly 20 years ago when I proposed marriage to America’s Favorite Epidemiologist as the clock struck midnight. Maybe because it was so much past her usual bedtime, she said Yes.
Tonight promises another exception. We are having dinner at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Stony Brook Steve, always an enjoyable and tasty experience.
Sunday, January 1, 2023
I don’t regret enjoying dinner with friends and family last night instead of watching college football. However, the end of the Ohio State vs. Georgia game seems to have been particularly dramatic. I would naturally have rooted for Ohio State for several reasons, not the least of which is that it is America’s Favorite Epidemiologist’s alma mater.
Georgia, however, won on a touchdown pass with less than a minute to go. But, it wasn’t the statistics that interested me this morning. The Georgia hero who caught the pass is named Adonai Mitchell, whose first name is pronounced, according to one web site, Ah Don Ay. https://www.
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For those of you not fortunate enough to reside in the Holy Land and who are aching to correct that, regard the hot local neighborhoods where real estate bargains may still be had.
Note that, around here, the concept of a bargain is completely relative.
January 2, 2023
We got the very sad news that Dean Alfange, Jr. died yesterday. He was simply one of the most decent persons we have ever known.
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
A happier beginning to the new year was dinner with Rob T. at Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant, 209 West 38th Street. I had The Original Brisket, “Slowly simmered brisket served with caramelized onions and fresh horseradish sauce on a Brioche roll” ($21.99). With that you get French fries or a potato knish, my choice.
Of course, we were at Ben’s in order to prepare for the Rangers game at Madison Square Garden. Trailing through two periods, our boys came alive in the third, stopping their opponent’s 11-game winning streak.
I went to bed content with the Rangers' victory and I got another positive jolt just after waking up this morning. The feature article in the New York Times food section is a tribute to El Cholo, 1121 South Western Avenue, Los Angeles, on its 100th anniversary.
It was one of my absolute favorite restaurants during my years of exile on the Left Coast. I'm not sure whether I had ever had American Mexican food before, but I quickly thrived on their gooey, cheese-covered, mildly spicy dishes accompanied by rice, refried beans and fresh tortillas. But, their frozen margaritas, served by the pitcher, built memories. In fact, my first ever trip to Las Vegas came when someone said "Let's go to Vegas," after an evening sharing several pitchers with a couple of computer salesmen. A short drive to LAX, a quick flight on Western Airlines, and a groggy several hours losing all our money. Oh, to be young again!
. . .
Dinner tonight was also Mexican, but alcohol-free with no exotic consequences. We were in Queens on a fact-finding mission, so we stopped in Tacuba, 35-01 36th Street, Astoria for a quick meal. It’s a very large, busy joint, attracting folks from the Museum of the Moving Image and the Kaufman Astoria Studios, home to the Holy Land’s only backlot (space for large-scale, temporary set construction), across the street.
I had lobster tacos, three open, smallish tortillas with a dollop of lobster, aioli and an avocado slice ($19). Madam’s Tacos de Pescado (fish tacos) were far bulkier ($14), a consideration the next time I order here.
Thursday, January 5, 2023
Gentleman Jerry and I went to Stick to My Pot Potsticker, 224 West 35th Street, a skinny joint covered in white subway tile. Eight stools against a ledge are the entire dine-in facilities. The menu is not quite that simple. There are five types of dumplings, steamed or pan fried, about $1.50 each. Additionally, there are a couple of dishes over rice, spring rolls, scallion pancake, and scallion noodles.
We shared four chicken dumplings, four wontons (enhanced chicken dumplings), a scallion pancake ($3.49), scallion noodles ($3.49). Everything was made to order, but fairly ordinary in taste. I would recommend it only if you want a snack before or after shopping at Macy’s half a block away.
Note that the Renaissance Hotel, nearby at 218 West 35th Street, has very nice bathrooms in their lobby, which is actually on the sixth floor of the building. Act like a New Yorker: Walk in, look straight ahead, take the elevator to 6, walk directly across the lobby, crossing in front of the desk. Mission accomplished.
Friday, January 6, 2023
Happy Sore Losers Day!
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