L-l-l-long weekend

The goal for this weekend was to catch up on sleep, and so far, so good. Scheduling events in the afternoon helps, (since I'm not quite over the not going to bed on time issue).

Thursday featured an afternoon train trip to Tarrytown for Thanksgiving - my cousin the Entertainment Mogul and his wife have family just across the river in Nyack. The trees were beautiful by the Hudson on the way up, the wine bottles were open when I arrived, and the children were clad in velvet and rambunctious as usual. The house is perched up high above the river with remarkable views east. We went for a walk before dinner, shortened by anticipated rain, and then sat down to the traditional dinner, generously served, and with three kinds of pie for dessert and real whipped cream. Yum. Home to enjoy food coma and get to bed at an hour anyone would consider reasonable.

Friday I slept long and late, then grabbed my camera, suited up in sweater and puffy vest and went to Central Park to catch what's left of the fall foliage on a sunny day. I think several turned out well, but I need to work on developing my eye for a good shot. I crossed the Park heading Northwest so as to pop into Zabar's - the goal was H&H for bagels for the imminent arrival of Camerooned, but what could possibly happen at Zabar's, right?


Spotting one of my all time fav cheeses, Pont-l'Evêque, I took a number and entered the Zabar's cheese line. Reminiscent of the Cabbage Patch Kid Emergencies of the early 1980's, it is a highly competitive exercise, and success is based on your ability to hear the quiet voices of the cheese distributors calling the next number, sometimes two at a time, and keeping out of the way of those just trying to get past the cheese counter entirely (who knew so many were lactose intolerant?) and those in line ahead of you. I was patient, and even managed to avoid the two little girls yelling, "46, 46, we're 46!," and scrambling to the front like they were getting the last cheese on earth, almost taking out #47, whose age was easily twice his line number.

Almost $60 later, but happy as a clam, having found Ribena, Pont d'Eveque cheese, likely candidates for replacement vacuum cleaner bags, (I didn't actually buy those), and managing to avoid the truly unnecessary and ridiculous $14 jar of Tiptree Little Scarlet Strawberry Conserves that haunts me, I picked up aforementioned bagels and hopped the 1 train south.

Turned around and was back at Columbus Circle at 9 for a brisk walk to Terminal 5 to see the State Radio show - which was great, btw. I appear to be learning how to dress for such occasions - there will be a coat-check, so wear the heavy coat, with a medium weight jacket and a camisole underneath, so that once the coat is off, you can strip to the camisole for most of the show, and then slip the jacket back on as you adjust to the temperature or after the hordes of screaming, crowd-surfing teens (and one lone dad!) are gone. Then you can slip back into the heavy coat for the walk back to the subway. This is particularly handy when you misjudge the location of the 50th Street 1 train station and end up walking to 42nd street, where you wait far too long for an express to 14th street and then walk to the East Village. Ahem. I picked up pierogi at Veselka on the way and headed back to the Land of Couch. Stayed up too late, but you knew I was going to didn't you?

I'm hoping to get some of the actual errands done today, and hit the Stephen Kellogg show tonight at the Bowery, but we'll see if I make it on /the list/.

I am also now convinced that my cowboy boots are pressuring a muscle on the outside of my right leg. Not cool.