Healthy Weekend? Or Not!

This weekend, I spent Friday sleeping late and later that morning, taking a long, long nap. On Saturday, my LaGrange daughter took me along when she went to Gold's Gym in LaGrange. We walked the circuit and then, rode Exercycles while watching a film I found depressing. Lunch at her house was "sushi." I was all "healthed" out.

Then, later in the afternoon we went to my Beacon Daughter's house for a "Girl's Night." I loved spending the evening with three daughters and two friends. We had finger foods followed by a chocolate fountain with fruit, marshmallows and cake. My Queens daughter brought her 3 month old baby, who was the center of attraction, especially when she rolled over for the first time. I was upstairs but could hear all the excitement. I could just imagine the baby wondering why these five women were "yahooing" so much.

Then, one friend told us about her daughter's wedding in the Dominican Republic. Our daughters had grown up together so we hung on every word.

On Sunday, all the daughters, nieces and I joined for lunch at the Tomato Cafe on Main Street in Fishkill for a hearty lunch. The bruschetta was served with a small center salad. Both were delicious. Then, we all had our individual choices and everyone was very satisfied with them. I had a BLT with salad. It was good and filling, as well. I certainly recommend a visit.

Then, off to a happy, warm week in Queens.

Fun and Pampering Weekend

This weekend I enjoyed bowling with my Beacon daughter and her three children. While my score was very low and I broke a nail (alas, alack), it was a lot of fun. I'm sure my preoccupation with ice on sidewalks and parking lots was a bit annoying to die-hard skiers, but they were great about it.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, I had an in-house massage by Karin Ericson of Me Too Massage, Fishkill, NY (www.metoomassages.com). My daughter thought I should have it because of the schedule I've been keeping (four nights in one house, three nights in the next, etc.) It was certainly a real treat and I was very relaxed at the completion.

It actually fortified me for my trek back to Queens. While the train ride was fine, the No. 7 subway was delayed. When I got to the platform, it was literally filled with people waiting for the next train. The announcement came on the loud speaker apologizing for the delay and stating that the cause was signal problems.

In Grand Central, I purchased a Woman's World (my favorite magazine). In it there was an article, You are Beautiful, written by Amy Oscar. It is about a young woman who started a website called Operation Beautiful. I think it is a great idea to remind ourselves and our female friends of our beauty, inner and outer. Check out my favorite magazine, as well as OperationBeautiful.com.

"Eat Out" Weekend in Dutchess County

This weekend I visited with my daughters and started a weekend of eating out. On Friday evening, we went to Frank's Pizzeria & Restaurant in Wappingers Falls, NY. It was hard to find parking, but it was worth the effort. I hadn't been there in years. The atmosphere was very pleasant and the waitress and other workers were very nice. I ordered Lasagna, which was okay, but one of my daughters had Eggplant Parmesan. I took a taste and I was sold. The eggplant was sliced very thinly and the dish was delicious. I would definitely order that next time. Then we shared the Chocolate Lava cake, which was served with ice cream. Wonderful!

Then, the next day, I went shopping with my sister and stopped at Twist Burger in Hopewell Junction. I enjoyed a cheeseburger with guacamole and an order of onion rings. My sister ordered a regular hamburger with lettuce and tomato. She chose french fries, which she offered to share with me. I tried a few and they were great. The portions were generous and more than I am used to eating.

On Sunday, my LaGrange daughter took me to Babycakes Cafe in Poughkeepsie, across from Vassar College. She ordered the quiche. When it came, it was accompanied with a very appetizing salad. She mentioned to me that as much as she enjoyed it, it was too bad that the quiche was mostly spinach and only two tablespoons of eggs. I, on the other hand, ordered pancakes with bananas. The pancakes were light and I was delighted that I ordered them. The presentation of both meals was very inviting. I would go there again. My daughter told me that they also had great desserts. Maybe we could work it in when we visit the photographic exhibit at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College. Already scheduled to return to Queens, it wasn't possible today, but I'm looking forward to it.

And then that evening, on the way to Jackson Heights with my Queens daughter, we stopped at Five Guys in Whitestone NY. My daughter and her husband really enjoyed their hamburgers and fries. I could barely fit in a kosher hot dog.

Of course, I could have said, "No thanks." What a weekend!

Weathering the New York Cold

Yesterday, I was in Beacon, NY. The weather was -11 degrees when I woke up. My grandchildren went off to school like hardy souls. I cowered under the covers in a warm family room.

Closer to noon, I braved this cold, cold air and went to the Yankee Clipper Diner in Beacon to prepare for my trip to New York City. After a hearty breakfast meal (even though it was now afternoon), I proceeded to the Metro North station long the Hudson River. Fortified by a good meal, I was beginning to adapt to the cold air and before long the warm train came. I spent the time doing a few crossword puzzles and about an hour and twenty minutes later, arrived at Grand Central Station in New York City. When I got off the train, I stopped by Starbucks for a tall Cafe Mocha to fortify myself against the cold air. Remember, I live in San Diego, CA, where the weather is much nicer.

Then, came the trek to Jackson Heights in Queens, just about a twenty-minute ride on the No. 7 subway (mostly above ground). It gave me a view of the neighborhoods and I was pleased to see that some of the high mounds of snow had lessened. Just in time for some snow showers which fell today, followed by another snow storm coming on Wednesday. Thankfully, I'll be gleefully staying indoors for a few days, playing with my granddaughter.

By the way, did I mention that the words "cold" and "snow" enough?

Snow, Snow, and a Cold

A week ago, I arrived at Queens NY to spend time with my youngest grandchild, almost three months old. The very next day, I attacked by symptoms of a cold. I was fine when I left San Diego. I love New York, but not the snow and ice. Queens was still enshrouded with the stuff. On Sunday, I took the "7" to Grand Central to get a Metro North train, which took me up to Dutchess County. I enjoyed visiting the family while they watched the Golden Globes. Little by little the sniffles encroached on my life.

Last night, I returned to Dutchess County before the latest snow arrived. I was told that it was the fourth in two weeks....not my cup of tea. Also, the snow storm gave me the opportunity to win out over the attack of the "HEAD COLD." I'm attaching a picture taken from inside the house.

Tonight, the family went to a new restaurant, Twist Burger, run by my son-in-law's brother. Since I wasn't going out of the house, they brought home a cheeseburger and onion rings for me. Delish!!!! Twist Burger is located on Route 376 in Fishkill Plains, NY. Worth a visit.

Beautiful Snow-capped Mountains

During the first week in January, I made two trips to Corona, CA near Riverside (about 50 miles west of Los Angeles). I was so taken with the snow-capped San Bernardino Mountains, I had to take some photos. I just couldn't get a great one. The best views were always while driving where there wasn't a place to legally pull over to the side of the road.

On New Year's Day, we traveled to the Los Angeles area. My son and daughter-in-law took us to a Korean BBQ restaurant, Shilla, in Gardena, CA. I enjoyed the experience. The barbecue was within the table near the end. The waitress came every so often to turn the meat. My daughter-in-law chose the dishes for us. Along with the beef and pork, we enjoyed soup, salad, rice, and some small side dishes. Since this was the first time for me, I sampled a little from each dish. I don't remember the names, except the kelp and sardines. The sardines were too dry for me, but I did like the kelp. Also, as my granddaughter nimbly used her chopsticks, I made a concerted yet feeble attempt....maybe next time. The meal was leisurely, and as I said before, was enjoyable.

Yesterday, we joined them again for dinner at Benihana's in Torrence, CA to celebrate my daughter-in-law's birthday. We all enjoyed watching the chef perform some tricks as he deftly prepared our meal, which was delicious. Again, I had the opportunity to use chopsticks. The restaurant supplied specially constructed chopsticks for children. So, my daughter-in-law requested extra ones for adult guests who needed them. I managed to eat the fried rice without dropping too much as well as dip the shrimp and chicken in the sauces. I enjoyed the chicken and shrimp and had a taste of the green tea ice cream. It was interesting, but my old favorite, chocolate, was my choice. It was so nice to join the family in their celebration.

Surprise Trips

I’ve always enjoyed showing up in New York without much notice. The surprise element is fun to plan.

Seven years ago, I really needed to be on two coasts at the same time. I always endeavor to be present at my grandchildrens’ reception of the Sacraments. That year, my youngest daughter was expecting her first child right around the time one of my grandchildren was receiving his First Holy Communion. I could not plan anything as I needed to be in San Diego for my daughter. The little girl was born on Wednesday about 7 pm. That evening I got a reservation on a Red-eye out of Los Angeles for Friday night. I drove to Los Angeles that evening and flew to JFK (New York City) arriving around 5AM. No one but my son in Los Angeles and my New York City daughter knew what I was up to. My daughter met me at JFK and drove me to Beacon, NY. As we were driving north, we planned how I was going to surprise the rest of the family. As she parked the car, I tip-toed up the porch steps to the front door and waited. Meanwhile, she ran to the back door and entered the house yelling there is someone at the front door. My son-in-law opened the door. He later told me that for him it was like seeing a ghost. My daughter ran past him, yelling to her sister (his wife) that she had to get out of the shower and come downstairs right away, which she did. It was such a great surprise. When the family was ready, we drove to the church where we saw my eldest daughter. She responded with a routine “hello” and then, at her sister’s beckoning, realized that I was sitting in the passenger seat. It was a great surprise.

I told the lady who does my hair. She told her mother, who lives in Mexico City. Inspired by my spontaneity, her mother flew one day to see her children in San Diego without telling them. She arrived at the airport and phoned one of her daughters. Unfortunately, she picked a time when they were at work. The poor woman sat at the Tijuana airport for hours until one of the children could come for her.

Four years ago I did it again for my eldest daughter’s birthday. Then, however, her husband and the sisters knew about it so I had a lot of help. I stayed out of the way until I went to the restaurant. It was so nice standing in a room full of people at her surprise party just waiting for her to reach where I was standing. She walked around the room talking to each of her friends and then, finally, recognized me.

In April of this year, I replayed the scenario for my Beacon daughter’s special birthday. This time, however, I flew to NY with no one meeting me. I arrived at JFK around 4pm, went to the baggage claim for my large suitcase. When I got that, I looked for the Air Train (a monorail) that would take me to the New York City subway system. I was loaded down with a small cosmetic bag that held a C-Pap, a big red suitcase, and a large model bag holding my “valuables.” I decided to take the “E” train and had to ask a lot of directions. I found everyone to be very helpful. It was quite a trek. My final destination was Grand Central Station on 42nd Street. I rode the “E” train until I reached 42nd street and Eighth Avenue. Then, I took another subway line which crosses the city from east to west to get to Grand Central Station. I purposely took the long way around because the larger stations usually have an elevator at train platforms.

I finally arrived at Grand Central at 6:30pm when I met my eldest daughter (a little worried, since she knew I landed at 4pm). We went into the restaurant where I surprised the birthday girl and my New York City daughter. It was another great surprise with the eruption of tears as well as hugs.

This fall, my surprise trip was to attend my daughter’s baby shower. Since we e-mailed daily, I made a big mistake. I forgot to make up an excuse as to why I wasn’t around to answer her e-mails and calls. You don’t do that to a pregnant woman. My bad….