I had a nice time in Jersey yesterday, visiting my niece Sandra’s lovely family. Traffic each way was smooth except for a brief spell in Staten Island on the way home. I had the chance to catch up with my great nephew Ronald Jr., and great niece Danielle. Dani, who has made the honor roll and will be entering high school in September, has just begun to think about a career, narrowing it down to actress or lawyer. “Lawyer,” her grandmother said without hesitation. “Actresses are so unhappy.” I’m not sure lawyers are any happier, but the odds of making it as a successful attorney as opposed to a successful artist are certainly a lot higher.
Ronnie has always been on the honor role. He is a bit frustrated by his lack of playing time on the JV baseball team. He has appeared briefly as a relief pitcher in a game in which his team was being blown out. He is facing the cold reality of the difficulty of excelling in sports, the ultimate meritocracy. He is filling the void with guitar. He is also in the process of learning the upright bass, and will be playing in his father’s bluegrass band, which has lost another member. The artist's dream is also subject to cold reality. I face it every day, the inner voice saying: "Quit already."
We enjoyed a typical holiday feast, lamb and ham the main course. I had way too much tomato and mozzarella, which was dressed in spices and immersed in olive oil. That would have been meal enough for me. Of course, we overdid it with dessert: Italian pastries from Brooklyn, apple pie, chocolate marshmallow cake and girl scout cookies. I sampled them all. I will now swear off treats for a week while my cholesterol count recovers. Sandra made up a big pan of leftovers for me. Heat and serve - love it.
The only drawback of the day was leaving just as the drama at the Masters was building. Kudos to Bubba Watson, who the past few years has raised his game from brute force to all-around prowess. And boos to Tiger Woods, whose boorishness continues. He gets harder and harder to care about. He is now just another guy on the tour who will win occasionally. His days of dominance seem history.
The world is upside down - the Mets 3-0, the Skanks 0-3. When will cold reality strike?
For the third consecutive Monday a crazy wind played havoc with the floating book shop. I had to
set up leeward of the bus shelter on Avenue Z to have a chance to do business. Other than my usual well-wishers, people were too smart to stop by.
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