tnxgvng ready

 Pumpkin pies (the first batch) done. Sweet potatoes in the oven. House cleaned (however temporarily). Beds made. Now awaiting the advent of my sister and family (sans dog) and Hannah and family (avec dog) tonight. The kids have had their outfits ready for a few days. One hopes that when turkey call comes for The Great American Eating Ceremony, Isaac completes his ensemble with trousers.

do not despair

Coming up: The Amazing Rolex Saga!
Right after: The Great American Eating Ceremony!

luncheon

Next year Miriam will be 90, and I will be 70.

 Miriam is almost exactly 20 years older than I. But she's hella game. She gets around town more than I do. Well, that's not hard! But she works as a docent at the Planetarium,  goes out to movies and theater, and knows all the best restaurants. She introduced me to the kosher, vegetarian, Indian dosa place we usually meet. We met for her birthday, and will meet again for mine soon. Meanwhile, she was off, avec walker,  to get a pedicure.

Maybe this dog wants to buy a college student.

more entertainments

 The peripatetic Keri Pickett returned to the apartment of no regrets for another brief stay, during which she was entertained by another visiting photog, ie the infamous Donna Ferrato. After recovering from their visit, I headed out to my former home town in Westchester to visit my former (and final) ME at Life magazine., and we had a good old gossip about office politics. For some reason, I failed to take a single picture.

the eyes have it

 The latest in my visiting photographers series has been Keri Pickett, photographer and filmmaker, in from Minneapolis and Key West (does she have a good life or what!). Her short film about Key West's Fantasy Fest will be shown soon in the (what else?) the Key West Film Fest.
   She followed Chien-Chi, a photographer cum filmmaker, who was in from Graz. He has been spending considerable time in Hong Kong photographing the protests, as well as going back to Myanmar. He displayed the scars from an  attack by a tiger there. It stuck its paw through the bars of the cage and clawed him. He has endured a series of rabies shots.

trick of the light

When the sun comes in in odd directions,  mysterious shadows and reflections appear like grace notes and —confections? corrections? defections? Not working for me. Frank???

nights in

 The galas began on Friday evening, with a dinner party of former Time Inc. friends, and I guess it must have been a good party since it lasted nine hours—not that I particularly remember the last three. I know that it was a three Diet Pepsi night for Adam. There was still some food and wine left over the following day, fortunately, because a writer turned photographer friend came by to contemplate his upcoming show and then we were later joined by visiting photographer Chien-Chi Chang, who consumed, as usual, all the leftovers in the fridge. What tonight holds I do not know.

night out

A little bit of Missouri in New York City. Judge David came to town for something he is the best judge of, i.e. wine. He has some hoity toity tasting at Hudson Yards this evening, and as a warmup he took me to a hoity toity restaurant last night. It's called Upland, and is upscale in terms of pricing and clientele. The sonic ambiance was a trifle bright for a couple of rapidly deafening (?) oldsters, but the visuals were nice. We went full-on seafood, which may have been a mistake. The fried calamari was good, but heavily adulterated with potato. The ceviche was not anything like the Mexican tulip-glass type I expected, and the cioppino tasted like it had a can of tomato paste dumped into the broth. I prefer that at La Petite Crevette, possibly because the one time I ate there chef Neil, of Flying Lobster fame, hosted us. The marguerita pizza at Upland was damn good. We ordered too much food, and had to take half of the za away. Sorry, once a reviewer, always a reviewer. Anyway, it was very fun to see David here in town, and very nice of him to entertain me. But that is one of his specialties as well.

David tries to hide from the camera's all seeing eye.

real estate news

Always fascinated by construction. This is the reno going on across the street from 98. I can anticipate many days of voyeuristic pleasure watching other people work.
   In other news, Frank and Dianne are selling off a couple of their dozen or so rent houses in and around West Plains, Mo. This one is notable for its acreage and stables (why they don't mention the pool is beyond me!), and this one for its price.
    I have given up trying to interest anyone in property in T'ville, though now that the cafe is open (see on Facebook) y'all may be more inclined.

hot boiled

Whenever I am down south, especially in Georgia, I have my eyes peeled for this sight. I then slam on the brakes and screech to the side of the road. This last trip I took the precaution of buying raw Valencia peanuts in the shell so that I could boil them myself when I got home. I bought three two-pound bags at Piggly Wiggly in Sylacauga and have gone through half. BTW, boiled peanuts are good for you. But I vastly refer buying green and just-boiled peanuts by the side of the road. Only fly in the ointment: I do not have the true southerner's ability to eat them while driving.

break time

"It'll be a great place—if they ever finish it." So said O. Henry of New York City, and it's never seemed more true as the skyline heaves and sprouts and the streets are perennially rooted up. On 82nd Street they are doing something or other to some pipes or other, and virtually every building has scaffolding for repointing.
   Meanwhile I feel like I should be doing reno on my little piece of New York. But where to begin? Seems like it should be infrastructure, but that is not my job. So maybe I'll just start by going to the dentist and the doctor and the gym. Construction worker, heal thyself.

Ceilings need work.

Electricals need work.

new york, new york

 I reconsidered and put out a pumpkin to welcome trick or treaters from the building. Got like four groups was all. Now the season moves from scary to thankful. Where's that Indian corn or whatever it's called now?
   It appears that the Apartment of No Regrets will not be looking its best for the holidays. Extensive water damage in halls, bedroom and bathroom (sadly, recently painted) won't be fixed any time soon. The building managers don't want to spend the money. And they apparently have no regrets.

The place is still pretty great though.