Peaks Island 
Thursday, September 14, 2006, 11:56 PM - Travels, George

Last weekend (after training new staff in Boston) I took my dad up to Maine to see his navy friend Mike (yes, from WWII). The Friedmans are some of Dad's oldest and closest friends - he was in their wedding in '48, and we would trek up to Maine periodically when I was growing up. My first seder was in their rambling old farmhouse in Bridgeton. It was an emotional weekend for everyone - Dad reacting to the undeniable change in his friend and himself and the realities of being in his mid-80s- Mickey dealing with the demands of an older partner, family drama, and a kitchen remodel - Dad and I appreciating being together on the anniversary of Mom's death, but that not meaning we were less affected by it. We had the best parts of Maine weather (summer Saturday, early fall Sunday). Both nights before dinner I circumnavigated the whole rocky perimeter on my sunset run... I can't tell if it's because I savor the isolation or the community of islands that I like them so much, but ferry rides and places you can't drive to always appeal to me.
BTW I turned off comments for a bit since I was tired of erasing spam - will put them back at some point - feel free to send me anything you'd like posted for now.

Home 
Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 01:07 AM - George
There is no better check on my rampant ego than a trip home to Bridgeport. It’s impossible to believe I’m so damn fancy when I come home to a listing ’64 Fury up on blocks and rusting away under a tarp in the back yard. I had a relatively successful attempt to explain my current job to Dad the other morning – my favorite of his descriptives was “an actuary of the Twilight Zone” …trust me when I say this actually represented a breakthrough for us in him understanding what I do. Actuary= analyst, Twilight Zone= nebulous world of politics and political impact. He reiterated that real jobs include actually making things, so I tried to explain to him about the pretty new database I made for GCI – he wasn’t buying it. Of course the most fun part of the visit was getting paraded around in front of the crusty old golf course cronies, and spending an hour or so working on my putting. I got the abbreviated tour of the Bpt economic condition – there is actually some construction in the post-manufacturing wasteland along State St. – new tile and ice cream factories being built…and some of the neighborhood projects are being replaced by a Super Stop and Shop. No threat yet to the local pawn shops and strip clubs, though, so don’t worry too much about my neighborhood losing its ‘character’. And of course we’re now the proud home of the first-ever expansion of Pepe’s Pizza from New Haven, to which I made my dad drive me immediately from the train station. Not quite as good as the original, but easily takes any pizza in California.

Delinquent 
Thursday, March 23, 2006, 02:30 PM - Travels, George, Friends, Food, Art
I've had not a minute to keep up with this little enterprise. Perhaps you'll be sympathetic if you hear that in the last 16 days I've been in Boston, New Haven, Bridgeport, Brooklyn, DC, San Francisco, LA, and Denver. Yikes! No wonder I slept in today. All have been good travels; really the optimal mix of work/family/art/fun/food that one can find on the East Coast. I made an excellent blanket fort with my goddaughter in Boston, went to the (kinda stinky) biennial with Andrew, ate homemade canneloni and cannoli with Leslie for the Sopranos premiere, and drank our signature cosmopolitans with my dear New Orleans friend in DC. I had a good visit with Dad - full of nice weather and walks by the water. I'm so lucky that he's still so independent. Denver had some swing dancing and a fun planning meeting for MoveOn's fall program, and back up in NorCal I took the Republican to Joan Blades' birthday party. He gets lots of points for a) venturing into the liberal lions' den and b) dancing with me even though he'd been on a million-mile bike ride that day. Now I have to finish unpacking my life and start seeing what things will be here....pretty much all I've done is see Claudia and Angel so far, but there's a whole city out there waiting. And an update on Griffith Park running: last night at dusk I saw a coyote and heard tons of frogs and crickets. I couldn't believe that I was in the middle of the great metropolis...

Gradual Ego Recovery Progress 
Friday, November 11, 2005, 08:09 PM - George, Friends
It's being very much assisted by certain communications, like the note I got in the mail from my dad yesterday:

I was a little hurt about your love life. Better over before you become really deep.
Life has its cruel way of answering questions - Why? Who can guess them. All I can say is there is another street car. If it stops, get on.

I love my dad way too much. And someone else had this to say:

you are lovable, sexy and super-fucking smart. not to mention bold and spunky.
translation: dream date

My friends are the best.

Bettty Boo 
Monday, October 31, 2005, 12:55 AM - George
Yesterday I had the most profoundly wholesome day. I not only went running around St. Mary's (hallowed family tromping territory), I went to Silverman's Farm for cider and half an apple fritter, hung out with the bad boys of Fairchild Wheeler (and had the Vazzy's counter girl tell me how dad keeps the language clean for her), carved matching mini-jack-o-lanterns with him, and took him out to his first ever Japanese meal. Thankfully I quickly retreated to the nearest megacity for a late night of dancing to retro early 90s hip hop. My dad is the best.


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