Harvey Larson, a short, stout, balding, middle-aged man, sits at his desk in the corner of the dairy's office on West Seneca Street. He deliberately occupies the largest one. After all, he is the boss. Those who own 100% of the company's stock give Harvey all the power he needs to rule over his small empire. Who knows, perhaps someday they'll sell him some of the business. For now, president and general manager are good enough.
It is late on Thursday night, September 4, 1952. All the other office personnel left hours before. There are workers out in the other part of the building where the milk is brought in, pasteurized, homogenized and bottled, but Harvey can't hear any of the noise. He works best when he is alone and doesn't have to deal with the administrative bullshit of more or less 100 employees. There is still a mess of paperwork, including a screw-up by his bookkeeper, that Harvey has to review before calling it a night. He will stay at his desk another hour.
Sometimes Harvey's problems seem overwhelming. First, there are the dairy farmers. Will they reliably deliver the milk to satisfy the demands of the dairy's customers?
Second, there are the employees inside the building. Sometimes, they are so careless operating the machinery which can cause glass bottles to break.
Third, there are the delivery men. Half of them are lazy bastards who take their sweet time making deliveries.
Fourth, there are the retailers, grocery stores and restaurants mostly. Harvey has stiff competition requiring schmoozing to keep them loyal.
Fifth, there are the consumers. Everybody should drink three glasses of milk a day, but how many do? Too many are drinking soda instead.
Last week, the shop steward told Harvey the Union is not satisfied with his new contract proposal and wanted a meeting as soon after Labor Day as possible. Unions! He hates them. Sometimes Harvey thought he'd like to just shut it all down to see how they like it. Then, he could stay home and relax.
Finally, after a long day, Harvey gets up from his desk, locks the office door and walks to his Buick in the lot nearby. He will be home, a three bedroom, one bath, cape, in 10 minutes. Harvey hopes that by the time he arrives, his only child, Burt, will be asleep. He is so exhausted after more than 12 hours at the office that he won't be able to deal with Burt's questions. It will be best to put him off until morning. The previous Tuesday, Burt began school again, the seventh grade, Harvey thought. He is never quite sure what grade or even how old his son is.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Was Mr. Potter Right?
There is one particular scene in Frank Capra's (producer and director) memorable Academy Award winning 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life that intrigues me.
It concerns a 1928 meeting of the board of directors of the Bailey Brothers' Building and Loan (a mutual financial association in Bedford Falls, New York) three months after the death of its founder and director, Peter Bailey. The meeting is to determine the fate of the Building and Loan. Peter's son, George (James Stewart), out of respect for his father, has been running the Building and Loan after postponing his European trip. He is desperate to get out of Bedford Falls (as I was to get out of Oswego after high school). See dialogue below.
Mr. Potter (board member and owner of the town's only commercial bank, played by Lionel Barrymore): I'll say that to the public Peter Bailey was the Building and Loan. Peter Bailey was not a business man. That's what killed him. Oh, I don't mean any disrespect, God rest his soul. He was a man of high ideals, so-called. But ideals without common sense can ruin this town. Now, you take this loan to Ernie Bishop, you know that fellow that sits around all day on his brains, in his taxi. I happen to know the bank turned down this loan, but he comes here and we're building him a house worth $5,000. Why?
George: Well, I handled that, Mr. Potter. You have all the papers there. His salary, insurance. I can personally vouch for his character.
Mr. Potter: You see, if you shoot pool with some employee here, you can come and borrow money. What does that get us? A discontented, lazy rabble instead of a thrifty working class. And all because a few starry-eyed dreamers like Peter Bailey stir them up and fill their heads with a lot of impossible ideas. Now, I say...
George: Just a minute. Just a minute. Now, hold on Mr. Potter. You're right when you say my father was not a business man. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap penny-ante Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor any body else can say anything against his character. Because his whole life...why in the 25 years since he...started this thing, he never once thought of himself. But, he did help a few people get out of your slums, Mr. Potter. And what's wrong with that? Why, ...you are all business men here. Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't it make them better customers? You said that...what'd you say a minute ago...they had to wait and save their money before they even thought of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken down that they...do you know how long it takes a working man to save $5,000?
This exchange between George Bailey and Mr. Potter crystallizes the differences over how best to buy a home, perhaps the most expensive expenditure in most people's lives. Should you wait and patiently save your money or borrow it to get a home right away? Frank Capra, by making George Bailey the hero, creates the impression that his message is good. And conversely, since Mr. Potter is the villain, that man's message must be bad.
One of the causes of the economic crisis of 2008 was "the flood of irresponsible mortgage lending in America. Loans were doled out to subprime borrowers (who wanted their own home right away) with poor credit histories who struggled to repay them." Many couldn't repay them. Mr. Potter would have understood.
In 1981, at thirty-five years of age, I bought a house at 69-43 Cloverdale Boulevard in Oakland Gardens, Queens, New York. I borrowed 90% of the purchase price. Years later, I bought an apartment in Douglaston, Queens (as an investment), with 100% borrowed money. Up to then, I had not learned the habit of saving.
When I met my current wife, Cristina, she told me her father, Antonio, had bought a house in Itapetininga and apartments in Sao Paulo and Guaruja for cash only. He did not borrow any money. Antonio believed what Mr. Potter believed that people should save their money before buying a home. I was impressed.
What's wrong with encouraging a thrifty working class? And what's wrong with people needing to wait and save (avoiding debt) for something important like their own home? Was Mr. Potter right? What do you think?
It concerns a 1928 meeting of the board of directors of the Bailey Brothers' Building and Loan (a mutual financial association in Bedford Falls, New York) three months after the death of its founder and director, Peter Bailey. The meeting is to determine the fate of the Building and Loan. Peter's son, George (James Stewart), out of respect for his father, has been running the Building and Loan after postponing his European trip. He is desperate to get out of Bedford Falls (as I was to get out of Oswego after high school). See dialogue below.
Mr. Potter (board member and owner of the town's only commercial bank, played by Lionel Barrymore): I'll say that to the public Peter Bailey was the Building and Loan. Peter Bailey was not a business man. That's what killed him. Oh, I don't mean any disrespect, God rest his soul. He was a man of high ideals, so-called. But ideals without common sense can ruin this town. Now, you take this loan to Ernie Bishop, you know that fellow that sits around all day on his brains, in his taxi. I happen to know the bank turned down this loan, but he comes here and we're building him a house worth $5,000. Why?
George: Well, I handled that, Mr. Potter. You have all the papers there. His salary, insurance. I can personally vouch for his character.
Mr. Potter: You see, if you shoot pool with some employee here, you can come and borrow money. What does that get us? A discontented, lazy rabble instead of a thrifty working class. And all because a few starry-eyed dreamers like Peter Bailey stir them up and fill their heads with a lot of impossible ideas. Now, I say...
George: Just a minute. Just a minute. Now, hold on Mr. Potter. You're right when you say my father was not a business man. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap penny-ante Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor any body else can say anything against his character. Because his whole life...why in the 25 years since he...started this thing, he never once thought of himself. But, he did help a few people get out of your slums, Mr. Potter. And what's wrong with that? Why, ...you are all business men here. Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't it make them better customers? You said that...what'd you say a minute ago...they had to wait and save their money before they even thought of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken down that they...do you know how long it takes a working man to save $5,000?
This exchange between George Bailey and Mr. Potter crystallizes the differences over how best to buy a home, perhaps the most expensive expenditure in most people's lives. Should you wait and patiently save your money or borrow it to get a home right away? Frank Capra, by making George Bailey the hero, creates the impression that his message is good. And conversely, since Mr. Potter is the villain, that man's message must be bad.
One of the causes of the economic crisis of 2008 was "the flood of irresponsible mortgage lending in America. Loans were doled out to subprime borrowers (who wanted their own home right away) with poor credit histories who struggled to repay them." Many couldn't repay them. Mr. Potter would have understood.
In 1981, at thirty-five years of age, I bought a house at 69-43 Cloverdale Boulevard in Oakland Gardens, Queens, New York. I borrowed 90% of the purchase price. Years later, I bought an apartment in Douglaston, Queens (as an investment), with 100% borrowed money. Up to then, I had not learned the habit of saving.
When I met my current wife, Cristina, she told me her father, Antonio, had bought a house in Itapetininga and apartments in Sao Paulo and Guaruja for cash only. He did not borrow any money. Antonio believed what Mr. Potter believed that people should save their money before buying a home. I was impressed.
What's wrong with encouraging a thrifty working class? And what's wrong with people needing to wait and save (avoiding debt) for something important like their own home? Was Mr. Potter right? What do you think?
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater was born on January 2, 1909 in the USA's Arizona Territory. It would not become the 48th state until February 14, 1912. His father, Baron Goldwater, was a wealthy Jewish businessman who owned Goldwater's, "a leading upscale department store in Phoenix." His mother, Hattie, grew up in a New England Episcopalian family and raised her son in her faith.
Barry Goldwater attended the University of Arizona for one year. Then, in 1930, he took over the family business with the death of his father.
During World War II, Barry Goldwater served as an Army Air Corp pilot who flew supplies between the USA and India. After the war, as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserves, he desegregated the Arizona Air National Guard and then pushed the Pentagon to do the same with the US military.
In 1949, Barry Goldwater was elected as a Republican to the Phoenix City Council. In 1952, he was elected to the United States Senate and reelected in 1958.
In 1964, Barry Goldwater became a candidate for President of the United States. He represented the conservative wing of the Republican Party. Barry was opposed by New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, who represented the Party's moderate/liberal wing (which doesn't exist today). By winning the winner take all California primary (on June 2, 1964), he secured the Republican nomination.
On June 18, 1964, Barry Goldwater announced on the Senate floor that, despite his personal opposition to discrimination of any kind, he would vote against the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. He especially opposed the public accommodations portion of the bill which would forbid hotels and restaurants from denying service to anyone based on race, color, religion or national origin. He believed it was an unconstitutional "usurpation of power by the federal government." I was troubled by his decision.
On July 15, 1964 (fifty-four years ago today), Barry Goldwater received the Republican nomination for president at its convention at the Cow Palace, in Daly City, California, just south of San Francisco. During his acceptance speech, Barry uttered the memorable phrase, "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice." Was he saying "the ends justify the means?" To me, extremism is an ugly word, no matter what the context.
For his Vice Presidential running mate, Barry Goldwater chose William Miller, a Republican Congressman from New York's 40th District. Shortly after the convention, the team of Goldwater and Miller began their election campaign with visits to Phoenix, Barry's home town, and suburban Buffalo, Miller's.
At the time, I was home in Oswego on vacation after my freshman year at Penn. I joined a group of local Young Republicans on a bus trip to welcome the Republican presidential candidate to New York State. I went to see Barry Goldwater, not as a curiosity seeker, but as a rabid Republican, which I was in my former life. Why I have been a Democrat for many years since is a story for another post.
Barry Goldwater and I crossed paths again a few months later when he made a campaign speech at Penn. He was escorted by the homecoming queen and fellow sophomore, Candice Bergen, who would later become a model, an actress and a college drop-out.
Barry Goldwater lost the 1964 election by a landslide to the incumbent president, Lyndon Johnson (at 19, I was not yet eligible to vote). He would be reelected to the Senate in 1968 and would stay until his retirement in January of 1987. Barry was replaced in the US Senate by another Arizona Republican, military pilot and stand up guy, John McCain. It was Goldwater's influence in 1974 that convinced President Nixon to resign and end the Watergate nightmare. Barry died of complications from a stroke on May 29, 1998 at 89 years of age.
Barry Goldwater attended the University of Arizona for one year. Then, in 1930, he took over the family business with the death of his father.
During World War II, Barry Goldwater served as an Army Air Corp pilot who flew supplies between the USA and India. After the war, as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserves, he desegregated the Arizona Air National Guard and then pushed the Pentagon to do the same with the US military.
In 1949, Barry Goldwater was elected as a Republican to the Phoenix City Council. In 1952, he was elected to the United States Senate and reelected in 1958.
In 1964, Barry Goldwater became a candidate for President of the United States. He represented the conservative wing of the Republican Party. Barry was opposed by New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, who represented the Party's moderate/liberal wing (which doesn't exist today). By winning the winner take all California primary (on June 2, 1964), he secured the Republican nomination.
On June 18, 1964, Barry Goldwater announced on the Senate floor that, despite his personal opposition to discrimination of any kind, he would vote against the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. He especially opposed the public accommodations portion of the bill which would forbid hotels and restaurants from denying service to anyone based on race, color, religion or national origin. He believed it was an unconstitutional "usurpation of power by the federal government." I was troubled by his decision.
On July 15, 1964 (fifty-four years ago today), Barry Goldwater received the Republican nomination for president at its convention at the Cow Palace, in Daly City, California, just south of San Francisco. During his acceptance speech, Barry uttered the memorable phrase, "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice." Was he saying "the ends justify the means?" To me, extremism is an ugly word, no matter what the context.
For his Vice Presidential running mate, Barry Goldwater chose William Miller, a Republican Congressman from New York's 40th District. Shortly after the convention, the team of Goldwater and Miller began their election campaign with visits to Phoenix, Barry's home town, and suburban Buffalo, Miller's.
At the time, I was home in Oswego on vacation after my freshman year at Penn. I joined a group of local Young Republicans on a bus trip to welcome the Republican presidential candidate to New York State. I went to see Barry Goldwater, not as a curiosity seeker, but as a rabid Republican, which I was in my former life. Why I have been a Democrat for many years since is a story for another post.
Barry Goldwater and I crossed paths again a few months later when he made a campaign speech at Penn. He was escorted by the homecoming queen and fellow sophomore, Candice Bergen, who would later become a model, an actress and a college drop-out.
Barry Goldwater lost the 1964 election by a landslide to the incumbent president, Lyndon Johnson (at 19, I was not yet eligible to vote). He would be reelected to the Senate in 1968 and would stay until his retirement in January of 1987. Barry was replaced in the US Senate by another Arizona Republican, military pilot and stand up guy, John McCain. It was Goldwater's influence in 1974 that convinced President Nixon to resign and end the Watergate nightmare. Barry died of complications from a stroke on May 29, 1998 at 89 years of age.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club is a 1985 film written, directed and produced by John Hughes. It stars Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy as five high school students required to report to school on a Saturday morning as punishment for various rule violations.
Initially, the five represent totally different social cliques that do not communicate with or relate to each other. There was the popular girl (Ringwald), the hoodlum (Nelson), the jock (Estevez), the nerd (Hall) and the weird girl (Sheedy).
The five do not know each personally, but think they know each other (and don't like each other) based upon the stereotypes of their respective social group. However, after being forced to share the same space (school library) and face a common enemy (a very mean vice principal) for many hours, they come to see each other as individuals who share similar needs and desires. At the end of the day, the nerd wrote, "What we found out is that each one of us is a brain (nerd), and an athlete (jock), and a basket case (weird girl), a princess (popular girl) and a criminal (hoodlum)."
The Breakfast Club reminds me of my own experiences at Oswego High School in the early 1960s. There were social cliques there as well, more than the five referred to in the film. I was a nerd, but I didn't hang out with other nerds. My social friends were those who were spectator sports fans. Not jocks, just fans.
When I think of a popular girl at OHS, I remember Nancy Mott, varsity cheerleader, senior class officer, DAR award winner, exchange student to Turkey, junior prom committee, etc., etc. And she was described in the yearbook as "an attractive brunette" to boot. Nancy was the dream girlfriend for many boys, most of whom felt she was out of their league. She wrote in my yearbook, "You deserve all the good luck in the world."
To me, Dennis Paice could be characterized as a hoodlum during my high school years. I steered clear of him. I remember one of my female friends telling me she was afraid of Dennis. The yearbook (I didn't ask him to sign mine) stated, "He doesn't need a knife to cut up." Ironically, the hoodlum in the film carries a knife.
Described in the yearbook as "one of OHS's best athletes," Eric Pollard was the quintessential jock. He excelled in the three main sports in those days: baseball, basketball and (American) football. In addition to that, what I was most jealous of was his self-confidence with girls. In the yearbook, it said about Eric, "the shortest distance between two dates is a long line." He wrote in my yearbook, "I think you are a swell guy even if you are a (SF) Giants fan." We don't use the word swell like we used to.
Donald Lewis is the nerd I remember most. He finished seventh in our graduating class with a grade point average of exactly 90. Donald came across to me as a bit arrogant. He wrote in my yearbook that "You never would have made it through Mechanical Drawing (class) without me."
As for a weird girl like in the film, I didn't know any, but there must have been at least one at OHS during my time.
I didn't have a Breakfast Club experience during high school, so by the time of graduation, I felt myself cutoff from many of my classmates who were in other cliques. Too bad!
Initially, the five represent totally different social cliques that do not communicate with or relate to each other. There was the popular girl (Ringwald), the hoodlum (Nelson), the jock (Estevez), the nerd (Hall) and the weird girl (Sheedy).
The five do not know each personally, but think they know each other (and don't like each other) based upon the stereotypes of their respective social group. However, after being forced to share the same space (school library) and face a common enemy (a very mean vice principal) for many hours, they come to see each other as individuals who share similar needs and desires. At the end of the day, the nerd wrote, "What we found out is that each one of us is a brain (nerd), and an athlete (jock), and a basket case (weird girl), a princess (popular girl) and a criminal (hoodlum)."
The Breakfast Club reminds me of my own experiences at Oswego High School in the early 1960s. There were social cliques there as well, more than the five referred to in the film. I was a nerd, but I didn't hang out with other nerds. My social friends were those who were spectator sports fans. Not jocks, just fans.
When I think of a popular girl at OHS, I remember Nancy Mott, varsity cheerleader, senior class officer, DAR award winner, exchange student to Turkey, junior prom committee, etc., etc. And she was described in the yearbook as "an attractive brunette" to boot. Nancy was the dream girlfriend for many boys, most of whom felt she was out of their league. She wrote in my yearbook, "You deserve all the good luck in the world."
To me, Dennis Paice could be characterized as a hoodlum during my high school years. I steered clear of him. I remember one of my female friends telling me she was afraid of Dennis. The yearbook (I didn't ask him to sign mine) stated, "He doesn't need a knife to cut up." Ironically, the hoodlum in the film carries a knife.
Described in the yearbook as "one of OHS's best athletes," Eric Pollard was the quintessential jock. He excelled in the three main sports in those days: baseball, basketball and (American) football. In addition to that, what I was most jealous of was his self-confidence with girls. In the yearbook, it said about Eric, "the shortest distance between two dates is a long line." He wrote in my yearbook, "I think you are a swell guy even if you are a (SF) Giants fan." We don't use the word swell like we used to.
Donald Lewis is the nerd I remember most. He finished seventh in our graduating class with a grade point average of exactly 90. Donald came across to me as a bit arrogant. He wrote in my yearbook that "You never would have made it through Mechanical Drawing (class) without me."
As for a weird girl like in the film, I didn't know any, but there must have been at least one at OHS during my time.
I didn't have a Breakfast Club experience during high school, so by the time of graduation, I felt myself cutoff from many of my classmates who were in other cliques. Too bad!
Sunday, July 1, 2018
2018 USA Trip
The taxi picked Cristina and me up at 5:30 PM on Saturday, June 9. Delta flight #196 departed from GRU at approximately 9:55 PM. I entertained myself on the plane by watching portions of some of my favorite films, The Quiet Man, Thelma and Louise and Casablanca.
We arrived at about 6 AM in Orlando on Sunday, June 10. My son Bret picked us up and drove us to his lovely two bedroom, two bath apartment in nearby Sanford. The three of us had dinner at a Turkish restaurant (Bosphorous) in Winter Park.
As Bret went to work on Monday, June 11, Cristina and I hung out at the pool in his apartment complex. I was happy to talk by phone to my friend Betty. Bret, Cristina and I had dinner at Amura, a Japanese restaurant near his home.
On Tuesday, June 12, Bret drove us back to the airport for our flight to Dallas. I watched portions of Sideways and No Country for Old Men. It was great being with my brother Joel and sister-in-law Judy again after four years. All of us plus Cindy, Robert, Alison and Maddie went to dinner at Haystack, a hamburger restaurant. Judy made sure I got to eat a good old fashioned American apple pie while in Dallas.
On Wednesday, June 13, we visited Cindy and Robert's magnificent house. The best part was the theater on the second floor. It could accommodate six or more people in plush reclining chairs, able to watch a movie on a very large screen. On the way back, we suffered a flat tire, which Judy handled well bringing us safely back to their home. Dinner was at Enchilada's, a Tex-Mex restaurant.
On Thursday, June 14, we flew to New York and then took a taxi to my daughter Rachel's beautiful home on East 78th Street. It was stunning to see the growth of my grandchildren, Nate and Leo. Rachel purchased for our benefit a nice, new air mattress that was high off the ground. Mike cooked a delicious meal consisting of "sauteed chicken with garlic, a warm lentil salad plus a house salad with romaine, tomatoes and cucumbers."
On Friday, June 15, Cristina and I went shopping in Herald Square, first at H&M and then Macy's. After lunch at Just Salad, we visited the Museum of Modern Art. After returning to the Upper East Side, I met my friend Joe at Starbucks and then we walked back to Rachel's home. Later, Joe, Cristina and I had dinner at Uva's on Second Avenue.
On Saturday, June 16, Rachel, Mike, Nate, Leo, Cristina and I had bagels at Ess-A-Bagel on Third Avenue. As usual, the line was out the door. As usual, the wait was worth it. In the afternoon, we went shopping at Barnes & Noble (I bought Richard Russo's latest creation) and Sur La Table. For dinner, Cristina and I dined at Keene's Steakhouse again.
On Father's Day, Sunday, June 17, all of us (plus Bonita) had brunch at L'Express on 20th and Park Avenue. We then heard live music in Union Square. Back at the house, Nate and Leo joined Cristina and me to watch the end of the Brazil (1) - Switzerland (1) World Cup match. For dinner, Mike cooked a new dish, "a shrimp boil, with shrimp, clams, mussels, kielbasa, corn on the cob and Old Bay seasoning." He topped it off with a "fruit crisp with strawberry and rhubarb a la mode." We enjoyed it a lot.
Mir, a car service driver from Bangladesh, drove us to JFK on Monday, June 18 for our flight to RDU. After 3:00 PM, we arrived safely at the Staybridge Suites on Mount Moriah Road for our one week visit to Chapel Hill/Durham.
On Tuesday, June 19, at a bus stop in Durham, we met Donna, the weird lady Cristina thinks was the one who cursed me out last year. This time, she loved us as we were from Brazil. In Chapel Hill, we went to Sun Trust Bank, Walgreen's pharmacy and Whole Foods market (for lunch at their salad bar). Cristina and I had dinner at the home of our friends Kevin and Connie (along with Miss Melba and Fender). Connie cooked an excellent dinner consisting of pulled pork, corn on the cob and blueberry cobbler.
On Wednesday, June 20, we spent our day at University Mall in Chapel Hill, mostly at Southern Season. Lunch was from their take out section: chicken salad, wild rice salad and potato latkes.
The next day, Thursday, June 21, Cristina and I went to South Point Mall in Durham. We lunched at Panera Bread.
Friday, June 22, was a busy day. At 8 AM, Cristina and I watched Brazil defeat Costa Rica, 2-0. We had lunch with Kevin, Connie and Miss Melba in Southern Village at the Town Hall Grill. At 5:30 Cristina and I were at the Carolina Inn for live music and a glass of wine to celebrate Fridays on the Porch. Later we met our friend Patricia for an Italian dinner on West Franklin Street and ice cream on East Franklin Street.
On Saturday, June 23, at 4 PM, we had dinner with our friends Raymond and Belinda at the Stoney River Steakhouse at University Mall. The slice of carrot cake they ordered for desert was so large it looked like a whole cake.
On Sunday, June 24, we shopped at Kohl's where I ran into two of my former colleagues, Sarah and Angela. I bought a pair of New Balance shoes, a pair of shorts and a belt.
On Monday, June 25, we flew to Orlando again, arriving at 4:25 PM. This time we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on International Drive, conveniently located near shopping.
On Tuesday, June 26, Cristina and I took an Uber to a nearby Walmart where we bought among other things canned tuna packed in water, Jello pudding, angel hair pasta, Paul Newman salad dressing and Crest toothpaste. We took another Uber to a Best Buy where I bought a Dell lap top computer. That night my son Bret took us to a nameless generic American type restaurant. Bret ordered a large salad, Cristina a steak and spaghetti and meat balls for me. We waited for our food for a long time, at least 30-40 minutes. Then our food came, at least Bret's and Cristina's. They finished their plates before mine arrived, after over an hour. The good news was that the manager said our dinner was on the house.
On Wednesday, June 27, Cristina and I went to the nearby outlet stores. She shopped mostly at Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. Afterwards we had lunch at Vinito's, an Italian restaurant adjacent to the outlets. We and about 20+ Brazilian tourists were there as well to watch Brazil defeat Serbia, 2-0. Some of them brought Brazilian flags. There were so many Brazilians (tourists and residents) in Orlando that I thought were in Brazil.
On Thursday, June 28, we spent most of the day at the airport waiting for our return flight to Brazil which departed at 10:00 PM. I must give special thanks to an off-duty policeman who helped us with our Delta check-in. On the plane, I watched The Post, a film from last year (which I recommend) featuring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. I also saw An American in Paris, the Best Picture of 1951. Our plane landed at GRU at 8:00 AM the following morning, Friday, June 29, our trip over.
We arrived at about 6 AM in Orlando on Sunday, June 10. My son Bret picked us up and drove us to his lovely two bedroom, two bath apartment in nearby Sanford. The three of us had dinner at a Turkish restaurant (Bosphorous) in Winter Park.
As Bret went to work on Monday, June 11, Cristina and I hung out at the pool in his apartment complex. I was happy to talk by phone to my friend Betty. Bret, Cristina and I had dinner at Amura, a Japanese restaurant near his home.
On Tuesday, June 12, Bret drove us back to the airport for our flight to Dallas. I watched portions of Sideways and No Country for Old Men. It was great being with my brother Joel and sister-in-law Judy again after four years. All of us plus Cindy, Robert, Alison and Maddie went to dinner at Haystack, a hamburger restaurant. Judy made sure I got to eat a good old fashioned American apple pie while in Dallas.
On Wednesday, June 13, we visited Cindy and Robert's magnificent house. The best part was the theater on the second floor. It could accommodate six or more people in plush reclining chairs, able to watch a movie on a very large screen. On the way back, we suffered a flat tire, which Judy handled well bringing us safely back to their home. Dinner was at Enchilada's, a Tex-Mex restaurant.
On Thursday, June 14, we flew to New York and then took a taxi to my daughter Rachel's beautiful home on East 78th Street. It was stunning to see the growth of my grandchildren, Nate and Leo. Rachel purchased for our benefit a nice, new air mattress that was high off the ground. Mike cooked a delicious meal consisting of "sauteed chicken with garlic, a warm lentil salad plus a house salad with romaine, tomatoes and cucumbers."
On Friday, June 15, Cristina and I went shopping in Herald Square, first at H&M and then Macy's. After lunch at Just Salad, we visited the Museum of Modern Art. After returning to the Upper East Side, I met my friend Joe at Starbucks and then we walked back to Rachel's home. Later, Joe, Cristina and I had dinner at Uva's on Second Avenue.
On Saturday, June 16, Rachel, Mike, Nate, Leo, Cristina and I had bagels at Ess-A-Bagel on Third Avenue. As usual, the line was out the door. As usual, the wait was worth it. In the afternoon, we went shopping at Barnes & Noble (I bought Richard Russo's latest creation) and Sur La Table. For dinner, Cristina and I dined at Keene's Steakhouse again.
On Father's Day, Sunday, June 17, all of us (plus Bonita) had brunch at L'Express on 20th and Park Avenue. We then heard live music in Union Square. Back at the house, Nate and Leo joined Cristina and me to watch the end of the Brazil (1) - Switzerland (1) World Cup match. For dinner, Mike cooked a new dish, "a shrimp boil, with shrimp, clams, mussels, kielbasa, corn on the cob and Old Bay seasoning." He topped it off with a "fruit crisp with strawberry and rhubarb a la mode." We enjoyed it a lot.
Mir, a car service driver from Bangladesh, drove us to JFK on Monday, June 18 for our flight to RDU. After 3:00 PM, we arrived safely at the Staybridge Suites on Mount Moriah Road for our one week visit to Chapel Hill/Durham.
On Tuesday, June 19, at a bus stop in Durham, we met Donna, the weird lady Cristina thinks was the one who cursed me out last year. This time, she loved us as we were from Brazil. In Chapel Hill, we went to Sun Trust Bank, Walgreen's pharmacy and Whole Foods market (for lunch at their salad bar). Cristina and I had dinner at the home of our friends Kevin and Connie (along with Miss Melba and Fender). Connie cooked an excellent dinner consisting of pulled pork, corn on the cob and blueberry cobbler.
On Wednesday, June 20, we spent our day at University Mall in Chapel Hill, mostly at Southern Season. Lunch was from their take out section: chicken salad, wild rice salad and potato latkes.
The next day, Thursday, June 21, Cristina and I went to South Point Mall in Durham. We lunched at Panera Bread.
Friday, June 22, was a busy day. At 8 AM, Cristina and I watched Brazil defeat Costa Rica, 2-0. We had lunch with Kevin, Connie and Miss Melba in Southern Village at the Town Hall Grill. At 5:30 Cristina and I were at the Carolina Inn for live music and a glass of wine to celebrate Fridays on the Porch. Later we met our friend Patricia for an Italian dinner on West Franklin Street and ice cream on East Franklin Street.
On Saturday, June 23, at 4 PM, we had dinner with our friends Raymond and Belinda at the Stoney River Steakhouse at University Mall. The slice of carrot cake they ordered for desert was so large it looked like a whole cake.
On Sunday, June 24, we shopped at Kohl's where I ran into two of my former colleagues, Sarah and Angela. I bought a pair of New Balance shoes, a pair of shorts and a belt.
On Monday, June 25, we flew to Orlando again, arriving at 4:25 PM. This time we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on International Drive, conveniently located near shopping.
On Tuesday, June 26, Cristina and I took an Uber to a nearby Walmart where we bought among other things canned tuna packed in water, Jello pudding, angel hair pasta, Paul Newman salad dressing and Crest toothpaste. We took another Uber to a Best Buy where I bought a Dell lap top computer. That night my son Bret took us to a nameless generic American type restaurant. Bret ordered a large salad, Cristina a steak and spaghetti and meat balls for me. We waited for our food for a long time, at least 30-40 minutes. Then our food came, at least Bret's and Cristina's. They finished their plates before mine arrived, after over an hour. The good news was that the manager said our dinner was on the house.
On Wednesday, June 27, Cristina and I went to the nearby outlet stores. She shopped mostly at Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. Afterwards we had lunch at Vinito's, an Italian restaurant adjacent to the outlets. We and about 20+ Brazilian tourists were there as well to watch Brazil defeat Serbia, 2-0. Some of them brought Brazilian flags. There were so many Brazilians (tourists and residents) in Orlando that I thought were in Brazil.
On Thursday, June 28, we spent most of the day at the airport waiting for our return flight to Brazil which departed at 10:00 PM. I must give special thanks to an off-duty policeman who helped us with our Delta check-in. On the plane, I watched The Post, a film from last year (which I recommend) featuring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. I also saw An American in Paris, the Best Picture of 1951. Our plane landed at GRU at 8:00 AM the following morning, Friday, June 29, our trip over.
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