On Sunday July 1st, we rode out to Patchogue, not to walk around the village, but St. Joseph’s College. I was not certain which exit to exit Sunrise Highway from, so I got out at Ocean Avenue but drove to Phyllis Drive. It took us to Main Street, but no SJC. I tried to Google SJC, but it took forever. With no street address, GPS was not much help, and using GPS at first, we ended up in Hagerman. But once I got SJC’s address (155 Roe Blvd West) I entered it and it got us there in one piece. Once on campus I parked the car in the front lot and we walked to the library and took some pix inside (including a poster of the ‘Van Gogh in Arles’ exhibit that Ellen and I saw at the Met in late 1984. Then it was a plaque nailed into a rock and finally the athletic center (go Golden Eagles).
After lunch on the 4th around noon, Eileen and I rode to Amityville to go for a walk. We parked at the Amityville Fire House and headed along West Oak Street to Route 110 (Broadway) and then headed south to the fork and went down Park Avenue to Wanser Place and back to Broadway before heading back to the firehouse. Since today is a holiday, nothing was open, so we drove back to Islip and got a turkey burger wrap from the Long Island Beach Bowls Café, which we shared at the Islip firehouse.
Over the weekend of July 7th and 8th Eileen and I went for some nice walks. On Saturday we trekked through three towns: Islip, East Islip and Babylon. We strolled between the Islip firehouse, the library, and along Main Street to the Veterans Memorial by Town Hall, putting about a mile in. But since I wanted to amend my life as well (being Catholic), we headed to East Islip after that and parked at St. Mary’s Church parking lot. A wedding was going on, so to kill time, and get some walking in, we took a stroll to Brookwood Hall to check out the East Islip Fire Department’s Holiday Fair. I told her that we are not going on rides or play games. We were there to put some more miles of walking in. Since I did not bring my trust Cannon camera, I turned to my cell phone. Around 3:30 we walked back to St. Mary’s and went inside. I told Eileen to wait for me in the pews while I spoke with Father James. I also told her that if she cooperated with me, I would get her a Beanie Baby at Roe Roe’s in Babylon. So when I was finished, and she sat kind of still in the pew, we drove to Babylon Village and parked on Totten Place. Then it was south to Main Street to walk along Prospect Street and west to Fire Island Avenue. After admiring the old houses on the street and a photo shoot at the corner of Prospect and Fire Island, we walked to Roe Roe’s and she got an alligator named Wally. Then we walked back to Totten Place and the car to head back to Route 231 and the parkway. Then the next day we went to Huntington to do some more walking. This time we drove up to the northern terminus of Route 110 to the Halesite Fire Department to check it out. I took some photos and during the shoot two cars screeched and collided at the intersection by the firehouse. I walked over to the scene to see if everyone was out of the cars and call 911. Nobody was seriously hurt, but they were quite shaken up. I stuck around the scene in case the police wanted to question me (they did not). They we drove down to the village to walk along Main Street to St. Patrick’s Church (more photos) and then to Ben & Jerry’s to share a cup of ice cream, and then walked to Central Presbyterian Church, before walking to the parking lot to head home.
I dropped my cell phone on the evening of Friday the 13th, and the screen shattered. The phone would not turn on, so on Saturday I had to go to the West Islip Verizon store to see about replacing my cell phone (which they will do), activate my substitute phone, and see why my tablet was not up to date. The technician was able to fix two out of the three (my current cell phone was beyond repair). My new phone came on the 16th which was my fire department. Since I would not be back home until after 10 PM, the next day when I got home from work I called Asurion and they helped me set up my new cell phone.
In the early afternoon of July 14th we all went to Central Presbyterian Church to attend my cousin Gary’s wedding to his fiancée Jayne. It was a second marriage for both, as their kids were all in the wedding party. Then we went to the reception at Halesite FD. Except for the fact that the youngsters of many of the guests were running amok and possibly disturbing some of the older guests, we all had a great time. Good luck to Gary and Jayne.
On Sunday, after a shower and lunch Eileen and I went over to Babylon for another walk. We parked in the municipal lot near The Brixton Pub and walked to Fire Island Avenue and then headed down Fire Island Avenue to where it makes its turn, taking up the right of way of another avenue, to where it turns south again. At that corner (Reid & Fire Island) we took photos of a monument to Marconi and his radio broadcast he made there. We then turned around and walked back up Fire Island Avenue to Main Street, taking a photo of Eileen in front of #126, a house built in 1882. The next stop was Roe Roe’s Sweet Street where Eileen got herself another Beanie Baby, a Rabbit named Whiz. Then we walked up a side street called Cottage Row/Oak Place to the American Legion Post on Grove Place, where I photographed Eileen next to a street sign dedicated to the Legion: American Legion Way. Then it was back to the municipal lot and the car. We drove to Route 231 and then to the Southern State. Then six days later on July 21st, after lunch Eileen and I went for another walk in Babylon, but not around Main Street or Deer Park Avenue. Since today is Saturday, parking would not be free or restricted in the municipal lot or on Main Street. We decided to walk along the southern end of Fire Island Avenue. We parked at a marina, and then walked along the left fork to Fire Island Avenue, past Pier 44 and the Babylon Fish & Clam House, all the way to the end at the Great South Bay, a large marina, and the Venetian Restaurant and Catering Hall (scene of an Installation Dinner in the late 1990’s). I took two photos of Eileen with the Robert Moses Bridge and the choppy Bay in the background. Then we walked along Yacht Club Road, past a building housing the Babylon Beach Club – an adult assisted living facility. We saw houses raised from the original foundations, probably thanks to Super Storm Sandy. Then it was a short street called Merman Place that brought us to the right fork of Fire Island Avenue (the one that ends at the Village Pool), and we headed back to the fork to take a picture of the fork sign – Fire Island Avenue on all sides of the iconic Babylon milepost street signs. Then we went back to the car and drove to Trask Lane where Ellen and Eileen’s former coworker Donna lived until a fire during Super Storm Sandy destroyed the house. We then ended up on a street called The Crescent which took us back to Fire Island Avenue and then to Prospect Street where we parked and walked to Roe Roe’s Sweet Street. I promised Eileen a new Beanie Baby and she selected an owl called Hooty. Then it was back to the car and home.
My friend Jerry (a fellow St. John’s alumnus) is visited New York form his home in Arizona, and on Wednesday evening the 18th, he came out to Islip joined Ellen, Eileen and me at Café Americano in town. We all liked the restaurant a lot.
The next day at around 11:30 Eileen and I went to the Islip Movie House to see Mamma Mia 2, but it was not playing there – it was at Sayville. We had to get into the car and hustle out there. We got there in time and enjoyed the movie: a bit hard to follow at first until I realized that it was a flashback and current time, with pairs of actors and actresses playing the old and young versions of the characters. We liked the music, and the footage in Paris, NYC, and Croatia (but the setting is Greece). After the movie we went for a walk around Sayville from Railroad Avenue to near the Methodist Church and back, stopping some of the shops along the way.
I started to read Elizabeth Rush’s Rising. So far, I read the chapters about Jacob’s Point in RI, and Isle Jean Michel in LA. And then about Oakwood Beach on Staten Island, and how it was destroyed by the storm surge from Tropical Storm Sandy in 2012.
After work on July 27th I met up with my friend Charlie and wife, since Charlie is here in New York City as a visiting professor at Fordham University. After work I walked over to Times Square to meet them at Junior’s at the corner of Broadway and 49th Street. I ordered a steak burger and iced tea, and then after dinner we went to the M&M’s Store. I managed to get myself a zipper pull for my backpack (a brown M&M candy), for only $2. After our visit to the store, Charlie checked out the TDF Tickets across the street and eventually decided on Jersey Boys. And I wanted to grab the 7:30 train home.
After lunch on July 29th Eileen and I headed over to Babylon for a walk. We parked at the Municipal Lot behind the Brixton Pub and walked to Grove Place past the American Legion Hall, a 1909 house and St. Joseph Parish property. Then it was the Babylon High School athletic fields. We walked over to Argyle Lake and took photos, of the lake and also one from the shore with St. Joseph’s Church and the high school sports fields behind me (I see all of these from the train every day). I had also promised Eileen a mini Beanie Baby if she cooperated with me, so we stopped at Roe Roe’s on the way back to the car, and she selected a new friend named Olivia. We also bought some gummi candy which we had in the car on the way home. But before we went to the car, we stopped at the JP Morgan Chase Bank branch to get money from the ATM. Then it was to the car and onto Route 231 to the Southern State and home. We were back in Babylon on August 4th, walking around from Totten Place to Roe Roe's where Eileen got a Beanie Baby named Seaweed - a seal and we treated ourselves to some gummi candy. We also walked up Oak Place to the railroad union headquarters for a photo shoot before going home. We also walked in Islip before going to Babylon.
The next day Eileen and I went to Sayville to go to the movies and saw Christopher Robin. We liked the CGI's of the Pooh characters, and footage of London in the mid-20th century. Then we drove out to Patchogue for a nice walk along Main Street.
My nephew Eddie and his wife Kim had their new baby – Owen Russell – on August 8th. So Ellen and I are great aunt and great uncle. Three days later Eileen and I went to the East Islip post office to mail a card to Eddie & Kim to congratulate them. We had decided to go to Patchogue for a walk and lunch and headed east on the Sunrise to the Waverly Avenue exit and then to St. Joseph’s College. We did a nice walk around the campus, and everything was closed since it was Saturday. But we did take some nice photos. Then we headed to Ocean Avenue (the east/west divider) and into the village. I decided to park by the Patchogue Fire Department headquarters and took photos of memorials to 3 department members killed on 9-11. Since Eileen wanted to have lunch, we walked down to Main Street and decided on Del Fuego Tex Mex (a branch of the one in Babylon). We each had a burrito and iced tea, and when we were done I paid the bill with my Amex card and then we headed to Sensationally Sweet, a shop similar to Roe Roe’s Sweet Street and Sugared Up. One reason we stopped here is that there is a nice collection of Beanie Babies that I know that Eileen does not have. When we went inside, she decided on Buddy, a dachshund. We then bought a small bag of M&M’s to have on the way home. Before going back to the parking lot, Eileen took a photo of me at Main & Ocean, where the east, west, north and south streets originate. Back in Islip we stopped at the Islip library before returning home.
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On Sunday August 12th Eileen wanted to go for a walk again so I decided on SUNY Farmingdale. I had heard about the school but was never on the campus. We drove there and when we reached Route 110 it was raining. It looked like there were downpours because Route 110 and Conklin Street were flooded in some spots. Even the campus streets and parking lots were flooded. Eileen and I managed to get about a mile of walking in and got to admire the campus buildings. But like St. Joseph’s College, there were almost no other people around. After our walk we returned to Islip and stopped at the fire house for some iced tea.
On August 13th I walked over to 2nd Avenue at around 11:45 to meet Charlie & Debbie at Mee’s. It is a nice place, but it is a hike for me from Park Avenue. I have asked him on several occasions if we can meet at a place closer to Park Avenue, but he insists of Mee’s. Still, lunch was enjoyable, and I did like talking with old friends. And I was able to make it back to my desk in 1 hour. And the following evening, I finished Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury, and I think that we are fucked as a nation. I decided to bring back David Allen’s Getting Things Done since it did not capture my interest. I then took out Howie Rose’s Put It in the Books 50 Years of Mets Mania. Like Howie, I am a Mets fan since 1962, when I got in on the ground floor.
On August 18th, after the growers’ market, breakfast, and a shower Eileen and I headed to East Islip where I redeemed the bottles, and then we went to the post office to mail some items. There were errands to run in Islip, so I parked at the firehouse and we walked to Chase Manhattan Bank to pay bills and make a deposit, and then we walked to the library to return items, use the computers, and take out DVD’s. We decided to have lunch in Babylon, a foodie’s paradise. We headed over to the village and parked on Totten Place and walked through the Municipal Lot to Deer Park Avenue and then Jack Jack’s Coffee House. We decided on sharing an eggplant panini and washing it down with iced tea. Since we needed to do some more walking we walked west to Carll Avenue and south to Main Street, stopping to take more pictures, including one of a 1730 vintage house at #17 Carll Avenue that was first occupied by members of the Carll family. I had also promised Eileen another Beanie Baby since she cooperated with me, so we stopped in Roe Roe’s Sweet Street and she bought a critter called Trick (whose friend is Treat, which we will probably acquire later), and some gummi candy. Ellen had asked me to get cash, so it was a stop at the Babylon Chase Manhattan Bank branch and the ATM for some money. Then we headed back to Totten Place to get the car and drive to Route 231, and then the Southern State and home. I think that the walk in Babylon was over a mile. The next day we walked around Islip village from the firehouse to the library (Eileen returned some DVD's) and then headed over to Church Avenue and then back to the firehouse. Later she wanted to eat at Dang's BBQ, so the 3 of us had dinner there - a great place.
I finished Howie Rose's book and took out one covering football: The Senior by Mike Flynt. Mike returned to his former college (Sul Ross State in Alpine TX) at 59 years old in 2007 to play one more season after being kicked off of the team and expelled in August 1971. So far it has gotten me interested in Texas and football.
On the 25th, Eileen and I went out for a walk, so after some errands we drove to Babylon and parked on Totten Place. We headed to Deer Park Avenue and through about lunch at either a Philadelphia cheese-steak place on Railroad Avenue or a Greek restaurant on Grove Place. The cheese-steak place was a bit cramped, so we walked back to Grove Place to the Greek Garden for lamb gyros and iced tea. Then we walked along Grove Place past the American Legion hall for a photo op (my picture) and then towards Main Street along Mansfield Road and then to Roe Roe’s Sweet Street. Since Eileen cooperated with me, she got to pick out a Beanie Baby – Treat, who is Trick’s partner (the friend she bought last weekend). We also got some gummi candy that we enjoyed in the car as we headed to Route 231 and the Southern State. On August 26th, before the 9 AM Mass I walked through the East Islip Street Fair and brought home some freebies. In the afternoon the 3 of us went to Babylon to see Hairspray at the Argyle Theater. After the show, which we really enjoyed, we walked down Main Street to the Post Office Café for dinner. The ladies each had fish & chips while I had a chicken wrap.
Eileen and I did another walk in Babylon on September 1st. After parking at the usual place, we walked to Glen's Dinette on Main Street. It reminded me of the luncheonettes that I patronized 50 years ago, so we decided to have lunch there: a fish sandwich for Eileen and a Philly cheese steak for me. After lunch we walked west to Belton Road, taking time to photograph the new Bay Man statue at the marina, and in front of the Masonic Lodge at Belton Road. When we headed back to the car at Totten Place, we stopped in Roe Roe's Sweet Street so Eileen could get another Beanie Baby - Pee Wee, a hamster. The next day we went bowling at East Islip Lanes. Eileen had a down day - 69 and 70. Since I have bad hips and joints, I ended up with 92 and 110. But we had fun.
On Labor Day the 3 of us headed out to Orient Point to go on a boat tour around the lighthouses between Orient and Connecticut. We got to see lighthouses on Plum Island, Big Gull Island, Big Dumpling Island, Groton and New London Connecticut, and Fishers Island. When we got back to land we had dinner at Orient by the Sea, down the road from the ferry terminal.
I finished The Senior and it got me interested in Sul Ross State University, and since Sul Ross plays Louisiana College, that school as well. Now that I finished Mike's book, I started Amy Morin's 13 Things that Mentally Strong Don't Do. Besides the desire to work out more that The Senior had prodded me to do, 13 Things has gotten me eager to do new things to change my life: start playing my guitar again for change, don't try to make everyone else happy, don't dwell on the past, and don't hold grudges. The book also reminds us to never believe that the world owes us anything, there is nothing wrong with being alone, and don't expect immediate results.
Over the weekend of September 8th and 9th, Eileen went for some nice walks around Babylon, Huntington, and even Islip, and enjoyed a nice lunch at the Terrace Diner on Sunrise Highway. We were back in Babylon on the 16th to enjoy the annual craft fair in Argyle Park, and to visit Sweet Street where she got another Beanie Baby, a mouse named Anna.
I took September 19th off, so I could go to the annual St. John’s McCallen Society Mass and luncheon. I arrived early so I had a chance to walk around and visit some buildings, and to talk with receptionists in St. Augustine Hall and the Career Building about my time there, and how I met Ellen, and took chances to join the Islip FD and the company softball team.
I have been reading Duke Snider's autobiography, The Duke of Flatbush. He told us about his early years with the Brooklyn Dodgers, including the disappointments in losing the pennant to the Giants in both 1951 and 1962. losing the World Series to the Yankees and winning it all in 1955 and 1959. Then there was the move to California in 1958 and then being sold to the New York Mets and finishing his career in 1964 with the Giants.
On October 13th Eileen and I headed over to Patchogue to go for a walk and enjoy the Fall Festival on Main Street. After we parked at the fire house, we walked through New Village to Main Street and visited several tables, getting a coffee cup (free) candy (free) and a pumpkin ($3.00). As with our last visit to this village, we had lunch at Del Fuego and stopped at Sensationally Sweet for a Beanie Baby (this time a panda named Puck).
The next day was the semi-annual Islip Street Fair. We walked down to Main Street and checked out several tables, taking several freebies. Before heading home, we stopped in Coyle's Ice Cream Parlor. After we got home, we put the freebies away, and then I went back into town to help man the table that my American Legion post had set up. I took October 17th off because Ellen went to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital with her brother. Since I was watching Eileen, we decided to do some walking. In the morning we managed to walk from the firehouse to Islip High School and back, and also from the firehouse to the bank and the library and back. That got us about a mile and a half in. After lunch (we ordered from Subway) we drove over to Jones Beach Field 6 and walked to the Boardwalk Café and back, a round trip of 1.2 miles. Around 4 PM we went to East Islip Lanes so she could bowl with her league. Despite some issues with the gadget that removes pins still standing, she managed an average of 101. I finished The Duke of Flatbush in mid-October and then started Living in the Now by Gina Lake. It's a series of 95 essays about how to live in the present and to forget the past and not worry too much about the future. And the Ego is the part of us that prevents us from living useful lives in the present, unlike the Essence. I must admit that it is not easy reading, so I will probably have to read it twice.
I did some more walking with Eileen over the weekend of October 20-21. On Saturday we headed over to Babylon Village to enjoy the annual Fall Harvest Festival. It's similar to the ones that we went to in Patchogue and Islip. Here, Deer Park Avenue is closed between Main Street and Railroad Avenue and the business in the village set up tables. We walked the length of the festival and visited the various tables but did not buy anything. And the next day we walked from the Islip firehouse to Oconee Diner on Main Street at NY 111, since they set up life sized skeletons who posed as landscapers. After a brief photo session, we walked to the Islip Library to use the computers before going back to the car at Headquarters.
I was off for my birthday, October 26, and in the afternoon Eileen and I went up to Stony Brook University to check out the campus again. After lunch at the Hilton Garden Inn coffee shop we checked out the residence village, and then the West Book Store where I got myself a red hoodie and Eileen got another stuffed mascot (an elephant this time). Then it was the activities center and where we walked through the building and came upon a private Halloween Party. Then we kind of retraced our steps from our January walk there and headed back to the visitors parking lot to go home.
I brought back Gina Lake’s Living in the Now, as I kind of got the gist of the essays, and it was not the easiest book to read on the train. So now I know that a mind guided by the Ego is not a good thing, and we should strive to be in the Essence. On October 26 (off for my birthday) I took it back to the library and checked out The Last Pass by Gary Pomerantz. It is about two of the Boston Celtics’ greatest players: Bob Cousy and Bill Russell. And while I am from New York and find it hard to root for a Boston team, I respect the Celtics’ history and the greats who played for them – like Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and KC Jones to name a few.
Ellen had made reservations at the Red Rooster Bistro in Cutchogue (on Depot Lane at the LIRR tracks) to celebrate my birthday. When we got to Route 25, we first stopped at the Bayview Farm Stand where I got myself 3 duck eggs, and Ellen got red leaf lettuce and plum tomatoes. When we arrived at the Red Rooster Bistro we took pix outside, went inside and we were seated in a back room, next to the train tracks. Later I would photograph a westbound train going past our window. As for eats, Ellen and I had a nice white wine, and the 3 of us shared Prince Edward Island mussels. Main courses were duck for me. Beef Bourguignon for Ellen, and Pacific cod for Eileen. The bill came to $147.76, but my birthday only comes once a year. After taking a few more pix, we headed back home on Route 25 and then south to the Sunrise Highway.
On the following weekend Eileen and I went for a nice walk in Babylon (again). We had lunch at the Greek Garden and then continued down the street to visit the American Legion post and St. Joseph's Church. It was quite windy so we avoided Argyle Lake and went down a back street - Cottage Row - to Main Street and Roe Roe's Sweet Street. This time we got some M & M's and Eileen got another Beanie Baby - a fox named Finley. We then headed back to the car and home. Then on Sunday the 4th I went to the Annual Law & Order Dinner at my American Legion post. 5 Suffolk County police officers, and three high school students who participated in the state government were honored by the Legion and were given citations by our congressman, and also state, county & town officials.
On November 10th Eileen and I headed to Babylon around 1 PM and parked on the usual street (Totten Place). We did some walking and hoped to have lunch at Del Fuego, but there was 30-minute wait for a table. So we then walked back to Main Street to Roe Roe’s Sweet Street and Eileen got Beanie Baby #37 – a mouse named Miko. Since she wanted to go to a diner, we decided on the Terrace Diner where we shared a cheese quesadilla and French fries (smaller portions and lower costs), and each of us had iced tea. I naturally observed Veterans Day, and I headed to my American Legion post not long after getting up. Around 8:30 we went to the veteran’s triangle at Commack Road & Moffitt Boulevard for a ceremony, and then we headed to Town Hall West for a similar ceremony before returning to the post to relax and have coffee. Then around 10:15 we walked over to the Veterans Memorial Park at Town Hall to participate in Veterans Day ceremonies. Our immediate Past Commander, who served in country during the Vietnam War, told us about “killer babies” in Vietnam – youngsters who slipped hand grenades into the American soldiers’ pockets, and young girls who sold Coca Cola at the side of the roads – laced with battery acid. After the talks, the 21-gun salute, and the sounding of the siren at 11 AM, we walked back to the post where we enjoyed hot dogs, and I got to talk with some members, as well as two visitors from the Islip Fire Department before heading home. That was my lunch so I was able to save my appetite for dinner at Koi Kokoro. I was off on November 14th to take care of business at Chase Manhattan Bank and in the late afternoon Ellen wanted to call a lawyer as well as her brother to discuss financial planning for the 3 of us, so I took Eileen to bowling at East Islip Lanes. She did OK, 109 in game #1 and 84 in game #2, for an average of 97.5.
On November 17th I was up early and headed to the firehouse for coffee, and around 9:20 met Ellen at the Growers Market – the last one for 2018. Around 11 am Eileen and I stopped at 7-11 for the lottery ticket and then parked at the firehouse before walking to the library. We returned a DVD and also took out another one (La La Land) and I picked up Eric Metaxas’ book on Martin Luther. After our session we walked back to the firehouse and drove to Sunrise Highway. We wanted to try the Peter Pan Diner but the parking lot was full – we headed to the Terrace Diner instead. This time we split a fried chicken wrap (came with French fries) and each of us had a cup of soup. After lunch we headed to Route 231 and Babylon Village. We parked on James Street and walked to the LIRR station where each of us used our respective rest rooms and then walked to Park Avenue and then to the Hibernians’ Hall where I took 2 photos. We kept walking to Main Street and stopped in Roe Roe’s Sweet Street where Eileen got Beanie Baby #38 – a dog named Flora. Then we went next door to the liquor store for a bottle of wine – Duck Walk Vineyards Windmill Red. When we got home I uploaded the two pix from the camera and then headed over to St. Mary’s. On the following day the 3 of us went to dinner at Horace & Sylvia's on Deer Park Avenue, to celebrate Ellen's birthday. We had been there before and liked it each time.
I am still reading Never Ran, Never Will by November 21st I reached the chapter where the Mo Better Jaguars will be going to East Orange to play a major game. On the 21st, we got out early (3:30 for me) and I managed to get the 4:03 home and arrived in Islip at around 5:25. After dropping off my stuff, I went to the firehouse for coffee and watched the Duke-Gonzaga basketball game being played in Maui. It was a nail biter in the final minutes, but the Gonzaga Bulldogs won the game 89-87 and also the tournament.
On Thanksgiving morning I was up from habit and went to the firehouse for coffee and then headed to Hauppauge High School to watch part of the Turkey Bowl (see the Firefighting page for details). Since I brought my camera, I was able to take several photos that I downloaded to Google Photos and Facebook. It was in the 20’s temperature wise and with the wind chill, felt even worse. Since it was frigid outside, and I also had some errands to do for Ellen, I left in the second half (but Islip FD was leading 3-1 and ended up winning 3-2). Once home I had lunch and watched TV. Got to check out Investigation Discovery, as well as football and basketball games. I did find some time to update the two Billy 2018 websites. I helped Ellen with the Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, and I made turkey soup with the neck bone and innards and also carved the turkey. Since we did not have company, the dinner was not as formal as prior years.
Since I was off on Black Friday, I avoided the malls but take the CR-V to Babylon Honda for some maintenance - including having the heating system repaired. The visit costs us $440.00, but the car is in good running condition. I have done some more walking with Eileen: later on Black Friday we walked from the house to Little Shop of Shamrocks to get an anniversary gift (a nice Belleek Christmas tree ornament, and then walked up Islip Avenue to Oak Street and through the Wing School grounds.). On Saturday the 24th I had heard a radio ad for the South Bay Diner on Sunrise Highway across from Babylon Town Hall, I figured why not go there. At the diner Eileen and I split a chicken gyro wrap with French fries, and each had a bowl of seafood bisque, and iced teas. It was not that cheap (over $20) but I guess Eileen is worth it. Then we decided to go back to Babylon to do a walk. We headed down Route 109 to Railroad Avenue and then to Totten Place where we parked the car. We were going to walk into West Islip at the Atlantis Diner, but Eileen wanted to go down Willow Street so we headed down that street to Prospect, and then to Suydam Place. We walked up that short street and through the sidewalk connection to Main Street, and back to the car and took NY 231 to Sunrise and home
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On Sunday we went to the Islip Theater to see Ralph Breaks the Internet. It involved a video game character who tried to save a video game that was being discontinued. The Pixar film showed in cartoon form how the Internet works, and also featured the Disney princesses from Snow White to today. In the Evening the 3 of us went to Verace to celebrate Ellen and my 39th wedding anniversary (a day late).
On the train I finished Never Ran, Never Will. It makes me wish that we had a Pop Warner football program in Queensboro Hill 60 years ago. I resumed reading Eric Metaxas' biography of Martin Luther. I never realized how corrupt the Church was 500 years ago, and how scrupulous Martin Luther was when went to confession while a monk.
Sadly, on November 30, former president George H. W. Bush passed away today at the age of 94. RIP Mr. President. The next day, after I gassed up the car at East Islip Shell Eileen and I headed east on Sunrise and opted to go for a walk in Patchogue. We exited at the Ocean Avenue exit and drove to Patchogue FD and parked there. Then we walked down South Ocean Avenue past the former Union Savings Bank HQ (interviewed in 1989 there but Providence did not let me get hired, since they went in the 1990’s). Then we took some photos at a park with a trail and plants and then headed back to Main Street. We did another walk on the 2nd, driving to the firehouse, parking the car and walking to the library where Eileen picked out a DVD, and I picked up a book I had ordered weeks ago: The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane. We then walked back to the firehouse to drop off our library borrowings in the car and walked to Sugared Up and Eileen could get a Beanie Baby – a parrot named Diva (#40 in her collection). We then walked to South Bay Avenue and the Town Veterans Park and I took some photos with the cell phone. But without her sunglasses, I did not like how the photos of Eileen turned out. We also walked on to Nook & Cranny and I got to talk with Lori, the owner.
After work on December 7th I went to the Grand Hyatt Hotel for the firm’s annual Christmas/Holiday party. I walked over with my coworkers. There is always a raffle and this year I won:– a Starbucks gift basket. I got a car service home and we left the Grand Hyatt at around 9:15 and I arrived home in about 65 minutes – losing a few minutes on the Southern State Parkway thanks to roadwork. On December 8th Eileen and I visited the Islip Library and then walked from the firehouse to the high school campus to get some exercise in. When we got home I decided that it was time to re-new my subscription with Microsoft Office – as I do need Word and Excel.
While reading The Charisma Myth I realized that I have to improve my presence, warmth, and power (this one would not mean dominating or manipulating people, but being able to influence them, hopefully in a positive way). I can see that this book has changed my outlook on life, from the past to the present. No more self-pity. While power may not be that easy to improve, there are still warmth and presence that I can work on.
We did not get a chance to put up the Christmas decorations on December 2nd, the first Sunday of Advent but were able to do it the following Sunday. We put the ceramic Christmas tree and the village (with a Nativity scene) in the bay window, and also some items on the piano. I then went to the firehouse for the tailgate party: Giants at Washington, Jets at Buffalo. Big Blue won 40-16 over the Redskins; Gang Green won in the end, 27-23 over the Bills. I had one cheeseburger, and some Dr. Pepper – a lot less than others who were there. Someone bought a football to the event and after and I tossed the ball back and forth with one of the other members there. He probably expected me to drop it at every pass, but like him, I only missed one. I was surprised that my aim was that good – not William Tell accurate, but better than I realized. I then left at around 3:15 to come home and change and get ready for my American Legion Post’s Christmas party. This time Eileen and I walked to Main Street (through Nikia Drive) to stop at Sugared Up where Eileen bought a Beanie Baby (#41, Gene a cute critter) and then we stopped at the Chase ATM where I took out some $$. After taking some pix at Town Hall we arrived at the Post and met Ellen in the meeting room. Dinner was goulash with stuffing and veggies, and salad. There was a Chinese auction raffle, and we bought $20 worth of tickets and I won a gift certificate to Butera’s Restaurant in Sayville, and with losing tickets won a consolation prize as well – a plate of cookies. All in all we had a good time.
The next day I was off to day since I went to the ear nose & throat specialist up in Islandia. The doctor cleared out the wax in both ears – a lot in the right. I have eczema in the right ear. After the visit I headed to Islip and went to the barbershop and after that, to the pharmacy to get the prescription that the ENT doctor prescribed. There was the Engine 2 meeting in the evening, with a nice Christmas dinner, and cigars, for the members. 2 days later I went to the surrogate’s court on Sutphin Boulevard to get letters of testamentary so I can redeem savings bonds and then deposit the proceeds into my mom’s estate account. Since I got to Jamaica early, I relaxed at the Starbucks across the street. After I bought my letters of testamentary, I walked back to the LIRR station and then I headed to work where arrived at 10:15. It was pretty much non-stop the rest of the day.
Eileen and I did a nice walk on December 15th, at Adelphi University in Garden City. We first stopped for lunch at the Terrace Diner and then proceeded up Route 109 to the Southern State and then to Exit 17 on the parkway. Even though I have not been to the campus in over 30 years, I was able to find it and it has changed a lot since then. We parked the car and then headed to the University Center and visited the bookstore where we purchased a tee shirt for me and a panther mascot for Eileen. We then walked around the campus photographing the various buildings with my digital camera before heading back to the car to go home. We did another campus tour 5 days later, this time at St. John's University. Once we parked in the south parking lot, we stopped in the St. Thomas Moore Church to make a quick visit (and then went across the Quadrangle and took pix by the Celtic Cross. I was planning to visit the food court in Marillac Terrace, when a lady coming out of the admissions office told me that most of the vendors are closed since the University is closed, but Dunkin Donuts was open. So that is where we headed. Eileen had a grilled cheese with iced tea, while I had two small wraps with coffee. Then we walked past Bent Hall and to the Carnesecca Arena/Alumni Hall. We took some pix there, as well as inside Bent Hall by their ticket tape room. Then there was a walk past the Taffner Field House and then the D’Angelo Center. There were the 5 core values posted on the wall so we took pictures of them. And since it’s Christmas time, they has a sculpture on huge Christmas balls by Lourdes Hall, and naturally we could not resist a photo op there. Then it was back to the book store where Eileen got a wildcat mascot, and I got an SJU Alumni sweatshirt. The store game me a 10% discount since I am an alumnus. Then we walked back to the car going past St. Johns Hall, and the statue of St. John (another photo op) and past the law school and then the car, to head home.
I had decided to take off after December 18th (lose them or lose them) but on December 19th I did go in on the usual 7:10 train to my internist up on East 72nd Street. I got there early and the patient ahead of me was running late, so they took me early and ran blood work, as well as the usual heart & lungs. The heart & lungs seem to be OK, but the jury is out for a few days on the blood work. When they were done, I walked to the 72nd Street Station at 2nd Avenue and then took the Q back to Herald Square, walked to Penn and grabbed the 10:22 home. Ellen could not pick me up because she was waiting for a chimney sweep to arrive, so I walked from the station. I had lunch and after that Eileen and I drove into town where I parked at the firehouse and we walked to the library to take out some items and use the computers. and when our time on the computer was over, we drove over to East Islip Lanes. On the 21st I went to my dentist's office over in East Islip for a cleaning, x-rays, and to have the cap put back in. Later on Friday I took Eileen to the movies – we saw Mary Poppins Returns. Maybe because I was still tired from the work week, but I nodded off a few times. And it was slow moving in some spots. But I did like the footage of 1930’s London.
I am still reading The Charisma Myth and Olivia Fox Cabane tells us not to tense up because others will see that . I have been walking taller and trying not to dwell on the past. She also says that self-pity is harmful. I had it and it looks like I really made a somewhat troubled life even worse by self-pity, denial, resentment, and negative thoughts to name a few. But it is never too late to begin again. I have to practice self-esteem and self-compassion (avoid self-pity) and develop self-confidence. While I am a bit leery of power, I can work on warmth and presence to be charismatic.
Ellen and I met our new great nephew on December 23rd when my nephew, nice in law and great nephew came by the house to visit. Naturally I took lots of photos, and we all went to dinner at Mango Tango on Main Street in Islip.
Eileen and I managed to get some walks in during the latter part of December. On December 22nd, we visited Port Jefferson (very hilly up there on the North Shore) and had lunch at a taco place and got a Christmas stocking stuffer at a gift shop. On Christmas Eve, we went to Babylon Village again, walking along Main and Prospect Streets past the bay man statue and the library, and ending at Roe Roe's Sweet Street.
In another part of The Charisma Myth Olivia Fox Cabane tells us not to tense up because others will see that . I have been walking taller and trying not to dwell on the past. She also says that self-pity is harmful. I had it and it looks like I really made a somewhat troubled life even worse by self-pity, denial, resentment, and negative thoughts to name a few. But it is never too late to begin again. I have to practice self-esteem and self-compassion (avoid self-pity) and develop self-confidence. While I am a bit leery of power, I can work on warmth and presence to be charismatic. By the end of 2018 I finished The Charisma Myth and hope that it will make my life better. I do see changes already.
I finished 2018 on December 29th with a visit with Ellen and Eileen to a nice restaurant in Syosset called Rare650 (the address is 650 Jericho Turnpike). It is quite upscale and we only went there because my brother in law and sister in law invited us, and they live nearby. Luckily my brother in law picked up the tab, or else Ellen and Eileen would both have to get jobs. Rare650 is a good place but out of my price range.
Best wishes for a happy 2019.