Flora Purim

Flora Purim still has a beautiful voice at 80 years old. Unfortunately I had really forgotten about her until the other day I saw that she had just released a new album which is her first in seventeen years. I had to listen to it on Spotify but first I put on a couple of her albums that I loved in the early 1970's. 

I saw her live in 1974 in a small club in downtown Phily and then again later in the year with Chick Corea's Return To Forever band. I found out about this Brazilian singer through my friend John who convinced me to go with him to see her perform that first time. She was fantastic. John was living with us in our house on Seymour Street at the time and he had a couple of her solo albums which he played a lot. I soon found out she was singing on the early Return To Forever records Return to Forever and Light as a Feather. She also sang on two of my favorite Santana albums; Welcome, 1973 and Borboletta, 1974.

Her solo music sound was Brazilian Latin Jazz music blended with the new electric jazz. She was also married to the jazz percussionist Airto Moreira.

So today I listened to her 1973 album Butterfly Dreams and then her 1976 album Open Your Eyes You Can Fly. I really liked both of these records back in the day. Then I played her new album If You Will.

There have been some nice articles about her recently in the New York Times - The Brazilian Jazz Great Flora Purim Has Many Stories to Tell and from NPR - Her Voice is in the Air. 

Update: Of course today I had to listen to those two Santana albums from 1973 and 1974 with Flora Purim on them. 

Sea of Tranquility

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, 2022. This is the new novel from the Canadian author of Station Eleven which I read in early 2015 shortly after it was published. I recently also watched the HBO Max television miniseries of the book which was released in December 2021. I loved the book and thought the show was very well done. I was excited when I heard she had a new book being released in early April. I checked the public library and when it became available I placed a hold. I was surprised when I was able to download the ebook within a week after it's release. I saw that there were six people waiting for my copy so I read it quickly since I knew I wouldn't have another chance anytime soon.

However, this new novel was so good and so interesting I had no problem reading it in a few days even though part of that time we were still in Philly with Katie and the kids. It was a great thought provoking science fiction story about time travel and the fascinating experiences of a group of people. 

This novel was written during the outbreak of Covid-19 and the theme of pandemics their effects on humanity over the centuries runs throughout the book. I've have recently read several books that have a pandemic as part of the plot but they were written before the current pandemic. This book was written while the author was in lockdown and I wonder how many novels we will be seeing that takes place during this pandemic either as the main driving plot or in the background as a new way of life. It also makes me wonder about the literature of the 1918-1920 pandemic. I don't recall it being a theme of novels written at the time. Since I've been lately doing the family history research I've been wondering about how my grandparents and great-grandparents dealt with their pandemic.

Station Eleven TV Series  

Station Eleven Novel

Spring Cold

We had a really wonderful time in Philadelphia visiting with family. The weather was great up until the last few days when winter seemed to return. Then those last four days were marred somewhat with me getting a spring cold.

I first felt a tickle in my throat on Friday. Then we went out and had a few beers which didn't help. Whatever bug that got my sick I had before we went out that night so it wasn't something I picked up in a bar or restaurant but the next day I knew I had a bad cold.

For the past two years we have been living in a pandemic bubble for most of the time. Becky and I had not been in crowds and most of the time we went out for dinner it would be at an outside patio or a spacious restaurant with access to open air. We have spent time with family both here in Buffalo and in Philadelphia, Glenville and Long Lake. Mostly it wasn't cold season. This time was different. We had some very warm weather in Philly that suddenly went cold. My immune system was probably not working as usual because of the lack of exposure over the past two years. I got sick.

Being around kids in daycare and school probably didn't help. I remember all the times I got sick from something brought home by the kids from their schools and daycare centers. Then later from both of us working on college campuses with students.

The worst part of getting sick this time was not being able to hold that little baby Violet. We had bonded so much over the first few days that it really hurt not to be able to hold her those last few days. I really missed that but it was important not to take chances with that little one.

Becky was great in going out and getting me cold medicine. It was not a very severe cold but annoying. Then we stayed an extra day because of the weather and not wanting to travel across New York State in a snowstorm. The next day was wonderful weather and we had a nice trip home although I was still sick with the spring cold.

It felt very good to lay down and sleep after we got home. I went to bed early and very tired from driving and not feeling well. I was taking medicine and trying to take care of myself. It was cold in Buffalo so I wasn't going outside. I just wanted to get over this illness. I'm still feeling it but slowly getting better.

We are looking forward to some warm weather here in a couple of days.

The Electric Minivan

I got my first ride in the front seat of Katie and Todd's electric minivan. I was in it a few days earlier but sat in the very back row with Katie and Violet where I didn't get to see much or experience some of the unique features of this vehicle other than the quiet ride. It was also very nice to fit everyone in the car at the same time. Katie, Todd, Henry, Clara, Violet, Becky and me.

Their old car which was a hand-me-down from Todd's mom was just too small for their growing family. They needed a car that could handle three children's car seats of various sizes. They also wanted an electric car. They had to go with a hybrid because the car companies were not making full electric only minivans yet. They went with a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid. 

They had to order the car from the manufacturer because of supply problems there weren't any vehicles available anywhere. They had to wait for their car to be built and the dealer kept them updated on the progress. They tried to get the car before the baby was due but Chrysler kept putting off the availability date. The baby came early and the car wasn't ready yet. We were there with them when the car shipped to Philadelphia and Todd was able to pick it up. They had planned to sell their old car themselves because the dealer would not give them a decent price for it but that was a whole other 2 am hit and run story told here.

They also had to get an electrician to run a line from their house across the yard to their parking pad where a post and charging station were installed. Todd had to dig a trench across the backyard where the electric line was buried and then cover it back up. A lot of work. 

Today I sat in the front seat with Kate when we went to pick up Henry from his school. She gave me a rundown on the features which were very cool. I was especially surprised to see the push button transmission. I hadn't seen one of those since Mart's Chrysler back in the early 1960's. I also liked all the safety bells and whistles and the way the car's system integrated with her phone.

The front seat was very comfortable. They drive around the city using electric power and the only time they use gas is on the highway. They have gone over two months on the same tank of gas. They will be driving to Buffalo in a few weeks and they will get a better idea of their gas mileage then.

Travel Plans

Yesterday was supposed to be our last day in Philadelphia. Our travel plans had us driving back to Buffalo this morning. Then yesterday we checked our weather apps and also saw the national news which was broadcasting travel warnings on the East Coast and particularly New York and Pennsylvania concerning a storm coming through the area on Monday night and all day Tuesday that would dump 3 to 6 inches of snow in it's path. That path included, according to my weather app, Scranton, Binghamton, Syracuse and Rochester. There would also be some snow in Buffalo but not as much. I posted the map from my phone weather app which shows the storm in the morning. As the day goes on it shifts west along our travel route and the Syracuse to Rochester to Buffalo thruway fills in with snow.

Needless to say we changed our travel plans and decided to drive back to Buffalo on Wednesday when it the forecast for our entire travel route is sunny and temperatures in the 50's. Big difference. 

We began this trip on April 7th when we drove to Sean and Ashley's house for Andrew's first birthday. We stayed there for four days and left for Philadelphia on the 11th for Easter Week. We then planned to leave for home after Easter but the Monday after Easter is one of the busiest travel days of the year and we really didn't want to drive for nearly eight hours at that time. So we made plans to drive back home on Tuesday and now we have changed those plans to go home on Wednesday. It really doesn't matter to us as we luckily are retired with no special reason to be in Buffalo any time other than when we want to be there. We had so much wonderful weather on the Philly part of our trip. It felt like summer. It's too bad that storm came along. It's been cold in Philly the past couple of days but nothing like what we would have seen in NY State and upper PA.

We will now have an extra day with our grandchildren and we will drive back home on a beautiful sunny spring day rather than the previous day of a cold wintery snow storm. 

Good Friday

It was Good Friday. We were always told growing up that you had to eat fish on Good Friday so I ordered Catfish Tacos. Well, nice thought but I wasn't thinking about Catholic traditions when I ate that fish. It was just a Friday night out having dinner and beers with my wife, my brother, my sister and her husband. At the dinner table I brought up the old family tradition of not talking during the three hours that Christ was dying on the cross. Yep, a three hour moment of silence when we were kids. I remember we were always trying new ways to break the silence.

Then I was in the church choir. Those three hours were then spent singing Gregorian chants and slow sad dirges in church. Then there was the Stations of the Cross. I sang for that too on Good Friday. Of course all of Holy Week was full of singing in church for me. It started on Palm Sunday and the mass on Holy Thursday. After the Good Friday services there were several hours of chanting on Holy Saturday. The highlight of the week was then the Easter Sunday high mass and services. None of this would have happened without the events of Good Friday.

Port Mahon

Fifty years ago in April 1972 I had a five day port visit to the Spanish Balearic Islands where we tied up to a pier at Port Mahon on the island of Menorca. We were there April 11 - 15. We were surprised at the time to have another port visit so soon after our recent week in Athens. 

Port Mahon was a very fascinating place that is steeped in history. It has one of the largest natural harbors in the world that had been conquered by many different empires over the centuries. It was an important navy base for the British Empire throughout the 18th Century and included a shipyard and Navy hospital. It has been part of Spain since 1802. 

During the 20th Century the island and particularly the city of Mahon has become a tourist destination especially for the British. I was very impressed and fascinated by the restaurants, pubs, shops and tourist attractions in the town that catered to the English people. There were many ruins of structures from this former British possession and military base.

We spent five days in Port Mahon. There were fantastic beaches and wonderful seaside cafes, restaurants and establishments. The beach and port areas were surrounded by the old town which stretched up into the hills and were filled with narrow streets and congested old buildings. We were surprised to find one area that had several British style pubs located along the winding street that was full of people and serving English beers with soccer on the televisions. They also had very English sounding pub names. We had a great time there.

There were many great restaurants and clubs along the waterfront that catered to the many tourists on the island and the cruise ships that were always coming and going. One of the most popular night clubs in the town was closed the day we arrived which was a Tuesday. When they realized a US Navy ship had just arrived in port with a crew of about 350 sailors they opened the club that night. We would be better off hanging out in the pubs.

During my time in the Navy I would visit two other Spanish islands with some fun and interesting ports including Ibiza and Palma on the island of Mallorca. 

Chestnut Hill Grill and Brewery

Two places. One night. We made arrangements to see Betsy and Joe for dinner. First they came down to Katie and Todd's house to see the grandchildren. Because of Covid this was actually the first time they had seen Violet. We hung around the house with the kids for a couple of hours and then decided to head up to Chestnut Hill for dinner.

I had talked with Dan and he wanted to meet us for dinner too. I made reservations at the Chestnut Hill Grill that's located in the Chestnut Hill Hotel. We've had dinner there several times in recent years and it is always good. Our dinner was for 5:30 pm. A little after 4 we got into our separate cars and drove up Germantown Avenue. We thought it would be easier for Betsy and Joe to drive home directly from the restaurant rather than taking us back or vice versa. It was hard getting a parking space in the lot but Betsy and Joe lucked out as someone was pulling out as they arrived. We parked around the corner on the street near the Water Tower Park.

We left Mt Airy a little after four because Joe wanted to first stop by the Chestnut Hill Brewery to see his nephew who recently took a job as a chef there. The Brewery is located next to the Hotel and is in a market area with several restaurants and shops. It is sort of like a little Reading Terminal Market with an enclosed patio eating area shared by all of the food places including the Brewery which has a good pizza and pub food business besides making beers. We have been to that market a few times with Katie and Todd but had never actually gone into the Chestnut Hill Brewery taproom which is in an adjacent building and has a very nice bar.

We sat at the bar in the taproom and hung out for awhile with Joe's nephew Dan who made us a snack with our beers. I had their new IPA that celebrates their five years in business brewing... Five Years of Beer IPA. They had a very nice selection of beers and a good menu too.

At about 5:25 we headed over to the Chestnut Hill Grill & Sidewalk Cafe. They seated us in a booth near the bar. Dan was sitting at the bar when we came in and immediately joined us in the booth We ordered another round of beers. I was surprised they had Flower Power IPA from Ithaca Brewery on tap and couldn't resist ordering one. It had been a while since I had a draft of this old favorite.

The dinner and the service was wonderful. Becky had a grilled chicken salad and I had catfish tacos. I also had a Big Wave Golden Ale draft from Kona Brewing. The five of us had a great time in our booth. Afterwards we had wanted to go back to the Brewery because Joe wanted to see his nephew again. We thought we would have one more before heading home. It was around 7 pm but the taproom was overflowing crowded as was all of the outdoor seating in the area too. It certainly did look like the Friday

night on a holiday weekend that it was. People were everywhere. We tried a couple of nearby places but then headed back to the Chestnut Hill Grill where three of us got a seat at the bar. Me and Dan were standing but that was OK. That place soon filled up too. We had one beer, mine was a Blood Money IPA from Conshohocken Brewing, and then we went home. Betsy and Joe drove back to Palm, PA and Dan walked down to another bar. Me and Becky went back to Katie's house where we had soda waters before going to bed early. It was a long but not late night.

Stella Getting Comfortable

Staying at Katie and Todd's house always give us a chance to hang out with their dog Stella. She is a wonderful little thing and we both enjoy taking her for walks in the Mt. Airy neighborhood. She especially loves walking down Germantown Avenue where she will stop and inspect every tree, pole, and vertical object along the route. She always gets lots of comments from people we pass by.

In a few weeks they will all be visiting us in Buffalo and staying at our home for a few days. Stella loves our house too and feels very much at home. She also loves going on walks around our Parkside neighborhood and will strongly insist on heading towards Delaware Park where she loves walking alongside the zoo. I'll never forget the time she barked lustily at a rhino off in the distance as we walked by the zoo along Parkside Avenue. That was a hoot. 

Whenever we are around her she insist that Becky and I should each give her a mealtime scoop of her food even after she has been fed by Katie or Todd. She loves her meals and treats. She is also very good with the children.

The Parkway and the Splash Pad

It was a beautiful April spring day in downtown Philadelphia and we were enjoying the sun as we left the science museum and walked across the street to the Logan Square fountain. We walked further down along the Parkway which was full of people and headed over to the splash pad in Sister Cities Park across the street from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. I haven't been in that church in well over fifty years. I thought about taking a peek but it was closing as I pondered going over there.

Henry and Clara played in the splash pad and got wet while we sat and watched them. Violet was enjoying herself looking around and also discovered her feet which kept her busy for awhile. The kids played for about an hour and then we headed through the park and over to the car. Fortunately there were some clothes for the kids to change out of their wet clothes and into something dry. I was very impressed with the park and the little restaurant there.

Todd was fortunate to find a close parking space just outside the park on Vine street just off the square. He knew about that potential parking area and had parked there before on other occasions. 

We went back up the Parkway to Kelly Drive and on to Lincoln Drive up to Mt Airy. It was a very pleasant day between the museum and the park.

Academy of Natural Sciences

This afternoon we all piled into Katie and Todd's new electric van and went downtown to the Academy of Natural Sciences on Logan Square on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. There was a special exhibition that opened this week that Henry was particularly interested in seeing. Todd purchased a family pass for the museum. This was also one of my favorite museums when I was growing up in Philadelphia.

The special exhibit was Extreme Deep: Mission to the Abyss and it explores the mysteries of the deep sea. Henry had been recently reading about the undersea world and was fascinated with the creatures of the deep oceans. There was a lot to see in this exhibit. I later asked him what was his favorite part of the exhibit and he expressed his love of the submarine control room where he could control the camera views of the deep sea and look out the windows.

But of course most of the time in the museum was spent in the hall of the dinosaurs. Little kids do love those dinosaurs and this museum had a bunch of them. Henry loved telling Clara about them as they passed by the exhibits. A lot of these were the same exhibits I saw and loved as a child. Then we passed through the halls of the dioramas of large mammals. Henry and Clara went along saying hi to the various animals.

We had a wonderful time and the kids got all tired out. There was more to see but there will be other times now that they have the family membership. We left the museum and walked across the square and down the parkway to the public splash pad.

Pile on Poppa

Earlier today I had all three of our Philly grandchildren on my lap and at my side. Todd took the picture and called it "pile on Poppa". It's been a wonderful couple of days now with those wonderful three kids and we are looking forward to the coming week with them.

When we arrived yesterday afternoon they were playing in the backyard on a playdate with three other neighborhood kids. The older child was a classmate of Henry. It was nice to see them all there together having fun.

Our kids were very happy to see us. We spent a lot of time that first evening cuddling and hanging out together. They had so much to show us.

Today has been a continuation of last night. It has been especially fun to spend time with Violet. The last time we saw her she was only a week or so old. We have had many video chat sessions but there certainly is nothing like holding them in our arms. Violet has been very happy to see us and smiles lovingly all the time.

Albany to Philly

We left Sean and Ashley's house Monday morning about 9:30 am. They left for work around 7:30 and had taken Andrew to daycare. We said our goodbyes and then took our time getting ready to leave and packing up the car. Then we also said our goodbyes to Tony and went on the road. It was also a beautiful day for a drive.

This was also the first time we drove from Sean's house in Glenville to Katie's house in Philly which is a trip I'm sure we will be making numerous times over the coming years. We took a little time beforehand to plot our route. Sean and Ashley had just driven down that way a few weeks before and we asked them for their route which they said took them down Rt 87 to 95 and then down to Philly. That was one of the ways Google Maps was recommending but we were not happy with driving down that close to New York City and all of that traffic. We looked for alternative routes which there were plenty.

At first I was set on taking Rt 88 out of Albany and then heading west to Binghamton. From there it would be our usual familiar drive to Philly but it would add some time to the trip possibly up to an hour. Another option was to take 87 down to 84 and then take that to Scranton where we would pick up 81. That too would also add some time to the trip. 

Well, we ended up doing something a little different. We drove down 87 then picked up 287 as we entered New Jersey. Took that down to Rt 202 and followed that all the way to Pennsylvania through New Hope and then to the 309 which we took to Cheltenham and right on into Mt Airy.

There were a couple of places in New Jersey when the highway became more of a suburban sprawl route but for the most part it was an OK drive and really something very different for us. I think it would really depend on the day of the week and the time of day to make a decision for taking that route again. For this trip it was a mid-day Monday but I would hate to drive it on any rush hour or weekend. It was still closer to New York City than we would have liked for driving.

Fortunately it was also very nice weather for driving and we arrived at Katie's house that afternoon where the kids were playing in the backyard with some neighbor children.

A Polish Tradition

I don't know very much about Polish traditions but there is one that some of the folks in our extended family have had some fun with and that is the first birthday object selection. The way we heard it from our Polish sister-in-law was that at a child's first birthday family party they would be presented with three objects and the first one selected by the child would be the big influence of their lives. In this version of the tradition there would be set in front of them a shot glass, a dollar bill and a bible.

We did it for our grandson Andrew's first birthday and he went for the dollar bill and then the shot glass. Everyone had a laugh. Supposedly the shot glass signified a gregarious person, the dollar bill indicated a successful business person and the bible meant a religious or spiritual. 

I did a little research into this tradition and discovered first of all that it was a Polish-American tradition and was initially included several objects. The shot glass meant the person would grow up to be a drunk but it was later given the meaning of a gregarious and friendly person. There was a rosary or cross that meant if selected the child would grow up to be a priest or nun. This was softened to indicate the religious or spiritual person. The money was originally a silver coin which meant the child would become a wealthy and successful business owner. There was a book that indicated if selected the person would be an intellectual. Finally there was a piece of bread which if picked meant the child would never go hungry and would be prosperous.

People at the party enjoyed this little activity. We had done this with our other grandchildren at one and they both went for the dollar bills or shot glasses and not the bible.

Andrew's First Birthday

Andrew's birthday was April 7th. We arrived at Sean and Ashley's house on that afternoon. We briefly celebrated his birthday but he already had a chocolate cupcake at his daycare center, he was tired and it was getting late. On Friday the next day we celebrated his birthday some more. Sean brought him home early from daycare so we could spend time with him. We had a wonderful several hours with him.

On Saturday Sean and Ashely had a birthday party for him. The weather for the day was not going to be good so they had a somewhat smaller party than they would have had if it could have been held outdoors. They invited some friends and some of Ashely's family members. The day did turn out to be rainy as predicted. The party began in the early afternoon and people showed up between one and three. 

Andrew had a great time. We all did. He was also a real trooper and had no outburst, fusses or crying jags throughout the day. He enjoyed himself throughout the day. He loved opening presents and playing with the wrapping paper and boxes. He got a lot of great toys too. When it was time to eat some birthday cake he was good for that too. There was no fuss when it was taken away after his mother thought he had enough.

There was also a funny moment earlier in the party when Andrew was surrounded by his new toys but he was obsessed with playing with a dust buster vacuum and dragging it all over the floor.

I had spent some time talking with the father of one of Ashely's work friends who was in the area visiting his daughter. He was from Buffalo and we had an interesting conversation about the old neighborhood bars. He was thrilled when I brought up Anacone's and was familiar with their jukebox full of classic jazz. 

Overall a very nice afternoon and no first birthday meltdown.

On The Road Again

Today we made the four and a half hour drive from Buffalo to Sean and Ashley's house in Glenville NY. We were there to celebrate our grandson Andrew's first birthday over the long weekend.

It was raining for most of the drive especially between Buffalo and Utica although a lot of the time it was a light rain with a few occasional heavy times. We pulled over at a rest stop to each some lunch we brought with us. I'm looking forward to the time when we can stop at a restaurant along the way for a nice lunch. There is a cool looking dockside restaurant along the Mohawk River that looks especially inviting with a large patio. Unfortunately it was raining as we went by and we were not ready for unfamiliar pandemic dining yet.

The last hour of the drive was very pleasant. The rain had stopped and the sun came out. We arrived at Sean and Ashley's house and spent some time with Tony before they came home from work along with Andrew from daycare. Tony made us a nice dinner.

The Medieval People

I've been reading an interesting book on America history with a rather unique perspective titled Fantasyland and today I came across a reference and description of the Society For Creative Anachronism. During the first two years I lived in the house on Seymour Street that had belonged to my Keegan relatives we had people living next door from that group. I had never heard of that group and we just referred to our neighbors as The Medieval People.

Later on I would learn more about the group but in 1974-75 I thought they were weirdly crazy medieval reenactors. The group next door was part of an international organization dedicated to the research and re-creation of pre-17th Century European culture, arts, skills, combat, history and activities of the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. Apparently there were groups of these people all over the country and we had them next door.

There were four people living in the house all the time although lots of other people were always coming and going. Most of the time around the house and backyard they were dressed in medieval garb. The main guy was a geology professor at Penn and he was called Bishop Bob. His wife was just known as The Lady. They had other names but that is how we knew them. There was another guy who lived there and did all the household chores, cutting the grass, shoveling snow, etc. We just called him The Serf. Up on the third floor lived The Wizard. I can't remember his name now but he was the only one of the group that I was somewhat friends with. A few times I went up to his room to hang out and smoke pot. He had a large collection of magic stuff. 

Sometimes people would come over and they would be in the backyard practicing sword fights. Then they would all eat some really foul smelling gruel.  We sat in our backyard drinking beer and watching all the craziness in amazement.

Eventually they moved out and Ernie, his wife who only stayed with him about a year, and his dog Prince moved in. Many years later after I was gone from Seymour Street that place became a crack house and then eventually burned down. It's an empty lot today.

My Piano Duet

I was watching some piano concert videos on YouTube and I had a sudden flashback memory of my one time piano duet at a school concert recital back when I was probably around ten years old or maybe eight. It was in the Saint Francis of Assisi School auditorium and I was up on stage with another kid playing a duet. I don't remember his name and I don't remember what we were playing. It's like I blocked it out. 

We had done a lot of practicing together at school in preparation for the concert. The nun who was our piano teacher thought we were ready but things went very wrong right away. We both soon lost our place in the music. I remember frantically asking him "where are we" in the sheet music and he whispered "I don't know". We must have sounded awful just sitting there banging away at the keys. It all finally somehow came to an end. We got up and took a bow to some polite applause and then slinked off the stage. I continued to play piano and take lessons into my teenage years but I never again attempted to play a duet with someone on a stage.

Sick - No Show

Yesterday, Friday April 1, Becky and I were invited to attend a morning concert by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra by Barbara and Brian Baird. They are supporters of the Orchestra and always have concert tickets. They have taken us to shows before and it has always been very nice. They have great seats in the first row of the balcony. The plan this time was to pick us up a little before ten, get down to the music hall for their spread of donuts, attend the concert and then go somewhere for lunch. There was a wonderful program set for the concert including a Schumann concerto for cello. I was very excited and looking forward to seeing this concert.

Unfortunately yesterday morning I woke up feeling sick. I knew immediately that there was a problem and it didn't go away. Nausea, fatigue, intestinal distress, light-headedness. It felt like that pesky 24 hour virus again. I had a little bit of breakfast but the symptoms remained and I told Becky about my issues about an hour before we were to leave. She immediately stated that I should stay home and that it would not be good for me to go there and spread germs. I also would not enjoy myself. I had already gone to the bathroom twice and my bowels felt like they would need to go at anytime. I would end up going two more times that morning. I really couldn't see myself sitting there for a couple of hours. I stayed home.

Becky enjoyed the concert very much and knew that I would have too. I do like a good cello very much. I went back to bed after she left and stayed there until almost two o'clock in the afternoon when she returned. The concert performances were very long. The program started off with one short piece and then the long concerto for cello. There was an intermission and then another hour long Franck symphony after that.

They all went to lunch following the concert. Usually we would go with them to The Place after a concert but they thought it would be crowded and tight in there as it is a relatively small restaurant. They decided to go over to Saigon Cafe on Elmwood. After a difficult time finding a parking space they discovered the the restaurant was closed for lunch. Then they decided to go to Cole's, drove down there, parked and walked over to it to see it closed for lunch too. Barbara suggested they go across the street to Pano's but was surprised to hear from Becky that it has been closed for a couple of years. They then decided to drive over to Hertel Avenue and eventually had lunch at Kosta's. 

In the meantime I slept for about two hours. I felt a little better when I got up but still not right. By late afternoon I was feeling somewhat normal but still went to bed early last night. Today I feel fine again. I should listen to some cello music now.

Bird Brains

We love our bird feeder and the birds who come to feed. However, our bird feeder is designed for small birds. We enjoy the finches, chickadees and juncos that hang out there all winter. We enjoy watching the large groups of sparrows that congregate together although we refer to them as the riffraff. 

Our neighbor's backyard bird feeder does not have a size limit and the larger birds like the cardinals, bluejays, crows, woodpeckers, grackles along with the small birds all feed there. We can watch and enjoy them too.

It is interesting to watch the bigger birds try to get the seeds from our feeder which is impossible for them but they keep trying. We call them birdbrains as we watch them try over and over again to get their impossibly large bodies through the grating that surrounds the bird seed. Sometimes a grackle will try every possible slot in the grating just in case one will let him slip his head in to get some seed. 

Then there is the cardinals who just hang around all the time looking for a way to get some seed. Maybe one of the finches will drop some on the ground.

Shipboard Reading

I read a lot of books while at sea during my Navy years and at this time fifty years ago I had taken a large number of classic sci-fi and adventure books with me on our six month cruise in the Mediterranean Sea. 

I've recently and currently have been reading some Jules Verne novels which reminded me that I had done the same thing back in the day.

I read about ten Edgar Rice Burroughs on that cruise or right after it and several books by H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury, James Michener, John Steinbeck, Irving Stone, Jack London and Joseph Conrad. A lot of the guys on the ship were reading Louis L'Mour Western novels and I ended up borrowing and reading seven of them. I also read a couple of soon to be classics on that cruise... The Godfather, The Exorcist.

I often read a lot of books in my bunk in the berthing compartment. Most of the guys living together in our area spent most of their spare time playing cards. I did it for awhile too but by my second year at sea I was done with all that card playing. It ruined me for card playing for life. The best place to read a book on board the ship was out on the deck and in particular the helicopter flight deck when it wasn't in use of course.

The Edgar Rice Burroughs book in the photo was a novel that combined two of my favorite Burroughs series... Tarzan and At The Earth's Core.