A Staircase grows in Queens

Pat's not the only one who can find staircases. This is the entrance to the Jamaica High campus in Queens. It's a long climb to the top. This is a large school, that has been split up into four separate High Schools. I spent a little time wandering around the neighborhood, as I got bad directions from the subway guy. Interesting mix of cultures, Indonesian, Indian, Pakistani, Muslims, churches, mosques, grocery stores of different cultures. Very diverse. We had snow sleet last night, but not as bad as Northern Michigan, Pat got snowed in, TC airport was closed. She was supposed to come in last night, but won't be here now until Friday afternoon. It was a bad day for her, and even worse it was her birthday. I'll try and make it up to her when she comes in tomorrow.





http://www.jamaicahighschool.org/ALUM/TIMCAP/timecap.htm

--
Dan  Klimaszewski

The New House

Here is the link to pictures I took of Jason and Lindsey's new house, right before they moved in.

 http://gallery.me.com/pathaber#100687

Disasters and Songs

I woke up to Jay coming down to my room, saying "quick, we have to evacuate ------the earthquake and tsunami in Japan is going to hit San Francisco in 30 minutes!" 
"wha" i say, not quite getting it in my dazed state . Wasn't the earthquake in Japan? Yes, he said, but it's hitting Hawaii now and is heading this way. It apparently can gain strength as it travels, at 500 miles an hour. 
Lindsey is running around getting the disaster preparation kit for Henry---diapers, "o's", a fruit snack, and a toy airplane. I take my computer and my kindle! We watch it on t.v. for a minute, it says San Francisco doesn't need to evacuate, but should be "prepared".

Anyway, we evacuate. We go to Oakland, off the Island of Alameda where they live, to go out to breakfast.
And a good breakfast it was, and of course, we did not need to evacuate so we started laughing about that.  We thought it was interesting what we took with us, in our state of emergency.

 Later, i see an email from United Airlines, for me to check in. Oh dear, it's Friday. The email says my flight leaves SATURDAY, NOT SUNDAY!!!!!!!!! I am stunned and chagrinned, Saturday is moving day! I call the airlines, but alas, I cannot change it. They are able to make other arrangements, with Ken, Lindsey's father, and her Aunt Rae. I feel terrible, I feel like I really let them down, and I'm not ready to leave them yet, I want to see them through the move. But I can do nothing about it. Lindsey is so, so sweet, she hugs me and tells me she's not angry, and that I shouldn't feel badly, I helped them out so much. I love them all so much, that was so nice.   Jay too reassures me, how caring they both are.

 So, we went out to dinner, then after they packed a bit, Jay took me to the hotel to spend the night there. I gave Henry his bath, changed him into his jammies, combed his hair, gave him lots of hugs and kisses, told him I loved him. He gave me kisses back, told me he loved me, "gamma." I sing "The Wheels on the Bus" over and over and over and over, and he  says "moe peese" , "moe peese".

He now helps me sing it, especially when the baby goes "waa waa waa". He  smiles and look at me and smiles broader. He then asks for "In a Cottage in the Woods" and loves to do the "Help me, Help Me, Help" he cried.

We found a download of "Wheels" as a phone ring, and Lindsey suggested Jay use that ring for me, so Henry always hears it when I call! 

He knows all of his letters and some of his numbers. No matter where he is, he will run up to signs or anything to point out the letters. He tries to sing the Alphabet Song. ok, I know I'm bragging. I just want to remember this!    I teach him to say maybe---"mayme" ---he loves this word, but this is not a word he will ever use, I am sure!    It was always be a decisive "yeah, yeah" or "Nope" or a determined "no. no' with a firm head shake.

Update from NYC

Well I'm back in New York. The trip here was pretty bad, it was delayed over three hours because of torrential rain in New York. Kennedy airport was only using one runway and many flights were backed up. The landing was also very shaky. Some of my colleagues were also delayed from Detroit, and in a plane that aborted the landing, and did a steep climb. They then landed somewhere in Pennsylvania for refueling. Overall it was a bad travel day in NY.
I finally grabbed a hamburger and got to my room at 1am.

The next morning I was up at 6am and on the subway by 7:30 to a school in Brooklyn. From there I went out to the Bronx, then back to Brooklyn. by the time I got back to my hotel room at 5pm I was exhausted. I just grabbed some food, and went to sleep early.
Tuesday was better, I went to the Manhattan Center for Science and Math. This school is over 150 years old. Quite a building, and a very good staff as well. That night Adam cooked spaghetti, so I headed over to his apartment, and ate spaghetti and watched soccer with him and his friend Anders. Anders is one of the photographers Adam works with, and he is from Copenhagen, Denmark. It was a very nice evening and the spaghetti was great.

So far this week I've been to the Bronx a couple of times, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. I never know where I'm going to be. This is the first time I have experienced Spanish Harlem, quite interesting. Tomorrow I'm back out in the Bronx, then back to the hotel to catch the transport to go back to the airport. Then home. I am really looking forward to being home for a week. After that I'll be back in NY for four more weeks.

The Zoo!

Today, I took Henry to the zoo!  It's the Oakland Zoo and I loved it.  I may have been more excited than he was!  This is a great zoo.  Large enclosures, good animals, safe areas for little kids to walk or run around all over.  There are docents and employees all around too to be helpful   We saw the big animals first, the elephants,  camels, zebras.   Couldn't see the lions or tigers.   Saw birds and markeets?  They are cute, cute little animals I'd never heard of before.  We ended up at the Childrens' Zoo, where Henry and I sat on a bench while he had some ice cream.   We then went to the petting zoo which he loved, where he got to pet the goats who were so friendly.

Henry was very gentle with the goats, was really pretty well behaved, though he'd run ahead quite a bit so I had to hustle around, or put him in the stroller.   He only fell about 4 times, but he's so tough, he'd just cry a second then go on his merry way.   He seemed to really like the drain grates by the way, would just stand by them watching the water down below!
The other thing he loves is finding letters in anything!  Anything that is written.   The sign of the Children's Zoo, he'd run over and recite the "O" and then the others.   We took a walk the other day and he saw initials on the sidewalk, stopped and told me what they were.

Nite Nite, Helping Gammi Get Ready and Wee Play

The week with Henry is going fast.   I am trying chronicle this, and will make an IBook for him, from my I Photo program.
I had bought Henry these monster p.j.s at The Gap, and he loves them, so i wanted to take a picture of him as he got ready for bed.  On tuesday night,  He brushed his teeth, as you can see.   I had to use the flash though, which he winced at, but it's really pretty funny.
On wednesday, we got ready, and went to Wee Play.   I had to have him in the bathroom with me as I washed up, so to occupy him,  I let him go into the bottom of my toiletries bag, which held my little shampoos, etc.   He took them out, and being the little scientist, tried to fit them into the ends of the toilet paper.   Well, it made sense to him, and hey, it occupied him while I put on my make up.

Wee play is an open area that is open to all kids in Alameda, 3 and under.  It's probably in other areas too.  it is great---it's a big room filled with clean, working toys, and you just let the kids go.  The moms are really nice.  I know I already wrote about it, so I don't need to say more, just wanted to get some pictures.

A Week of Henry!

Dan went back to NYC on Sunday, I left the Novato house, and moved over to Jay and Lindsey's.   I will write a few times, but mostly, I'm watching Henry.  Jay and Lindsey are moving into the house they bought this saturday, and they need help with Henry while they pack stuff up, move it over to the new place, and unpack.   I will take pictures as they move in.  It's a big house that is over 100 years old!  Yes, it needs a lot of work, but they have been able to do some renovating already, like the floors, and painting, and buying new appliances.
Henry and I are now good buds.   I take him to Wee Play, which is an open area held in some auditorium, with tons of toys in really good shape, is open to all for a small fee.  All the moms and grandmoms there are really nice.  You can just let the kids loose for the most part.  It is great, and Henry loves it.
We then eat lunch and he naps.   Then, he needs activity!   We read, watch a little t.v., play "Poisson Rouge" on the computer (a wonderful web site for kids) sing, find his toys, go up and down stairs, etc.

Today, Tuesday, we went to the Farmers Market, then to a playground, then went shopping.   He is a cheerful companion, talking away.  Doesn't love to be in the stroller, and is quite sure of what he likes and doesn't.  (doesn't like swings--"Nope" Nope"---he kept saying.    Liked the slide and just walking around.

He has a great vocabulary, will carry on a conversation, or sometimes just copies what you say, even when he knows you're joking.    He is a determined, funny, bright little guy.  (this sounds like the description of the dogs on the Westminster Dog Show!)

More funny Henry-isms, I've written about some of them already----"where'd it go" with a high voice on the end, and his hands raised in question.   I am teaching him "Maybe" because he likes to say it.   "Double" for W, when he says M, he goes MMMM, and he loves the letter O.   Whenever he sees letters he recognizes, which is quite often, he will announce them, like when he goes to Ikea!

He loves "The Wheels on the Bus", makes us sing it over and over, and now likes "In a Cottage in the Woods".  

I observe the differences between him and Isaac, our other grandson.  Isaac, so much more like Matt, is patient, thoughtful, analytical, very bright.  He will look a toy over completely to figure it out, but observe it.   He is more reserved, and it's fun to get him to rough and tumble.  Henry, so much more like Jay, is stubborn, DETERMINED, knows just want he wants and that is what he wants, nothing else!   He is funny, likes to laugh and entertain.   His intelligence is quick.  He is not patient, he charges into life while Isaac observes it and decides.    So wonderful to see their traits.  It's fun to be a grandparent--for one thing, the kiddies seem to automatically respect you and listen to you, revere you, something that doesn't happen to parents!  It's also nice to not be on for 24 hours a day, every day, we still have our own life, which is very good right now.

More posts may follow, but I'm pretty busy!

The past few days Sunshine and then fog

Did our last Stairway walk of this year, though it turned out to not be any stairways of note!   We took the Larkspur Ferry in, on a beautiful, sunny day.   Such a nice way to travel.   Took the trolley to our stop, and met Jason for lunch at the food court near the Westfield Mall.  We had a wonderful lunch at the Other Door, which is a part of The Slanted Door, an excellent San Francisco restaurant.  He was at the GDC, the Game Developers Conference.   After lunch, found the "walk" , which was really the Yerba Buena Gardens.  It was lovely--we had never been there before. Unusual gardens--a waterfall, park and play equipment, art center, many children activities in an area of a few blocks.   Walked around, stopped at the SFMOMA gift shop, and then took the Ferry back.

Came back and relaxed, watched an old movie, "The Day of the Jackel", a forerunner to the James Bond movies.
Oh, I am sick--we've been fighting colds since we've been here, as have Jay, Lindsey and Henry, but I really got it last night, so we took it easy.

Saturday

Dan's last day!  He is sad.  We will both miss this nice house.   We packed this morning, brought our box to be mailed, then went to Berkeley to a birthday party.  Jay's friends, Stina and James, had a party for their son, Jasper's, first birthday.   It was in a nearby park, and really nice.  We feel like we know so many of their friends, whom regard us with friendship too.  The "core" group has been friends for 16 years, when they met at Oberlin College and they have stuck together ever since.   They've added to their group with more friends and spouses from this area, have married here, and many have had children at the same time.   it's so interesting to see these changes.   The funny thing was about today though, as they all brought their young children, is that the main topic of conversation was health, how everyone is sick!   The kids, the parents and the visiting grandparents!

Didn't stay long as we needed to get back and clean the house. Pat

This trip has seemed very short, and it was compared to our last two winters here. I would like to have spent another week here, but NY calls. Highlights of this trip include, interesting wineries, some beautiful days in San Francisco, moments with Duffy (17 yr old dog we are sitting for), and of course Henry, Jason and Lindsey. We are so familiar with the Marin, SFO, Alameda, Sonoma and Napa areas that it feels very comfortable to be here. The downside of that is finding new things to do. we have been coming out here regularly for over 15 years. It is nice. I am now on my way to NY, and of course the flight is delayed because of fog. That is not unusual in SFO. That will get me into NY late, but it will still be OK. Dan

Moe Peese

This is a side blog regarding cute Henry-isms, again, mostly for our sake so we can embarrass him when he's older!
1. He always says "moe peese" (more please) when he really likes something and wants it repeated, like when you're reading him a book and he wants it read to him again.
2. He does a "fake smile" on command.  Sadly, I apparently taught him this when I was madly singing "Frere Jacques" to him over and over and he started laughing.  When he gave a fake smile, Dan, Jay, Lindsey and I really laughed, and of course, he hammed it up.    This song came from this website, "Poisson Rouge", or Red Fish, a wonderful French website for small children.

3. He will raise his hands when he sees that something, or someone, has gone.  "Duffy is gone?" with the hands raised in question.   Lindsey thinks all little kids do this, wonders where they get it.

The Bohemian Highway and the Bohemian Town

It was raining this morning, but it cleared up and we drove up to Healdsburg, a very nice town in Sonoma. They have a nice square, with cute shops, good restaurants and wine tastings.   Ate at the Healdsburg Bar and Grill, which was disappointing.  I had mushroom soup, which was too much of a good thing, as it had way too much truffle oil in it.  Dan had a Falafel, which was fair, and we splurged on "chorizo corn dogs".

It sounded so unique that I had to try them--they were not especially good!
We then walked around the town, which was really nice.  Decided to drive to Guerneville, see what wineries we saw on the way.  We saw many, many, but did not stop because Dan had taken a Nyquil last night and was so groggy that I was driving.   As the road was full of ESS curves, I did not want to drink either.   Guernville is a town that is on the Russian River, and whenever there is too much rain, it floods.  Indeed, it's been rainy, and we saw quite a bit of water.   This town is sleepy, old fashioned, and very un-yuppy, as are most of the inhabitants.   We think they probably do a lot of smoking and don't mind it when they flooded in.  
We then drove from there to Occidental, on the "Bohemian Highway".  Yes, that is the name of it, and it looks it.  It's not really a highway, it is a 2 lane road, not in good shape, with many bumps and turns on it.  It was, however, beautiful and unique.   Very curvy, with a raging river nearby, and tall, tall Redwoods gracing the sides of the road.  The homes along the way ranged from fairly decent, unique homes to shacks.  It's a fascinating area, very remote and different, definately has it's own character.
Occidental is apparently a small Italian town, with a few family style Italian restaurants.   It is nestled in the hills, seems less remote than Guernville. It's hard to describe these remote and small towns of Sonoma County, so opposite of what one would expect.   Napa is far more progressive, glitzy and yuppified, though we love it too.  Sonoma just has it's own character, and every town seems to even be more unique.
We drove home after that, another very nice day.   I should mention here that we are listening to "A Tale of Two Cities", by Dickens.   The reader is wonderful!  We are enjoying this very much.  It's great to listen to, to get a new sense of what a master writer he was!

It's a Lovely Day in the Neighborhood

A stairway walk at last!   The nicest day so far, sunny and warm.   Drove into San Francisco to do a Stairway walk.   This walk took us to North Beach and Telegraph Hill.  We weren't able to complete it, however, as we only had an hour on our meter.  I will complete this one at some point, though we've done part of it.   We missed going up Telegraph Hill and then going on the Greenwich Stairs, which we have done many times before.  That's where "The Parrots of Greenwich Hill" was filmed, if you have seen that.  It is a gorgeous stairway walk!   Anyway our mini version took us up about 6 streets, meandered through little side streets that you'd never know are there, and went up a few stairways.
This walk is from this book called "Stairway Walks in San Francisco" by Adah Bakalinksy.    http://sfstairwaywalks.weebly.com/index.html I have been doing these for the past 4 years, am determined to do them all.  This book is wonderful because it takes you on the walk, street by street, giving you all sorts of information about the area.   We end up exploring neighborhoods we'd never see otherwise, as well as getting very good exercise.
Found a really nice place to eat in nearby North Beach,  Cafe Lucca.   We had a light lunch, soup and salad, but it was excellent.  Everything was fresh and sustainable, of course.
We then went to the Legion of Honor, where Dan dropped me off so I could see an exhibit called "Pulp Fashion:  The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave".  
It  was fascinating!   She refashioned dresses through the ages out of PAPER to represent different eras.   She'd use famous paintings as her models, and recreate them almost perfectly.   As interesting as her technique, were the original fashions to me.  I love fashion exhibits, and this one was very lovely.   She also designed some "sets" for the costume, like a kasbah you walked into, with a painted background.   Very clever.
Later that night, we went out to eat with our friends, Marcia and Fred, and their friends, Jack and Beppie.   I met Marcia a few years ago through jazzercize, then last year found out she was getting a bone marrow transplant, so you know we really bonded then.   We had a nice time with them, went to The China Garden, which was very good.   We are bloated.

What do you see in this piece of Toast?

is it the face of Jesus?   No, it is not.  Look again, my Michigan friends, it is the shape of Michigan!  (and yes, a bit burnt)
Just a little morning digression here.

It was a really good day, we are trying to pack a lot in before Dan takes off on Sunday, and I move over to Jay and Lindsey's house.     I went to jazzercize, had a good workout.  Then came home, and I played Mahjongg.   I made a few friends last year, and one of them, Suzan, had me over for lunch and MJ along with 2 of her friends, one of whom I had helped teach last year.  It was very fun.   A nice group of women.
I was losing my concentration by the 3rd game, however, as I had taken a sudafed, plus I'd had a glass of a very nice Viognier.   It wasn't much different than my normal concentration problems, but I fortunately won the first game.

Dan played golf while I played MJ, and he had a nice time too.  Said the course was wet, but he was glad to go out and play.

After I picked him up, we drove out to Point Reyes to take a hike in one of our hiking books.  It was lovely.  It never stops amazing us how beautiful this drive is.  We took Lucas Valley Rd. out there, and the Lucas does indeed stand for George Lucas, whose house, way up in the hills, behind gates, is on this road. The road is magnificant--ess curve after ess curve for a while, with high, rolling green hills in the background, then through a forest with tall Redwoods.  Then, going through the charming, small town of Nicasio, rural and unchanged from years ago.   We drove through Olema, where we hadn't been before, another charming little seaside town.  Drove to Pt. Reyes, near Tomales Bay, to be near the ocean.   The sun was low, as it was late, and it was so still and beautiful.  We just stopped, and listened to the little waterfalls and the birds.  It was very lovely.

On the way back, tried to get a picture of a huge hawk who kept sitting on fence posts, then as we'd try to take his picture, he'd fly to another one.   Got the one of him flying away.    As we left, I saw a steer mounting a cow!   I really wanted to get that shot, but it stopped as soon as it started--poor steer!