Blog Posts

What is geocaching you ask? Good question! I’d heard about this a year or two ago and put it on the back burner until I began working on this list. Geocaching.com explains it like this: “Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.” Sounds fun, right? Kinda makes you feel like a pirate looking for a hidden treasure. Well…it IS fun, but it’s way harder than you think. You start out by plunking down a mere $4.99 to download an app called Cachly.

I was explaining it to my sister Linda the other night, and the minute I said “Geocache” she totally figured it out and was very excited. “It’s like panning for gold, right!!?” Ha! No! Although, like gold, it’s not easy to find and it requires a lot of patience and determination. So no sooner did I explain what it actually was, that she insisted we go find our first treasure immediately!

We set out on our first adventure. The cool thing is that they are everywhere. I mean everywhere! All over the world! And as luck would have it, the nearest one to us was a couple blocks away called “Funeral Home Depot.” For those who know the area you know that on Jericho Tpke. and Larkfield Rd. there is a Home Depot with a very peculiar tiny little fence-enclosed cemetery in the parking lot. I know. Sure enough, using the coordinates on the app, we found our first cache! And then we found another nearby in the Best Buy parking lot. We were on a roll!

This weekend we spent the day at a couple wineries in St. James (yes, there are two delightful wineries in St. James! Who knew?) and hit another couple spots. Two we found, one we did not, not for a lack of trying. It’s frustrated when you can’t find it, especially when you see the logs on the app of all the people who did. Geocaches can be small, or rather large, easy or difficult to find. They can contain trinkets (which you may take or leave), or just a log for you to put your name and the date of your find.

It’s doubtful I’ll become a full-time geocacher, but it’s definitely a fun activity when you’re out and about looking for something fun to do. Let me know if there are any fellow hunters out there and maybe we can put our heads together and unearth some treasures!

Suggested by Me
Completed 9/22/17

Done! Times FOUR!

When Suzanne and I planned our trip to the Midwest we did it with the express purpose of visiting four states in one shot. Both of us are working on getting to all 50 states and visiting Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa got me half way there!

When people heard we were going to this non-vacation destination I was met with a lot of questions. Mostly “Why?” When we met with locals in these states, they had the same question. In fact, one cashier we encountered, hearing we were in Kansas for vacation, replied with one of our favorite quotes: “This ain’t no place for vacation.” But I beg to differ. We live in New York. We are a crowded place with ample opportunity to overwhelm our senses. We truly have it all here. All the people, all the entertainment, all the shopping, and certainly all the traffic. We’ve got a diverse landscape. We’re surrounded by water with beautiful beaches on both coasts. We’ve got tree-lined parks, good areas and bad, and suburban homes to spare. We’ve got THE largest and most populated city in the world at our fingertips. We even have our own cocktail. You know what we don’t have? A prairie. Wide open spaces with big sky. Dirt roads where you’d be hard-pressed to find another car for miles. Corn fields on both sides of the road for as far as the eye can see. Little one horse towns straight out of a movie set. We have EVERYTHING and sometimes, just sometimes it’s nice to see miles and miles and MILES of nothing. 

It’s important to see the America we’re not familiar with. Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives here it’s hard to even imagine those fly-over states are a real thing. That we have something to learn from the people who call that part of America home. That no matter how different our lives, we’re all seeking the same American dream. And ass kicking barbeque.

Suggested by Dana Lee
Completed 9/15/17

Yes, they have an iFly in Yonkers. But…they also have one in Kansas City, and when in Kansas…well I like to think of it as my homage to Dorothy and that twister.

I was a little nervous to make the reservation, and I would’ve backed out if it weren’t for Suzanne’s gentle prodding. We had arrived in KCM (that’s Kansas City, Missouri for those of you uninformed) on our first day and were driving through Kansas on day two so it made sense to do this first thing in KCK (Kansas City, Kansas, again for those uninformed). Our appointment was at 10:00 am and after paying an extra $10 a head to get the “high fly” experience, the two of us joined a father and son for a five minute instructional video and subsequent quiz. We learned the restrictions to flying: no back trouble – check(ish), no history of heart trouble – check, must not be pregnant – check and double check, must weigh less than 300 lbs – check, no prior shoulder dislocation – check! Additionally, the sound in the tube is deafening, so there’s no speaking. You must know the hand signals for “chin up,” “legs out,” “legs bent,” and my favorite – “relax.” As if.

We got suited up in our fly suits and sat on the bench waiting to go into the giant tube. I pushed Suzanne to the head of the line. She did great! Then my turn. Our instructor Logan was a.) adorable and b.) simply adorable. He gently guided me into the tube and I was immediately inundated with hand signals. Keep your chin up. Straighten your legs. Relax. And then I flew.

Logan had hands on me most of the time, but…I FLEW! It was the shortest flight in the history of flying and it lasted forever and when I exited the tunnel it was actually graceful – a tremendous surprise. I was a bit jittery but felt good. Except for my shoulders. They felt like they were severely dislocated. Hmmm…no PRIOR dislocation, but this might just do it. I gave up my second “High Fly” flight to the young boy in our group so as not to spend the rest of our trip in traction. By the way – the boy accepted and said nothing. I hate when I have to prompt people to say “thank you.” But I did.

Suzanne did her second flight which included the high fly portion which meant she was able to go with the instructor higher up in the tube. She went up, up, up with Logan gingerly holding on. Seriously, if he hadn’t I’m convinced we’d have lost her.

If you’d like to see my flight video, click here.

It was fun. It was exhilarating. It was a little scary. But remember, I was scared on The Cyclone, so you judge.

Suggested by Rick and Trish Carpenter
Completed 9/12/17

After our visit to the DUMBO flea market we took a quick ride to the Brooklyn Navy Yard to try out Rooftop Reds, a small little vineyard/winery on the top of one of the buildings in the yard. It took a while to get through security with our apparently confusing reservation, and finding the entrance to the building was a bit dicey (but kinda appropriate). After walking up the five flights of stairs we found ourselves on the delightful rooftop of building #275 in this tremendous industrial Navy Yard.

We met the owner (he had to be all of 20 years old) and his delightful wine wench, Clara, who couldn’t be more lovely. The wines were delicious, the ambiance was better. A little corn hole, a little hammock swinging and the view of Brooklyn, lower Manhattan and the adorable vineyard surrounded us. So, we’ve decided to rent the house out to the kids and spend a year living in Brooklyn. You MUST come visit!

June surprised me by planning a trip to Brooklyn today to knock two more off the list. First stop DUMBO. I’ve wanted to go to DUMBO ever since I knew it was a thing and just haven’t gotten there. Today we conquered the Flea Market.

We didn’t buy anything – though we could’ve spent a fortune – but we did have a great time checking out the vintage wares and having a delicious “Shanghai inspired” lunch from one of the vendors. Not sure what it was called, but it was some sort of pork deliciousness in a crunchy wrap. Yum!

Thanks to an invitation for June and I to join them for a day at Coney Island, Rick and Trish Carpenter helped me knock another one off my list.

I haven’t been to Coney Island since the kids were little, and even then we didn’t go on any of the rides. I know…bad mother. So this time, with no whiny kids in tow, we got to enjoy the day like God intended. Leisurely and in blissful peace. The three of them rode The Thunderbolt. I’ve gotten used to my organs where they are and decided to skip it. But The Cyclone was calling.

I like (most) roller coasters but those old wooden ones are a bit jarring and I always tend to count my teeth when I’m done ‘cos I’m sure one or two get jostled out each time. June skipped this one so that meant it was me, Rick and Trish. In hindsight Trish and I should’ve squeezed in together instead of getting our own seats. When that thing moves…and boy does it…you slide from side to side with such force that I’m now considering double hip replacements.

Built in 1927, The Cyclone is celebrating its 90th year. Pretty impressive, though from what I can tell that was the last time it was serviced too. But holy shit that’s a thrilling ride. No loops, no upside downs and nothing but gravity to propel it. Way cool.

Oh and if you’re looking for a place to people watch to the extreme, Coney Island is the place to do it. And a hot dog at Nathan’s doesn’t suck either.

Completed 9/4/17

Suggested by some chick named Mia at the Turks & Caicos Airport

I love movies but I haven’t seen a lot of what’s considered the “truly great” ones. I’ve always wanted to watch the American Film Institute’s Top 100 Films so it seemed appropriate to add this to my 60 x 60 list. One Hundred films, is a LOT of movies, so I’m breaking it up into blocks of ten (hence the #6.1) Here are the first ten, along with my reviews.

100. Ben-Hur (1959) 212 min.
★★★★☆
Holy latent homosexuality Batman! You can’t tell me Judah Ben-Hur and Messala didn’t have a sordid past. Being a heathen I don’t enjoy religious themed movies in the slightest but…the scenery was incredible even if they did chew the shit out of it. I would have given this 3 stars purely on the excessive length, but the chariot race bumps it up to 4 for its sheer magnitude.

99. Toy Story (1995) 81 min.
★★★★★
LOVE it. I’ve seen it a million times when the kids were little and they were watching it ad nauseum. My favorite of the trilogy is Toy Story 3 though. If you haven’t seen it, and you’ve got kids going off to college or older…watch it. Today.

98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) 126 min.
★★★★☆
Even though I knew Cagney was an accomplished singer and dancer, he still surprised me in this role. Anyone who knows me knows I loathe musicals, especially those from this era. (Although I hated La La Land too, so I guess I hate them all.) But this is not exactly a musical; it’s the story of George M. Cohan so the musical aspect appears in theater productions and makes sense. All in all a fun little film.

97. Blade Runner (1982) 117 min.
★★☆☆☆
Holy shit. This futuristic film takes place way into the future of 2019. AND they got them flying cars we were promised by now. Amazing how advanced this movie world is, but they still have CRT computer displays. Los Angeles is depicted in perpetual night time, is constantly rain drenched and is almost exclusively Asian. Though I didn’t enjoy the film, I did fancy those lightsaber handled umbrellas.

96. Do the Right Thing (1989) 120 min.
★☆☆☆☆
Yeah, not so much. The only reason I gave it any stars was because of Giancarlo Esposito’s (Gus Fring of Breaking Bad) unrecognizable role. Other than that…meh.

95. The Last Picture Show (1971) 126 min.
★★☆☆☆
A coming of age story in early 1950’s in a bleak, tumbleweed-ridden soon to be ghost town in Texas. I understand how 1971 audiences found this controversial: Sex between a 40something Cloris Leachman and a school aged Timothy Bottoms; full frontal nudity; sex between high schoolers Jeff Bridges and Cybil Shepherd; Cybil Shepherd and an older gentleman “banging balls” on a pool table; Cybil Shepherd and Timothy Bottoms getting nasty in a convertible. It was just okay.

94. Pulp Fiction (1994) 178 min.
★★★★★
Royale with Cheese. That purely delightful twist contest at Jack Rabbit Slims. The adrenaline shot to the heart. Christopher fucking Walken and the watch up his ass for two years. Marcellus, Butch and the ball gags. Keitel, the cleaner and a car full of brain matter. And finally, the BEST movie soundtrack ever. One of my all time favorite movies!

95. The French Connection (1971) 104 min.
★★★★★
You still picking your feet in Poughkeepsie? I love films set in New York – especially when they take place in the 70s. The clothes, the cars, the places that have long since been shuttered, and those old subway cars. (If you love that stuff as much as I do, check out this link to the filming locations then and now.) Foot races, that INSANE car/train chase and the subway cat and mouse. Absolutely no lack of edge of your seat excitement and watching Hackman and Scheider in their prime was just magical. LOVED it! For information on how the car chase scene was filmed – without permission from the city! – click here. 

92. Goodfellas (1990) 148 min.
★★★★★
I’m funny how? I’m here to amuse you? Best gangster movie ever. I’ve seen it a half dozen times and I could watch it a dozen more. Liotta, Pesci, DeNiro, Sorvino and Bracco years before she met Tony Soprano. Engaging screenplay, Scorsese’s brilliant directing, stellar acting. Just perfection. Oh. And did I mention the closing credits over The Sex Pistol’s “My Way?” Magnificent.

91. Sophie’s Choice (1982) 157 min.
★★★★★
Is there anything that can be said about this movie or Meryl Streep’s performance that hasn’t been said before? I had seen this movie a number of years ago and was looking forward to watching it again for this challenge. It was as wonderful as I remember except for the small fact that I was watching it on our newly RE-jailbroken Fire Stick and for some reason there were no subtitles during the German scenes. If you’ve seen the film, you know that the pivotal scene – Sophie’s choice – takes place in Germany. So it was a little disappointing to have to watch THAT scene on YouTube just to get the subtitles. Either way, one of the best films ever made in my opinion.

Whew! Over 23 hours of movie watching! Stay tuned for the next ten films.

Completed 9/3/17

Suggested by me

When a teacher gives you an assignment you generally do it. When that assignment comes from a dear friend who’s a retired English/drama teacher, you totally do it.

Jeff Bennett put some major thought into the 4-page handwritten list he gave me. It consisted of a good number of books, a handful of his most favorite classical music and a nice collection of movies.

As I may have mentioned earlier, I’m not a big reader. I used to be, but somewhere along the road I lost the desire. I am SO happy these suggestions came to me when they did. I have been devouring these books and I am happy to report that my Kindle is actually getting a good summertime workout.

I chose to read three of the books, listen to all of the music, and hold off on the films because I’ve got another fairly large film challenge in the works. Jeff’s wife Sherri Bennett was also kind enough to include books that meant a lot to her and from her list I also chose three. Oh, and can I just say – borrowing e-books from the library? BRILLIANT! It took me a while to figure it out, but once I did I was plowing through ‘em.

So thanks to Jeff and Sherri for these wonderful suggestions. My reviews follow…

Books Recommended by Jeff:

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest – Ken Kesey
Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire! Hoping to trade the last six months of his prison sentence of hard labor for a more restful existence, McMurphy ditches the work farm by feigning lunacy and lands himself in a psych hospital. As those of you familiar with the story know, things go sideways and the wise-ass felon finds his sentence significantly extended with a not so pleasant ending. An interesting study of how green the grass looks from a distance and how even the tough need to learn to fall in line when others are in control of your destiny. A compelling story of fate.
Completed 7/12/17

The Death of Ivan Ilyitch – Leo Tolstoy
“I can NEVER get enough Tolstoy!” Said no one (I know) ever! I hit this one with a bit of trepidation. Just the name “Tolstoy” causes me to dig my heels in and resist. But…Jeff said so…so I went with it. Thankfully, it’s a novella and no War and Peace! The story is one of life and death. Ilyitch’s ordinary, yet seemingly happy life is cut short by a long and painful illness wherein he needs to face his impending death. He questions every bit of his once considered “pleasant life” and curses his fate, finding hatred towards all things and people he once loved. It is an examination of mortality, certainly, but along with it an investigation into how to live one’s life and find meaning in it. Very apropos at his time as I try to explore ways to enrich my own life through this 60 x 60 endeavor.
Completed 7/14/17

The Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka
Yeah, I get that it’s a “must read,” is supposedly “influential” and a “masterpiece” and apparently sums up the term “Kafka-esque,” but personally…I’d sooner squash that f%$king bug than read another sentence! Gladly, it’s a short story, but honestly, it did nothing for me. I understand it demonstrates feelings of inadequacy and isolation. Okay. I didn’t care for it.
Completed 7/17/17

Books Recommended by Sherri:

Breathing Lessons – Ann Tyler
A helicopter mother and her affable husband take a road trip for the funeral of a friend. Her ne’er-do-well son has knocked up a girl and sat by while his marriage unraveled and she moved away with their daughter. Questioning her happiness with a sorry feeling of “is this all there is?” The mother detours on their way home to see her estranged former daughter-in-law and her granddaughter. With a fine line between truth and lies, she convinces the girl to come home with them under the guise of the son wanting a reconciliation. A story where very little happens and when it does, it brings heartache, sadness and apathy. Meh.
Completed 7/24/17

The Book of Ruth – James Hamilton
In a small 1960s Illinois town a financially and emotionally unstable mother raises a brilliant son and a daughter, Ruth, not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Matt goes off to be a college superstar, while Ruth remains in Honey Creek to live an unremarkable life. With one dead husband and another failed marriage, mom has a severe case of “bitter and angry” and Ruth dreams of love and happiness which she finds in Ruby, a delinquent unemployed addict with anger issues. The author voices Ruth with an uneducated childish narrative that draws you in and makes you know her. A wonderfully written, mostly depressing novel with highlights of unrequited hope. I felt sorry for everyone.
Completed 8/7/17

White Oleander – Janet Fitch
You may want to stop what you’re doing and pick up this book. Fitch writes like I would write if only I could write. Her narrative is smart, exceptionally descriptive and brought me on a journey I didn’t want to end. Astrid is the throw-away daughter of Ingrid. Ingrid did a terrible thing and has plummeted Astrid into a life no child deserves. The mother-daughter relationship is tough on good days. This takes it to another level. Mesmerizing and solidly a very, very good book.
Completed 8/17/17

Music recommended by Jeff:

Classical music! Ha! Besides Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite (which I was obsessed with during my schoolgirl crush on Mikhail Baryshnikov) I don’t think I’ve ever PURPOSELY listened to any. Jeff is a classic pianist and a music aficionado so if I was going to take anyone’s suggestions, it would be his…

Rachmaninov “Vocalise” Anna Moffo – Leopold Stokowski
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GibjzBPwhBU
Ok. So it says “vocalise.” That means singing and lyrics, right? WRONG! In this piece, the voice is most certainly an instrument but not a single lyric is sung. But oh, the message! I imagined this accompanying a film about a tragic love story. Both beautiful and haunting.

Sanctus from Requiem – Faure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_cVTi-rZcQ
Reminded me too much of church to truly enjoy it. I do not enjoy church. At all.

Pie Jesu from Requiem – Faure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VLY2bd5w8k
I liked this one better than Sanctus, but meh… Still not doing it for me. Still too “churchy” feeling.

Adagio for Strings – Barber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKrxPTePXEQ
Pretty. Not the slightest bit churchy and very relaxing to listen to.

Symphony No. 5 in E Minor Second Movement – Tchaikovsky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXSbOgdAinY
I obviously enjoy Tchaikovsky beyond The Nutcracker. This was my favorite. Beautiful and thought provoking. Builds to a powerful crescendo that kinda gave me the chills.

Judy Garland Original Over the Rainbow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xFwKyNNSQY
Well this is just delightful. What a pure and lovely voice. Brings back those wonderful memories of laying on the floor watching The Wizard of Oz as a child and being totally enraptured. Really, really nice.

I know…this one sounds weird, so let me explain. My sister Linda has tons of wonderful qualities, one of which is her love of animals. That love, along with a desire to eat healthy led her to give up meat many years ago. Thankfully she’s not one of those “angry” vegetarians who shames you every time a piece of chicken falls down your throat, but she does gently impart some of her beliefs on us carnivores now and then. Linda suggested I kiss a cow quite certainly hoping that if I got intimate with the living, breathing beast, I’d think twice before ordering a rib-eye.

This week during our annual pilgrimage to Beach Lake Pennsylvania for our family reunion, four of us decided to break away from the pack to go horseback riding. After hanging with the horses the trail guide invited us into the barn to meet their other resident animals – goats, pigs, chickens, a momma duck and her five ducklings, and a sweet little cow! Time to complete another 60 x 60 challenge!

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I wasn’t exactly sure what the protocol was for kissing a large farm animal, and I think it took her a little by surprise, but she was happy to oblige.

Though it was lovely to meet (and to kiss) this dear girl, I’m not sure I’m ready to be a herbivore anytime soon. Sorry Linda.

Completed 7/24/17

Suggested by Linda Sieklucki