Saturday, January 8, 2011

A Great Day!

January 8, 2011, my 80th birthday, was a great day.

This morning I was given an honor in my synagogue. Later, my son Rob, his wife, Caroline, and their children, Ben, Zack and his friend Meredith, and Sam and Jake, joined my wife and I for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Montclair, and later for dessert at home. 

The feature presentation was an inter-active power-point show of "my life," (highlights only) created by Rob with contributions emailed in from Israel where my younger son, Rick, lives with his wife and their eight children, three of whom are married and two of whom have children. They are quite a group and all contributed to the presentation with appropriate greetings.

The presentation was warm, funny and delightful. Many thanks to Rob who put his heart, soul and great creative energy into producing it.

The celebration continues tomorrow, albeit in a lower key, with a brunch for my tennis friends.

More later.

Friday, January 7, 2011

The Penultimate Day

It's the day before my 80th birthday and I promise when it is over and done with and all the champagne is gone and the last piece of cake is eaten I will move on to other subjects.

I guess I've been obsessing these past few days about this particular milestone because I am astonished at reaching it. Never thought about it much and now that it is here we'll just take a deep breath and look forward.

For instance, we're anticipating a brief visit next weekend from a grand-daughter and her new husband from Israel; our own trip to Israel at the end of the month; and then a family event in Florida in early March. More on those later.

For now, good night.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Catching Up

For some reason I could not get to this site last night to make an entry.  So this will have to do double duty.

Had a wonderful lunch and visit with two old friends yesterday and once again realized how far behind I am to these early adapters. I am dazzled by their comfort with so many new technologies.  I acknowledge that all new devices are technical marvels but I keep asking myself--so what?

Withhout getting too philosophical or even maudlin about it, I wonder what we really accomplish by being connected not only 24/7 but whenever and wherever we might be anywhere in the world. Other than my immediate family, does anyone really care?

OK, I was sort of shamed into getting a facebook page but I rarely look at it. I'm also "Linked In" but check it only when notified that some of my former business associates make an entry. I wish them all the best of luck.

I know how to receive and send text messages but I usually respond via email because I find it easier to type on a keyboard than a cell phone.

I follow the latest tech developments in The Times and don't understand the need for half of them. I learned a long time ago that most people are not intested in what YOU have to say but are fascinated by what THEY have to say.

As a result, I have become a listener, but only if you speak slowly.

Love you all...

The Muddler

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Getting Closer

OK, four more days to 80. I don't really want to dwell on this but it's on my mind until Jan. 8 goes by.

I'm looking forward to celebrating with my family on Saturday night and then with friends at a Sunday brunch. And then we can get down to blogging about other things.

Patience, please.

Good night.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Getting Close

I am getting close to 80. Five days closer, to be exact. It's an interesting time. Never really thought about it and now I am astonished that it is almost here.

In my generation you sort of took for granted growing up, getting an education, getting married, raising kids and then, seemingly almost suddenly, there are grand-children. And that's a wonder. Much better than having your own. They act up, you give them back.

But now there are three great-grandchildren! This is truly a wonder. They may be six-thousand miles away (in Israel), but hey, we get pictures via email and once in a while we visit.

Some local celebrations are planned with family first and then friends and I'm looking forward to each of them. And then that milestone will pass. And I will look forward to the next day and the day after that and as many additional days as I am allowed.

The Muddler is now the Muser, at least for the next several days.

Cheers everyone.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Digital birthdays

Went to a birthday party for an 8-year-old recently and the hit of his presents was something digital. They called it DS-something or other and the kids had a great time playing with it but I'm not sure just what it did or how long their interest in it lasted. Or, for that matter, how long this gizmo lasted.

Then I got the word today that my six and nine-year-old grandsons in Israel love digital gadgets. Since we are visiting them later this month we are now obliged to bring them something digital. Shopping for these little gifts will be interesting.

I wonder if they have any eight-year-old salespersons who can explain to us what these things do and how they work. We'll see.