We dropped in on the fourth annual block party on our street this evening. It's organized by one of our neighbors and it's a nice get-together for folks who normally have little time to say hello to one another, although we live on the same two-block-long street.
You bring your own chair and food and share with others. But mostly it's an opportunity to talk. That's why for us, it was just a drop-in.
For the most part our neighbors are much younger than we are, which makes conversation difficult. For example, we were chatting with one woman and mentioned we've been living here since 1963. She giggled and said “that's the year I was born.” Ouch! Where do you go from there?
My wife is much better at small talk than I am. But even she agreed, as we walked home after our token appearance, that we don't really have much in common with our neighbors down the block or even across the street.
We love living on this street. There are lots of children and we enjoy watching them play. But when it comes to chatting with their parents it can be a stretch. How often can you say, Hi, nice to see you. How's everything? Answer: every time you see them.
As for the block party, “see you next year.”
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
He Made a Difference
Some people muddle through (me), others do more, much more.
Tonight I heard Sol Moglen tell the story of how he had an idea and brought it to reality. Sol is a long time member of our Synagogue in Caldwell, NJ, and a devout former Brooklynite. He told his story to us at services this evening.
He started in 2002 wanting to create a memorial for Brooklyn first responders who died on 9/11/2001. But it grew to include first responders from all five boroughs. And now it's a reality. I can't tell the whole story here but I strongly recommend you visit this website:
www.brooklynwall.us
Check it out. It's well worth knowing about and you may even want to visit on a nice day.
It's in Coney Island and Nathan's is only a few blocks away.
Tonight I heard Sol Moglen tell the story of how he had an idea and brought it to reality. Sol is a long time member of our Synagogue in Caldwell, NJ, and a devout former Brooklynite. He told his story to us at services this evening.
He started in 2002 wanting to create a memorial for Brooklyn first responders who died on 9/11/2001. But it grew to include first responders from all five boroughs. And now it's a reality. I can't tell the whole story here but I strongly recommend you visit this website:
www.brooklynwall.us
Check it out. It's well worth knowing about and you may even want to visit on a nice day.
It's in Coney Island and Nathan's is only a few blocks away.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Something New
We decided to learn Bridge. We hope this turns out to be a good thing. We've heard a lot about how husbands and wives enjoy the companionship of partnering in Bridge. We've also heard about the flip side of that partnering. No mind. We consider ourselves mature adults and it's only a game. Right?
Ha! It's war. Just like chess. Or any other competitive endeavor. The objective is to win. Hey, slow down. This was only the first day of our beginners lesson. We just learned about the deck, the deal, declaring and leading. Never mind playing.
The Essex Bridge Club in nearby Livingston advertised six free lessons for beginners. One lesson a week. So we took up the offer and today was our first day. The cookies were good. Coffee, so-so. We met a nice couple from West Orange who shared our table and learned with us.
The instructors were knowledgeable and nice and very patient with us beginners. We had tried Bridge some years back but never got into it in a steady way. So we really are beginners and maybe this time it will stick. Like any other game, you have to play it to improve. We'll see.
I understand Bridge is an old, old game. But since it's still very much a part of the modern world it offers another avenue for me to muddle through.
Who deals?
Ha! It's war. Just like chess. Or any other competitive endeavor. The objective is to win. Hey, slow down. This was only the first day of our beginners lesson. We just learned about the deck, the deal, declaring and leading. Never mind playing.
The Essex Bridge Club in nearby Livingston advertised six free lessons for beginners. One lesson a week. So we took up the offer and today was our first day. The cookies were good. Coffee, so-so. We met a nice couple from West Orange who shared our table and learned with us.
The instructors were knowledgeable and nice and very patient with us beginners. We had tried Bridge some years back but never got into it in a steady way. So we really are beginners and maybe this time it will stick. Like any other game, you have to play it to improve. We'll see.
I understand Bridge is an old, old game. But since it's still very much a part of the modern world it offers another avenue for me to muddle through.
Who deals?
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Compound Connectivity
We had a mini-moment of what it must be like for the truly connected these days.
My wife was on the phone with a friend when her caller ID told her my son, Rob, was calling. So she quickly told her friend she'd call her back* and took the call from Rob. Just then, ID told her another friend, Carl, was calling me from New York. “Call him back on your cell, while I talk to Rob,” she said.
We did that and while I was still talking with Carl, Rob asked to speak with me before he had to go. I handed my cell to my wife and asked her to talk with Carl while I took the land line to complete Rob's call. Then I took my cell back and finished my call with Carl.
Rob thought all this passing of calls around was worth blogging about and since he's my most loyal reader here it is.
Do you ever think about how many times you get phone calls in bunches? I notice this often when we return home and check our voice mail. Sometimes three or four messages will have been left in the space of just a few moments.
And, as it did today, it happens when we're home as well. How can we all be thinking of one another at the same time? Better still, be moved to talk to each other in person.
There is hope.
*After all the to do she forgot to call her friend back.
My wife was on the phone with a friend when her caller ID told her my son, Rob, was calling. So she quickly told her friend she'd call her back* and took the call from Rob. Just then, ID told her another friend, Carl, was calling me from New York. “Call him back on your cell, while I talk to Rob,” she said.
We did that and while I was still talking with Carl, Rob asked to speak with me before he had to go. I handed my cell to my wife and asked her to talk with Carl while I took the land line to complete Rob's call. Then I took my cell back and finished my call with Carl.
Rob thought all this passing of calls around was worth blogging about and since he's my most loyal reader here it is.
Do you ever think about how many times you get phone calls in bunches? I notice this often when we return home and check our voice mail. Sometimes three or four messages will have been left in the space of just a few moments.
And, as it did today, it happens when we're home as well. How can we all be thinking of one another at the same time? Better still, be moved to talk to each other in person.
There is hope.
*After all the to do she forgot to call her friend back.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Talking Weather, Doing Nothing
Conventional wisdom has it that Mark Twain said: “Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.”
Just to be sure I looked it up in Google and found the comment attributed to two others as well as Twain. (Names not relevant here.) Point is that all of us along the East Coast have had enough weather to last us quite a while. And we're still talking about it.
It's been pouring all day today and more is in store. My wife finds it comforting to call friends and relatives and chat the day away. I read and blog and play Spider Solitaire. We also watch and listen to water overwhelming our French drains in the basement. We're used to it. The new dehumidifier is working overtime.
Many people are much worse off than we are but that doesn't stop us from talking about the weather. Doing something is another matter. We do what we can and hope for the best.
You know the old saying: “Stuff (sanitized version) happens, it's how you deal with it.”
Ante up.
Just to be sure I looked it up in Google and found the comment attributed to two others as well as Twain. (Names not relevant here.) Point is that all of us along the East Coast have had enough weather to last us quite a while. And we're still talking about it.
It's been pouring all day today and more is in store. My wife finds it comforting to call friends and relatives and chat the day away. I read and blog and play Spider Solitaire. We also watch and listen to water overwhelming our French drains in the basement. We're used to it. The new dehumidifier is working overtime.
Many people are much worse off than we are but that doesn't stop us from talking about the weather. Doing something is another matter. We do what we can and hope for the best.
You know the old saying: “Stuff (sanitized version) happens, it's how you deal with it.”
Ante up.
Monday, September 5, 2011
It takes a grandson
For older persons who want to stay current with technology it pays to have grandchildren. Today, my grandson, Ben, (and his father) visited us for the express purpose of setting up my new laptop.
He did a great job. We transferred most of my files from my old PC to the laptop and now it's up to me to play around and see what else I can do. It was great having him here and I'm looking forward to having lots of fun with the new laptop.
Ben's father, Rob, also did yeoman work for his parents today. He helped us install a new dehumidifier and re-set our patio umbrella, which we took down in anticipation of Hurricane Irene.
So tomorrow begins a new chapter in Muddling Marv's march through the modern world.
He did a great job. We transferred most of my files from my old PC to the laptop and now it's up to me to play around and see what else I can do. It was great having him here and I'm looking forward to having lots of fun with the new laptop.
Ben's father, Rob, also did yeoman work for his parents today. He helped us install a new dehumidifier and re-set our patio umbrella, which we took down in anticipation of Hurricane Irene.
So tomorrow begins a new chapter in Muddling Marv's march through the modern world.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
“I'm Not There”
One of the obstacles older persons have in dealing with the modern world is a loss of hearing.
Short of using hearing aids, which have limited benefit, we try different tactics to overcome the tendency to say “what?” whenever someone, usually a spouse, says something. One of them is to make sure we have eye contact before speaking. Another is not to speak from another room. Same thing actually, but lifetime habits are hard to break.
We usually signal one another when we hear a voice. “I'm not there,” is a favorite. “I can't hear you when the water's running,” is another. Just walking into the speaker's room saying, “I heard your voice but not what you said,” is effective. The whole idea is not to frustrate each other by having to repeat everything.
Friends who use hearing aids still have trouble hearing. I have one friend I speak to only in his left ear and only at close range. He doesn't mind. I'm not sure he even realizes what I'm doing.
We kid each other a lot about what we “heard” and what we actually said. Sometimes we're close, other times hysterically off target. We laugh about those. I wish I could come up with some quick examples for you but that's another problem, short-term memory.
We can remember things that happened years ago but often can't remember what we had for lunch. (We didn't have lunch today, just a late, full breakfast. You don't need to know the details.)
Maybe we should text. I shudder at THAT thought.
Short of using hearing aids, which have limited benefit, we try different tactics to overcome the tendency to say “what?” whenever someone, usually a spouse, says something. One of them is to make sure we have eye contact before speaking. Another is not to speak from another room. Same thing actually, but lifetime habits are hard to break.
We usually signal one another when we hear a voice. “I'm not there,” is a favorite. “I can't hear you when the water's running,” is another. Just walking into the speaker's room saying, “I heard your voice but not what you said,” is effective. The whole idea is not to frustrate each other by having to repeat everything.
Friends who use hearing aids still have trouble hearing. I have one friend I speak to only in his left ear and only at close range. He doesn't mind. I'm not sure he even realizes what I'm doing.
We kid each other a lot about what we “heard” and what we actually said. Sometimes we're close, other times hysterically off target. We laugh about those. I wish I could come up with some quick examples for you but that's another problem, short-term memory.
We can remember things that happened years ago but often can't remember what we had for lunch. (We didn't have lunch today, just a late, full breakfast. You don't need to know the details.)
Maybe we should text. I shudder at THAT thought.
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