New York Is Our Playground for Movies & Meals

Photo from NY Times review of the Irish documentary"Housewife of the Year," playing in the Village.

Illustration by Conor Merriman/Juno Films, Inc. 2025.

That glittery city, that gritty city. Its frissons of energy give our batteries a jolt. Its hard-boiled love runs deep. New Yorkers may seem to keep to themselves, but lose your pearl necklace walking around at lunch as a young woman or have your handbag stolen as the subway doors close, and watch people step up and step in.

Dan and I were young writers on those sidewalks, winding up and down streets and across avenues, chasing our dreams, wearing down the heels of our shoes. We were young believers, newlyweds, parents. We looked up to people--our editors, our writing and reporting peers and our idols (Tom Wolfe, Mary Cantwell, Helen Thomas), our parents, our friends, our siblings. (We still do.) We marveled at the city's gifts, free for the taking. The skyline. The Empire State Building. The Flatiron Building. The Village. The arch at Washington Square Park. Hot bagels, F train rides, Central Park, the day the circus came to town.

We are not young now, but if we somehow live until 95, then we are only about 2/3 through life. Time enough to chase more dreams. 

Lately, we did a couple of NYC firsts.

Saturday-night movie and late supper in the Village. Nothing on our many local NJ movie screens interested me this weekend. Dan, my entertainment concierge, discovered "Housewife of the Year" playing at Quad Cinema on West 13th Street. It's a documentary about a televised competition that aired in Ireland from 1969 to 1995. Check this NY Times review Dan found. I loved the film. The hairdos, dresses, skirts, shoes, stockings and jewelry the contestants wore; the glimpse at the husbands, how each couple met; the roles women were expected to play; the back stories; the talents; the toothy grins; the charming, wry TV host, Gay Byrne; the number of children each lady had (one with 13!!!!); and the dinners they made to woo the judges (roast lamb, fancy potatoes, custards, etc.). The way women's roles slowly changed with reproductive rights. The Catholic Church's strong clench, and slow release, on family choices. 

Surprise, the young, award-winning Irish director, Ciaran Cassidy, was there afterward, to field questions. So cool. I felt like a student again--and we were right near The New School, where we had gotten reacquainted in an evening writing class and started dating. 

Then we walked across the street to Da Andrea, a bustling Italian restaurant, for 9:30 dinner. We sat at the curved end of the small bar and Nelson took us in, between manning the cocktail shaker and pouring the wines. Warm, tender bread with olive oil, spinach ravioli stuffed with truffle mushroom and fluffy ricotta, then the perfect period at the end of the sentence, my latte and Dan's baby-size espresso with two tiny biscotti, a parting gift we ate with relish. Nelson poured us a glass of the restaurant's homemade limoncello, delicious, before we slipped out into the night. We plan to return to Andrea.

Dinner at The Waverly Inn! I'd been curious for years about this exclusive West Village hideaway co-owned by Graydon Carter of Vanity Fair editor fame. We wanted a nice place for Monday dinner on President's Day Weekend, to celebrate our February 17 wedding anniversary (34 years). The Waverly had a table at 5 or 9 p.m., so we went early. The truffled macaroni and cheese was well over $100, but other entrees were in reach. 

Looming larger than life: Legendary magazine editor Graydon Carter. 

Photo by Sasha Maslov for The New York Times.

The dinner opener delivered without question to your table, simple circle biscuits served warm with a ramekin of butter. Perfection. Recipe wanted. The Iceberg Wedge Salad was very nice with the crispy bacon on the side, since Dan is a vegetarian. I wouldn't rave about the rest of the food we had, but the ambiance--that provided the golden nourishment. This menu item caught my eye, for perspective: Aged Beef Tomahawk Rib Chop for Two, Black Truffle Butter, Choice of Two Sides 265. Yes, $265.

Roaring fireplaces, prominent mantels, a famous mural, cocktails, good people-watching. We were in close quarters with the in crowd. We had all ducked in from the cold, descending the stairs to an historic space. I won't lie, I did feel a little "less than," and that's not a great feeling. Even at the Plaza, Gramercy Tavern, the Four Seasons (only there once for Saturday night coffee and dessert, wandered in with Dan), Le Cirque, I didn't feel that way. Was that a gift of youth, that blending in and looking good? Does smooth skin and a svelte shape mean acceptance?

Anyway, next time, I will wear better shoes to a place run by the king of vanity publishing and Oscar fêtes. But one of my black suede Italian pumps went missing in my closet. (As a new college grad, I heard that Condé Nast interviewers look right at your footwear to evaluate style and substance. And the pretty raven-haired HR person did just that.) Mr. Carter lives a stone's throw away, so walking that neighborhood felt important. Two of his beloved vintage cars were (carefully) parked along Bank Street.

It was fun to get out of the suburbs. Holding a key to the city means we can always get a welcome jolt. 

Good night.

Pablum/Baby Food In My Overstuffed Chair

"Gidget" image from here. Problems all neatly solved 

and tied up with a bow by the end of the episode.

Sometimes TV baby food helps when I'm depressed. Spoon-fed mush for the mind.

Consider the first episode of "Charlie's Angels" (1976) or the dated movie "Gidget Gets Married" (1972), with a blonde Gidget/Francie and a surprisingly feminist thrust by the end. Doesn't compare to "Gidget Goes Hawaiian" (1961, Deborah Walley as Gidget, Carl Reiner as her Dad) and "Gidget Goes to Rome," (1963, Cindy Carol as Gidg) but it IS part of the movie series. A big slice of Americana (though white). And I can watch it all for free on Tubi, the streaming service (with ads).

The Screen Gems "Gidget" TV series starring Sally Field was the best. It ran on ABC from September 15, 1965, to April 21, 1966, with reruns after that.

I need more ice water and a tumbler of cold, creamy milk.

Until tomorrow, which I hope is a better day.

Good Night, Oscars

America Ferrara, from People Magazine's prompt online report. 

Long live the "Barbie" movie phenomena.

Fun watching from home with Dan and Figgy. Dan lit a crackling fire and made popcorn in the kitchen. (I added butter to mine.) Fig and I loved the hairstyles, the dresses, the music, the men and that one pinstriped women's suit with sparkle on the pinstripes, the sheer, jeweled long sleeves on another lady winner's dress. We exclaimed over America Ferrara, bringing back memories of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants young adult books by Ann Brashares that we both read when Fig was younger and then the two movies based on the books, with America in a starring role. We fawned over Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie (Ken, Barbie). All three of us liked the music, especially "Ken," and some of the audience shenanigans.

In spite of herself, I guess feeling too separate in her own way to join us in the living room and watch, though I invited her, I caught Punchy catching singer Billie Eilish onscreen. And when I noted from my stuffed chair that Al Pacino is old but has a new baby, she looked away from her group FaceTime call and bowl of cornflakes to sneak a peek at him, too, as she walked back upstairs.

I enjoyed a text thread with my friends Kim, Nan and Liz, who watched with friends and family in Brooklyn and Silver Spring, Maryland, and that was fun, too. Fast and furiously commenting! And earlier, Sis drove over from Connecticut to join for best Oscar Shorts 2024: Documentary at the Clairidge on Church Street. They were very good, with a social consience. My favorite, "The Last Repair Shop," was also the Academy's favorite. So good, such close observation and heart.

Good night. Monday morning will be here soon.

Glitterati, Literati--Rubbing Elbows with the Well-Read Crowd

                                    Image from https://s38490.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/splash-social.png.

My New York City born-and-bred mother subscribed to The New Yorker, which piqued my curiosity when it arrived weekly in our black metal mailbox in Dumont, New Jersey. But I didn't read it much back then. And though I'm proud that the Hearst Magazines dynasty has been my long-time employer (on staff and freelance), I never did fulfill my dream of also working at one of the glossy crown jewels at Condé Nast Publishing.

But now, the latter has The New Yorker in its deep duster coat pocket, so I figured a couple degrees of separation would have to do, getting me closer to cream-of-the-crop Condé at the 24th annual New Yorker Festival. I had never gone due to the high ticket cost, but this fall, I went to a free event on Sunday, October 8 at 12:30 p.m. I snagged a ticket for Dan, too, but we had just driven into Brooklyn to dear Kim's and F's for a cocktail party the night before, so he took a pass. Too bad.

From Montclair, I hopped on Grove Street to Route 3 East and the Lincoln Tunnel to attend a screening of part one, "JFK: One Day in America," a documentary series that will stream in early November. The footage of that fateful day in Dallas transports you. You are there, with Mrs. Kennedy in her carefully curated fashions, her pink pillbox hat and navy and pink suit. (How did I never see the navy part before?) With her when she is late for the hotel breakfast and then met with loud applause. With Mrs. Kennedy when her husband is shot in the motorcade. When she has a fleeting breath of hope that he is still alive because they ask what his blood type is outside the emergency room entrance. You are with the two Secret Service agents (now aged, and on camera), who did their very best to protect and save in the midst of shock. With a reporter who was on the scene. You breathe deep, you turn away. You know what is coming.

But there is also beautiful footage at the start, the family out boating with the children, and more. I'm a lifelong Kennedy family buff but this film has many details that had never been revealed. The very best documentary digging, tasteful and true.

The 23rd Street theatre was packed. I looked around in the dark--a college student, artsy city dwellers who looked like filmmakers and a kind of grumpy big guy to my right who ducked out before the lights went on and the panel discussion began. 

The panel was great, all four experts charming and smart. We had Amy Starecheski, the Co-Director of the Oral History MA Program at Columbia University; young, pretty, blonde, modest, British and quietly brilliant, not puffed-up* director Ella Wright; Peggy Simpson, who covered the JFK assassination firsthand as a young journalist; and David Glover, the co-CEO of 72 Films, which produced the series. 

 

I was lucky to get free (Sunday) parking right across the street. I did rush back to get Punchy to her community service stint in the afternoon at Toni's, the soup kitchen in town, but let's not go there right now.

I can't wait to watch the rest of the series next month. I love New York.

                                                                        Image from here.

Per Wikipedia: The New Yorker Festival is an annual event organized by The New Yorker magazine.^[1] It is held in venues in and around New York City, typically in early October, bringing together "a who’s-who of the arts, politics and everything in between."^[2] The festival was first held in 1999 and has since become "one of the buzziest cultural events of the year" as well as "the biggest consumer-facing event for the magazine's parent company Condé Nast.

*Hell no, Ella was not puffed up--you cannot elicit cooperation and important historical insights like these if you are a puffed-up film director in requisite black turtleneck, right? Please forgive my stereotype.

Final Season of “Younger” Does Not Disappoint

Above: Liza Miller (Sutton Foster) and Kelsey Peters (Hilary Duff) on “Younger” this season. Image from THE CINEMAHOLIC.COM.

I love this show (based on a novel by a long-time Montclair writer, redheaded Pamela R. S., who recently moved to the West Coast).

The premise: A divorced mother from the suburbs who is about 40 pretends to be 26 so she can re-enter the workforce in NYC...with a job in the publishing world. Everything about it is delicious, from the characters to the clothing. Hilary Duff, as Liza’s fellow editor, is excellent.

Sad that this (seventh) season is the last.... we haven’t seen Liza, Charles, Josh and crew since 2019. I’ve missed them. The pandemic put a lot of joys on hold.

The first four episodes were released to watch free--if you have Hulu or Paramount. Free, okay, but a ton of short commercial breaks, for everything from Chambord Raspberry Liqueur (to mix with Prosecco for a cocktail) to vaccine promotions, Google ads and repeated plugs for Stanley Steemer home cleaning service.

Here’s what I loved:

• Hilary Duff’s look! She is quite short next to tall Liza (Sutton Foster) but the styling! Long white overcoats, heels, a creamy sweater with cutout neckline, long skirts, short dresses, rich blouses, great lipstick, pretty ponytails. It’s a big part of the show, the style watching. I’m not sure when this season was filmed, but maybe Duff, 33 in real life, is in so many great coats to hide her pregnancy?--she just delivered her third child in March.
• Ditto on dressing the star of the show (Foster). Kelly green sweater, long hemlines, black wetsuit for surfing scenes in Montauk. (We do not see her actually surf.)
• The leading men. Very handsome, very good sideways and subtle glances. Charles has impeccably cut suits and shirts--and hair.
• The scriptwriting. Fast-paced, witty, trendy NYC.
• Best city in the world. Rooftop parties, the Rainbow Room, Williamsburg, press/book launches, coffee with oat milk--not to mention the aerial view of Montauk and the lighthouse there.

Since Dan has written several books, I do find some of the inner workings of the book publishing world to be a bit unreal/inaccurate. Dan is not a celebrity author, but he has gotten some nice $$ advances/contracts. He works very hard crafting/researching detailed pitches and his very good/high-profile agent shops them around to multiple publishers. But on the show, the authors come in and pitch their books to the team....it’s very entertaining, just don’t know if it is real.

Moreover, I guess we really don’t know if the world will be back in offices full-time again...so that is another question. No one working remotely.

We had some choppy waters again today (Dan has a tick bite but got to doctor, Sis had to take Buttercup to vet for a reason, Skippy was here briefly with Mimi and we had bumps), but catching this on my laptop was pure fun. Watched all four already. Escapism at its best.

Good night.

Bedtime Reading: Melissa McCarthy

Heading upstairs to read this April 2021 issue. Magazines are thinner and flimsy these days, and you can find so much on the web, from pie recipes to essays, pink couches to tea towels. Truly, IDK how much longer beloved magazines can make it...a dying breed...but still they stand at the checkout line, like brave soldiers or determined 1950s housewives, apron on, wood spoon in hand. 

I have loved buying magazines at airport shops (settling in with a good read distracts you from cramped coach seating and stale cabin air), but with air travel down in the pandemic, it’s been a double whammy for the publishers.

But I invested in this one. I picked it up and put it down at Whole Foods (on a budget) but had a little more cash at Kings six days later. The issue was still on my mind, and I still wanted to hold it in my hands and read it, you know? Such a lovely cover, with the colors...have to find out what she is wearing.

Melissa must sell a lot of copies....I love her as funny, pretty chef Sookie St. James in “Gilmore Girls” and as Molly in “Mike & Molly” (they meet at an OA meeting). I’ve watched both shows in reruns. And she and the rest of the “Bridesmaids” movie cast are so good. Some bathroom humor, but hilarious, touching story. I already know a lot about her from other magazine stories but can’t wait to catch up on new details. And the truth is, it’s compelling to read about a full-figured, life-size, beautiful woman/actress/wife/mother and see where she’s at on her journey. Here I go.

Good night.

The Doris Day Show

The next step on my baby-food, old TV show kick: “The Doris Day Show.” It aired on CBS from 1968 to 1973. Photo link from here. I have to say there’s something about this photo that bugs me, because Doris had such a wholesome image. But I went with it because it shows the hair bow, color-coordinated outfit, etc.

I have a very clear memory of being with my mother as a girl and listening to Doris Day sing “Que Será, Será” on the kitchen radio. Dan remembers the song from his childhood, too.

I don’t recall seeing Doris Day movies until I was on my own/married (“Pillow Talk”)  but I must have seen one, or read a story about her in a magazine--because I immediately spotted a Doris doppelgänger in the college dining hall in freshman year.

I think the young woman was a friend of Jackie, my friend from my hometown--her name was Maura, or Moira, I believe.

She had blonde hair and a pretty headband that matched her outfit--all fresh-squeezed colors--and I think her skin was tan. I think she wore lipstick, and nail polish, to accentuate the outfit.

You remind me of Doris Day, I said. 

And I think/hope I smiled and added And I mean that as a compliment, because I did.

I was fascinated by the young woman’s panache--right down to the shoes--and the confidence to carry it off. Most of us wore jeans, sweaters and if we were up to it, lip gloss. (Though another friend, Megan, also wore headbands and had cute sweaters, preppy turtlenecks and penny loafers.)

I just happened upon this show and started watching a week or two ago......I LOVE seeing the outfits Doris wears, the hairdos, the hats, the hair bows, the colors, oh the colors! Lavender, orange, perfect mauve, blue plaid, lemon yellow, black. Pretty pink or coral pink lipstick, frosted blue eye shadow, a fringe of dark lashes. Tunics, cardigans, ponchos, pantsuits. Statement necklaces, chunky rings. She is so pretty. And a big part of this is that we didn’t have color TV in this time period, so it’s a treat to look back and see it now, a slice of the time when I was a girl. I don’t think I knew women in 1968 to 1973 (when I was 7 to 12) who dressed this fashionably.

See what I mean? A scarf, a ponytail. I’m drawn to that hairstyle but usually can’t pull it off unless I get my curly hair dried smooth at the salon. Image from here.

As a long-time writer on staff in the magazine world, I love that she works at Today’s World, a (made-up) family magazine based in San Francisco. I’ve been thinking of friends Kim and Liz, who also lived in San Francisco, and of my niece, Anna, a talented, Maine-born artist who has an apartment  there.

The TV story line starts with Doris, whose husband died, leaving NY and moving back in with her Dad at a ranch north of San Francisco. She has two young sons to raise. 

Above: Wholesome image from here.

But by season five, the family/mom/sons part is written out of the script and Doris is dating handsome men and living in her own swinging apartment with spiral staircase.

It’s just such a time capsule--women’s roles at work, fascinating. Men’s style, too--the turtlenecks, the hair. 

Image above from here.

I watch these old shows on Amazon Prime on the living room TV.  Dan is skeptical at first, and then he watches a little bit, too, in spite of himself.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Went in person to Palm Sunday Mass. Quiet prayer. And my friend Jean Rose was there--we talked after. 
2. Talked to Figgy. Broached some tough topics.
3. Dan and I had long phone call with Mimi and Poppy to lay out some Skippy groundwork/ground rules.
4. Planted pink tulips in my indoor pot.
5. Fresh berries and fresh figs.
6. Talked to Sis and to my friend Candy.
7. Lit a white taper candle--comfort on the mantel.

Sofa Cinema: Beatles Movie Tonight

Click here.

Oh, this empty nest feeling is so very, very different and peaceful, even if it might be/could be/likely will be? temporary.

Instead of wrangling someone to put down her cell phone and get into bed, we can do whatever we want.

It got to the point here where everything was a battle. 

Tonight, my choice: A Beatles movie. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.

Possible picks:

• A Hard Day’s Night, 1964.
• Help!, 1965.
• Magical Mystery Tour, 1967.
• Yellow Submarine, 1968.

Today I wrote hard; attended a NextTribe (for women 45 and over) Zoom event with Cathie Black and other power authors about gendered ageism/power moms/re-entering the workforce; enjoyed Chinese dinner delivery with Dan; watched some episodes of "The Doris Day Show" on TV 1968 to 1973.

Good night.

Tonight’s the Night---This Is Us Final Season Starts

Time to stop writing (I’ve been crafting an essay since afternoon) and get cozy with my yogurt bowl.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Noticed vibrant sunrise when Sug woke me to go out at 5:30 a.m.
2. Went to doctor checkup. Overall, pretty good. Some follow-up.
3. Healthful foods today--Ezekiel English muffin, homemade meatloaf (moderate slice), roasted vegs, spinach, baby potatoes, 0% Fage Greek yogurt soon. Good coffee.
4. Wore a pretty new dress I bought last week at Anthropologie, with black tights.
5. Writing a style essay--hoping to sell it.
6. Earrings, eye shadow, eye cream.

Time to Catch up on “This Is Us"

It’s been a long break since I’ve seen Jack, Rebecca and the (now #40 yo) triplets....

#thankgoodnessforgoodTV #andmovies #NBC #peacock

Spoiler alert: I could’ve sworn I'd seen TV promos saying the new, final season would start March 9 but now OnDemand says March 16. Boo.

TCOY

1. Healthy eating feels good. Salad, chicken sausage, almond butter, yogurt with apple and walnuts...not in that order. So does coffee in a cup & saucer from my parents’ 1951 wedding china set. Brings “Mad Men” to mind--coffee cups were so much smaller back in the day.
2. Walked Sug around the block.
3. Talked to Sis.
4. Raked and gardened, first two big brown bags of the season. Ready to dig into more.
5. Reviewed work invoices. Last year was a hell year in many ways and I hadn’t sent an invoice for articles I submitted in November. So now I did.
6. Starting to mentally gather items for Goodwill drop-off. Feels good. (The Ann Patchett essay in The New Yorker about decluttering was inspiring. I love Ann Patchett’s writing style.)
7. Short chat with neighbors outside, good to catch up.
8. Attended a virtual Diptyque Paris fragrance event on Zoom with Sis and a few dozen other scent lovers. It was fun. (Sniffapalooza).

Plugged in

I would be better off reading more books and taking more nature walks. But like many during Covid, I’ve been cocooning a lot.

Old TV

I guess you know by now that I love retro TV. We didn’t have a color TV until the late 1970s. I love these shows. Only a few* are in black & white.

• That Girl
• The Dick Van Dyke Show*
• The Mothers-in-Law
• Here’s Lucy
• The Brady Bunch
• The Waltons
• Columbo
• Family Affair (Mr. French, the butler)
• The Andy Griffith Show*
• Green Acres
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents*
• The Twilight Zone*
• Leave It to Beaver*
• My Three Sons (first B&W, then color)

I watch from zero to three episodes a day. I love the fashions, the moments in time, the character actors--and observing the women’s roles, and the households, and how they have changed. I love the simpler times. The dresses, maids, vacuum cleaners, pearls, pot roasts, layer cakes. I will write more about this another day.

Go-to Websites

• Medium, to publish my writing, check my stats and earnings, sometimes read stories (like the Governor Cuomo #MeToo one just published there).
• Google, to find images to accompany my Medium pieces.
• https://www.merriam-webster.com/ to check spellings, capitalization, grammar etc.
• Blogspot (to publish this blog site, since March 2010)
• Facebook, with individual groups, too, such as former magazine writers/editors; my neighborhood; and You know you grew up in Dumont when....
• The New York Times
• Wikipedia!
• Spotify
• Google Translate, to learn how to say “Good Night, Cheese” in French.
• Vogue (sometimes, i.e. Kamala cover)

Phone Apps

• Two different banks
• Calculator
• Flashlight
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Venmo
• Alarm/timer
• Spotify
• Google Maps
• Weather 
• Notes

Style/Home Browsing

• sweetlaurel.com (California dreaming. I swear, I’m going to that pretty shop one day. Pacific Coast, rose candles, logo, decaf coffee beans etc. FYI, I think the beautiful vegan layer cakes they bake and ship are beautifully tiny. I almost ordered Fig the little heart-shaped vegan brownies for V Day but I think the shipping was going to be close to $61. So, no.)
• reedsmythe.com (Julia Reed)
• netaporter.com
• aerin.com
• llbean.com
• trishmcevoy.com (makeup)
• bergdorfgoodman.com
• wolford.com (tights)
• vestachocolate.com (Montclair coffee/style)
• mossandmore.com (fairy-tale plant shop)
• maggiesorganics.com
• karinadresses.com
• toryburch.com

Bloggers

I am loyal to these.

Kim, This Blog’s Got No Title 

Nan, Buddy

Don’t Wear a Cashmere Sweater to Clean the Toilet

Above, Donna Reed does housework. I found the image on this intriguing blog: http://mid-centurypink.blogspot.com/p/mid-century-housewife-project.html. Mid-century housewife project!

My Medium post below:

https://alicegarbarinihurley.medium.com/dont-wear-a-cashmere-sweater-to-clean-the-toilet-f738da492275

Good night, sleep well.

Halloween Netflix--a Chill Runs up Your Spine

 Why I Love Creepy "Ratched"

At Home with Amy Sedaris

I love this Martha Stewart cooking show spoof! I never watched it, and it is hilarious. I've been laughing out loud at my dining room table. I knew I loved the writing of Amy's brother David Sedaris, but now I've flipped for this, too.  

And then--Amy says she was inspired by "At Home with Peggy Mann," which she watched in girlhood. So I watched one of those episodes from August 1979 and again, loved it.  The time capsule of it all. A man in a blue denim, wide-lapel suit (a guest on the show); beautiful young Jane Curtin on a washing machine commercial; a lengthy message from the Broiler Council promoting chicken as a tasty, high-protein food, especially when your family has worked up an appetite outdoors.

I live for this retro stuff.

Almost midnight.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Short walk w Sugar.
2. Long talk w Sis.
3. Kim, I ordered those 3 French memoirs/books by Elizabeth Bard on Amazon. Wanted hard covers, bought 2 used but "like new" condition, and one brand-new. About $38 total with shipping. I previewed and saw some healthful family recipes to try. Thank you!
4. Wholesome foods had: roast turkey, Ezekiel bread, tomato, avocado, scrambled egg with kale and salsa.
5. Asked Dan to unsnag my bike lock, which had coiled around tire spokes...I plan to pedal somewhere tomorrow.
6. Zoom school meeting for parents/caregivers tonite--info received. It was clear to me that we are all doing our best--teachers, parents, kids, administration. We all seemed a tiny bit worse for the wear (many keep their cameras off) but the chat showed hope and trust. It was good to see fellow parents there. Punch back from Mimi's tomorrow. I'm praying for peace, and the wisdom and presence of mind to take things one hour, one day at a time. School starts Thursday morning at 7:50 am.

Laced up My Sneakers Again

Dan and I are trying to see that Punch gets physical exercise daily in this pandemic....while she was at Mimi's for 12 days, he cooked up a group with a few dads (including three of her kind soccer coaches past and present). A few days a week at about 5 pm, a handful of girls and their dads meet at a field in Montclair for a socially distanced activity for an hour or so....Frisbee, tennis, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse. So great. They wear face shields. I'm happy they are not in a vacuum.

No dads/daughters sports club today, so I walked in and out of town with Punch at 5:15 pm, tho it was hot as hell, I won't lie. I haven't exercised for several days (except for gardening)--it felt good to move. 

Sis tipped me off on the "Modern Love" TV series on Amazon Prime. It is soooooo good. Andy Garcia! Anne Hathaway! Dev Patel! Tina Fey! John Slattery! And of course, the stories are based on those brilliant New York Times "Modern Love" essays. My goal is to one day sell one. So far, I have submitted two.

In the episode with Tina Fey and John Slattery, this song--this song is amazing......watch. Listen.

DON'T MENTION THE WAR (lyrics)

PLAY (song)

Good night.

TCOY

1. Refreshing shower with Tone soap bar, which arrived on my stoop via Instacart yesterday.
2. Walked 50 min with Punch.
3. Nice iced coffee from Vesta Chocolate! Sipped in style.
4. Picked up Rxs at CVS, mask on.
5. Healthy foods enjoyed: oatmeal bowl, yum; moderate amount leftover Thai takeout with sheet-pan lemon broccoli; roast chicken, arugula salad.
6. Important phone calls to Jane and S. and Anne.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Vesta, Punch and me, with tip. $16. Much rather spend money here at this elegant single-location shop than at Starbucks. We love the owners and artisans, Julia and Robert.
• CVS, 2 cans Amy's black bean soup, cleanser, 2 dried noodle bowls for girls, 5 Clif bars on sale for $1 each, Aveeno anti-itch cream (for bug bites, etc.) to pack for upcoming Cape Cod trip, $25.50.
• Rented old "Freaky Friday" movie with Jodie Foster the other night, $3.99. Best ever.
• Moss & More, such a sweet shop, The Common Good all-purpose tea tree spray cleanser, refillable plastic bottle to take to Cape house, with tax, $10.66. My brother, who owns the house, is a clean freak. I like the idea of this lovely essential oil spray. I am trying hard to stop buying dishwashing liquid bottles and cleaning sprays and just refill.....but Dan has to get on board. 

Total daily spend: $56.15.

Ongoing monthly spend as of July 23:$2,226.37.

Avg daily spend: $96.80.

Good Night, That Girl

Image from amazon.com.

TCOY

1. Watched "That Girl" on Antenna TV.  [The series originally aired 1966 to 1971, when I was 5 to 10 years old.] Sis has that channel, but I don't think we do at home. Omigosh, Marlo Thomas and her beauty and style. Loved it. The apartment, the grocery store, her boyfriend, her kind heart, pleated skirts, satin blouses, tights, flipped hair, dark lashes, chain belts, patterned coats, pretty handbags.
2. Walked with Sis, her friend and Buttercup by the marina and over on the avenue.
3. Good dental care.
4. Sent another article pitch.
5. Vegs, fruits, lean proteins and whole grains.
6. Important talking and thinking. Plan of action for Punch and life--I hope.
7. Sis made me a daily life schedule for when I get home--because I asked her to. She is so organized. It's penned on an index card and includes windows of time to walk Sugar, exercise, etc. etc.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

total daily spend: zero.

ongoing monthly spend as of June 4: $484.31.

avg daily spend: $121.08.

Keep an eye on/compare to previous months:

April 2020: Total monthly spend: $2,143.19.
Avg daily spend: $71.44.

March 2020--the effect of coronavirus quarantine and not working in NYC for now

Total monthly spend as of March 31: $1,916.15.

Avg daily spend: $61.81.

February 2020

Total monthly spend as of Feb. 29: $2,480.34.
Avg daily spend: $85.53.

TOTAL SPEND FOR MAY 2019: $2,348.24.

MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $75.75. 

TOTAL SPEND FOR APRIL 2019: $3,634.28.

APRIL AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $121.14.

Signing off to Snuggle In

Tonight is the season finale of "This Is Us."

Couch is waiting, candles lit on mantel.

Punchy watches with me; it is usually not too graphic. She is all ready for bed.

Talk to you tomorrow!

TCOY

1. I moved again--set my timer on phone for 20 minutes and walked while waiting to get Punchy from CCD class.
2. Polished my nails! Before I was a mother, I did that once a week, and they looked really nice.
3. Had a baked apple!

Work Crowds Out Blogging/Candle Burns Low/Cakes Walk In

I have a lot of pots boiling/simmering at once. But I really want to blog! Especially about these three fabulous forms of entertainment:

1. The movie "The Post."
2. The Amazon series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
3. The network TV show "This Is Us."

But it has to wait.

Also saddened by news story that broke today about parents in California who were holding their 13 kids captive, starved, chained, etc. So very heartbreaking. 

TCOY

1. Asked Dan to get candles at grocery store. Two tapers burning next to me as I write. Love the soft flickering flames; of course, need electric light, too.
2. That carrot cauliflower soup again, yum.
3. Ezekiel bread with smoked salmon.
4. Joke. So this little girl walks in with two cakes. After healthy dinner, complete with spinach salad, I looked at Dan in our kitchen as he gleefully reached for a cold orange, which he finds delicious. "I wish someone would walk in here right now with a three-layer chocolate fudge cake," I said. "I'm going to have some cake for my birthday Sunday." An hour later, Punchy walks in after her very nice MLK play date with her friend and his Mom, toting a bakery cheesecake and homemade sweet potato cake roll. Dan and I did have some. Excellent. Don't plan to have more, but Punchy can.

Gilmore Girls Marathon w Sudsy Commercial Overload

Kelly Bishop is delightfully rigid as matriarch Emily Gilmore.
She hates sugar on her breakfast grapefruit, 
always looks impeccable, even when gardening, and treats her maids horribly.

Another sparkling star turn: Kelly Bishop as Baby's mother
in "Dirty Dancing," 1987. The role wasn't huge,
but her performance dazzled like a fine-cut emerald.

Soap operas were so named because of the laundry detergent and Palmolive commercials sandwiched between every dramatic segment. 

I have NEVER watched so much continuous TV as I did tonite, but am catching up on excellent "Gilmore Girls" seasons on Netflix and came upon a marathon on a TV channel called UP, #238 in my area. 

Had the living room to myself and slightly embarrassed to say I have watched SIX episodes from 5 to 11 p.m. The show is compelling, with small-town life in fictional Stars Hollow, Connecticut, romance, parenthood, conflicts, wacky townspeople, excessive wealth, great acting and incredible wardrobes on Lorelai and her mother, Emily Gilmore--and Rory Gilmore sometimes, too.

It's so well written and funny and I find myself laughing out loud a lot. 

But the ads are packed in. My brain is sudsed up with:

• Walgreens for beauty products/makeup [a hundred times*]
• Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches [a hundred times] I'm tired of hearing how their hot magic inspires umbrella-sharing on a rainy day, which, in a chain reaction, cheers a whole busload of people. 
• Domino's Pizza [a hundred times]
• TIAA Investing/Banking [a hundred times]
• Differin acne gel [a hundred tines]
• Entivya [for Crohn's disease; a hundred times]
• Sprint 
• Chuck E. Cheese [aimed at moms, telling them not to "slave over a stove making mac and cheese"]
• "Growing up McGhee" [apparently another big show on UP]
• Michaels craft stores 
• Universal Parks & Resorts
• Breyers Gelato Indulgences 
• Summer's Eve
• Cosentyx psoriasis drug
• Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel Pens [a hundred times]
• DiGiorno Pizza 
• Dove Foaming Body Wash
• Doggy tick medicine and dental bones
• Sparkle cleaning spray 
• Tide laundry pods 
• Lowe's

At 11, I must click off and take a bath. So hard to turn away. Rory, always the perfect daughter to her single mom, took a joy ride--illegally--on someone else's yacht w her boyfriend, went to jail, dropped out of Yale, is doing 300 hours of community service.

But all those ads: super suds overkill. My brain feels bubbly. But I guess we can see what kind of products get the show's mostly female viewers to open their wallets.....

Good night.

*Slight exaggeration but feels like 100 times. I think I like Netflix better. No commercials. But I don't have it hooked up to TV; have to balance my laptop on my knees/belly while lounging on couch..

P.S. on Saturday: OMG, I was just reading that Kelly Bishop lives in South Orange, which is just minutes from my town! I wonder if I might ever run into her in the produce aisle at the big Whole Foods in West Orange!!!!

"This Is Us" Captured Our Hearts

I started binge-watching the NBC show "This Is Us" today and after playing at her friends' house, Punchy joined me. H. out working in NYC tonight.

We can't get over how compelling it is, with Mandy Moore and Milo V., who played Jess on "Gilmore Girls."  The show is soooooo good. But I can't write anymore because I'm exhausted. Punch had to be at soccer 8:15 a.m. today, shin guards under her socks, coffee cup in my hand.

I thank my friend Eileen for telling me about this show--on Facebook.

I don't think the show is too inappropriate for Lex; fortunately, the whole thing about pot brownies went right over her head and so far, there haven't been real sex scenes. And anyway, I kid you not, between her ADHD and her love of gymnastics, she pushes the ottoman aside and does flips most of the night. So she misses some snippets. But we're both fascinated by the adopted son reuniting w his birth father and with the tale of the baby boy

being left at the fire station.

Please excuse typos; bleary-eyed.