And Repeat!

Dear Acid Reflux,
Where were you all our lives?
Tums, Rolaids and Pepto.
Helped our parents stomachs thrive.
Proton uptake inhibitors.
Add an endoscopic search.
Waiting for results, clearly keeps us in the lurch.
We love to eat pastrami, deli mustard piled high.
A half a sandwich later.
How will we survive?
We take our little purple pill.
Go along our merry way.
Hello Acid Reflux are you really here to stay?
A cough and then a tickle.
Is our stomach that high up?
Please hand me the mylanta,
Perhaps a half a cup.
Our stomachs have gotten older.
Our eyes still on the pie.
The days of a la mode, have quickly passed us by.
Let’s try the milk from Almonds.
Lactose intolerant too.
We are so very over, the limitations in our view.
A spritz of just plain seltzer, a ginger ale was quite the cure.
Our dietary habits, we need to re-explore.
Forget the mozzarella-deep fried, sauce on the side.
Our days of grabbing a slice,
Makes our stomach wanna hide.
We love a little bolognese.
Tossed on pasta piled high.
We wake up at 2:30 and hear our stomachs cry.
Now we’re planning dinners.
That are as bland as all get out.
Dear Acid Reflux, shut the door on your way out.

2023 Summer Forecast.

Sunny with a side of Optimism.

“What does believing things will turn out right have to do with making them turn out right?” – Everything it seems. Blame it on the Club. If I tried it with a hybrid- then maybe.

Summertime and the living is easy, fish are jumping and the cotton is high. After A Hard Day’s Night – I want Breakfast at Tiffany’s with a Splendor in the Grass chaser. As I approach the Autumn of my Youth- I ask “What kind of fool am I?” “I want to come home to you and find the things that you do will make me feel alright”ah! Paul . So as we roll out the hazy, lazy, crazy days of summer, the days of soda and pretzels and beer, (well maybe Tito’s), I’d like to go to the”drive- in on Friday nights.” As we see the pyramids along the Nile, standing near “Moon River” we feel grateful to be out of the “heat wave.” Could this be magic, as the lion sleeps tonight in the jungle, the mighty jungle? Who knows, could be it’s only just out of reach down the block, on a beach, under a tree. Tonight? We call on wishful thinking as we put on our yellow polka dot bikini and set our sights on the beach boys. We find ourselves dancing in the streets, eating icicles, popsicles and simply remember our favorite things. Are there lilac trees in the heart of town. Can your hear a lark in any other part of town? Does enchantment pour out of every door no it’s just on the street where you live. Wouldn’t you like to ride in my beautiful balloon? We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky we can fly, we can fly. Girl, I heard you’re getting married, heard you’re getting married this time you’re really sure. So, we’re going to the chapel of love. Love summer weddings. We are the lucky ones, some people never get to do all we got to do, now and forever I will always think of you. It only takes a moment for your eyes to meet and then it only takes a moment to be loved a whole life long. So let’s get those good vibrations, cause G- d only knows at any point, in the still of the night – tomorrow may rain so I’ll follow the sun.

Carole Gompertz Ries many thanks for helping to add to the comfort level. #clubs and…

Groaning Older- repeat-

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of our favorite things.
Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of our favorite things.
When the pipes leak,
When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
We simply remember our favorite things,
And then we don’t feel so bad.
Hot tea and muffins and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of our favorite things.
Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin’,
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin’,
And we won’t mention how much we forget,
While living in the moment, we’ve less to regret.
When the joints ache,
When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then we remember the great things we’ve had,
And then we don’t feel so bad.”
Make it a fun Friday!

Hail mah jongg long haulers.
The game is here to stay.
From New York to Florida,
They can’t keep us away.

The tables are plenty.

The snacks such a treat.

Sit down, mix the tiles while adjusting your seat.

While Jokers run wild,
And Flowers often dear.
Quints and Concealed hands.
Make winning quite rare.
Leave your worries on the doorstep,
As you enter the room.
That has the sign hanging-
“No Doom, No Gloom.

We talk over each other,
Therapeutic indeed.
Gossip -as part of the way to succeed.
Making the hands and rolling the dice.
Nothing is naughty it Always feels nice.
As the day comes to closing.
And we say our good-byes.
We always remember to keep our eye on the prize.

I would wake up early Friday mornings, open my door and grab The New York Times Restaurant Review Section. When I worked with you in the basement of
1081 3rd Avenue from 1977-1980, Mimi Sheraton was the “it” girl. Her glorious career spanned her lifetime. From chopsticks to soupçons and everything in-between.
We wondered if she would think the carrots were a good addition to the Fritto Misto? Was there going to be a comment about the broccoli holding too much batter? We knew if she reviewed us the Tartufo would be lauded- the ice cream gal that she was. Disguised or not, we waited for her as her aura was recognizable.
Who knows if I had stayed in the restaurant industry between my love for food and all that surrounds it and my flare for penning words if I would have followed Mimi around the corner and down the block into Lutece. The smell of Truffles in season was the initial allure and then Andre Soltner worked his magic. Euphoric recall laced with reverence indeed.
You had me out there taste testing the latest egg roll or asking “what their most popular pasta dish was,”at Tre Amici, often talking loudly to compete with the piano player. Hey, Mimi we wonder what your “Last Supper” was. Baruch Dayan HaEmet.

www.instagram.com/reel/Cqv6mXELOI4TiU4lW6Kmp1wlr9o3CAHDdb5xMo0/

www.instagram.com/reel/Cqv6mXELOI4TiU4lW6Kmp1wlr9o3CAHDdb5xMo0/

Airport Clamor Imagined.

Carl, Carl did ya hear me?
Root Beer, yes, no not diet.

Stanley get on line, go on, say you just had your hip replaced.

Sol, hurry I want to stop at the place that has pizza so I can have a couple of slices on the plane. No nothing to drink. I get dizzy when I pee on a plane (toilet.) Ugh and the floor is always wet.

Marty hold my coat, I knew I should-a checked it with my luggage. What ya mean I have to hold my mah jongg set on my lap. Are you joke r-ing me. Get it Marty that’s a joke. Ha! Ha!

Ron- go show em your shoulder strap we can get the exit row. No one can bang into you, you’ll sit by the window. Shout out to yup! You looking at me Ries.

Mel-ask for two bags of cookies and chips and pretzels. I’m hungry.

Frank- can you get me a magazine in the front of the plane? Doris what century are you living in? This is Jet ( no magazines) Blue.

Morris-ask what plantain chips are and if they’re kosher. Don’t tell me to shut up.

Paul- what sandwich do you want. I brought cream cheese and jelly on white. Or sardines on a roll with butter and onions. Neither one? You’ll eat the plantain chips.
Dinner? We are having Chinese.

Danny, Danny you sleeping? Watch my handbag I am going to see what they are selling in the cart. Quick let
me out.

Twas the night before Pesach and all through the house.

The smell of the brisket,

Added water to our mouth.

The chicken soup was simmering.

To a boil it was brought.

Our liberation from slavery.

From which we were fraught.

With water turning to blood,

Frogs, lice and flies.

Livestock and locusts.

No firstborns survived.

The Bible unveils,

With g-d on our side.

Letting the Israelites leave Egypt.

The Gates opened wide.

Now Asher, now Sadie, now Evelyn,

Now Moe.

On Manny, on Gertie on Sarah, on Joe.

To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall.

Now dash away, dash away, dash away all.

The children were ready to ask the four kashes.

Ma nishtan halailah hazeh mikol haleilot?

The questions all answered, the food was dipped twice.

No one was naughty, tonight just be nice.

And mamma in her kerchief and papa in his cap.

The dishes all done, they’re ready for a nap.

The afikoman was eaten.

Sugar plums danced in our heads.

Our inalienable rights.

Erased all the dread.

Chag Pesach Sameach one and all.

When the next times are now.

Let’s live in the moment.
As Life passes us by.
Take our eyes off our phones.
We’ll give it a try.
The hours we are missing turn into days and then weeks.
While sitting and dining with our closest of peeps.
The abundance of notices through a ring or a chime.
Distinguishing sounds as our anticipation climbs.
An email, a text, a memory comes through.
Socializing through electronics is just what we do.
We glance at the table our phones perched on top.
We have tried not to look but we just couldn’t stop.
Put down your iPads and follow along.
We missed what you said, our addictions that strong.
So just for today we will silence our phones.
Cause what’s that important till we get home?
We might miss a picture from 2018, or a Brooks Brothers coupon to purchase something green.

Have. Good Sunday!