Friday

Today is almost the last day of the year. It will be a while before we get used to write 2017. I remember when I worked for days I used to write down the old year's number instead of the new one. It is a good thing that now machines do the thinking for us and they will correct our errors.

The old chicken or the egg question came to mind tonight.

We were working on making arrangements for our next visit to Las Vegas. But we didn't know which to do first. Make the hotel reservation or do the flight arrangements.

Each had some good deals but we were afraid that while we do one we might lose the chance for the other. Anyway, we bit the bullet and did the hotel first than the flight. I'm sure it will work out.

Tomorrow, on New Year's Eve we plan to stay up and make sure the New Year comes in on time. We will stay home and have a family celebration.

Next time I will write will very likely be next year.

Until then Happy and Healthy New Year to all my friends.

Wednesday/Thursday

For me one of the best fried chicken on this side of the Atlantic is Popeye's. But a very close second is Plain & Fancy in Pennsylvania Amish country.

This restaurant has a family style meal where they sit about ten people at a table and they serve unlimited amount of food. You pass the dishes around and eat until you pop. Fried chicken is one of their star attraction.

It is made just the way I like it. Not juicy but all fried, the crust is just the way I remember from home and the serving dish is never empty. They also have roast beef, vegetables cold salad, cold drinks and sweets for dessert. 

My favorite dessert is shoofly pie. I don't know what that is but it certainly tastes goooood.

Now, why did I write about this? Because yesterday at the spur of the moment we decided to have some fried chicken in Amish country. So we got in our car and two and a half hours later we were there. The weather was very nice meaning that being outdoors was pretty pleasant.

We were very surprised to see how many people (tourists) were there. At one place we counted five tour buses.

We actually wanted to see how the Amish celebrate Christmas. But the houses that were decorated were all non-Amish. Since they do not use electricity Christmas lightings do not exist. Only in commercial establishments for the sake of the tourists.

Also because all the stores close at four pm we really couldn't look forward to a longer day. But still we had a great time and aside from the food we were glad we went on the this trip.

Next time in the Spring.

Tuesday

My cousin and his wife are the classic grandparents. They love their children and they love their grandkids. And what is more they both possess unlimited patience.

I have a family of three. That is my wife and Abigail who is fourteen years old. On Holidays and other occasions her brother who is 25 and his girlfriend come over to our house. And that is when my patience is beginning to wear thin.

I love my family but what the two siblings do to one another is just very difficult to bear. The constant teasing and ribbing that goes on between them is many times just too much. But they do love each other they just have a funny way to express it.

Lately,  I decided to stay out of it and stopped playing referee. My poor wife does not have the luxury do what I do and because of it her nerves are really wearing thin.

My cousin has a son and a daughter, both married and each have three children. Three boys and three girls. Now, as I understand these sibling, the grandkids get along well. And to me that is a miracle by itself.

At holidays like Christmas there are twelve people in my cousin's house.

Questions: how do you feed all these people, how do you buy Christmas presents to all these people without any one getting hurt, how do you keep all these people entertained?

I know this is a lovely family but just the sheer number is staggering at least to me. I know there are families with much larger numbers but I don't know any so I just stick to the one I do know and care about.

This justifies the saying be glad for small tidings.

Monday

I used to have an uncle (my fathers first cousin) who lived in this country way before World War II. He passed away in 1990 at he age of about 85-90. In his later years and while he was in fairly good condition to travel he was obsessed looking up former schoolmates.

Interestingly he did find some and he made sure that at every visit to Hungary they met somewhere. His former and very old hunting ground was the Opera Cafehous in Budapest. I have no idea where that was and even if it still exists. But they met somewhere.

Each time when he returned to the States he told me how terrible condition his old school chums were. Some in wheelchair some on crutches and pn and on. But they kept on meeting and kept on rehashing old memories.

I respected his will and interest for trying to keep in touch with these old friends.

Now, I am doing the same thing. A few months ago I found the Facebook addresses of a few old school or rather classmates and wrote to them.

Lo and behold one just responded back. It was very exciting to pick up the line of communication with someone I knew about 65 years ago and that someone still remembering me. I keep in touch regularly with about four of my former classmates but this one just showed up suddenly.

We have a lot to catch up with and I am looking forward to it.

With Facebook this really is a small world we live in.

Sunday - Christmas Day

Just to continue  the Christmas Eve events, below is the tree before the presents were opened:

And below is the tree minutes later:

But that's the way Christmas is. The point is that everybody was happy, everybody got nice presents. My wife bought me some beautiful stuff and Abigail was not left behind. She saved her money and bought me a very nice shirt that even fits me perfect.

Remembering that yesterday was the first night of Hanukkah we also placed a Menorah on the dinner table.

The table is so civilized because the picture taken was before the real eating begun.

This was the food that was slated for consumption:

Saturday

It is Christmas Eve. It is raining and the weather is mild. "Dreaming of a white Christmas" only appears in the movies and dreams. At least in New York. I don't remember when we ever had a white Christmas here.

We had snow earlier many times but it always melted by the time Christmas came around. Today is also the first night of Hanukkah and maybe the mix of the two have something to do with the weather.

Anyway, we will set up our tree and will get ready for the family get together. My wife's son and his girlfriend are to come over and we are looking forward to a nice time.

Traditionally, Hungarians exchange presents on Christmas Eve and we will keep the tradition. Besides, Abigail is too excited to wait until next morning as it is the American way.

Now, the Eve is over. The presents were given, the carefully wrapped packages all destroyed.

But that's ok as long as everybody was satisfied.

Merry Christmas to all of our friends!

Friday

Just to elaborate a little more on the financial advantages of being an apartment building employee.

An average New York City apartment building has 100-150 apartments. A super gets about $70,000 annual salary plus free apartment, garage space and utilities. Since most of them belong to a union they also get union benefits like health insurance and pension. Paid vacation goes without saying.

If he does any kind of repair service during the year the tenants always tip him. At least I do if I ever want him to respond to when I ned him.

So figure 150 apartments. Christmas comes and most of the tenants give him some money. Depending on the affluence of the building that is how much he gets.

Let's say $50 average per apartment and assume 80% of the tenants who give an envelop. That comes out to be $6,000 cash and tax-free. And I am convinced that this is a low number.

Still, that is not a bad Christmas present.