The Hit Parade
Hello World,
Happy December! And not to be an alarmist or anything, but anyone who isn't prepared for the upcoming holiday gift-giving events had better start getting serious about it, and pretty darned quick, because time's a-wasting and it will be too late before you know it. While people may complain about Christmas, and often with good reason, heaven knows, one good thing you can say about it, unlike other holidays, at least it stays put and you can find it right where you left it last year, on December 25 and no buts about it. The same cannot be said for Hanukkah, which tends to scurry around the calendar like a Mafia hitman with the FBI on its trail, and this year crops up on December 11, which is basically right around the corner and maybe just a little too close for comfort. So for everyone who is not ready yet to throw open their doors and welcome the Mafia hitman, or rather the Festival of Lights next week, please consider this your FBI wiretap, I mean, wake-up call.
Speaking of movable feasts, the champion of the genre is Thanksgiving, which is always celebrated on the same day of the week, but the date changes every year from very early to very late, so it seems that it's much more erratic than it really is. This year was a new one for us, so we had to scout around for an alternate plan for the holiday, and not rely on the same old storied traditions of yesteryear. After much brainstorming (and don't forget at this point, our brains look like the trunk of a car after the Mafia hitman has completed his mission, so this was no easy task) we finally settled on a plan to meet at my sister's log cabin in New Paltz for a festive meal with all the trimmings. Considering that we all invited ourselves over there, and then basically stuck her with all the cooking, she was a remarkably good sport about it, and was ready to welcome us with open arms, and tables groaning with food, for a traditional Thanksgiving feast with some contemporary twists to make it more interesting. Not so fast! My other sister needed to come from Long Island on the bus, and the holiday schedule was so contrary to our plan, that it would have seemed impossible to be a coincidence, although why the bus company would want to sabotage our holiday is beyond me, I'm sure. Then some of our other relatives already had a previous commitment for that Thursday, so it was on to Plan B, which was the same as the original idea, but on the day after Thanksgiving instead of Thanksgiving itself. Ah! Suddenly everything started to fall into place, as if by magic. Not being a holiday, the bus schedule arranged itself into perfect alignment, so my sister could get from Long Island and back with no trouble. Our busy relatives were free on Friday and eager to join us, and Bill and I were both off from work, so the revised plan solved all of the problems that had been the bane of our first attempt. Black Friday may be better known as a marathon shopping extravaganza, but for us, it was nothing but Pilgrims, pumpkins and sweet potatoes as far as the eye could see, and plenty of it.
So Friday morning found us going over the river and through the woods, and I mean that literally, if not necessarily flying over the ground like a hunting hound, which is in another verse of that same holiday song. We steered clear of the popular shopping sites along the highway, and found the traffic was negligible, making it to our destination without the usual holiday crowds and chaos slowing us down. Our hosts greeted us wandering Pilgrims in the time-honored tradition, with hot cider and chocolate turkeys (well, that may only be a time-honored tradition in our family) as well as a veritable cornucopia of seasonal treats such as mixed nuts and fresh fruits. When everyone had arrived, we tucked into the repast in earnest, and there was no lack of traditional favorites around Tom Turkey, including two different kinds of stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, onions, spinach, carrots, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and even a little bit of ravioli tossed in for good measure. Everything was delicious, and we all had our fill, and then some, believe me. I'm sure if there had been a stack of Bibles nearby, we all would have taken an oath and sworn that we would never eat again in our entire lives, after being stuffed to the gills like a holiday pinata and no room left for a single extra morsel, and yet it wasn't long after that we were all lined up again with our forks at the ready, this time for dessert, and a hungry gleam in our eye like we hadn't eaten in a week. Our dessert options were many and varied, and included two kinds of pie, cookies, mini pastries, brownies, ice cream, and of course, chocolate turkeys. When it was time to leave, I thought they would have to call in some neighbors to help roll us out to the car, but fortunately it was downhill, and we were able to use the force of gravity to roll down there by ourselves.
We stayed overnight at the Days Inn in Newburgh, where we had stayed before and enjoyed it, this time taking a more spacious room with a view of scenic Lake Washington, which never fails to delight. In the morning, we all gathered at the famous Johnny D's Diner, which admittedly was not as good as home-made breakfast at my sister's, but at least no one had to do the dishes. From there, we headed over to the new and impressive headquarters of Orange County Choppers, featured on the TLC network show "American Chopper," and about as locally famous as they come. The spacious and shiny new building was chock-a-block with special edition motorcycles, as well as clothing, toys, jewelry, games, books, mugs, auto supplies, helmets and enough leather and chains to make any Mafia hitman green with envy. It was more interesting than we would have expected, and people came from far and near, obviously tourists like us, because they were taking pictures of everything. (Of course, I already know better than to take pictures when there are Mafia hitmen around, so I wasn't one of them.) There was even a small stage with drums and microphones and amplifiers for music performances, and in fact, you can go right ahead and buy the Orange County Choppers Band CD right in the store while you're there. If the Mafia was in the music business, this is what we could call a hit, man.
From there, we hit the road to do some sightseeing in historic Newburgh, although the Saturday after Thanksgiving was apparently considered a holiday by some, and we found to our dismay that the eagerly anticipated manuscript museum was closed, so we turned back disappointed. But we continued on down the brick-paved main street to the waterfront along the majestic Hudson River, and the view was well worth the trip. There is a scenic overlook, nicely decorated with benches and flowers, just begging for people to stop and take pictures, and we were happy to oblige. They also provide those old-fashioned swivel binoculars that you used to find at boardwalks or observation decks, but we proclaimed these even better, because they were free, instead of having to pay a nickel for a fleeting glimpse of the view across the river. There are many historic buildings and quaint houses in this part of Newburgh, and we drove through the neighborhood enjoying the sights on every side. They built a new library, and turned the charming old library into a Visitors Center, but here again, this was their idea of a long holiday weekend, and the place was closed up tight. So we headed for something that they can't close, that is Downing Park, and which has no fences, so there isn't any way to keep it off-limits to the public, whether it be John Q. himself, or wandering Pilgrims like us, or even Mafia hitmen, for that matter. It's named after Newburgh's own Andrew J. Downing, a famous author, editor, architect and horticulturist who is said to have inspired America's park system, and the park itself was designed by Colvett Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted, who also created New York City's Central Park. This is an old-fashioned park worthy of the name, with a duck pond and trees and an open-air pergola, but nothing to entice the modern-day park patron such as playgrounds, basketball courts, baseball fields, picnic tables, band shell, snack bar, pool, roller rink or other amusements. I'm thinking it also wouldn't lend itself to yard games like bocce or croquet, being perched on a rugged height above the city, where the view is spectacular, but you'd be fishing those balls out of the river all day long, by golly.
After a busy time of taking in the sights, it was starting to get late in the day, so we bid a fond farewell to our hosts, and went our separate ways. We had been to the Newburgh Mall on our previous trip to the area, and this time, we stopped at the Newburgh Plaza to see what they had to offer. Of course, we couldn't leave Newburgh without stopping to eat at Denny's, which is a treat of our traveling that never grows old. Our next stop was dropping my sister back at the bus station, and once again, the traffic was no problem at all, which makes a difference when you have a bus to catch. At that point, we were only about 30 minutes from home, and already had a supply of sandwiches and salads for a late snack, so it was smooth sailing from then on. All in all, for our first experimental Thanksgiving on Black Friday, we thought the whole experience was pretty successful, providing all the seasonal cheer that we could want, while avoiding many of the pitfalls of the holiday itself. We're thinking of trying the same approach with Christmas, although turning the old ho-ho-ho into a movable feast might be a bit more problematical. After all, we don't want to make Santa Claus have to chase after us like a Mafia hitman in order to deliver our presents on the right day.
Elle
Happy December! And not to be an alarmist or anything, but anyone who isn't prepared for the upcoming holiday gift-giving events had better start getting serious about it, and pretty darned quick, because time's a-wasting and it will be too late before you know it. While people may complain about Christmas, and often with good reason, heaven knows, one good thing you can say about it, unlike other holidays, at least it stays put and you can find it right where you left it last year, on December 25 and no buts about it. The same cannot be said for Hanukkah, which tends to scurry around the calendar like a Mafia hitman with the FBI on its trail, and this year crops up on December 11, which is basically right around the corner and maybe just a little too close for comfort. So for everyone who is not ready yet to throw open their doors and welcome the Mafia hitman, or rather the Festival of Lights next week, please consider this your FBI wiretap, I mean, wake-up call.
Speaking of movable feasts, the champion of the genre is Thanksgiving, which is always celebrated on the same day of the week, but the date changes every year from very early to very late, so it seems that it's much more erratic than it really is. This year was a new one for us, so we had to scout around for an alternate plan for the holiday, and not rely on the same old storied traditions of yesteryear. After much brainstorming (and don't forget at this point, our brains look like the trunk of a car after the Mafia hitman has completed his mission, so this was no easy task) we finally settled on a plan to meet at my sister's log cabin in New Paltz for a festive meal with all the trimmings. Considering that we all invited ourselves over there, and then basically stuck her with all the cooking, she was a remarkably good sport about it, and was ready to welcome us with open arms, and tables groaning with food, for a traditional Thanksgiving feast with some contemporary twists to make it more interesting. Not so fast! My other sister needed to come from Long Island on the bus, and the holiday schedule was so contrary to our plan, that it would have seemed impossible to be a coincidence, although why the bus company would want to sabotage our holiday is beyond me, I'm sure. Then some of our other relatives already had a previous commitment for that Thursday, so it was on to Plan B, which was the same as the original idea, but on the day after Thanksgiving instead of Thanksgiving itself. Ah! Suddenly everything started to fall into place, as if by magic. Not being a holiday, the bus schedule arranged itself into perfect alignment, so my sister could get from Long Island and back with no trouble. Our busy relatives were free on Friday and eager to join us, and Bill and I were both off from work, so the revised plan solved all of the problems that had been the bane of our first attempt. Black Friday may be better known as a marathon shopping extravaganza, but for us, it was nothing but Pilgrims, pumpkins and sweet potatoes as far as the eye could see, and plenty of it.
So Friday morning found us going over the river and through the woods, and I mean that literally, if not necessarily flying over the ground like a hunting hound, which is in another verse of that same holiday song. We steered clear of the popular shopping sites along the highway, and found the traffic was negligible, making it to our destination without the usual holiday crowds and chaos slowing us down. Our hosts greeted us wandering Pilgrims in the time-honored tradition, with hot cider and chocolate turkeys (well, that may only be a time-honored tradition in our family) as well as a veritable cornucopia of seasonal treats such as mixed nuts and fresh fruits. When everyone had arrived, we tucked into the repast in earnest, and there was no lack of traditional favorites around Tom Turkey, including two different kinds of stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, onions, spinach, carrots, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and even a little bit of ravioli tossed in for good measure. Everything was delicious, and we all had our fill, and then some, believe me. I'm sure if there had been a stack of Bibles nearby, we all would have taken an oath and sworn that we would never eat again in our entire lives, after being stuffed to the gills like a holiday pinata and no room left for a single extra morsel, and yet it wasn't long after that we were all lined up again with our forks at the ready, this time for dessert, and a hungry gleam in our eye like we hadn't eaten in a week. Our dessert options were many and varied, and included two kinds of pie, cookies, mini pastries, brownies, ice cream, and of course, chocolate turkeys. When it was time to leave, I thought they would have to call in some neighbors to help roll us out to the car, but fortunately it was downhill, and we were able to use the force of gravity to roll down there by ourselves.
We stayed overnight at the Days Inn in Newburgh, where we had stayed before and enjoyed it, this time taking a more spacious room with a view of scenic Lake Washington, which never fails to delight. In the morning, we all gathered at the famous Johnny D's Diner, which admittedly was not as good as home-made breakfast at my sister's, but at least no one had to do the dishes. From there, we headed over to the new and impressive headquarters of Orange County Choppers, featured on the TLC network show "American Chopper," and about as locally famous as they come. The spacious and shiny new building was chock-a-block with special edition motorcycles, as well as clothing, toys, jewelry, games, books, mugs, auto supplies, helmets and enough leather and chains to make any Mafia hitman green with envy. It was more interesting than we would have expected, and people came from far and near, obviously tourists like us, because they were taking pictures of everything. (Of course, I already know better than to take pictures when there are Mafia hitmen around, so I wasn't one of them.) There was even a small stage with drums and microphones and amplifiers for music performances, and in fact, you can go right ahead and buy the Orange County Choppers Band CD right in the store while you're there. If the Mafia was in the music business, this is what we could call a hit, man.
From there, we hit the road to do some sightseeing in historic Newburgh, although the Saturday after Thanksgiving was apparently considered a holiday by some, and we found to our dismay that the eagerly anticipated manuscript museum was closed, so we turned back disappointed. But we continued on down the brick-paved main street to the waterfront along the majestic Hudson River, and the view was well worth the trip. There is a scenic overlook, nicely decorated with benches and flowers, just begging for people to stop and take pictures, and we were happy to oblige. They also provide those old-fashioned swivel binoculars that you used to find at boardwalks or observation decks, but we proclaimed these even better, because they were free, instead of having to pay a nickel for a fleeting glimpse of the view across the river. There are many historic buildings and quaint houses in this part of Newburgh, and we drove through the neighborhood enjoying the sights on every side. They built a new library, and turned the charming old library into a Visitors Center, but here again, this was their idea of a long holiday weekend, and the place was closed up tight. So we headed for something that they can't close, that is Downing Park, and which has no fences, so there isn't any way to keep it off-limits to the public, whether it be John Q. himself, or wandering Pilgrims like us, or even Mafia hitmen, for that matter. It's named after Newburgh's own Andrew J. Downing, a famous author, editor, architect and horticulturist who is said to have inspired America's park system, and the park itself was designed by Colvett Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted, who also created New York City's Central Park. This is an old-fashioned park worthy of the name, with a duck pond and trees and an open-air pergola, but nothing to entice the modern-day park patron such as playgrounds, basketball courts, baseball fields, picnic tables, band shell, snack bar, pool, roller rink or other amusements. I'm thinking it also wouldn't lend itself to yard games like bocce or croquet, being perched on a rugged height above the city, where the view is spectacular, but you'd be fishing those balls out of the river all day long, by golly.
After a busy time of taking in the sights, it was starting to get late in the day, so we bid a fond farewell to our hosts, and went our separate ways. We had been to the Newburgh Mall on our previous trip to the area, and this time, we stopped at the Newburgh Plaza to see what they had to offer. Of course, we couldn't leave Newburgh without stopping to eat at Denny's, which is a treat of our traveling that never grows old. Our next stop was dropping my sister back at the bus station, and once again, the traffic was no problem at all, which makes a difference when you have a bus to catch. At that point, we were only about 30 minutes from home, and already had a supply of sandwiches and salads for a late snack, so it was smooth sailing from then on. All in all, for our first experimental Thanksgiving on Black Friday, we thought the whole experience was pretty successful, providing all the seasonal cheer that we could want, while avoiding many of the pitfalls of the holiday itself. We're thinking of trying the same approach with Christmas, although turning the old ho-ho-ho into a movable feast might be a bit more problematical. After all, we don't want to make Santa Claus have to chase after us like a Mafia hitman in order to deliver our presents on the right day.
Elle
posted by El Tango Fandango @ 8:18 PM
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