A View From The Bridge

Hello World, Well, the good news is that this was already the last Friday the 13th we're going to have this year, so that's one less thing to dread in our near future. That's a good thing, especially the way things have been going on the local sports scene lately, where even the teams that aren't technically playing right now, have been making off-season moves (or not making them) that are so atrocious that even their staunchest admirers have been wailing in anguish. On the hoops front, it appears that the Knicks and the Nets are engaged in a struggle to see which of them can set a new low for ineptitude, and still be considered professional athletes. In frozen circles, the lackluster Rangers have nothing but excuses to show for a season that is quickly spiraling out of control, so obviously the coaching change was not the solution that the ownership might have hoped for. Among the gridiron gang, the pathetic New York Giants were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, while the hapless Jets are somehow still in the hunt, of all things. It's enough to make a normally sane person decide to turn their back on sports altogether, and find another hobby to occupy their time, like origami or glass blowing, or just give up and join a cult that prevents all contact with the outside world, and be done with it. In fact, in the immortal words of their signature hit, "Done," by The Band Perry, "You're a bridge I'd like to burn," and that's not just the Zamboni talking, believe me. And speaking of futuristic things, alert readers could not help but notice the sensational pop-up ad on the AOL Welcome screen two weeks ago that was touting the 2015 Ford Mustang in screaming headlines and zippy graphics. Yes, you read that right, sports fans, and it was no typo - in early December 2013, they were already hawking the 2015 model year Mustang, and apparently without irony, as impossible as that might seem. Of course, Bill has always insisted that haute couture and holiday-creep would finally get so far ahead of themselves that they would come back around to being at the right time of year once again, but from the other side, and personally, I never doubted it. But this takes chronological anomalies to a whole new level, which you would think would have caused a rift in the space-time continuum of such epic proportions that the whole fabric of the universe would have been rent asunder, and the Federation's inter-galactic forces would have to step in to keep the Klingons and the Romulans from running amok among us. Not that Ford cares if the entire solar system is jeopardized by their willful disregard of proper time management, heaven knows, but as for myself, I'll take good old terra firma over worm holes and warp speed any day, and they can just keep their dilithium crystals, by golly. Meanwhile, in seasonal news that is right on time, we picked last Saturday to go looking for a Christmas tree, when there was just the slightest dusting of snow, and could not have been more perfect conditions for the occasion. Our regular lot at the nearby VFW smelled just as good as ever, and families of eager shoppers set their sights on just the most ideal tree for their particular holiday needs. After years of wrestling mammoth trees into the house, this year we decided to pick one slightly less humongous, and we were lucky to find one with an excellent shape to make up for what it lacked in stature. It still seemed heavy for its size, which I guess was Mother Nature's way of having the last laugh after all, but Bill was more than equal to the challenge, and soon had it upright in its stand, with all its coniferous grandeur unfurled before us. Alert readers may recall that we have 2 new black cats this year - Truffle in May and Inky in June - so this is their first exposure to Christmas trees in our living room, and it certainly seemed to come as a big surprise to both of them, and not a very welcome one at that. Of course, Truffle has always considered us 3-headed polka dot space aliens from a far distant galaxy, since the first time he ever set eyes on us, which is a good long while ago, so pretty much nothing we do is any more of a surprise than everything else, in his opinion - which I don't mind saying, is pretty far down on the popularity scale, as opinions go. Inky, on the other hand, has become more acclimated to the family environment around here, so when we do something that she regards as an outrage against humanity, like this evergreen interloper, she considers it an affront against her royal authority and an invasion of her majestic domain, which is not to be tolerated. Truffle's solution to the problem is to give the whole tree the go-by, simply avoiding the living room altogether, while anyone could see the wheels turning in Inky's cunning brain, and frankly, I don't care for the tree's chances all that much in a battle of wits with our nubian Princess. On the local scene, in our continuing efforts to support local businesses, Bill and I recently patronized a new restaurant to the Queen City on the Sound - or, if it wasn't exactly new, at least it was new to us. This particular establishment was the aptly named Calcutta Curry House, featuring their fine Indian cuisine, and not just a slap-dash grab-and-go spicy mouthful, but a wholly elegant dining experience that is meant to be savored and enjoyed at leisure. The place is basically within walking distance of our house, all aglow in charming and authentic decor, with food that is lovingly prepared and graciously served, whether the grandest feast or the simplest appetizers. We had been at the nail salon earlier in the day, and decided to eat out rather than go home and cook, so it turned out that we got there when it was still very early for dinner - in fact, it was so quiet at that time, we could have had our pick of tables, and since we were easily outnumbered by the wait staff, the service was way beyond attentive, to the point that they could have just pulled up a chair and joined us for our meal. Comments online at Yelp and GrubHub give it outstanding reviews, and I'd be more than happy to direct all alert readers to their web page - that is, except for the fact that they don't seem to have one, which is just about unheard of in this age of digital miracles, let's face it. We enjoyed their seasoned naan, and creamed vegetables with rice, plus samosas on the side, and I can tell you that their lassi (sort of fruit smoothies) are scrumptious, I can assure you. Their menu is wide-ranging and enticing, and they have lunch specials for folks on the go, as well as dining al fresco in fine weather. Although it must be said that the fresco includes Huguenot Street at full throttle, not exactly the most scenic or relaxing of landscapes to pair with your meal, ethnic or otherwise. You might even see a Klingon drive by in a 2015 Mustang, but that wouldn't worry me - I've got the Federation's inter-galactic forces on speed dial, after all. Elle