Celebrating @catloverconnie birthday.

This was the day he really said “… today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”

No way I was missing this clue.

The best way to eat some apples for breakfast is to make a happy face. Good idea @catloverconnie.

Last Tuesday my employer, Memorial Sloan Kettering had a large RIF (Reduction In Force). After 34 years of loyal service, I was one of the people that received an email that morning that started "We regret to inform you that today will be your last day of employment. Your position has been eliminated." We knew this was coming since late November, but I can honestly say I never thought that I would even be considered after all the successful projects I have been involved in over the years. With 34 years under my belt I was given a very good severance package. Many of my immediate colleagues who have only been there 1-2 years were not so blessed. Our department increased staff 6X over the last year as part of Digital Transformation so it should have been no surprise that an eventual cut back would have to occur. On the plus side I get to spend more time with my grandkids and do the things I enjoy. Maybe I'll join a theater group or brush off my magic act for some extra $. It is still hard to accept that a place you spent a lifetime serving suddenly cuts ties with you as if everything you did means nothing. Luckily my co-workers and family, who were also shocked, offered kind words of encouragement that helped me through it. I may even get an unofficial retirement party from some co-workers that want to see me for a real farewell. For now the grandkids get the benefit of more Papa time.

So as long as we had the floor guy doing our kitchen we also decided to take out the tile in the bathroom. Once removed we found an old vinyl floor underneath. Because it’s small the floor demo and install only took a day. Now we just wait for the plumber to put everything back tomorrow.

Today the kitchen tile goes from FLOOR to DUMPSTER. Oddly part of the kitchen floor had hardwood underneath leading me to believe at some time in the past the kitchen was much smaller and the other half was a dining room? You always discover something interesting when you tear your house apart. Unfortunately we found no hidden bags of gold coins in the walls.

Day 1 of construction is done. All of the cabinets removed and half of them already at @emilyashan house. A big hole between the kitchen and living room for the new sitting/bar. I can’t sneak into the kitchen pantry to grab a snack without being caught now.

Farewell to our kitchen. Tonight is our last night together. Tomorrow the contractor arrives to start demo for our new kitchen. Never fear - most of the cabinets will find a new home in @emilyashan craft room.

My granddaughter told me she chose my Christmas gift. Know me well she does. Perfect they fit.

Merry Christmas

Another construction masterpiece (and no parts left over this time)

3D printed Santa 🎅🏻 candy dish. Anything that makes it easier to get to the chocolate kisses has got to be good.

My afternoon project. Assembling a new cabinet for Mom. One of my better projects. Only took about an hour and just 3 pieces left over.

I’m always a little behind in posting. Here’s some pics from our evening at #lumagica in North Salem NY this past Saturday. What a fun night. The mulled wine they were selling as you entered was a great way to start off the evening.

The annual visit from Santa Claus

A belated thanksgiving update. I’m still digesting.

This morning I was helping serve breakfast at the local homeless shelter. At one point I heard murmurs amongst the 80+ people and folks started turning their chairs toward the TV hanging on the wall. Then I heard the familiar strains of the cuckoo song that I’ve heard so often. You could feel the joy in the room as these folks settled in, with smiles on their faces, ready to visit with Stan and Babe one more time. #laurelandhardy #marchofthewoodensoldiers

Another great night @bardavonpresents Tonight was the classic 1928 film The Passion of Joan of Arc along with the Richard Einhorn Voices of Light score played by the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and the Vassar choir. Just phenomenal. The theater was sold out and I don’t think anyone was disappointed. A powerful film made even better by an amazing score and live performance. (And Mr Einhorn was in the audience.) I hope we can see more silent film programming in the future. #silentfilms #passionofjoanofarc

Just got back from attending a screening of Fritz Lang's 1927 classic silent film Metropolis. It was a free event sponsored by the Poughkeepsie library as part of a reading program. It was shown with live accompaniment, by Peter Krasinski, on the original restored 1928 Wurlitzer organ. Glad to see well over 100 people in attendance. This film is almost 100 years old and you can still fill a theater with people that appreciate it. The music was amazing. While I'm sure a good part of the score is improvised, the Wurlitzer is not only able to make sounds that feel like a full orchestra, but there were even synced sound effects such as siren's, bells, pounding, running water, buzzers and ringing phones. It was truly an experience enjoying this great film with an audience. I'm glad I convinced myself to go.