Found this awesome game on the street today. I believe it is a Shogun version of axis and allies. I hope all the pieces are there!

Yikes:

Max and his buddy Rufus hang out at our local pet supply store. They are extremely affectionate - especially Rufus.

Rufus

Max (and his little moustache)

It’s hot today and I feel like chill’n with the Rock!

One of Red Hook’s best treats is the weekend fare at the soccer fields (around the corner from the pool). There are a number of vendors there selling a delicious and affordable selection of South and Central American dishes. Some vendors go as far as to provide shade, seating and music.

A band arrives and take requests. The food vendors turn down their stereos for the occasion.

Coconut, Lime, Cantaloupe, Pineapple and Watermelon Juice. All fresh!

I ordered a pork and cheese papusa which I then smothered in picked onions. Some cabbage salad and fried plantains on the side.

This was a new one for me - fresh mango sprinkled with salt, chili powder, paprika and lime. THIS IS REALLY GOOD!

I can’t think of a better way to finish off the afternoon.

From the garden of the Court and 5th Street social club.

A few weeks ago we went up to Boothbay Harbor, Maine to visit my folks. The 1960s reproduction of the Bounty is being refitted in the harbor. The reproduction was created from the original boat’s plan for the Marlon Brandon film “Mutiny on the Bounty” and was most recently used in the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean 3.

The Mutiny on the Bounty books are an excellent read. Especially if you are like me and love reading about sea-faring expeditions gone wrong. While we are on the topic - here are a few other favorites.

Mutiny on the Bounty, Pitcairn’s Island, and Men Against the Sea by Charles Nordhoff (it is worth reading all three books!)

Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival by Dean King

South: The Endurance Expeditionby Ernest Shackleton

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick

from amazon… the story that inspired Herman Melville’s classic Moby-Dick has a lot going for it–derring-do, cannibalism, rescue

and last but not least..

Batavia’s Graveyard: the True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History’s Bloodiest Mutiny

As a follow-up to my previous post here is a rundown of what we did yesterday with our little 2 and a half year old tourist.

First off, we took the subway into lower Manhattan. There are three transfers between Carroll Gardens and Battery Park - and I have NO idea how moms (and dads) do it. Hats off to you. I have a new found respect for people with a child (or multiple children - good gosh) and a stroller on the subway. While our little tourist was extremely well-behaved and absolutely in awe of the subway trains and all the people - just getting the stroller and the child up and down the stairs was an Olympic event. In fact, we got off one transfer short and walked the rest of the way to Battery Park.

The ferry ride to liberty island was a bit hit as was the big statue. We didn’t bother with reservations to go inside as the boat ride and walking around was certainly exciting enough. We by-passed the stop at Ellis Island and upon return to Battery Park discovered the wonderful sprinkler pictured above. This (and a taxi ride) were easily the high-points of the trip for our little tourist. She stripped down to her pull-ups and went to town. While a bit tentative at first, a few quick laps around the circumference of the sprinkler was enough of a warm up to plunge in. I must also congratulate the sprinkler designer on their little mini bellagio-esq achievement. All of the jets are coordinated in such a way as to keep the kids guessing while presenting a rather lovely water display.

The next leg of our tour was a taxi ride (very exciting!) to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. The Museum is undergoing construction - but is till open to the public. We lucked out and happened to be there on the day that the large snake gets his monthly meal of 25 dead mice. The museum is packed with fun little rooms and activities for kids to explore. From the music room (lots of drums and banging and what not) to the felt pizza parlor - all a lot of fun. I particularly enjoyed the Green Doll House exhibit (ending Sept 3rd). We spent a good amount of time in the Totally Tots (for 5 and under) area teaching rubber fish to swim in the play pond.

We were back in Carroll Gardens by 4:00 for an italian ice and our afternoon naps.

Dear readers of 423smith. I need your advice. My cousin and her 2 yr old daughter are coming into town for a day and want to see the sights. What are the best NYC/Brooklyn activities for a 2 yr old tourist? Thanks!

Last night I spent an enthralling evening with Frank, Grace and Teddy of Faith Healer. I wasn’t just watching or listening to them, each of them held me in their grasp – I felt as if there wasn’t anyone else in the room except each of them and me – truly a personal experience. (That is, once I closed out the audience from my mind – see rant below!)

The sparse set allowed me to concentrate on their words as well as let my imagination take off and create the scene in my mind. The actors, Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardner, several Harry Potter’s, Spider), Cherry Jones (Doubt, Major Barbara, Angels in America), and Ian McDiarmid (several Star Wars, Sleepy Hollow, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) effortlessly captivated the audience with their tales of creation, destruction, love, and longing.

Several audience members around me never returned after the intermission, which is a shame because they missed out on Ian McDiarmid’s performance – funny, engaging, and yet so very heart-breaking. I guess these audience members were expecting more action, more “Time Square Broadway.” If they had stayed they would have witnessed a truly magnificent performance by McDiarmid as well as the compelling conclusion by Fiennes. Ah well, their loss…

We recently launched a nice little site for a Long Island based company Peconic Bay Originals. They’ve collected a wonderful group of artists together and offer fine art giclée prints and cards of their work. I’m particularly fond of the Botanical and Floral Cards. They also have a nice selection of landscapes, seascapes, still lifes and more.

Maybe it’s a sign of getting old and crotchety but last night I attended the show Faith Healer at the Booth Theatre and I was extremely annoyed at the audience. I’m all for theatre for the masses - I firmly believe that shows should be reasonably priced in order for more folks to be able to attend - but please, how about a little decorum? How about making a little effort?

Here’s a list of audience participation that got me riled up:

1. Cell phone going off half way through the performance.
2. Person behind me loudly crumpling a water bottle.
3. Folks all around opening and rustling candy wrappers.
4. People talking during the performance.
5. Someone in back rifling through papers and dropping them on the floor.

Not that this made me angry, but do folks not dress up for the theatre anymore? I’m not expecting formal wear or black tie, hell, not even a suit and tie but geez, the guy next to me was in cut off shorts and then proceeded to take off his trainers. And a majority of the crowd was super casual - I know, I know, that’s how it used to be in ye olde days. Of course it doesn’t distract from the performance and I’m happy that these folks are at the theatre but it always seemed to me that going to the theatre was a special night out and you made an effort to look nice.

Ah well, enough of my rant! Review of Faith Healer to follow.

Found this water soaked pop-pop package on the side walk today. Love her skirt.