IN BETWEEN THE KNOTS (June 13 - 25, 2024)

I'm writing from the back seat of our rental car as we travel through upstate New York. Louise is using her hotspot to work on an Audubon Society project and Mike is dutifully doing the driving. We plan to stop in South Bend, IN this evening and still have close to 600 miles before getting there. After chatting with my nephew, Tyson Schnasse, I'm feeling rather privileged to be in a car. He is in the middle of a summer-long bike ride that started in San Francisco and will end in Manhattan, NY. He pedaled through La Crosse last night and slept on one of the couches in our basement. I told him he could use the washer and dryer and help himself to anything edible. He's a "leave no trace" sort of fellow but did admit to eating some oatmeal. I'm just sorry that we missed him!
 
Every year…for years and years, I have attended and/or played music for June weddings. This year was marked by two weekends in a row of weddings that couldn’t be missed. I want to remember the family and friend encounters of those special life events, but don’t want to miss out the IN BETWEEN TIME that I enjoyed with my daughter, Madeline. It all happened quite by accident – the result of the last-minute cancellation of their dog sitter. Rather than stay home, Madeline and Chaz decided to drive to Denver for my nephew, Ryan’s wedding. They had purchased plane tickets to New York City, hoping to see some of the city which was all new to Madeline. People complain about Frontier, but after several hours of being transferred and put on hold, Madeline was able to change the name on Chaz’s airline tickets to ME! New York, here we come…but let’s start with wedding #1.
 
My nephew's June 14th wedding was an elegant affair. Ryan and Samantha chose the Highlands Ranch Mansion as the venue, which offers seating and decor for an outdoor ceremony, then opens the mansion for cocktails, dinner and dancing. The cocktail hour and dancing gave us a chance to visit with family, most notably the French relatives who made the greatest effort to be there. Their son, Loic, spent one summer working for my brother as a "business intern." He probably could have found something similar in France; the real reason was to bolster his English, which they have all mastered!
 
Saturday, June 15 was our family time together. I rented a 2014 Ford Focus through an agency (TURO) that operates like Airbnb. People register their personal vehicles on a site that manages communication and $$$ between vendors and renters. The pick-up spot was a parking lot in a sketchy part of Denver; I never saw owner "Brahmin" so my son, Matt, took loads of photos documenting every scrape and scratch. It came in handy because I needed a way to take Mike, Louise, Carolyn, and Brandon to the airport in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Having this little beater allowed the entire family to do some hiking in the Denver area on Saturday - Independence Mountain Trail and some of the trails around the Red Rock concert venue. I admit to being relieved that Brahmin didn't try to charge me for any of his junker’s dents.
 
Sunday, June 16 gave Chaz, Madeline, and me the opportunity to do some exploring outside of Denver (which was hot, muggy, flat, and rather dirty). We drove north to Boulder, which was by contrast green, mountainous, and full of interesting shops. Madeline made a reservation for us at Foot of the Mountain Motel, which was established in 1934 across the street from Egen Fine City Park. We dropped our bags, leashed up the dogs, and walked .2 miles to the Boulder River and a network of trails that led up the side of the mountain, with some turns into the city center. We needed sunscreen and sunglasses so proceeded to the city center as a first stop. Ducking into shops with AC was a reprieve from the afternoon heat; we saved the Anenome Trail hike (and its vista views of the city) for the cool evening. 
 
We woke to a sunny Monday, June 17. I took photos of all the retro phones and appliances in and around the Foot of the Mountain establishment and sent Mike a link for a red microwave that would look great in our kitchen. After checking out, we drove north to Nederland, CO on the recommendation of Madeline's friend, Sophie. The Lost Lake via Hessie Trail is located in Roosevelt National Forest just west of Nederland. The trail was perfect for a day hike and had a wide variety of landscape - prairie, pine woods, boulders, rushing rivers, swamp, clear lakes, and even some snow. The dogs aren't fond of water but really enjoyed jumping in the occasional snow piles. We rested for some time at Lost Lake before our descent back to the car. We were glad that we waited until Monday to take this trail because the reviews for Sunday anticipated many visitors for Father's Day. We bought sandwiches at THE DELI AT 8236' before driving back to Denver, rented scooters for a group-ride downtown at sunset, and ended the night with sushi at the Hapa Sushi Grill and Sake Bar.
 
We rested a few hours (because it was impossible to sleep) on the floor of an apartment recently vacated by Madeline and Chaz's TFA friend, Betsy. We could use the toilet but were warned about the shower; the floors were dirty, and we were told we couldn't plug in the fridge. Despite those setbacks, it was the only option that accommodated the dogs for which we were grateful. So, I guess it’s tacky to complain about little things like leaky camping pads and clogged bathtubs.
 
We woke up very early on Tuesday, June 18 and Chaz drove Madeline and me to the airport at 3:00 AM so that we could catch a Frontier flight to Cleveland at 5:00 AM. We had a very long day of travel that culminated with a subway trip from La Guardia to our Airbnb in Brooklyn (720 E 4th Street) - a neighborhood known as "LIttle Haiti." I booked the place because I needed a piano to practice and was happy to find a Steinway in the living room upon our arrival. It was getting late so we chose CC's Jamaican for supper. It was a short walk from the Airbnb and had decent reviews. The chicken, rice, and beans were fantastic, but the carrot juice was an unexpected concoction of carrots, coconut milk, and rum (or rum flavoring). The latter was quite strong and absolutely alcoholic.
 
It felt good to practice after four days of being away from a piano. I'm working on a short program with cellist Magda Sas for a Tuesday, July 2nd performance so couldn't stay away for too long. After a couple of hours of practice, Madeline and I packed up our day bags and took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge/DUMBO Park. There are several shops, restaurants, and green space along the water, giving way to impressive views of Manhattan. Several people recommended that we walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, so we joined a river of folks who were similarly inclined. Who would think that walking across a bridge could be so edifying?
 
It was convenient to have signs on the other end pointing to China Town, where we stopped for Dim Sum at Ginger Joe's. (The hostess was chewing on a drumstick as she welcomed us to our shared table. She didn’t care much about hospitality, and we rather enjoyed watching her boss customers to their seats.) After lunch, we continued north through LIttle Italy, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall (where we bought tickets to see Lizzy McAlpine – long story) and into Central Park with its many attractions. We stopped at the Kerbs Boathouse at Conservatory Water to get a drink at Le Pain Quotidien; we didn't feel rushed as we enjoyed conversation while watching the electric sailboats on the pond. We were scheduled to meet my cousin, Jessie, at 6:30 PM at Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar on the upper west side. Jessie chose the establishment to commemorate Juneteenth; the food was excellent, and Jessie joined us for the concert at Radio City Music Hall.
 
I had a hard time sleeping because the neighbors kept their Juneteenth celebration going through the morning of June 20th. Even the lack of sleep wasn’t going to slow us down. After a productive practice session, we took the subway to Battery Park and joined a long line of tourists who had reserved a spot on one of the ferry boats to The Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island. There was a man playing a Chinese erhu (single-stringed, bowed instrument) who tried winning spare change by setting up near the crowd. He played “Happy Birthday” at least 10 times in a row before changing tunes. If he changed tunes, it was played only once before going back to 10 more replays of “Happy Birthday.” I almost took myself out of the line to help him learn a new tune.
 
The views from the boat of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and even New Jersey were stunning. Add a regatta of catamarans and general boat traffic against the backdrop of The Statue of Liberty, and one has no shortage of photo Opps. Our first stop was Liberty Island. We visited the museum before circling the entire island and getting back on the boat for our last stop at Ellis Island. The museums at both Liberty and Ellis Islands are well-maintained because of their National Park status; buildings and grounds are staffed with knowledgeable and friendly people. We spent quite a bit of time at the Ellis Island Museum visiting the registry and walking through the sequence of rooms that chronicled the immigration process from medical exams, currency exchange, work permits, etc. The museum also preserved a dormitory and wing containing a diverse collection of clothing and goods brought from various homelands.
 
We were tired and hungry after our boat tour but hoped to see the 9/11 monument before dinner. There two large inset fountains which mark the negative space left behind by the skyscrapers. We didn’t get into the museum yet took several photos of the impressive grounds. Madeline found a lovely Italian restaurant for a light dinner (Da Andrea); the food was so tasty – just enough to get us through the Broadway production of SIX. Jessie joined us for the highly entertaining show and led us to one of her favorite restaurants afterward – Empanada Mama in Hell’s Kitchen. The restaurant was buzzing with patrons, which matched our post-show energy. We laughed and talked over food and drinks until almost midnight. We wanted to catch the Midnight Moment in Times Square – a nightly show of digital art described as “the world’s largest and longest-running digital public art program.” The entire “show” runs from 11:57 PM to Midnight, accompanied by quiet awe of all in Times Square who are lucky enough to witness 92 electronic billboards switch from ads to art. We saw “Approximations of Utopia” by Marco Brambilla, which is the featured work from June 1 – 30, 2024.
 
The morning following our very late night was slow, but I managed to work in one last practice before checking out of the Airbnb. We took the RED 2 line all the way to 96th Street on the Upper West side. We wanted to walk along the Hudson River in Riverside Park but were underwhelmed by a view occluded by tangles of roadway. I had to use the bathroom, which forced us to walk toward a playground with restrooms; our view was instantly improved when we walked by the impeccably maintained 91st Street Garden. People were whizzing past us on electric Citibikes so we made an effort to find a station, downloaded the App, and explored the riverside on bikes! We rode uptown first and then decided to turn around and ride the bikes all the way to Penn Station. It was an interesting route – both beautiful and creative. We rode past walkways, restaurants, and even tennis courts built to utilize space under the freeway. It was invigorating to see space so well-utilized…and then ironic to see bags and bags of trash waiting to be picked up. I don’t know that I could ever live in NYC but found this trip to be nothing short of fantastic. I think that traveling with my adventurous daughter Madeline had a lot to do with our positive experience!!
 
Pennsylvania Station is a clean and bustling place. Trains run from docking stations beneath shops and restaurants housed on two city blocks. Louise texted us to say that her boyfriend, JP, was also in the train station. He was scheduled to board the same train, which was delayed indefinitely. Why would we miss this opportunity to check him out? We walked around looking for a young blonde man, who was easy to spot and fun to meet for the first time. He seemed happy to while away the time with us in the station but was very happy when finally reached Albany and Louise. It was great to be reunited with Carolyn and Brandon, and Mike and Louise.

​Maureen and Brian’s wedding was the reception part of their vows to one another. Their union was blessed on May 18 in the oratory where Maureen serves as music director. The priest who performed that ceremony also drove to upstate New York for this celebration, along with two other friends from their church. The wedding was held at a mansion in Glens Falls owned by Brian’s aunt and uncle. They had two tents set up, one for the ceremony and another for the dinner. The carriage house was cleared out for the reception but there were still many things to on Saturday morning before the wedding. We shopped for and prepared several charcuterie boards and then arranged flowers in vases for the carriage house and affixed small bouquets with ribbon on the chairs in the ceremony tent. The wedding was short, but tasteful – flute transcriptions of Bach’s first and fourth cello suites (played by Nick Handahl), thoughtful readings (excerpts from the writings of Francis de Sales and the gospel of John 15:9-12), and a fine homily before the vows by Fr. Anthony Andreassi, C.O. The reception was classy – a fantastic dinner followed by live music featuring one of the bridesmaid’s bands – Emily Asher’s Garden Party.

We spent much of yesterday helping the Kellys with clean up…and not without moments of fun. Tara, David (Pam’s cousin), and I walked a nearby trail only to get caught in a deluge forcing us to buy some coffee at a restaurant on the trail. When Rick and Yvette Drazich arrived, we all hopped in cars and drove to Lake George for a walk along the beach. The next stop was Glen Lake where Brian’s aunt and uncle have an historic cabin; “Captain Douglas" built the place in 1890. We enjoyed hearing about its history from Brian and socializing with each other on its front porch. Dinner was at Davidson Brothers Brewpub, followed by root beer floats on the mansion’s front porch.

Thanks for bearing with me. I don’t want to forget this week framed by KNOTS and all the PRECIOUS TIME BETWEEN!