A Hectic Weekend
Lorraine left early on a rainy, windy Saturday morning to accomplish her many tricks of beauty. That evening we were going to my 50 years “Golden Reunion from my NYU Dental School” graduation. It was to be held at the ritzy Water Club on 30th Street and the East River. I passed it many times and I was truly in awe of it. It was the culmination of much planning and much infighting on the planning committee. They day of the glorious night had now arrived.
With Stan and Ellen Rothman, we parked with the engine running in front of the well-lit club. An attendant informed me that no more parking spaces existed. After a minor argument we dropped the ladies off and parked four blocks away. It was still rainy and windy as Stan I walked back.
The club was magnificent! It overlooked the East River and the lights of New York City were truly enthralling. Sparkling ships passed and at last we were in a warmly lit room.
The greetings of my classmates were sincere, cordial and comforting. Fifty years had passed but we were still “pals.” It was hard to recognize some of these “old geezers” but friendship was the key word. Since I was driving I imbibed no alcoholic refreshment. It was unusual for me, and cranberry juice was my beverage of choice. Potbellies and white hair were the standard. Of course I had not changed at all!
On arrival, a classmate’s girlfriend (whom he met at a bereavement group) recognized me from the Bronx. She knew my father’s dry goods store and my younger sister. I didn’t remember her.
The peak event of the evening was conversing earnestly with the top student in our class. I spoke to him for a longer time than I had in the four years we spent together at school. He was a great guy and he had weathered the years well. He had a moustache that he didn’t have 50 years ago.
I flitted around the room and made conversation with everybody, classmates and wives. It was a buffet but food was not that important. camaraderie was!
We arrived back in Jericho around 11:30 p.m. It was fabulous.
On Sunday morning, we drove to Manhattan to see my grandchildren and my son Gregg and his beautiful wife Jennifer. We stayed for about an hour because we had tickets to see Superior Donuts, a new play by Tracy Letts. He is the same playwright who wrote August, Osage County that garnered the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony for best play. It was a great play with many new insights.
We met Maggie and Marty Silver and Frank and Shelly Kirschenbaum at the theater. We planned a supper at a Thai restaurant. Lorraine and I jumped into a pedi-cab that was driven by Alexander who had just arrived from Tajikistan.
Back to Jericho Turnpike and a lovely meal of Pad Thai at Galangal, a restaurant beautifully appointed in Syosset. Between courses we watched the Jets go down to an overtime loss.
What a weekend!
