Category: Uncategorized

In Camp

Marc and Alana went to camp. They were in the section that was closed. This was the spot that was Marc’s many moons ago. It was closed down my people called professionals. The only thing they are professional about is stupidity. Campers were running around the remainder of the operating camps. Both were under capacity. Marc set up the fire lay. He would light it later. Alana was in her black bathing suit, yearning to jump into the lake. The two’s eyes met, and they frolicked down the lake. They jumped in. They swam for over an hour. They walked out of the lack, hand in hand, like love cats. They got back to their site. Marc lit the fire. Alana changed out of her suit to her The Cure t-shirt from the concert the two attended in August of 1989. Marc still had his shirt. That was one of the best nights of their lives. Thirty-five years later the two were still in love and still argued nonstop. Perfect. The steaks Marc grilled were perfect. The ice-cold Genesee Cream Ale was perfect. As were the bags of Wise chips. Alana wanted to bake brownies. For some reason, she could not find the ingredients. She would bring this up with Marc. Supposedly, he had a friend who was an expert on getting brownies. It was getting dark. Love & Rockets was cranking out of Alana’s iPhone. They were sitting by the fire and nodded to each other. Off they went to Marc’s old leanto.

Children

Marc and Alana were up early. They had to get to the “Israel on Fifth” parade. For many years, Marc was a reviewing stand assistant. He welcomed people with passes to that area, gave them a bottle of water, and a bag of Bamba, and escorted them to seats. It was the only area on the route that had bathrooms. They were porta potties. Often, when people got to the reviewing stand, their first question was is there a bathroom? Marc smiled and happily escorted them over. Alana had staffed previous parades.

Neither was staffing the event this year. Alana and Marc were ready to fight in case anything happened. Yes, they knew the NYPD was going to do a great job. But the two of them were more powerful. Anat and her strong kids also stationed themselves along the parade route. Thankfully, nothing happened. Marc and Alana raced up to Lincoln Center to see “A Midnight Summer’s Night Dream.”

After the ballet, they had dinner at P.J. Clarke’s. Alana and Marc continued their conversation about having a kid. They were strongly considering it. The issue was where the conception should take place. They thought about flying out to Israel for a few weeks. Marc was very high on this. But he was also very high on having this event occur in a hidden valley, a picturesque window or along a lake known to rock. They were not sure what to do. They didn’t even know if they wanted to go through with this. Alana is getting older. So, if they decide to move ahead, the time is now. They started preparing a music list to create their little superhero. It featured the Cure, Smiths, Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy, Depeche Mode, U2, Echo & the Bunnymen, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Ramones, Love & Rockets, the Clash, Big Audio Dynamite, the Sex Pistols, P.I.L and the Psychedelic Furs. The two of them sipped their Stella and dreamed on.

Milk

It was a party at Anat’s place. Marc, Alana, Jen, Tzipora, and Elan were there with their kids. Dan just got back from picking up some more wine and beer. All of the kids were playing. Anat was feeding Gillil. Not being shy, Alana yelled out, “Hey, Anat is that date milk she’s sucking out of you?” Marc has a friend who works on a dairy farm and knows everything about milk. Anat retorted back, “I have no clue. Why don’t you try some.” They all laughed. Tzipora’s eyes were fixated on Alana. Eran knew about the two of them. Marc and Alana mentioned the powers some of their kids had. This was the only group that knew of their powers. Alana said imagine if Marc and I had a kid. It’d be a monster. Our kid would come from two parents who have superpowers. The others are only from one. Marc smiled. 

The party winded down. Marc and Alana, left hand in hand. The two of them began discussing having a kid. No, they would not get married. They just wanted to see what they created. They imagined what would happen if the Emperor and Princess Leia had ever gotten married. Or if Anakin married Ashoka. That’d be interesting. Imagine what the Force would wield. The two of them went home and started playing Love & Rockets. They woke up the following day and were still discussing having a kid.

Fire

Marc and Alana went to celebrate Lag B’Omer. Marc built the fire. He was not pleased. He was a master fire builder. Too many super-religious folks got in his way. He was anxious and annoyed. But finally, some of the cute kids made him smile. Of course, Alana was there looking hot in her all-black clothes and makeup. The two of them do not like rabbis. Toss in HR and real estate people. Anyway, the rabbi had to play religious music. Alana had her iPhone cranking Joy Division and Bauhaus. The fire lasted. But not long enough. But too many people thought you just keep feeding and pouring olive oil on it. It was a comedy of errors. The food usually was delicious. Sadly, the temple screwed that up, too. It was so dry.

Marc lit the fire hung with his friends, and sat hand in hand with Alana. Many people were upset with them. They are not married. They will never wed. Marc, at one point, wanted to get Alana a ring. He knew that would end their relationship. He would need many sessions with the Woodsman if that happened. We know the Woodsman rarely comes out. The rabbi was selling candles and trying. Marc and Alana were in the back of the yard, hiding from everyone and acting like teens in love. Their lips were locked, and their hands were all over each other. You could hear the Cure and New Order cranking from Alana’s phone.

The two didn’t anticipate any fighting that night. They were ready. They always are. Anat was having a nicer Lag B’Omer on the Upper East Side. Ben and Gillil helped build the fire. Dan ran the grill. All was quiet. How long would it last?

Diane Does Ok

Diane went out for a run. The last few months of her life have been better than ever. She hasn’t touched one drug or sipped one ounce of liquor. Her job was satisfactory. She reconnected with some old friends from high school. She went to a concert or Broadway show and bought tickets for a few Yankee games.

She missed Jerry. She always would. However, she knew she didn’t even know him when she was his. She certainly didn’t know him now. She only knew Jay’s abuse, drugs, and alcohol. Oh, and that blaring disgusting heavy metal he blasted. Her run wound up. She sipped some Poland Spring and stretched out on a bench. She heard yells. She figured it was kids and people arguing.

She looked into the distance and saw Jay slapping Kari across her face. She smiled and cried. She was happy for herself that she was done with him. She was upset someone else was suffering. Diane was powerless to stop him. She knew he’d shoot glass out of his fingers or eyes if she approached and tried. She hoped for the best.

Marc was running, too. He was a distance from Jay and Kari. But he was keeping a good speed and was rapidly approaching. He never ran with music cranking into his ears out of his iPhone. He detested headphones and all the iterations people now stuffed into their ears. He just sang songs in his head. He sang Joplin, Lennon, Joni Mitchell, Joy Division and the Bee Gees. It was quite the odd mix of tunes. But they kept him going.

Marc’s keen eyes saw what was going on. He was not in the mood. From a distance, he shot honey at Jay, who was blindsided. Of course, Jay knew who hit him. He got up and wildly started shooting glass. Kari ran. Diane just watched with a smile. Marc approached Jay, who started throwing punches. He missed. Marc didn’t. Pomegranates smacked Jay in the eyes and nostrils. He fell to the floor. Marc decided he didn’t want to fight any longer. He coated Jay in Honey and left.

Maternity Leave?

Technically, Anat was on maternity leave. But we know she’s a nerd. She sat in her home office and checked emails while listening to “I’m Waiting for My Man” by the Velvet Underground. She loved Mr. Reed. She decided to look at the emails and not respond. Everything was being handled in her absence. Dan had a few days left of his paternity leave. Anat sent him to the store.

Anat was feeding Gillil. The baby loved her milk. Anat figured she’d grow up and love ice cream and other delicious dairy delicacies. But who knew? She just got the photos back from the naming. They were perfect. They almost made her cry. She remembered the photographer Marc hired at no cost loved dairy. They had to order extra cream cheese. That was the only payment he required.

Gillil stopped feeding and started to fall asleep. Anat placed her in the crib and returned to her laptop to check some of the funds she managed. Things were going well. She was disappointed that Apple was not going to produce an EV. She was not a fan of Tesla.

The baby woke up screaming. This happened occasionally. She rolled over and began shooting jelly out of her fingertips. She did not shoot any latkes. Anat wondered if she had a bad dream. There’s been stuff written about babies and dreaming. She decided to look into it and maybe ask Tzipora what she knew.

Meanwhile, Marc was at work and wanted to be more pleased. Things weren’t going his way today. He decided to take a walk outside to clear his head. The weather was ok. He walked around the block and came back. He got back to his computer and finished up. He submitted a few things he did not care about and went home to Alana.

She was trying to cook. Both of them could have been better cooks. Marc could do wonders on the grill in camp. He was a disaster when it came to cooking at home in his apartment. Alana was making cod and asparagus. Marc opened a can of Smithwick’s. He fell in love with it in Belfast and Dublin. Alana poured herself a glass of Sauvignon Blanc straight from Boudreaux. The fish was tasty. The two made small talk and decided to watch Game 6 of the 1977 World Series. They remember seeing it as kids. Almost 47 years later, they still got excited every time Reggie approached the plate. Of course, now they knew each time the ball was going out of the park.

Kari was in bed with her dogs. She was cranking the Sisters of Mercy and crying. She had no idea why she stayed with Jay. He was on his way to pick her up to take her out for what promised to be another miserable date.

The Naming

It was a warm Thursday morning. Anat debated about doing the naming at shul or in her apartment. She was not a fan of rabbis. Marc could not stand them. Anat could have easily gotten a nice Sephardi stand-up Torah in her apartment. But she thought of her grandmother, who was devoted to her volunteer work at her shul. So, she decided the naming would be there, and the party would be in her penthouse.

A decent-sized crowd headed into her shul. She was a member and donor. She just disliked going. The phoniness of many of the congregants made her nauseous. Dan got up the amud and davened shacharit. Marc took out the Torah. Dan was not super religious. But he knew the ropes. Dan and his beloved are both Kohanim. He read the Cohen aliyah. They called up Tzipora’s husband, Elan, a Levi, for the next reading. He knew it all. Jake did shlishi. With tears, Dan held up his little jelly and latke-shooting baby. The rabbi read the prayers, and his little bundle of joy was named, Gillil. Anat was in tears. She picked the name after her grandmother. She wished she was here to see her baby at her happiest time.

They exited the shul and went to her place for a delicious or, as some would say, lish feast of bagels, bialys, cream cheese, lox, sable, white fish, cookies, and cake. The Arak was flowing. Everyone gathered around Gilli. People were snapping images. The professional photographer was an old friend of Marc’s. He was so happy it was a dairy party, he offered his services at no cost. Gillil was calm. She has not had any incidents with her powers since her birthday. But Anat and Dan knew Gillil would be a handful. Marc and Alana were briefed on what she could do. They smiled and just waited.

Anat Gives Birth

Anat’s water broke. Dan was by her side. They were both nervous. Anat knew she could handle this. She did not understand how her powers would interact with the birthing process. She had no clue if it would be harder or easier. She went to the hospital. Funny, she remembers how she attacked Jen when she was giving birth to Ben. Anat was so upset that the girl who teased her in camp was married and having a kid.

Anat texted Marc and Alana to tell them what was going on. The two rushed to the hospital. She texted Jen, who raced to pick up and babysit Jerry.

With Dan by her side, Anat gave birth to a girl. Anat held her and started to cry. Dan was happier than ever. They would do the naming soon, and Anat sent images to all her friends. She asked them not to post on social media. She hated it. She held the little kid with all of her heart. She looked into the baby’s eyes. She spoke to her. She was so happy. But she had to figure out what powers this infant possessed. She knows what it’s like with Jerry and his abilities. She wondered if her new child would be more powerful. The doctor gave the baby a clean bill of health and said they could go home in a little while. Anat had a black baby basket and outfit ready. Dan hoped he could paint his daughter’s room pink and was worried the first music she’d hear would be the Cure or Bauhaus. Ultimately, he didn’t care. Dan was so happy to have a baby with Anat and knew what a great mother she already was. He had to work on the party after the naming.

The family left the hospital and headed home to show Jerry his sisters. Jay was lingering around outside and started throwing glass. Dan pulled his gun out and wanted to apprehend him. Suddenly, he saw his newborn shake in her basket. She was spinning; out of the basket came potato pancakes and jelly. The kid was shooting them out of her eyes. Jay was nailed in the head and fell to the ground. The baby raised her tiny arm and opened her hands. Lentils and rice flew out of her little hands. Jay ran. Dan knew he had his hands full.

Marc and Alana Travel Back to Camp

It was a warm winter weekend. The two woke up and decided to go to camp. They jumped into Alana’s Infiniti and quickly got to Marc’s camp. They played “Tommy” and “October” on the ride up.

Marc and Alana made camp in Marc’s leanto. It was no longer where it was in Marc’s younger years. Marc started to build a fire. Alana changed into her bathing suit and told Marc to do the same. They hiked down to the lake and jumped in. They swam for about 20 minutes and hiked back up to their campsite. Marc remembered years ago when a good friend walked up to the site after gouging junk food at the lake. He had a pleasurable experience on his walk.

The two lovebirds also had a pleasurable experience walking back together while holding hands and being alone. At least, they thought they were. They got to the site, and Marc saw the fire burning quite high. He knew who lit it. Sitting in Marc’s leanto sipping Genny cream ale and munching on Freihofers was the Woodsman. Marc ran up and gave him the official handshake.

The Woodsman smiled and hugged Alana. She knew she was now in. They sat in silence for about 30 minutes. The Woodsman got up, and he took a small piece of wood out of his pocket. He explained that he’s been carrying this wood around for decades. It came from a tree near a throne. He told the two that this magical piece of timber has helped lead him to great heights. He said he believed the two of them would get even stronger. He warned them to continue to be careful with their powers. He passed around a can of Genny and had them all take a swig of the “lish” ale. After that, he yelled out, and his herd of bison appeared. He rode off.

Marc Gets Worked Up

Marc was busy at the office. All was going well. Most of his stuff was approved with minor revisions. He was gonna meet Alana for dinner. He was just in a bad mood. Marc is on many volunteer boards. He chairs one. He is tired of the dead wood. All of the boards have dead wood. Some are deader than dead. Marc was on an even keel. But at times, he thought he wanted to attack the dead wood with honey and pomegranates.

An attack would probably piss off Marc more than the victims. They’d get knocked down and not even understand why they were attacked. They are that stupid. Marc mulled this over for a few minutes, opened his Excel sheet and popped in his successful marketing campaign results.

A few hours passed, and he sat with Alana and sipped a Stella. Nothing could be better. Marc was with his two favorite girls, Alana and Stella. Alana knew of his frustration and just told him to have another Stella and kiss her. He obliged.