Working for the Weekend (lost post from last weekend)

I'm working on my holiday cookbook, catching up on Gossip Girl and Ken Burns' "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" while Sylvie sleeps and Michael heads off to a bachelor party with Andy. I'm not quite sure where they're staying, I think the Borgata, or whose bachelor party it is. I think Andy wanted to secure his ability to go to AC for the night by inviting his other wife along. Not a problem for me although I'm trying to figure out how to deal with Lucky Dog and Lucy the disobedient puppy and Sylvie tomorrow morning.

So I met my friend Jim on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx yesterday. I haven't been since I was about 12, after a trip to the Bronx Zoo with my family led by my adventurous and awesome grandpa. Yesterday was awesome! Jim's the expert so we met at Teitel Bros. on the corner of 186th Street and Arthur Avenue. Headed down the street to the butcher where I picked up for Michael a couple of gorgeous strip steaks and then to the indoor market, founded by former NYC Mayor Fiorello Laguardia in 1940! As we entered, we had quite a sighting, Don Ienner, who was the chairman of Columbia Records and Sony Music during the 12 years I worked there. He's essentially a formidable guy with a brilliant smile. If you ever worked with me on the 25th floor at 550 Madison Avenue between the years of 1994 and 2005, you'll laugh when I contemplated how funny yet unrealistic it would have been had I been carrying a bag of microwaveable popcorn-- grounds for being escorted out of the building.

I picked up fresh mozzarella cheese still warm, a soft triple cream cheese from Sicily, artichokes as big as my head, cured black olives, homemade linguine and ravioli as well as sopressata salami for Caroline. Our final stop was at a bakery for rainbow cookies and cannolis (for a Sukkot dinner at our friend's tomorrow night). This is the real Little Italy and the prices were pretty amazing, too.

Tomorrow is an ambitious day filled with the Alex & Sam event at CItibabes featuring Laurie Berkner and Sukkot dinner at our friends.