Happy Turkey Day!

Tho I live in New Paltz, I still have a foot Manhattan, thanks to my mom's apartment, and we spent a wonderful Thanksgiving there.

We drove down Wednesday morning after meeting with Emmett's teacher for a great report on our son. We'd planned a busy day, managing to squeeze in two grandmothers, two haircuts (for the girls), a mile-long unicycle ride for me and Emmett, and three tutoring students -- and that was just the first four hours. By 5 pm, the crowds around 81st St. were beginning to get pretty thick, and by that point, the police had begun keeping out people who couldn't claim to live (or be visiting someone) on my mom's block. This basically means that the police are there to keep out the tourists, since New Yorkers know that a simple lie will get them that much closer to a giant Kermit the Frog.

We learned two years ago to avoid Columbus Avenue like the plague. For about 7 hours, crowds mill about there in density matched only by the people who swarm off tourist buses to stand outside of the Today Show with their signs promoting their high school basketball team back in Idaho. I didn't realize at the time, but what happened is that the police department decided to turn Columbus Avenue from 77th to 82nd Streets into a huge cattle drive. Once you're in the slow-moving stampede, you really can't get out until you get to the other side. I accidentally got caught up in this back in 2005 while riding (and eventually pushing) my 36" unicycle and carrying some groceries that Shirra had asked me to pick up on the way home; the 10-block trip took me about a half-hour. This year, we knew enough to take Amsterdam Avenue when we were walking down to a friend's party, and the experience was much more pleasant.

The kids had fun watching the balloons being inflated. I learned recently that Macy*s has had to stockpile helium because of a worldwide shortage of the stuff (driving prices higher and higher, as tho they, too, were filled with helium). The kids didn't care too much about this lesson in economics but were more interested in which characters were on display and how big they were. Because I was working, Shirra took the kids outside for some cute snaps as they watched the balloons being inflated. On Thanksgiving morning, she and my mom took them outside to watch the inflatable cavalcade disappear around the corner as the parade began.

By noon, the remnants of the balloons had all but vanished, and order -- and parking -- were restored to my mom's block. Emmet and I fetched the car from a mile away, again necessitating a fun ride on our unicycles, and then rode over to Zabar's and back for some humidifiers. Four hours later, we sat down to our Thanksgiving meal with our parents, my brother and his wife, and my mom's best friend. Maeve was the only member of my little family who still eats meat, and apparently she enjoyed the turkey, and the rest of us enjoyed all of the fixings. The meal had been delivered by Fresh Direct, an outfit that has brought meals (or groceries) to New Yorkers for the past few years and is one of the few things that Shirra genuinely misses about Manhattan.

Shirra left for New Paltz on a bus that evening in order to be at her store for a huge shopping day on Friday, and the kids and I arrived home by 3pm. It was a fun and easy holiday for everyone. Phew. Now we have Hanukah to look forward to -- I hope it comes off as well.

The Knitting Store is Open!

Knit and Be Happy has officially opened for business! The grand opening is slated for December 1, but the petit opening this past Saturday went off without a hitch or a dropped stitch.

Shirra has hired two (now three) helpers for the store, and I got to meet all of them. Nancy, a brilliant scientist who is waiting for her masters program in design to begin, is one of those funky women who reminds me of a younger Shirra. She's a knitting wiz, and she's also into climbing and sci-fi. She has a great eye for setting up shop and helped create the initial look of the store. Susie is Shirra's mom away from mom, a lovely woman who made sure that Shirra was getting enough to eat when she was setting up the store a few days ago. Cricket is a young woman with unbridled enthusiasm and a knack for reading 'Help Wanted' signs before they're even posted. She's another inveterate knitter with lots of cool ideas for the store.

Speaking of which, Shirra and I had already brainstormed just before the store was open for business, and we came up with some good ideas:

1. Frequent buyer program: Shirra will keep track of purchases and will award a $15 store credit when someone spends a total of $150.
2. Gift certificates! With the holidays coming, these are a great idea that neither of us came up with (as obvious as it seems now). Luckily a man came in asking to buy a GC for his wife, thereby launching the program by himself.
3. Wall of Extreme Knitting: Shirra will put up people's photos of themselves engaged in acts of extreme knitting. Cricket has already volunteered to get a shot of herself knitting while rock-climbing, and Shirra has a great photo of herself knitting while riding a unicycle.
4. Movie nights. Keep checking back here, and keep checking her blog!
5. Men's Night. There is a book called "Knitting with Balls" for men. Now I just need to learn to knit....
6. After-school programs.

So far the response to her store has been excellent, and it looks like she's actually going to have to be open six days a week rather than five. The petit opening was a great idea because it's letting her see what's working ... and what's not. She learned today that she has to fix some problems with her Verizon hookup so that she can process credit cards, and there are a few other minor glitches that she's busy correcting. She also needs to get a sign to hang up so that her store is more visible from Main Street.

Emmett has been really sweet, handing out flyers to passers-by. He takes after me, always wanting to work retail. So does Fiona, for that matter: She made an announcement at her school about her mom's new shop. And I put up a notice about the shop at Maeve's preschool, so she's doing her share, too.

Once again, here are the pertinents:
Knit and Be Happy
8 N. Front St
New Paltz, NY 12561
845.255.5333
11-6 everyday except Tuesday; hours subject to be extended!

Parking Ticket!

I got my first parking ticket in the Noop this week. I had parked outside my wife's store, helping her paint before the 'soft opening' this Saturday, and I got carried away with all the fun of putting on primer. When I finally went back to the car, more time had elapsed than I'd expected. The meter time was flashing 00:00 and, I gamely peeked at the windshield, not expecting to find anything orange other than some fall leaves. But there, under the windshield wiper, was a small rectangle that I'd only seen on other people's cars -- a ticket!

One of the lovely things about New Paltz and most of the neighboring towns is the 'cute' cost of the tickets. Whereas tickets in Manhattan can be as high as $110 for a similar expense, in our new hometown, they're only ten smackers. I can handle that.

Still, I felt like a bit of a dope considering how plentiful parking is in the area near her store. I could easily have found a spot on Church St. To make matters (ok, me) stupider, I could also have run outside 15 minutes earlier with a quarter that would have stood me in good stead for an hour. Yes, city mice, a quarter in New Paltz gets you a whole hour. In Manhattan, it usually only gets you 10 minutes!

Peaceful Drivers

I've often used this forum to discuss the differences between New Paltz and New York. Now I've discovered a difference between New Paltz and some local towns. It has to do with waving at drivers.

One Finger
We all know that when drivers let you into drive in front of them, you're supposed to wave to show that you appreciate their courtesy. Since there is little such kindness in NYC, it often happens that you have to be aggressive, edging in front of the next car so that they're forced to let you in. In that case, I still give a friendly (ok, sarcastic) wave, but I often get a one-finger wave in return.

Five Fingers
In up-city New York, drivers are much more courteous. I'm usually let into the queue after only a short wait, and I usually let people into the queue whenever I see them waiting. Invariably I get the full-hand wave and a smile. That's like a visual thank-you. But New Paltz is taking that one step farther.

Two Fingers
In the Noop this morning, I was on my way back from casting my vote when I spotted a car waiting to turn into my lane. I let him enter, and he smiled and gave me the peace sign. I like that. It's even cooler than the wave. It's a visual way of saying thank you and go in peace. I'm going to start doing that.

Peace out.

Knitting Store in Knew Paltz

OK, New Paltz. Get ready for your knitting store!

Shirra is hoping to have a 'soft' opening this Thursday. Everyone's invited. The 'grand' opening is a few weeks off. Everyone is invited to that, too (we'll keep you posted).

To check if she's open, call (845) 255-5333. Her tentative sked is: Everyday but Tues and Weds, 11-6.

I think that's correct. She also has a website for her store, Knit and Be Happy. Check out my links.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: She is open for business! And she's added a day: She's now open everyday but Tuesdays, 11-6 (and she often opens before 11). Come on by!

Awards Night at Pine Ridge Dude Ranch

Fiona had an equestrian awards night at the Pine Ridge Dude Ranch on Sunday, sponsored by her stable, Lucky C. It was a fun affair, with good food, fun things for the kids and parents to do, and a lovely dinner following the fast presentation of the awards. Fiona was 'reserve champion' for her division, so she got a huge ribbon and chose a Lucky C bag as a prize. After the grub, we headed down the stairs to their disco, where the kids danced to "Cotton-Eye Joe" and other fun tunes, and everyone had a ball. I definitely recommend this place for a fun evening, and I understand that people have a nice time staying there for weekends and longer.