Ah, yes. . .the burnt linoleum at the Castle. . .I have been to that holy shrine to the man most likely to burn down Brooklyn. . .it's one of the reasons I am so fond of that guy. . .he shares my passion for things that smoke, fry, frizzle, pop, spark, flame and go boom. . . .

I also was one to play with the inner workings of things as a kid. . .gears fascinated me even when I was a toddler I am told. . .I could sit and play with a plastic board with knobs and gears forever. . .when nothing else held my attention for more than a moment. . .my favorite toys were Legos, Lincoln Logs and the Erector set. . . my favorite memories are of times in the workshop with my dad.

I was/still am big on a person finding their own passion, but I was disappointed that none of my children leaned in that direction because I couldn't fill the house with gizmos, gears, Constructs, robots, motors and such. . .(well without admitting that they were for me, not the kids.) Joe and I still hit the toy stores now when we go shopping together. . .we both hate to shop, but we love the same kind of toys.

Thanks for the birthday party notes, Marlena. . .I am so glad that the birthday party was a blast. . .we were there in spirit, trust me. . .

I kind of hate to say this publicly, but I am not all that fond of pizza. Now garlic bread and pasta with a creamy smooth alfredo with veggies. . .that's my kind of "EYE" dinner.

e-post script. . .I changed my screen name. . .hope no one minds