Today was that oh-so-rare and oh-so-special kind of day -- where Alane and I had the day off... but the boys didn't. Now that is a holiday I can get excited about. We went to the gym and played racquetball; we ate some lunch; we (separately) went shopping for a bunch of stuff we really do not need. Does it get better than that?

Alane went to get Cookie and Mojo from school, and worked it out so the girls from around the block came over to play for a little while. So even the boys had a good time this afternoon, with indoor games that quickly spilled out onto the back lawn. This is one of the last really nice days: sunny, warm, just right; at least we all got to enjoy it. Almost a perfect day, except for that really-really-painful bee-sting I got on my arm as I stood, an over-flowing Target-bag in hand, chatting with the neighbor on his back lawn. Poetic justice, perhaps, as I was just that moment commenting to the elderly Bronx-native about the early demise of his beloved Yankees.

In true Bronx style, if I find that bee, I'm gonna put 16 bullets into its head.