A Bronx Tale (a great story, but a short post)

 

Last night, RQS came up a day early for the weekend, so that she could come to game night, and then go to see Chazz Palminteri in "A Bronx Tale" tonight.  It took a little bit of schedule coordination, so that we could get some chores done before getting together.

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I won't go into detail about game night, save to mention that hardly anyone came.  People who normally attend didn't, so bringing RQS made it possible to play a game or two.  We went home for the evening, and planned our schedule for the next day: getting a mani-pedi, doing some food shopping, and seeing Chazz's play.

The next morning, we got dressed and went out for a mani-pedi.  When the afternoon came around, we started to go to Fishkill to shop at Walmart.  Yes, this would mean that as soon as we got home that I'd have to put some lamb shoulder ribs in the oven and hope everything would be done by 6 pm.   But traffic got in the way.  So, we turned around and went to the local supermarket and picked up what I was planning on picking up in Fishkill.

Once done with food shopping, we went home, and I started cooking the lamb shoulder.  With a few mishaps, the lamb was ready around 6:15, and we were able to start out for the theater around 7:00.  Even then, we had to park 1/4 mile away from the theater due to the nature of parking in Peekskill.  (Not enough street parking, but lots of parking in nearby parking lots.)

The play started late, but it gradually got riveting.  For those who haven't seen it, this one man show documents a period in young Chazz's life where he is befriended by a local mobster for whom he did a solid when he was 9, to the time where that mobster was gunned down in front of Chazz 7 years later.  What was most impressive about this play was Chazz's appearance on stage, telling how he refused $1,000,000 to have Robert De Niro perform the lead in the film adaptation, and then having De Niro say that he was right - and partnered with De Niro to make the movie and jump start Chazz's career.

If you ever get the chance to see the play (or movie), do so!

Dinner at Chazz's Place

 

Today was a day I did a lot of nothing until it was time to get ready for the evening.  If I didn't commit myself to attending the meetup, I would have preferred to stay home and not be on the roads.  However, I was committed, and I got showered, dressed, and made up to look my casual best before going to dinner in White Plains.

This meetup was to try out Chazz Palminteri's White Plains restaurant. You might have heard of Chazz.  He's the performer who is known for his play: A Bronx Tale.  Although I didn't want to see the movie based on his play, I'm of a different mind now than I was when the story was first adapted for film.  If Chazz does his one man how near me, I'll go and see it.  But I digress....

As I left my home at 5:30, I found a lot of people doing stupid things on the road.  And there were a couple of "Scheisskopfen" who, because of their own stupidity, could have caused me to get into an accident.  Luckily, I was alert enough NOT to get into trouble, as I reached the restaurant safely and on time.  And then I found our group.

Unlike other meetup groups I have attended, this group tends to have small gatherings of 6-8 people.  This allows for the host (and all attending) to be able to chat with anyone else sitting at the table.  I like this.  And I was able to sit next to YGD from the Yonkers gaming meetup.  Although I was at one end of the table, I was able to chat with everyone in my line of sight.  (I was glad that the meetup host made this possible by keeping the group small.)  

It took a while for a waiter to come and take our orders.  If I have any complaint about this place, it will be about the service - I had to ask for my water glass to be refilled, and the wait staff left us a little too bit alone.  (I'd have liked to get refills on my Iced Tea without having to flag down a waiter, as if I were hailing a NYC cab.  But I digress again....)  Fortunately, the quality of the food made up for the service, and I would go back here again, now that I know about it.

On the way out, YGD mentioned that she had parked at an on-street spot where the meter was broken.  (Someone had jammed the wrong coin into the slot, preventing it from being used by another car.)  TGD, in her ignorance parked there (thinking that spaces with broken meters are free, as they are where she lives), and found a ticket under her windshield wiper.  OUCH!  Before leaving her and her car, I took pictures of the broken meter and sent them to her so that she can fight the ticket.  Do I think she'll be successful?  No.  But she'll have tool with which she can fight city hall.

As for me, I drove home for the evening and took care of things around the house....