Farewell, Reluctant Thieves

The time has come to put this blog on hiatus till the next visit. (Or give the keys to the permanent residents, but that may be too much, too soon.)

We'll leave you with this frankly unsatisfying extract from Boca Raton, a shoddy book in the Images of America series that Sarah picked up at Barnes & Noble:

Anyone who has taken a Spanish class in high school or college probably knows that "boca" means "mouth" and "raton" means "mouse," but contrary to conventional wisdom, Boca Raton does not mean "mouse mouth." A more likely explanation is that it is a term for an inlet, because it serves as the mouth of a waterway, and Boca Raton indeed has an inlet of its own. The term "raton" can also be used to denote a reluctant or cowardly thief. Romantic legends and tall tales spread by early developers suggested that the calm, relatively shallow waters of Lake Boca Raton provided a haven for pirates and mariners hoping to wait out inclement weather.

Indeed, these pirates have waited out the worst of the Canadian winter in these waters. Home!

Senior Moments

1. Deborah forgot the name of the Instrument of the Week and declared herself to be in the midst of a senior moment. To be fair, there is an instrument every week for 30 weeks, 11 stringed instruments alone. This week's instrument was a gusle, a Serbian stringed instrument.

2. Jacob left the roof of the car open while we dined at Seasons 52, a restaurant at which a large man in a bedazzled cowboy hat and mirrored sunglasses tickled the ivories and Sarah was the youngest person in the place.

3. "Senior moments? I don't remember any senior moments!" -- Jacob

Grillmasters

I forgot. Yesterday, Jacob grilled swordfish for us, locally caught by his friend Ira. We ate dinner outside. Jacob wore a sweatsuit.

Unfiltered!

Yes, it's been an exciting day here. First we had breakfast at McDonald's with Anne and Bea, two sassy 95 year-olds. Then, we watched the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States. And finally, Jacob asked Ben to climb a ladder to remove and clean the air filters. This city never sleeps.

Someone's at the door!

It's not for JJ, and it's not for Lee either!

The Life in Pink

Did you know la Vie en Rose had English lyrics?
JJ is singing them in the living room with piano accompaniment from Lee, her elderly once-a-week charge from Century Village. Lee's wife suspects they are having an affair. Lee has Alzheimer's and doesn't suspect anything. He does remember how to play La Vie En Rose, mostly.
"It's a free concert!" JJ says.

JJ on Deborah

"Debbie, you love to cook."
"Well, sometimes --"
"Oh, you love it. The kitchen is your sanctuary."
"Not really, I --"
"You cocoon there. It's your sanctuary."

Nothing Gets Past This Guy

Jacob couldn't resist examining the toiletries of Arcolia T., a houseguest. To be fair, he did ask permission. This customs-style inspection preceded the shaving lesson previously outlined.

OMG, it's JJ!

Janet is a big fan of the "and I'll tell you why" sentence construction.
E.g.
"Do you want to come to dinner with us, Janet?"
"No! And I'll tell you why ... "

Long Shrift

Jacob: "Sarah, you're wearing shorts?"
Sarah: "They're dress shorts! Formal shorts!"

Toast Boast

"The more grain in the bread, the longer it will take to toast." -- Jacob

"After you put on the butter and the jam, I often put it in the microwave so it's warm when you eat it." -- ibid.

"Butter in this house means fat-free chemical margarine" -- Sarah

"That's actually not a bad margarine. It's made with vegetable oil." -- Jacob

Rahm Time

Jacob likes to listen to the Sunday morning cable talk shows while reading the paper. Rahm Emanuel is practically screaming about the tax savings for middle-income American families. Too loud for this time of day, so Jacob offers to turn off the TV.
Other discussion topics include Jacob's tennis elbow (ouch, he may have to get a cortisone shot if the pain doesn't let up) and the fact that Ben is still sleeping ('Ben's still sleeping? hmph.')
Deborah gave me a kiss on the head before going to teach her Sunday morning classes at Temple Beth El (discussed in earlier posts).

Shallow Shave

"Why doesn't anyone want to know my shaving secrets?" - Jacob.

Jacob's shaving secrets:
• Shave once a week with an electric razor
• Use straight razor on neck

Crumbphobia

"I hope I someday get to the point in life where all I have to worry about are crumbs. Not my job, not my mortgage, not the economy: just crumbs." -- Sarah L.

The Boca Breeze

• 1 part Ketel One vodka from Jacob's liquor cabinet
• 2 parts Nathalie's Orchard Island All-Natural Orange Juice (All Florida Fruit!)
• 1 part Lakewood light Organic PomBerry Nutrituous Fruit Juice Beverage (SUPER ANTI-OXIDANT BLEND! 1/2 THE CALORIES!)

Serve in tall glass with ice. Enjoy by the pool. repeat as necessary. Don't let on that the drink contains alcohol, even though it is 4 p.m.

Boring? You Should Be So Lucky!

Deborah told us about the plane that crashed in BBT on the day they moved in. Six people aboard died. That same day, a hot-air balloon landed in the cul-de-sac. Who needs that much excitement?

Bright Lights, Small City

We are seeking confirmation as to whether or not Jacob has completed his light bulb check. Every Saturday he likes to make a sweep of the house to confirm that no bulbs are out. Bystanders report that lights (including the three boudoir glass lamps in the family room that are turned on and off via remote control) seem to be in smooth working order, but we will let you know shortly whether or not Jacob's work is done.

Other Dogs

I mentioned a beagle named Betty. There is also a basset hound named Lloyd. They may be owned by the same lady who owns the starfruit tree. More details to follow!

Learning about Starfruit

Deborah had a long conversation with a woman who owns a starfruit tree. They are known as Carambola trees. This woman also owns a beagle named Betty.

Caloric Deprivation or Indulgent Breakfast?

The first meal of the day was Jacob's "famous" pancakes. Could the case be made that every time Jacob prepares a foodstuff it automatically becomes famous? Perhaps. Anyway, at two thick but small whole-wheat cakes per person, with approx. 10 blueberries, it was a delicious side for a complete breakfast. Except, that was the complete breakfast. Wow!

Lizard Count

They are copious today, my friends. Saw at least 20 on my four loops around BBT.

Next up on CNN?

While watching the CNN coverage of the inaugural preparations during a breakfast of pancakes on Saturday morning, Jacob said he could do a better job than Soledad O'Brien. Also, Deborah said she always thought Becky could anchor the news.

Wine Consumption Stats

Thursday night: One bottle per four people
Friday night: One bottle per six people, until I insisted another bottle be opened. This did not occur until a poll was taken.

Steering the Conversation

At last night's dinner with the Averbooks, the conversation turned to how parents worry about their children. After much discussion of Becky's China Syndrome, Debbie A. asked if children worried about their parents.
"Well, Sarah does worry about her father's driving," I said.
This led to the revelation that Jacob has been to Florida traffic school "many times," with further questioning revealing that "many" = 4. He argues that, amortized over 20-some years, this was perfectly reasonable.

Welcome to The News From Boca

This blog will offer all the updates from our January, 2009, trip to Boca Raton, Florida.

The Second Day, from the archives

Today's news starts from dinner on Thursday night and goes to just
before dinner on Friday night (Shabbat):

When I tore of half a piece of bread and put the remainder back on the
communal plate, Jacob accused me of making "a very {NAME DELETED}
move."
Deborah said that when Sarah was little, her head was like a little sponge.

We went to yoga and I nearly passed out. Too humid!

I worked on my book. An extract:
"I looked over at Sarah, who looked worried as she scanned an article
about the Jewish contribution to pickled foods in America. After seven
years together, I knew she wasn't actually fretting about pickles.
Rather, her default facial expression was a worried frown, a tic that
was first publicly acknowledged when she was eight."

Wow!

We attended services at Temple Beth El, at which Jacob and Chaz
Averbook played in the band. Chaz laughs at random occasions, which is
funny. Jacob reminded tambourine accompaniment that their
contributions ought to be limited to accents. The rabbi gave a decent
ceremony but said some annoying things about Gaza, highlighted by a
frankly insulting 30-second propaganda video.

No lizards sighted.

The First Day, from the archives

It is cool and overcast here.
They tore down the house next to the Averbooks.
Sarah saw a dead snake on the road while running, but did not deem it
"scary" or "dangerous."
Deborah has a weight training regimen she does over the course of four
hours in the afternoon.
Jacob has gone since Sunday without exercising, but managed to get a
workout in today.
Spaghetti for dinner.
No lizards sighted.