Getting there was the highlight of the week!
In advance of that weekend, Lee's 2 housekeepers (a married couple) opened/cleaned & prepared the house for us.
Bedrooms were readied. (Lee's coworker, Dr. Robert, arrived from Arizona by plane on Friday, and Lee's driver would get him from La Guardia Airport to Wixon House by midnight).
Guest bathrobes for Lewis & I were cleaned/hung in our "His & His dressing rooms". The landscaper was summoned to clear leaves from the property/curving driveway.
The chimney-sweep was scheduled to arrive in the morning, so we could use the wood-burning fireplace in his (second) living room. Lee also intended to interview a tenant to rent the house, and such preparations served dual purposes.
Dinner was Lee's treat at The Chophouse Grille. Not much to look at from the outside, the inside was clubby and Sinatra-ish. Very cute waiters!
While others ordered the table-side prepared fillet of sole, I ordered a special of the night: double-cut roasted pork chops. PERFECTION! (After all, it's a chophouse!)
The portion was HUGE, on a platter, alongside Lyonnaise potatoes and chips of charred bacon. Poached apples with cinnamon were diced and placed beside the pork. Couldn't've been better! We skipped dessert, in favor of sipping sweet Riesling (in chilled stems) at the house.
My good deed for the day was defusing Lee's concerns about renting his home(s). There were many blessings to consider: his new Cancer Research job in Arizona was fulfilling his desires (and paying him the most of his career). The company paid to transport his Mercedes from Chicago, and paid his hotel room, while Lee home-hunted. His home in Chicago had been rented quickly/smoothly to someone who desired all the furnishings. No moving or storage needed! He was now closer to his mother in California and had the ability to fly there regularly. Desiring to rent his NY property, his realtor found a qualified tenant who desired to move in AND wanted all the furnishings. Again, no moving costs or storage costs. Other renters incur such hassles/costs, but he was spared... twice. Blessings.
With the household feeling good, we admired the full creamy moon--from respective windows--and drifted off to dreamland.
In the morning, the bedroom where I slept also caught the rising sun. So splendid! We drove to the nearby gourmet market, De Cicco's, for cooking essentials: cheeses, pâté, martini olives, orange juice, cream for coffee, sweets for teatime, fruits, pecans, pastry for dessert, and items to make risotto.
Arriving back, I put everything away and ogled the wine refrigerator for lunchtime pairings. Lee concocted a hearty stew to combat the chilly afternoon. Thanks to the recently-departed housekeepers, the silver gleamed. Things would look/smell great when the prospective tenants arrived!
Lee was anxious about what the chimney-sweep might find. He didn't find anything wrong. Grinning, he said it was his easiest appointment all day--allowing him time to arrive to Pennsylvania for his daughter's volleyball tournament.
Next, Lee got a call from the Homeowner's Association president that one of the lampposts along his driveway had been hit by a stray car. He decided to file a police report, the next day. Lee worried if the tenant would accept the monthly $700 maintenance fees that had been negotiated with the landscapers. He fretted for the housekeepers' jobs. He imagined the boy being an over-energetic terror. Overall, he hoped my excellent judge of character skills would rate them.
Lewis and I sat in the colorful living room, while Lee gave them a tour of the house.
In the end, the little boy was well-behaved and even enjoyed putting his toys BACK in their boxes. The man agreed to all the costs, and even wanted to keep the housekeepers--having them come MORE frequently. The couple loved everything about the home: views, furniture, absence of curtains. They admired the lake, seen from the library windows.
They even allowed Lee to keep his car in the third garage space (so he didn't have to sell it). They spent a mere half-hour before agreeing to sign the contracts. (The son made a bee-line for the wet bar! Smart boy.)
We were so happy for Lee--that things had worked out smoothly! It's not fun to have worries on any frontier. For dinner, Lewis chose his favorite lakeside restaurant, an Italian place named Blue (that boat owners can arrive in, too). We got a table juxtaposed to the stove fireplace!
Chicken Sorrentino for me, lamb chops for Lee, and squid-ink pasta with mussels, squid & scallops for Lewis.
Back at the house, we sipped digestifs by the gas fireplace of the (first) living room.
As was our routine, we discussed the new British TV series that we discovered. Lewis described a crime series titled Shakespeare & Hathaway, featuring a flamboyant gay assistant with a fondness for disguises.
In advance of that weekend, Lee's 2 housekeepers (a married couple) opened/cleaned & prepared the house for us.
Bedrooms were readied. (Lee's coworker, Dr. Robert, arrived from Arizona by plane on Friday, and Lee's driver would get him from La Guardia Airport to Wixon House by midnight).
Guest bathrobes for Lewis & I were cleaned/hung in our "His & His dressing rooms". The landscaper was summoned to clear leaves from the property/curving driveway.
Dinner was Lee's treat at The Chophouse Grille. Not much to look at from the outside, the inside was clubby and Sinatra-ish. Very cute waiters!
While others ordered the table-side prepared fillet of sole, I ordered a special of the night: double-cut roasted pork chops. PERFECTION! (After all, it's a chophouse!)
The portion was HUGE, on a platter, alongside Lyonnaise potatoes and chips of charred bacon. Poached apples with cinnamon were diced and placed beside the pork. Couldn't've been better! We skipped dessert, in favor of sipping sweet Riesling (in chilled stems) at the house.
My good deed for the day was defusing Lee's concerns about renting his home(s). There were many blessings to consider: his new Cancer Research job in Arizona was fulfilling his desires (and paying him the most of his career). The company paid to transport his Mercedes from Chicago, and paid his hotel room, while Lee home-hunted. His home in Chicago had been rented quickly/smoothly to someone who desired all the furnishings. No moving or storage needed! He was now closer to his mother in California and had the ability to fly there regularly. Desiring to rent his NY property, his realtor found a qualified tenant who desired to move in AND wanted all the furnishings. Again, no moving costs or storage costs. Other renters incur such hassles/costs, but he was spared... twice. Blessings.
With the household feeling good, we admired the full creamy moon--from respective windows--and drifted off to dreamland.
In the morning, the bedroom where I slept also caught the rising sun. So splendid! We drove to the nearby gourmet market, De Cicco's, for cooking essentials: cheeses, pâté, martini olives, orange juice, cream for coffee, sweets for teatime, fruits, pecans, pastry for dessert, and items to make risotto.
Arriving back, I put everything away and ogled the wine refrigerator for lunchtime pairings. Lee concocted a hearty stew to combat the chilly afternoon. Thanks to the recently-departed housekeepers, the silver gleamed. Things would look/smell great when the prospective tenants arrived!
Lee was anxious about what the chimney-sweep might find. He didn't find anything wrong. Grinning, he said it was his easiest appointment all day--allowing him time to arrive to Pennsylvania for his daughter's volleyball tournament.
Next, Lee got a call from the Homeowner's Association president that one of the lampposts along his driveway had been hit by a stray car. He decided to file a police report, the next day. Lee worried if the tenant would accept the monthly $700 maintenance fees that had been negotiated with the landscapers. He fretted for the housekeepers' jobs. He imagined the boy being an over-energetic terror. Overall, he hoped my excellent judge of character skills would rate them.
Lewis and I sat in the colorful living room, while Lee gave them a tour of the house.
In the end, the little boy was well-behaved and even enjoyed putting his toys BACK in their boxes. The man agreed to all the costs, and even wanted to keep the housekeepers--having them come MORE frequently. The couple loved everything about the home: views, furniture, absence of curtains. They admired the lake, seen from the library windows.
They even allowed Lee to keep his car in the third garage space (so he didn't have to sell it). They spent a mere half-hour before agreeing to sign the contracts. (The son made a bee-line for the wet bar! Smart boy.)
We were so happy for Lee--that things had worked out smoothly! It's not fun to have worries on any frontier. For dinner, Lewis chose his favorite lakeside restaurant, an Italian place named Blue (that boat owners can arrive in, too). We got a table juxtaposed to the stove fireplace!
Chicken Sorrentino for me, lamb chops for Lee, and squid-ink pasta with mussels, squid & scallops for Lewis.
Back at the house, we sipped digestifs by the gas fireplace of the (first) living room.
As was our routine, we discussed the new British TV series that we discovered. Lewis described a crime series titled Shakespeare & Hathaway, featuring a flamboyant gay assistant with a fondness for disguises.
Lee recommended that we watch a BBC comedic satire called Yes, Prime Minister, which began in 1986.
I agreed. It was the same era of another English show that we knew: To The Manor Born.
Eventually, Dr. Robert arrived. Going out to greet him, we could tell that the temperature had dropped 20 degrees! We'd have to plan cozy activities for the next couple of days.
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