Holidaze

Our holidays have been filled with good food, family, and friends!

We stayed close to home and feasted with our families on Christmas eve and day.

Over the weekend, Dave was showered with gifts and chocolate treats at Aunt Patti's in Syracuse. He spoke for the first time in weeks; when Anthony asked him how he was, he nonchalantly replied: "Not bad."

Back in Albany, Dave soaked up the girlie love while Dana and Michelle were in town.

Big love and best wishes to all in 2010!

Cosmic Days for Dave & Amelia

Our days are filled with synchronistic happenings and findings. Our encounters with people and places are meaningful and right-feeling.

Dave looks through books and sometimes hands them to me with an open page. He chose "Your mind cannot possibly understand God. Your heart already knows." in Emmanuel's Book a few weeks ago. He gave an approving smile and earnest nod when I read him the Rumi poem Auntie Rae found loosely slipped in one of my grandfather's books. Despite his near muteness and day-to-day confusion, Dave is lucid and aware. His eyes speak with wisdom and peace.

Your mind cannot possibly understand God. Your heart already knows.
Minds were designed for carrying out
the orders of the heart.
The mind answers the "how", not the "what".
The "what" is a deeper matter.

The greatest war in life within each individual
is between the intellect and the heart-
where the heart is saying, "This is so"
and the intellect is saying, "I don't understand, therefore I don't believe."

When you are with another human being
are you really communicating with the mind?
Or are you speaking to a soul
and the minds are scurrying around
trying to put it all into order and vocabulary?

When your mind asks "Why?"
you realize how easy it is satisfied
with a superficial answer.
When you heart asks "Why?"
it wants nothing but the truth of God.
Emmanuel's Book compiled by Pat Rodegast and Judith Stanton

The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep!
You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep!
People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep.
Rumi

The Pterodactyl Call

Mike and Andy from The Clinkers came to visit last week. We dug up some Clinker's original reel-to-reel recordings and had fun in the studio.

Dave was looking especially indie-rock while seated at his mixer.

We've had an awesome time with Danny while he's been in town. Dan and Dave will win first place in the Best Buddies Photo Contest with this shot:

All our visitors get Dave's signature pterodactyl call. The more psyched he is, the longer the screech. Those of us who spend a lot of time with Dave have learned the call. Here's Dave with his dad.

This week's adventure

This week we went south. Monday morning Frank, Dave, and I drove to Manhattan to meet Dana and Dan.

The girls tried on bridesmaid dresses for Dana's upcoming wedding while the boys checked out music stores and bars.


After, we followed Dana back to Sag Harbor to eat pizza and sit by the fire.

Dan and Dana provided us with an all-inclusive Hamptons vacation package. Tuesday was a perfect autumn day, so first we headed to the beach. Then we enjoyed lunch at the Southampton Publick House, followed by a driving tour of the Hamptons and a walking tour of Sag Harbor.
That evening, Dana and Dan headed to Westchester for their work week. Frank, Dave, and I enjoyed dinner at a pub in Sag Harbor followed by beers at Murph's. As usual, Dave made friends with the locals at the bar.


Wednesday we drove back north and stopped in Woodstock. Heather cooked us an amazing dinner. We spent the evening listening to records and Dave's pterodactyl calls. Dave Z. enjoyed a hilarious phone conversation with Dave W.

Thanks to our friends for the hospitality and love!

NYC Trip Report

On Monday, Frank came to Albany to stay with us. He rattled off suggestions for fun things to do and listened to Dave's responses. Some ideas got a shrug, some a smile, some a chuckle. But when Frank suggested a trip to New York City, Dave went wild with screechy laughter.

We started surfing the internets, looking for inspiration to make the drive. After finding that most of Dave's favorite bands are touring in Europe or on the west coast, we paged through the online Village Voice. Superdrag, a band Frank had been trying to turn us on to, was scheduled to play in Chelsea on Friday night!

Friday afternoon Adam, Frank, Dave, and I crammed into my Civic and headed south. After a smooth ride, we parked the car on 9th Ave. We stepped out of the garage onto the crowded avenue and Dave promptly stopped beside a flower pot in front of a classy French restaurant.

These days Dave is short on both discretion and modesty. He is absolutely in-the-moment and completely impulsive about meeting his immediate needs. Knowing this and having just finished an almost three hour car ride, Frank, Adam, and I knew exactly what was happening. As if rehearsed, we surrounded Dave to create a shield from the restaurant window and passers-by as he emptied his bladder in the flowers.

After the pit stop, we dropped off our bags at the Belvedere Hotel on W. 48th and our NYC adventure began.

We took the N down to E. 8th. Dave was psyched to be in the East Village, always one of his favorite spots. His eyes were wide and smile was huge as we wandered along looking for dinner.

We settled in for sushi on Avenue A and stuffed ourselves with Japanese beer and a colorful platter of sashimi and rolls.

After dinner, we headed to the Highline Ballroom on E. 16th to buy tickets and find out when Superdrag would go on. With tickets in hand and two hours to kill, we set back out in the drizzle to find a neighborhood bar. We scoured blocks rejecting what few bars we found for being too crowded or too swank. We almost settled on a coffee/pastry shop when we caught sight of an orange neon sign that simply said "BAR".

The place was dark and inviting. There was an indie rock jukebox and good beer tap. It was exactly what we had been searching for. Dave sat smiling and answered with laughter and nods when we asked him how he was doing. The bartender watched us curiously, and asked Dave if he was OK a couple of times. Dave answered with a far away gaze and half smile.

Finally, the bartender leaned in close to Dave and asked, "What are you on, man?" When Dave only screeched and laughed in answer, the bartender looked inquisitively at Frank and me. "C'mon," he said, "I gotta know. What is this guy on?!"

As I told Dave's story and explained that we are making the best of our situation with happy adventures, Dave smiled and nodded. Dave's newest friend shook his hand and presented him with a shot of whiskey. This night was like any other I have spent with Dave in NYC. He was making new friends, and impressing and intriguing the strangers around him.

Lauren met up with us at the bar and we headed back to the Highline where Superdrag had started their set. Dave beelined for the cushy V.I.P. couch and sat like he was in the living room at home. We ordered the drink minimum to keep the comfy seats while Frank rocked out.

After the show, the drizzle turned to steady rain and Dave's pace slowed. He and I took a cab back to the Belvedere while Adam and Frank went with Lauren to eat what might have been the best burgers in Manhattan at the Corner Bistro.

Saturday, we ate a greasy spoon breakfast around the corner from the Belvedere before heading back down to the Village. We stopped in St. Mark's comics and some record stores. Dave was at home people watching and strolling on St. Mark's Pl.

For our NYC finale, we headed to the Indian restaurants on E. 6th where Dave has always insisted we eat when visiting New York. The crew followed Dave to his choice restaurant and enjoyed an awesome meal.

It was the usual New York City adventure: complete with aimless wandering, rock n' roll, beer, and Indian food. Dave loved it and New York loved him right back.

Enjoying autumn

Last Sunday we went to the Waterford Farmer's Market, walked along the Hudson, and checked out the Pebbles Island Preserve with Dad W. After our exploration, we enjoyed lunch in

Waterford's genuinely-upstate-New-York downtown.
On Wednesday, we went with Auntie Jen to Thatcher Park.After our scenic walk along the Helderberg escarpment,

we ate cider donuts at Altamont Orchard.

Thursday was an especially good day!

We received a surprise package in the mail! It was loaded with

HAPPY HIPPOS!

Big thanks to Chris and Heather!

Owl Piñata

Yesterday we hung the owl up like a piñata and put some cheese on him...

Dave couldn't wait to deliver a beat-down!
We invited the Aunties over and had a piñata party!
(Jeremy, you can expect the cheese shown here to arrive in your mailbox in the next 5-7 business days.)

Tonight's message...

Thursday October 1, 2009

Dan was staying with me and Dave for the week. We had been mostly sticking close to home, but Thursday afternoon, Dave got restless. He kept coming in and out of the back and front doors, pacing around the house, doing his parameter check. When I finally asked him what he wanted to do to relieve his boredom, he just gave me his characteristic shrug and eyebrow raise.

Lately, I have been writing out choices because Dave has a hard time communicating what he wants. So, I wrote “drive” and ‘walk” on a piece of paper. He pointed to drive, so we all loaded into the car. Dave navigated by pointing the way, and we headed north on 787. I was ready to aimlessly follow Dave’s finger, when Dan spoke up from the backseat.

“Isn’t there a big white temple somewhere around here?”

Before I could answer, Dave was emphatically nodding his approval. We were going to the Grafton Peace Pagoda.

We meandered eastward for twenty-five miles on back roads, listening to mix CDs at full-blast. As we neared Grafton, I thought we should visit the fire tower. It had been a cloudy drizzly day, but the sky was clearing and the late-day light was beautifully soft. As we rolled into town, I asked Dan and Dave if they would mind making an adventure stop to climb the tower.

Dave nodded and Dan agreed, but I sensed Dan’s growing reluctance as I piloted us from the main road onto a small, twisty road and then onto a dirt road. He may have doubted my judgment as I nosed my car partway onto a Jeep trail before cutting the engine.

We walked the 100 or so yards up the Jeep trail to the base of the tower. Dan leaned back to get a full view and said something like, “Whoa!” or “Oh my”. Dave answered with a pterodactyl call and started up the stairs, one foot at a time. As Dan and I followed, the bone-chilling wind was whipping and the tower metal creaked and shuddered.

At the top, Dan uttered a much more enthusiastic “Whoa” and Dave made pterodactyl and monkey sounds! The view was panoramic and magnificent! The sky was alive with color and the trees were bright with the reds and oranges of fall.

As we walked back to the car, we agreed the place had a sacred feel. We were content on our Grafton excursion.

We pressed on to the Peace Pagoda. We parked along the road and walked the driveway to the complex. We wandered around before circling the Pagoda to read the story of the Buddha. As we headed back toward the driveway, a playful black lab cornered me and insisted I play tug-of-war with her and her stick.

Meanwhile, Dave shuffled over the prayer house and looked in each of the windows. When Dan and I escaped the enthusiastic lab, we headed over to Dave and saw what he was watching through the windows: a yellow robed, bald-headed nun arranging the alter area and praying. Thinking we were interrupting, we stepped back from the window, but the nun smiled and waved us in.

She explained that prayer was starting and we were welcome to join and could stay as long or short as we wanted. We took off our shoes and sat on the embroidered pillows she set down for us. She handed us wooden drums and sticks before sitting with her back to us. Another woman kept a rhythm with a huge deep drum as the nun and a monk chanted in entrancing, melodious voices. A few other people came in and sat behind us.

I felt warmth and peace as I drummed along with Dan on my right and Dave on my left. Dave’s drumming was always forceful, sometimes right on and other times completely off beat. After a couple minutes he got up and circled the room, checking out the statues and offerings around the altar. He curiously went into the next room and looked behind a hanging tapestry in a doorway. He alternated between sitting to drum and exploring the rooms.

I could tell from his glowing smile when he looked at the nun that she was looking kindly at Dave as he wandered. On one of his circuits, he stopped at the altar and opened his wallet to put a bill on a tray.

After what seemed like ten or fifteen minutes, Dan stood. Dave and I quietly followed him to put on our shoes and let ourselves out the backdoor. Once outside, we realized we’d been sitting for thirty-five minutes. As we walked toward the driveway, the nun scurried out behind us. She graciously thanked us for visiting. She bowed to Dave and presented him with a small paper-framed picture of the pagoda. She adamantly told us she was happy to have Dave there and she knew he was someone very special.

We left feeling peaceful and happy and grateful for our day in Grafton. Dave led us on an awesome adventure!

Dave's weekend fun

What a great weekend! Tyler and Randy came to visit from Boston on Saturday. It's been years since Dave's seen Tyler; he was psyched!

Randy and Tyler set up Dave's mixer to output into my computer. That was the missing link to my taking Dave's songs off 1/2 inch tape and putting them on CD! Randy worked his mix master studio magic!

We also had the suprise pleasure of seeing Steve on Saturday. Adam came over too, and entertained us with his Super 8 archive. He has great footage of Dave in the studio.

Tonight we went out to Red Square with Adam, Katie, Jen, and Les to see some rock n' roll! (Thanks for the invite, guys!)

He especially liked hanging out with the girlies...

Message from Dave

Summer pictures

Here's some pictures I just developed from over the summer.
In June, we stayed at Heart Bay on the north end of Lake George. Here's Dave Z. helping Auntie Fay with the BBQ:

Dave Z., Charlie, Katie, Alex, and Jeremy chillin' at a party at home.

A day in the park with Dave, Alex, and Charlie:

Dave Z on the phone

Dave put on a stellar performance when he was on the phone with Dave W. tonight.

It mostly went like this...

We put the owl in the toilet

People are checking in to see how we are doing these days. Well, it's not always easy, but we keep-on-keeping-on by PUTTING THE OWL IN THE TOILET!