I long to have a summer house in Montauk where we've spent the past few summers with friends and family. I still dream about that and hope it becomes fulfilled. But maybe I should be thinking about a place at Fire Island. Oh, I admit that I've not really been on land all that much with the last time maybe 10 years ago. But the waters surrounding that island--that's what makes my heart skip a beat.
It's just as beautiful, low key and family friendly as Montauk, has good fishing, though they aren't as big. Yeah, it's an island, but it's also half the distance to the End--and that makes it compelling enough for me. What's the point of getting a summer home if you can only go there one a month, where you dread the 3 hour drive--and that's on a traffic-less day!
Oh, there's still traffic if you go to Fire Island--it's still in Long Island after all. But everything being equal still results in a 50% less gas consumption, 50% fewer "Are we there yets?", 50% fewer bathroom stops. BTW, it took me about a dozen times to figure out where one could stop to potty. These trips weren't for my kids--they were for me. Now before you laugh at my bladder, please remember that I go to Fire Island for striped bass--which requires fishing at unGodly hours. This in turn requires many coffee cups at 4 in the morning, either going there from Camp C--or coming back!
Zillow and trulia, we need your help!
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The last few fishing trips to Fire Island have been outstanding. And the techniques to catch my beloved striped bass kept my brain thinking. And I appreciated that. Seriously, as much as I love to catch fish--and give it away to my friends or family, I get as much of a thrill figuring out when, where and how they bite that particular trip. It's really challenging and that's one reason why you can buy hundreds of books about this fish, why people put their personal and professional lives on hold--and drive at 4 am.
The last four times include:
- clam chumming for 2 keepers and a Mets game with MJ. This is the game he proclaimed, "Let's do this every saturday Dad!"
- diamond jigging on a picture perfect afternoon landing 4 big fish and a Yankees playoff game with MJ .
- eeling in the Fire Island Inlet when conditions weren't that good--and P.O. the whole boat (30 guys) when I caught 2 of the 6 fish on the boat.
- fishing in a washing machine that resulting in MANY fish--one of the best days of my fishing life.
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I HAVE been burning the candle at both ends, and while I can do that, especially of late, I find myself sleeping heavier. This isn't an acknowledgement that I MIGHT snore on occasion, like whenever M sleeps next to me! lol
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I am touring the world starting next week. I hope this works.
My 25th high school reunion was everything these things should be and at the same time shouldn't.
Back then we had lots of cliques that everyone has in HS but last Saturday, they were gone. And the seemingly thin thread that held us together after all these years held. Bygones were bygones and the room was filled with laughter, hugs, pictures and stories that I just didn't remember. Time is at fault, but JD might have had a part in that too :)
Anyhow, whatever angst I had when I first got the evite, when I later started to consider going and blowing off my daughter's 7th birthday, and when I had while changing my evite status to "Yes" was gone within 5 seconds as I walked in the room filled with my classmates. They are more that HS classmates actually--despite our many differences and the years that have separated us, we are friends because have spent many formative years together (me since 7th grade).
In HS, I didn't appreciate what I had but I am glad that this weekend will renew my friendships and make me appreciate what I can have with my HS buddies.
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BTW, it was also great to see teachers that knew me from 7th grade--that knew me as a student in the classroom and as a kid outside of them. My algebra teacher was also my soccer coach--and his wife was my art teacher. I learned soccer that fall in 7th grade and continued to play the game--well enough to become captain of the JV team in 10th grade, move up to varsity mid-year and eventually captain the varsity team my senior year. He remembered so much about me, my classmates, about my brothers and family--and he asked me to say hello to all the next time I see them. I shall!
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My kids are in 2nd grade and their school/our school system is well regarded. But my hope is that they experience 1/1000th of what I did--and that will truly make me sing.
After a successful day of fishing in the morning followed up by a (meaningless) Met's game, MJ and I decided to do it again since we had so much fun. And while Oct 2 was awesome, I honestly wasn't looking forward to last Saturday. I had fished at Fire Island for 8 hours on Friday, and it wasn't that productive. Fire Island's weather for the 9th was forecasted to be windless and calm--nice for fluking but not so much for striped bass. Moreover, the Yankee game versus the Twins was going to start at 8:37pm--the night could be a long one for for my almost 7 year old son and definitely one for me :) Finally, it was also hard for me to imagine that MJ and I could have a better time together. Everything was perfect.
But we did top last week! MJ and I were on quality striped bass and bluefish for a significant part of the afternoon. All without bait--on a 4oz diamond jig in 40-60 feet of water. Fish that fanatics like my dad, brothers and some of my friends dream of--almost 20lb striped bass and 12-14lb bluefish--and haven't caught in years :) After he landed 3, I landed my keeper and we limited out, I let him play with my iphone. I was on fire and continued to hook up with fish and gave my rod to the kids near us that didn't catch. I love doing that BTW.
MJ quickly fell alseep in the car ride from Fire Island to the $1.6 billion house that George built and amazingly, there was no traffic on Long Island, and just normal amounts of traffic getting into Yankee Stadium. I didn't care that our seats were more expensive and worse--but let me get this out of the way now--I truly believe that when the Mets do eventually make the playoffs, their prices will be similar to the Bronx Bombers'.
The game, wasn't that interesting to me, although the Yankees clinched the series. It was over fairly quickly and lacking drama. I also happen to like the Twins. They are a scrappy team which I enjoyed watching especially in 87 and 91, which was one of the best WS ever. Players I liked and still like include: Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Kirby, Joe Mauer and Jack Morris. Also, I am a father of twins and my better half was born in St Paul. I longed for an interesting series--ones like the 2000-2002 ALDS--those were gripping weren't they? But MJ didn't care and didn't want to leave until he heard Frank Sinatra sing! I was glad he endured. I was also glad I endured!
Yesterday, when I came home from work, MJ said, "Dad, it's my birthday this saturday, and I don't know if I want to go fishing." I understood--he doesn't love it yet--and anyhow, I'm scheduled to go to my 25th high school re-union. But Nico quickly jumped in-and said, "I'll go!" So we'll try Sunday morning--and seriously, even if we don't catch anything, I think we'll be happy.
I often forget that MJ is only 6 and get somewhat disgruntled when he falls asleep on the boat while we're fishing, especially when the bite is on, as it was this morning in the Fire Island Inlet. But I am sure he's the same when I am sitting at a ball game not answering his 1000 questions about baseball. He really peppers me one after the other--and it's cool that he's into baseball, but I actually don't know the answers to some of his questions on baseball. E.g. Why is Angel Pagan (of the Mets) named Angel? or Why does David Wright strike out a lot? It'a father son thing--a ying yang moment if you will.
But today was a fantastic day that was enabled by cancelled soccer practice (the fields were too wet) in the morning and an understanding wife. Last night when I proposed my idea of fishing in the morning then baseball in the afternoon, M shot back "What am I going to do?" My answer of, "You can go too!" wasn't that well received. But she let us go, did her thing--and was happy and MJ and I did ours and it was fine. A picture perfect fall day to limit out on striped bass in the morning, and then in the afternoon watch a baseball game in good but inexpensive seats is my kind of Saturday! And it's MJ's kind too, who at the ball game while a Met was trotting around the bases after hitting a HR said, "Let's do this every saturday dad!"
