Sunday 14 October

I woke up alone. I didn't know where I was at first, just that it felt good to wake up in a big bed with a luscious blanket, and luxuriate. It was good to wake up next to someone the previous two days, especially on my birthday, but it was good to wake up alone too. Strains of Bach and Chopin from the living room, pounded out by Ben on a lovely little Kawai, drew me up and out, and I soon took his place at the keyboard, unable to make it past the opening themes of Haydn and Debussy, and stumbling through some Wohltemper and Zweistimmige with the aid of a Fischer swamped among the scores. It was good to play though, and Igor seemed to like it. He and I chatted over breakfast after Benster left for lunch with his grandfolks; talking about food, the outdoors, his youth. He is a great talker; in the middle of holding forth businesslike on some aspect of his career or the news he swivels and address his daughter, explains to her why goalkeeper is the most difficult position on the soccer field, his manner equidignified and self-possessed, with that Russian tinge of wry. Our morning is interrupted at one-hour intervals by phoned-in reports on the status of a marathon in Atlantic City. In this house they refer to their cars without articles, as if makes were names: "Did you drive Accura last night?" "No, it must have been Audi." Nothing to do but lie in bed and pynch and listen to tindersticks and fall asleep again. But it was good.

B+E came by later and picked me up, and we wandered through downtown Chappaqua, Ben giving us his reality tour of closing times and changes-of-management. He instructed us not to mock the school. We scanned the banned books lists outside the library (Dante, Dahl, Dickens) and then entered, returning half an hour later with "Touch of Evil" and some "Flying Circus" on DVD, REM's "Reveal" on CD. I wrote a little bit of reminced on the computer there, but I can't keep up the sham, so I'm just writing this all in retrospect. From there to his mothers, where we made use of the telephone (Matt calling off our plans to Adirondack it that night, as is his infuriating wont, screwing up my break plans for at least the third time, and leaving me with nothing to say or do but seethe inwardly and accept the Cantor's dinner invitation) and the kitchen (honey-mustard nibblers, vanilla pudding, sugar cookies, carrotstix, bagels - comfort food) and the DVD player (Spiny Norman, The Comfy Chair, Thingy, Silly Walks, etc. so much of that TV show comes through in Gravity's Rainbow its analepses and postmodernity and humor) and the couch. After a bit we did drive down to 7 Paddington, which was but delightful. Delia and Mike once wore, but this time at least I enjoyed their company very much. I think it helps having other people there: they were enchanted by Ben and Ester, and vice versa, so I could just smile winningly on the sidelines and feel that I was helping to enrich the lives of my loved ones. We ate at David's Jade Palace, as you may have read elsewhere, where the General Tsao's is the best I've ever tasted, so tender and lavish. I ordered half Peking Duck, which I don't think I've ever done before; it came shredded in Hoisin pancakes, but everyone shared. I had half of Ben's melon soup, several veggie dumplings, noodles, etc. All of it quite tasty, and I think even Ester was happy with the food. The conversation was great too. I like learning things about my relatives' lives by listening to my friends ask them questions; Ben was interested in their professional lives and game-playing, which I knew about, but not necessarily in such great detail. He's such a charmer, for all his weirdo vibe. Nice. I stayed in Danny's bedroom, after some phone calls and frustrated attempts to use AOL. I listened to Plaid. That's good stuff.