Travels with Beaverhausen: Autumn in Connecticut

Buddy's buddy and downstairs neighbor, author and columnist Kevin Scott Hall, joined me on my weekend vacation in Connecticut. The biggest adventure was trying to get out of this concrete jungle.

As there are currently weekend construction delays in the subway, we opted to take a livery car into Manhattan. Much street construction work on both the Brooklyn and Manhattan sides made traffic a snarly, gnarly mess.

Finally at Grand Central Station, we boarded our train to Fairfield station in Connecticut, where Tracey picked us up in her car and drove us by highway and byway to her home in Sandy Hook, where Merv was cooking up our dinner.

We settled in, in the living room, chatting over Merv's marvelous margaritas, with corn chips and dips. This was Kevin's first visit in 2-1/2 years, so he had lots to update our hosts about and vice versa.

Eventually, we all sat at the dining table. Dinner was Merv's savory cinnamon pot roast with fresh broccoli and mashed red potatoes, all served with gravy. Everything was so scrumptious!

Our movie night kicked off with The Last of Sheila. This is a cheeky, cerebral whodunnit co-scripted by Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim and actor Anthony Perkins of all people! It's a nearly forgotten gem from 1973 starring James Mason, Dyan Cannon (as a character clearly based on Sue Mengers), Raquel Welch, Richard Benjamin, Joan Hackett, James Coburn and Ian McSchane. We all loved it, right down to Bette Midler singing "Friends" over the closing credits. It's an early '70s time capsule; just look at the costumes. Richard Benjamin looks like Freddie Mercury in this!

We then moved on to Ken Russell's The Devils before bedtime. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2015/10/video-beaverhausen-oliver-reed-vanessa.html

Sunday morning, there was coffee once we were all up, just after sunrise. It was a clear, cloudless day, a bit chilly and bracing but with such sweet-smelling air. Breakfast, lazing about, reading the Sunday Times.

L. to r., me, Kevin, Tray, Merv. Or is it The Last Supper?

On our way to the train in the afternoon, all four of us stopped at Jones Farms for a free wine tasting at the farm's lodge. Several wines were sampled, although my fave is and always has been the farm's strawberry wine. We each received a free souvenir crystal wine glass at the end of our sampling.

Alas, all good things must come to an end and, after our sojourn, Tracey and Merv drove Kevin and me back to the NYC/ Grand Central Station train.

Thank you again, my friends, for a wonderful time. We sure know how to party!