Ode To E-Z Pass

I love E-Z pass. Many of you remember, like I do, waiting for minutes, or sometimes hours at bridge and tunnel tolls in NYC, gathering dollar bills or the correct change to pass through the toll. Now, when I approach the Whitestone bridge on my way to Long Island, I just sail right through the toll! No waiting! No worrying about quarters! So, after my last pass, I was so overwhelmed with love and gratitude I wrote two poems, below.

Ode #1

Oh you
with your slight orange arm
light
lifting up for me gently
after my slow approach
you
never asking for money
only blinking
encouragingly
your red eye turning green
You
allowing me in just an instant
to pass over the threshold
that before took hours
saving
the search for dollars
quarters in the seat
reducing my carbon footprint
to a child's 4
You
Oh E-Z pass
It's you.

Ode #2

From a distance
I can see
you beckon, with your light so green;
the x that signals that you can
welcome my large minivan
So to your doorway
I slowly go
And hardly waiting
for a moment
Lo
You wink
And in an instant I seem
transported as if in a dream;
From one location to another
shifted
then we quickly part each other
Without consulting coin or wallet
I glide gracefully
with empty pockets
Oh E-Z pass
It's so thrilling
That we are finally done with dollar billing.

Good to Know About

This is my neighbor Sarah's bunny. Honey. She appears here for no other reason than looking at pictures of bunnies is never a bad thing.
Honey does not have an ipod, and does not listen to podcasts. She does not get bored driving around doing errands or going to long island or new jersey, which I am too lazy to capitalize. But I do. And maybe you do too.
So do you know about the Moth? The Moth is a storytelling event that happens once a week (live) in NYC and once a month in LA. The stories are told by famous people (Malcom Gladwell, Garrison Keilor, Adam Gopnick) and also regular folks. Most of the stories are riveting and fabulous, while also being entertaining and funny. Embarrassing high school stories, divorced parents at one's bar mitzvah stories, bad boyfriend/girlfriend stories, touching funny ridiculous tales of families just being themselves: crazy.
The great news is that The Moth produces a FREE weekly podcast that you can get on itunes or find at www.themoth.org/ where you can also learn more about the whole thing. This gets 5 stars from me HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Oh, and by the way, I redid my website, ALL BY MYSELF, and it looks so great, you should see it. www.julianascreations.com/ and yes, I did all the photography too.

Lemon Cream Cheese Poundcake for Saints

Sometimes you just have to reward people. Like if you had a friend who was also a the President of your Condo Board who put in hours and hours of her own time for the good of the condo. And then let's say this person managed to get a new better management company for the condo after her many hours of work, and that this would make life better for everyone involved. Well, then you might decide like I did, that she should be named a Saint, and should have a Saint Cake. See above. Now the real gift here is for YOU, with whom I am sharing the following recipe for Lemon Creamcheese pouncake, which, basically, is the best cake in the whole world. I grew up eating this and that is why I am so tall. Of course I can't eat it now because it has sugar, but you can. And I can make it for local Saints.

Lemon Creamcheese Poundcake

2 sticks butter

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1 lemon juice and zest

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

2 cups plus 6 Tbs flour- sift before measuring

2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven 275*

Let the butter and cream cheese come to room temp. Mix together. Add sugar.

In another bowl, put the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla

in third bowl, put the flour and baking powder, sugar.

Mix bowls one and two. Add bowl three.

Grease and Flour Bundt pan.

Pour in batter.

Bake for at least 2 1/2 hours or until done. (test by toothpick inserted in center.)

Yes, that is a long time, but it is totally worth it.