Rant #1,445: So Went Memorial Day Weekend

Yes it did, and the holiday went very quickly.

It was kind of a tough time for my family during what is traditionally thought of as "the beginning of summer," even though it really isn't.

My wife worked the entire weekend, save yesterday, thank goodness, so my son and I didn't see enough of her during this brief hiatus.

We did see my daughter, with whom we celebrated her 27th birthday. She claims she is getting closer to 30, and bemoans that "fact." I tell her wait to complain when you get close to 60, like I am, and then I will listen to you.

That was a high point, as was my annual Memorial Day barbecue--we had one of the best ones in ages yesterday, what with the weather and the food that I cooked, all were top-notch--as was what my son and I did in the evening, which I will tell you about later this week.

But it was a tough weekend for us.

My father in law went into the hospital just before the holiday with a broken hip. He broke the other one a few years ago, so now the good side of him is the bad side and vice versa.

He was operated on two days ago, seems to be in good spirits but a bit drawn, and I am sure he will be OK.

About the same time, my nephew--my youngest nephew--had an appendix attack, and had to have it removed.

When I spoke to him, he seemed in a bit of discomfort just a few hours after the operation, but he is also in good spirits and he will be OK.

So we spent some time in the hospital visiting my father in law, and spoke about the hospital with my nephew.

Not the funnest place to be or to talk about.

Then, although not a personal tragedy, we heard about the death of Anne Meara.

Best known from her pairing with husband Jerry Stiller in the Stiller and Meara comedy team--and the mother of Ben Stiller--she passed away this weekend.

Growing up in the 1960s, she was every Jewish family's favorite "shiksa," or non-Jewish wife of a Jewish man.

Usually, that term is derogatory, but in her case, it really wasn't.

The team were on "The Ed Sullivan Show" three dozen times, and they played off of that "mismatch" with a lot of humor and a lot of understanding.

She was an Irish Catholic, he was a New York Jew. He was also about six inches shorter than she was. 

Sullivan loved them because their situation replicated his own in reverse--he was Irish, his wife was Jewish--and they were genuinely funny.

Everyone loved them, and this evolved into one of the favorite acts on that show, only to break up at about the same time that the Sullivan show went off the air.

No, they still were married, but each one of them wanted to act, not to do the comedy team thing anymore, and for the past 40-some years, that is what they had been doing as they watched son Ben emerge as a major comedy star on his own. They also have a daughter in the business.

But whatever the case, when you think of Anne Meara, you think of Jerry Stiller, and vice versa, and I bet to her dying breath that she was fine with that.

And there was one more good point, the retirement of Bernie Williams' number by the Yankees. The Yankees are a lousy team today, but Williams helped elevate them to something very special during his playing days in the 1990s and early 2000s.

It is a well deserved honor.

Now, it is back to work day for most of us, but ironically, my wife has the day off, so once again, we are like two passing ships in the fog, close but never quite meeting together.

At least we have the upcoming weekend, but no, wait, I forgot, she is working this Sunday.

Well, at least we have Saturday.