Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

Happy Friday the 13th of March!

My first adventure on Thursday was to go off and visit Dear Old Mom in the hospital on Thursday. I didn't think that she was doing that well. I am going to blame it on her MRSA infection that is colonized, but not contagious. I really didn't know that she had MRSA until chatting with my sister around 5 PM on Thursday.

Speaking of my sister, she was so sick with Asthma, coughing fits, etc. on Thursday that she had to make a trip to her doctor. She was going to try and make an evening visit with Mom, but I suggested that she shouldn't go in her present condition.
I warned her that sometimes the caregiver gets just as sick as the person who they are caring for.
Could the animals in her house be making her sick? One of her children is very allergic to the animals when he comes to visit.

Our Irish Sister City members, and our Irish guest, Mary Kelly, did do lunch at DelGallo's. This place is a small Mom and Pop operation with Mom and Pop in the kitchen preparing food. The fun and merriment lasted for a couple of hours.

After lunch, I did take a nap because I had two more events on my social calendar.
The City of Pittsfield is changing over their health insurance, and we had a brief presentation of the different health plan options. The open enrollment begins on April 15, 2009.

While I was at this health care seminar, Linda was hosting a session of Mah Jongg.

My final social interaction for the day was a gathering at the Shamrock Restaurant with our guest of honor, and with any Sister City members who could join us. Linda decided to stay home and relax since she was tired, and didn't take a nap like I did.

Local News -- The local married female couple who made the front page of the The Berkshire Eagle on Thursday will probably be making the national news wires soon. The forcible attempt by a drunken mate to inseminate her wife with a "Turkey Baster" with semen from her brother didn't go as planned.
Every time I see a Turkey Baster I will think of this weird scenario.

Politics -- Madoff pleads guilty to his Ponzi like scheme was the biggest news of the day. So?
Will any one who lost money get any of their investments back?
What about his involved family members including his wife? Will they continue to live like the rich and famous do?

State News -- In the Eastern part of the State of Massachusetts, a man was arrested for touching, and exposing himself to a 16 year old girl at The Pleasure Island Tanning and Nail Salon which he and his wife own. Maybe the name of the place should be changed to a less erotic one. The guy must have thought that he really was on Pleasure Island.

Pittsfield and Pot Holes -- I thought that I was the only one upset with the numerous, and large crater like pot holes throughout our fair city. While socializing throughout the day and evening on Thursday, I found out that our friends have blown out tires, lost hub caps, and have been in the repair shop for front end alignments.
There is hope! While on the highways and bi-ways yesterday, the city workers were filling pot holes. They even had crews from our county jail filling pot holes.
Of course, the cold patch lasts for a couple of days. They have to use cold patch because the blacktop processing plants don't open until a couple of week from now, or at least until the black top season begins.

It is a balmy 16 degrees right now with promises from the weather prognosticators that we are going to warm up for the next few days.

Linda chatted with our Pizza, Paninni, and Pasta maker son just as I was waking up from my nap on Thursday. He told Linda how his presentation went at the studio of the "Phantom Gourmet". The Phantom Gourmet program is broadcast on a Boston based television channel which we don't get in the Berkshires.
They taped a five minute program which will be broadcast in two weeks. Kevin said that he and his partner brought (and had prepared some items at the studio) almost every type of food which they offer. Everyone of the crew of the Phantom Gourmet really like Kevin and his partner, Mike.
The filming crew couldn't wait to sample all those Epicurean delights when the taping was over.
The filming went so well, that they filmed it without a retake.
Another good thing is that Kevin and his partner were invited to participate in upcoming Wine and Food Expos in the Boston area. Linda and I have marked our social calendar for two of them already.

Social Calendar -- I will visit Mom this morning as well as do a couple of errands before coming home to take an afternoon nap.
This evening were have a table reserved for some Irish friends at the ITAM (Sons of Italy Lodge) for a function at 7:30 PM. We will be entertained by some Italian minstrels while we eat pizza, and fried dough as well as drink a few glasses of Chianti.
Some of our Irish friends will then go off to a night club around 11 PM, but most likely without the Curley's.
I am making soda bread on Saturday morning for the Irish American Club Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner / Dance on Saturday night, and I can't have a fogging brain while doing so.

Have to finish my morning routine, and head off to the hospital.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad