Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,
We had another pleasant day on Sunday. After we both got through reading the
local newspaper , and the Boston Globe, we prepared for our final James Taylor
event at Tanglewood. We loaded up the car with food, beverages, and chairs a
small table, and headed back to West Stockbridge to caravan for the last James
Taylor concert. The weather was perfect. It was so nice to just be with one
other couple instead of the 20 or so that we were with on Friday night in the
pouring rain.
The first half of the concert started with John Williams. This was the
classical music portion of the program. The second half was really what most of
the thousands of us were waiting for, and that was to hear the music of James
Taylor. We got our monies worth for sure. James Taylor played way beyond the
normal amount of time for what would be considered half of a concert. He had the
15000 of us on the lawn rocking with the 5000 seated in the open air shed.
When the concert came to an end we stayed until the last bit of beverages were
consumed. We stopped at the East side on the way home, and picked up a pizza to
go. We would have sat down and ate the pizza at the East Side, but the place was
mobbed for a Sunday night.

Today is the start of another busy week. I will be helping Linda shortly to set
up for tonight's BONCO session which Linda is hosting.
Tomorrow she is hosting her Tuesday Mah Jongg session because the original host
has not been feeling well.
Wednesday, Linda has a meeting just about the time our daughter-in-law, and her
new born comes to the Berkshires from East Boston for a two day visit.
Friday is my golf with the seniors.
Saturday evening, we are going to a play.
Sunday we will be attending a Labor Day picnic.

It might be time for Linda and I to go somewhere where we have no commitments,
no cell phone or no computer access, etc.
We will have to work on that thought.

Sports -- The Red Sox and the Yankees won their contests once again. The Sox
seem to have a firm grip on the Wild Card slot.

Politics -- The President didn't have a completely relaxing week on Cape Cod
with the death of Ted Kennedy. At least he was close to where the funeral took
place. It is back to work for the President today.

Observation -- We are so lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful circle of
friends. Each set of friends seem to serve a different set of needs / options.
As an example, the couple from West Stockbridge is the only other couple who
really likes the music of James Taylor so that is why we were pretty much were
at their door step every day this past weekend. We can't socialize with this
couple all of the time because the wife owns a woman's specialty store, and her
weekends are normally not free. Her husband is a department head in the
Mathematics department at a Berkshire County high school.
Another couple whom we socialize with has grownup children like we do. Even
though they both work, they are free to do a lot of things with us. The woman is
Linda's permanent shopping buddy.
Another couple, who lives a few doors north of us, I can call up for an
impromptu cookout. I play golf with the husband. Since they have a one year old
granddaughter, Linda and I can also borrow baby stuff too when our grandchildren
come to visit.
My immediate next door neighbors watch our house when we are out of town, and
they to get invited to impromptu cookouts at our house.
We also have friends in a neighboring town who sets up a Cook Outs / Bocci
tournaments at their house several times during the summer months. They keep on
inviting us to visit them in Florida during the winter months, and we might do
so this winter.
We have our friends from Tewksbury who we not only visit , but use their house
like a Bed and Breakfast place.

Linda also has her two sets of Mah Jongg players.

We have more friends from all the clubs and organizations which we belong to.
This list goes on, and on, and I haven't even included family.

I think that a life without having friends would be so sad.
We have no time for illnesses like depression because we never have time to sit
and put negative thoughts in our head.

Have to get to more chores.
Linda has started to straighten out the house, make some desserts, and she
needs my help.
Have a great week at work, play, or school.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

We had a light Saturday even though we did have a 4:30 PM birthday party at a
Church in a neighboring community. The covered dish affair was wonderful. There
were many interesting foods to sample including desserts. The party was alcohol
free because the guest of honor and several of her friends use the Church for AA
meetings. The guest of honor and several friends are also cancer survivors. The
only speaker was the birthday woman. Her basic theme was to thank all the people
who helped get her through all that she has gone through in her life. She didn't
come out and say my exact words, but basically she was saying "Life is good",
and that she is so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and
neighbors. I didn't mention the word "family" because there are some issues
which I can't discuss in this e-mail.

The party ended around 6:30 PM. No, the Curley's didn't go directly home. We
stopped at the home of our friends in West Stockbridge who live next door to the
birthday girl. We did have a glass of wine or two as we socialized for a couple
of hours.
We left West Stockbridge relatively early. I had time to watch the last couple
of innings of the Red Sox game. I didn't even see the end of the game because I
fell asleep while trying to watch the game in bed.

Sports -- The Red Sox and the Yankees did win their respective contests, the
Yankees had an easier time of it. The Red Sox play in the middle of our
afternoon activity today.

Social Calendar -- We are off to another James Taylor event today at
Tanglewood. Today he plays with John Williams, who has written the scores to
many movies. We will be heading to West Stockbridge to once again caravan with
our friends to the grounds of Tanglewood. Another day of fun, food, and
merriment. The food will be mostly leftovers from our Friday night affair.
The gates to the Tanglewood grounds open at noon, and the concert starts at
2:30 PM. At least we will be driving home during the day time. The day is
supposed to be rain free, but I have decided to keep my rain gear in the car
just in case the forecast changes for the worst.

Observation -- I did receive some positive feedback from friends and relatives
about my thoughts of ceasing my e-mails for a week or so. They said that I
should continue with my daily e-mails. They also suggested that the people who
get upset with some of the things that I say should "lighten up." Like I said
yesterday, sometimes the closest friends and relatives provide some of the best
material for some of my thoughts.
One of my friends asked if I met anymore interesting people during my track
walking. The other day, there was a "buns of steel", with no body fat, woman who
was on the track the. She was walking so fast that I couldn't keep up with her.
She even lapped me. I felt like I was about 85 years old compared to this woman.
Speaking of an 85 year old. I chatted with my father yesterday. He told me to
stop providing alcohol to my 92 year old mother when I visit her at the nursing
home.
Tuesday is the first day of school for the students in Pittsfield. I will have
to make a early tee time for that day. My other retired teacher buddies an I
love to wave at the school buses as they go by the first two holes of the golf
course. We established this tradition when we retired, and we will keep doing so
until we can't physically do it any more.

Back to College -- Our friends from West Stockbridge are taking their daughter
back to college in Boston on Monday. I don't envy them at all. They will be
using two cars to haul all of their daughter's stuff to an apartment which the
parents have never seen. Her Mom has bought a whole bunch of stuff at Tag /
Garage sales through out the summer. We saw one of the rooms in their house
filled with a little portion of the stuff which they are taking to the four
person apartment. I think that they possibly could have rented a U-Haul. I know
that our male friend is great at packing, and I have seen him do so when we used
to go camping with them. I am trying to figure out how he is going to pack a tag
sale purchased dresser drawer as well as all the plastic buckets, and boxes,
kitchen items, clothes, craft items (she is an art major at Mass College of Art)
that I saw last night. Also, this is the same guy who fell off the ladder a
couple of months ago, and who hasn't completely healed from that fall.


Well, I have to read the Berkshire Eagle and the Boston Globe, and then start
gathering all the food and materials which we need for today's concert. Yes, I
am starting to overdose on James Taylor. The ride was fun, but a bit long!

Have a great Sunday!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

Friday was going very well until we reached our favorite position on the lawn
at Tanglewood for the James Taylor Concert a little after 4 PM (Concert started
at 7 PM). We set up tarps, blankets, and chairs, tables , and food on our little
piece of land. As soon as we finished that task, the rains began. By the end of
the night it was raining so hard, we were having flash backs of the Woodstock
concert which took place those many years ago.
Rain gear, umbrellas, layers of clothes couldn't keep us warm and dry.
Everything which we own got soaked to the bone including our bodies. Rivers of
water were flowing on the grounds of Tanglewood as we packed up , and headed
toward our car when the concert ended a little after 10 PM. Luckily we were in
the first row across the street. We are talking about a parking lot where there
first row is on flat ground, and every other row rises up a very steep hill.

There was plenty of food, and beverages (alcoholic, and non alcoholic) to help
make us forget how miserable the evening turned out to be weather wise. We had
to keep the two tables of food dry so we covered them with plastic tarp
material.
Anyone who wore cute footwear paid the price for doing so. I wore water proof
Timberline hiking boots (Boy Scout Motto- Be Prepared!). I might have been the
only person at Tanglewood who had dry feet.
Some of our friends, who couldn't get there early, got stuck in traffic for 1.5
to 2 hours just to travel for a mile or two to a parking lot.

Any one who sold their tickets or gave them to friends made the smartest
decision of their lives.

We wanted to purchase some James Taylor tee shirts for friends who really like
the performer, but they were selling them for $60 each. Get real!

We weren't the only people on the lawns of Tanglewood. It was a sea of
umbrellas, tarps, and thousands of wet people.

Oops! I forgot to mention the music. It was wonderful if you like James Taylor.
Sheryl Crow sang along with James Taylor and sang a couple of her classic hits.
I think that I liked Sheryl just as much as James Taylor.

Well, I decided that if there is a hint of rain for the James Taylor concert
next year, I won't be in attendance. I will put on one of his latest albums, and
party hearty in the comfort of my own home.

Sports -- While were getting wet, the Yankees, and Red Sox won their respective
contests. The Sox still have a lead in the wild card race for a playoff spot.

Social Calendar -- After I finish this e-mail, I have to cook some bacon, saute
some onions, and ground beef, which are some of the ingredients for Linda's
three bean concoction which we are taking to the 4:30 PM pot luck birthday party
for a friend of ours today. Nobody of this 100 person party has to bring a gift
for the birthday woman. She requested that the guests bring canned goods for a
local food pantry. What a great idea!
Luckily, we won't have to deal with wet weather since this party is taking
place at a Church hall in a neighboring town.

Observation -- I guess some of my recent e-mails have been getting a couple of
my readers upset. It might be time for me to cool it with my daily e-mails, or
to alter / change / drop some of my e-mail recipients.
My best ideas come from some of my closest friends and relatives, or what I
observe on a daily basis. Life is too short to sweat the little stuff.
I have so many friends, and relatives who are dealing with life or death issues
like my parents. I say laugh at yourself and laugh at life.
I had a teacher friend who had all kinds of gastrointestinal health issues
because he kept everything inside. He retired with me in June of 2004. His
retirement lasted one year, and one month, and he now resides in a cemetery 6
feet under the ground. He had one grandchild, and one on the way, and was never
around to enjoy the second one.
Do you think that this guy might have wished that he handled the stresses of
work and life in a different manner before meeting his Maker?

Well, I have to get to my quite chores. My first chore is really quiet, but can
you imagine Linda staying fast asleep as the good smells of bacon, onions, and
ground beef permeate the whole house including the bedroom?
Also, Linda is one of the best sources for some of my thoughts that I put in my
e-mails. Every once in a while I do get a lecture from her to leave her out of
my e-mails. She is upset for a couple of days, but then she remembers "not to
sweat the little stuff." You won't find the word "Depression" in our vocabulary
or our health diagnosis.
"Life is so good", but take time to enjoy it!

Have a great weekend!
I "might" talk to you soon! The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our day went exactly as planned on Thursday.
I did my thing which included a morning walk at the track, giving the lawn a
trim, trimming the bushes in front of our house, and taking a nap, before our
evening adventure.
Linda was doing endless stuff inside the house, but she never made it to the
grocery store, and other stores which she has some "must purchase" items to deal
with.

We arrived at our friends house in West Stockbridge at 5:30 PM. After about 30
minutes of socializing, we headed off to the Shaker Mill Tavern which is about a
mile from their home. This newly opened place is run by a couple of brothers one
who is a professional chef. We had four great meals. The only negative was the
string beans that were pretty much raw. I like my vegetables "al dente", but
these string beans were like you picked them from your garden, and put them on
the dinner plate.

After a quick supper, we headed off to the The James Taylor concert at Ozawa
Hall on the Tanglewood grounds. The Concert was wonderful. We had tickets for
inside the shed instead of being outside on the lawn. This sounds like we were
warm and comfy since we were inside the concert hall. Well, we were in the last
row of the concert hall, right where they open several massive doors so the the
people on the lawn can see right inside the concert hall. When the temperature
dropped, the cool air hit us in the back all during the concert.

Parking Lot Story -- When we arrived at the East Lot of the grounds of
Tanglewood, the husband of the couple next to us started cursing. At first, I
thought the language was directed at his wife. Not! We found out that this
couple was from Albany , New York which is about an hour drive from Tanglewood.
The guy was cursing because he left the James Taylor Concert tickets home. His
friends bought the tickets through Ticketmaster, but he didn't know the credit
card number used to purchase the tickets. While we headed to the concert, this
couple packed up their stuff, and went back home to Albany. Some people didn't
have a great night at Tanglewood.

Social Calendar -- My schedule is golf with the seniors, picnic after golf at
our treasurer's home, pack up for the concert, and head back to our friends in
West Stockbridge, caravan to Tanglewood. The gates open for tonight's James
Taylor Concert open at 4 PM. The concert doesn't start until 8 PM. We should
have a group of friends which will eventually total about 20 people.
Linda's days starts with her monthly breakfast at 8:30 AM, and then she is off
to do the errands that she couldn't get to on Thursday.

Weather Problem -- I am watching The Weather Channel right now. They are
forecasting afternoon rain, and a steady rain later on this evening. This rain,
coupled with cool weather, might put a damper on our plans. As we left the
concert last evening, we were talking about wearing turtle necks, and Irish knit
sweaters. Now we have to deal with rain gear too. If the rain does materialize
as predicted, I am not sure what we are going to do. We are on the lawn, and not
in the shed for this sold out concert.
Some of our group of 20 people are driving in from Worcester, MA (a 1.5 hour
drive), and others will be coming from Albany, New York.

Sports -- I was so excited when the Yankees lost their game yesterday afternoon.
I was hoping that the Red Sox would win their game last night, and pick up a
game on the Yankees. Not! I am glad that I wasn't home to watch the Red Sox
lose.

Politics -- Ted Kennedy's death, and the Health Care issue.
Rush Limbaugh tried to say kind words about Ted Kennedy, and here is what he
said: "Ted Kennedy was a Lion, but we were his prey." You wonder why I am a
Democrat?

Observation -- While visiting friends the other day, I jokingly said to our
friends that their college graduate family member should be staying at their
house during the week, and going home on weekends to be with her soon to be
husband. Little did I know that it is already happening.
When you are working in Pittsfield, and you live over 40 minutes from your
apartment, it is nice to have your parents help you out. I would bet that her
old bedroom doesn't seem as bad as it did when she was a teenager.
This is another example of when you bring children into this world, you have
them for life!

Have a great Friday!
Please pray for us in the Berkshires that the rains fall later than predicted.
The Weather Channel says that we will get rained upon around the 5 PM hour which
is not good.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned (mostly my day).

After removing some stickers from the potential BONCO gifts, I left for Lee to
visit Mom at the nursing home.
Yes, I wheeled her out to my car, and made her an alcoholic beverage. She had a
buzz on when she decided to have me take her back inside the nursing home.
I brought a couple of pictures of the almost three week old Max. She was amazed
that the pictures were of a open eyed baby. I had to keep explaining to Mom who
the baby was, and who the parents were, but that was okay with a woman who will
be 93 by the end of September.

Before I left for Lee, I started a load of my clothes which Linda dealt with
throughout what was supposed to be her peaceful day. Not! She had to get up and
down so many times to deal with my clothes that she forgot to record some of her
favorite television programs. I was wondering why I was able to watch the whole
Red Sox game without being kicked off the television in the family room.
I left the nursing home headed off to Lee to visit dear old dad. I chatted with
him for over an hour before heading home to take a nap so that I could stay up
and watch the whole Red Sox game.
I brought a picture of Max for Dad, He too was amazed that Max's eyes were wide
open.
When I think about it, Max has had this open eyes thing since he was born.
After nine months of being in a dark place, why shouldn't a baby want to look
around , and check out his new surroundings?

Linda's Book Club meeting went okay except for the dinner portion. Mushed up
Salmon on a bed of lettuce, and some kind of tomato concoction over cottage
cheese. Salmon and cottage cheese are not two of Linda's favorite foods. She was
so jealous because I put a small pot roast in our crock pot with all the fixings
in the morning. She smelled that pot roast all day long, and she wished that she
ate some of the pot roast instead of what she had for supper. Oh Darn!

The Red Sox won their game in dramatic fashion. Big Papi hooked a home run
around the right field foul pole in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the
game for the Red Sox. He hasn't done this in over two years.
The Yankees easily beat their opponents.

My only physical activity today will be a morning track walk. I want to squeeze
in an early afternoon nap because we have our first James Taylor event this
evening at Ozawa Hall. We have tickets for the inside of the hall. We don't have
to haul food and beverages tonight like we will have to do on Friday night, and
Sunday afternoon when will be sitting on the lawn just outside the main shed.
We will most likely dine out before tonight's concert.

The weather has taken a dramatic change. We will be in the high 60's to the low
50's and 40's for at least a week. Now this is my kind of weather especially for
playing golf. Both Linda and I don't mind wearing a light jacket or sweatshirt.
Maybe the cool weather will keep the mosquito population down.

Politics -- Well, the media has something to talk about for the next few days
with the death of Ted Kennedy. I won't be going to Cape Cod to attend the wake
and funeral.
I am hoping the the Health Care issue stays on the "front burner".

Observation -- Linda and I can't wait to see Max next week. Kyla and Max will
be making their second trip of over two hours in a car. If all goes well, they
will be with us beginning on next Wednesday for a couple of days. We will have
to set aside some time for a baby viewing. Also included in the baby viewing
will be a stop at the nursing home to see his great grandmother. We have cleared
our social calendar for Wednesday through Sunday.

School will be starting soon. I can't wait the for the school buses to come
rolling down our street. The neighborhood will be so quiet from 8:15 PM until
3:30 PM except for us senior citizens. If I want to cut my lawn at 8:30 AM, I
won't be bothering too many people. Actually, we have an unwritten rule in our
neighborhood that cutting lawn can't start until after 10 AM. I did violate that
rule the other day, but I won't let it happen again.

Have great Thursday.
I know that ours will be a great one if everything goes as planned.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Tuesday went as planned with the usual bumps along the way. I did get to
cut my lawn, but i woke up the neighborhood to do so at 9 AM. The grass was so
wet that no grass clippings went into my double bags. This means more work the
next time.

Linda's Mah Jongg at a friend's home went well. Us Lee High School Wildcats
lost the match to our Pittsfield High School Generals on the golf course, but is
still was fun in defeat.

Our dual anniversary dinner also went well at Mazzeo's Restaurant. For a
Tuesday night, the place was packed. There doesn't seem to be a downtown when it
comes to certain businesses. When you put out a good product, people support
that particular business.

I fell asleep (in bed) watching the Red Sox last evening. The roar from the
crowds, when the score was tied, woke me up. I watched the Red Sox score 3 runs
with two outs once again.They won the game by a 6 to 3 score. They lead MLB in
that category. The Yankees rallied from a 10 to 5 deficit, but fell one run
short.

Social Calendar -- After a little walking at the track, I am going to Lee to
visit Mom in the nursing home, and Dad at the family home. Linda should have a
free day until her Book Club / Dinner meeting at 6 PM this evening. I have my
Red sox to keep me entertained.
After visiting Mom and Dad, I would like to trim the bushes in front of our
home, but the mosquitoes might prevent me from doing so.

Speaking of mosquitoes, I have found a positive use for them. While in the
hospital with my Gall Bladder surgery, the doctors ordered blood work every
single day. Some technicians were so good at finding the vein, and others poked
me so many times before doing so.
Maybe they should put a couple of mosquitoes in the patient's room, and have
the mosquito direct them to the perfect vein.

Politics / Observation -- Senator Ted Kennedy finally passed away as a result
of his brain tumor. He was only 77 years old which is one year shy of the
average life expectancy of people in the United States.
At times, I wondered what it would be like to have been born into a rich and
famous family. The Kennedy family has had so much tragedy that I am not sure
that I would chose this family for my fantasy.
The Kennedy Politics -- Of course if you are diehard Democrat like me, we
Democrats are hoping that we can find a good replacement. Even though the
Kennedy's could have lived without being the political limelight, they chose to
fight for average middle American.
I am betting that another Kennedy will be submitting nomination papers for his
senatorial job.

Political Thoughts Two -- There has been a lot of talk at the local, Sate, and
National level for term limits. Why can't a person go into politics with the
idea that this could be his / her life's occupation? So what if you make a few
legal bucks along the way. As long as you don't violate the trust, have affairs,
etc., and represent your constituents well, why can't it be a life long job?
We have a mayor in the Berkshires in a neighboring town who gets elected every
two years. I think that he has been a mayor for close to 30 years. He is running
once again this fall, and he will be re-elected even though he has a person
running against him. The people in this town love this guy.
What can't this happen at every level of government?

Weather -- We had another beautiful day in the forecast for Wednesday with the
chance of an afternoon shower.

Weather and social calendar continued --There is also another hurricane headed
to the Northeast for this weekend. This doesn't bode well for the James Taylor
series of concerts which we and our friends have tickets for.
Thursday night -- Ozawa Hall, Friday night -- On the lawn at Tanglewood,
Saturday night -- Birthday Party in West Stockbridge, Sunday Afternoon -- On the
lawn at Tanglewood
Note -- If we didn't have the birthday party on Saturday night, we would be on
the lawn at Tanglewood for another James Taylor event.
Note two -- The father-in-law of Danielle's brother is a big time fan of James
Taylor. I wish that he could have traveled from Minnesota to the Berkshires so
that he could be with us for these James Taylor events.
Note three -- Am I personally excited about taking up my whole weekend with
James Taylor events? I could have found some other things to do, but I will just
keep my mouth relatively closed, and go along with the flow. I am going for the
food, fun, and merriment, and the socialization which will be taking place. We
have had these sold out tickets for months!

Well, I have to get to some quiet activities.
Have a great Wednesday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,
We had a pleasant day on Monday, but I never found time to cut the grass.
I took a morning walk around the track, and then came home to read the
newspaper, and wait for Linda to wake up. I washed the car while waiting for the
grass to to dry. That is sort of like watching paint dry!

I looked at our busy social calendar, and I realized that Linda is hosting
BONCO next Monday. As the host, she has to purchase nominal gifts for the
winners and losers, etc. Being the sensitive guy that I am, and knowing that she
hasn't purchased any gifts yet, I asked if she wanted to go to the Christmas
Tree Shops to get those gifts. I never saw a woman take a shower, get dressed,
and put on make up, fix her hair, etc. so fast.
We arrived in the New York State store around 1 PM, and shopped until 4:30 PM.
She got her gifts, and we picked up a few items for us. $200 later we exited the
store.
During the ride to the Christmas Tree Shops, Pretzel Rods became our lunch. By
4:30 PM, we were both starving. We ate at an Olive Garden before we headed back
to Pittsfield. I am so glad that we arrived a little before 5 PM. We were seated
immediately.
By the time we left the place the lines were out the door. Maybe senior
citizens who like to eat at 5 PM or earlier know what is best when it comes to
dinning out.

Talking about senior citizens, there was an incident with a mature couple next
to us at Olive Garden. We and they had a young, perky, and experienced waitress
who took orders without writing anything down. Well she really messed up the
elderly gentleman's order. He seem to have wanted everything on the side whether
it was the never ending bowls of salad, or the pasta which he had, the bread
which is lightly basted with garlic butter, etc. The waitress brought back the
meal several times, and things still weren't right.
The elderly man asked to talk to a manager who tried to make it right. The
manager said that she would not even charge them for the meal. He still wasn't
happy! The waitress asked if they wanted to take the meal home, and the man said
"No". I almost turned around said that Linda and I would be happy to take his
free meal home.
The waitress took our order from memory, and never made a mistake. I
complimented her for getting our order correct.

My Red Sox beat the White Sox by another football score of 12 to 8. I think
that the Yankees were idle.

It is a little cooler this morning. I flung open every window on the first
floor to air out the house. The dehumidifier in the basement has been working
non stop.

Social Calendar -- Linda has her Tuesday Mah Jongg from 11:30 PM. I have a
10:56 AM tee time with three other guys.
No, our day doesn't end with Mah Jongg or golf. We are going out to an Italian
restaurant, called Mazzeo's, with another couple to celebrate our anniversary
and our friend's too. Our anniversaries are about a week apart. We did this for
the first time last year, and Linda and I and the other couple decided that we
should so every year.
I am going to try and cut the lawn before golf whether the grass is wet or dry.
If I don't do it today, I will have to hire a farmer to come in with his tractor
like he was cutting hay for his cows.

News -- Another elderly driver had his license taken away in Massachusetts. The
79 year old man went through a stop sign at a construction site, and hit and
killed a policeman.
Elderly drivers actually do not cause the most accidents, but they do get the
most bad press when the news is reported.

Politics -- Our President is playing golf on Martha's Vineyard. I wish my tee
time was with him this morning.

Family Heritage -- I found out, by way of one of Linda's sisters, that Linda's
heritage is not 1/2 Italian, and 1/2 Irish which we have been telling everyone.
Her heritage is 1/2 Italian, and 1/4 Irish and 1/4 English. It seems like
Linda's Irish grandfather (Kiley) married a woman (Roberts) whose was Irish and
English.

Have a great Tuesday.
Linda and I will have a great one for sure whether she win or loses at Mah
Jongg, and even if my ball striking is less than perfect.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

It was a quiet day on Sunday. Linda did a little recreational shopping while I
watched golf. I really wanted to give our lawn a trim, but it was too wet. By
the time the lawn dried out, I lacked motivation to accomplish the task.

Around 6 Pm, we went to visit a friend whose son had flown in from Atlanta with
his 9th month old child. The 9 month old female child is a real cutie with her
own personality, yet different than when our grandchild Isabelle was the same
age.

After the visit, we went home, and I proceeded to watch the Yankees beat up the
Red Sox in the final game of their three game series at Fenway. I am starting to
lose my enthusiasm for watching and following the trials and tribulations of the
Red Sox. Do I need psychiatric help?

We have another quiet day on tap today. I am not sure if Linda will be playing
golf with her friends. I have work to do around the home after a little walk
around the track.

Observation -- The mosquitoes are fierce in the Northeast. They attack me
whether I am getting the newspaper in the morning from my driveway, or when I am
in the yard grilling, or approaching the flower beds in an attempt to weed.
Maybe it is time to put up a bat house on the side of the storage shed. The
flying blood suckers don't attack me when I am doing my thing at the track, but
that is about the only time. Should we bring back DDT, and start spraying the
land once again?

Politics -- The health care issue continues to be a hot topic of conversation.
The President continues his fight. He hasn't given up.
He will be vacationing today on Martha's Vineyard with his family. It is what
some President's do!

We have a busy week coming up from Tuesday right into the weekend. James Taylor
and friends will be at Tanglewood Thursday through Sunday. A bunch of us will be
there every day except one, with a birthday on the off day.
Some of our friends think that we are overdoing it a bit with the James Taylor
experience. I just follow the crowd. I am there for the food, fun, and
merriment. I am not addicted to James Taylor like Linda and some of our friends.
Mosquitoes aren't a problem at Tanglewood since the grounds crew do deal with
the issue.

Have a great week at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday morning

Dear Friends,

Saturday was a long day for Linda and I, but we survived okay.

The bridal shower went well which Linda attended. My clambake was going well
until 3 PM when Linda called me on my cell phone. The original plan was for me
to not overindulge with food and beverages while at the clam bake. For supper,
we were going to meet back at the mother of the bride to be's for some grilled
streaks, etc.
Well, the husbands who were playing golf, while the shower was going on,
decided to stay in the area of the golf course which they were playing at, and
dine by themselves. Since there wasn't going to be any fun and merriment as
couples, Linda decided that we should drive to Danbury, CT for the birthday
party which we were invited to.

I drove home from the clam bake, picked up Linda at our house, and drove 2
hours and 10 minutes to Danbury, CT. We did use our Garmin GPS device to help
get us there. On the way south to Danbury, the GPS device had us go through
every small town, and back road that could possibly imagine. We would still be
driving if we didn't have that device. On the way home we took a more direct
route without so many twists and turns, but it still took us the same amount of
time.

The party was for Kyla's mom who turned 60 years old on the same day as our
wedding anniversary which was August 21. No one expected us to show up because
Kyla and Kevin told Kyla's uncle, which is where the party took place, that we
were tied up with events in the Berkshires. At the 30 person party, we said
"Hello" to many of Kyla's relatives whom we haven't seen since Kyla and Kevin
got married.
The food, fun, and merriment lasted until about 9:30 PM for Linda and I before
we said our "Goodbye's", and headed home. Our heads hit the pillows a little
after midnight.

For the food, Kevin had brought a couple of his stromboli's, and Kyla's mom
made a couple of lasagna's. This was Kyla's Italian side of the family. Italians
never run out of anything when it come to food and wine. One of her cousins
makes his own home made wine and grappa. I had a little touch of the wine, and
it was super. He didn't happen to bring any grappa, but I didn't really need any
since we had a log ride to get back home.

Kevin and Kyla's newborn was a big hit at the party. Kevin and Kyla seem to be
well on their way to being great parents.
They have been staying at her Uncle's place, but they have an house hunting
appointment in Boston during the mid morning today.

Our house guests were in bed when we arrived home. I had to give them the code
to our garage door so that they could let themselves in our house. Was it rude
to abandon our house guests?

Speaking of her Uncle's home, I would value the property value close to a
million dollars. Linda and I couldn't afford to pay the taxes on that beautiful
place.

Social Calendar -- I am not sure what we are doing. I know that our house
guests want to head back to New Jersey before the highways are crowded. My
friend has a mid morning tee time at our golf course, but I am not sure if the
rain will put a damper on that.

Sports -- I did catch a few moments of the Red Sox game. We were in Yankee
territory by being at that birthday party. I was so upset with the the Red Sox
Friday night loss that I was too embarrassed to wear a Red Sox shirt on
Saturday. Well the Red Sox beat up the Yankees on Saturday. Go Red Sox today!

Politics -- Since I was surrounded by Republicans at the birthday party, I very
seldom mentioned that President Obama's name. At one point, I did tell a bunch
of the male guests that I was a diehard Democrat. We never discussed politics
beyond what I said.

Observation -- I love being invited to parties. I prefer parties where the
hosts have a bit of Italian heritage because you know that the lack of food and
beverages will never be an issue.
Speaking of heritage. Linda and Kyla were trying to figure out Max's heritage.
Our son Kevin has Irish and Italian blood flowing through his veins. Kyla has
Sicilian Italian from her Mom, from her dad, Russian Jewish, Scottish, Irish,
Welsh, (I might have a few of these mixed up). This means Max has quite a mix of
blood flowing through his veins. Linda and Kyla had the exact percentages all
figured out one day while we were in East Boston.
No matter what Max's ethnic percentages really are, Linda and I can see that
Max has been born into a wonderful, warm, and loving family.
Life is so good!

Have a great Sunday!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Friday went as planned.
I left for golf while Linda was still sleeping. Linda woke up at at her usual
time, and enjoyed several hours without Franny.

My golf went a little better on Friday even though I didn't score well. I felt
that I helped our team on several holes.

Linda and I had a quick and healthy lunch. After lunch, I took a nap, and Linda
went out to do a little recreational shopping with a couple of girlfriends. The
rains started just as I woke up from my nap.

Our guests from New Jersey arrived around noon, but they didn't go directly to
our house. The wife was one of the participants in the recreational shopping,
while her husband went golfing with his brother-in-law. They did manage to get
in 9 holes before the rain started.

We didn't have this romantic 38th anniversary evening. One male friend had to
pick up his son and family at Logan Airport in Boston. His brother-in-law hooked
up with some old friends who he used to chum around with from his high school
days.
I went out with the women. We went to the Shamrock for supper. There I was with
three women once again!

After supper, Linda and I went back to our house. I watched the New York
Yankees embarrass the Red Sox for a fifth consecutive time. Brad Penny, the
starting pitcher for the Red Sox, wasn't worth a "penny". He gave up 6 runs by
the time the second inning was over. The Yankees scored double digit runs as the
game progressed.

Our weekend guests arrived at our house at different times, but did eventually
make it to our house.
Everyone is sleeping right now except me.

Social Calendar -- There is an 80 % chance of rain today. It is raining as I
type this e-mail. I am off to a noon time clam bake. There is a building where
the clam bake takes place.
Linda is off to a bridal shower which I think starts at 11:30 AM. The husband
of our house guests, and his brother-in-law have a morning tee time at a golf
course 40 miles away. It doesn't appear that their golf adventure will be
happening if it continues to rain.
My clam bake takes place rain or shine. Yeah!

What is happening after the bridal shower, golf, and my clam bake is a bit
uncertain. We do have an invitation to attend a party in Danbury, Connecticut,
but we would have to drive over 2 hours to get there. Linda and I will make a
decision at the appropriate time.

Observation -- My morning routine usually takes place in our guest bathroom. I
had to move my toiletries to the master bathroom since we do have guests this
weekend. I just dumped everything on top of the bathroom vanity in the master
bathroom. I went to use the toiletries after I woke up from my nap on Friday,
and everything was gone. Linda put every thing in drawers, and in the bathroom
cabinet. She doesn't like "bathroom sprawl". Clutter free is the name of the
game in the Curley home.
If we ever moved into another house, or had a house built, I would make sure
the bathroom had double sinks, and double bathroom cabinets. "Mine and Hers" is
a great concept!

Clarification-- I did receive a little flack from some males about my wife not
taking an active role cleaning bathrooms because of her newly manicured nails.
She would have put on gloves, and have done the dirty task. I was just trying to
be the helpful husband since I knew that she had a luncheon date with her girl
friends on Thursday.
Some of the same people who thought that I was "whimpified" have cleaned
bathrooms in their house too. I thought that the marriage agreement was a little
"give and take" at times.

Have a great weekend!
If you live in the Northeast, have your umbrellas handy.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,
Yesterday went as planned.
My house cleaning adventure went okay. Cleaning four bathrooms was a bit much.
I wish that I was among the rich and famous so that I could pay people to do
such a messy job.
If you are wondering why Linda took a supervisory role as opposed to an active
role, it was due to a manicure the day before. She has to have perfect nails
when she attends the Saturday bridal shower.

Linda's lunch with her girlfriends went well. It was a a three hour plus
affair. They go to an eatery in downtown Lenox and then walk the streets, and do
a little window shopping. Each mother shared a little news /dirt, but I am not
allowed to put some of the news in print.
We did find out that the engaged couple have set a wedding date of 10/10/10 at
a place in New Hampshire.

My 3 PM meeting went for 1.5 hours, and I also can't discuss what the meeting
was about. Oh Darn!

In a few short hours, I will be teeing off with my senior buddies. It is so hot
right now that I better take some beverages so that I won't get dehydrated.

Yesterday was so hot that we couldn't get the heat out of the house. The
coolest spots in the house were the bedrooms which have air conditioners in
them.
Even our basement was hot as I watched the Red Sox sweep the Blue Jays last
evening. The Yankees were idle, but they play in Fenway tonight. Us Red Sox fans
are hoping that the Yankees don't beat us up like they did in the last series in
New York.

Politics -- The President hasn't given up with his Health Care fight like the
Clinton's did.

Observation -- Linda's godchild jumped into a swimming pool the other day with
her cell phone in her pocket. That sounds familiar. Luckily her parents went to
Colorado to visit her just about the time it happened. Mom and Dad to the
rescue!
Do we ever stop taking care of our children even when they become adults?
Absolutely not! You make them, and you have them for life no matter how old that
they are. It is all part of the cycle of life!

Our house guests arrive early evening from New Jersey. We aren't sure what we
will be doing for fun and merriment until they arrive.

Have a great weekend!
We are praying that the heat wave ends soon.
We are so lucky that we are not returning to our two high schools which don't
have air conditioning.
If our house is unbearable, the school must be awful.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

It was another day where everything went as planned in the Curley household.
Linda made it through two body maintenance procedures while I spent time
cutting the postage size lawn at my parents' home in Lee, and visiting Mom at
the nursing home. Yes, we did go out to my car, and I made a high ball (whiskey
and gingerale) for dear old Mom. She was feeling no physical or emotional pain
when we went back inside the nursing home.

Social calendar -- Linda is going out to lunch with a couple of girlfriends
whose bond is that they woman were all in the hospital around the time that our
son Kevin was born. The women usually try and get together at least twice a
year.
This time one of the topics will be the recent engagement of a son of one of
the women.
Yes, there is a story. The couple was on a trip from Boston to Seattle,
Washington. They had a several of hours to waste before they headed back to the
East Coast so they decided to take a ride up a mountain. They plugged in the GPS
system, and headed up the mountain. The roads went from blacktop, to dirt, to
mud. They ran the car off of the road, and they had to call 911. The local
search and rescue team had to get them and their car off of the mountain. I
think the the ride to the mountain top was supposed to be a time for the
romantic proposal for marriage. Well, they missed their flight back East, but at
least the proposal did happen!

Track walking -- Nothing exciting happened yesterday while I was at the track.
There was one couple who held each others hand as they circled the track.
I got a late start, and it was so hot that I lasted only 45 minutes instead of
my usual hour. It is supposed to be a little cooler today, and I will get an
early start.

After doing my track thing, I will be doing some house cleaning. We have one
couple staying with us on Friday, and Saturday night. There is the possibility
that another couple might be with us also. This Saturday is a bridal shower, and
the Mom and Dad of the "bride to be" has a full house. We will be housing a
Aunts and Uncles of the "bride to be".

Cleaning the house -- I haven't mastered this chore. What I visualize as clean
is not the same as what Linda sees as clean. Maybe psychologically, I want to
fail so that I don't have to do it. Cleaning a bathroom is the worst task, and
most of us males contribute to making it dirty and messy.
When were working, we had a cleaning lady come in every two weeks. Now that we
are on a fixed income, we don't have the luxury of hiring one. Oh Darn!

I have to finish the housework before a 3 PM meeting that I have in Lenox. When
will I have time for my afternoon nap. Yes, I had an hour long nap on Wednesday
after visiting Mom at the nursing home.

Sports -- The Red Sox won their game while the Yankees were winning their game.
Tonight, I will be using the remote control to watch the Red Sox and a Patriot
pre-season game.

Supper -- Last night, we used a restaurant coupon, and ate at Papa Joe's
Restaurant. Papa Joe Columbari, the deceased founder of the restaurant, came
from the same town in Sicily that my grandmother and grandfather on my mother's
side of the family came from, which was Canicatti, Sicily. I had the son in
class in summer school in the early 70's. He runs the business now.

Observation -- My daughter-in-law will be having her first experience traveling
with a baby. There was a time when Kevin and her would just jump in their car
and go. Now she will be packing up the baby, and with all the baby devices. Will
she forget anything? Will she wish that she had a bigger car? Will they be
taking their dogs? Where will they be sitting now that the car is filled with
baby stuff?
The trip will be from Boston to the Danbury, CT area for a family gathering.
Kyla's mom and her parents drove from Florida to the Northeast to see the
newborn, and to celebrate the birthday of her Mom. Her Mom hits the big six zero
this weekend.

Have a great Thursday.
Have to head off to the track while it is still cool.
The fog is so thick that I won't be able to see who is at the track with me.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,

It was a long and hot day for my friend and I as we cooked hot dogs, and
hamburgers for our Senior Golf Tournament. As anticipated, the keg of beer was
empty soon after the last foursome finished their round. We were on our feet
from 8 AM until we left around 6 PM.
The golfers gave the organizer of the event, and the cooking crew many
compliments of how things flowed like precision work. Everything we put out for
the golfers was enjoyed by everyone.

I brought home a couple of uncooked hamburgers, and some corn on the cob for
our supper.

I was so exhausted that I didn't last too long after supper. I tried to watch
some preseason football, but I slept through most of the first half before I
headed to bed.

Linda had a completely free day on Monday, and I think that she enjoyed herself
despite the heat. We decided to stay home, and not go to the Cape. This means
that Linda will be playing Mah Jongg after a short body maintenance procedure.
She will be going to a home that is air conditioned.

I took any perishable food out of my car, but I have to unpack the rest of the
stuff. I have every inch of space in the car packed with something. I spilled
some leftover onions and peppers, and I will have to deal with the cleanup too.

We are in for another day of 90 degree weather. I am trying to figure out how I
will stay cool. I could hit a few air conditioned stores, but I don't want to be
tempted to purchase anything which we really don't need.

Politics -- Health Care seems to be dominating the news.
People legally carrying guns to these town hall meetings is a bit unnerving.
The secret service must be on edge while trying to protect the speakers,
including the President. Do we really need gun toting people at these events?
It is just the NRA, and gun lobbyists hard at work trying to convince gun owners
that the government wants to take the guns away from law abiding people who own
guns. Maybe we all should have guns, and settle conflicts with friends and
neighbors by shooting each other. The Wild, Wild West is making a comeback!

Well, have a great Tuesday.
It is actually too hot to play golf.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

It was too hot to move around on Sunday so I pretty much sat around and watched
golf and the Red Sox. Thank you to the people who invented the remote control.
Well, the Red Sox got beat, and so didn't Tiger Woods.

Linda and I would have been at the beaches in Cape Cod if my friend and I
didn't volunteer to help cook for today's Senior Men Golf Tournament at our
club. The peppers and onions have been sliced, and they are ready to be cooked
on the grill. The 80 year old guy who has been setting up and cooking for the
event told us that this is his last year. He would love to have my friend and I
say that we would carry the torch next year. I am trying to resist saying "No".

Social Calendar -- You know what I will be doing today from about 8 AM until
around 5 PM, or until the keg of beer runs out. Linda is supposed to play golf
on Monday, but she said that she won't be playing if today is as hot as
yesterday. The temperatures did hit 92 degrees as Linda was returning from
picking up some corn on the cob for supper. We are supposed to be reaching highs
into the 90 degree range once again. Oh Joy!

Politics -- While watching my sporting contests on Sunday, I keep on seeing a
commercial produced by AARP. They are in support of the President's Health Care
Plan. Their position is just like mine!

Max and Family (and the animals) are doing well in East Boston except for the
heat.
Danielle, daughter-in-law from Kansas, sent pictures when their daughter
Isabelle was a newborn. Both Isabelle, and Max are "spitting images" of one
another. You really couldn't tell the difference between the two grandchildren
unless they were naked.

Observation -- I had one of those "count your blessing" moments while walking
at the track on Sunday morning. There is this guy who looks like he is in his
late 60's. He walks the track every day at a slow pace, and often stops at the
press box steps to take a break. The press box is part of a little league field
/ sports complex. As the guy caught his breath and started walking, I finally
caught up with him. I asked him if he had heart and / or lung problems. He said
that he does have a bad heart, but that he also is dealing with spinal cancer. I
kept walking past him, and didn't ask for anymore details.

Well, I have to make sure that I have all my cooking equipment for today's
event including some olive oil and garlic for the peppers and onions.

Have a great week at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Saturday was a pleasant one despite the heat. I did my tracking walking
when the temperature was a little cool.

After Linda woke up and read the local newspaper, she clipped some store
coupons before cutting my hair. I guess that my mother was correct that it was
time for me to get a haircut.
My unibrow took some work, but Linda is really good at cutting my hair,
trimming the eyebrows, and the mustache. I shouldn't complain to much of my hair
problem because I have several friends and relatives who are follically
challenged. They would love to have some hair to cut.

Speaking of Mom, we did go to the nursing home to visit Mom around noon. She
did notice that I did have a haircut, but she would like it even cut shorter.
Linda brought some new baby pictures of Max, and some pictures of our other
grandchild, Isabelle, from when she was here in June. We did have to keep
telling Mom who these great grandchildren of hers belonged to.
I took Mom outside in her wheel chair, but it was too hot for a long walk. I
did fix her a soda, but I added a little Vodka to it. She was one happy woman
when we left her.

I watched the Tiger Woods show while Linda went off to the Berkshire Mall. She
said that the traffic in Macy's was light, and that the store was hot. I am so
glad that I stayed home, and took a nap in an air conditioned bedroom before
watching golf.

We used one of our restaurant coupons, and went off to a an Italian Restaurant
called Zucchini's for supper. The Calamari wasn't great, but Linda's Chicken
Picata, and my Chicken Parm was delicious. Linda is amazed that I can eat the
same food day after day. One of the buffet items at the ITAM the day before was
Chicken Parm, and I can eat it every day. We both will be having leftovers for
lunch today.

The hurricane season has spawned its first two hurricanes. The experts are
concerned with the second one as the first one starts to fizzle out as it nears
the United State coastal waters.

We have another relaxing day on our social calendar. I think that I might fire
up the grill today for supper. I was thinking of cooking one of those "beer can"
chicken's, and having some corn on the cob. Our farm stand corn has been very
sweet the last few times that we had it.

It looks like Monday will be another summer like day. The golfers in our Senior
Golf Tournament will be thirsty and hungry with the temperatures nearing the 90
degree mark. I am purchasing the peppers and onions today.

Sports -- The Red Sox lost their game while the Yankees were beating up the
Seattle Mariners. The Sox and Yankees will be doing battle against one another
next weekend in Fenway. The Yankees look like that they are heading for a World
Series win the way that they are going now.
My golf watching (Tiger and friends) might be interrupted by severe
thunderstorms in Minnesota where the tournament is taking place.

Politics -- Same old same old! Sometimes it is good not to watch the news on
television, or to read the newspapers. Who wants to read about the woman who set
herself on fire and walked into a Mall. People like to witness the misery of
other people. Dealing with family and friends should be enough to keep you happy
in this troubling world.

Well, my first activity of the day is to read The Berkshire Eagle, and the
Boston Globe. Does this go against my last comments?

Have a great Sunday!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Friday went exactly as planned. For me it was golf, a nap, dinner at the
ITAM, and the Red Sox.
For Linda is was peace and quiet, going back to Walmart to redo the baby
pictures, and going to the ITAM with me, and watching reruns.

Speaking of the Red Sox, yes I did stay up for the three hour and 42 minute
game which ended with a come from behind win against the team which they are
battling with for a wild card spot in the playoffs. The Yankees won their game
also.

Speaking of the ITAM Fundraiser Dinner -- We ended up with 9 people at our
table. I originally thought that we would be dinning alone, but things changed
quickly. The food was wonderful. The buffet menu had red and white pasta,
Eggplant Parm, Chicken Parm, homemade meat balls, salad, bread, dessert and
coffee. We definitely got our money's worth for $20 per person.

Socialization -- I think that we have a quiet Saturday and Sunday for a change.
My only mission is to purchase onions and peppers for our senior golf
championship (men) on Monday. When the golfers come in around noon time, a crew
of three of four people (me included) will be preparing hot dogs, hamburgers,
and corn on the cob for the golfers. These hamburgers come from the meat market
which I can't afford to shop at. It is like eating a piece of steak instead of a
hamburger.
I do have the Red Sox at 8:05 PM to keep me occupied.

Politics -- President Obama is going west to promote his health care plan. The
experts say that he might encounter some opposition in Big Sky country.

Weather -- Summer has finally arrived in the Northeast. We are trying to find a
few days where we could make a trip to the Cape. We have to clear a whole bunch
of things off of our social calendar for that to happen.

Observation -- I applied for a doe permit this year, but I got rejected. There
are three areas in Berkshire County, and as a resident, you would think that I
would get a permit for one of those. Not! I could put my name in for a special
drawing for a permit to get one on Nantucket, or Martha's Vineyard. I think of
these places as resort areas, and not hunting areas. I would have to take
ferries from Cape Cod over to these areas, and I wouldn't have a clue of where
to hunt deer. Most of the property is owned by the rich and famous who don't
want you on their land.

Have a great Saturday and Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

Thursday went almost as planned with a few bumps along the way. I was pretty
successful about leaving Linda alone so that she could function at her own pace.

My day started off with an hour walk around the nearby track. So far, going in
circles hasn't driven me crazy!

After a quick shower, I headed off to Walmart for an oil change, and then to
the nursing home to visit Mom.

Speaking of dear old mom, she was doing okay when I was there. I stayed through
her lunch, and I filled her in about what Linda and I have been doing during the
past week or so. She didn't shed any tears while I was there, but she did talk
about wanting the good Lord to take her from this earth.
When I left the nursing , Mom wanted to go from the wheel chair to her bed
because she said that she wasn't feeling that great.

I then headed to Lee, and I just caught dad before he was going to head off to
the nursing home. I told him to skip the lunch time visit because Mom was going
back to bed to get a little rest.

I returned home just in time to say "Bye" to Linda as she headed off to do
errands. Her major errand was to go to Walmart and create some albums of baby
pictures. Mission not accomplished! Linda had worked on cropping, eliminating
red eye, etc. for over an hour, and the system crashed just before she could
print the pictures. She was devastated! She talked the manager into giving her
the pictures at a reduced rate when she goes back today.

Social Calendar -- Linda is so happy that I will be out of the house this
morning too. Golf starts at 7:30 AM because there is a golf tournament later on
in the day. I haven't swung a club in a while so I hope that I have good
partners today.
I will most likely take a nap after golf because we are heading off to the ITAM
for a 6 PM Italian Delight Dinner at the ITAM Lodge. The menu is awesome. The
price is $20 per person. Anyone receiving this e-mail is welcome to join us.
Most of the usual suspects are not available so I couldn't reserve a table, but
there should be plenty of room at the event. My physical therapist, Mario
DeMartino, is in charge of this Lodge fundraiser event.

Sports -- The Red Sox lost their game while the Yankees won their game. I think
the the Red Sox should spend the rest of the season trying to secure a Wildcard
slot because it doesn't look like they will be able to catch the Yankees. Oh
Darn!

Politics -- My Health Care comments stirred up a little discussion yesterday
which is good.

Politics continued -- As I was watching the news yesterday, I also saw that
there are good number of people in our country in various states who are
dressing up in fatigues, and carrying big guns, and secretly training in the
woods, and waiting to take back the government from the politicians. These
groups of people feel that the Constitution is being violated. They don't like
the idea of a black President. They scare me just as much as the Taliban. I hope
that our government is keeping a watchful eye on these people. We seem to be
growing our own terrorists!

Observation -- As I see my mother in a nursing home, and as I was witnessing
the joy of birth of our grandchild in East Boston, it all comes back to my
"Cycle of Life" belief. We live, and we die, and we hope that our family
heritage continues to live on. There is sadness on one end of this cycle, and
joy on the other side. The birth of a child helps to take away pain on losing a
loved one, and our focus becomes life.
A high school classmate of mine from Lee lost his wife to cancer the other day.
When I read the daily obituaries, and I see the person was in my age group, it
is a wake up call, and reminder to give our loved ones a hug, and not to sweat
the little stuff.

Have a great weekend.
The weather forecast in the Berkshires is a good one for a change.
I hope that it is a good one for you where you live.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

It was another pleasant day in Tewksbury, and East Boston on Wednesday. The
most difficult time was when we had to say goodbye to Kyla, Kevin, and Max (and
the Brodeurs too).

As we headed west to the Berkshires, I was totally up the days which we spent
at the eastern end of the State. We stayed four nights at Kevin and Kyla's place
in East Boston, and then two nights at the Brodeurs in Tewksbury. If you are
wondering why we didn't stay the whole time in East Boston, that was due to the
availability of a bed. While Kevin and Kyla were at the hospital, we slept in
their bed. When they returned on this past Monday with Max, we had to give up
the bed. The room which we normally sleep in has been turned into a nursery, and
the other possible bedroom is a clothes closet. We could have slept in the
living room on a blow up mattress which is difficult for us old people, but it
could be used as a last resort.
Kyla keeps hinting that it might be time to purchase a house. Kevin likes the
convenience of living above his place of work. Grandma and Grandpa Curley are
staying out of this discussion.

We had some mid-afternoon sandwiches from "Dough" on Wednesday. Kevin and his
crew make some wonderful sandwiches. He has "Specials of the day" each and every
day, and we shared two of these epicurean delights. They were so yummy! You have
to order some food if you are in the area, or just visiting the Boston area.
The work on the renovated Maverick Square "T" stop is just about done. "Dough"
is located a few blocks from the "T" stop on the corner of Maverick and Border
Streets, and 1.1 miles from Logan Airport.

Kevin has a 70 person wedding gig this Saturday at the Winthrop Yacht Club.
The word of how good the food is at "Dough" is really starting to reach the
public.
Just before we left yesterday, a Priest stopped in for some food. I asked Kevin
what he ordered. Kevin said that the Priest always orders a grilled cheese. Even
grilled cheese is an epicurean delight at "Dough".

Sports -- My Red Sox won their contest last evening. The Yankees won their
contest which took place in the afternoon. The Sox do battle at 1:30 PM this
afternoon.

Social Calendar -- Linda wants to be totally left alone today. She does want to
eventually process (at Walmart) some baby pictures, and create a couple of
albums. Grandparents always carry a photo album to show off the grandchildren
when people ask how that they are doing.
I have a whole bunch of things to do around the house after I return to my
morning walk at the track.

Speaking of grandchildren, our other grandchild who lives in Kansas, Isabelle,
was introduced to those puzzles (metal, rope, wooden) that our son Michael likes
to do. Danielle said that she solved a puzzle the other day. She is not quite
two years old yet. Does she have a gift?

Politics-- Universal Health Care is taking a hit at those town meetings. Many
of the naysayers don't have all the facts, and their fears are based on rumors.
I am so glad that the President has not given up the fight. How can you say "No"
to the proposal until you know all the facts.
I ran into stuff like this when I was President of the Teachers' Union. As soon
as I heard a rumor that affected my "wall to wall" union members in the school
system, I tried to gather all the facts to dispel the rumor, or attack the
problem.
Even some of my own friends think that you are going to lose the Health Care
that we currently have through our places of employment, but the President says
that is not true. Even the seniors citizens think that they are going to lose
what they have. I think some of the drug companies are behind the push to leave
health care as it is right now. The fear mongers are doing a great job as seen
in those town meetings.

My sister is heading to the Finger Lakes today with a couple of friends. She
was the one who put a bug in my ear about how much fun that you can have in Wine
Country. We can't wait for a trip next summer.

Observation -- After watching Kevin and Kyla dealing with the birth of their
child, and how well they have handled parenting for those first few days since
they brought their newborn home, both Linda and I have been counting our lucky
stars. Our two boys have chosen wonderful women to spend the rest of their lives
with. They have produced two wonderful grandchildren. They are functioning on
their own. They have their lives, and we have our lives. Life is so good!

Our sons, and their wives, and their children have created a positive balance
between new life, and the difficult times which we are going through with my
aging parents.
Since my sister is on vacation, I have to pick up the slack of dealing with my
mother and father.
Yes, my mother and I will be having an alcoholic beverage or two at the nursing
home at some point today.

Supper -- I am going to fire up the crock pot as soon as I send this e-mail. I
have hankering for some country style spare ribs, and some corn on the cob from
our local farm stands to go along with the meat.

Have a great Thursday.
I know that Linda and I will have one too.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday Morning from East Boston

Dear Friends,

Yesterday was another pleasant day. I put together a baby swing, and a pack and play device which of course "some assembly" was required. We then headed off to the hospital for another baby viewing visit. The visit lasted from about 1:30 PM until 6:30 PM. Kyla's Dad was present as well as another one of Kevin and Kyla's friends. Us men watched a considerable amount of PGA golf on the flat screen television located in their room.
We ate at an Italian Restaurant called Jevali's which is a couple miles from their apartment. We couldn't eat "Dough" food because they are closed on Sunday.

Speaking of "Dough", after a repeat of the Phantom Gourmet program on Saturday at 11 AM, the telephone started ringing off the hook as predicted. They sold 45 of the sandwiches which were highlighted on the television program. They actually ran out of the ingredients.
Yesterday, I had to go out to my car, and a guy was looking to order some food from "Dough" because he too saw the article on television. I explained to him why "Dough" is closed on Sunday. He said that he would be back during the week.

As soon as Linda does her morning routine (as well as the dogs), we are going into prepare the house for the arrival of the baby. We also have to pack up all of our stuff because we will b e heading off to Tewksbury for a couple of days to visit our friends who we haven't seen since the mid June shower which Linda had for Kyla.
Our exit time depends on the Kyla and Max's discharge from the hospital. Max and 5 or 6 other male babies are scheduled to get circumcised this morning. Besides this procedure, checkout seems to take a couple of hours.

Well, I am glad that the Red Sox left New York. All my Yankees fans have to be so happy because they all warned us Red Sox fans. As the Sox were beating up the Yankees for 8 straight games, my friends said that it was "early in the season". These Yankees fans were correct.

I left the two dogs sleeping with Linda, I have some quiet chores to tend to before I take them outside for their morning constitution.

The four animals are like children. They require attention. The cats sleep during the day, and prowl the two floor apartment at night. I am still working on the dog routine which I haven't mastered yet. If we were staying for another few days, I would have the routine down.

Observation-- Linda and I can't believe all the attention that new mother's get in the hospital. Things have really changed since Linda bore our two sons some 30 plus years ago. I still liked the idea of a waiting room where they would just call you and tell you that the baby was born. I had no desire to be in the birthing room. I had no desire to sleep in a cot next to my wife after the baby was born.
We just took the baby home after a few days, and tried to figure out how to take care of a newborn. I don't remember Linda reading an array of books that pretty much tell you how everything is supposed to work on a daily basis.
Many of the way we did things back in the 70's was so different than it is now. Kevin and Kyla even went to a class on Sunday on how to bathe a new born (right in the middle of Tiger Woods winning another golf tournament). The day before, the class was on how to breast feed.
We were on our own back in the 70's, and our two boys turned out okay. Probably in another 20 or 30 years, the rules will change once again.

Have a great week at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

The best part of the past 24 hours was visiting Kevin and Kyla at Brigham & Women's Hospital, and holding the new born Max, and taking a whole bunch of pictures.
The worst part of the day was watching the Red Sox lose their 5th in a row, dealing with the four animals in the house, and paying 31 dollars for the 6 hours that we were at the hospital.
I still haven't mastered making sure that Frankie Beans goes the bathroom when I take him and Billy for a walk. Last night caused a real problem. I went to bed at 10:30 PM, and Linda came upstairs a few hours later. Unknown to Linda, Frankie Beans took a crap in the upstairs bathroom. Linda steps right in it as she went to use the bathroom. Of course she has sandals on with grooves in the bottom. I have to find a brush and decrap them today. Linda was so upset, she went to bed and didn't let Frankie Beans sleep in between us last night. Frankie beans knew that Linda was upset so for most of the night he slept outside the bedroom. About 5 AM Frankie Beans starts scratching on the bedroom door. I decided to get up because we didn't want to let him in the bedroom.
I go down to the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee, and the coffee machine doesn't work. It worked yesterday morning. They have one of those Krups Espresso / Coffee maker. The Espresso portion hasn't been working according to Kevin and Kyla. Well, today the coffee portion died too. So I have been up since a little after 5 AM, and I can't even make myself a couple of cups of coffee. There is no electricity going into the machine at all, and clock portion doesn't even work. I checked the outlet, and there is power going to it. I tried looking for another coffee pot, and I couldn't find any. I am ready to start drinking a beer at this point.
We have three regular coffee machines at home, a make one cup at a time device, a grind and brew one, and a Gevalia one still in the original box. I am ready to go jump in the ocean!

On a happier note we will be returning to the hospital today. Kyla's exit strategy is to be discharged on Monday morning. Linda and I will prep the house for Kevin, Kyla, and Max's return on Monday.

Speaking of the hospital, Kyla has a one room private suite, which the nurse said was the largest one on this wing. Kevin sleeps on a cot in the room. Kyla has a menu, and calls up an orders food just like she is in a hotel ordering from Room Service. There are no rolling carts in the halls with the standard food of the day as there is in most hospitals. I think that she should stay there for as long as she can. Yesterday, she ordered an egg salad sandwich (which is one of her favorites), and it looked like it was made from a half a dozen eggs.

Well, I might have to break down, and buy some coffees for Linda and I ( I hate spending money for coffee--it is a Franny thing), or go out an purchase a cheap $10 machine when the stores open.



Throughout our visit, there was a steady stream of Kevin and Kyla's friends. They all wanted to take Max home. One couple, are boyfriend and girlfriend, and are just about ready to move in together. As I watched the female hover over Max, I could see that she would love to get married, and have a baby of her own. It seems like all of Kevin and Kyla's friends are having babies, just like us baby boomers did in the 1970's. It is so nice to be surrounded by life instead of dealing with my aging parents.
Life is good!

Well, I might have to break down, and buy some coffees for Linda and I ( I hate spending money for coffee--it is a Franny thing), or go out an purchase a cheap $10 machine when the stores open.

It is time to take the dogs for a walk to the waterfront, and say "Hi" to a homeless guy who sleeps on one of the park benches. Yesterday, I woke him up. He got up from the bench, and took a pee, and packed up his few belongings and went to a much more quiet spot to rest.

Have a great Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,
As you know by now, our second grandchild was born on Friday night at 11:34 PM on August 7, 2009 which is 30 minutes earlier than Kyla's due date of August 8, 2009. Kyla and Kevin did send a picture at 1:24 AM, but I am not good at sending it to you.
Linda and I are going to Bringham & Women's hospital at 1 PM which is when visiting hours begin. Every one is healthy and happy. Linda and I can't wait to see the bundle of joy.
In keeping with the Curley biological tradition, our grandchildren seem to be born with a full head of hair. I was born with a full head of hair as well as our two sons Michael and Kevin. Michael and Danielle's child, Isabelle, was also born with a full head of hair. Kevin and Kyla's son Maxwell Page Curley has continued on with the tradition. It looks like there will be no follically challenged people in the Curley line.

Yesterday was a long day for Kevin & Kyla, and Linda and I. We thought Kevin was suffering through the long hours waiting for Max to be born. Kevin tells us last night that Kyla has a private room. Kevin even took a shower. We were thinking that since they arrived Friday night at 7:30 PM, Kevin would be would be wanting the comforts of home, be had them at the hospital.
Linda and I had a long day with the creatures. I took the dogs for several walks to the water front. Every time that I got up from a chair, the dogs thought that we were going for a walk. The dachshund hasn't mastered that going for a walk is going to the bathroom time. After the Red Sox and Yankees finished their 15 inning marathon, I took the dogs for a walk. Billy knows what to do. Frankie Beans needs a lot more work. I head upstairs to bed, and Frankie Beans walks and pees on the bedroom floor, and then hides underneath the bed. I wanted to strangle him (just kidding). I thought that Frankie Beans would be content to sleep under the bed. Not! He started whimpering, and I had to put him in between Linda and I so that he would go to sleep.

After one of my dog walking adventures, I arrived back at the restaurant just in time to see a couple ordering food from "Dough". The widowed woman was a guidance counselor at Pittsfield High School, and she was a colleague of Linda. Her and a man friend were hiking all over Boston, and decided to stop in and try some of what "Dough" had to offer. There were no leftovers when they left. The took the MBTA train to the Maverick Square stop. They did have a little trouble locating the "Dough", but they did find it. They actually asked one of the workers if Kevin was around to say "Hi" to him, but they told him that Kevin was at the hospital waiting for the baby to be born.

Linda and I had both lunch and dinner form the restaurant. They put out some great food at "Dough". There is another rebroadcast of the Phantom Gourmet Show at 11 AM today on TV -38 which we don't get in the Berkshires. Every time that they do a rebroadcast, the telephone starts ringing "off the hook" which is great for business.

Observation -- I have come to the conclusion that men have an easier time with the baby making process. The man's role is so short, and painless compared to what a woman has to go through for 9 months, and there after.
Kevin and Kyla are now entering a new phase of life. With the two cats, and the two dogs, I think that there might be a little competition for affection.
Kyla and the baby are scheduled to exit the hospital on Monday. I hope that they read the manual on what to do when they bring the baby home.
Kevin and Kyla did a great job fixing up the baby's room that is normally the guest bedroom. It is a baby ready room!

Sports -- Even though the Red Sox lost a heart breaker marathon game last evening, I couldn't wait for it to end. It seems that when our two boys were waiting for their children to be born, there always seems to be a Boston based sports team in action. Isabelle was born with the Patriots doing battle with the New York Giants, and last night it was the Red Sox doing battle with the Yankees as Max was being born. Yes, Kevin watching the Sox game as Max was waiting to arrive into this world.

Well, I am going to grab a second cup of coffee while Linda is still sleeping. I am then heading off to get a newspaper, without the dogs.
Have a great Saturday and Sunday!
The Curley's will definitely be having one for sure.
I will have Linda send some pictures after she takes them at the hospital today. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday Morning from Boston

Dear Friends,

We were socializing with our Italian Exchange students at our ITAM Lodge at 6:30 PM when we received a telephone call from our daughter-in-law from East Boston. Her doctor wanted her to pack her clothes, and head off to the hospital. The baby should be born any hour today.
Linda and I left the ITAM,and went home and quickly packed, and headed east on the Mass Pike. Kyla's dad was dog sitting until we arrived at Kevin and Kyla's apartment.
We kept our cell phones on throughout the night hoping to get a telephone call that the baby boy has arrived. The cell phone did go off at 5:30 PM, but is was one of those text messages from AT&T which is our cell phone carrier. Once the cell phone went off, I couldn't go back to sleep. I took the dog down to the water front which is one block away from their restaurant/ apartment.

Speaking of sleeping, the dachshund slept with us. He sleeps in between whoever is in the bed, and does so on his back. I was afraid that I would roll over, and squash him. Well, the dog made it through our first night, and survived sleeping in between Linda and I.
Speaking of the dacshund, he is a submissive pee-er. When we arrived at the apartment, he got so excited to see us, he peed on the steps going up to the first floor of their apartment. Luckily, the steps aren't carpeted.
If you greet the dog in the usual manner, you will get peed upon. The dog is so cute , you just want to hug him, but you will pay the consequences.
Billy the short haired border collie sleeps on the floor in the bedroom too. I had to remember not to step on him during an evening bathroom visit.
Kevin and Kyla also have two cats, and I did hear one scratching on the bedroom door during the middle of the night. I felt like I was part of the Mutual of Omaha television program called "Wild Kingdom".

We are about four miles from the hospital (Bringham and Women's Hospital) according to our GPS System. As soon as the baby is born, we will be heading to the hospital.

Social Calendar -- Well, I am obviously going to miss my Friday golf with the seniors. We will be dog sitting, and waiting for the telephone call that the baby is born.

Sports -- I had to shut off the radio as we headed to Boston as the Yankees were beating up the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. It was a very embarrassing loss. Us Red Sox fans hope that they can turn it around today.

Have to go and get ready for the good news.
Have a great weekend.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Wednesday went as planned. I started with my morning track walk while Linda was till sleeping.
She was woke up just as I returned home. There were no interesting people during my track walking.

They had a full bus for Linda's Saratoga trip. The bus wasn't just for her Red Hat friends.

After I came home, I started my projects. Painting was the first one. The front door trim didn't take that long so I decided to do some floor cleaning as my next project. The new carpet cleaner seemed to work pretty well. I have been reading and reading the manual. I found out that I didn't turn on a particular switch which rotates the brushes. The carpets would be even cleaner if I had the brushes rotating. I guess that Linda was correct, I needed supervision.

While I was in the middle of my carpet cleaning project, Linda called and said that she had a winner on the first race. She boxed a couple of horses, one of which was a long shot. The payout was $158 dollars on a couple dollar bet. Not a bad way to start the day. The rest of the day she wasn't so lucky, but she did go home on the plus side.

Sports -- It official that the Red Sox can't be the Tampa Rays. The Sox are 2 and 16 against this team. The Yankees keep on winning.
Speaking of the Yankees, the Red Sox head to Yankee Stadium for the next four days. Let the Baseball wars begin!

Politics / Observation -- I was thinking about the Health Care proposal that Congress has been working on. My basic thought is: "Who is going to pay for it?", and "How is it going to work?"
I was thinking about some of my students who became teenage mothers. They were on a Universal Health Care program, but didn't even know it. The birth of their child was paid for. The State pays for housing, and the teenage mothers get a child care allowance too. Do you see any motivation to get a job? It doesn't seem fair to take from the system when you haven't put anything into it. Do I sound like a conservative?

Social Calendar -- Track walking will be my first task of the day. A second coat of painting on the trim of the front door is next. Is that a quiet activity?
I think that I will use the carpet cleaner to do a couple of areas which I now realize could have come out cleaner if I used the device correctly.
I also promised to cut a neighbor's lawn since he is on a multiple day business trip.
I think Linda might have a free day unless I get her involved in my projects.
She said something about using a Radio Auction certificate to attend a play, but I had to remind her that the Red Sox are playing the Yankees. I suggested that she chooses a day when the baseball games are during the afternoon, or to find a girlfriend to accompany her. Have I turned into an "Old Fart" or what?

Have a great Thursday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday Morning

Dear Friends,

We had a relatively quiet day on Tuesday.

Linda's Mah Jongg ladies had a fun time at our house. I hadn't planned on cooking for them, but I ended up grilling a hot dog for one person who came late because she had jury duty. The other ladies wanted one too once I fired up the grill.

My day started with my track walking. I didn't meet any interesting people on Tuesday.

I arrived home, and baked a couple of soda breads. I had the breads in the oven when Linda woke up. I sliced up a half of a loaf for the ladies in dainty size pieces. They loved it. We resisted giving one of the Mah Jongg ladies the recipe, but we did give her a few pieces to take home for her husband.

Sports -- I did stay up and watch the Red Sox lose the extra inning game. The Yankees won their game. Good thing that I took a nap or otherwise I wouldn't have been able to watch it. On the other hand, I should have gone to bed early since they didn't win.

Social Calendar -- I will be dropping off Linda for her Saratoga bus trip this morning. I will then be doing a whole bunch of house projects. The first of which will be to paint the trim around the front door. It will need two coats for sure.

We finally bought a rug shampooer. I would start doing some carpets, but Linda thinks that I need a little supervision. I might work on the rug that I dropped a cola on a month ago. I am hoping that the stain can be removed, but!!!

Politics -- It is quiet on the political front. We would like to participate in the car buying stimulus package. It is almost time to part with our 1996 Neon.

Observation -- I was wondering if men do more things to irritate their wives, or is it the reverse as we grow older. I know that I am the master at triggering some negative responses with things that I do. If my partner suggests that I do something a particular way, she knows that I pretty much do what I want to do. Have I changed that much since we were married? Yes!

Have a great day at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

It was a long but fun day at Saratoga. The bus arrived back in Pittsfield at 8:30 PM. Some of our group decided to give up with betting on the horses, and try their luck at the slot machine Casino located on the back side of the track. If we didn't have to pick up these people, we would have been home much earlier.

Now the question is how did Linda and I do at betting on the horses? Let me set you the scenario. We started the day with a budget of $100 per person. Going into the last race, I was down $50. Linda had won a triple for $140, so she was much better off than I was. Every race throughout the day had long shots which never managed to come in first. Well, the drought ended with the last race of the day. The long shot went off at 45 to 1. Unknowingly, we each put a $2 bet to win on the long shot. The long shot won the race. That two dollar bet paid $90. Doing the mathematics, Linda came home with $230, and I came home with $140. So this means that we had fun all day long, and we came home with more money than we started with. I would say that we had a pretty successful day.

Linda goes back to the track on Wednesday with her Pittsfield High School Red Hat group. I hope that she doesn't give back her winnings from Monday's adventure.


Observation -- The bathrooms at the race track have an attendant who is there throughout the 10 races. He is expecting a tip when you use the facilities, and when he hands you a paper towel as you exit the bathroom. I was wondering how much is the base pay of the attendant, and what he makes in tips? My other thought was that I don't think that I could stay in a bathroom from when the gates open at 11 AM until the last race ends after 6 PM. At least the guy wouldn't need to have a bathroom break during his daily work since he is right there in the bathroom.

Sports -- The Red Sox and Yankees were idle.

Political news -- It was nice to not think about what is going on nationally as well as throughout the world.

Social Calendar -- The Tuesday Mah Jongg group is at our house today. I am going to do a little track walking before I bake some soda breads for personal consumption, and for bringing some to Dad in Lee, and Mom at the nursing home.
I have many home projects which need my attention too.

Have a super Tuesday.
We are in for another great day weather wise.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

It was a long and tiring day on Sunday working the Ethnic Fair. My day started with loading up the car, and trying not to forget anything that I planned to bring. I arrived on site a little after 9 AM. My car was so full of stuff that I couldn't fit a passenger in the car. Even though the rains started around the noontime, people still did come out with umbrellas in hand. Linda worked the cash box during the first few hours of the event at our Irish Sister City booth.
All vendors went home with leftovers. Even though the rains stopped for the last couple hours of the event, no vendor did much business after 3:30 PM. The Irish Whiskey cake was a big hit. We didn't have many of the containers left over to take home. Yes, I did have to return some Irish Bangers to my freezer.

My Soda Bread did take first prize at the Irish American Club booth. There is no official prize, it is just the "thrill of victory" for me.

The only negative of me winning the contest is that I left Linda's favorite six pack cooler at the Ethnic Fair. I let the Irish American Club use as the ballot box.
I wasn't aware that she was so attached to the cooler. After making a couple of telephone calls, I found out where it was located. It will be dropped off today, I think. To me a cooler is a cooler. We have four six pack type coolers, and four or five larger ones, and sevral soft pack coolers (which leak). I just grab the most available one in sight, and use it.

I did miss my Red Sox game. After hearing the football game like score, I sure did miss a lot of action. Since the Yankees won their game, they still lead the Sox by 1/2 a game. Today is a travel day for the Red Sox.

Social Calendar -- We are off to the Saratoga Horse Racing Track, by bus, at 10:30 AM. I have to decide what cooler that I will load up with beverages. You are allowed to take your own beverages in the track as long as they are not in glass bottles. They can be alcoholic or non alcoholic beverages. It is a people friendly track.

Have go and read the local newspaper, and do some quiet chores.
Have a great week at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday

Dear Friends,

Yesterday, was one of the best days of the summer weatherwise, but we won't be getting a repeat today.

Our Saturday went exactly as planned.

In a few short hours, I will be loading up the car with food, and all kinds of gear for our Irish Sister City booth. Our Irish Sister City President, and a few workers will be going early set up their aspect of our booth. Another member and I are in charge of skewering, and grilling Irish Bangers. We are really hoping that the rain doesn't interfere with the event too much.

Weather Permitting, and after some baking for our Monday Saratoga trip, Linda will make an appearance at the Ethnic Fair.

Sports -- The Yankees are in a funk while my beloved Red Sox keep wining. The Sox are a 1/2 game behind the Yankees. Go Red Sox!
Tiger is leading the Buick Open.

Politics -- Health Care, and voting on the Supreme Court nominee are the big issues.

Observation -- As got through my last couple of laps while walking yesterday morning, a woman walked with me. She was in a chatty mood. I normally like to walk alone with my head set on listening to a radio program. I have seen this lady playing golf at Berkshire Hills.
When we got back to the car, we pretty much told each other our life stories. She is married to an engineer. She just turned 70. Her husband doesn't walk with her.
As we said goodbye, she said "I'll see you tomorrow!" Is there something going on that I am not aware of?

Have a great Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad