Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

Linda and I said "Goodbye" to Kevin, Kyla, and Max around 10 AM on Sunday
morning. They didn't want to get stuck in traffic as they headed home to East
Boston after the Thanksgiving Holiday.
It wasn't too sad saying goodbye to all of them because we will see them for
sure during Christmas.

Max wakes up every morning smiling. I think that he is so happy that someone
rescues him from his cocoon like sleepwear.

We didn't have much time to read the local newspaper, and the Boston Globe
before heading off to the 1 PM birthday party for Missy Perrea's son, Malakai.
There was much fun and merriment at the party as well as many children to
celebrate Malakai's one year old birthday party. The highlight of the party took
place when the cake eating began. Malakai pretty much had cake all over his body
from head to toe. People were taking pictures non stop. Linda took some great
ones too. Malakai won't remember his first birthday party, but he will have
plenty of pictures of the event.

After the party, we headed straight home. I went into the basement to watch
football, and basketball until it was time to go to bed.
Linda got on the computer for several hours to sort through the multitude of
pictures which were taken of our grandson, and Malakai.
She ended her evening watching reruns, and her favorite Sunday night programs.

I just got back from the gym. I stayed up and watched the Sunday night football
game, and I got a late start at the gym. There was a lot more action today at
the gym with people hoping to burn off some Thanksgiving Day calories. I like
the 4:30 AM people. There seemed to be a good deal more bulging muscle people
there today. The muscle bound people don't do the treadmills.
I was chastised today for using a Shamwow cloth to sanitize the machines. I
didn't make any comments about the people who don't sanitize any machine. I
might do so tomorrow!

Politics -- They are still trying to sort out how the uninvited couple made it
to the State Dinner at the Whitehouse. Some Secret Service heads will roll!

Tiger Woods -- The saga continues. The lady in question might be flying to the
United States from Australia to help set the record straight. Tiger said that
all the rumors and innuendos aren't true. We have heard that before from high
profile people!

Social Calendar -- Linda is off to a party this evening with the members of her
Monday evening golfers' group. Even if they don't play much golf, they sure know
how to party.
I have an evening activity too. I am booked into the sleep clinic for an 8:30
PM appointment. I will be hooked up with electrodes, and monitored while
sleeping without my device, and with my device which I currently use. I will be
watching the Patriots do battle in my private room since they are on Monday
night football. I think that I better record the game at home in case I do fall
asleep at the clinic.

The decorating for Christmas inside the house is about to begin. We will be
getting a fresh Christmas Tree at some point this week. Yes, I need supervision
on picking out a tree at the tree farm which we go to.

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

Hello on Sunday morning

Dear Friends,

We had another pleasant day on Saturday,
Maxwell Page Curley was his usual great self. Linda and I tired the grandchild
out so much by taking him to the birthday party on Friday night that he slept
passed 9 AM on Saturday.
A four month old is so easy to take care of because all they do is eat, sleep,
play, and poop in that order.

We never did make it to our friend's home on Saturday to see their 1 year old
grandchild because they were off visiting her grandparents just after Kevin I
and I returned from visiting my mom at the Providence Care nursing home in
Lenox.
Kevin, Max, and I were very lucky when we made our trip to the nursing home
because my father was there too. We took some great pictures. A staff member
took a couple of pictures of the four of us. My parents were so impressed with
their fourth great grandchild, and his wanting to stand upright. He will be
walking before he is one year old. Seeing and holding Max picked up their
spirits for sure!

Kevin and Kyla returned from their final Phish Concert in Albany , New York
when we were sleeping.

Social Calendar -- I would love to have Kevin , Kyla, and Max be with us when
we go to another birthday party today at 1 PM for my niece's son Malakai. Kevin
wants to head back home to East Boston before the traffic is bumper to bumper.
Even though they will miss the party today, they will back at our house for
Christmas.

I didn't even realize that Frankie Beans, the dog, slept the whole night
between Linda and I on Friday night. He slept between us last night too. He was
sleeping like a rock as I left the bed a little while ago. He needs to be lifted
up onto the bed, but he can jump off of the bed when he wants to leave the
bedroom.

I did make it to Retro Fitness at 10 AM on Saturday. The view is different than
what I observe when I go during the wee hours of the morning. The view is
better, but I really prefer to go there with the early morning people. There are
less distractions which I really like. Less people can see me and my out of
shape body.


Politics -- The party crashers at the State Dinner at the Whitehouse doesn't say
much for security of the President. A former secret service agent, who wrote a
book about the lack of security, was proved to be correct. The lack of security
started long before this President got elected!

Tiger Woods' car crash, and the golf club toting wife make for interesting news.
I am still part of the group of people who believe that his wife was trying to
wrap the club around Tiger's head instead of trying to save him from a car
accident. I will have to wait until the facts come out before I am proved either
right or wrong. He is "lawyered up" right now, and police are waiting to talk to
him about the "accident".

One of my lawn deer is having electrical problems. I observed a disconnected
wire which is the cause of why the head of the deer is not lighting up. I am
going to try and fix the problem. If my electrical prowess doesn't work, I do
have a back up dear still in an unopened box. "Be prepared" is the boy scout
motto. I did anticipate the aging deer might not make it through this Christmas
season.

I have to put on my gym clothes. I will be at the doors of Retro Fitness for
their weekend 6 AM starting time.

Have a great Sunday.
The Curley's will have one for sure.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

We departed from Tewksbury at 8:30 AM. We arrived home at 11:15 AM. We had just
about time to unload the car, and say "Hello" to Kevin, Kyla, and four month old
Max. They were already in Pittsfield because they left the Brodeur Family
Thanksgiving Day celebration around 5 PM.
Our next adventure was lunch at a place that sells those mini hot dogs with all
the fixings. This is an annual the "Friday after Thanksgiving" tradition for
Kevin and his friends, and a few of us parents. This year, we changed the venue
from "Teo's", which is a mile from our house, to the "Hot Dog Ranch" which is
just a few more miles from our home. Max was his usual great self just sitting
in his car seat on a high top chair watching a couple of sporting contests on
the multiple televisions in the place.
After lunch, Kevin and his family went off to visit some friends while Linda
and I went home. I needed a nap for our evening adventure.
I woke up from my nap just in time to say goodbye to Kyla and Kevin who were
heading off to the Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York for a Phish Concert. Linda,
Max, and me went off to a birthday party for a friend's grandchild. This was
more of an adult party than a party for a child. The appetizers were endless
before the main meal of Eggplant Parmesan, Lasagna, Sausage, and home made
meatballs, pasta, and salad. I never wanted the party to end.
The birthday girl is the same one that I seem to scare the daylights out of
every time she looks at me. I tried several times through out the evening, but
she still started screaming when I tried to say "Hello" to her. When it was time
to open her presents time, she was so tired that she did seem to mellow a bit
when I tried to approach her.

The party started to break up a little after 8:30 PM. This is an hour after
Max's bedtime. He has been sleeping from 7:30 PM until 7:30 AM. Both of our sons
have been so lucky to get their children on such great schedules.

When we arrived home, I took the two dogs out for a little evening
constitution, and decided to watch the Boston Celtics in bed. Well, the two dogs
followed me, like children, and we all fell asleep together in bed. Frankie
Beans, the long hair dachshund, can't leap onto the bed so I had to lift him up
onto the bed. At some point during the night, Kevin and Kyla arrived home from
the concert, and took the dogs into their bedroom.

I should be off to the gym , and not typing this e-mail, but my sweat pants and
shorts are in the bedroom where Max is sleeping. I will have to go to the gym
after everyone wakes up.

If we weren't baby sitting Max last evening, we would have been off to a Red
Cross Fundraiser concert at which a friend from our Irish Sister City was
performing in a singing role.

Today we have a free day for a while. I promised to take Max for a visit to a
neighborhood home of a former high school classmate of mine. His family is home
for the holidays, and they have a one year old grandchild too.
We will be baby sitting Max again this evening since Kevin and Kyla are off to
another Phish Concert at the Pepsi Arena. As you see, Linda and I must of passed
on the tradition of no moss growing under the feet of any of the Curley Clan.

Our other son, Michael, and his family celebrated Thanksgiving in Minnesota.
Mike was deer hunting with his father-in-law on Friday. They were hoping to get
one before his family has drive back (6 hours +) to their home in Kansas.

Speaking of hunting, my brother-in-law shot a button buck in New York State
earlier in the week. I can't wait to get a few pieces of venison to make a stew,
and invite my friends over for some. I usually tell my friends that they are
eating beef stew until after they finish eating.

Observation -- By now, all of you have heard about the Tiger Woods accident at
his home. The whole incident seems kind of strange, and there seems to be more
of a story. On the way home from last night's party, I turned the radio on to a
sports talk program. Some lady has come forward, and said that she was Tiger's
"honey on the side." This would mean the the golf club that his wife used to
smash a window to help Tiger to get out of his car was most likely meant for
Tiger. If all of what I am saying is true with respect to Tiger having an
affair, it sure will be an image killer for Tiger.
I can't wait for all the facts to come out.

Have a great weekend!
Linda and I are having a great one so far.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Friends,
We had another pleasant day at the Brodeurs in Tewksbury. A couple of baby
boomer arrived early afternoon, and that is when the fun began. Our conversation
was mostly about our aging parents, and what we are doing keep our sanity, and
make sure that they are managing okay.
My father will be having turkey dinner with dear old Mom in the nursing home.

Mike , Danielle, and Isabelle are in Minnesota with Danielle's parents, and her
side of the family.

My sister and her children, and their offspring will be partying at Perrea home
in Pittsfield.
Her dogs, mostly one of the two, survived the eating of the Decon. It was a
full unopened box that Dutchess did consume. The dog will be on Vitamin K for 30
days. I will just say that this was a $500 plus bill from the animal hospital.
My sister is considering animal insurance!

The evening at the Brodeurs went well also. Three of the thirty something age
group arrived around 4 PM, and we switched to a more upbeat conversation. The
fun and merriment continues right through supper which was served at 7 PM. Nine
of us were around the dinning room table. The beef over noodles was wonderful,
and then the homemade desserts came out. Most of us do not need breakfast this
morning!

The 27 pound turkey is stuffed, and I just helped to put in the convection
oven. The other guests will be arriving around 11:30 AM. Right now Linda and I
are choosing our wardrobe for the day. It is going to be around 55 degrees today
which is so weird for the end of November. We both wished that we had packed a
couple of short sleeve items.

After supper last evening, I went to watch the Boston Bruins Hockey team, and
the Celtics basketball team do battle respectively. Another baby boomer decided
to join Jerry and I, but he went back up stairs when he noticed that Jerry and I
were sound asleep.
I did wake up to watch both teams win their contests. The hockey team need a
shootout to get their overtime winning goal.

Observation -- Well today is the start of the Holiday season. Most of the
fliers which came in the Boston Globe this morning are for stores which we don't
even have in Pittsfield or the Berkshires in general.
I don't think that Linda and I will be hitting any of the early bird store
openings and sales on Black Friday. Like most Americans in the tight economy, we
have changed our thinking about what we going to spend our pension dollars on.
We are going to focus on our grandchildren, and my sister's grandchildren.
The needs of a retired couple don't seem to warrant many gifts. If I want to
replace an item of clothing, I / we don't wait until the Christmas Holiday. If
there is a particular gadget that I covet, we just purchase it when I need it.
As I have told all of you before, the motto in the Curley household from
Linda's perspective is: "If I can't wear it, then I don't want it." This
includes jewelery or articles of clothing.
Me on the other hand like functional things whether it is to replace a worn out
article of clothing or a gadget. I prefer a new gadget for the house or in
particular for me.
I really don't even shop for clothes. If Linda gets tired of me wearing the
same set of sweaters, or Patriot gear, she will use her coupons, and come home
with a new item of clothing. It is so nice to have your own personal shopper.

Well, I do wish that all of you have a great Thanksgiving.
Give all of your loved ones a big hug, not only for today, but throughout the
whole year.
If "Life is good" in your world, enjoy the ride.
Think happy thoughts, and get rid of those negative vibes.

Have a great day, and weekend.
The Curley's have already had a great start so far, and you should too.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned with only one bump on the way to great day.

I did my morning workout, and finished the outdoor lights. We did a trial run
last night, and everything worked fine except for the head of the male deer. The
lights on his head go off and on. No, I didn't put in the red tip bulbs which
would cause the blinking. The problem is in the wiring.

Linda's baking went well, but the Domestic Goddess had to take a lot of aspirin
by the end of the day.

The bump in the road occurred when I was in the middle of peeling apples. My
sister was forty miles away taking dad to an appointment when she called me in a
panic. One of her two dogs ate a box of Decon which she had purchased the night
before, and left on her kitchen table. My sister bought the Decon to get rid of
rodents which have been reeking havoc in their storage shed.
I jumped in my car, and picked up the dog at her house (3 miles from our
house). Christopher was home, but he doesn't drive. He was waiting for me as I
arrived at the house. The Veterinarian Hospital is about 1.5 miles from their
home. The dog seemed to be her normal hyper self. The doctor asked me how much
of the Decon that the dog ate. I had no clue until I talked to Marie after the
fact. It was a brand new box of Decon.
The doctor induced vomiting ( I wasn't in the room), but said that she would
keep the dog for several hours. Doctor Barbara Wolfarght was the attending
physician. The doctor did say that Decon is some "nasty stuff."
The doctor called my sister, and said to check back in 4 to 6 hours to see how
the patient was doing. My sister did go back 6 hours later to check on the dog.
When my sister arrived to check on the dog, the dog wasn't there. I took the dog
to the incorrect hospital.
There are two Vet places within a couple miles from her home. I guess that I
didn't listen when my sister told me to take her the the Allen Heights facility
instead of the Crane Avenue one which we used to take Billy (Kevin's dog) to
when we baby sat for Billy for two years.
I was more interested in saving the life of the dog which I will use an excuse
for not listening.
Since my sister has another dog, the doctor wanted to make sure that this dog
didn't eat the Decon too. Since we don't have animals I was wondering what it
would cost to get the dogs back to normal. The estimate was about $340 for the
first dog unless they decided to keep the dog overnight.

Observations -- While in the waiting room of the animal hospital, other animal
owners always seem to want to talk to me. I must project an image of a caring
and nurturing person. One guy started telling me about his dogs that have chewed
on furniture, shoes, clothing, bags of human food, cereal boxes, etc. He said
that if he leaves anything out of closets, deacon benches, etc., his dog will
destroy the item. The legs of all of the furniture have gnaw marks on them. He
said that he has lost more sneakers and jackets that I could imagine. It might
been cheaper for this senior citizen to adopt a child, and get rid of his dog.
At one point I felt like I was in the emergency room of Berkshire Medical
Center. There was a steady flow of people and their sick pets.

Social Calendar -- We have a light day today. When I communicate with you guys
on Wednesday, we will be from another part of the State. I am getting so psyched
for Thanksgiving even though we have turned on the Christmas Tree lights. My
bird feeders are filled. Our furry and feathered friends will be celebrating the
Holiday too.

Have to go to the gym.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned.

My day started at Retro Fitness at 6 AM. I was the first one through the door
once again. It was like I owned the place since there were only three of us for
a good portion of the hour that I was there. In less than one hour, I will be at
the doors at 4:30 AM.

After skimming the Sunday newspaper, I went back to the bushes in the front of
our house to finish up that phase of the Christmas decorations. I worked until 1
PM before I quit. I am incurring an electrical problem which I am going to
remedy when it gets to day light this morning. The patio extension cords were
getting warm to the touch because I have so many lights, mechanical deer, etc.
crying for electricity. I am going to run a cord around to the back of the house
and hook up half of the lights into an outlet on our deck. We don't want to burn
our house down for the Holidays.

Linda is getting up early today. She is going to go into the Domestic Goddess
role around 9 AM this morning. All the ingredients, pans, pie dishes, etc. area
logically placed over the surfaces of our counter tops in the kitchen. I will be
part of the prep crew and clean up crew. I will be peeling apples as one of my
first projects. I am not good as the oven man. When the recipe says to cook to a
golden brown, and you are colorblind like I am, you don't want me as the baker!

As an example, yesterday I was bonding with a friend while we watched the
Patriots do battle with the New York Jets. I noticed that my friend had a new
rug in the room in which we were watching the game. I knew that the color of the
rug was in the green / brown family. I asked my friend what color it was? It
turned out to be a green rug. This is exactly why you might get a burnt baking
item instead of something cooked until it is golden brown.

Speaking of the game, I did find a substitute for the Memorial Program for for
the Mayor's deceased wife. As I anticipated, Linda was asked many, many times
where was her husband? I hope that she didn't tell people that I was enjoying
the Patriots, pizza , and beer (water too).
Linda said that memorial program went very well. The program was being recorded
by a crew from Pittsfield Community Television. Yes, we know the production
crew! One pair of the crew was a husband and wife team. The husband is our
President of the Pittsfield Irish Sister City Committee, and his wife is a Lee
goomba. I was wondering if they took any shots of Linda and her girlfriends who
filled up one of the rows in the theater.

Observation -- As I returned from my friends home when the Patriot Game ended,
I did notice people have already started to turn on their Christmas lights. We
usually wait until Thanksgiving is over before turning our lights on. Black
Friday will be the first day that they will be turned on especially since our
grandchild Max, from East Boston, will be with us.
Max will need sunglasses when we turn on our lights!

Have a great week at work or play even if the work week is a bit short.
Enjoy your family, and friends, and give them a lot of hugs.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went pretty much as planned.

My day started with a 6 AM workout at Retro Fitness. Today will be my 20th
consecutive day of going to the gym.
There were only three of us there at 6 AM on Saturday. The Ninja guy wasn't
there. There was an Italian friend, one woman, and me when the doors opened. A
few more people did show up as I was leaving the place.

When I arrived home, I skimmed the local newspaper, and got to a quiet project.
The project of the day was to start with putting Christmas lights in the tallest
bushes (four of them) in the front of the house. This time consuming activity
took me until 1:30 PM. I should be able to finish the task today if all goes
well.

The house party went very well. Some of us got a chance to see the rotator
cuff patient. He is still a hurting buckaroo! Even though he has decreased his
pain medication, he is still trying to be extremely cautious with respect to
making sure that his shoulder stays completely stable. He said that the 20
minute ride from his house to the host house was a painful ride. Every time that
his wife hit a bump in the road, or a pot hole, the vibration caused him to
writhe in pain. At one point during the party , I was talking with my hands, and
sitting next to him at the dinner table. I almost reached over and poked him in
his surgically repaired arm. Linda grabbed my arm before I could make contact
with him. He would have jumped right out of his seat if I did touch him.
The house party, which started at 5:30 PM was awesome. From appetizers, through
the main meal (surf and turf), through dessert and coffee, the food was
wonderful. The conversation, and the laughs were endless. This is what life is
all about!

We all departed around around 10:15 PM. I went straight to bed, and I slept
like a rock.

Today, we are booked in for a Colonial Theater memorial for the deceased wife
of the incumbent Mayor who was just elected for another two year term in office.
The memorial starts about the same time as the Patriots vs Jets football game. I
might have found a person to take my place.
Linda will have to make an excuse or two of why I wasn't with her. I was
trying to think of some good excuses for her. She could use the dear old mom
in the nursing home excuse. She could say that I wasn't feeling well, but that
would be an outright lie because I feel great. Maybe she should just be honest
and say my husband chose sports over the memorial.

The Senate is ready to take up the Universal Health Care issue.

Well, I have to put on my gym clothes, and finish my cup of coffee before
heading out the door.
Have a great Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

P.S. Our weatherman said that we should put out the Christmas decorations this
weekend. Things are changing in the atmosphere. The above average temperatures
are about ready to come to an end. I wasn't the only one doing some decorating
in the neighborhood on Saturday!

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned on Friday.

Linda squeezed in the most activities of the day. She left the house at 8:15
AM, and never returned until after 3:00 PM.

After returning home from Retro Fitness, I slaved over a hot iron pressing some
very wrinkled shirts while a load my clothes were be cleaned in the washing
machine.
My clothes washing didn't go as planned. I left a paper towel in a pair of my
sweat pants which I use when I go off to the gym. All of my dark clothes were
coated with pieces of that chewed up paper towel. Where was Linda when I needed
her?

A little before 11 AM, I headed off to the nursing home to visit Mom. I took
mom outside, and we tooled around the grounds of the nursing home. I told her
that I wasn't allowed to give her any more "High Balls", but I was so tempted to
do so. I still carry the ingredients in the back of my car.
Most of my friends do agree that giving mom one light "high ball" when I visit
her is not a big deal no matter what medicine she is taking. Hey, the woman is
93 years old, stuck in a nursing, with only one leg, going from a bed to a wheel
chair, and not to far from meeting her Maker. Even if the "High Ball" killed
her, she would die a happy person.
If that was me in my mother's situation, I would want some one to offer me a
beverage once in a while. One of the friends who we were out with last evening
said that he and his Mom used to have a Bourbon and water when he visited his
mom in the nursing home. See, us Lee High School Wildcats think alike!

Speaking of last evening. The Italian Buffet at the Berkshire Hills Country
Club went very well. The Curley's and two other couples had a fun time swapping
family stories, and discussing grandchildren. The food was pretty good, and the
selections were numerous. Most of us stretched our stomachs a bit in preparation
for the Thanksgiving Holidays.
The evening ended a little after 8 PM.
I decided to watch the Celtics in bed. Yes, I fell asleep through the whole
game, and it was good that I did. They lost another game on their own court.

Social Calendar -- We have a quiet day on tap. I might spend some time putting
those Christmas Lights in the bushes in the front of the house after I come back
from the gym. It will be daylight when I arrive home since the gym doesn't open
until 6 AM on Saturday and Sunday.
Tonight we are busy once again. The "In Demand" Curley's were invited to three
events. We want to go to all three events, but we were booked into a house party
over a month and a half ago. No, we can't leave the house party early and attend
the other two because almost all the events are starting around the same time.

Observation -- We have an under the counter toaster oven. I was reading a sales
flier from a local hardware store who survived the big box stores like Walmart
and Home Depot. They have a toaster oven in their flier. It seems like the
"under the counter" toaster ovens must be illegal now. They probably started too
many kitchen fires when left unattended.
The new toaster ovens are designed to sit on the counter. They have too many
have dials for me. I think my sons have toasters ovens like the one on sale. I
can never figure out how to make a slice of toast, when I use these newer
models. I don't know which dials to twist and turn.
Our older model has three simple dials or buttons. One is for baking, a button
for turning the device of and on, and another dial for making the toast light or
dark. Us baby boomers like it simple.
We have friends who use regular toasters. When you want to reheat a day old
slice of pizza, the regular toaster is useless. You could put the slice of pizza
in the microwave, but it turns out limp and soggy.

The same thing happened to cell phones. The first ones that came out were
simple. For us baby boomers, most of us just want to make and receives calls,
and occasionally text message (not while driving). Now, the cell phones do so
many things, I would need to take a course to figure out all of the
applications. The new generation of people and the devices that they create must
never have heard of KISS! --> Keep It Simple Stupid

We fired up the Aero Garden for the winter months. We have Italian Herbs in the
device right now. Our soups, meats, and sauces in the crock pot will have some
great flavors when using fresh herbs.

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

Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned with a few twists and turns.

The Ninja guy was back at Retro Fitness. I think that he was trying to show me
up. He would use a machine after I got through using one. He would switch my 30
pound weight to a 150 pounds while working the machine that I just got off of.
He continues to never to sanitize the equipment while the rest of us faithfully
do.
Luckily he sticks with the heavy weight section of the gym. Lately though, he
has started to use my favorite machine. Oh Darn!
Maybe he wants me to be his friend?

Linda's body maintenance appointment went well as I was at my pulmonary guy's
office at Berkshire Medical Center.

I never even got a chance to finish filling out paper work before a nurse came
in to check my vital signs. The doctor said that I have to spend a night at the
sleep clinic before he can authorize me getting a new device. The last time that
I went through the process was in 2005.
I am all booked in for November 29, 2009 at 8:30 PM.
The Seep Clinicians essentially hook you up with electrodes attached to head
and chest, and monitor your sleeping like you normally would sleep, and then
they monitor you using a sleep apnea device. If you are found to be needing a
device, the doctor then writes the prescription, and sends me to a medical
supply place to be fitted for the device.
As I talk with more and more people I am amazed how many people have a problem
like me. Being over weight is often the reason, but people in relatively good
shape are candidates for the device too. Your partner will be the first judge as
to whether you should go through the process. If you wake your partner up and /
or yourself, you should probably see a doctor.

After our first adventures of the day, we had lunch at the Friendship Cafe.
Yes, we know the owners. The only exciting thing that happened during lunch was
that the owner of the establishment own a horse which was racing at Aqueduct
Race Track while we were eating. The owner came out of the kitchen, and all us
patrons watched her horse come in dead last in the race. It was kind of
embarrassing.

We needed some fuel to help us get through our "Buy one Get two sale" at a
nearby grocery store. The cashier said that we saved $52 for our cart full of
stuff.
I was so exhausted, I need a nap after we put away the groceries.

Food Fight -- Martha Stewart got her self in trouble on one of the talk
programs. Martha said the Rachel Ray was more of an "entertainer than a cook".
Let the food fight begin!

Social Calendar -- Linda will be leaving the house for her once a month
breakfast with her Pittsfield High School retirees.
After breakfast, she will be heading off to a body maintenance appointment.
I wanted to start putting some Christmas lights in the bushes in the front of
the house, but I have to wait until it dries up a bit. My project might be
delayed until Saturday morning. Maybe a visit to see Mom in the nursing home
would be a good idea.

After Linda's two adventures today, she is going to gather all of her baking
supplies to get ready for a Thanksgiving baking marathon. My function will be
the cleanup guy when the marathon takes place.
Well, it is Friday night. We are booked into an Italian Buffet at Berkshire
Hills Country club. Yes, I will have to work extra hard on Saturday morning at
Retro Fitness.

Weather -- I am worried about whether I will be taking the grandchildren sliding
on Christmas, or having to give the lawn a trim. It was so warm yesterday at one
point, that I could have worn shorts and a tee shirt. The snow haters love this
weather. This has been a strange start to winter weather so far. Could it be
part of global warming? Oh, I forgot that that many people don't believe that
there is such a thing, especially the followers of the Republican talking heads
like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc.
Will I even get a chance to wear those 100 degree below zero boots that I
purchased the other day?

I am just about ready to head out to Retro Fitness. The rain just picked up in
intensity. My outdoor project looks like it might have to be postponed.

Have a great weekend.
Remember not to sweat the little stuff.
Enjoy life to the fullest!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned.

My 4:30 AM start to the day went okay. The Ninja guy wasn't at the gym on
Wednesday which was very unusual. I like to work the machines for 30 minutes or
so, and work the treadmill for the last half of my workout. I am not into the
jogging on the treadmill yet, but so many people do so.

I next made a unscheduled visit to the dentist to see if he could find out why
I have been getting a twinge every once in a while when drinking cold water. He
found the sensitive area, but found no cavity. He gave me a sample on Sensodyne
tooth paste. He said that if the area bothers me a great deal, he can take out
an old filling, and replace it with some new filling material.

I finally disposed of the dead mums while Linda was reading the newspaper. I
had to let her relax before I tried my hand at electrical work. I accomplished
the task, but it wasn't easy because of the tight quarters where are circuit
board is located. My helper struggled to shine the flash light at my work area.
Being a short person, didn't help the situation for her either. She ended up
with a splitting headache, but the task got completed. This was a another case
of her not wanting to get involved with my projects.

I needed a nap after the electrical project, and she needed to have a couple of
hours with no one bugging her.

I didn't get any details of her book club event last evening because I fell
asleep trying to watch the Boston Celtics win a game against a team which could
only field 7 men because of injuries, and sickness.

Politics / News - It was the usual mayhem across the nation and the world. Some
of the news makes me sick just reading about it.
I did see where the Somali's tried to high jack another American ship. It was
the same shipping lines where they took an American Captain hostage several
months ago. Well, the American ship was prepared for a gun battle, and the bad
guys gave up the attack. Maybe it is time to have one of the American made
drones put a little hurt on where these Somali's are coming from. If you are
worrying about collateral damage, then just destroy the bad guys at sea each
time one of their gun boats leaves port. Darn, do I sound like a conservative?
My point is that there is good and evil in the world. It is time to stop evil
in its tracks. Do evil people and organizations even merit a trial?

Llama's -- If you haven't heard, a couple of weeks ago, some people shot two
Llama's near the Pittsfield / Lenox line. They were in a penned in area with
sheep. They found the two Llamas were shot with arrows. It is bow season in
Massachusetts. The public wanted to blame hunters for the incident. The deaths
made front page news in our local newspaper. A radio talk show host got people
talking about the incident, and they raised over $5000 for a reward leading to
an arrest of the culprits. They haven't caught anyone yet. The nearby Lenox
Sportsmen club donated reward money too. This was an act of vandalism. You can
tell a Llama from a deer even in dusk like conditions.

Social Calendar -- Linda is off to a body maintenance procedure about the same
time that I will be having a routine check up in the pulmonary department at
Berkshire Medical Center. I need the routine checkup so that I can replace my
tired sleep apnea device.
I think that we have to go to one of those grocery stores which has one of those
"Buy one get two Free" sales. They are not always bargains, but the Queen knows
her prices.

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

Hello on Wednesday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another Day went as planned except for a little bump along the road.

Our microwave did expire. I sent the Sears Repair Technician an e-mail, and
explained how our machine wouldn't heat anything. I received a nice reply saying
that without seeing the device, it could be something as simple as a fuse or
that the more expensive magnetron has to be replaced. He advised us to get a new
machine.
By the time that we received the e-mail last evening, we already had purchased
a new machine. If you are familiar with our house, and where we put the
microwave, you wouldn't even know that the microwave sitting there now is a new
one.
I must admit that Linda would not let me go out and purchase a new one without
her supervision.

Mah Jongg went well on Tuesday at our house. The Chicken and Vegetable Crock
Pot soup was a big hit, especially since Linda didn't tell her guests that she
was making some. I did have lunch with the women, but I headed to the garage to
do a little cleaning of my workbench. This ended up being a three hour project
since it was so messy.

Today is garbage pick for our neighborhood today. I have so much stuff put out
that you would think that we owned a four tenement house. A normal week of trash
would be one bucket, and one recycle bin for us.
Speaking of recycling, last week was bottles and cans recycling. I saw a guy on
a bike going through each person's recycle bin looking for cans and bottles for
which the guy could get five cents back on certain ones. Times must be disparate
for a lot of people.

Social Calendar -- I think that Linda doesn't have to move her body until her 6
PM book club meeting this evening. I have my usual projects, one of which is to
play the role of an electrician. I might need Linda to hold a flash light.
I have to change a circuit breaker to a higher amperage so that the breaker
doesn't go off when I use multiple devices in that room. I also am nervous about
when I put up the hundreds of outdoor Christmas lights, I don't want circuit
breaker problems.

Politics -- Having the terrorists go on trial in New York is a big mistake from
my Liberal perspective. I think that the bad guys should be brought out to sea,
and have weights attached, and thrown overboard. They can live with the fishes
for the rest of their lives.
These guys shouldn't be granted the same rights to a trial as any American is
granted!

Health Care Issue -- The mammography study that was released yesterday was a
shocker. I can see health care providers denying claims if you don't follow the
new age guidelines of when you should have mammograms. Could this new wrinkle be
tied into a way to shoot down Health Care Reform?

Sports -- I didn't watch a single minute of sports last night. Actually, I went
to bed at an early 9:30 PM. I tried to watch some reruns with Linda, but I
started snoring less than 15 minutes into the program. Linda said that I should
go to bed so that she could hear the program that she / we were trying to watch.
I definitely have to get into a new cycle with respect to my morning workout at
Retro Fitness. I should probably wait until it is at least daylight, or maybe do
an evening workout.

It is 25 degrees as I finish this e-mail, but it should hit the 50 degree mark
before the day is over.
I actually want to start doing some Christmas decorations outside. I would like
to have all the outdoor lights in place before Thanksgiving. I want to be able
to come home from Thanksgiving, and flick one switch, and turn them all on.

Well, I have to head out to the gym, and see what interesting people are there
today.
Have a great Wednesday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned.
I firmed up my latest bird feeder device before helping Linda with the inside
the house project.
We condensed and eventually disposed of most of the stuff which has been
overcrowding the closet which I cleaned on Saturday. This project was completed
by 2 PM.

We went off to Walmart for a couple of hours to pick up some basic supplies,
check out Christmas decorations, etc.
I still don't like the rearranging which they did at our Walmart. I always have
to stop and ask a worker where things are located now. Confusion in my life is
not good.

We had a healthy Walmart pizza for supper last evening. Yes, I will have to
work harder in the gym this morning.

Our son in Kansas is into decorating the outside of the house for Christmas. It
is another "Clark Griswald" type of decorating which he has started.
Speaking of the Holidays, we did receive some nice pictures from Isabelle's
first experience going "Trick or Treating" in her Kansas neighborhood. Our son
wore a costume as he escorted Isabelle who was dressed up as "Nemo". The
costume, which Mike was wearing, was a scary one. He frightened all the smaller
kids in the neighborhood. I wonder were he learned that form of behavior?

Social Calendar -- Linda is hosting her Tuesday session of Mah Jongg today. We
have a crock pot brewing that is full of a chicken and vegetable concoction. I
just gave it a stir, and the house is filled with those good smells already.

Observation -- A friend pointed out that I made a math error in percentages in
my discussion about a disease that I didn't know existed to a great extent
called "Social Phobia". At some point in most of our lives, we all had a little
fear as I described in the article which I was highlighting from. My point was:
"Why do he have to make it a disease like the Swine Flu?"
I was a shy and quiet kid when I was growing up, and over the years I have
"broken out of my shell". I didn't need medication to get me through difficult
times in my life, I just worked my way through them.
When we stumble a little in life now, there is always some pharmaceutical
which can get us through these difficult times.
I think that some of the pills which we take are killing us instead of helping
us. Again, I am not talking about the people who have serious illnesses.
There was an article in one of my magazines which said that having a "positive
attitude" helps us when you are talking about longevity, and being healthy.
The "Whoa is me" type of people don't have a tendency to live long?

I just returned from Retro Fitness. The Ninja guy and I were the first ones in
the place. As I left the gym a few minutes ago, the muscle bound and the
beautiful people started to arrive. The muscle bound people seem to have a lot
of tattoos. When my muscle arrive, I might consider a trip to the tattoo parlor.
As I was driving to the Retro Fitness this morning, I was thinking about what
is going to happen when the temperatures drop, and the roads are covered with
snow and ice? Luckily, I live exactly 2.0 miles from our house to the gym. My
starting time might have to be delayed a bit when the not so nice weather
arrives.

Sports -- I couldn't bear to watch the analysis of why the Patriots lost the
Monday night football game. I actually fell asleep while trying to watch the
Boston Bruins hockey team lose another one. I didn't watch one single moment of
Monday night football.

I think that our microwave died. I tried to heat up a cup of water, and the
water stayed as cold as when I put it in the microwave. I will try and unplug
the device, and plug it back in after a minute to sort of reboot the device. If
this doesn't work, it will probably be a trip to Sears to purchase a new one. I
should have never given away our first microwave that was ugly and big, but
still worked like a charm.

Well, I have to do some quiet activities.
Have a great Tuesday!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

I just got back from "Retro Fitness". The Ninja was there today as well as the
muscle bound guys who wear those waist belts for heavy lifting.
Today, makes it two full weeks since I have joined the gym. I still look like
"Jabba the Hut". I do know that what I am doing for an hour each day is better
than doing nothing.

Yes, I did stay up, and watch my Patriots lose by one point to the still
undefeated Colts. The Patriots will have to wait until the playoffs before they
get another shot at the Colts.

Observation -- In the Sunday Berkshire Eagle, we get a magazine insert called
USA Weekend. It is like the Parade section which comes in most newspapers. There
was an article which jumped right off the one page which it was located on. As
the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays approach us, there was an article
entitled "Do you have Social Phobia?"
Here we go again! For all those people who like to be diagnosed with some
illness, this is another one to add to your list. These are a few of the
symptoms : "Anxiety, self consciousness, and embarrassment from being around
other people, avoiding places or events where people gather, difficulty making
friends and maintaining friendships". If you have this phobia, you can even
"experience excessive sweating, difficulty speaking or breathing, trembling ,
shaking and nausea."
Social anxiety disorder can be treated with "counseling and/ or medications."
The medications include the same ones that are prescribed to people who are
dealing with "depression." There is that nasty word again!
The article is written by a doctor named Tedd Mitchell who just happens to own
Cooper Clinic located in Dallas Texas.
The article claims that in a 2005 study about 12% of the population experience
this disorder.
Do you think that I (or Linda) am part of the 12% or 82%?

Social Calendar -- Our calendar happens to be blank for today, but that doesn't
mean that we will be sitting on our butts all day. We have to deal with the
remnants from my closet cleaning the other day. The urban sprawl is still in the
upstairs hallway, and on the bed in another spare bedroom.

The Special Olympics Awards / Pasta Dinner / Dance went well on Sunday. Four
UNICO brothers and and me prepared the pasta dinner. We served 120 + people. As
we were finishing up cleaning the kitchen , and putting away pots, pans, and
dishes, the special needs people and their guardians were on the dance floor
dancing up a storm. The D.J. was playing all type of music which I like to
dance to. I fit in very well the individuals on the dance floor. I showed them a
couple of the Curley moves!
My fellow UNICANS will we back again next November to volunteer our services in
the kitchen.

I can't wait to get Sarah Pallin's book "Going Rogue". Yeah Right!

Bird Feeding -- I know why the bears haven't been so active knocking down my
bird feeders. The hunting season just ended in Massachusetts. The hunters shot
137 bears this year compared to 78 the previous year.
I have to work on my home made concoction which holds two bird feeders which we
can see through our sliding glass door to the deck. Visualize a "T" like
structure. The squirrels are using the top part of the "T" as a Teeter Totter as
they go from one bird feeder to the other.

Our friend, who had the rotator cuff surgery, is slowly being weened off of the
pain medications. He is getting bored and going stir crazy. He was trying to
straighten out his workbench in his garage to help himself get rid of some of
the boredom. He usually needs a two hour nap after exerting any energy.
When he went for his first doctor visit last week, he was told not to do
anything with the surgically repaired shoulder. His wife said that hopefully by
the end of this coming week, he will be able to have visitors.
Nurse Judie is managing, but like I surmised, she wishes for her husband to
have a speedy recovery. The routine does get stale after a while. His injury is
not a quick healer!

Well, I have to get to some quiet chores.
Have a great week at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

I keep on telling people in my e-mails that the Berkshires in Massachusetts are
a great place to live and visit. There is a publication called "National
Geographic Traveler". The Berkshires were ranked 7th out of 134 vacation
destinations / must see places.

My "Retro Fitness" hour went okay on Saturday. The person who opens the place
was late. Several of us on time people weren't very happy when were there at 6
AM and the place was

Linda was picked up by a girlfriend at 8:30 AM for her day of attending 3 or 4
Craft's Fairs. She won a basket at one of them. They started off going to
breakfast because they needed fuel to keep themselves going for at least 8
hours.

I spent my time fixing a shelf in a bedroom closet. I then decided to do some
sorting, throwing out, and finally rearranging the closet. Linda was impressed
with my efforts.

We went out with another couple for supper. My male friend and I had red meat.
Our wives chose more pasta, chicken, shrimp oriented food. Actually, the food
was so good, that we would go back to this place in a heartbeat. It has a
Italian / Greek offerings. We did notice that diners in the restaurant were from
the more mature crowd. They know where the specials, and moderately priced meals
are located.

I will be at the doors of "Retro Fitness" in less than an hour. I have to burn
off some calories from last night's over indulgence. Retro Fitness for me is
like those body maintenance procedures that Linda participates in except my
procedures are sometimes painful.


The Ninja, and the body builders weren't at Retro Fitness at 6 AM on Saturday.
As a matter of fact, most of us at the early hours are people who have bodies
that need a good deal of body reshaping. Hopefully in a couple of months, I will
have a change in body structure that my friends will be able to notice. Right
now it is the same old "Franny"!

At 10 AM, I will be at the Masonic Temple / Lodge in Pittsfield helping to
prepare a past dinner for a noon Special Olympics Awards / Dinner Dance. If all
goes well, we should have the kitchen cleaned up, and be heading out the door no
later than 3 PM.

Linda thought that she would have a free day, but there is our monthly meeting
at the ITAM Lodge this afternoon. She will be representing the family at 1 PM at
the officers meeting, and also at the membership meeting at 2:30 PM.
She is not happy because her Red Hat group will be going to an outing at the
Clark Art Museum in Williamstown (next to Williams College). She will be stuck
at the ITAM until at least 4:30 PM. Oh Darn!

Sports -- Two Boston teams lost last evening. My Patriots do battle with the
Colts in their dome this evening. I can't wait for this game to take place. This
will tell the football nation whether the Patriots are mediocre or not. The
Patriots aren't even mentioned as a possible Super Bowl contender. Under the
radar is how us Patriot fans like it.

My relatives in Ohio must have been happy with the results and efforts of their
Buckeyes Football team. I think the win has them heading to the Rose Bowl when
the regular season is over.

Observation -- While working in the closet yesterday, I had to remove all the
clothes which were in it to repair the broken shelf. I noticed that the clothes
that I washed and dried are always full of wrinkles. I could tell which ones
Linda washed and dried, and which ones I attempted to do. I thought that I used
the same procedure that Linda does, but it sure doesn't look like it.
Every pair of cargo pants that I did was wrinkled to the point that I almost
have to iron them. The pair which Linda washed and dried looked like someone did
press them. Every shirt I attempted to wash and dry needs an ironing. Not when
Linda does my clothes!
Even my tee shirts come out much better when Linda does them.
My deficiencies are probably caused by a lack of patience with the washing and
drying process. She is better at "Fluffing and Folding" while I am more into the
"Balling up" approach.
Mothers must be good at teaching their daughters how to properly do the washing
and drying of clothes. Men just want to get the process over!

Well, I have to finish my cup of coffee, and head out to the gym.
I will then come home and take a shower, and gather my gear for the Pasta
Dinner.
Have a great Sunday!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

We didn't get our bodies moving, and out of the house until almost 1 PM on
Friday. We did a little recreational shopping for a couple of hours before we
had to get dressed for my UNICO event at Mazzeo's.
The event went very well. Having the speakers go first, and then the meal, kept
all 120 + people in the hall. The food was wonderful. It was served family style
after the salad. The food was Cavatelli for the pasta, eggplant Parmesan, a
fish, and steak tips cooked to perfection in a mushroom gravy. The dessert was a
chocolate mousse. My meal was free because it was a membership meeting. Guests
paid $20 for the meal, and it was worth every penny of it.

We had a good mix at our table. Of course, everyone tells each other what is
going on in their lives, how the grand children are doing, etc. I also found out
that one of my Friday Morning golfing buddies (the youngest in our group) spent
a couple days in the hospital, which I wasn't aware of. He had an "Internal"
plumbing problem.
One of the people honored was our son's old soccer coach, but he was being
honored for his baseball process. Linda and I went over and chatted and
congratulated him for being one of the four people being honored. His 68 year
old sister died of colon cancer a week ago. His other sister has just survived a
bout of colon cancer. She is cancer free right now. This is another case of
"Don't sweat the little stuff, and enjoy each moment that you are on this
earth!"

My body and mind is on a 4:30 AM start with respect to my morning workout at
Retro Fitness. The place doesn't open until 6 AM on the weekends. Oh Darn!

Social Calendar -- Linda and a girlfriend are heading off to a couple of craft
fairs at some point today. I also see a "Musical" listed on our calendar. This
is a group of local people who perform each year, and raise money for a worthy
cause. I am hoping that she can talk her girlfriend into attending the event, or
that maybe we get invited to dinner at someone's home.
I should go off and visit Mom in the nursing home at some point. It is so
difficult to visit and then depart, and see your Mom so unhappy because she
wants to be in her own home.

Observation -- We were thinking about our social calendar for the rest of
November and through December. The number of totally free days, which we have,
is almost non existent. Every day, a new event gets booked in for either one of
us, or both of us. I don't know how we could do all these things, and still be
teaching at the same time. One of the people at our table last evening, who gets
my daily blog, said that Linda and I are "so busy".
The other day I was listening to a local talk program. The guest speaker was a
lady from one of those local wellness centers. She is in charge of running
seminars / coaching people who have trouble living life after retirement. Linda
and I could be guest speakers in this program!
People spend hundreds of dollars staying at the place, and participating in the
seminars / activities. I can't imagine paying someone to make me happy, and give
me direction in life. Your an adult, and you should be able to figure this out
for yourself!
Oh! Oh! I better be careful, or I will get myself into one of those "depression
topics" which got me into trouble before.
I am convinced that some people (not the truly ill) like going to the doctor to
be told that they have something wrong with themselves. For these people, there
is always some pill which can solve the problem.
Speaking of pills, the United States consumes twice as much pharmaceuticals as
any of the industrialized countries in the world. Do you think the drug makers
want health care reform?

Well, have a great weekend.
Us people in the Northeast are enjoying above averages temperatures for the
next week or so. Linda and I want snow for Christmas since we will have a full
house of family members here with us. I can wait to take our, almost two year
old, grandchild sliding down the same hills that I used to take her father down.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday the 13th

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned plus one extra thing.

Let me explain what the extra thing was all about! A couple of weeks ago, while
doing outdoor projects, and some garage cleaning, I lost my wedding ring. Of
course, when I told Linda, she went bonkers, especially since she replaced our
original gold wedding bands a couple of years ago with platinum rings. I said
many prayers to St. Anthony, patron Saint of lost and found, hoping to find the
ring.
Every time that I went into the back yard, I looked where I was raking leaves,
getting rid of deck planters, trimming bushes, etc. I looked in the house in the
crevices of the couches in the family room, and in the basement couch, where I
watch sports. I looked in all the pockets of the usual cargo pants that I wear,
jackets, etc. I pretty much gave up looking for the ring.
I was doing my first project in the garage on Thursday, which was cutting up
boxes for the paper recycle bin. After cutting up at 8 boxes, I picked up small
box. When I picked up the box, I heard something rattle. Low and behold, the
rattling was caused by my lost wedding ring. I ran into the house, and told
Linda about my discovery. At least now, she won't shed any tears every time that
I mention the ring.
I have learned a good lesson. Wear no jewelery when doing projects!

After Linda finished reading the local newspaper, we worked together in the
garage. Linda didn't want to get involved in my project, but she had to. Now she
can reach all of the buckets with Christmas items in them. She can decorate the
inside of the house while I decorate the outside of the house after
Thanksgiving.
My working out in the gym actually paid off because I didn't struggle at all
lifting buckets, and climbing up and down the step ladder while doing my garage
project.

I did go back to my garage man, paid him the $10. I was thinking, that if I
went to the Subaru dealer, the clamp replacement to stop an oil leak, and the
replacement of two license plate bulbs would have cost at least $100. What a
bargain I got?

Social Calendar -- We have only one item on it today. We are off to a 6 PM
UNICO Baseball & Softball Hall of Fame dinner at Mazzeo's Ristorante. Hopefully,
the speaking program will be short which the organizers hope will go from from
6PM until 7 PM, with the meal to follow.

I just got back from "Retro Fitness". The Ninja guy wasn't there today. Two
muscle bound guys, wearing their weight lifting waist belts, showed up instead.
I worked on the machines for 45 minutes, and finished off my hour workout on
the treadmill for 15 minutes.

Politics -- The President is going to have job summit. I think that we should
go back to the old WPA projects of the World War II era, where the government
hired out of work people to fix up our parks, National and Local. Our roads and
bridges system can always use a little help too. The Appalachian trail as well
as other hiking trails need a lot of work too. Wouldn't it be nice if some of
the money directed toward Wars could be used to help our own people, and our own
Country in general? This would be money well spent!

Observation -- I think, without verifying, that my garage repair guy might be
struggling to make ends meet. The place is usually full with cars that they work
on. Normally you can't just walk in, like I did, and get something repaired. The
first day that I stopped in was at 3:30 PM. There was my car, a jeep Cherokee,
and a fork lift that the guys were working on. A couple people did come in for
their yearly car inspection.
Yesterday, when I paid my $10, there might have been one car on a lift (they
have 7 lifts and one bay for inspections). This was only 2:30 PM in the
afternoon. I think that money must be really tight, and people are holding off
with having work done on their car.
My philosophy is get the work done on our more mature cars so that we don't
have to buy another car, and deal with a car loan.

I was told not to give Mom and alcoholic beverages once again. I only gave her
one drink the other morning. She may have had a one drink buzz, but the beverage
didn't make her sick. If I was 93 years old, with one leg, confined to a wheel
chair and nursing home, I would want at least one drink a day.
I would probably ask my children, or friends to bring me a bottle of booze, or
a whole bunch of those nips.
I had a great uncle who had the doctor put it in writing that he was allowed a
shot of alcohol every day while he was in a nursing home. He lived until he was
almost 94 years old.

Weird news -- On the way back from the gym on Thursday, I was listening to the
radio. It was reported that a Chinese guy found a creative way to earn money. He
lets women use him as a human punching bag (in the stomach area). The guy
charges $15 for 30 minutes. Most of his customers never reach the 30 minute mark
because they are exhausted after a short amount of time.

Well, I have to do some quiet chores.
I will need a nap for sure before we go out this evening.
Have a great weekend!
Talk to you soon. The Curley lad

Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

I just returned from "Retro Fitness". The Ninja guy, one woman, and me were the
only people there at 4:30 AM. It seems like more people like the 5 AM to 5:30 AM
as their arrival time. The Ninja isn't into sanitizing the equipment that he
uses. He sees the rest of us cleaning each machine or the bars on set of
weights, or cardio machines, etc., after we use them, but he never does so. I
want to turn him in, but he can crush me in about 5 seconds!

Yesterday, I forgot to mention that another family member was in the Marines.
My sister's son, T.J. Perrea, was a Marine. I knew that when I sent the e-mail
that my sister would pick up my error of omission, and she did in less than 30
seconds.
Could it be time for my sister to have her own blog? Her blogs would be very
interesting because her and her husband are staunch Republicans? Political
discussions at family gathering often stir up a little controversy.

The furniture delivery on Veteran's Day didn't go as planned. The coffee table
/ hidden work station was to big for our 14 ft. by 14 ft family room. Actually,
it was the size of a twin bed. Also , when Linda started to make sure everything
worked as the floor model did, and internal piece of wood was split very badly.
The delivery guys took back the furniture, and we got our money back.
I had alreay taken the old, but sturdy wooden coffee table to the basement. The
particle board / screw together one is now in the family room.
I am not going to return the two coffee tables to where they were originally
located.
I did miss the Veteran's Day parade because of the furniture delivery, but the
jets from Barnes Air National Guard Base did fly by our house.


While Linda was off at Walmart developing some photos, I went off to my local
auto repair place. My car has been leaking oil in my garage and on my driveway.
The repair man, a UNICO brother, fixed the problem, and replaced two burnt out
license plate light bulbs. He charged me $10, but I only had $5 in my wallet. He
said just stop by on the way past the garage (which we go by almost everyday),
and pay the $10. Country living has its advantages!

With the Thanksgiving / Christmas party season almost upon us, we have to
rethink how we serve food. I always like to put out peanuts, Chexmix, Chips and
Dips, cheese, crackers and pepperoni, shrimp, etc. With the swine flu so
rampant, we will be changing the way in which we serve food. Any food, where
people stick their hands in to get the food item, has to be changed. One safety
tip was to put snack food in mini muffin containers so that each person deals
with their own individual container of snack food. Are we getting a little
paranoid here?
One of Linda's Book Club members, who is a teacher in the Pittsfield Public
Schools, did get the swine flu. She was out of school for several days. She is
hosting the next Book Club meeting this month. I am glad that I am not going to
this meeting!

I watched ESPN Sports Center off and on throughout the day on Wednesday. They
featured military personal who lost arms and legs during battle in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Instead of saying "Whoa is me", these crippled military personnel
used prosthetic devices, and continued on with life the best that they could.
Some of these heart wrenching store rally hit a nerve in my body and mind.
There has to be a better way to solve conflicts without bombs and bullets!

Since Linda was in Walmart, she wandered over to the food isles. She saw some
frozen pizzas. While she was hovering over her selections, a Hispanic woman
asked her husband what kind of pizza he wanted for supper. Linda struck up a
conversation with the woman, and asked how the pizza's were? The lady said that
they were very good. Linda chose a 12 inch one, and we had it last night for
supper.
I whipped out the pizza stone, put in the oven and got the stone good and hot.
The pizza came out wonderful. The pizza stone made the pizza come out crispy. We
will never cook a pizza with out one. We now have to look for pizza paddles.
Mike and Danielle have one in Kansas. Kevin for sure has a couple for his
restaurant in East Boston.

Linda's BONCO went well. When she comes home from one of these sessions, I
always ask if she picked up any good stories from her girlfriends. She said that
the wife of a guy who I retired with (his wife a couple years later) is going to
be a grandparent for the third time. The first two grandchildren are boys, but
his daughter really wants to have a girl this time. I hope that she gets her
wish!
It doesn't matter to Linda and I that our third grandchild is male or female.
As long as the baby is a healthy and cute like the two grandchildren whom we
have right now, it will still be wonderful for Grandma and Grandpa.

Sports -- My Boston Celtics basketball team beat up on another weak team in
Boston last evening. I switched channels for most the the game and watched
"First Blood" with Sylvester Stallone playing John Rambo. I have seen this film
over twenty times, and I like it every time I see it!

Social Calendar -- Linda never did play Mah Jongg yesterday afternoon. There is
a session tonight, and I think that Linda might be hosting it. People like
coming to our house because we are such good hosts. I say "we" because I do have
a small role as the beverage man. I am the guy who sets up the coffee, tea
water, water bottles, and other beverages (no alcohol).
I am free as a bird! I have to clean some shelves in our garage. The other day
I grabbed something, and a dog dish came crashing down, and hit the cement floor
in the garage. The dish went out in the trash on Wednesday. We will be needing
dog dishes (we have extras) on Thanksgiving when we will be child sitting, and
dog sitting for Kevin and Kyla.

Speaking of birds, once a week we have a nature column in our local newspaper.
Several times people have asked "Where have the birds gone?" because no birds
have been coming to their bird feeders. Well, they ought to come to the Curley's
home. It is like "Wild Kingdom" at our house since I built a two piece wooden
structure which holds two bird feeders (plus three other ones in our small
yard). Everyday, furry, and feathered friends, which we can see from the sliding
glass windows from the family room, feast on the black oil sunflower seeds which
attract all kinds of birds. Sometimes the bird feeders are quiet because of two
feral cats who hover underneath my multiple bird feeders just waiting for a bird
to make a mistake by not being cautious, and aware of their surroundings.

Well, I rambled quite a bit today.
Don't tell me that my blog was a bit long, I already know it!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Veteran's Day

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned on Tuesday.
Linda won the most times during her Mah Jongg session.

The Annual Irish Sister City meeting went well at our house last evening.
There was much food, fun, and merriment. The annual meeting was one of the
shortest on record.
After sending today's e-mail, I am going to do the Minutes of the Meeting,
and send it out to members. Only one of our more mature members doesn't do
computers.

I just got back from "Retro Fitness". I was the first one at the front door at
4:30 AM. The only other guy at that time was the Asian guy. If he ever wore one
of those black outfits, he would make a great "Ninja".
I am trying to figure out a more reasonable time for workouts. I like the
earlier time because the machine are usually free. I also want the least number
of people to see "Jabba the Hut Curley" trying to work on his out of shape body.

Observation one -- I wanted to wish everyone a "Happy Veteran's Day". Uncles on
both the Curley and Castronova (Mom's maiden name) had family members who fought
in World War II. My Uncle Bernard Curley, my dad's brother, was buried in
Arlington National Cemetery a few years ago. My brother Michael, who passed away
in September of 1970 of a service connected disability, was a Marine. As you
know our son Michael in Kansas, is still in the military (Air Force). His wife,
Danielle was an A 10 pilot before she left the military a year and one half ago.
Even though I am a die hard Liberal, I do appreciate all the people who have
chosen a military life no matter how long or brief that their commitment was.

Observation Two -- Today on the national news, our President is getting
pressure from Gates, Hillary Clinton, and a Military chief to send more troops
to Afghanistan.
If more troops are sent to the troubled area, we better be successful! I am
still not convinced that this is the best solution.
On the other hand, I have no clue of what is really going on in those troubled
regions. I just don't want any more Americans to shed their blood on foreign
soil.
This is a "no win" situation!

Our Pittsfield Parade starts in Pittsfield at 10 AM. I am hoping the the
furniture is delivered before the parade starts so that I can see the parade.

Social Calendar -- I am not sure if she coordinated an afternoon Mah Jongg
session with her other set of girlfriends.
Linda is the only one engaged this evening. She has her once a month Bonco
session at friend's home at 7 PM.


Well, I have to tidy up the cellar from last night's party.
I also have to make room for the piece of furniture which is being delivered
today between 9 AM and 12 PM, and get rid of the least desirable coffee table. I
will put it in the garage until someone wants it. It is going to garbage burning
plant next week, if no one claims it!

Have a great Wednesday!
Enjoy the day if you have it off.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning from Pittsfield

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned on Monday.

I went off to visit dear old mom at the nursing home around 10 AM. I wheeled
her outside to get some fresh air for about 45 minutes. Yes, we did stop by my
car, and we both had a light Whiskey and gingerale. She enjoyed every drop of
it!

When I came home from the nursing home, Linda and
No one came forward to take my job as recording secretary, known as the "Clerk"
in our organization. It looks like I will be doing the job for another term of
office. Actually most of the officers have the job for life once they are
elected. I think that there are only one or two changes this upcoming year.
There will be much food, fun, and merriment before this evening comes to an
end. Members and their significant others are bringing appetizers. The Curley's
are providing the place,the set up, and most of the beverages. The people in the
Irish Sister City organization are mixture of young and more mature members. A
good time will be had by all!

Linda is going off to her normal Tuesday Mah Jongg session from 11:30 AM until
about 4:30 PM. I have to clean up the bar area in our basement, and cool down
some beverages.

We did a couple of errands after our house cleaning / fall decorating. We did
go back to the furniture store which was closed on Sunday afternoon. They are
delivering a piece of furniture on Wednesday. It is a coffee table with a hidden
computer work station. Linda and I were getting tired of use T.V. tray tables
for using the lap top.
We now have a coffee table which is free to anyone who wants, and needs one.

My UNICO board meeting went very well. Every time we have a meeting, I pick up
new dates to fill up the Curley social calendar.

I did my workout out at Retro Fitness already. I am causing a little problem by
opening and closing the garage door as I leave and return from the workout,
especially since anyone in the master bedroom can hear the garage door going up
and down. I just can't be quiet no matter how hard I try.

Observation -- As we are on the highways, and in shopping center parking lots,
etc., I often seen cigarette butts, discarded lottery scratch tickets, and trash
from those fast food joints. I don't know why people just throw things out their
car or truck windows.
Is a cigarette but thrown out a car window trash? I think so!
How about the people who empty their car ash tray full of cigarette butts right
out side their car on the ground in parking lots? Have we created a nation of
slobs?
As I drove home from my workout, a guy was walking his two rodent size dogs.
The dogs were peeing in my front yard flower beds, mail box post. I did see that
he had a "doggy poo" bag to pick up droppings. I was wondering if he would have
left the deposit in my flower beds if I didn't happen to be turning into my
driveway.
When we dog sit for Kevin and Kyla's two dogs in a couple of weeks, I am taking
them out for a walk in the wee hours of the morning. We might go right by this
guy's house.
One of my father's brothers, who is now deceased, was having a problem with a
guy letting his dogs defecate on his manicured lawn. My uncle said that he
picked up the droppings, and put them in a paper bag, and put them on the
culprit's front steps. His neighbor got the message!

Observation two -- There is a trim Asian guy, with no body fat, who is always
at the gym at 4:30 AM pretty much 7 days a week. He puts the maximum weight on
every machine which he uses. I usually use a machine at the farthest point away
from this guy. I don't want him to see the minimal amount of weight that I use
on each machine. He had so much weight on a leg press machine that he was using
this morning, I couldn't budge the machine one inch. One part of the gym is for
the body builder type of guys. I keep my distance from those machines, and from
those guys.
I have been enjoying using the tread mill (only my second day), of course at
one of the slower possible speeds. I was on one for 30 minutes today. I almost
fell down after I stopped the machine. My legs were like rubber. I have to keep
reminding myself not to look down at the track of the treadmill as it is going
round and round.

The crock pot boneless chuck roast turned out wonderful for supper. Yes, I put
it in completely frozen, and hard as a rock. I couldn't invite any friends
because the piece of meat was on the small side. It was so yummy! My spice girl
did a good job of putting in just the right amount of flavor ingredients.
The wife of the rotator cuff guy did a pork roast the other day in her crock
pot. She said that it came out so wonderful.

Linda and I are pretty good sales people of the product. We have talked so many
friends and relatives into using one.
Maybe a crock pot company should hire us to do an infomercial promoting their
machine.
If you are thinking about getting a machine, get the largest one possible if
you are going to be cooking for more than two people. The 7 quart size is about
the biggest on the market right now.

The next device that I would consider getting is one of those fancy pressure
cookers / slow cookers. The ones that they sell on QVC are only the four quart
size, which is too small for the Curley's.

Well, I have to do a couple loads of bar glasses in our dishwasher, and
straighten up the bar area.
Have a great Tuesday at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned on Sunday.

My Patriots did win, but they are still under the radar with respect to the
team being good enough to make it to the Super Bowl. That is the way us Patriot
football fans like it. Their first big test will be next Sunday night against
the undefeated Colts. I can't wait!

Our two friends who are recovering from the surgeries are managing okay. The
knee guy is doing the best, and is planning on returning to work toward the end
of the week.
The rotator cuff guy is not doing that well. He needs several more days before
he can handle seeing visitors. He did try sleeping in his own bed. That didn't
work out, and he is back to the lounge chair. Nurse Judie did sleep in her own
bed for the first time in almost a week. She said that it was wonderful compared
to sleeping on a couch next to her husband in the lounge chair.

Observation -- We were in one of our local super markets on Sunday purchasing
several boneless chuck roasts which were on sale. As Linda was selecting the
roasts, a crock pot challenged lady started talking to Linda. The woman said
that the last roast which she prepared was a disaster. Linda gave the woman a
fool proof recipe.
The lady said the last time that she cooked a roast in her crock pot, all she
used was a couple jars of gravy, and that was it. She said that her family gave
her a "Thumbs down" on what she prepared. After Linda gave her some helpful
hints, the lady purchased one roast, and said that she would give it another
try.
If you are doing a roast for the first time in a crock pot, the grocery store
has packets of ingredients with all the correct spices, etc. All you do is add a
little water.

Note -- The little water comment is very important. When you are cooking pot
roast and pork roasts in a crock pot, you don't fill the crock pot up to the top
with liquids unless you are making soup. You want the roast to cook using the
meat's natural juices. Since we cook the meats frozen, there is even more liquid
created when the roasts thaw in the crock pot during the cooking process.

We bought several of the roasts because I use my "Seal a Meal" device, and
package, and freeze them as soon as I get home from the grocery store.
I might even prep one when I get home from the gym along with a few potatoes,
carrots, and onions. I will let Linda put in the spices which she likes.

I am the only one socially engaged today. I have a UNICO Board meeting at 6 PM.

I will not be sitting on my butt throughout today. We have our Annual Irish
Sister City Meeting at our house on Tuesday at 6 PM with about 15 to possibly 20
people coming (members and significant others). I have to vacuum the basement
which is where the meeting / cocktail party will take place. Where I sit watch
sporting contests is a mess. I have food residue all over the floor and couch.
The residue includes peanut shells, pistachios shells, apple cores, pretzel
crumbs, etc.

We did go off to the furniture store on Sunday to look at an item which Linda
was all excited about purchasing. The store was closed when we arrived. I think,
we will be going there today at some point.

I tried a tread mill device this morning at "Retro Fitness". I was a little
nervous about using the machine. There were so many options to choose from. I
visualized me flying off the machine because I didn't know what buttons to push.
Good thing I chose to wear my glasses today. It would have been embarrassing to
call "911" from a fitness gym!

My internal time frame is all out of whack. I lost a week in November in my
brain. I was thinking that Thanksgiving was in a little over a week from now. I
guess that I was looking forward to Thanksgiving on the one hand, but hoping
that it would be over because we are baby sitting for our grandson Max on the
first Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. The baby sitting will take place
at our house. We will be dog sitting for Kevin & Kyla's two dogs too.

We will be reaching the mid 60's today. I might go and visit mom in the nursing
home, and take her outside for some fresh air. I already have some liquid
refreshment in my car. I will make her a light "High Ball" before my visit is
over. Of course there are signs all over about not giving patients liquids or
foods without checking with the nurses station. I am going to violate that rule
today!

Politics -- Health Care is the biggest issue for the President and Congress
right now. The house vote was along party lines. Now the Senate has to take up
the bill, and tweak it.

Well, I am going to prep the crock pot, and try and go back to bed for a couple
of hours.
Have a great week at work or play!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,
Another day went as planned.
Linda and her girl friend left our house at 8:45 AM, and pretty much shopped
until they dropped. When I say shopped, we are talking about going to a craft's
fair at St. Joseph's High School at 9 AM, having breakfast at Reva's, going to
another Craft's Fair in a neighboring town, going to two furniture stores, and
finally a little tool around "Home Goods."
I knew about the two Craft's Fair, but I didn't realize that furniture shopping
was part of the deal. Linda's girl friend was looking for two bookshelves to
replace the outdated ones that she has on either side of the fireplace in her
home. Well, Linda started thinking about furniture rearrangement, replacement,
as well as some new purchases. We will be purchasing a coffee table that opens
up into a computer workstation for our family room. Linda was tired of using
T.V. trays for when we do computer stuff, while using the laptop daily, in the
family room. We will be going off to the furniture store so that I can see the
coffee table within the next day or so. This is just the beginning of more
furniture changes in our house. We better win the lottery pretty soon.

I went off to Lee to see dad, and wish him an happy 86th birthday. He wasn't
home when i arrived at 9:30 AM. I then went off to see Mom at the nursing home.
I took her outside to enjoy the semi-cool, but wonderful fall like day that we
had in the Berkshires. As we were walking around the parking lot, Mom noticed my
car. She asked if I had any alcoholic beverages in the back of my car. This time
I didn't have any. I am going to keep a flask of Whiskey, and some gingerale in
the back of my car. We will be having a couple of "High Balls" the next time I
visit Mom at the nursing home.

I left the nursing home, and headed to visit the friend who had the knee
surgery this past Thursday. He took himself off of the pain pills. He was doing
okay, and had just a dull ache in his surgically repaired leg. I wasn't as macho
as he was when I had my quadriceps tendon surgery a few years ago.

Social Calendar -- Linda is off today at a 11 AM for a baby shower. This sounds
like a fun time, and it could possibly be so. I will get myself into trouble if
I explain this relationship. Let's just say the relationship between the mother
and the father of the baby is not normal.

I am off to visit the other patient who had surgery, rotator cuff. I am
planning to arrive at his house at the start of the New England Patriots vs the
Miami Dolphins football game. The starting time is 1 PM. I don't know how long
that I will be staying at his house. Nurse Judie will probably do a little
business in her store while I am doing a little male bonding with the patient. I
am not sure how long that the bonding will take place. I can visualize a visit
by Linda too, and more bonding taking place. This could lead to supper, etc.
I might have to miss a meeting this evening (about a volunteer matter), but I
always say that family and friends come first.
Like I predicted, Nurse Judie isn't having a fun time caring for her patient. I
told her that it would take a great deal of work, and that the routine would
wear her down.

Observation -- While Linda and her girlfriend were doing breakfast, a strange
thing happened. I am not sure how I would have handled it. The breakfast place
is wonderful. They serve breakfast through lunch. The place is owned and run by
a Culinary Institute Chef. The place is usually busy, and there are normally
lines. This day there weren't any lines. An empty table of four was available.
The waiter didn't want to seat Linda and her girlfriend at the empty table even
though there was no one in line. He said that they could sit there, but he would
move them when a table for two opened up. Well, Linda and her girlfriend went
into "pit bull mode." If they are seated at that table, they weren't going to
move. Well they did move. A guy came in with his wife, and their baby in a baby
carrying device, and ended up sitting at the the table for four. What would you
have done in this situation?

Sports -- My Ohio relatives went to bed happy. Their Buckeyes beat Penn State
soundly. My friend, who I was bonding with, went into more pain when his Penn
State team made error after error.

Have a great Sunday.
It is going to be warmer today than yesterday.
I am so glad that I did my raking and winterizing of the deck, etc. We have one
neighbor who moved in a couple of weeks ago who hasn't dealt with the leaves in
his yard. You know what happens. Us people that picked up our leaves end up
doing his leaves when the wind blows. Oh Darn!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Friday went exactly as planned. We were in East Boston at 10:30 AM. We
socialized for a little while with Kyla and baby Max before she went off to body
maintenance appointment or two. Our first bit of baby sitting lasted a couple of
hours. I took the dogs for their first walk to the waterfront park, which is one
block away from their apartment.
Kevin was so busy at the restaurant with his regular Friday customers, and from
the production crew who were taking down the set in the warehouse which they
used to produce the movie, that we didn't see him until 5 PM. This warehouse can
be seen right out side Kevin and Kyla's second floor apartment located right
above their restaurant.
There was also a bunch of construction people right outside his place doing
road work. They ate at his place too.

The next bit of baby sitting took place from 6 PM until 10: 20 PM. Kevin & Kyla
were rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, the Mayor of Boston, etc., at the
Boston Public Library. This was a fund raiser / gala for the Library.

When they arrived home from the gala, Linda and I said our "Goodbye's", and
headed back to the Berkshires. Kevin and Kyla offered for us to sleep over, but
Linda is booked in for Saturday and Sunday events. Our heads hit the pillow at
1:30 AM. I fell asleep in less than a minute.

I just came back from a little workout at Retro Fitness. The doors open at 6 AM
on Saturday and Sunday. I was on time, and the workers were late by 15 minutes.
This messed up my time frame. For my friend who is thinking that I will be
muscle bound in 6 months, yes, they do have the typical cardio machines. It sure
beat walking on the track when it is in the 20 degree range or less.

Dear Old Dad is 86 years old today. At some point our paths will cross today. I
do have to visit Mom at the nursing home too.
I also have to visit my friends who have had surgery. I might visit the knee
guy today, and the rotator cuff guy on Sunday. The Rotator Cuff guy seems to be
a bit cranky with respect to yesterday's e-mail which he sent. I am not
testifying in his law suit!

I have to wake up Linda. She told her girl friend to pick her up at 8:45 AM.
They want to be at the Craft's Fair when the doors open at 9 AM.
I will take a shower, and head off to deal with my parents, and at least one of
the guys who has had surgery.

One of the college football games which I want to see today is Ohio State vs
Penn State. My relatives from Ohio are diehard Ohio State Fans. My friend who
had the knee work done is a diehard Penn State fan. I haven't decided who I will
be cheering for.

My "Sportsman's Guide" Waterprooof 100 degree below zero rated pac boots
arrived on Friday. I can wait to wear them ice fishing, snow blowing, or
participating in winter activities.

Well, I hear Linda moving around.
I will bring her up a coffee which I used to do every day when we were
teaching.

The weather in the Northeast is supposed to be mild for several days.
The Patriots will be playing at Gillette Stadium on Sunday in 60 degree
weather. When you play a team like the Dolphins, playing in cold and snowy
weather gives the Patriots a decided edge. Tomorrow's forecast is too nice!

Have a great weekend.
Get outside and enjoy the cool crisp weather in the Northeast.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned.

I took my friend for his day surgery on his knee. He was home by 3 PM. I am
wondering what he feels like this morning. He is one of those guys that doesn't
have patience for sitting. He will be up and walking with his cane today.
Correct that, the cane is mine, because he forgot to take his for the day
surgery.
The Rotator cuff guy is being kept drugged by his wife. If the pain pill bottle
says dispense pill every couple of hours, Nurse Judie does so. She had him so
doped up yesterday that he was drooling!

I am almost ready to head off to the gym. I have to get in a quick workout
before we head off to East Boston at 8 AM for a baby sitting gig for our
grandson Max. This will be a day trip because Linda is booked in with events on
Saturday and Sunday in the Berkshires.

Speaking of East Boston, they were filming on Thursday. This involved a
sequence of some Navy Seals. I can't wait to see this Tom Cruise Movie.

I forget to mention yesterday that Linda had a couple of Christmas Shop
injuries. She was just coming out of the rest room when I guy crashed into her
and hurt her hand. He had two over sized cartoons in his cart, and was zooming
down an isle trying to catch up with his wife. He was driving while visually
impaired.
She got he second injury on one of her fingers while trying to put some
delicate items in our overloaded cart. Luckily I was carrying a couple of
bandaids in my wallet (for possible blisters when playing golf). She needed
oneto help stop the bleeding.

Observation -- Every day at the gym, I see a new muscle man. When they start
wearing those belts to help them from breaking their back from lifting heavy
weights, I clearly see that I am out of their league. Every time I go to a
machine after these muscle bound guys get off, I reset the weights so low
compared to what they were using. I can't even lift the weights that these guys
put on the machines that they use.
My body is aching once again because I am using muscles that I haven't used in
a while. Maybe if I continue with the muscle toning, I will be able to hit a
golf ball father next season.
It will be several months before anyone notices any changes in my body
structure.

Have a great day at work or play.
It will be cool throughout Massachusetts today, but a warm up is in sight. We
will be in the 60's by Monday and Tuesday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad