Hello on election day in Pittsfield

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned.

Linda went to the hospital during the early afternoon to be with her friend
whose husband had his rotator cuff surgery. As some of you know from a private
e-mail from "Nurse Judie", the surgery went well. When the doctor went in to
make the repair, he told Nurse Judie that her husband's shoulder was really
messed up. The doctor had to put 4 screws in to hold everything together.
The hospital didn't want to keep him overnight. Nurse Judie loaded her husband
into the car, picked up some pain medication at a local pharmacy, and headed
back home to West Stockbridge. The patient hopefully slept okay last evening in
his brand new lounge chair which he can't operate since the lever to operate the
chair is on the same side as where the surgery took place.
A handy friend said that he would stop by and try and "jerry rig" a way so that
the patient can operate the chair without help from Nurse Judie.
The doctor said that the patient will not be able to return to work for 2 to 3
months. Essentially Nurse Judie and the patient have a long road ahead of them.
Nurse Judie likes to settle down and relax with a glass of wine in the evening
after her normal daily routine which includes some form of exercise, and running
her business (a woman's specialty shop). I think she might need more than one
glass of wine for what she is going to experience for the next few months.

Last evening she was afraid to go upstairs and sleep in her own bed. She slept
on the couch while her husband was trying to sleep in his lounge chair. I can't
wait for an update on how the first night home after the operation went.

My day was less eventful. I went off to my assigned station and held visibility
signs for a couple of hours. I will be holding signs once again at a nearby
polling station after I vote in my own ward. My sign holding takes place from 10
AM until noon time.
The voting takes place between 8 AM and 8 PM.
Linda's Mah Jongg is canceled for today. Sick players, and players visiting
family out of town caused the postponement.

Linda is actually happy that she doesn't have to do anything until we attend a
victory (we are hoping) party for our Mayoral candidate. The party is going to
be held at the ITAM (our Italian lodge which Linda and I belong to, and are
officers in). If anyone wants to join us, there will be free food, and a cash
bar. Not all people who attend this party are even residents of Pittsfield. Some
people just follow the free food!

Sports -- I think that the Yankees lost last evening so that they can wrap up
the World Series in their own ballpark on Wednesday night.

Observation -- While holding a political sign yesterday, I stood next to a guy
who was holding a sign for himself. He is running for re-election as a City
Councilor. As we were chatting, and solving all the problems in the world, and
in Pittsfield, we started talking about the drug problems, gangs, etc.
He started to "spill his guts" how his own family was affected by drugs,
alcohol. He wasn't a participant in the drug and alcohol scene.
I must project an image of a counselor, confessor, psychiatrist, etc. I can't
use this e-mail to give details of what he said, but the information was truly
amazing. I would vote for this guy in an instant if he was a running for a seat
in my Ward.

A friend drove by as I was holding signs. He said that he beeped his horn, and
I didn't acknowledge him. I had two signs, one on the front, and one on the back
of my body attached by strings. Since it was windy, I held the front sign with
one hand, and the back sign with my other hand. I couldn't wave to anyone in
their cars which were going by in four different directions. My friend called me
on my cell when I didn't acknowledge him. The traffic was so noisy that I didn't
hear the cell phone vibrate or ring.

Well, I have some quiet chores to take care of before my day starts.
Get out and vote!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad