Hello on Monday

Dear Friends,



Linda and I did make it through 3 Christmas parties and one fundraiser on Sunday. The best food was at the Italian American Club! Linda and I could have stayed and grazed there all afternoon if we weren’t committed to attending the other parties too.



The Fundraiser for the two year old with leukemia went very well. Our local newspaper said that the fundraiser ended up making $14,000. When we left Patrick’s Pub at 7:30 PM, the figure was closer to $16,000. Linda won a few restaurant gift certificates at the Chinese Raffle which made her day even better.

I did bring a check from the UNICO organization which I belong to. The UNICO Charity board had me deliver a $500 check.



Linda and I continued to be celebrities because of our picture making it on the front page of Friday’s Berkshire Eagle. People at each gathering asked if I purchased the bird feeder that I was holding onto in the picture. Of course, when I said that I did purchase the bird feeder, the people started tell me about their bird feeding stories. One lady said that her husband designed baffles so that the squirrels would not eat all the seeds at their bird feeder. Some people jokingly said that they wanted our autographs.



By the end of the day on Sunday, my leg which I am experiencing some problems with, was really hurting. Right now, my leg is killing me as I try and move around the house. The positive effects of the injection have worn off. I feel like taking myself to the emergency room, and get that arthroscopic surgery over with. If we were baby sitting Max today, I wouldn’t be able to carry him up and down the stairs.

My first therapy session is on December 27, 2010. I hope that I can make it to my first session.



Social Calendar – I believe that I am the only one who is socially engaged today. I have a UNICO membership meeting at “The Old Forge” in Lanesboro at 6 PM. This December meeting is well attended one because this restaurant serves one of the best meals of all of our dinner meetings which we have throughout the year. I can’t wait!



Linda’s new camera – As we were reading the fliers in the Sunday newspaper, we saw the exact model for her Samsung Galaxy 5 camera listed for $49.95 at Target, and Radio Shack instead of the $199 which she paid at the A T & T store. Before we headed off to the Italian American Club party, she returned her telephone to the A T & T store and she was rebated $150. Linda didn’t make a scene because there were other customers in the store. The guy had to supposed go in the back room, and call his manager before the rebate was allowed. I might be getting my own telephone sooner than expected.



There was a front page article on our local newspaper about the decline in people hunting. It is muzzle loading season for deer hunting until the end of December here in Massachusetts.



Speaking of sports, while we at the ITAM, we saw bunches of people on Pontoosuc Lake Ice Fishing. When you look out through the windows of the ITAM Lodge, you have a perfect view of the lake. The weather was really nice yesterday, and I was jealous that I couldn’t be out there. I am going to renew my sporting license at some point in the next few days.



Continuing on with the sports theme, Michael and his family from Kansas had pheasant for supper last evening. He went on a few day hunting trip with some buddies, and did a little pheasant hunting. You have to watch out for the shotgun pellets when you eat the birds unless head shots were made.



I did stay up and watch the Patriots survive a closely contested game. They didn’t look like that they were really prepared for the game. Good teams find a way to survive the close ones. The other team lost because of a time management problem. The rookie quarterback for the Packers wasn’t mentally prepared to get a play off and score the winning touchdown with no timeouts, and 24 seconds on the clock. The game was within the grasp of the Packers.

I did watch the post game wrap up, and it did appear that the Patriot Coach was suffering from some kind of illness. He looked like he was sucking on throat lozenges as he was answered questions from the media.

The Patriots will be better prepared for this week’s game.



Well, I have to get moving, and hope that my leg pain will decrease as I move around.

Both Linda and I have a whole bunch of things to do like wrapping gifts, packing for the couple day trip east, washing some clothes, trying to figure out what extra items need to be packed, etc.



Have a great Monday at work or play.

Enjoy the lunar eclipse.

Think snow for Christmas because it is on our doorstep here in the Northeast.

Talk to you soon! The Curley Lad