Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

Our Monday went as planned. After our 10 AM meeting we went out for breakfast at a downtown eatery called "On a Roll". We beat the breakfast time line by 30 minutes. It is nice when you have a coupon which says breakfast for two. We then headed off to Walmart in search of a couple basic necessities. The parking lot was full. Good thing that we didn't have a full list of items to pick up.

My UNICO membership / dinner meeting went well at the Cork & Hearth Restaurant in Lee. We are doing so many fundraisers. The next one is this Thursday at the ITAM. I will be part of the kitchen crew. As of last night, 275 people have signed up for the event with more people purchasing tickets at the door. Linda and some friends will be attending the event.

We have a bunch of events in May too. The May 15 event is for a Baby Boomer friend who has Alzheimer's disease so bad that her husband had to put her in a Dalton nursing home. She might not be well enough to attend the fundraiser in her honor. Her husband has his own set of health problems too. He is a long time UNICO member. It is so sad to see what this disease has done to her. Of course, you have the residual affect of making the caregiver sick too. This is another situation where we all should enjoy life every moment that we are on this earth because we never know what the next day brings. Surround yourself with family and friends. Give your grandchildren a whole bunch of hugs as often as you can. If you have a significant other, give them a lot of hugs too.

Politics -- While in the car, I turned on the radio and listened to my favorite local talk program. The host had on a representative from the local "Tea Party". They were going to have a rally at our Park Square, and then a speaking program next door at the Crowne Plaza. I felt at times that I was listening to the Republican taking heads like Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, etc. The talk show host is a former Democrat turned independent, but the way he portrays our President and local Democratic Congressmen and Congresswomen on the National, State, and politicians on the local level on his program each day, he might as well be a Republican or a Tea Party member. The guest on the radio program and the talk show host didn't like the way the United States spends money which we really don't have. Well, do you think we Democrats like all the money that our government spends on a daily basis? Can you think what good that the money spent on the million dollars per Tomahawk Missile would do just to help here in the United States.
I was reading my latest edition of the AARP newsletter, and they highlighted who and what age group of people has found it necessary to go to local food banks just to survive each week. Baby Boomers are gravitating to these food banks. Our roads are a mess in Massachusetts, and throughout the country. I think that we should return to the WPA programs that we started in the World War Two time frame. There are so many public projects that could get people back to work. Our National Public Parks have taken a hit, and have gone into disrepair. Some parks have been closed as cost cutting measures. Our bridges can all be updated. A National high speed rail way would help get some of our cars off of the roads in this time of ever rising gasoline and diesel fuel prices. Our Libraries have decreased the hours of when they are open. Our National Silvio Conte archives have taken a hit. We do need a strong military to keep this land the "home of the brave, and the land of the free", but do we need to spend the largest amount of our budget on weapons that kill people than any other Nation in the world? A few months ago the local General Dynamics workers secured a $500 million dollar contract (with the help of both Democratic and Republican congressmen form Massachusetts) for defense work on our Nuclear Submarines. Those workers don't want to hear about cuts in defense spending. The Republicans and my independent friends think that we Democrats are really leaning toward a socialistic type of government. No party is in favor of giving our hard earned dollars to people who don't want to get off of their butts and find a job. Those Democratic programs were designed to get people over some tough times in their lives, and not make handouts a way of life. How about helping the people in the fire ravaged Texas area, or helping people in States in which Tornadoes have caused millions of dollars in damage?
We as a Nation don't do well in helping our own people!

On a happier note, my Red Sox, and my Boston Bruins won their sporting contests on Monday. The Boston Celtics play the New York Knicks in their second game of the division playoffs this evening.

Linda has a bandage change this morning before she heads off to her normal Tuesday Mah Jongg session at 11:30 AM. Since we have another dreary day on tap for today, I am leaning for a fish and chips dinner for two at Matt Reilly's for supper tonight. By going out to eat, we are helping the economy. Yeah Right!

We still have the heat on in our house which is sad to say. The next day which will have sunshine and relative warmth will be Friday (high of 55 degrees). The senior group will be teeing off at 9:30 AM, and I hope to be on the golf course with them. Today and tomorrow have a 50 % and a 60 % chance of rain respectively. On Thursday we will have howling winds with temperatures near 50 degrees, and you won't see me on the golf course.

Well, I have to finish my morning routine, and answer the telephone when the VNA nurse calls. I might attack our messy garage before I take my beloved afternoon nap. I will need a nap if I plan on staying up for some the Red Sox game which takes place in Oakland California this evening.

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