Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

I booted up my leg first, and the computer second this morning. Day one with the boot went very well. I tried not to move around too much, but that didn't happen. I did leave the house only one time, and that was to visit Mom in the nursing home. The meeting at 2 PM was for the required quarterly family review. The update on how Mom was doing was a very positive one. Mom is not eating meals in her room anymore. She is participating in more activities, but she doesn't get involved in things like Bingo. She never was game player since she spent most of her time taking care of the family and cleaned her house sometimes twice per day. I asked the staff about her dementia, but the case worker said that she recognizes all the workers and acknowledges them.

A patient pulled a fire alarm about 15 minutes before our meeting was supposed to start, The Lenox fire trucks did show up, and reset the alarm system. For a moment, I thought that I was back in school where every once in a while some student would do the same thing. As I left teaching, the number of students who pulled fire alarms decreased because they charged the culprit(s)a little over $1000 for the misbehavior.

My father is amazing, as I saw him work the corridors and rooms of some people who he knows at the nursing home. I know where I picked up that habit of working the crowds in my life. Everyone knows and loves him in the nursing home including the nurses and house keeping staff. He can't walk down any corridor without acknowledging someone. The nursing home should hire him as "The Mister Feel Good Guy." It would probably help my dad to overcome some of his loneliness.

My Red Sox lost another game last night by a score of 2 to 1. The Red Sox bats have gone cold. I don't want to talk about the Yankees!

We received an e-mail from our Neighborhood Watch President. Someone broke into his car the other night, and also in a neighbor's car few doors from his. At the last neighborhood watch meeting, the police said that we had one of the safest neighborhoods in Pittsfield. Well, cancel that thought!
Luckily, the Curley's are now parking their cars in our garage since the deck work has been completed. Our cars have been parked in our driveway for a month and one half.

Politics -- Congress hasn't reached a budget agreement. The President wants the richest of the rich to pay some taxes, but the Republicans say no way. Why is it that the average person has to foot the bill for everything that needs to be taken care of in the United States? Most of us citizens who do pay taxes are tired of paying for able bodied people who don't want to work or who are on the public dole. As I have said in the past, some of the social programs were designed to give people a little help in a time of crisis. Living on welfare checks when you are physically able to work should not happen. Maybe it would be wise to hire more people (to lessen their workload) to check up on the freeloaders. Can we get rewarded if turn some of these freeloaders in whom we know could be out in the workforce?
Also, when Social Security was created, it wasn't supposed to be a person's retirement plan. People were supposed to save a few dollars on their own for retirement, or hopefully work for a company which offered some form of a pension plan.

Politics continued -- My radio show host friend still beats up our President and the Congress in general on his radio talk show. His latest pet peeve is that our President and his wife are taking too many trips in the guise of campaigning for the next election. Every sitting President has done this. Being the Liberal Democrat that I am, I say that it is perfectly acceptable way to spend my tax dollars. Presidents should work the global crowds. The benefits of doing so might not happen instantaneously, like we all would like it to, but the rewards will happen.
My friend should go after companies like General Electric or the Big Oil companies which paid no taxes last year. These companies claim that they were spending a lot of money for research and development, and that they deserve a tax break. Yeah Right!
I can hear my friend talking about jobs and the economy. I say stop the wars, and spend the dollars fixing roads, bridges, public parks, etc. like they did after World War II. This would get a lot of people off the unemployed roles. Building a high speed rail system across the country would get more people back to work too.

Social Calendar -- Since I an unable to play golf for a little while, I will be participating in grandchild and dog care for this whole weekend 24/7. Max and the creatures will be at our doorstep at 11 AM if all goes as planned. My son is usually the one who knocks things off the schedule. This is not a Curley trait that I passed on. I / we are known as the "Early Curley's". I did have to train Linda a little bit, but she knows how anal that I am. She still doesn't like the fact that I go to wakes 15 minutes before the viewing time. Sometimes the mourners think that I am a family member!

Linda is also hosting BONCO (total of 12 women at three different tables) this evening at 7 PM. I haven't figured out how I am going to take care of Max and the dogs. I might abandon the dogs, and take Max to a playground or go and visit the neighbors up the street until Max is ready for bed. When Max goes down for his afternoon nap, I will be taking a nap too!

As the weekend approaches, I hope that everyone has a great Fourth of July.
Get out that American Flag if you have one.
Talk to you soon. The Hobbling Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,

Tuesday started of to be a good day for me, but there was a major bump along the way. I left the house first which is typical. I played a quick nine holes of golf. My Achilles tendon was really bothering me as I tried to swat the ball. I called the orthopedic doctors while on the course, and they squeezed me in for a 2:45 PM appointment. I knew that there wasn't much of a chance that I was going to see my particular doctor so I told the receptionist that I would be fine being seen by Physician's Assistant. He said that I did not have a ruptured Achilles Tendon, but it was strained. The solution was to wear a boot for 4 to 6 weeks, but I could try and wean myself off of the boot as the strained Achilles pain dissipates. He also said that I have to go a Physical Therapist for several sessions which should speed up recovery.
Now you would think that this boot wearing is no big deal until you remember that the Curley's have a full social calendar for almost every day of the week. I will give you an example: Our toddler grandchild from Tewksbury arrives in Pittsfield on Thursday morning with the two family dogs. Thursday night, Linda is hosting BONCO for 12 women while I take care of Max, and the two dogs. Can you visualize me walking up and downstairs to the bedrooms and up and down stairs to my man cave with a boot on? Saturday morning is a UNICO Pancake Breakfast at the Senior Center in downtown Pittsfield. Sunday we are going with a group of people to the James Taylor Concert at Tanglewood. I am the person who usually hauls in the Curley chairs, food, tables, etc. Walking from the parking area to the main gate is going to be a challenge. On July 4, I was supposed to March in the Parade with my UNICO Brothers and Sisters. I have that covered because there are vehicles that I will be able to ride on. Next week, we have a picnic at an Irish Sister City friend's home and the next day is a Picnic in the Park at Wahconah Park to dine and watch our local Canadian League Baseball team.

I really try and not bring too much stress in Linda's life, but stuff happens. She is a crazed person at the current time as she sees me hobble around in the boot, and when she starts thinking how busy we will be for the next week or so. Oops, I just remembered that we are attending a wedding in Okemo, Vermont during mid July, and we have another Third Thursday that I have figured out how I will deal with.

When I left the Orthopedic place, I tried driving home with the boot on. This was a big mistake. Trying to hit the gas and the brake pedal not at the same time was a challenge and it caused some heart palpitations. I will take the boot off to drive, and then put the boot on when I get to my destination.

I also didn't go straight home from my appointment. I stopped at my friend's home. These are our friend's where the wife broke her ankle in two places over the Memorial Day weekend when she stepped off of their deck in to a hole that their dog had made. We had dueling boots on their deck. She also gave me some helpful hints about wearing the boot. I had played golf with the husband in the morning so he knew that I made the Orthopedics' appointment on the golf course, and he also knew that my Achilles was really killing me while I attempted to play golf.
They invited me for supper and some beverages. Linda couldn't join me / us because she was out to dinner celebrating a girlfriend's 60th birthday.

Speaking of Golf, I won't be able to play golf for a while. Linda won't have hours of alone time when I am a usually playing golf. Oh Darn! More stress for Linda! She did have some thoughts of trading me in for a newer and healthier model.

Social Calendar -- Today I am going to help Linda prepare for her BONCO session on Thursday night, and for the morning arrival of our grandson and the dogs. I have to go to the nursing home at 2 PM for a normal family meeting / review about my mother. I am going to hobble off and choose a kids' swimming pool. Should I use one of those motorized carts at Walmart to get around the store, or should I just let Linda go to the store alone and have her make the selection?

News -- I see where the wacko terrorists are now sending in suicide bombers into hotels like the one in Kabul. We in the United States are now on alert because the same thing could happen in the United States. Since the average person in the United States can only afford places like "Motel 6", there isn't much of a chance of terrorists striking these lower priced motels?
Syria is in a political mess. Lybia's status isn't much better. Our President is going to make another Presidential address. Most citizens in the United States want us out of the Middle East conflicts!

Sports - My Red Sox lost to another National League Team last night. The Red Sox have turned into an average team as the Yankees keep rolling along. Is it too early to worry about the Red Sox making it to the playoffs or not?

Well, the pitter patter of the rain woke me up, and I couldn't go back to sleep. Once I woke up, I started thinking about all the stress that I caused in Linda's mind.
Both of us will survive this little bump in the road if I end up being a quick healer.
I might go back to bed right after sending this e-mail to see if I can pick up those lost hours.

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

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

The Queen is back home. She arrived earlier than I thought she would which was at 8 PM. She said that I didn't exaggerate about me describing how awful the weather was on Cape Cod. She said that yesterday was the best day of her week long stay. She said that there was a wedding on Saturday afternoon on the beach at the motel complex that they her and her friends were staying at. The wedding took place in a total fog. I would bet that the couple who got married will never forget their wedding day on Cape Cod.

She didn't come home with a lot of treasures from shopping adventures, but she did have some great dinners at a multitude of restaurants each night that she was on the Cape.

Linda would love to have a day off to recover from her week long adventure, but it will not be happening today. She has her Tuesday Mah Jongg session, and a birthday dinner for a friend at Mazzeo's Ristorante. I was hoping that I could fire up the grill and have a home cooked meal together. Not!

A meal together on Wednesday isn't going to happen either because that is her knitting group gathering at Panera Bread.

We found out that Thursday will be the start of our baby sitting for our grandson Max. Max is arriving at 11 AM, and he will be staying with us until Monday morning. This is the Fourth of July weekend so we will have a lot to keep Max entertained including taking him to a Fourth of July picnic. The home which we will be at has an in ground pool. Speaking of pools, Grandma and Grandpa might have to go searching for some kind of kids' pool today for our house. It sure doesn't appear that Linda will get any days off until late next week. Oh Darn!

His parents and a bunch of friends will be off to a Phish Concert at Watkins Glen, New York. This will be a camping adventure. They arrive back in Pittsfield hopefully to be able to make it to the Fourth of July picnic mentioned above.

Monday was a pleasant day. I went to Lee and installed one of those mirrors so that my father can see up the hill and behind the car so that he doesn't have any accidents. He has trouble with rotating his neck.
He must have passed on the same problem to me. Oh Darn!
I arrived home and gave the lawn a trim, and then took two full bags of clipping to our recycle plant. I did squeeze in an afternoon nap as planned.

News -- I didn't see anything exciting on the news today, but two articles did get my attention. White Bulger did enjoy a pretty good life on the run. He even made gambling trips to Las Vegas out of his Santa Monica apartment. He even went to Boston to take car of some unresolved issues. As I keep reading stuff about him, I almost get the feeling that the Feds knew where he was staying. If you remember, there were many reports over the years that he was somewhere in England or Europe. I think that this was a concocted story so that Whitey could live the good life in California.

The second article that peaked my interest was that a New Hampshire apartment complex has mandated DNA for all the pets which people have. They must be going to hire a dog pop checker. If you don't pick up after your dog leaves a deposit, I would imagine that you could get kicked out of the apartment complex.

Speaking of dogs, I forgot that we will be taking care of Kevin and Kyla's two dogs as well as Max this weekend. Sometimes the dogs are more work to take care of than the grandchild. We have a grumpy neighbor behind us who has threatened to call the dog catcher if I let the two dogs roam. Also the long hair Dachshund doesn't like to sleep alone. He has to sleep on the bed with Linda and I. His legs are so short that we have to pick him up and put him on the bed. I tried closing the door to the bedroom. He will just keep scratching on the bedroom door all night long. This could be a long and tiring weekend. Oh Darn!

I am teeing off with a friend at 8:15 AM. There will just be two of us. I think that we are playing only 9 holes which is fine with me. I have some errands to do after golf, then I have to weave in an afternoon nap. It looks like I might cook some more chicken leg quarters on the grill, and dine in the screened in room on the deck, and watch the Red Sox in that room too. It is another picnic by myself evening! This is not as bad as it seems.

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

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned in my world. I accomplished a few tasks, and headed off to a picnic where I was the only guest. I arrived at the picnic 2:30 PM. There was much food, fun, and merriment before I decided to return home at 7:30 PM.
Was Linda having more fun on Cape Cod? Not! As I was having my first beverage on our friend's deck, she called to find out how things were going. She and her girlfriends were huddled together on the beach with blankets, and wearing hoodies hoping that the sun would come out. I knew that the ladies on Cape Cod were in trouble when I watched the Boston News Channel on Sunday morning and the weatherman said that there was a dense fog on the Cape with 1/4 mile visibility. I told her that my fiends and I were wearing shorts and tee shirts. Even though the sun was semi in and out in the Berkshires, we were enjoying mild and comfortable temperatures. Earlier in the week, I had suggested that her and her girlfriend, who drove them to the Cape, leave early, and she could have joined me at the picnic. So let me summarize how things have been going for Linda since February. She had the "Hernia from Hell" which went on for several months. She / we then moved on to the "Deck from Hell" which is pretty much done, but she wasn't home to enjoy it this weekend. Now she has the Cape Cod adventure where her and her girlfriends have seen a minimal amount of sun for whole week. Their highlight of the day is cocktail hour and dinning out for supper. Of course, they all did a little recreational shopping, but one of their goals was to get the start of a nice summer tan. There are only four women left on Cape Cod as of this moment. The plan for them is to check out, and go the beach, and get as much sun as they can get today. When they have had enough sun, they will then head home and do some recreational shopping as they exit the Cape. I don't expect to see her until after 10 PM.

The food at the picnic which I attended was superb. The healthy part of the meal was a vegetable dip. There was another hot appetizer, and a fresh salsa dip. The main meat for the meal was those thick pork chops from Guido's, and some chicken legs. My friend is really big on flavored type of au jus gravies which the meat is cooked in and eventually dribbled over the meat. There was a potato and bean salad with a vinaigrette dressing. There was also a pasta salad. Yes there was dessert, and it too was wonderful. It was a fresh berry concoction over some pecan ice cream. Another nice thing about the one guest picnic is that there were no arguments, and you could direct conversation totally with and to the hosts.
As I left the picnic, I thanked the hosts profusely. The hostess thanked me for the multitude of the stories which I told during the picnic. Did I have a good time? You bet I did!

As I mentioned before, when Linda comes home she is back to her busy schedule. Her next totally free day appears to be July 9, 2011. She might want to stay at the Cape.

World News -- I read that one of those suicide bombers blew himself up at a medical clinic which was helping his own people. Some people who died in the blast were pregnant women. How sick are these crazy people? I am to the point now where we should pull out our troops at every base outside of the United States, and let each nation try and solve their own problems. If they want our help, they must pay for it. We also have to stop sending money to these countries because the monies never seem to go to the right places. If these countries want to treat their people like crap, so be it. It is time for the United States to stop being policemen of the world. Yes, we do have to monitor these countries which appear to be in upheaval. We also can't shove Democracy down their throats. Revolution has to come from people within that country. We should not be involved with civil wars in these foreign countries.

Politics -- I was thinking of the Bachman woman who wants to represent the Republican Party / Tea Party in a run for the Presidency. I think the fact that she was a "Good Witch" at a time in her life will come back to bite her. When a person decides to run for political office, he or she better not have anything negative that a reporter could dig up in their background. Newt Gingrich would be a great candidate for the conservatives in our country. His multiple marriages, his going out with someone while wife number one was dying will be his downfall. A person's religion usually doesn't have an impact on a person who runs for political office, but being a Mormon (Romney) who supported universal health care in Massachusetts might be a liability.

Sports -- The Red Sox broke their losing streak. The Yankees keep on winning. Oh Darn!

Social Calendar -- I have to do a little more house cleaning. I might give the lawn a trim with the rear bagger attached. I have been tracking in grass in the house ever since I cut the lawn the other day. Using the rear bagger will put an end to that. I also have to do a project for my dad either today or tomorrow.

We will have a full day of sunshine today in the Berkshires, and I am going to enjoy it. I still have to squeeze in an afternoon nap too. I want to be awake when Linda comes home from her Cape Cod adventure.

I was chatting with my father the other day, and I told him about the radio program that my blogger friend has each day Monday through Friday from 10 AM until 1 PM. Instead of having guests on his talk show, one day last week they did a little reminiscing of all the places like grocery stores on every corner in each neighborhood, taverns which no longer exit, businesses which were around when us baby boomer were growing up which no longer exist, etc. My father may forget where he put his cell phone, but he remembers all the people and places when and where he grew up. He could tell you about the woolen mills that he worked in which no longer exist. He could tell you stories about his growing up in a Wahconah Street neighborhood, being an Altar Boy at St. Charles, and attending St. Charles Elementary School. He worked in grocery stores which used to be on North Street which no longer exit. He worked at Harry Nichols Supermarket which has been around since the 1930's. He ended his working career in the Paper Mills in Lee which nor longer exist. If you think that I am never at a loss for words, then you haven't talked to my father. I learned from the Master! My 87 year old dad might be a good guest to have on my friend's radio program.

Have a great day at work or play.
It is hard to imagine that the Fourth of July weekend is already here. Linda and I will be busy beyond belief. Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday

Dear Friends,

Another day without the wife around turned out to be a pleasant one. The only stressful part of the day was doing a little housework. Whoa! Do I sound like the Queen of the household, or the Master of the household? My mother never asked my father to clean and spruce up the house. My father fixed things, but he never cleaned toilets, and mopped floors. Has our baby boomer generation been whimpified? I don't mind helping out with certain aspects of house cleaning, and I will give you an example. As we get older, the weight of the vacuum cleaner has become a difficult device to carry up and down the stairs of our Colonial Style house including the stairs to my man cave for Linda.
One of my baby boomer friends does everyone's clothes in his home besides cleaning his house. He even presses some garments of the family members. My mother always washed my clothes. Whoa again! Do I want my wife to be like my mother too? Did I marry her because she had that mother like quality?

Speaking of marriage, now that New York passed a law to allow same sex marriages, there still are some problems. If you are a religious person who wants to marry a person of the same sex, there aren't many religious institutions that recognize the marriage. The institutions will not allow you to walk down the isle, and have a Church wedding. The Catholic Church is one of those institutions which has no tolerance for gays.

I did see where a 99 year old bachelor in a nursing home got married for the first time to an 87 year old woman who is also in the nursing home. I guess that you are never too old to get married.

If you get a chance to see a short video of a police car hitting a bear as recorded on the Dash Cam, you will see how dangerous it is when you live in area where wildlife abounds. When I drive at night time, I always try to be careful in woodsy type areas, because any type of animal can dart out in front of you. Our military son hit a killed a deer (which we eventually ate) when he was on a Christmas vacation from the Air Force Academy many years ago. I have hit a wild turkey, and all kinds of rodent family type creatures. I have never hit a deer, but there have been several incidents where I stopped the car as deer crossed right in front of the bumper of my car.

Another must see video is where a customer chased three teenagers in a small town as they went into a Walmart and walked out with three cases of beer without paying for them. She followed the teenagers to their car and jumped on the car, and got dragged for an instant. She got bruised when she hit the ground. The cops caught the car full of teenagers. The interesting part was when the lady received an e-mail from the parents of these thieves. The parents praised the action of this concerned female citizen, and hoped that the teenagers would get the proper punishment for what they did.

The YMCA Wing Fling went very well. This was my first time working such an event so I didn't know what the procedure was. Each volunteer serving the wings had two trays of wings from a particular restaurant. When the trays were empty, our responsibilities were over. The event started at exactly 7 PM, and my trays were empty at 7:45 PM. Some restaurants severed ribs too. As volunteers, we had free access to the food. Since my Achilles Tendon was really bothering me, I decided get off my feet, and go home and watch the Red Sox. This was a waste. The Sox lost their game. The Yankees won their game, and the Yankees have taken over first place in the division. Oh Darn!


Linda did communicate with me about 10 minutes before we received our instructions of how we were to serve the wings at the Wing Fest. Linda said that when the sun popped out on Cape Cod, everyone from their motel scurried right to the beach.

The rain has stopped in the Berkshires, but we might have more clouds than sun compared to other parts of the Northeast. Monday will be the picture perfect day of the upcoming week.

Social Calendar -- Linda is still on Cape Cod. My only "must do" task is to hang some stuff in the screened in room on our deck, but this is after reading the Sunday newspapers. After I take my usual nap, I will be going to picnic which I was invited to.

Well, I woke up too early this morning so my nap might be an earlier than my normal one.
Have a great Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday

ear Friends,

Another day went as planned in my world. I accomplished all the tasks which I set out to do. I had a picnic on the deck by myself. I grilled some chicken leg quarters, and tried to watch television in the screened in room on the deck until hypothermia set in (as well as rain). I moved indoors, and ate the chicken and watched the Red Sox go down to defeat. I didn't get too much chicken grease on the leather couch or on my clothes. I didn't have to light a candle since I cooked the chicken outdoors.

The Red Sox are keeping pace with the Yankees because they lost their game too. Since both teams are playing National League Teams, there is no designated hitter. The pitcher has to come to bat while designated hitters like David Ortiz are on the bench. The Sox have now lost three games in a row. Oh Darn!

Linda called from Cape Cod as I was sitting on the deck waiting for the chicken to cook. Four of the ladies were sitting on their beach chairs in the sand hoping that the sun would peek through the clouds. Not! The other women were out doing a little recreational shopping. When these ladies returned from shopping, it was going to be cocktail hour. Bloody Marys were going to be the cocktail hour drink. They had reservations at Doyle's Restaurant for supper. Can you imagine the conversation which would have been like with the 14 women at that restaurant? The ladies are hoping that they will see the sun on Sunday and Monday. Linda told me that after they check out on Monday, they (only four of them) will spend the day at the beach and in the sun. It could be a late Monday night arrival back in the Berkshires as they shop their way off of Cape Cod.
I am not sure if Linda wants to return home. On this coming Tuesday she is booked in for two events. Her calendar is full through Thursday. This coming weekend is the Fourth of July, and we will be taking care of Max, going to a James Taylor Concert, me marching in the Pittsfield Fourth of July parade with UNICO, and attending picnics.

Speaking of picnics, when I was in a grocery store purchasing my chicken, I met a former student of mine Ed Mylarzchik (sp). He had three pork butt / shoulder roasts (high fat content) in his grocery cart. He was going to slow cook the meat, and make pulled pork for his Fourth of July picnic. He said that he owns two smokers, one which is electric. He prefers the old fashion one over the electric one. If we weren't booked into a picnic on the Fourth of July, I would have invited myself to his picnic.

I have been having some unusual aches and pains lately. I went on internet, and got on WebMd. I looked up my symptoms of where the aches and pains are occurring in my body. My self diagnosis was that I might have developed a kidney stone. The medical treatment is to drink a lot of water which helps to flush the kidney stone out. I have had one kidney stone in my life, and I don't want to go through that ordeal again. Shortly after my incident, which occurred about 10 years ago, a teacher had a kidney stone. As he described what the doctors did to surgically remove his trapped kidney stone, I started to feel ill. I was lucky to have passed my stone. Currently my pain is in the dull ache variety. If the pain hits the severe range, I will take myself to Berkshire Medical Center.

Another issue which I am dealing with is an Achilles Tendon problem. I ruptured an Achillies Tendon about 25 years ago in my right leg. Well that same leg is bothering me in the same area. I pretty much limped while doing all my errands on Friday. There was no "pop" which happened when I first ruptured the tendon. I am hoping that it is just a strain that will heal itself. If I had to march in the Parade today, I would be in real trouble.

I can hear my blog reader Albert saying that if I lose weight, there would be less strain on my body.

Social Calendar -- Linda is at the Cape. I and my fellow UNICANS will be helping out at the YMCA Fundraiser Wing Fling at Berkshire Community College. We are part of the serving and clean up crew. When the wings are gone and we are done cleaning up, our responsibilities will be over. There will be a band playing until midnight for the dancing pleasure of the guests. We workers were advised to show up at 5:15 PM even though the Wing Fling starts at 7 PM.

New York is now the 6th State which allows gay marriage. The vote took place on Friday. It was signed in law by Governor Cuomo.

I decided to watch the Boston news channel while my chicken was cooking. The whole news broadcast was about the arraignment of Whitey Bulger and his girlfriend who were captured in Santa Monica, California after being on the run since 1992.

Weather -- We have a 60 % + chance of rain and thundershowers. There is a light rain falling right now. The weather channel said that there might be some severe weather in the Southern Georgia area which is exactly where my military son and his family will be living for the next few years. Oh Darn!

Observation -- Besides this rain creating more weeds in our flower beds, the mosquitoes will be out in force. The cool damp weather is an ideal condition for these blood suckers to grow. We used to be part of a county wide mosquito control project. Our city thought be a long and painful summer for we homeowners in Pittsfield. When the mosquitoes are active, we really appreciate our screened in room on our deck. There must be some environmentally safe chemical that I can purchase and spray on the bushes in our yard. I wanted to get a bat house, and attach it too our storage shed. Bats do eat a lot of mosquitoes. This concept was not well received by my wife.

One of my friends is going to Tanglewood this evening to see the ageless band "Earth, Wind, and Fire". I do hope that he has tickets in the shed. If he has lawn tickets, he and his family better bring rain gear. Linda and I saw this band while at a teacher convention in Philadelphia during a Fourth of July weekend several years ago. They closed down the streets, and a good time was had by all at this free concert.

Well, I have to tend to some clothes which are in the dryer. Have a great weekend despite the rain if it is in your area. Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

Linda said that Thursday on Cape Cod was cool and rainy. 10 other friends made it to Cape Cod yesterday. A few more are coming today. The ladies won't see the sun until Sunday and Monday like us in the Berkshires.
It was not only damp and dreary on Thursday, but it was even cold on Cape Cod. I asked Linda if she packed some clothes which would take out the chill, but she said that she didn't. This means a little shopping at "Cuffy's" for a sweatshirt.
The twelve ladies went out to supper in the rain. I think that their cocktail hour at the motel went a little longer than planned.

I gave our lawn a trim, but I dodged raindrops during the last 15 minutes of that task. I did put most of the deck furniture on the deck. If it every stops raining I have to do some weed whacking, put plants which we have already potted on the deck. The positive about the rain, which has been falling on a daily basis, is that I don't have to water all of the flowers which we planted. The negative is that the weeds are multiplying at an exponential rate. Weeding the flower beds is another task which I hope that I will be able to do.

We have a day of off and on rain on tap for today. The front is just churning counter clock wise, and it will take a while before it exits the east coast. If this was winter time, we would have snow falling day after day for a week straight.

A professional basketball player is going to change his name from Ron Artest to "Mehta World Peace." I really hope that his basketball game will see a noted improvement because of the name change.

Politics -- While doing some of my projects in the garage yesterday, I had the radio on and I was listening to my friend's 3 hour long talk show radio program. He was picking on me a little bit about calling him and several of my email recipients "Fence Sitters" which is the name which I have assigned to those people who call themselves "Independents". His contention is that the two party system is not working in this day and age. I want to know how and what should we do to change the way it is right now. The solution is not to create a new party, but to fix the problem with the party which you have tendencies to support.
To me it is like Public Education. If you are not happy with Public Education, you don't just throw it out. Some of my email recipients actually joined their local school committee to affect changes when their children in school.
Yesterday, my radio show host started to pick on Teacher Unions a little because the Pittsfield Public Schools and the Teachers Union are close to an agreement. My friend thinks that the teachers should make concessions to some issues that we retired teachers fought long and hard for when were teaching. I will give you an example of a particular issue. I am not sure if there was language in the contract when I was Union President. On the first day of school, every teacher had to submit to the Principal of the school which day of the week that they would stay after school for extra help or to administer "make up" tests for students who missed school. Some teachers stuck to that one day, but most of us would help a student any day of the week when a student requested. During contract negotiations, the Administration wanted to put it is the contract that the teachers must stay for one class period for after school help. When I was teaching, we did it as a "prior practice", and I don't think that there was language in the teacher contract.
Another thing that Administration wanted was a dress code for teachers. If a teacher is dressed inappropriately, which some of the young teachers do dress, why can't a principal go right to the teacher, and tell the teacher of his or her concerns? Most of the teachers do dress in a professional manner, but some think that MTV type of clothes are okay in the classroom.
For myself, I didn't think jeans were appropriate dress for a classroom teacher. If I was a vocational teacher in a shop setting, wearing jeans wouldn't bother me at all because their students would end up working in a setting where jeans were an acceptable form of dress.
Finally, many issues can be resolved on the discussion level. If the Union starts playing "contract" on every issue which arises, the administration will play by the language of the contract too. I have been in this situation as a Union President, and it was not pleasant. I will give you an example. We used to be able to go to a Principal and ask for a day off either the day before or the day after a school vacation or a holiday. Well some teachers abused this unwritten privilege, and language was put in the contract restricting being absent from school before or after the school vacation or holiday. A friend of ours wanted to go to Texas a day early of a holiday weekend to help set up for the rehearsal party and wedding for her only son. She goes to the Assistant Superintendent to ask for the day off. He pulls out the contract, and said that she can't take the day off unless she does so without pay.

Social Calendar-- Linda is at the Cape, and I have a totally free day which I am going to enjoy every moment of. I am going to try and do my outdoor tasks, read a little, take an afternoon nap, and watch the Red Sox, and enjoy the peace and quiet. If it stops raining around supper time, I will cook something on the grill which I have used only once since I bought it a couple of months ago.
The deck still has a few cosmetic things which have to be done so we are almost ready to party.

Have a great start to the weekend even though it is raining right now here in Pittsfield.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

It sure was a damp day in the Berkshires on Wednesday. Rain caused our golf adventure to end after four holes. My golfing buddies and I are going to try it again this morning at 7:44 AM.

After yesterday's rain out, I went off to Lee to do some work at my Dad's place. My sister was there with one of her girlfriends checking on Dad to see if everything was going well, which it was.

I did weave in a nap, and decided it was a good day to savor a book. I read the book while watching the Red Sox going down to defeat while the game stopped and started multiple times due to rain delays. If the Yankees had one both games of a day / night double header, they could have knocked the Red Sox out of first place. It didn't happen because the Yankees lost the night game.

News -- I see where the Irish Mob Boss, Whitey Bulger from Boston got captured in California. He has been on the run since 1995. He and his girlfriend has been on the FBI most wanted list. As I read the article about his capture, I think that his girlfriend unintentionally helped to take him down. She was obsessed with keeping her 61 year old body in perfect condition. She had too many body maintenance procedures, and probably did a little too much talking while being taken care of. Now I don't want the females to start commenting about what appears to be a chauvinist statement. I went with Linda while she was getting a haircut a few months back. I sat in the "man chairs" while I waited for her. I brought a book to keep me occupied. I couldn't read the book because the talking among the workers and customers was so loud that I couldn't concentrate.

I see where Lindsay Lohan is heading back to court. She failed an alcohol test. It looks like Celebrity Rehab was not successful for this wacky woman.

A friend sent an article about the war we have at the American / Mexican border. Our President is getting bad advice that it is not a problem. Our border patrol guys are in fire fights just like they were in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maybe if we stopped spending $2 billion per day for the wars that we are currently engaged in, we could spend / transfer a few bucks fighting the Mexican drug cartels, and the illegal border crossings.

There was another earthquake in Japan. Not sure about any damage.

The Deck from Hell continues. Linda will not be coming home to a finished off deck. Our deck stain guy did stain the lower half of the deck on Tuesday afternoon. The rain yesterday washed away the stain. Oh Darn!

Linda is starting to get our dark, rainy, dreary weather on the Cape. Like I predicted, shopping was a way to ease the pain of not seeing the sun. Oh Darn!

Social Calendar -- Today is the Shakespeare Gala in Lenox for big donor patrons. Linda and I usually accompany a donor and her husband for this ticket required function. I might have to represent the family this evening if our friends are attending the function. I love to attend these social gatherings and mingle with the well to do patrons. There are many great appetizers, and complimentary beer and wine. There is also a play which starts around 8:30 PM. I might stay for at least half of the play unless it is a real good one.

Have to go and read the local newspaper, and then get dressed for golf.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,

I completed my tasks that I set out to do on Tuesday. I was finally able to get one car back into the garage, and it happened to be my Subaru. Linda's Cape Cod roommate picked her up around noontime. She apologized profusely for being a couple hours late, but it wasn't a big deal for Linda.

On the ride to the Massachusetts Turnpike, they went by Eastover, and through Lenoxdale since Route 7 and 20 had construction going on which turned a two lane road into a single lane. Well the ladies almost didn't make the 12 mile trip from Pittsfield to the Mass Pike. As they came over the bridge in Lenoxdale, a huge black bear crossed the road right in front of their vehicle. They came within inches of striking the bear. The bear traveled from left to right in front of their vehicle as it headed towards the Housatonic River. I told Linda that the bear was possibly going for a swim, or he wanted to do a little fishing in the river. The bear was so huge that if they had hit the creature head on, the car would have suffered severe damage. Linda's girlfriend was driving the car.

After doing my garage work, I did take a wonderful afternoon nap. I then took a quick shower and I headed off to the Italian American Club to see if they needed any help in the kitchen. A group of us Unicans, stuffed 120 finger sandwiches (ham, seafood, tuna, and egg salad), made a fruit tray, and a tray of cheese, crackers, pepperoni, along with some olives, and pickles, and potato chips, and dessert. There were about 80 guests in attendance. When the Scholarship program ended, there were almost no leftovers. I did manage to take home a few finger sandwiches which will become my lunch today.

I was also asked to help out with the Annual Wing Fling this Saturday evening at Berkshire Community College. We Unicans will be helping with the serving and clean up for the event. Do you think that I might take a few wings home? Not! Last year they ran out of every single wing. Any guests who came after the starting time never got to eat any wings. These wings come from multiple restaurants in Berkshire County. These restaurants are vying to have their wings voted "Best Wings" in the County. The competition will be fierce.

Social Calendar -- I am supposed to play golf at 9:12 AM this morning. The foursome is all set. We have some rain heading our way, and as you know, I don't do golf in the rain. The heavier rain will be arriving later on today. I assume that Linda and her girlfriend are having fun at Cape Cod. The rain is supposed to reach them eventually. 16 women with no sunshine could be a problem. When you are on Cape Cod, and you can't get any sun, what do you think that the women might do? You all know the answer --> Shopping! Of course, they could catch a few "Chick Flicks" at the Cape Cod Mall.

Sports -- My Red Sox lost their game last night, and the Yankees' game got postponed.

Observation -- I was talking to some friends about how nice the June Third Thursday went since the police confiscated bikes, and wrote out tickets for the children who were riding their bikes. My friends brought up another issue which might require me to write another "Letter to the Editor" in our local newspaper. Since I was preparing Irish Bangers, and not walking around the closed down street, I missed seeing the people with their dogs. Some of these friends said the number of dogs everywhere caused a real problem. Even though the owners had their dogs on leashes, you know not all dogs remain calm when they see another dog. These people said that the dogs should not be part of the Third Thursday unless the dog is a "Seeing Eye" dog. Our friends said that dodging dogs and their leashes made for an uncomfortable situation. Leave you dogs home even though they might be cute, and even if you want to show off your cute dog.

Poltics -- I was thinking about the state of the two party system which I believe does work, but needs to be tweaked as we encounter various problems in the United States. From my perspective, we have:

1. Democrats

2. Republicans

3. Tea Party (Wannabe more conservative Republicans)

4. Independents (Fence sitters who claim to be progressive thinkers who will vote for the best candidate (in their mind) who can do the job.

When it is all said and done, we will be voting for a Democrat or a Republican to represent us in Congress or for President of the United States. Money is the key to keeping the two party system working no matter how angry the average voter is about a particular issue. If you are an arms manufacturer, you want conflicts and wars to be never ending. If you are big oil, "drill baby drill"! If you are a company in the health industry, the politician who keeps their profits high will get their money. If you belong to a Union, the politician who keeps the workers' bargaining rights will vote for that candidate. The list of examples is endless, but we will all be voting for a Democrat or a Republican.

Well, today will be the first full day without Linda around. I am already thinking about a whole bunch of tasks for her, but she won't be around to do any of them. What is great is that I don't have to be quiet. I can open the garage door which is next to the Master Bedroom when I want. I can do a load of clothes and dry them any time day or night. I can cook a chicken novena and don't have to light a candle. I am in heaven right now! After a couple days, I might get a little lonely, but for right now "Life is Good!"

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

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

I slept like a rock last evening due to the manual labor of working in our garage for several hours. I cleaned the deck furniture before I hauled it to the back yard. Does the average two person family have 16 chairs, two regular size tables, and two Bistro tables for the main deck, and another table with four chairs in our screened in room as well as a synthetic wicker couch with two chairs, 2 end tables, and a coffee table? I couldn't put any of the furniture on the main deck yet because the top half got stained at 4 PM on Monday, and the bottom half will be stained this afternoon weather permitting.

While I was doing my thing, Linda spent most of her waking hours packing for her 6 day trip to Cape Cod (she has been doing so for the past couple of days). You would think that she was packing for a month long trip. Besides her clothes, she also packed beverages and snack food, a sand chair, etc. Her girlfriend will be picking her up around 10 AM today, and I will help with loading her stuff into the friend's car. The friend has a small sized SUV, and I know that it will be packed to the rafters before they leave our house. Linda will be missing her Tuesday Mah Jongg session. Linda will enjoy a few calm and quiet days with her girlfriend. She will enjoy her days at the Cape especially when the 14 other women arrive on Thursday. As soon as she arrives home on Monday of the following week, she will be back to a full Social Calendar including a baby sitting gig for MAX, and a multitude of Fourth of July activities.

Social Calendar -- I am going back in the garage in a couple of hours, and start working on the shelves and workbench that are out of control. UNICO will be having a scholarship awards night at the Italian American Club at 6 PM. I am going to go early to help out making some finger sandwiches. I have a golf committee meeting on Wednesday night. I think Thursday I don't have to go out in the evening.

Sports -- The Red Sox and the Yankees won their games last night, but Boston did it with a multiple run game. They spanked the San Diego Padres by a 14 to 5 score. I will be watching the Red Sox after my evening gathering.

Observation -- As I was watching the Red Sox pre game show, I got to thinking about our dreadful economy. The broadcast is done outside of Fenway Park on a raised platform. In the background, there always is a sea of people milling around the gates into the ballpark. Some were eating food from vendors, and some were going in and out of restaurants bordering the ball park. You would have no clue that there are any economic woes in the United States. These people are paying extremely high prices for tickets to the game which is after what they paid for parking near the park. Inside Fenway, you better have a wallet full of money to pay for food and beverages because those prices are so huge that you can't afford to take your family to the game. I will give you an example of high prices. While at the graduation picnic the other day, the grandfather of the graduate told me that he took his male grandchild to a game at Yankee Stadium. They were at a restaurant in the Stadium, and he ordered a Canadian Club on the rocks. They bar tender put in one ounce of alcohol in the drink. The bar tender asked if he wanted a double shot. The grandfather says yes. The drink coast Grandpa $26. They ordered a hamburger during the game, and it cost $16. Grandpa and his grandchild split the burger. When you are watching a game which takes place at Yankee Stadium, the seats that you see behind the batter are over $2000 per ticket. Who can afford to take a family to a baseball game in Boston or New York? When our military son took his family to a game in Kansas City, he paid $10 per ticket. The average price of a ticket in Fenway is $117. 85 % of the tickets at Fenway are already owned by season ticket holders. Can the economy be that bad when I am watching the Red Sox game where every seat in the ball park is filled?

Well, I have to read the Berkshire Eagle, and then put on my work clothes and get to work. I will squeeze in an afternoon nap too. Have a great Tuesday. I will let you know how mine went without Linda in the morning. Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday

Dear Friends,

Hope that all of you had a wonderful Father's Day in whatever form which you celebrated it. Linda and I had fun with my father during a leisurely breakfast at the Friendly's Restaurant in Lee. I was relatively hungry so I ordered the "Lumber Jack" breakfast. The breakfast included three eggs, three pieces of bacon, and three pancakes. I assumed that the pancakes were going to be the medallion size. Well, they turned out to be the Lumber Jack size. After breakfast, I felt the need to cut a cord of wood! My father was in very good spirits, and we all enjoyed the time that we spent together. My sister and her husband came to visit with dad in Lee during the afternoon. She was thinking about cooking him supper, but all of us were so full after breakfast that food was the last thing on our mind.

Linda and went home, and I squeezed in a nap before we went off to an unplanned event. The daughter of our West Stockbridge friend's received a Sons of Italy Scholarship at the ITAM Lodge. We decided that it was important for us to attend the event.

We went our separate ways after the Scholarship Awards'. The West Stockbridge friends had made reservations for Mario's Restaurant for 5:30 PM, but Linda and I were still full from the morning breakfast with my father. Linda and I just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and evening. I watched the last few inning of the Red Sox game, and switched over to professional golf. We ended the evening watching previously recorded programs.

The Red Sox recovered from their loss the night before and spanked the Brewers, and sent them packing.

The 22 year old from Northern Ireland, Mcllroy, looked like Tiger Woods when he was younger in the professional golf tournament that he won on Sunday. To lead all four rounds of a tournament, and have the winning score has only been done by a handful of golfers. A new generation of twenty year olds has taken over the world of professional golf, but can they get the viewing audience that Tiger Woods commanded? Have we seen the last of Tiger Woods? Another thing to note is that the list of the top 10 golfers in the world doesn't include that many Americans. Oh Darn!

I went to bed and caught the last few minutes of the Miss USA contest before the news came on. You may make fun of me because I watch a good deal of sporting contests, but this contest is a total waste of a person's time.

Each of our sons celebrated Father's Day in a different form, but we did communicate with each other. Kevin, Kyla, and Max went to Danbury, Connecticut to bond with Kyla's Mom, Kyla's Uncle and their family. They arrived home in Tewksbury during the mid afternoon.
Our Lt. Colonel son and his family had the movers finishing up packing their rented house in Leavenworth, Kansas. They were just about set to make the 18 hour drive to their new residence in Valdosta, Georgia. Driving with a 1 year old and a 3 year old would be quite a challenge in itself. There was no way that our son Michael could even think about celebrating this Father's Day.

I am not playing golf today! I have to clean the second half of a garage which is full of deck furniture. If things go as planned, the final coat of deck stain for the flat part of our two level deck should take place today or tomorrow at the latest. When Linda arrives home from her Cape Cod girls adventure, she will be coming home to a finished deck. We will finally be able to park both cars in our garage too.

While I am doing my thing today, Linda will be finishing up her packing for her Cape Cod trip. Linda and a girlfriend depart at some point on Tuesday. They will have some alone time on Cape Cod until the 14 other women arrive toward the end of the week. Linda is looking forward to having absolutely nothing on her social calendar. She is really looking forward to me not thinking or creating things for her to do. She will be employing the "Separation is Good" principal for 6 straight days. I will miss her so. Yeah right! Her only request from me is that she wants to come home to a house that is cleaned to perfection. A few days after she comes home from Cape Cod, she will be hosting BONCO. She wants the 11 other women to see a house that looks like it has been professionally cleaned. I did warn her that clean from a male perspective is not the same as clean from a female perspective.

CNN News -- I skimmed the news, and not too much jumped out at me. It was the "some old same old" stuff. I did see that the original owner of the "Hustler" Magazine wants the disgraced Weiner to come and work for his company. This got me thinking about what does a person do that has made an error in judgment like Weiner did as he searches for another job? What kind of job would he be suited for? He would probably keep his suit on a little more often than he has done in the past?

The school year in Pittsfield ends tomorrow. It will not be soon enough for the teachers whom we know. The parents will now have a challenge to provide activities for their children for the rest of the summer. For working Moms and Dads the task might seem overwhelming. If the children are old enough to get working papers, helping them to get a job would be my top priority. I can still see our son Kevin, when he was a teenager, coming home exhausted after hand picking corn on one of the many farms in Berkshire County. Introducing a youngster to manual labor is a good thing. Playing on a sports team was a good thing also. Since Linda and I had summers off, taking the children fishing, camping, to Cape Cod, Disney Land in Florida, Cultural venues, summer camps, etc. occupied a good deal of our summer days.

Well, I have to finish my morning routine, and put on some work clothes, and get to work.

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

Hello on Father's Day

Dear Friends,

I hope that you all had a pleasant day on Saturday. It was one of those picture perfect days in the Berkshires. The only thing that we did yesterday was to attend a high school graduation party a few miles from our home in the town of Dalton. The family running the event had everything well organized. It might have been due to the fact that the mother of the graduate is a science teacher at the secondary level. She and her husband took care of every detail along with her Mom and Dad who came up from Florida. They have a swimming pool so that the high school age friends of the graduate, and parents with children were in the pool most of the time. We senior aged people were on an upper level of the property (under a tent) far enough away from the pool so that we couldn't here the normal pool noise. There was much food, fun, and merriment. Linda and I arrived at 3 PM and stayed until just after 7 PM.

Happy Father's Day to all my email recipients who have fathers still with us, or who are father's to children. My sister and I are fortunate to have our dad with us. When you are 87 years old and still driving a car, the aches and pains which dear old dad has are minor in the scheme of things. Since our deck is still in a state of turmoil, there will be no Father's Day picnic on our deck today. Linda and I are going to take Dad out to breakfast this morning in his home town. My sister has a house full of people and she will be dealing with her family and her husband's dad. She said that she might invite our father for an afternoon burger or hot dog. My sister deals with my dad on an almost daily basis so my father is well aware that we appreciate all that he has done for us over the years.

I was watching the news on television yesterday morning. I couldn't believe the people who stand in line for hours, get in scuffles, just to be able to get in to the court house to witness the trial of the Florida women accused of killing her child. These people must have no life! I can't even watch or think about a mother who kills her child. From my perspective, this was a single Mom, who wanted to party and have fun with other people her age. The child just happened to get in her way of the life style that the mother desired. The solution was to kill the child instead of giving up the child for adoption. I will be amazed if this mother is found not guilty by the jury.

Speaking of not guilty, I read that Oprah Winfrey wants O.J. Simpson to confess, on her new network, that he did in fact kill those people in that famous trial where he "beat the rap." The only time that I would do such a thing is if I was on my deathbed!

My Sox lost their game last evening while the Yankees won their game. The Red Sox and Brewers do battle again today.

I did watch a good portion of the Boston Bruins Parade on television on Saturday. I recorded it for a friend. A bunch of friends of our Tewksbury son were on the Parade route as about 2 million people witnessed the event in downtown Boston.

How about the kiss in Vancouver that has gone viral? A girl and her boyfriend were in Vancouver as the riot took place after the Bruins won the Stanley Cup on Wednesday night. The girl gets knocked over, and ends up on the ground. He boyfriend comes to her aide while she is on the ground, and plants a kiss on her cheek to comfort her as she was going hysterical. The picture is now all over the internet, and this couple has now become famous. You never know when you will get a moment of fame!

I do want to wish our two sons a Happy Father's Day. They are our sons, but they are fathers to our super grandchildren. One of these days, wouldn't it be nice to have both boys and their families for a Father's Day picnic on the Curley deck? As a matter of fact, I wouldn't care if this gathering took place in Tewksbury or Valdosta, Georgia.

I made the comment at the graduation party to the grandfather of the graduate that it was so nice that the hosts as well as he and his wife have such a wonderful group of family and friends who came out for the party. He tells me that he has a brother that hasn't spoken to him in 15 years. When I hear such things as estranged family members, I always feel so sad. What is it with people? Haven't they caught on to the fact that "Life is too short" to harbor such ill will?

Well, I have to skim the Boston Globe and The Berkshire Eagle. We are picking up my father at 9:30 AM at his home. Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned in the Berkshires for us.

We ended up at the Shamrock Restaurant last evening. It was kind of pleasant being alone, but we really weren't alone. We know so many people who were there so that there was no lack of conversation. We spent a good deal of time talking with a retired couple from Dalton who left the Berkshires, and who are now residents of the State of Florida. Linda and I will see them today at a high school graduation party for one of their grandchildren. This retired couple has not stopped working. They work at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida. They are paid at a minimum wage, and they work from 7 AM until 3 PM each day. The husband said that Disney advertises for 3000 to 5000 jobs every day of the week. He told me that the residents in the area don't want to work for minimum wages, and that is why Disney is always looking for help. He is amazed at the attitude of the people who do have jobs there. He said the college students are notorious for coming late to work, and just taking days off. This couple is in the early 70's age range, so they grew up with a good work ethic. If you want to work over 40 hours a week, and get paid time and one half or double time, it is easy to do so. Once again the younger employees have no desire to work extra hours. Does anyone who reads my blog see a problem with the attitude of some these workers?

Most of us all started our first working experience at minimum wage. We were so happy to have a job in the first place. The good life doesn't come easy for the average person. I am so glad that our two boys and their wives were brought up with the philosophy that hard work in the classroom and in the work place is the only way to a successful and happy life. Whoa! Do I sound like I am turning into a conservative? The Social programs that Democrats created were to help people get over the difficult times in a person's life. These programs weren't supposed to be a way of life! I don't want to pay taxes so that an able bodied person can sit on their butt, and collect a monthly welfare check.

Sports -- The Parade for the Boston Bruins who won the Stanley Cup starts at 11 AM today. I will either watch the parade on television or record it. The Boston Red Sox won their game last night while the Yankees lost their game. Derek Jeter, of the Yankees, is 6 hits away for the 3000 hit mark. Carl Crawford from the Red Sox pulled a hamstring muscle beating out a grounder to first base. Kevin Youkilis had ankle twist from a previous game bother him enough that he left the game. The Irish fenom, Mcllroy, is leading golf tournament after day two of the professional golf tournament.

Note -- As I watching the Red Sox game, the two announcers for the Red Sox seem to always get off track while announcing the game. One announcer is going to get a tongue lashing from his wife for sure. On television, he said that he comes home from a 10 day road trip, and his wife of 36 years started complaining about the residue that he left on counter in the bathroom sink. There was a little shaving cream on the counter, and she started nagging him about the mess. Does any of this sound familiar to any of my male email recipients? Linda and I don't have this problem because I use the guest bathroom. When she does poke her head in the guest bathroom after I use it, she has been known to make a few comments about the dirty the counters are, the toothpaste stains in the sink, and the mirror that needs a good cleaning, etc. When you have been married a long time, it seems like the training process that our wives put us through is never ending.

Our friends who set up tents at the Relay for Life function at Onota Lake got a little damp last night as the evening started. The rain did eventually stop, but I am pretty sure that they were setting up their campsite in the rain.

Social Calendar -- We will be attending mid afternoon graduation party in Dalton, but I am not sure what we are doing after the graduation party. Our deck stain arrived on Friday, but it won't be applied until Monday. We are so close to having the project come to an end, and we can't wait. On Sunday, we normally would have a picnic on our deck for Father's Day, but the deck is furniture free until the staining gets completed on Monday. As of this moment, we don't know what we are doing on Father's Day.

It will be so nice to be able to use our garage to park our two cars. We have been parking them in the driveway for several months.

Well, I hope that everyone has a great Saturday and Sunday. We will be having a mixture of sun and clouds with temperatures in the middle 70's today. Get out there and enjoy every moment of it if you live in the Berkshires.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday

Dear Friends,

Our Thursday went exactly as planned, but I was one tired buckaroo when our Third Thursday event was over. I did have a little energy left over to continue partying at Patrick's Pub. When I left the house for the event, Linda wasn't sure if she would make it to the Third Thursday because she was so tired from the Curley full schedule routine. She too got her second wind and joined us and worked the Irish Sister City Booth. She also went to Patrick's Pub for a little while.

Third Thursday was a big success, and the weather was perfect for the 5 PM to 8 PM event. Even though we just about break even once we pay for the Irish Bangers and a few other items, our Irish Sister City Committee is a well established part of Third Thursday. People ate 25 pounds of Bangers, and all of the Irish Whiskey Cake. There are 14 Bangers per pound. One lady and her husband came over to me as I was cooking the bangers, and the woman said that she saw me on National Public Television (another Liberal concept) based out of Albany, New York. She said that I did a good deal of talking during the program (that is nothing new). She said that even though I missed the program since I was working the event, I could access what I missed on the computer. I do remember that an Irish Sister City Member and I were formally interviewed during the May Third Thursday. I explained what an Irish Banger was, etc. The interviewer had a small hand held camera / recorder. I was wondering what happened with this taped interview, and now I know.

Our musician next to our booth was well received until his guitar broke down. Our Irish Sister President, who is a talented musician too, let him use his guitar. Music attracts the crowd, and then we sell the people food.

Another thing that happened while we were setting up at 3:30 PM was a policeman confiscating, and ticketing a bunch of teenagers on bicycles. I had written a letter to the editor of our local newspaper about the police had to stop kids on bikes, skateboards, scooters, etc. because of pedestrian safety issue. Well, the police took control of the situation for this Third Thursday, and this incident happened right in front of me. Do you think that the police read my letter to the editor? The Police Chief stopped by for some Bangers, which he does every Third Thursday, and he said "Curley, I read your letter to the editor." The Chief is a former student of mine. This is another case where "The Pen is mightier than the Sword."

Speaking of writing, I did get a little flack from some of my blog readers about some political comments that I made yesterday. I love the response to some of my positions. I am not going to change my Liberal views or take off my Rose Colored glasses. I still think that the two party system works in the United States. The people who say they are "Independents" are just wishy washy, and they have abandoned their party. They are the fence sitters who are on top of the fence, and can't decide which side of the fence to jump over. Oh, I can hear these independents ready to chime in about being able to vote for the best candidate whether the person is a Democrat or Republican. I still stay fix your own party if you think that it doesn't represent you and your ideals anymore.

The world is still in turmoil. The Syrian and Lybian conflicts scare me the most because I can see the United States being an integral part of these conflicts. The humanitarian aspect outweighs the conflict itself. Most people on this earth worry about their own family, having a roof over their head, and being able to provide for their family. They don't care about the ruling party unless they feel like they are being abused.

CNN had article about Saudia Arabian women being encouraged to drive cars which is against the rules of that country. The internet can be a wonderful thing when people of other nations see how our Democratic society works. A woman not being able to drive in our household would put a real damper on my "Separation is Good" rule that I live by.

Today is the Central Berkshire / Pittsfield Relay for Life at our beautiful Onota Lake in Pittsfield. Linda and I have participated in the past, but we are taking a rain check for this year. Even though UNICO is running the concession stand all day and night long, I decided that I needed a break between the Irish and Italian events that I volunteer for. Our Irish Sister City president has his team all set, and they are ready to camp out this evening. I say good luck because rain is in the forecast. As I said in previous e-mails, our camping days might be over. I use the word "might" because I could visualize a camping trip with the grandchildren. Both of our sons have taken their children camping already. We took our two boys camping when they were small too. I do remember putting a portable crib in a pop up camper before our oldest son ever reached his first birthday. What you do during those child rearing days gets passed on to the next generation. Yes, I do realize that an air conditioned room with a shower has been passed on from generation to generation in the lives of some of the recipients on this blog, but you don't know what you have missed if you skipped the camping experience.

Well, I am supposed to play golf with the seniors. A light rain is falling with a chance of morning thunderstorms which is a bit unusual. I don't do golf in the rain. I can't even get my clubs in the car because it is full of Third Thursday gear. I could do with a day off, and catch up with some reading on my IPad. Linda would most likely do the same thing, but on her Kindle. We are not sure about our evening plans right now, but we will leave that time slot open for discussion.

Have a great weekend!
We have a graduation party to attend on Saturday, and Fathers Day is Sunday.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

Our Wednesday went as planned, but Linda was one tired buckaroo when her day ended after her book club meeting at a friend's home near 10 PM. When she finally sat down and watched the end of the Bruin's Game with me, she grabbed our calendar and tried to find a day or two with nothing on it. Also, she was looking for a day or so that I wouldn't be around to bug her. After studying the calendar, she realized that there were no such days on our calendar. The only time that Linda will get one of these days is when she is off to the Cape with her girlfriends at the end of June. I will miss her so!

Speaking of the Bruins, even if you are not a hockey fan or a sports' fan, it was another great day for a New England Sports' Team. It has been 42 years since the Bruins have won the Stanley Cup. They went into hostile territory and did the job by winning by a 4 to 0 margin. The rioting in Vancouver after the game was an ugly sight. The Police in Boston had the situation under control. One of Kevin's last customers was a local policeman who was eating one of Kevin's great sandwiches. After he ate, he put on a flack vest, and headed out to assist other policeman involved in crowd control. Alcohol fueled fans were a problem whether they were in Vancouver or Boston. The fans in Vancouver were totally out of control, and they were truly an embarrassment to the people of Canada.

The Red Sox won their game in Tampa while the Bruins were winning their game. The Yankees won their game. The Red Sox are still holding onto a slim one game lead in their division.

Politics -- I see where another Republican might enter the Presidential Race. There are so many candidates right now that I would be confused if I was a registered Republican. Some candidates couldn't win a "tree house club" election.
The rest of the world is in its normal state of unrest and turmoil. President Obama is seriously working on our sick economy, but we haven't seen much result so far.
I see that we have another bad guy to go after who has replaced Osama Bin Laden.

Social Calendar -- I have some errands to do, and then I have to load up my car with all the gear that I need for Third Thursday. I am not the only one who brings stuff, but I have the biggest car load of gear. I will be leaving the house and meeting some Irish Sister City friends who will be setting up two canopies, electric grill, my small gas grill. It sounds simple, just grilling some food, but we have to have permits from the Health department, certified Serv Safe Food Person (me), Fire department, Raffle permits, Vendor permits, Allergen Awareness permits. The four poles of each canopy must have weights to hold down each canopy down. We have to have fire extinguishers too. As you can see, this is not like having a cookout on your deck. We also have a local musician playing next to our booth.
The streets of downtown Pittsfield will be closed off to traffic at 4:30 PM until 8:30 PM. The weather is supposed to be almost picture perfect so we are hoping for a big crowd. We want to sell a lot of Irish Bangers, Irish Whiskey Cake, and two packs of homemade cookies. A bunch of us Irish Sister City Members will be heading off to Patrick's Pub after the Third Thursday is over. There will be much fun and merriment before this day is over.

My son called last night after the game, and we talked sports for a while. He has been not going to work in the morning like he usually does. He has been working the late afternoon / night shift. During the day he has been doing yard work. If you saw how many forms of flowering plants and vegetation on their land, you might get tempted to hire some one to take care of things. Right now, Kevin enjoys the work, but he is 34 years old and not 64 years old like his dear old dad. Max and his Florida grandmother have been bonding quite nicely while Kyla has been in California on a work related trip. This Grandmother has been experiencing what it is like for a baby boomer trying to entertain and keep up with the energizer bunny. When Max finally goes off to bed at night, Grandma has been not far behind Max.

Observation -- Do little things tend to drive you crazy? The other day Linda and I went off to the grocery store. Since she was after one item, I chose to stay in the car. While she was in the store, I moved the car one space forward so that I wouldn't have to back out of the parking place. When Linda got out of the store, she couldn't find the car. I thought that a one car length move would be no big deal, but it was to her! Another thing that I did the other day while she was doing one of those one stop shopping things at a store happened to get her fired up too. There were some bird droppings on the passenger side window where the lower part of the window meets the door. While she was in the store alone, I decided to roll down the windows to get some fresh air. When she got back to the car, I rolled up the window. Well, you can visualize what happened! When I rolled up the window, there was a three inch wide streak of bird droppings that Linda had to look at until we got home from our adventure. I guess that I better keep a roll of paper towels, and some Windex in the car at all times. These two incidents are some of the reasons why Linda prefers to shop alone or with girlfriends. I don't seem to have soothing affect on her. My "Separation is Good" principle, which I live by, is employed quite often in the Curley household.

Well, I have to finish my morning routine, and get to my errands. Linda has a body maintenance procedure. She will be at the Third Thursday too, but not at 3:30 PM. Have a great Thursday! Talk to you soon! The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

It is so quiet in our house right now. I miss our grandchild's smile as he wakes up each morning, but it is nice to get back the the retiree routine.

I did enjoy my sports watching in my Man Cave last evening. I watched the Boston Bruins win their game and tie the playoff series. The final Stanely Cup game takes place tomorrow night in Vancouver. The Canucks have won three games on their home ice, and the Bruins have done the same. It is winner take all tomorrow night. In between commercials, I watched the New York Yankees lose their game against the Cleveland Imdians by a 1 to 0 score. Their loss made me happy. On the other hand, it was sad to see Dercik Jeter pull up lame with a calf muscle pull running to first base. He is 6 hits short of the 3000 hit mark as a Yankee. The Red Sox do battle in Tampa Bay this evening.

Social Calendar -- We have another full day scheduled for this Tuesday. I am supposed to play a quick nine holes of golf at 9 AM. It is lightly raining out right now. My friend and I don't do golf in the rain. I have some house projects to take care of. We purchased one of those Bistro Tables and two chairs which means some assembly required. Linda has her Tuesday Mah Jongg session from 11:30 AM until 4 PM. We don't have the evening off since we have an Irish Sister City Meeting at 6 PM in the Pittsfield Public Library. Since I am the recording secretary, I can't miss the meeting. I am not sure if we are heading off to Patrick's Pub for some food, fun, and merriment after the meeting. We will have to see how tired that we are after the meeting.

The news seems to be much of the same old same old.
CNN did report that the drug cartels in Mexico are using American made guns. How do the guns make it to the drug dealers? Our government does background checks on legitimate gun owners, but some how guns get into the hands of the bad guys. I see more regulations being put on the American arms makers which will filter down to the average citizens.

On the local level, another sexting message sent to an ex girlfriend by the chief of police in Saratoga Springs, New York got him in trouble. He was doing the sexting in the basement of the Saratoga Police station / city hall. Some of the local politicians in Saratoga want the Police Chief fired. Technology is a great device when used properly like when our children send pictures of the grandchildren at an amusement park, playing in their back yard, riding their bicycles, taking their first steps, etc.
I can get myself in trouble on my daily blog when I take a political stance, look at something through my eyes, etc. Good thing that I don't know how to work a camera, or function on Facebook. These skills would open me up to a whole bunch of potential problems.

Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and do some quiet chores before a decision has to be made about golf this morning. Have a great day at work or play. Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad.

Helllo on Saturday

Dear Friends,

A gentle rain is falling in the Berkshires as I begin this e-mail.

Friday went as planned in Curleyworld. There is still much room for improvement in our golf game, but it sure was a nice day to be on the golf course yesterday. It was a picture perfect day for us in the Berkshires.

While I was swatting the little white ball on the golf course, Linda was in Lee at the 75% off Country Curtains sale. She did say that the back way to Lee had some severe tree damage and limbs down on the 12 mile ride to Lee. The thunderstorm from the night before hit South County a little worse than in Pittsfield. There were no tornadoes in our area, but some fallen trees knocked down power lines.

I was able to give the lawn a trim, and pick up my new glasses before taking my nap yesterday afternoon. Linda had made me a sandwich for when I came home from golf. She makes such a good sandwich all of the time. Even though I pick on her in my e-mails quite often, I would never want to trade her in for a new model. She always says that it would be too difficult to train a replacement for me, but it works the other way around too. This is why we have been together so long!

The UNICO installation dinner went very well at Cranwell. The food was spectacular as usual.
We had a nice group of couples at our table. One of the ladies is the one who broke her ankle in two places over the Memorial Day weekend. She went through every detail of the ordeal. She has still not seen an orthopedic doctor in Pittsfield. A couple of doctors are doing work in Afghanistan so that the group is short people. She has seen a physician's assistant, but that is it. Linda and I think that she should get out of Pittsfield and get her leg taken care of before it heals improperly. Every time she had an appointment scheduled, it got canceled because the few doctors who are still in Pittsfield had emergency surgery. Linda and I hope that her problem doesn't become the Broken Ankle from Hell!

On a happier note, we are going off to Tewksbury in a few short hours (8
AM) for our weekend baby sitting gig for our grandchild Max. Linda and I can't wait. Both of our sons and their wives are very good with respect to sending us pictures over the internet of the grandchildren, but there is nothing like giving them a hug in person. We will also visit with our friend's the Brodeur's who live one street away. Jerry Brodeur is doing well after his kidney transplant. He has a few issues, but not related to the kidney itself. His wife said that he was out doing yard work the other day which he hasn't been able to do for several years. Jerry got me a shirt a year ago that had a logo on it that said "Life is Crap". He will soon be saying "Like is Good!"

Observation -- The world is in its usual turmoil, but I did see where Mexicans males (40 and older) are beginning to use Viagra in record numbers. The Phizer Company is making so much money from this drug. Mexicans have accesses to chewable ones (not available in the U.S.) which react faster than the pill form. The men still have to go to their doctors to get a prescription like in the United States. Brazil is another country where Viagra is as popular as aspirin. Do you think that the women in these countries as well as the United States are happy about the invention of this drug? I still like the commercial that we see in the United Sates when they list all the side affects. Do you think some of our female partners should have a similar drug available to them as they grow more mature?

Well, I have to pack a duffle bag with some clothes for our weekend adventure. I am pretty sure that this is a quiet activity.

Have a great weekend.
Keep the rain gear handy if you live in the Northeast.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned. The Red Sox won their game even thought it started at 10:30 PM due to rain in the Bronx. I was in bed, but had the radio on in sleep mode. I would fall asleep, wake up, turn the radio on and try and catch the score. The Sox were behind 2 to 0 until the 7th inning, and that is when their bats came alive. The Bombers got bombed for a third straight night. All my Yankee fans are in a state of mourning. In past years they would always say to us Red Sox fans that "It is still early in the season." The Yankee fans realize that their team is in turmoil. If the Red Sox can stay relatively healthy for the rest of the year, they should make it to the playoffs, but I am not sure about the Yankees!

Our Thursday went as planned. Linda had breakfast with her Red Hat group while was getting a follow up ultra sound which went quickly and well.

Linda did some recreational shopping for more plants. Do we really need more? I am not sure to the answer of that question. You will see what I mean if you do come to our house.

I played nine holes of golf with one of my two golfing buddies. Another guy who we never saw before joined us for our 9 hole adventure. This member lives in Framingham, but he has a second home in the Berkshires. He has two children about the same as Linda and me. He does real estate stuff in Boston.
During the round, I told him that one of our two sons owns a sandwich /pizza place in East Boston. He said he and his son have eaten some of Kevin's great sandwiches at Dough several times. He said that Kevin makes some of the best sandwiches in Boston. As we said goodbye, he told me to tell Kevin to keep on making those great sandwiches. He wished that Kevin had a place in downtown Boston.

Observation - My golfing buddy's wife is retiring at the end of June. She decided to take yesterday off. Well, my friend got a preview of coming attractions of what it is like to be together 24 / 7 for the rest of your life. My friend has been retired for a couple of years while his wife went off to work each day. As soon as the wife wakes up yesterday, she starts making a list for my friend. As she is rattling off the list, my buddy says: "Whoa" to his wife. He tells her that: "This is supposed to be retirement", and not worktirement (another Curleyism)! I had to tell my friend about the Curleyism that "Separation is Good!" My friend put his clubs in his car, and headed off to the golf course to play golf a round of golf with me. This guy's wife does not have a not of hobbies, but she does have 8 grandchildren. Oh Darn!

Another friend who has retired along with his wife during the past year is experiencing some of the same trials and tribulations that the friend mentioned above is going through. Retirement sounds great, but you really have to think about and plan what you are going to do during this period of time in your life. Having a "Man Cave" in your house, if the male is going to survive, is a top priority.

Social Calendar -- I have golf with my senior buddies at 8:30 AM. Linda should be free until we go out this evening for the UNICO Installation at Cranwell Resport and Spa. The cocktail hour starts at 6 PM with a varied assortment of hot and cold appetizers (Italian meats, lamp chops, jumbo shrimp, etc.). The Main meal doesn't start until 8 PM because the appetizers are so good that most of us are stuffed after eating the gourmet appetizers. The main meal is wonderful too along with the Red and White wine served at each table. This is 25,000 (the number is correct) calorie meal. I am going to starve myself all day today.

Speaking of food, a friend came over for a Chicken Novena last night. Because of the rain, I couldn't grill the chicken. I prepared boneless chicken breasts, and bone in chicken breasts, baked potatoes, corn. We were all set to watch the Red Sox game at 7 PM, but as I mentioned above there was a rain delay.

Our wives had fun at their book club / dinner meeting. Linda will be hosting the one in August. We will be serving grilled fish and grilled vegetables which I will prepare for them.
Linda will whip up one of her dessert specialties.

Weather - Some rain rolled in during the early evening on Thursday. The humidity has left us. It will be a pleasant day on the golf course for sure. I will take a nap after golf, and then get dressed for the Installation. As you see in Curley world, "Life is good!"

Have a great Friday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley lad

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned. My morning appointment went well even though I had to have Linda take me to and from the 8:30 AM appointment. One of these days she will be able to sleep as long as she wants. I did have a prescription for two Valium. One I was supposed to take before the procedure, and one for after. I did take the one before the procedure, but I saved the second one for Linda. I was starting to drive her crazy as the day started. When she was half asleep, I started asking her where the Dunkin Donuts plastic coffee mugs were located. She went into our out of control plastic container cupboard and grabbed one (she put them in there). She proceeded to drop the mug, and broke a piece of plastic off of the cover of the mug. This is how our day began even before we left the house. Oh Darn!

After the procedure, we did some errands together. After a few stops, she decided to drop me off home, and go out shopping on her own. I guess she was using the "Separation is Good" Curleyism.

Linda did go off to her 6 PM knitting group, but they all got trapped in Panera Bread because of the rain, thunder and lighting, and the hail, which was golf ball size.
When Linda and the ladies decided it was okay to go back to their homes, Linda had to walk in a huge puddle of water which had formed right outside her driver's side door. Her cutsie leather shoes got soaking wet. Oh Darn!

I am hoping that neither of our two cars got hail damage because they both were outside in the storm.
I also hope that all of our flowers survived the storm.

Observation 1 -- One of the first stops on our Wednesday adventure was to the Farmers' Market. As soon as we got out of the car I observed a man wearing a wig. The guy and his wife appeared to be in his mid 70's. I have come to the conclusion that men can't wear wigs. Everyone that I have seen jumps out at me as being a wig. Women can wear wigs, but men just can't do it. I say that you can't fight Mother Nature. You can look at old photographs, and see how much hair that some of you used to have, but those good old days will never return. If you body is unsuccessful at growing hair as you grow older, don't fight it, but embrace it. Comb overs don't work, just ask Donald Trump. I love it when a friend who has lost so much hair says that he is going for a haircut. I start thinking about how few hairs that the barber or hair stylist has to work with. One of my friends just shaves the few hairs on his head that he does have. Maybe some day, I will lose some of the hairs on my head so I better be careful what I say because it could come back to bite me. My hair stylist / barber is Linda. At least she has something and someone to work with.

Observation 2 -- I was chatting with a friend who has been waiting on his wife a little since she has been incapacitated. I asked him how the care giving was going. When he was telling me little stories, I thought he was describing Linda. Here is an example: If I cook Linda an English muffin or a bagel, it has to be crispy. Also, I am not allowed to put much margarine or butter on the item. If Linda asks me to put jelly on the crispy, lightly buttered English muffin, the jelly must be applied lightly too. If I prepare a bagel with cream cheese, the bagel must be crispy, and the cream cheese must be thinly applied. After almost 40 years of marriage, I better get it right. If it was me, I sometimes don't have the patience to wait until it is cooked like they want it. My wife doesn't do well adjusting to change, I am not sure about my friend's wife.

Observation 3 -- I thought a Weiner was another name for a hot dog, but I guess not. Is everyone else tired of hearing about this politician? The media said that his wife is 11 months pregnant which makes the situation messier. A good number of our male friends would never even consider doing such a thing. Our half clothed bodies wouldn't do well on the internet. The number of defects that I have would not be a pretty sight to see.

Social Calendar -- I have an 8:30 AM follow visit today, and Linda doesn't have to come with me. I then am playing a quick 9 holes with a friend at 10:48 AM.
Linda is going out again this evening. She will be attending a book club/ dinner meeting.
I might do a Chicken Novena while she is gone.

Speaking of Chicken, there was a report of trace amounts of arsenic in the chicken we consume. The company which makes the feed for the chickens will change the way that they prepare the chicken feed. That is good news after all the years that I have been consuming chicken.

Weather -- It will be another day of heat and humidity with a chance of thunderstorms like the ones which rolled through last evening. Friday should be a little less humid.

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

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,

Tuesday went as planned for the Curley's. My dentist appointment went well even though there was a lot of drilling before the cavity under the cavity got filled. Two shots of Novocaine didn't make all the pain go away. I drooled for several hours after the appointment. My eye doctor appointment went well. My eyes have not changed, but I did decide to get a new pair of glasses which will I will be able to pick up in a week or so.

Linda had a fun time at Mah Jongg. Her girlfriend from Dalton played with this group for the first time, and she really enjoyed playing with the Tuesday Mah Jongg ladies.

We ate supper at home. A couple of Hebrew National hot dogs became our supper. Sometimes "Simple is good!"

Social Calendar -- I have an 8:30 AM appointment which Linda needs to take me too. This evening Linda has her 6 PM knitting gathering at Panera Bread while I am at a Golf Committee Meeting at the Senior Center.

We have no free days on our social calendar right through next weekend. Oh Darn!

Weather -- We have a 90 degree plus day forecasted for today. I don't have golf scheduled because there is a Jimmy Fund Golf Tournament booked in at our golf course with a morning and afternoon round. I have played in this tournament before, but I am not playing this year. I have been asked to join the local Jimmy Fund Chapter, but for once I used the "No" word.

I can't believe that the Weiner's You Tube video is getting more attention than other things going on in the world.

I liked the You Tube video of the female teacher, with 22 years of experience, punching an out of control student in the face. Most people who hear the complete story take the side of a teacher. Unless you have been in the classroom, you wouldn't completely understand how things could get to that point. I would imagine the lawyers for the student will sue the teacher and the school system. Has this situation ever happened to me? I didn't punch someone, but I got very close to doing so. The student involved called her parents, and I got myself in a little trouble. The students in the classroom backed me up. A few years later, I see this student working in a supermarket. She tells everyone in the checkout line that I was her best teacher. Maybe that old saying of "Spare the rod, spoil the child" wasn't as bad rule to go by.

One of the people on my blog worked in the correctional systems not only in the United States, but in other countries through out the world. He will tell you that most prisoners like the structure and discipline which takes in prison. Many of the people who are in our prisons grew up with no one setting discipline guide lines to go by.

Well, I have to finish my morning routine, and get ready for my appointment. Have a great day in heat and humidity for today and tomorrow. Friday will have more seasonal temperatures for golf with my senior buddies.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

Hope that you had a great start to this week yesterday. The weather was picture perfect. I squeezed in nine holes of golf. I even had time for a nap so that I could stay up and watch the Boston Bruins do battle last evening.

Linda's day was a long one and she came home mentally exhausted from playing Mah Jongg at the Hadassah Tournament, and hooking up with a girlfriend to do some stuff on a computer. She arrived home near 6 PM. Her and her girlfriends weren't any of the top six winners, but they held their own during the Hadassah Tournament. One Christian friend was asked what Temple she belongs to. I always joke about Linda's friends thinking that Linda would be a great addition if joined a local Temple, but now her friend is on that list too.

Sports -- Well the Boston Bruins really spanked the Canucks last night by an 8 to 1 margin. I hope that they can do a repeat performance on Wednesday night so that they can tie the series before heading off to Vancouver. The Red Sox will be at Yankee Stadium for tonight's game. I can't wait!

Social Calendar -- I will be the first one out of the house today. I have a dentist's appointment at 8:30 AM. This is to repair a cavity under cavity. Oh Joy! There will be a lot of "Drillin & Fillin" before this appointment is over. I would rather be "Grillin & Chillin"! I will then start cleaning some furniture which goes into the screened in room on our deck. This portion of the deck staining is finally over. The main deck will be done soon, but we are waiting for an extra bucket of special stain to arrive by FedEx. Today is Linda's normal Tuesday Mah Jongg session. She will be leaving the house at 11:15 AM, and she won't return until after 4 PM. I think that we have no evening commitment which is good for a change.

Yesterday we lost five American soldiers which is so sad. It is time for us to pull out of the war torn countries before we lose anymore young lives. If we don't do so, we could be in these wars for years to come.

On a different note, a Pennsylvania woman gave birth to sextuplets with the help of some fertility drugs. The children were taken early, and they are all in critical condition. This family of three will now be a family of nine if the sextuplets make it through the next few months.

Observation -- We have had a bunch of house flies in our house for several days, and I think that I disposed of the last one yesterday. I thought that I was part of one of those CSI sitcoms, and that there might be a dead body attracting the flies. Not! Linda admitted that one night she opened the sliding glass door to the deck. She thought that the screen was in place so that the flying creatures wouldn't be able to enter the house. When she shut the door to the deck, she realized that the screen wasn't in place. This meant that for several hours every fly in Pittsfield was going into the Curley home. Just think if these creatures were mosquitoes! Like I said, family and friends are the best source of material for my daily blog.

Politics -- I see where the President's economic advisor is calling it quits. The poor economic status in the United States could be this President's downfall unless things turn around. The Republican have so many people who have "thrown their hats in the ring" as potential challengers to the President that I am sure confused who will be their best candidate.

Weather -- We are going to hit the 86 degree mark today in the Berkshires with a slight chance of some thunderstorms. Summer has definitely arrived in the Berkshires.

Well, I have to finish my morning routine, and get ready for my dentist's appointment.
Have a great Tuesday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad