Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,

Our primaries are over in Pittsfield, and the mayoral candidate whom we are supporting will be on the final ballot in October. Only 24 % of the eligible voters did come out and vote which is a sad but almost a normal percentage. Our candidate came in second, and he has to make up 671 votes which was the winning margin. Our candidate has less than a month to overcome this deficit. The candidates are both of Italian heritages. The winner was a former city councilor, and the candidate which we supported is a current city councilor. If you listen or read to both of their campaign advertisements, they both say the same things. I think some of the vote was what will happen during a national election; incumbents will be in trouble! If you are a politician at any level, the public blames you for every ill which is going on in the United States. Even my radio show host friend, who has a three hour talk show, has been advocating voting against every incumbent at every level of government. The few that he would keep in their political office don't do anything special for me.

Linda and I didn't attend the post election party for our candidate. The effects of us sitting across from the guy who blew his nose during the bus trip to and from Buffalo finally got to Linda. I was sitting closest to the guy, but the germs jumped over me and are attacking Linda as I type this e-mail. She was overdosing on any kind of cold remedy and orange juice that she could get her hands on as I was watching the game in my Man Cave! I didn't feel that I should abandon her while she was in this state of weakness.

I did stay up and watch the entire Red Sox game last evening.

Tonight's game is the final game of the regular season for both teams vying for a playoff spot. If the Red Sox lose and Tampa Bay wins their game, the Red Sox season will come to an end. Both teams have the same record after last night's game: 90 wins and 71 loses. One month ago, the Red Sox had a 9 game lead over this team. Last night's win for the Red Sox was a nail biter, but it didn't have to be. The Sox went into the bottom of the eighth inning in Baltimore with an 8 to 4 lead. They ended up winning by an 8 to 7 margin. The losing team was one hit away from tying the game in the bottom of the 9th inning.

I did for get to mention an article which was in our month old AARP Newsletter. If there is a way that a person can't take advantage of a system in place, there will always be a person to engage in fraudulent enterprises. I am referring to the Maryland Podiatrist who got caught billing Medicare for procedures that were never done. "The straw which broke the Camel's Back" was when the Podiatrist billed Medicare for feet care on a person who was a double amputee.

Speaking of systems, Linda and I have an appointment at 10 AM at the local Federal Building in Pittsfield. I am signing up for Medicare today which will not begin until my 65th birthday which occurs in late December of this year. A supplement to take care of things which Medicare doesn't cover is offered (which we pay for) for us retirees through the City of Pittsfield. This means that our next stop will be the Pittsfield City Hall to speak with the treasurer to tell her which supplement plan that I will be signing up for. I also have to prove that I have signed up officially for the Medicare program. We have two more places to go in City Hall: one is to find out when Flu shots will be given to current and retired employees, and the other stop will be voter registration to sign up for an absentee ballot. I hope that Linda is feeling better when she wakes up because I have her running ragged for most of the morning until about noon time.

This evening is her Knitting Group gathering at Panera Bread at 6 PM. She really looks forward to this every Wednesday gathering. Maybe we could take an afternoon nap together.

Linda wants me to stop "painting" a scary picture of what our son is going through in Afghanistan. Well to me it is scary. This is no video game where it is you and against the bad guys. If you get shot in the video game you can hit the "reset button" or hit the "play another" game button. In a real life war zones, there are no such buttons.

Weather -- I detect a little coolness in this morning temperatures. Could fall be finally arriving for us in the Berkshires?

Speaking of fall, several maple trees have already lost their leaves. The leaves have looked sickly for the past couple of months. While in Buffalo, I turned the television on, and a plant expert showed exactly the kind of blight that our maple trees are experiencing in the Berkshires. He said that the unusual amount of moisture has caused the problem, and that trees will not die. The excessive moisture caused an imbalance in the tree system. If we have the normal amount of rain next year, the maple trees will return to their natural beauty.

Well, today is garbage collection day, and the recyclables will be bottles and cans.
I am going to read the local newspaper, and do some quiet activities before I have to go and wake up Linda.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

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