Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

Linda and I had another day go as planned on Monday. Almost everything on our “To Do” list got accomplished.

When I visited Dad at the nursing home on Monday, the therapist was whisking him off to therapy as I entered his room. I dropped off his newspaper, and said that I would return for a visit in the afternoon, but that didn’t happen. I went directly home and started another round of wrapping in my Man Cave, but this time I had Linda supervising me. We pretty much wrapped presents from 9:30 AM until 2:30 PM. Linda did make us a sandwich for lunch, but we quickly ate them at our wrapping stations in the basement. I had to go out to a store and locate boxes to put some of the wrapped treasures in. I was so exhausted that I needed an afternoon nap. My head hit the pillow a little after 3 PM.

When I freshened up after my nap, Linda and I headed out the door to the next event on our social calendar. This was a farewell party for our out going Mayor at the Lichtenstein Arts Center on Rennie Ave. in Pittsfield. This was a fun time, but we had to leave before this party had concluded. The party was sponsored by the Sister City Commission. The Mayor was given gifts / recognition from the Irish, Italian, and Nicaraguan Sister cities. There was much food, fun, and merriment that Linda and I had to give up before we left for our next social engagement. I went off to a UNICO board meeting which lasted for an hour and twenty minutes. Linda went off to a session of Mah Jongg at a friend’s house while I was at the meeting. I missed the Gnocchi dinner at the Italian American Club, but I had a leftover piece of Lasagna at home from the Sunday night house Party which we attended.

I tried watching the Monday Night Football game, but it was an awful match up of two teams which are going nowhere.
The Game that I can’t wait for is the match up between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots on this Sunday at 4:15 PM. Denver has been on this winning roll behind their super religious quarterback Tim Tebow. The game will be played in Denver, and it should be on National Television. Sunday is a two Christmas Party day for the Curley’s so I am trying to figure out how I will be able to watch the Game. I might have to record the game. Oh Darn!

Politics – I see where Dick Cheney was making comments about the Drone that was shot down by Iran. Dick contends that there were three options available for the President, one of which was to blow up the drone so that Iran couldn’t use the technology. Another was to send in military personnel to retrieve the drone, but Dick contends that our President did nothing. I imagine that there will be some Whitehouse response to the situation because of his comments.

Newt said that he would deal better with the fidelity issue in his life as he takes a run at President Obama. Oh Joy!

Observation – As I was wrapping presents, I got to thinking about the Christmas Holiday. For us Christians, the Holiday was supposed to be centered around the birth of Christ, and the focus on the family, and the joy as the family struggles through life. Do you think that we Americans might have lost our focus a bit? Record spending across the nation has been taking place for “things”, and we might have been caught up in it too. We might not have spent much for ourselves, but I think that our grandchildren might have been spoiled a bit! Isn’t that what grandparents are supposed to do?
As we celebrate Christmas with friends and relatives, we do realize that there is a large segment of our populations who have nothing. Survival is the only things that are on their minds.
Also there are some families who are experiencing the loss of a loved one, and there will be an empty seat or two around their dinner table.
We hope and pray that people can find some kind of joy no matter what their situation is.

Social Calendar – I have a full day on tap for this Tuesday; visit with dad, two therapy sessions, an annual physical, and the Annual Greylock Federal Credit Union Christmas Party located at their West Street Branch. I am not sure if I will have the stamina for the last event since my physical takes place during my afternoon nap time. Linda has her usual Tuesday Mah Jongg session at a friend’s home, and a book club Christmas Party this evening. This will be a second night where we will be heading in opposite directions.

Today is also a special day for our son Michael and his wife Danielle. On this day, in 2002, they were married for the first time in Las Vegas. They got married because Danielle was heading off to Iraq with her A 10 squadron from Pope Air Force Base. At the time, Linda and I flew out to Las Vegas and attended this Wedding Chapel event. Mike and Danielle got married in a Church wedding, which was postponed because of the Iraq war, a couple years later in Danielle’s home State of Minnesota. Not everyone gets a chance to be married twice to the same person.

Our son Kevin said that one day last week a person came into his restaurant when he was working, and this guy ordered some food. Kevin doesn’t remember the guy at all. Well, yesterday he gets a telephone call from the Boston Globe. The guy loved whatever Kevin served the guy. There might be an article this weekend in the Sunday Globe about Kevin’s Restaurant. Linda and I have the Sunday Globe delivered to the house. I can’t wait to read the review about Kevin and Dough East Boston!

Do the Curley’s have talented children; one is a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force flying A 10 Thunderbolts, and the other is making a name for himself in the restaurant business. Of course they have two talented wives and children to make their lives complete.

This is why I always say “Life is Good!”

Have a great day at work or play!
As the Knights of Columbus always say at this time of the year, “Keep “Christ” in Christmas!”

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad