Sunday, March 18, 2012

Hello on Sunday

Dear Friends,

Hope that all of my readers had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day like we had.
Linda and I are so glad that the celebration(s) are over. I asked Linda before we went to bed last night what time that she wants me to wake her up this morning. She responded by saying "Never!" I am hoping that no one calls our house until after 10 AM.
Last night was another night of our head hitting the pillows after midnight. It will be so good to get back to a less busy normal schedule.

Every function which we attended from the 4 PM Mass for deceased members of the Irish American Club right through the house party at the home of our Irish Sister City President was wonderful. There was much food, fun, and merriment every place that we attended except for the Church.

We do have to leave the house for a 2 PM meeting today, but that shouldn't last for more than an hour. The rest of the day should be a free one for us.

I did visit dad yesterday. His cold was getting better, but my sister was the sick one. Usually the cold just gets passed on from one family member to another. I tried to keep my distance, and I hope that no germs got passed on to me.
I am going back there this morning. I will be bringing another loaf of my Irish Soda Bread. As a matter of fact, dad was eating the last couple of slices of the last loaf which I brought.

I dropped off a loaf to our neighbor's home, and they sampled a few slices almost instantaneously.

I am glad that I did my yard work before this busy weekend began. All the neighbors were out doing yard work on Saturday, and they will be at it again today. I will be relaxing and waiting for the grass to grow, and for the tulips to pop up.

Linda and I can't wait to see the Tewksbury grandchildren. They arrive on Tuesday and depart on Thursday. I do have to get down some baby sized devices for Piper Lee who is only one month old. Linda wants me to get the booster chair for Max, but he wants to sit like his Mom and Dad at the dinner table in a regular chair.

We still have a busy week coming up with less partying than we did this week. Linda will be playing her regular Tuesday Mah Jongg, going to one of her two knitting group gatherings. I have a Monday night UNICO membership meeting. We also have a table reserved for the Thursday night's Polenta Dinner at the ITAM. I have a UNICO volunteer activity on Saturday during the day. The beat goes on! When I create my morning blog that is the only time that I sit still during the day.

Oops! I almost forgot that we are hosting another corned beef and cabbage dinner while the Tewksbury grandchildren are with us. Our son will not be joining us because he has to run is restaurant. One of his high schools friend's and his lady friend will be joining us for the Tuesday night dinner.

It appears that the partying in our lives, even if there is no official holiday, seems to be never ending. In casual conversation yesterday, I mentioned that when I depart this earth, I want it to be when I am doing something that I enjoy. The person I chatted with said that he had a client who died on the dance floor while dancing the Polka. What a way to go!

They finally caught the local women who has been robbing convenient stores while armed and mask in Pittsfield. Once they broadcasted the video of her robbing the last store, many tips were given to the police. One tip said that she was going to do the robberies in another town in the Berkshires. the police caught her before that happened.
The alleged robber is a 49 year old woman who used to be a nurse. The judge in this case better send this woman to jail for many years.

Well, I have to do some quiet tasks before I get dressed and head off to visit dad which includes dropping off a loaf of Irish Soda Bread to my sister.

The golf courses were filled with golfers yesterday. I have to go by the Berkshires Hills Golf Course on the way to my sister's house. I was tempted to pull into the parking lot and play at least 9 holes of golf.


Have a great Sunday.
I will be hydrating for most of the next couple of days. My body is crying for water instead of Guinness.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Dear Friends,

Over the past few days, the Curley's have had much trouble figuring out which day of the week it really is. I thought yesterday was Saturday, but it was Friday.

Yesterday was a three event day. My head hit the pillow a little after midnight, but Linda stayed up a little longer. Since we have been celebrating St. Patrick's Day starting on March 1, 2012, I am beginning to realize why the confusion has set in.

Last evening went very well starting off with the Irish American Club of Berkshire County's Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner at the Elks Club. The corned beef at this dinner was the best so far except for the crock pot corned beef dinner that the Curley's prepare.

I also found out that my Irish Soda Bread might not be number one when we have the Irish Soda Bread Contest at the Pittsfield Ethnic Fair in August. The treasurer of the the Irish American Club provided the Soda Bread at last evening's function. He uses the light and dark colored raisins and caraway seeds in his soda bread. My soda breads have less stuff in it, and sometimes "less is more." I think that he uses a recipe that was passed on to him by is mother. His soda bread last evening was moist which sometimes is not always the case as I have observed and tasted on other occasions.

I did forget to mention that event at the Elks also honors the Irish Person of the year. This person is paraded around the banquet hall lead by a person playing the bagpipes and accompanied by the Irish American Club President. The winner was Bill Godfrey who was one of the original founders of the Irish American Club. The Club is 50 years old!

We left the dinner and headed off to the Colonial Theater. The band playing there was called Danu. They had everyone in the theater clapping their hands, and singing along with several songs. Everyone left theater feeling like they got their money's worth from this very entertaining band.

The night didn't end after the concert. A bunch of us headed off to the Sideline Saloon. One of our Irish Sister City friend's is related to the owner. How could the Curley's say "No"? As the clock struck midnight, we called it a night.

Well there is no rest for the weary once again this evening! We have another three event evening! We begin with a 4 PM Mass at Sacred Heart for deceased members of the Irish American Club. Our second event is a corned beef and cabbage dinner at the nearby Italian American Club on Newell Street at 6:30 PM. Yes, you heard that correctly! The Italian version of corned beef and cabbage also includes chicken and pasta. Our third event, is a house party at our Irish Sister City President's home which starts around 8 PM. Oops! I almost forgot that we might stop at Patrick's Pub after the Italian American Club because an Irish Sister member and his band are playing there.
I think that Linda and I might need a day of rest on Sunday! We have a 2 PM meeting, but it is not related to any Irish activity.

The corned beef dinners continues next week, but it will take place at the Curley's. Our two little Tewksbury cherubs and their mom will be with us on Tuesday and Wednesday before they depart on Thursday at some point. We continue with our busy life style again next week, but there aren't any 3 or 4 functions per night days.

Well, I don't have time to think about politics or any local news. I have to bake my last bunch of Irish Soda Breads until the Ethnic Fair or until I get any special requests for making loaves for loved ones or close friends.

I also should stop in and see how my dad is doing at my sister's home. I am hoping that that the sickness which I saw the other day has decreased.

Have a great St. Patrick's Day!
Do you think that I might take an afternoon nap so that I can make it through all the events on our social calendar?

Talk to you soon! The Curley Lad

Friday, March 16, 2012

Hello on Friday

Dear Friends,

I woke up early and couldn't fall back to sleep. Maybe it was my body telling me that I should visit Retro Fitness more often. I will be heading out the door to be with the 4:30 AM crowd in less than an hour.

Thursday went as planned. I am so happy that the snow blower and my ice-fishing gear have been moved from our garage to the storage shed. I also decided that my bird feeder on the deck should be taken down. The bears in the Berkshires on the move looking for an easy meal, and they are familiar with the Curley's bird feeders. There are a lot of children in our neighborhood, and I don't want to be responsible for bringing any harm to them. I might put out bird feeders during the day, but I will have to take them down at night time. The only problem with that is that we often have evening activities to attend. The day I forget to put away the bird feeders will be the day the bears will be in our back yard.

Speaking of evening activities, the UNICO Celebrity Bartending function went well last evening. We will soon get a report of how much the event took in at our next meeting.

Several of us left the Heritage Tavern, and went off to Patrick's Pub to listen to the local Irish Band called Rakish Paddy. A friend reserved a small table of 8. Last night was one of those nights where he could have reserved a larger table. Linda and I were the first ones to leave around 10 PM, but our seats were taken by an Irish Sister City couple who came from the Colonial Theater. They attended and Irish Comedy night that Linda and I would have gone to if we didn't have the celebrity bartending fundraiser.

While at the Heritage Tavern, I did get a chance to say "Hello" to my Castronova cousin from Lee and his lady friend. The brother of his lady friend was the guest musician for the evening. This local born Musician has made it to the big time.

While Linda was at her Knitting Group gathering at Dottie's Coffee shop from 3 to 5 PM, I went off to visit dad at my sister's home. My dad was in bed dealing with a cold. My sister was coming down with a sore throat. I felt like I was in the sick ward of a hospital. I did drop off a loaf of my Irish Soda Bread. Even if you have a loss of appetite when you are sick, you can still eat a couple slices of the soda bread.

Speaking of Irish Soda Bread, I whipped up four loaves of the epicurean delight before I did my outdoor projects on Thursday. I am trying to figure out how to give all of our friends who we will be with over the next few days a sample of the bread. Some of our friends want more than a sample of my Irish Soda Bread, but I will have to make another batch in order to give each of them a whole loaf.

Social Calendar -- We are off to a corned beef and cabbage dinner at the Elks' Club this evening. This is an Irish American Club function where the Club honors the Irish Person of the year. The dinner will be served at 5:15 PM because after this dinner, many of us are going off to the Colonial Theater for a concert performed by an Irish Band called DANU. I am not sure if we are going directly home after the concert. I am also wondering if I should bring a loaf of Irish Soda bread for the table which we are sitting at. In the past, I was asked to make a couple of loaves for this event for the dessert table.

The police have been out in force these past few evenings. Drinking and driving will not be tolerated at all. There are Police road blocks all over the Berkshires so make sure that all of you have a designated driver during this St. Patrick's Day weekend (actually all the time). There has been a rash of DUI incidents including some deaths in the Berkshires over the past month. The police are working very hard to get the drunks off of the road.

Well, I am going to skip any political discussions, or any of the not so good news which is happening in the United States, and the world in general.

I want to think only happy thoughts for the whole weekend. Linda and I can't wait to see the Tewksbury grandchildren who will be arriving at our house on Monday.

Life is Good!

For us mature people, waking up each morning is a major joy in our lives.

Have a great St. Patrick's Day weekend. Everyone is Irish this weekend!

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned in Curleyworld. I accomplished half of my outdoor tasks. The manual labor of raking the front lawn, raking and bagging leaves in bushes, and taking them to the recycle plant was enough for me to do in one day. I did this manual labor from 8 AM until noon.
I am going back to the outdoor tasks today around 8 AM.

It is going to be another spring like day with warmer temperatures than it was on Wednesday. I did shut off the heat in the house, but the current outdoor temperature of 28 degrees chilled the house too much. I turned the heat back on to take the chill out of the house before shutting it off again.

Today I will put away my ice-fishing gear back in the storage shed as well as the snow blower. This sounds like a simple task, but I have to empty the storage shed first.

Linda has a busy day on her social calendar. She has a mid morning body maintenance procedure and a Knitting Group gather from 3 to 5 PM at Dottie's Coffee Shop. She will meet me at the Heritage Tavern for food, fun, and merriment at the UNICO Celebrity Bartending event. My 45 minute shift begins at 6 PM. We are going to dine on Pub food after my shift.

I didn't go visit dad yesterday, but my sister did call me to say that dad has caught a cold. I am hesitant to go there now because neither of want to get sick because the Tewksbury grandchildren will be coming for a visit on this coming Monday and Tuesday.

Even if you don't like sports at all, I heard that a professional basketball player would resign from a team if the player's contract didn't have the stipulation that the player be part of the coach selecting process. It is like the inmates running a prison. This is a first! Who would want to be a coach on a team like that?

The coach of the New York Knicks basketball team submitted his resignation. He and one of his star players picked up from a blockbuster trade last year that the coach was not in favor of can't get along. The coach can't coach the team like he wants to coach the team because of the star player. Management is taking the side of the player. Oh Darn!
This coach is good enough to coach anywhere in the league.

As our society has changed with respect to the family unit, it would appear that the breakdown has permeated even the sporting world. Police have lost their authority. Teachers have lost their authority in the classroom. Coaches on sports' teams have lost their authority too. When will it stop?

On the local scene, a Landlord in a nearby Vermont town was arrested for incinerating a neighbor's cat in an outside boiler. A tenant let her cat out, and the Landlord claimed he threw a log at the cat to scare it. Well, the man crossed the line when he killed the cat and tried to hide the evidence. The police found the charred cat remains in the boiler. Could this landlord be fined, imprisoned or both?

Also, on the local seen, there is an article about a local exotic pet business located in the Berkshires. They sell exotic snakes, fish, insects, etc., including poisonous frogs. I was thinking about what happens when one of these creatures escapes from the person who purchases these creatures. Florida is having an awful time with pythons which have escaped from their owners, or just released into the wild when the owner realized it was too difficult to take car of a python. These pythons are disrupting the natural habitat of Florida. Floridians have to be conscious of the alligators, but now they have to worry about pythons too.
Why can't animal lovers stick to purchasing dogs, cats, and tropical fish?

Since I am up so early, I am going to make a batch of Irish Soda breads. Linda was telling her Panera Bread Knitting group about the Irish Soda Bread that I make. She is going to give each one of the knitters a couple slices of the Irish Soda bread to take home next Wednesday.

Have a great Thursday at work or play!

Talk to you soon. The Curley lad

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,

Hope that people had a chance to get out and enjoy the 70 degree weather in our area. Golfers were out swatting the white ball at the Berkshire Hills even though there were temporary greens. People weren't allowed to use the greens even though they look pretty good. I still think that it is amazing that people are playing golf in the middle of March in the Berkshires.
When the snow birds hear that we are enjoying a pretty much snow free winter, they want to come back to the Berkshires earlier than planned.

Speaking of snow birds, a couple of friends spend three months during the winter in Florida every year. They are not having a good time. The elderly man in the room above them uses a walker. The thumping of the walker takes place at all hours of the day and night. After a couple of weeks, this couple wished that they hadn't signed three month agreement. Knowing that we had a snow free winter in the Berkshires made them more upset.

Yesterday went as planned in Curley world. Good thing the gas men came into my dad's home in Lee to replace the meter. A leak was detected in the line going from the cellar to the street. The meter was replaced and the leak was fixed.

Our crock pot corned beef dinner went very well even though I forgot that I was supposed to grill a rack of those "ready to eat" ribs outdoors. Linda thinks that I am starting to lose it. I sometimes forget things that Linda and I discuss. She thinks that I have some signs that I could be an Alzheimer's patient in the near future. I contend that it is selective hearing between a husband and a wife. Yesterday reinforced her suspicions. I returned one of three books that she picked up for me last week at the library. I returned the book that I haven't read yet. Oh Darn! Well, the three books were siting on a coffee table, and I grabbed the one closest to where I sit on the couch without looking at the title of the book.

Linda's Mah Jongg session at a friend's house went very well on Tuesday. She has such a large network of girlfriends that I can't keep straight which ones she is hooking up with on a particular day or evening of the week.

I visited dad at my sister's home before taking an afternoon nap.

When I woke up from my nap, I went off to the Berkshire Hills and filled out one of the NCAA Basketball forms for the upcoming tournament. While I was making my selections at the bar, I found out that the center for the Orangemen of Syracuse was declared academically ineligible. Of course, I was going to pick Syracuse as the winner of the tournament. When I arrived back home, I had to go on line and change my picks because I made the selections for this free of charge contest a couple of days ago. Syracuse was my online choice for the WEEI Bracket contest.

CNN News -- The only thing that I read thoroughly was about the soldier who went rogue in Afghanistan. What he did to those Afghan's, one family in particular, was pretty horrible. It is another example of how war can really mess up the minds of military personnel who we send into battle. We train people to be killing machines, but it is not easy to go from warriors back to being civilians.

Politics -- The Republicans are still duking it out. There will be no winners in this battle because I don't see any of them beating President Obama. I can't figure out why Mr. Paul and Mr. Gingrich are still hanging around while Rick and Mitt win some and lose some States.

I read an article in our local newspaper about an Indian Tribe in Wyoming who was granted permission to kill two Bald Eagles for religious purposes. We in the Northeast are trying to preserve Bald Eagles, and we could get arrested for doing so.

Stock Market -- Yesterday, the market went over the 13,000 range which hasn't happened in 2007. In this not so great economy, somebody is making some money in the stock market. I hope that it is not just the Rich getting Richer. Could the stock market be gearing up for the bottom falling out once again? I suppose that you have to ride the wave when you can!

The local Catholic High School (St. Joseph's) from Pittsfield made it to the Division III Championship round yesterday. I am always amazed that such a small school puts out so many winning teams. Could they have God on their side too?

I read the obituaries this morning, and I saw where a man from a neighboring North county town passed away. He was a member of the Berkshire County Chapter of Retired Educators. He was only 75 years old which is young in this day and age.

Social Calendar -- Linda has her Panera Bread Knitting group today. My free day will be spent outdoors doing yard work. I am going to give the front lawn a good raking which I didn't do in the fall. Raking the lawn actually stimulates growth and aerates the soil. The tulip bulbs which Linda planted in the fall will be popping up soon.

Thursday starts our busy social calendar which goes right through the weekend. Monday the Tewksbury grandchildren arrive. Linda and I can't wait to see them.

The jet stream is in a position to bring in warm air throughout most of the country. Spring has arrived in the Berkshires!
This means that I am going to put my golf clubs in the back of my car as well as my fishing gear. I would have used my fishing gear yesterday as I left my father's home because I saw some of my friends who I grew up with in Lee fishing at an ice free Laurel Lake.

The temperature will only reach 57 degrees today after a 36 degree start which is good for working outdoors.

Have a great day at work or play!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

It definitely was a spring day in the Berkshire on Monday. I should have been out in the yard doing work, but we retirees have a tendency to procrastinate which is what I did.

I finished savoring a book, and weaved in an afternoon nap before heading off to a UNICO Board meeting. The board meeting lasted over an hour and one half. We had a lot to discuss. Also I have to add some event to the Curley Social calendar. The volunteering never ends.

One of those volunteer events will betaking place at the Heritage Tavern in Lenox on March 15, 2012, Thursday evening. This is our Annual Celebrity Bartending night where we UNICAN'S act as bartenders. All the tips go directly to UNICO which will go right back into the community. I think that our own Berkshire grown David Grover will be our guest musician for the evening. I will be part of the first 45 minute shift with two other close friends of mine. The Curley's will be going early for some food, fun, and merriment and Keno before our shift starts around 6 PM. If any of the people on my blog are local, you are welcome to join us. We are planning to be there at 5 PM.

CNN News -- Besides the residual affect of an Army Sergeant going rogue and killing innocent Afghan Villagers, the news wasn't that exciting.
One item that did jump out at me was that the consumption of too much Red Meat decreases a person's longevity.

I was just thinking of doing a crock pot of corned beef before I left the house this morning. I was going to put in the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage in the same crock pot for ease of cooking. I don't have any cabbage in the house right now, but I could cook that separately just before supper time.

I stop writing this email, and loaded up the crock pot with a corned beef and vegetables except the cabbage which I will do separately.

This evening we were supposed to have an Irish sister City Committee meeting, but we Irish folk have been meeting so much at social events that there didn't seem to be a need to have a meeting.

On the local seen, there was an article about burning permits being available right now. You are allowed to burn brush, but no stumps or leaves. You can start the fire 75 feet from your house. At the 75 feet mark is the Curley storage shed, and the neighbor fences. You are supposed to have a garden hose available while burning. You are not supposed to leave the fire unattended. Can you visualize me starting a fire in the back yard? The neighbor houses are all around us. I could possibly set the whole neighborhood on fire.
In Pittsfield, we have our trashed picked up. Years ago, as a cost cutting measure, we lost the two times a year pickup of yard waste. I can wait to read about the damage to structures that these brush burning fires will be causing. The good thing is that we have an excellent fire department which might have hoses a little bigger than a garden hose.

Unbelievable sports story -- In Springfield, Massachusetts, which is an hour east of Pittsfield, an irate father punched a coach and bit off portion of his ear (which had to be surgically repaired). This all happened while the 5th and 6th grade basketball teams were shaking hands at the end of the CYC game. The 34 year old dad was arrested on felony charges. I guess this father didn't realize that these are just children who are supposed to be having fun while being good sports too.

Social calendar -- Linda has her Tuesday Mah Jongg session from 11:30 AM until a little after 4 PM. I am doing some things for dad at the family home in Lee, paying some bills, picking up mail, etc. I am leaving for Lee pretty soon. The Gas Company wants to install a new gas meter.

Speaking of dad, he is doing quite well at my sister's home. He keeps on telling my sister that he is ready to return to the family home in Lee. My sister has to remind him that he is not that self sufficient to do so right now, but things are heading in a positive direction!

Linda gave me a haircut yesterday. We could have done it outside so that the birds could use the cut hair for their nests, but Linda was still in her sleepwear when she decided that my hair needed to be cut. She does an excellent job cutting my hair even though the scissors were dull due to me trying to sharpen them with one of my devices. I should have read the directions on how to sharpen scissors before I threw them out. Oh Darn!

We will be having another nice day temperature wise, but some thunder and lightening are a possibility too.

Have a great day at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Monday, March 12, 2012

Hello on Monday

Dear Friends,

Our afternoon in Northampton went very well on Sunday. We did a little window shopping until we went into have supper at Viva Pasta's located on the main street in Northahmpton. Linda and I have been to this place several times, and we always had a great meal. The other friend's at our table were first timers, and they loved their meals.

We were at the lower level of the restaurant. Our reserved table was all set for us at 5:30 PM. It was so quiet for the first 10 minutes that we were there. All of sudden he place was packed and the noise level increased. There was another table next to us, and it was set up for almost 30 people. I had to find out what organization that they belonged to. The table of elderly people belonged to a local Nothampton based organization called "Grannies for Peace". They told me that they want all the killings in the world to come to an end. I said that I am not sure that it would happen soon.

Well, when I read the local newspaper this morning, I soon ralized that no one might be listening to their plea.
I read where a United States Army Staff Sergeant must have lost it and went door to door in some Afghan village, and shot and killed every one.
Talks broke down in the Syrian conflict. There were some Gaza / Israel air strikes which left at least three People dead.

On a happier note, the Saw Doctors concert at the Calvin theater went well last evening. The boyfriend of the people who we were with spent the whole concert in the Mash Pit with hundreds of other people singing and shouting his way through the whole evening. He lost his voice by the end of the concert. The three us decided to sit during the concert.
You can bring beverages into the theater and mash pit. The fans who were groupies of the band, and who were in the mash pit, were jammed in like sardines. Many of them got unwanted beer baths. Several of our Irish friend's who were in the Mash Pit said that the floor was a sticky mess by the end of the concert. Linda and I are too old to have become part of the mash pit activities.

My head hit the pillow last night around 12:30 PM, and Linda 's shortly after.
Linda told me not to wake her and bug her at all. She has a totally free day, and she wants to enjoy it. She hasn't recovered from the busy week that we had.
Well, the business continues for the rest of the week through the weekend.

Next Monday our Tewksbury grandchildren and their mom will be with us for a couple of days.
The following Monday we will be in Tewksbury getting ready for a trip to visit our Southern Georgia family. Our next free day might happen during the middle of April. Oh Darn!

I am the only one socially engaged, and it happens to be this evening. I have a UNICO board meeting at 6 PM.

We have friends who like to live a quiet life. One person even admitted that she is a home body, and she enjoys that calm life style. After what I have observed through my parents as they aged: the trips back and forth to the hospital, their stays in nursing homes, observing the patients in nursing homes, we will be part of the calm life when we are 6 feet under. I don't plan on dying in my recliner.

Have a great week at work or play!
Our week will be mostly playing, and that is the way we / I like it!

Talk to you soon! The Curley Lad

Friday, March 9, 2012

Hello on Friday

Dear Friends,

It is difficult to believe that another week is about to come to an end. Time seems to be flying by at a quick pace. This weekend we will be turning the clocks ahead one hour because day light savings time has arrived once again. For many of my readers, they don't revel in this turning of the clocks ahead. They view it as a loss of one hour of sleep. For us morning people, we love it. I enjoy seeing the sun peaking over the horizon at 5 AM.

I just got through whipping up four loaves of The Curley Lad's version of Irish Soda Bread. All of these Irish Soda Breads have specific places where they will be going. I am taking one for sure with me when I visit dad who is now staying at my sister's home. My dad, sister, and her family said that they really like the Irish Soda Bread as a mid morning snack, or after supper with a cup of tea or coffee.

Speaking of dad, all the people who having been coming to check on dad or work with him are impressed with how sharp he is. They know that there are certain things that dad has to work on like leg strength. I am guessing that the nurses, home health aide, and the occupational and physical therapists see people each day who are ten times worse than dad is.
Next week all the people mentioned will be coming three times per week --> M, W, F, and then we don't know what happens after that. I think his care giving will be falling on the shoulders of my sister and her family, and me.

When I go off to visit dad, I have to go by two golf courses. When I drove by them yesterday, I saw temporary flags out on my golf course which means the golfers are hoping for an early start to the golf season. The temperatures were in the lower 60's on Thursday, but over night, the ground was covered with a blanket of snow. If the golfers can make it through today and Saturday (temperatures in the 30's), we have a whole bunch of days coming up where temperatures will be in the 50's and 60's. I am guessing that the golfers will be out in force next week for sure.

Linda made it though four consecutive evening events this week so far. She had fun yesterday and won some door prize / Chinese Raffle. Tonight we are going out together. We are attending a birthday bash for one of our Irish Sister City Friends. The covered dish affair starts at 8 AM. Linda and I will be whipping up some finger sandwiches for the party. I might cut up one the Irish Soda Breads and bring it to tonight's party.
Since the party doesn't start until 8 PM, we might socialize with some friends at the Shamrock as well as play a few games of Keno first.
Since I got up so early to do the baking, I will be taking an afternoon nap for sure.

Linda has a midmorning body maintenance procedure.

Actually my hair needs a little trim. I will try and find a free moment next week so that Linda can cut my hair. She does such a great job with my hair, and the price for doing so is within my price range.

Rush Limbaugh -- I sometimes get myself in trouble by what I say in my daily bog, but I am not the only one who gets himself in trouble. Rush made some comment that got all the women in the nation fired up. Rush lost several of his major sponsors. His three hour program from noon to 3 PM here in the Berkshires has been taken of the air, and has been replaced by a Fox Sports" Talk program. Rush makes over $50 million per year with his daily broadcasts. I won't miss his three hour program at all. My conservative friends and relatives in the Berkshires already miss him. Oh Darn!

Well, I have to check the soda breads, and do some quiet activities. At some point this morning, I have to make a grocery run for the ingredients for the finger sandwiches. I also need flour, Butter Milk and sugar so that I can make more soda breads for next week as we approach St. Patrick's Day.

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

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Hello on Saturday

Dear Friends,

Hope that all of my readers had a pleasant Friday like the Curley's did.
Linda never left the house, but she was busy puttering around the house before settling down to listen to the WUPE Radio Auction. She purchased more restaurant certificates for our favorite places that we like to eat and party at. She has another day doing the same thing starting at 9 AM until all the auction items are gone. We sometimes give the certificates away as gifts for friend's birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

We decided to not go out last night. After my 5:30 PM meeting, we ordered a couple of pizzas from a place up the street, and I picked them up. I say a couple of pizzas because we like to heat up leftover pizza as a lunch time snack. The pizza place is located in Greeridge Plaza and it is called Pazzo's. Actually, the plaza has changed hands, and the new owners are cousins of the Mazzeo family. This guy owns very successful Hair and Spa salon on Tyler street. The convenient store has had a makeover, and the deli now has an Italian flair to it. Linda bought a sub for her sandwich, which she took to her Tuesday Mah Jonng session, and she said it was very good. Certain night's they sell pasta until it is gone. Since the place is a mile from our home, we will most likely be frequent customers.

Speaking of food, I wore a green dress shirt to the WolfTones concert the other light. Linda said "Oh brother" because she knew that I could not get through a meal without spilling food on my shirt. She was right! I got this grease stain on this shirt in no time at all. She has tried two or three times to get the grease stain out of the shirt. I just checked the shirt out and there is a very tiny stain left in the shirt. I purchased this shirt at the Annual Irish Festival at the Saratoga fairgrounds a couple of years ago. It looks like I will have to purchase another one this year. Oh Darn!
I am going to take a bib with me this evening because I will be wearing the same shirt. I really don't care how funny I look.
Last night as a matter of fact, the first piece pizza slipped out of my hands hit my sweater and landed on my cargo pants. I was wearing all black clothes.
Can you imagine what I would look like if I was the one in a nursing home?

I also did forget to mention that I saw a friend that I went to Catholic Elementary school in Lee when we were growing up. When it came to high school, he traveled each day to Pittsfield to go to St. Joseph's High School. I went to Lee High School. I haven't seen this guy for over 30 years. We chatted briefly before the concert started. I said that we have 4 grandchild, and that life is good. He said that he had 17 grandchildren by way of two marriages. He like me became teachers. I believe he started his career in Vermont, but he spent the last 14 years in New York State. He ended his career as a superintendent. Since Vermont doesn't pay it teachers that much, and pennons therefore are lower, he said that he wished that he spent his whole career teaching in the New York State public school system. I wish that I had more time to chat with him because I would remind him of a party that we had at his home years ago when his parents were out of town. Someone at the party tossed a lighted cigarette off what they thought was in the bushes in front of the house. Well, the cigarette landed in a smelly sneaker on the porch. The cigarette caught the sneaker on fire, and was about to catch the porch on fire. Someone started to smell burning rubber, and put the fire out.

We only have one thing on our social calendar today, and that is the Polish Falcon's corned beef and cabbage dinner this evening. This is actually a fundraiser I think for the Jimmy Fund. For $15 , you get a meal and free entertainment. The Irish Band Rakish Paddy will be playing Irish tunes for we guests all night long. Linda and I are part of two reserved tables. There will be much food, fun, and merriment before this night is over.

On a sad note, I read the obituaries in the local newspaper, and the elderly man in the obituary was a father-in-law to three of my UNICO brothers. The wake is on Sunday from 2 to 5 PM and it appears that the Curley's will be attending the wake. The man spent the last day of his life at the same nursing home that my dad was at. I would see the daughters stopping in at the nursing home to visit their dad. I asked one the daughter's the other day, how her dad was doing, and she told me that her father was not doing well. The 88 year old man died of cancer.

Today, I am going to stop at my sister's home to visit dad. I didn't get a report on how day one went with my dad now staying at my sister's home. I learned on Facebook that my father was playing swords with one of his great grandchildren. This sure beats being around the people in a nursing home just waiting for the Good Lord to take them.

I skimmed the local newspaper, and it was full of the not so nice things that are happening locally and in the world. The front page article which disturbed me the most was the arraignment of the guy who will be going to jail for being a drunk driver who killed a 24 year old woman in a car accident. The woman just graduated from Yale in May. This was the fifth DUI offense for this 35 year old Connecticut driver. The Southern Berkshire town, where the girl got killed, borders Connecticut.

Well, I have to do some quiet activities before Linda wakes up.
Have a great day.
The temperatures should approach 50 degrees today before a cold front moves in.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Friday, March 2, 2012

Hello on Friday

Dear Friends,

Hope that all of the children and students in the Berkshires who had a snow day on Thursday had a fun day with the snow which fell over the past couple of days. I did venture out on the roads at 9 AM, and the main thoroughfares were down to the black top. I did get the feeling that the Pittsfield Schools should not have closed the schools. The weather prognosticators predicted 3 to 6 inches of snow would fall, but the additional snow was less than an inch.

There wasn't much news in our local newspaper this morning. I did like the article about the leaders in the town of Lenox voting "No" to windmills. As I have said in previous emails, I don't want windmills on every one our beautiful Berkshire mountain tops. I shouldn't use the term "mountain" because our tree lined forests are like bumps, and none have the elevation of a mountain like Pike's Peak in Colorado.

The local Convenient Store robber is getting close to being caught. The authorities put a video of the recent heist on the air waves, and several tips have been coming into our police department.

Politics -- The Massachusetts Presidential primary takes place this coming Tuesday. All my readers know who I will be voting for! I am pretty sure that Linda will be voting the same way. Linda and I don't always vote the same way for every person or issue, but we lean toward the Liberal vote.

Update on Dad -- Dad was officially discharged from the Mt. Greylock nursing home on Thursday. All of the staff on the wing where dad was being taken care of gave dad a big hug before we left. Dad is now staying at my sister's home. He has his own bedroom. His two motorized chairs are at my sister's home; one is in his bedroom, and the other one is in the family room. When I left him at 2 PM on Thursday, he was sitting in the family room. My sister was going to prepare a steak dinner for dad and her family for supper last evening. Dad was getting tired of pasta on the menu. Sometimes dad said that the nursing home would serve some form of pasta several times per week. Dad is a meat, potato, and vegetable man.
I am not sure if I should wait a day or so to visit dad. Getting adjusted to a new environment might take some time for dad.
I think the move might do well for his psychological health.

I did say "Goodbye" to his roommate. The roommate said that he was going to miss my father. I asked his roommate, who will be in the nursing home for the rest of his life, how many roommates that he has had during his time in the nursing home. He said that he has had at least 6 roommates, but dad was his best one so far. The roommate is only 78 years old.

I did come home and weave in an afternoon nap while Linda went off to her Thursday afternoon knitting gathering at Dottie's Coffee shop located in downtown Pittsfield.

We headed off to the Shamrock and hooked up with a friend whom we had supper with. Corned beef and cabbage was on the menu as well as a beef stew. Linda and I had the corned beef, and our friend had the beef stew. The corned beef was okay, but not as flavorful as the one which Linda and I make in our crock pot. We purchase the less expensive type called "point cut" of corned beef which has more fat which produces the flavor.
As matter of fact, I purchased 6 packages of corned beef which was on sale at one of grocery stores in Pittsfield. Two of them will be used when Linda hosts a party of girlfriends next week.

I was trying to find a date on our social calendar to invite some friends over for a Curley Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner, but we have no free days until after St. Patrick's Day. Oh Darn!

I just checked my raisins which have been soaking in Irish Whiskey. I think that need another drink. The raisins need another day or so of swimming in the whiskey before I use the raisins when I make some Irish Soda Breads.

The WolfTones Concert last night at Wahconah Country Club was great. This group has been playing together for 49 years which is highly unusual. They have been performing at the Country Club for 22 years.

Our normal Friday night at the Shamrock playing Keno and eating some type of seafood product has a little glitch. I have to attend a last minute called meeting that is very important at 5:30 PM. The meeting will take place at the Italian American Club, and I hope that it is a short one.

Rush Limbaugh made national news once again. His comments about birth control, and who should pay for it has hit the airwaves. The media is running with this newsmaker.
Like Rush says about himself : "I am on loan from God!"

We had another indicator how dangerous it is to be a policeman in this day and age. A routine traffic stop in New Orleans turned deadly. Two officers were shot, but they did manage to shoot and kill the passenger of the car which the police had stopped.

We have so many activities going on each day or weekend in the Berkshires that we can't attend all of them. The events that we would like to attend cost $25 per person per event. Sometimes we just have to say "No".
There is a Jimmy Fund Comedy Show the cost is $25 per person. There is a Civitan Soup Fest $25 per ticket. There is a Wine Tasting for a family foundation which costs $25 per ticket.
Linda I decided that the $10 per ticket Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner, including a live Irish Band at the Polish Falcon Hall on Saturday night, is in our price range.

Well, I have to do some quiet activities, replenish the bird feeders. I will give my sister a call and ask her how day one went with dad.

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

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

Today is one of those days that Linda and I would just like to put on a set of comfortable clothes like sweatpants and sweat shirts, and look out the sliding glass doors onto the deck and watch the snow fall and the birds attacking the sun flower seeds which I put out for them. Most of the schools in Berkshire County are closed too.
Well, this is not going to happen today.

My sister and I are getting dad out of the nursing home today. The discharge time is 1:30 PM. I am hoping that my sister can get dad up my sister's steep driveway.

After my sister and I get dad settled, the day won't end for the Curley's. Tonight we are going off to the Shamrock Restaurant & Pub for supper with a friend at 6 PM before we head off to the WolfTones Concert at the Wahconah Country Club. We are hoping that the roads will be better by the time the concert starts which normally is around the 8 PM hour.

The Irish American Club of Berkshire County is sponsoring the concert, and they are hoping for a good turnout at least enough concert goers to pay for the band. This is one of those days where paying at the door would have been a good option because of the not so nice weather, but we have already paid for the tickets ($25 per ticket).

Can you believe that a sister ship of the one which ran aground in Italy had to be towed to port? They lost power which means a lot of bad things happened on the ship like no food, sanitation, air conditioning, etc. Did some evil spirit put a curse on this cruise line?

I have already skimmed the local newspaper. It would appear that there are some dumb things that people do in each State including our Liberal State. In a city called Methuen, the school sent home a list of the food which will served in the school cafeteria for a particular week. One of the lunch menu items listed was as "KKK Chicken Tenders." Do you think that the creator of the menu has a problem with African American people? Oops! I made a political incorrect statement. African Americans now want to be called "Blacks".

The violence continues in Syria. I am wondering when we will be invited to help out?

The investigation into the burning of the Muslim Bibles in Afghanistan is ongoing, and the violent protests have not stopped. The American military should get out of Afghanistan should do so as soon as possible.

I was the only one who left the house yesterday. I visited dad in the nursing home. I didn't have to go to his room. He was in the lobby of the nursing home in his wheel chair. I think he knew very well that he will be departing the nursing home.

After the visit, I came home to replenish the bird feeders. The snow started falling as soon as I filled up the last bird feeder. I have do it all over again today because the birds were eating the seeds on Wednesday like it was their last meal.

The weather guys says that we should pick up 3 to 6 more inches of snow before the storm ends this evening. We have 5 inches already, and I know that because I had to put on my boots to get my newspaper. My newspaper is put on the front step right outside the main door to our house. The wind blew the newspaper off the step, and I found it in the bushes. I ended up with snow all over my pajamas, and the sweatshirt that I was wearing.
So far, no one has cranked up their snow blowers. Linda is sound asleep so there is no way that I am going to start mine.

Linda whipped up a wonderful crock pot soup for supper last evening. It was one of those clean out the freezer and vegetable bin days. We will have some soup for lunch today before I go off to help dad move from the nursing home to my sister's home.

I finished savoring a book yesterday and started another one. The newest book is a James Paterson one. The murder and mayhem has already started in the first couple chapters of this book which is the way I like it.

Linda spent most of day and evening knitting and watching her favorite programs. We wish that we could have a repeat of yesterday.

For our friends who read the Berkshire Eagle online for free, this appears to be coming to an end soon. They have a two week special where you can read the Berkshire Eagle online. After that, you will have to pay a fee for reading the newspaper on line. Many newspapers have already done this, but we are a little slow in the Berkshires.

Well, I better get to some quiet tasks one of which is too find the container of raisins, and find a plastic container to put them in along with some Irish Whiskey. I am just about ready to start making some Irish Soda Breads. The raisins need to spend a couple days swimming in the whiskey before I put them in the Irish Soda Breads. The Whiskey rehydrates the raisins and adds flavor to the breads. The alcohol is burned off in the baking process. No, I am not giving away my secret recipe form the Irish Soda Bread!

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

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

Our Monday went pretty well, but I was out of the house most of the day dealing with dad issues. I will be at it again today as I open the family home in Lee at 1:30 PM so that two motorized chairs can be disassembled and brought to my sister's home in Pittsfield. Technicians from where dad purchased the chairs will be doing this work.

The home inspection at my sister's home went well on Monday. The two therapists, my sister and I, and dad arrived at my sister's home at 11 AM. Getting dad from the car to the upper level of my sister's home went pretty well. The therapist told Marie exactly what needs to be done in her home to make it safe for dad since he is a fall risk. After we took dad back to the nursing home, I did have time to weave in an afternoon nap before going back to the nursing home. At 3:30 PM, the therapist showed my sister and me what to do when helping dad climbing stairs. Since my sister spent 23 years of her life working in the hospital, she already knew what to do.
Dad's discharge date from the nursing home is March 1, 2012 at 1:30 PM.

While I was doing my thing, Linda was writing out bills. It was good that I wasn't around to bug her.

She had to prepare an appetizer for her meeting. Her meeting was a fun one where the ladies at the gathering were discussing details of their annual Cape Cod trip which takes place toward the end of June.

My UNICO golf committee meeting lasted about an hour, but it wasn't exactly what I would call fun.

Of course, we are in a winter storm watch / warning for the next few days. I am watching the local news right now, and the weathermen are all excited because they have something to talk about. I might even get a chance to use my snow blower. I really want to use the snow blower because I had to have it serviced a month ago. The weather guy whom I am watching is saying 5 inches for us in Pittsfield. Whatever snow does fall, will melt on Saturday because we will be back into the 50's. The weird winter continues!

Ohio School Shooting -- I want to know all the details of the family life of shooter who is an alternative school student. From the bits and pieces of various reports, grandparents have been taking care of the shooter. I want to know more about the 17 year old boy's parents. I always claim that as the family unit has deteriorated over the years, then so does society! Many of the troubled youths in our schools and in society in general happen to come from screwed up families. If you don't believe it, try teaching high school for more than 30 years like than Curley's have done.

Luckily we didn't have any shootings, but we did have a homemade bomb of metal parts and nials set off in a trash can in my school. This incident was toward the end of my teaching career. I think that the target of the bomb was the Principal of our school because the trash can was in the back of the school where the Principal would stand as the students got off of the school buses or out of the cars which they drove to school.

My radio talk show host, who is on my daily blog, can tell you even more stories about troubled youths (and adults) since he met many of them in the penal systems which he worked at throughout the United States as well as in foreign countries.

This Ohio tradgety wasn't the only incident in our schools yesterday. A seventh grader whipped out a loaded hand gun while in a lunch line because another student made a disparaging comment about another female student.

People keep on asking Linda and me if we miss teaching. What do you think?

Sports -- I didn't have any Boston teams engaged in any contests last evening so I decided to read a book while watching the Daytona 500. I couldn't last until 1 AM when the winner crossed the finish line. I stopped watching the race when a car crashed into the Jet Engine drying vehicle, and it caught fire. The fuel from the track drying vehicle coated the track, and it caught fire too. It was like watching a movie as they fire was put out and the track was repaired. No one was killed which was the only positive.

Speaking of sports, the weather channel has a video which they have been showing of a car which fell through the ice where a bunch of ice-fisherman had their cars and truck parked side by side. Instead of catching fish, a wrecker had to catch a car which had fallen through the ice. When a vehicle gets submerged in water, can you imagine what the water does to the electronic systems which all the vehicles have in them nowadays?

I met a relative, who is a couple years older than me, in the nursing home who was visiting his mother-in-law. I must say that I am never at a loss for words, but this relative could talk your ear off in no time at all. My grandmother Mary Curley (my Dad's mother), and my cousin's mother were sisters both of whom were born in Northern Italy.
At one point, we were chatting in the lobby of the nursing home, and my cousin knew every person who entered and left the nursing home. He struck up a conversation with all of them. I said to myself that my cousin is just like my 88 year old father. They can tell you who lived in what house in the Pittsfield neighborhood that they grew up in. My dad and my cousin could tell you almost every classmate that they had going back to Saint Charles Catholic elementary school. I wonder if I have the "gift"?

On the local scene, the female robber who has been holding up Convenient Stores while armed and masked, has finally been caught on video. Someone who watches this video has to recognize the voice of this woman. All of Pittsfield is waiting for this woman to be caught. The court system better show her no mercy when the Police catch this woman!

Social Calendar -- Linda has her normal Tuesday Mah Jongg session at a friend's home in Lenox. I have the dad stuff to deal with.

I have a crock pot brewing with comfort food. It is a beef pot roast with all the fixings. It should be wonderful by supper time.

Have a great day at work or school!

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Monday, February 27, 2012

Hello on Monday

Dear Friends,

Hope that you all had a pleasant Sunday.

My legs did get a much needed rest, and I spent most of the day in my Man Cave savoring a book written by the author whose books are based on the television program "Bones". The main characters in these books are always trying to catch some sick minded killer(s).

I usually have the television turned on low while reading the book. I wanted to watch the Daytona 500, but I won't be able to view the postponed race until noontime today.

Before I did settle down to my book reading, I did visit dad in the nursing home. I did purchase some bird seed on the way home from the Mt. Greylock nursing home. I should stop feeding the birds because the bears will be coming out of their dens if they haven't done so already.

Speaking of animals, there is an annual rabbit hunt sponsored by a local Sportsmen's Club. They hunters claimed that the rabbit count is down. The naturalists and the hunters contend that the Bobcat and Coyote populations are keeping the rabbit population lower this year. People have spotted Bobcats in their backyard. One family said that a bobcat was sunning himself on the railing of their deck. The homeowner rushed into the house to get a camera, but the Bobcat departed for she could take a picture. Oh Darn! I was wondering if this home owner had bird feeders in their yard. When I fed the birds yesterday, I saw some tracks in the little bit of snow we have, and they weren't bird tracks, rabbit tracks, or squirrel tracks. Could the bobcats be in our yard?

Social Calendar -- I will be helping with dad going to my sister's home, along with a therapist from the nursing home, for a home inspection. The nursing home won't officially discharge dad unless they deem the home is safe for dad who is a fall risk. Dad was in good spirits, and the staff at the nursing home knows that he will be leaving soon if all goes well today.
This evening, Linda and I will be leaving the house but going in opposite directions.

The national news was kind calm this morning. There was a video showing a billboard in UTAH which somebody paid for which said "Bomb Iran!"
The burning of the Kouran's at a United States military base in Afghanistan is still causing problems for the remaining American troops who are there. I had heard somewhere that the bad guys who were in our prisons were communicating with one another in those bibles. If this was true, the Americans should have said so before they burned those bibles.

It was another evening of the actors and actresses patting themselves on their backs. The awards don't seem to all go to the favorites. It is like trying to pick the winning horse in the Kentucky Derby. Some long shot usually wins the derby.

Weather -- We have some kind of snow event heading this way on Wednesday. The weather prognosticators keep on mentioning the track of the storm. I have to see the white stuff on the ground before I believe their forecasts.
The snow budget in Boston has used $2 million of the their $17 million snow budget. What will Boston and the other communities in Massachusetts do with the budgeted funds if they don't get used up? How about lowering our property taxes?

On the local scene, we have had a rash of burglaries of Convenient Stores here in Pittsfield. The bandit hit another one on Saturday night. She comes in with a mask while brandishing a hand gun. She demands the money from the cash register of these stores. If I owned or worked at one of the stores, I would have some pepper spray or my own handgun. The Pittsfield Police are working feverishly to stop this bandit. When the person is caught, they better give her the maximum jail time, and not use any excuses for doing so like: she is a drug abuser and was robbing stores to buy drugs, or she had a terrible family life. How about the victims who go to work each day on the night shift not knowing that the bandit will hit their store soon. I am betting that the workers at the stores who have been robbed aren't sleeping well.

Well, it is back to school today for teachers and students who had this past week off. I remember those Mondays after a school vacation very well.

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

P.S. Don't forget that if you want to be dropped from my daily blog, just let me know.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Hello on Saturday

Dear Friends,

Hope that you all had a very pleasant day on Friday like Linda and I did. Breakfast with the Pittsfield High School Female Retirees went very well.
I am invited back on March 23, 2012. I did do more listening than talking for a change.
Speaking of breakfast -- Two eggs, two slices of toast, home fries, and bottomless cup of coffee for $3.99 is quite a deal for we Berkshireites. Why bother even cooking breakfast at home?

I did go off and visit dad just as the therapist whisked him away to a therapy session. I went with dad to see what he does at therapy. All of a sudden the room filled up with patients and therapists and there was no room for me at all. Dad was in good spirits knowing that his days were numbered in the nursing home. I hope that everything goes well leading up to his Wednesday discharge date.

We did go off to the Shamrock last evening with an Irish / Polish friend. The three of us arrived at 4:45 PM, and there were no seats at the bar. People were coming out of the woodwork as the expression goes. The place was packed at the bar and dinning area through the 7 PM hour as we left the Pub.
The fish last night was spectacular. Two of us had Fish & Chips, and our health conscious friend had baked fish.
All of us played Keno while we sat at the bar before we decided to sit down in the dinning room area to eat. Usually, we are not so lucky playing Keno. We turn in our slips after playing 10 games at a cost of $1 dollar per game. I didn't even know it, but the bartender doles out 5 $20 bills. Winning $100 was a nice surprise for me. I have to credit Linda for my winnings because I usually don't bet four numbers. I am kind of wimpy, and bet mostly two or three numbers. One time I even bet 1 number per game. The less numbers you play, the smaller the payoff is. Last night I decided to play 4 numbers and I was lucky enough to win the $100.

We came so early that I had time to watch the whole Boston Bruins Hockey game. The Bruins lost the game in a shootout, but it was an exciting game.

I will be leaving the house today before Linda even wakes up. I will be at Berkshire Hills Country Club with the kitchen crew of my UNICO Brothers and Sisters a little after 8 AM chopping and dicing, cutting up the multiple pounds of three cheeses which will go into the Polenta just before we serve it. A bunch of guys will be deveining the venison before cutting it up into stew size pieces, etc. A great deal of preparation goes into preparing to serve over 350 people at the Women's Imaging Center Fundraiser.

Like I said in previous emails, the day for me won't end after we get through serving the large crowd of guests. Linda and I are heading off to the Polish Falcon Hall to dance and listen to a Country Western / Rock Band called Whiskey City. I am figuring that my head won't hit the pillow until after midnight
Linda has a totally free day, and is planning on hooking up with some friends for supper before we meet up and go to the polish Falcon Hall.

When I skimmed the online CNN news, nothing really jumped out at me. The world is still in a state of turmoil. The Republicans continue to beat each other up with the latest gaffs made by Mitt Romney. If you talk long enough, anyone can get themselves in trouble which often happens to me.

Speaking of gaffs, one of the retired teachers at breakfast relayed a story to me about our son who owns the restaurant "Dough East Boston." Kevin was a student in this teacher's Honors History Class. The teacher asked the class where they should bury the remains of the Father of the American Navy -- John Paul Jones. He was originally buried in England. The students began shouting out West Point (Army), Colorado Springs (Air Force), etc. Another student yelled out Norfolk, Virgina. The teacher said that they were getting closer to the correct area that a naval officer should be buried. After several other responses, the frustrated teacher asked if there were any "Seamen" in her class. All the boys started looking at their crotches as they started giggling. Our son Kevin, who was seated in the front row of the class, whispered to the teacher that she should have used the word "Sailors" instead of "Seaman".

I was watching part of the Doctor Oz show just before we departed for the Shamrock. He was telling the audience and we viewers about ways to prevent or decrease the onset of Alzheimer's. I remember two of the three remedies. One was a liquid sage that you take so many eyedroppers of. The other one Linda and I always have in our house which was celery. The hearts of celery release a chemical which helps ward off Alzheimer's Disease. As a matter of fact, the red sauce that we Unicans are preparing today will have finely chopped up celery as one of the ingredients.

The wind is howling in the Berkshires. We are expecting 20 to 40 mile per hour winds for most of the day as the temperature drop. The few inches of snow that we were supposed to get never materialized. Our mild winter continues.

Well, I have to gather up some of my kitchen gadgets, apron, hot mitts, and liquid refreshments, etc.
Have a great weekend.
If you live in the Berkshires, hold on to your hats.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Friday, February 24, 2012

Dear Friends,

Yesterday was a spring like day in the Berkshires. The neighborhood children were riding their bicycles, and playing basketball in their driveways. Everyone seemed to be outside enjoying the weather.
Today we are in a winter storm watch until 6 PM, but any snow that we do pick up will be minimal according to the weather people.

The nice weather did cause a problem for two ice-fishermen on Lake Saratoga located in Saratoga, New York. As the two guys were fishing, the thin ice on the shoreline turned into water. They called 911, and a rescue team came with an air boat, and got the men safely off of the ice. After my ice-fishing adventure on Monday on Pontoosuc Lake, I soon realized that it was time to put away the ice-fishing gear for this season. Some people must be slow learners.

Another State gave the okay for same sex marriages. Maryland is now part of a handful of States which allow same sex marriages. Same sex marriage began in Massachusetts.

News -- I see where the Taliban are killing their own people in Iraq by way of bombing incidents.

The Arab nations are arming the rebels in Syria. Are we Americans heading into another conflict in the Middle East.

An Alabama judge threw out the case of the honeymoon couple where the husband was accused of killing his wife during a scuba dive.

The cost cutting measure of U.S. Postal Service has employees shaking in their boots. 35,000 people could be losing their job.

The daily increase in gasoline prices is being seriously looked at. There appears to be a connection between Wall Street speculators, and Big Banks. This is another example of the rich getting richer at the expense of the little guy.

The military helicopters crashing into one another during a training exercise in Yuma, Arizona, where 7 people got killed, is another example of
the danger that our men and women in the military go through on daily basis.

Update on Dad - After our family meeting at the nursing home yesterday, my sister and I decided to get dad out of the nursing home. My sister has agreed to have dad stay at her house. The time frame which was established was an 11 AM Monday morning home visitation with dad, the nursing home therapist for a home evaluation. The therapist will tell my sister what her house needs to take care of dad. On Wednesday, dad will be discharged from the nursing home at 1:30 PM. Yes, my sister and I are aware how difficult it is to take care of loved one with so many issues, but my sister thinks that she can make it happen and make a difference in dad's life. Dad's mental health is not in question. A friend visited dad during the late afternoon on Thursday. My friend's exact words was the "your father is entertaining the troops!" Of Course, my father was upbeat because he knows that he won't be in the nursing home for too much longer.

Social Calendar -- Linda and I had a pleasant day on Thursday. I weaved in an afternoon nap after my nursing home visit. Linda went off to a Thursday Knitting group gathering at Dottie's Coffee Shop from 3 PM until 5 PM.
We had a coordinated supper since Linda and I had no evening commitments. We had a pork loin, cheese mashed potatoes, and an artichoke. The early season artichoke was not that good. Linda went into domestic goddess mode earlier in the day and whipped up a bread pudding which was super. A dollop of whipped cream on a micro wave heated piece of bread pudding made for a great dessert.

This morning Linda has her Pittsfield High School retiree breakfast at 8:30 AM. This is normally a female event, but I joined the ladies last month, and I am seriously thinking of doing so today. Another male, who was the head custodian at the school which I taught at might join us too. I am really going to try to not flail my arms and dominate the conversation. I will try and be a good listener. Yeah Right!

We are heading to the Shamrock for supper and Keno this evening. We are meeting a friend around 5 PM at the bar. It won't be a long night for me because it will be a long day for me on Saturday. I will be in the kitchen a little after 8 AM to help prepare for the Women's Imaging Center Polenta and Venison dinner. It takes a lot of effort to serve over 350 guests.
My day will not end after we serve the people. I will go home and take a quick shower, and Linda and I will head off to the Polish Falcon Hall. The band Whiskey City will be playing from 9 PM until midnight.

Sports -- Linsanity didn't happen last night. Jeremy Lin and his New York Knicks played one of the top teams in the NBA. Jeremy got a dose of what it is like to play with the big boys!

Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and get ready for the Retirees' Breakfast.
Have a great day!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

I hope that all my readers had a wonderful Presidents’ Day. I know that many of you had to go to work. This is school vacation week for the Public Schools in the Berkshires so working Mom’s and Dad’s had to try and figure out what they are going to do with their children. With Linda and I being teachers during our working years, we did things with our children. When our two boys were small, I would have taken them ice-fishing.

Speaking of ice-fishing, everything started off very well for me on Monday. I made some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and took some fruit for lunch; loaded up my car with ice-fishing gear, and headed off to the bait shop while Linda was fast asleep. After picking up my bait, I drove directly to the parking lot at the end of Narragansett Avenue which is located across the lake and parallel to Route 7. Everything was going well, until I hauled my sled, loaded with gear, to Pontoosuc Lake. The shoreline was watery with thin ice. I tried to figure out how the fisherman who were already on the ice got from the not so safe ice to the ice where they were fishing. Luckily, a guy saw me struggling mentally and told me how to get on the ice without falling through it. I had to drag my sled over dirt, which was not an easy task, about 150 feet to some docks which were owned by a people who live in some condos. The ice at the docks was hard and thick enough for my not so light body to make it out to the ice. I took out my auger, and drilled 5 holes into the ice. The thickness of the ice was in the 6 to 7 inch range. This thickness is safe enough for people to be on the ice. I was more concerned about the thin ice on the shoreline. I spent four or five hours on the ice communing with nature. The sun was shinning brightly so I did get a sun tan, and a little wind burn. I did get three flags, but no fish before I decided to call it a day. My plan of listening to my radio talk show host didn’t workout because I forgot that he doesn’t do his radio show on Holidays.
When I decided to pack up and leave the ice, another problem arose. The thin ice on the shoreline turned to water. The dirt that I pulled my sled over had turned into mud as the temperatures of the day rose to about 35 degrees. After struggling to get back to land, I decided that I would walk on land and haul my sled like a boat on the ice that turned into water. When I got to the access road, I had to pull my sled over the dirt / muddy road. I felt like I was getting a work out at Retro Fitness. I made a decision that I am giving up ice-fishing for this season unless we have some kind of cold snap that refreezes the ice. There were a good number of people on the ice on Monday, but maybe their access to where they were fishing didn’t have a watery shoreline. There is an Ice-Fishing derby right out of the same parking lot this coming weekend for a deceased Irish American Club friend. If the conditions are like what I saw yesterday, you won’t see me at the event.

Linda has a chicken and vegetable soup brewing in the crock pot for her Mah Jongg ladies. It looks and smells wonderful. She likes a soup that contains more broth, but I like a soup that is full of ingredients, and is a meal in itself. Linda is hosting her Tuesday Mah Jongg session. I was supposed to dine with the ladies, but I won’t be able to do so.

I have two errands to do before I make it to the family meeting at the Mt. Greylock nursing home this morning at 10:30 AM. After the meeting, I am heading to the ITAM to help prepare for a Boys and Girls Club Pasta Dinner where they expect over 200 people. I have to leave the kitchen around 12:45 PM to attend a REAM (Retired Educator Association of Massachusetts) board meeting. Since I am President of the local chapter, I must attend this meeting. After this meeting is over (in about an hour), I will return to the ITAM and finish working in the kitchen and setting up the buffet line for the Pasta Dinner.
Linda and I had planned to attend a Fat Tuesday Dinner at St. Agnes Parish Hall in Dalton this evening, but that is not going to happen. Linda said that it was alright that those plans have changed.

If any of the people on my blog are local, this fundraiser is for a good cause. The cost is at nominal price, and begins at the usual 5 PM hour. Dessert and Coffee are also included.

This event was not on my social calendar. Every time that we have a board meeting or a membership meeting, there always seems to be another UNICO event which we pick up. It is kind of unusual to have such an event the day after a meeting.

Our UNICO dinner meeting went well last evening. We had a salad, pasta, Italian Bread, a baked stuffed pork chop with all the fixings along with cake and coffee.

The President of our local UNICO Chapter became a grandfather for the first time on Friday. His first grandchild is an 8 pound plus baby girl. I keep on telling people that being a grandparent is a new phase in a person’s life. My friend said that he is starting to realize that.

Oops! I forgot to mention that Linda spent several hours of her day cleaning up the house which she contends that I make the most mess for her to clean up. She did have some relaxing hours when I wasn’t around to bug her. Actually that is not true. When called her and I told her about the thin ice that I had deal with all she could do is do is visualize me swimming with the fish instead of trying to catch them. Oh Darn!

Speaking of grandchildren, our son Kevin took his 2.5 year old son to work at his dad’s restaurant “Dough” on Monday. I wish that all of you could see the video of Max making pizza. In the video, Max is rolling out the dough for a pizza. This child knows how to use a rolling pin already. In the second video, Max is putting the cheese on the pizza. I am guessing that Max will be working in the restaurant very soon with a step stool. I hope that the child labor laws allow him to do so.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, and the start of Lent in the Catholic Church. Maybe I could use Lent as a way to lose a few pounds. I have to decide on what foods and beverages that I could give up for Lent.
Well, if I have no willpower to give up certain foods and beverages, I could at least use portion control. On the other hand, how can a person who volunteers for so many events that involve food deal with portion control? Besides tonight’s pasta event, my UNICO Brothers and Sisters will be preparing over 350 Polenta and Venison Dinners for Saturday night’s Womens’ Imaging Fundraiser at the Berkshire Hills Country Club. A person has to sample what they are preparing to make sure if it tastes okay. We also have to sample some of the homemade wine that some of the workers bring into the kitchen. It is a never ending cycle of food, fun, and merriment, and I feel that I have to be part of it. Oh Darn!

News – The local boy who became the top Sheriff in Arizona is running into some flack that now has gone viral. A disgruntled boyfriend of the sheriff has accused the sheriff of harassment when their relationship fell apart. This also meant that the Sheriff had to go on National television to declare that he is gay. The Sheriff is trying to run for a higher political office. Arizona is not one of those States which looks favorably on gay people. Oh Darn!

Well, I have to quietly gather up all of my food preparation gear for tonight’s pasta dinner after I read the local newspaper. Once I leave the house at 9 AM, Linda won’t see me until after we clean up the kitchen at the ITAM. Hopefully I will be home around 8:30 AM. I will be one tired buckaroo when I walk in the door. I will need all of Wednesday to recover from today.

Have a great Tuesday!

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Monday, February 20, 2012

Hello on Monday

Dear Friends,

Happy President's Day!

Our Sunday went as planned. I did wake Linda up at 7 AM in Tewksbury even though she was in a deep sleep. We snuck out of Kevin and Kyla’s home on Sunday around 7:30 AM while the rest of the house was fast asleep. I am guessing that when Max woke up he started looking for his Nana and Papa. Oh Darn!
We had enough time to unpack and to take a shower before we headed off to the Jack & Jill Baby Shower. I kept on saying that the Baby shower started at noon, but we were an hour late. The guests were still in the serving line when we arrived at noon. We found a couple empty seats at a table of strangers, but it didn’t take long for the Curley’s to blend right in. I had some of the 7 children in my Math classes at Taconic who belong to this very nice couple who were at our table. The other couple was just as nice, and the husband was a Vietnam veteran. The nice thing about these couples was that they were Democrats which meant you were talking with like minded people.

The buffet style food was wonderful. There was much food, fun, and merriment which took place in this packed Polish Falcon Hall. There were so many gifts that the “Mother to Be” didn’t open the presents at the shower. If she did open them, all of us men would have proceeded to go downstairs into the Members’ Bar. On the other hand, Linda would have loved to have watched her open the 40+ gifts. Linda loves being invited to all kinds of showers. After people left the hall, we both went into the members’ bar for about 30 minutes for more socialization while family friends filled cars and trucks, and brought the gifts to the home of the Mother to Be. I was trying to figure out where they were going to put all the gifts when they arrived home.

I should be at Retro Fitness right now, but I decided to get my exercise and fresh air on Pontoosuc Lake today. I am going to do a little ice-fishing and commune with nature. It is supposed to be a day of total sunshine which means I could get a nice suntan. I will bring a portable radio and listen to my talk show host friend from 10 AM until 1 PM while waiting for the fish to bite. Since I am fishing on Pontoosuc Lake, I will use steel leader line and hooks because if I catch a Northern Pike, they can cut monofilament line very easily with their sharp teeth. Even if I don’t catch a single fish, I should get a great tan. My plan right now is to leave the house at 6:45 AM because the bait shop doesn’t open until 7 AM.

Linda will love the fact that I won’t be around for several hours especially since she has nothing on her social calendar for today. I am the only one socially engaged today. I have a UNICO Membership Meeting and Dinner at Jimmy’s Restaurant today at 6 PM.

Sports – LinSanity continued with respect to the New York Knicks. The newly discovered super hero who has been sitting on the Knick’s bench for most of the season was an integral part of yesterday’s win. Jeremy Lin is starting to realize that fame has some negatives. People are starting to bug his parents!

The Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins both lost their games.

Instead of watching the Boston sporting contests, I bonded with Linda for several hours watching many police related recorded programs. When Linda decided that she had enough of the cop programs, she turned on Survivor, and I went to bed. Both of us were exhausted, but Linda has this ability to survive without taking a nap. My body just shuts down. As I think about it, I did forget to mention that we went from the Baby Shower to the grocery store. I tried to talk Linda into dropping me off so I could take a nap while she did the grocery shopping. She said absolutely not! She said that when she shops when I am napping, there is no fun getting the groceries, loading up the car, and unloading the groceries from the car, and putting them away while I am sleeping my life away. I told her that I like shopping at 7 AM because the stores are empty, and the check out lines have no one in them. Of course, 7 AM is Linda’s prime time for sleeping. Are we on different schedules or what?

I am watching the news on television as I type this email. A former Berkshire County resident is a big time Sheriff in Arizona who has been fighting the war against the people crossing the border from Mexico into the United States. He is making National news because he is running for a political office, and he had to announce that he is gay. Some issue has surfaced from a disgruntled boyfriend. I hope that the fact that this true American is gay person doesn’t affect the way for him to do his job or to get elected if he chooses to run for a political office.
During the baby shower while we were socializing with our new found friends, I brought up the fact that Governor Christie vetoed the gay marriage bill in his State. Everyone at our table agreed gay marriage and that a person being gay should have no affect on how we treat one another. “Live and Let Live” has been my philosophy of life.

Well, I have to pack some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and some fruit, and water for my ice-fishing adventure.

Have a great day at work or play!

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

Our Thursday went as planned evening though I did not go ice fishing on Thursday. I decided to make an appointment with our tax preparation guy, and I brought him all of the Curley tax information.

After my afternoon visit with our tax guy, I went to visit dear old dad at the nursing home since the office of the tax preparation guy is ¼ of a mile from the nursing home. My sister arrived for a visit about 10 minutes after I arrived. The visit went semi-well. Dad was a little grumpy, but it could be from the pain medication which hasn’t worn off from what he was given during his emergency room visit from a couple days earlier.
After the visit ended, we talked to a physical therapist who gave us an update on dad’s condition. The prognosis was not good. Dad is an extreme fall risk, and they nursing home will not sign off on a discharge for dad because he needs 24 hour care. Oh Darn!

Linda’s day went much better than mine. She did do lunch with a girlfriend; squeezed in an hour of her 6 PM Panera Bread Knitting group gathering before she headed off to BONCO.

While Linda was doing her activities, I balled up a couple hanks of yarn for Linda, and watched the Boston Celtics lose to another terrible opponent. Oh Darn!
Jeremy Lin and the “LinSanity” that he has been creating as a point guard for the New York Knicks continued again in their game last evening. Watching the New York Knicks play basketball is more exciting than watching the Boston Celtics.

Our Thursday looks kind of free for the moment during the day. Some messy weather is heading our way for the 5 PM hour. Another rain snow mix is forecasted.
We also have to pack for a couple day visit in Tewksbury. Our plan as of yesterday was to leave on Friday morning, and head back to Pittsfield on Sunday morning since we have a noontime function to attend. The ice fishing derby is still a go for Saturday in nearby New Hampshire, and the weather is going to be kind of mild for that day. I won’t have to dress up like “Nanook from the North.”

Rakish Paddy is playing at Patrick’s Pub. We might be having supper at the Pub this evening.

I am up early because I will be heading off to Retro Fitness to be with the 4:30 AM gym rats!
I could see an early afternoon nap in my future today.

Did you read about the guy who actually had a heart attack while he was eating at the Heart Attack Grill? The Heart Attack Grill serves those giant stacked burgers that have over 2000 calories per burger. The owner of the Heart Attack Grill (located in Las Vegas) said that this was not a stunt. The video of the incident has already gone viral.

I also heard that Kolby Bryant and his wife were seen together at the Los Angeles Laker game last evening. There was some talk about some reconciliation possibly taking place even though divorce papers have been filed, but don’t take affect until June. I am guessing that Kolbe reassessed the situation, and might be realizing what a divorce would cost him financially. His wife Vanessa will have to assess the situation from her viewpoint because Kolby was the one who was the unfaithful person in their marriage. This is another example of a powerful wealthy person who feels that they are above the rules of a marital contract. It is probably good that we people of modest means can’t afford to do what some of these well off people think that they can do.

Politics etc. – It is not looking good for any Republican Candidate right now. If a Presidential election took place today, the Republicans would not have a chance of ousting President Obama. Yes, I realize that there are many people out of work, and many people who are losing their jobs on a daily basis. The gas prices at the pump are affecting every aspect of our lives. The cost of food just keeps on going up.
In the Pittsfield economy, a family owned grocery store will be closing one of its two stores on March 15, 2012. The local newspaper said that a downtown restaurant called Brules is also closing its doors. You would think “gloom and doom” for the local economy. Just stop by Patrick’s Pub this evening. The place will be packed on a Thursday night with a line of people at the door waiting to be seated. Some restaurants just keep on packing the people in. When we drove from Pittsfield to Lee last Saturday night to dine at the Salmon Run Restaurant, every restaurant we drove by had parking lots that were full. This includes the Chain restaurants like Applebees, “99”, and Arizona Pizza as well as Halpins Pub, Panda Restaurant, etc.

Well, I have to get ready to head out the door to Retro Fitness.
Have a great Thursday!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,

Hope that everyone had a wonderful Valentines’ Day. Linda and I didn’t see each other until after my ServSafe test. I arrived home close to 10:30 PM. We chatted about how each of our days went for 15 minutes before I headed off to bed.

The ServSafe review and test at the ITAM last night was tiring. I normally don’t do well on multiple guess tests because all the answers look good to me. Our instructor even helped us out when we weren’t sure about a particular question. When I turned in the test, I asked her about two questions, and she said that my answers were incorrect, and she told me the correct answer. This didn’t make me feel good about the other questions on the 90 question test. We won’t get the test results for a couple of weeks because they are sent off to a national testing center.

Her Valentine gave Linda a little bauble, and a Valentine card with some lottery tickets. Linda knitted me a beautiful grey tweed like toque to wear for any occasion, but I will most likely use it for ice-fishing! Linda must have read my daily blog about Whitman’s Sampler Chocolates because she picked me up a box in her travels on Tuesday.

Linda is the only one socially engaged today. She will be doing lunch with her friend who is flying back to Atlanta, and then dropping her off at her daughter’s place of employment. Her daughter will be driving her Mom to the airport, and flying with her Mom to Atlanta.
Linda has BONCO at a friend’s house this evening. I am thinking of having another Chicken Novena while she is with this group of friends.

I did have thoughts of doing a little ice-fishing today which I haven’t done this year yet. There is some nuisance weather going on right now so if I do go, I won’t be set up on the ice at the crack of dawn.

In my travels yesterday, I did visit Dad in the nursing home. He seemed to be in good spirits. He was not completely pain free, but he was less grumpy than the day before when he spent almost 24 hours in the emergency room of Berkshire Medical Center.

I didn’t get an invite to attend the funeral service for Whitney Houston in New Jersey. I am so hurt! Yeah right!

I also see where the CEO of the Apple Company is going to try and reduce the sweatshop like conditions in China where the Apple Products are assembled. When the financial bottom line of the profits which Apple is earning for it shareholders decreases at all, I would guess it will be business as usual in those sweatshops.

Speaking of technology, did you see the video of a father who shot his teenage daughter’s computer. Is this the new way to solve parent and daughter problems? He taped the event, put it on the internet, and it went viral.

Did you also read about the guy who was at a Church service the other day? He was showing off his 9 MM hand gun after the service. The owner of the gun didn’t realize that there was a bullet in the chamber of the gun. The gun went off. The bullet went through a wall, and hit a female Church goer in the head. Could you tell me why you need to take a hand gun at a Church Service?
The Bible and guns seem to go hand in hand. Oh Darn!

Did any of my readers see that one of the States was given permission to build a Nuclear Plant? No new plants have been made for almost 30 years in the United States. I am a little leery of constructing any Nuclear Plants. If they are so great, why did Germany start dismantling all of their Nuclear Plants after the disaster in Japan? Also, Nuclear Plants would be a prime target for the terrorists through out the world.
There is an article in today’s news of a Nuclear Plant in Michigan that has had some safety violations. Can you imagine living next to that Nuclear Plant?

Did you read where they caught a 10 year old Suicide Bomber?

On a happier note, the Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated willing hit the stands any day now. Most of us read the articles in the magazine and don’t focus on the pictures. Yeah Right!
I like the Sports Illustrated magazine after the Swimsuit Issue goes public. You have to read the letters to the editor, and read how upset the readers are. Some people write that they are canceling their subscriptions. The readers start questioning what the Swimsuit Issue has to do with sports? The Swimsuit issue is one of the best read (and looked at), and the most profitable issues for this weekly magazine. Sex sells and don’t you forget!

Sports – My Boston Bruins lost their game yesterday. Good thing that I wasn’t home to watch the game.

Sports continued – The off the bench player for the New York Knicks, Jeremy Lin, made a three point shot with a millisecond left on the clock to win the game last night. This former Harvard graduate and player came off the bench several games ago, and has caused “Lin-Sanity”. A few of the stars for the Knicks have been out with injuries, and it will be hard to sit Lin when the high paid super stars come back. The way that Jeremy has been playing makes it almost impossible to get a ticket for the Knicks’ game whether they are playing home or away games. Even if you don’t care for sports, you ought to see the positive press that this guy is getting. This is like one of those American Dream stories!

Susan B. Anthony was born on this day here in Berkshire County before she traveled and lived in other parts of the country. Every female should count their lucky stars because she was the one who was successful in getting women in the United States the right to vote. She wasn’t successful on the Prohibition issue, but she did try!

On the Albany news, a father was charged for beating his 15 month old son to a brain dead state. This is another case where “Stupid people, shouldn’t breed!”

Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and do some quiet activities!

Have a great day at work or play!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Hello on Valentines Day

Dear Friends,

Happy Valentines’ Day to everyone! If you don’t have a significant other, you can still treat yourself to some things that you really like. I have been reading the all the advertisements for the dinners, jewelry, spa days, boxes of candy, strawberry dipped in chocolate, etc. that we men are supposed to consider giving our sweethearts. Many of us struggle to get exactly what our significant others really desire. In our situation, Linda would like a day just to do things at her own pace, catch a movie, and have a romantic dinner at an upscale place. Well, she is not getting any of those things today!
Linda has her Tuesday Mah Jongg session from 11:30 AM until 4 PM or so. We have an Irish Sister City Committee meeting at 6 PM that I can’t attend because tonight is my review and test for the ServSafe Recertification test which is also 6 PM. I chatted with a friend at my UNICO board meeting, but he might miss the test because his daughter could be having her first child any moment now. She was due on February 9, 2012.

Observation – While I was checking out the Sunday fliers, I kept on seeing Whitman’s Sampler’s on sale. That box of candy was almost a staple in our family when I grew up. I still wouldn’t mind getting a box of them every Valentines Day. I love the fact that there is a description of every piece of candy for every slot in the box. I started off our relationship thinking that I could carry on the Whitman’ Sampler tradition with Linda, and that didn’t last too long. I know that she likes the nutty kind of Russell Stover Chocolates, and not the box of those generic creamed filled ones. Of course, if she does receive the candies which she prefers, she has to hide them from me. She knows how to savor candy, and I have not mastered that technique since I have been on this earth.
I also contend that the warm and fuzzy feelings that we get on Valentines Day should last all year long, and not just for one day of the year.

Yesterday, Linda and her girlfriend had a nice day at the Casino. Linda came home with a few more dollars than she had budgeted. There weren’t enough winnings to take some exotic trip, but she will be getting some post cards in the mail from the Casino asking her to return soon! Her girlfriend started off the day with some sniffles. By the time they had to get back on the bus, her friend had what appeared to be a full fledged cold. Linda and I have too many things on our social calendar for the rest of February, and March to even consider spending time fighting an illness.

My day did not go as planned. My sister was with my dad in the emergency room on Monday night from 10 PM until 4:30 AM. I was with dad in the same room from 9 AM until almost 3 PM which is when dad got discharged and returned to the nursing home. After all those hours at the hospital, and two CAT scans including one with dye, it was determined that my dad’s internal plumbing was causing the pain. My sister said that from her experience in Ultra Sound, seniors not only get constipated more often, but sometimes it what they call impacted. If you think about people in nursing homes like my dad, they don’t drink enough fluids, and they don’t move around enough during the day to get their internal plumbing working properly. My dad can’t stand up and walk at all right now. He spends most of the day in a wheel chair, or in bed.
From what I saw yesterday, my sister and I agreed that having dad do a transitional stay at my sister’s home before going back to his own home has now been put on the back burner. Dad needs 24 hour care that neither my sister nor I are able to provide. Oh Darn!

I had an hour to relax before I went off to my UNICO board meeting which lasted almost 1.5 hours. As I guessed, we picked up more events to work, and other events got confirmed. One event which we did pick up was a City of Pittsfield Family Fun day based out of the Controy Pavilion on Onota Lake that I was at this past Sunday. This Saturday event takes place on March 3, 2012. UNICO was asked to prepare and sell, at modest cost, hamburgers and hot dogs from 11 AM until 3 PM. Any profits realized would go to our UNICO charities.
I do remember that there is also another event in the evening at the Polish Falcon Hall. The Curley’s will be attending a Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner.

Also, it was confirmed that UNICO is having their Celebrity Bartending Night on March 15, 2012 at the Heritage Tavern in Lenox. This was a fun event last year, and I know there was a table of our Irish Friends who attended the event. I believe us UNICO volunteers are behind the bar (including me) starting around the 6 PM hour. I will give you more details at a later date.

Social Calendar for me – I have a 9 AM medical appointment. I will then go directly to the nursing home and visit dad. Retro Fitness should be my next stop before I come home and start studying for tonight’s test. I haven’t touched the manual since last Friday, and there is so much that we are responsible for knowing. I will be so glad when this day is over.

Local News – The alleged “hit and run” accident which took place on Winesap in early December made the front page of the Berkshire Eagle once again this morning. A different clerk magistrate said that there is enough circumstantial evidence to charge the driver of the car with two misdemeanors. The driver has a court date at the end of February.

It was sad to hear that Whitney Houston drowned her bathtub in the suite in the hotel that she was at. Legal medication and booze might have caused her to pass out before she drowned in the bathtub.
There were two body guards right outside the bathroom door while the drowning took place! Oh Darn!

Politics -- The President's 2013 budget proposal is not a big hit with the Republicans. Taxing the rich is a real stumbling block for Republicans to agree to.

Well, I have to finish reading the local newspaper, and get dressed. Linda doesn’t have to leave the house until a little after 11 AM.

Have a great Tuesday at work or play!
Talk to you soon! The Curley Lad