Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

Hope that you all had a pleasant Monday like the Curley's did.

I just skimmed CNN on line, and there wasn't much that jumped out at me. One item did strike me as kind of funny. There is a brewery down south that produces "Sexual Chocolate" beer at this time of the year. The video showed pictures of people standing in line in rather cool weather waiting for the doors to open to get this beer. In the video, it appears that the male and female beer drinkers are younger than we baby boomers. The brewery makes enough beer for bars and local establishments until this particular beer runs out, and they don't make another batch again until the following year. I wonder if this beer will help couples who are having problems producing children.

Speaking of producing children, I didn't realize that a Congressional Bill had a few amendments / attachments where employers who provide health insurance must cover abortions and fertility options. The abortion part is what really disturbs me. One the Crusades of the Knights of Columbus is abortions lead to to deaths of unborn children. The government should not be paying for abortions especially if women are using it as a form of birth control.
The government making employers help with costs related to Fertility on the other hand is fine with me. I know of a lot of married couples who would make such great parents, but are really struggling to produce children. A little help from scientific methods are fine with me.

Our Irish Idol, Liam Geddes and his dad, should be in the Berkshires right now. We know of only two events for sure that the Pittsfield Irish Sister City Committee has booked in:

1. On Thursday, February 2, 2012 we are celebrating Liam's 21st birthday at Patrick's Pub starting around 6:30 PM in the side room at the Pub. I will be Italian for part of that day helping to prepare food with my UNICO Brothers and Sisters for the NAMI fundraiser / dinner show at the ITAM (6 PM at $25 per ticket). After my UNICO brothers and sisters serve the meal, I will put on my Irish hat and party at Patrick's Pub.
2. The other event, which the Sister City Committee has booked in, is the Liam Geddes’ Concert at the Barrington Stage on Saturday night February 4, 2012 at 7 PM. The Irish Sister City Committee and St. Joe's Catholic High School are trying to sell out the event because the profits are designated to help defray costs of sending a high school sports team to our Sister City of Ballina, Ireland this summer. People wishing to attend the Concert can reserve or pick up tickets at the Barrington Stage office. The tickets are priced at $20 or $25 per ticket. The Curley's will be attending the event for sure.

Linda and I are hoping that Liam can attend the Curley Super Bowl Party.

Social Calendar -- Therapy at 8 AM, a visit with dad in the nursing home after therapy, some serious studying of my Servsafe manual are the only things on my social calendar.
Linda has her usual Tuesday Mah Jongg session at a friend’s home from 11:30 AM until a little after 4 PM. Our evening is free because we wanted to keep it open for any Liam events that he might involved in. I wanted to crock pot a pork shoulder so I could make some pulled pork sandwiches, but that has been put on hold for the time being.

Politics – Newt and Mitt continue to beat each other up in every form of the media. I appears to be one of those “last man standing” type of battles. Either one who wins the nomination will be so exhausted by the time that the elections take place that our President will still seek and get a second term.

Sports – The blah, blah, blah continues for another week. Both the Giants and Patriots have arrived in Indianapolis. The Patriots arrived first, and they had practice on Monday. The Giants arrived yesterday. This is media week, and neither team wants to make a verbal mistake while answering questions from the media. Tom Brady made a little gaff the other day as the Patriots departed for Indianapolis. There were about 25,000 people in Gillette Stadium having a little pep rally. Tom got to the microphone and said that the semi party that they had at Gillette that day would be even bigger after the Super Bowl. The New York newspapers and media picked up on that statement, and it now is bulletin board material in the Giant’s locker room.

I have the Celtic’s and Bruin’s to keep me entertained this evening in my Man Cave.

Observation – I had to go off to a store the other day, and the parking place that I wanted to get my car into had a cart blocking the parking space. Normally, I wouldn’t consider this a big deal, but the cart return was 10 paces across from where I was trying to park. How lazy can people be? If I had to walk a great distance to one of these cart corrals on a freezing cold day, I might leave the cart next to the parking place. Actually, this is not true, I always am thinking of the next person who wants my parking space, and I would say that I return the cart to the cart corral 99% of the time. Am I anal with respect to this issue, or am I making a “mountain over a mole hill”?

Well, after doing some quiet chores, skimming the local newspaper, I have to select my Therapy wardrobe, pick up dad’s newspaper, and head off to Therapy.
Have a great day at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday

Dear Friends,

I hope that all of you had a fun weekend like the Curley's did.

We had great day at the Mohegan Sun Casino trip on Sunday. This Italian American Club bus trip had a packed bus with 14 people on the waiting list for this particular trip.
Did the Curley's make any money at the Casino? Our success can best be described by the following quote that I made up: "What the women maketh, the husband loseth!" Linda would get on a slot machine and it was hot, but I seemed to find the coldest machines in the casino. We ended up in a non smoking Keno room. I played Keno while Linda tried the slot machines in this room. At one point, I had spent over my allotted budget, and I had three dollars in my wallet. Linda game me a few bucks to play Keno, and I won $30. If we go to the Casino again, I might just play Keno, and bring a book or newspaper to read while Linda can goes off to find a slot machine that pays off more than she puts in.

Linda might leave me home on the next Casino Trip or at least direct me to the Keno parlor. The good thing about the Keno parlor is that the Beverage waitress is very attentive to people in this room.

While at the Casino we had lunch with our Radio Show Host and his wife. The place we dined at was called Bubba's. The food in the place was what you would get if you lived down south. We all decided to have a fish dinner instead of some good looking rib dishes that people were having at the tables all around us.
We all had there Catfish dinners. The two husbands had the blackened cat fish and our wives had the regular cat fish. All of us agreed that the fish was wonderful. Linda is a little picky about eating fish. When she says that it was delicious that is a good sign! If she gets a hint of a fishy tasting piece of fish, she will stop eating it. Well, this didn't happen yesterday!

Our Radio Talk Show Host and his wife are now social members (they have no Italian blood flowing through their veins) of the Italian American Club. Steve Romano (a UNICO brother) the owner of Elm Street Hardware, and me signed their applications as their sponsors. Our friends will now receive Italian American Club newsletters so they know what is going on at this very active Club.

The Casino bus almost left without three or four players. Two of the hard of hearing players were just talking away near the bus pick up area, and someone had to go out and rescue them. They might have been waiting at the wrong bus pick area. Our bus came in at Bay 4, but our departing bay was at Bay 10. If you are on a Casino Bus trip, the bus must depart exactly at the designated departure time. The bus can't wait for people who are not on time. The bus was backing out of the parking place when the wayward gamblers got back on the bus. If the bus does depart without you, you have to find your own way home. The Casino is over two hours from the Berkshires. Can you imagine what that Taxi ride would have cost?

Linda and I needed some food as we departed from the Italian American Club. We stopped at the East Side for a wonderful would fired pizza before we headed home. The East Side is 1/4 of a mile from the Italian American Club.

We did arrive home just in time for me to watch the Boston Celtics' basketball team lose their game to one of the worst teams in the league.

The most important sporting contest this week is the Super Bowl on Sunday night which starts at 6:30 PM. I can't wait!

Social Calendar -- Linda is totally free today, and she definitely doesn't want me to put any demands on her at all. I have a 2 PM VENUS procedure today. If I am feeling okay after the medical procedure, I have a UNICO Golf Committee Meeting at 6 PM at the Senior Center in Downtown Pittsfield. The day after a Casino trip is one that we both would like a non commitment day.

Criticism of the Rotary Auction Food -- My Rotarian friend who is on my daily blog answered my criticism quite diplomatically. Linda thought that my criticism of the auction food and certain auction items was kind of harsh. I did ask Linda if I did describe anything that wasn't true. Her answer was "No". Linda is a Libra, and she likes balance in what she says and does in her life. She would have made no negative comments about the Rotarian Auction. As you see, I like to tell it like it is, and leave nothing to your imagination.
Linda thinks that I am turning into a grumpy old man. I just can't be a "Don't make waves or don't hurt the feelings of people" type of writer. I am a person who sees things as "Black or white person or right or wrong." I am just not a middle of the road type of person.

Well, I am going to be so quiet this morning until Linda wakes up that she will have thought that I left the house. I hope that no one calls the house and wakes her up. It is usually her friends that make those "jolting out of her bed" telephone calls.

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

Hello on Sunday

Dear Friends,

I hope that the Sunday newspapers arrive before we have to leave to catch the Casino Trip Bus departing from the Italian American Club today. Anyone on the bus trip is invited to have some coffee and donuts starting at 7:15 AM at the Club. The bus leaves promptly at 8 AM. The early Curley's will be there to grab what we think are the best seats on the bus. My Radio Talk show host and his wife will be on the Casino trip too.

Rotary Auction -- Before I give you my opinion of how the Auction was, let me tell you what I observed. Linda and I arrived at the auction at 5 PM, and got in line to get a paddle with a number on it which you get when you give the registration people a credit card. All credit card numbers are removed from the Rotarian data base when the Auction is over.
There are two long tables set up at the Crowne Plaza one had items for a silent auction, and the other has some items which you can touch and feel as well as other items which are in the program booklet.

The Silent Auction -- I have never seen so many Artisan whicker baskets, and hand blown glass items. The number of wicker basket items were a bit much.

The regular auction was okay, and our friends purchased a tent rental at a bargain price. They are having a big bash sometime in June to celebrate two events in their lives.

The Appetizer Food & Desert -- The Theme of the Auction was "Carnival in Rio" which meant the Rotarian Organizers had to choose the type of food related to the theme of the auction. Well, here are the food selections:
Chafing dishes with rice, collared greens, a multi bean concoction, and rock hard pork rinds which could break your teeth, and overcooked roast beef at a carving station. The beef was so tough that the carving station had only forks there until people realized that they couldn't cut the beef because it was tough as could be.
There was coffee and dessert. The dessert consisted of a piece of pound cake in a cup, with milk poured over the piece pound cake. Tooth picks were provided to eat the milk drenched pound cake. I laughed as I saw people try to eat the wet cake with a tooth pick.

In the past, we have had a pasta station where a chefs "cook to order" your penne. We have had chicken wings, trays of meat balls, and all kinds of epicurean delights. They did have wait staff pass around appetizers which were okay.

A carving station of turkey breasts would have been great because you usually can't mess up cooking turkey breasts. They didn't even have the standard, cheese, pepperoni, and cracker platters or a vegetable and dip platter. We have great desserts in the past or at least cookies of all kinds, brownies, cakes, and one time they even had pies, etc.

If I had to give grades to the Rotarians who were in charge of the type of food that they chose to have the Crowne Plaza personnel prepare, the grade would have to be a failing one. I too realize that the Rotarians are providing this food free of charge to us guests, and they don't want to spend too much of the auction profits for food, but this was one of the least favorite food offerings at the multiple auctions which we have attended.
Actually, I would have been embarrassed to put out such food and milk soaked pound cake dessert.
There might have been some guests who loved the food, but these people must not prepare many meals in their own home.

On a positive note, the Rotarians did make a good deal of money by way of the auction for the various charities which they are involved in.

The question is would I attend another auction? I have already told Linda that she can count me out for next year's auction. If Linda and her female friend want to go next year, they can do so without me!

I would rather go out and party with a bunch of friends somewhere, or have a dinner party at our house where our guests would have some real food, or watch a sporting contest in my Man Cave.

There is a Rotarian who is on my daily blog. I hope that he wasn't too upset by my observations and comments. I guess that I am so critical about food things because my UNICO brothers and sisters are always in the kitchen dealing with food.

We have one event coming up at the ITAM this Thursday at 6 PM. UNICO is preparing dinner for a mental health organization, called NAMI, which is trying to raise some much needed funds. The cost is $25 dollars for a dinner / show with entertainment provided by a theatrical group which engages the audience. One thing for sure is that the guests will be getting a great meal!

On a different note, I can't wait to get to the Mohegan Sun Casino today. We hope that our favorite slot machines in the non smoking part of the Casino are free. If we can at least break even from playing the slots all day, we would be content.

I did talk to my Republican friend at the auction last evening, and I asked him about Mitt, Newt, and Primary race. He said that Mitt will win the nomination. My friend said Mitt will pick up the Governor of New Jersey as his Vice-President, and together they will make President Obama a one term President.
I am glad that my conservative friend sees things that way, but I don't believe that his prediction will come true. Time will tell!

Well, I have to do some quiet chores, and chose a wardrobe appropriate for the Casino. I have already decided to leave my winter coat on the bus. I also can't wear turtle necks and wool sweaters because I would get over heated in the Casino. Oops, we do have one baby boomer friend who is always cold, and she would never leave her coat or sweater on the bus. Of course, she has no body fat.
Linda and this "always cold" friend will be a doing a Casino trip together out of St. Joe's Catholic Church soon. I will be ice-fishing on that day.

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

Hello on Saturday

Dear Friends,

Another day in Curleyworld went well except for one change.

My physical therapy session went as planned.

I had fun with the Pittsfield High School retiree ladies at Misty Moonlight Diner for their once a month breakfast. Linda said I talked too much and dominated a lot of the conversation as well as flailing my arms while talking. The women want me to come to every one of the breakfast gatherings, but Linda has her reservations about that.

I did take an afternoon nap in anticipation of Game Night at the Polish Falcon Hall located on the North side of Pittsfield. Linda and I were sitting at the bar at the Shamrock when my cell phone started vibrating. A friend, who is also an officer of the Club, called to say that there was no electricity at the Polish Falcon Nest / Club as well as the surrounding area. The estimated time for electricity to be restored was not until midnight. Game Night Cancelled! Oh Darn!

We stopped to get some boxes of Duraflame logs at a grocery store on the way home which happened to have them on sale. Linda likes to have a gentle fire while watching her reruns in the Family Room. I went into my Man Cave and started another book on the IPad. I had the Celtic game on, but turned the volume down to the low position. The Celtics have now won four games in a row! Whoopee do!

Besides feeding the birds, a visit with dad and afternoon nap for me, we won't have to leave the house together until 4:45 PM. We are going to the Rotary Auction at the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield with our West Stockbridge friends. The preview of the silent auction and regular auction items begins at 5 PM. The early Curley's will be their before our friends arrive so will save some seats in a prime location. There are usually some appetizers and some desserts to keep us bidders fueled for the long night. Sometimes the auction items are in the Curley price range, and sometimes only the heavy hitters can bid on the items. It is a fun evening even if we don't bid on anything. A lot of socialization takes place because of all the people who Linda and I know as well as our friends. If some day I chose to run for political office, I would need the help from some these acquaintances.

Most of our Rotarian friends are diehard Republicans. When I walk in the place, it is like I have a target on my back that says that I am one of the few "Liberal Weenies" in the place. I know right now that I am going to see one friend who is a baby boomer like me, and I am going to ask him what he thinks about the Republicans candidates who are engaged in those Primary debates. That one question will make his blood pressure rise so fast as I walk away and get some appetizers. I like the hit and run approach to certain conversations.

Politics -- Newt and Mitt are still trying to win the hearts, minds and the votes of Floridians. I look at this like an old fashion duel where the combatants shoot each other, and they both die!

Observation -- While at the breakfast with the ladies, we were discussing politics at one point. One of the ladies suggested that the military should do good works instead of killing people in war like settings. She wanted us to get out of war torn regions, and do what needs to be done in our own country. She suggested that we should send the military in to deal with all those illegal immigrants coming into through the country as they sneak across the American borders. She wanted the military to fight the drug lords. She wanted the military to help repairing our infrastructure throughout the United States. I told her that our military was not created to do these tasks. I told her that there were two many bad guys and bad countries out there that the military has to worry about 24/7. I ended the conversation saying that she lived in a fantasy world. Many of my readers think that I live in a fantasy world because of my Liberal ideas.

The one nice thing about all these ladies is that they are Liberal Democratic voters. When you are with a whole bunch of former school department employees, it is like talking to the converted.

Speaking of the converted, I wish that Oral Roberts was still alive. A grandson of his has announced that he is gay. I wonder what Oral would have done to help his grandson go from being gay to being straight. I don't think that a lot of praying or reading the Bible would have helped at all. Do you think that if his grandson chose to get married to another man that Grandpa would have performed the wedding ceremony? After a while, all the "Holier than thou" people run into issues that they can't seem to resolve. I hope the "Live and Let live" policy, which I try to go by, is in the words of the Bible some where.

Weather -- Our weird weather continues with no major snow storms in the forecast. We did get rain in Pittsfield yesterday. While at the Shamrock last evening, a former colleague had a beverage with us. He lives in one of the hill towns in the Berkshires. He said that his roads and trees in his town were covered with ice. When he came home from a night of revelry on Thursday, he parked his truck at the bottom of his icy driveway. He pretty much crawled up his driveway to get to his house. These hill towns have a little more elevation than Pittsfield. If we get 8 inches of snow in Pittsfield, he might get double the amount in his town.


Speaking of weird weather, we have been getting reports that the snow birds from the Berkshires aren't getting the warmest of weather in certain parts of the south. This is another reason that Linda and I are not quite ready to spend the winters in places like Florida yet. We went to the Orlando area with another couple a few years ago, and we had to use our winter coats, hats, and gloves for a couple of days. We should have stayed right here in the Berkshires if we needed to wear winter clothing.


The wind is howling out right now. I hope that my Patriot Flag doesn't get ripped from the holder or snapped off. I have had the flag up since the first Playoff Game. I am hoping that the Patriots are successful in the Super Bowl so that I can keep it up all winter long.

I am really going to try and be quiet this morning so that Linda can sleep as long as she wants today. Yesterday morning, the telephone rang at 7:30 AM. Linda was propelled out of bed. It was one of her breakfast ladies who hoped that breakfast would be cancelled because of a little morning ice. I told her not to be a wimp, and that I was going to breakfast, and I expected to see her at the Breakfast. She did attend the breakfast!

I just skimmed the local newspaper. The same not so nice things are happening on the local level as well as throughout the nation. Illegal Drugs seem to be a part of many assaults and arrests and sometimes deaths. When we had our last Neighborhood Watch meeting, a Sheriff from the Berkshire County House of Corrections attended our meeting. He said that a majority of inmates at the Jail are there because of drug related arrests.

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

Hello on Friday

Dear Friends,

The weeks and the months are flying by during this weird winter with respect to the weather. We are above freezing right now with temperatures predicted to hit the 50 degree mark. There is a 100 % chance of rain today, and we are still in the month of January. I continue to side with Al Gore believing that there is a global warming connection.

Our Thursday went pretty well. The Ultra Sound guy who I saw yesterday was a Patriot Fan so we had much to talk about. I hope that I didn't distract him from what he was supposed to be doing.

I left the Medical Arts Complex, and headed off to the nursing home to visit dad. Dad didn't have a good night sleeping wise. He had a pain in his right side which was bothering him bad enough that the nurse gave him some pain medication. He was semi groggy when he came back from a Therapy session, and when I tried to carry on a conversation. Both my sister and I have convinced Dad that he is not ready to go back to his home in Lee. Oh Darn!

Linda did not go to her body maintenance procedure on Thursday. She had a haircut scheduled, but she really didn't feel that she needed one.

Yesterday, I was mentioned in the local newspaper. I had sent a correction into the newspaper because of an article the week before about the Broyles Roller Skating arena article. The article was about my Great Aunt Josephine Broyles who started the long gone rink. The article had the Italian name of my Great Aunt misspelled. The author of the article, Brian Sullivan, is a friend of mine. He made the correction and mentioned my name as well as a few other items which I mentioned in the email which I sent to him.

Speaking of the local newspaper, Linda goes off to a new Knitting group for the first time at Dottie's Coffee shop (downtown North Street) from 3 to 5 PM yesterday afternoon while I was napping. A writer and a camera person from the Berkshire Eagle come in to do an article about the knitting group. The writer does a couple interviews (not Linda), and the camera person takes a couple of pictures. The names of the knitters are recorded. Linda might be in a picture in today's Berkshire Eagle.

I did ask Linda about how these groups of Knitters were compared to her Wednesday night group. She said that this group of 8 to 10 people was eclectic mix of Knitters. Linda said that these women tend to use knitting as therapy. She said that some of these people came from the remotest parts of Berkshire County and neighboring New York State. Of course, Linda could fit in with any group. I think that she might give this group another try next Thursday.

Social Calendar -- I have an 8 AM physical therapy session. I will then head off to bond and have breakfast with the Pittsfield High School Female Retiree group at Misty Moon Light Dinner. After breakfast, I will go straight home, and do some chores around the house. Linda has an 11 AM body maintenance procedure on a different part of her body. I want to take an early afternoon nap so that I can make it through an early supper at the Shamrock, and the 6:30 PM Game Night at the Polish Falcon Hall on Belair Ave.

Politics -- The Republican Candidates continue to battle each other as they go from State to State. It seems like every day, the candidates make some kind of political gaff. They will end knocking each other out of the race by what verbal mistakes they make.

I see where Bill Gates is going to donate $750 million to fight disease. Can you imagine having so much money that you have to find some way to give it away? Bill Gates is truly a representative of the American Dream.

Sports -- The blah, blah, blah continues each day with respect to the Super Bowl combatants. I did read in the newspaper that I purchased for my father that Wes Welker, from the Patriots, is going to marry his girlfriend which he met at Hooters a couple of years ago while she was working there. They are going to live in Foxboro not too far from Gillette Stadium.

I was reading another book on the Kindle last evening while watching the Boston Celtics do battle with the Orlando Magic in my Man Cave. The Celtics were behind by 27 points at half time. I decided to watch the fourth quarter in bed. As usual, I feel asleep. The booing of the crowd woke me up as the game came to an end. The Celtics ended up winning the game. The coach of the Orlando team might be getting his "walking papers" pretty soon. There will mostly likely be a big time shake up of players on the team also.

I went into the Tractor Supply store on the way home from visiting my father. I went there to purchase some Niger seed for my feathered friends.
Every time that I go into that store I feel like I should be wearing cowboy boots. I am usually one of the only non farmers in that store. I even bought a discounted clothing item that a farmer would wear while working on his or her farm. I like the store! Maybe I should get a part time job there? Not! Work has not been in my vocabulary since my teaching career ended in June of 2004.

Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and put on some physical therapy clothes, and head off to my 8 AM appointment.

Have a great weekend!
Hope that you have as much fun as the Curley's will be having.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

It was another calm day in Curleyworld on Wednesday.

I did some outside chores before I decided to do a little ServSafe studying for my Recertification Test.

Linda did go off to her Panera Bread knitting gathering for an hour before going off to BONCO. I was in bed by the time she arrived home last evening.

I have a medical appointment about the same time that Linda has a body maintenance procedure today, and these are the only things which we have booked in.

Linda did find out that there a bunch of knitters which meet on Thursday afternoon at a downtown coffee shop located near St. Joseph's Catholic Church. She might attend this gathering while I am taking an afternoon nap.

This means that I will be preparing supper this evening. We could go out to eat, but we have to save some bucks for Game Night at the Polish Falcons on Friday, Saturday night Rotary Auction at the Crowne Plaza, and a Mohegan Sun Casino trip out of the Italian American Club on Sunday. It looks like we will be carrying on the tradition of letting no moss gathering under our feet.

Supper -- I was thinking of preparing a small, and lean pork loin, sweet potatoes, and some type of vegetable.

I read a report from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota which claimed that men in their 70's and 80's are more likely than women to experience memory loss and decrease in cognitive skills which often leads to Alzheimer's Disease. Hopefully by me writing a daily blog with words of wisdom each day, I won't run into these problems. With this being said, Linda thinks that my mind seems to wander at times.

Our Navy seals rescued a couple of people who were kidnapped by the Somalians. The Seal Team rescue went as planned, and all of the bad guys did not survive the assault.

Politics -- The voters in Florida won't vote for Mitt Romney because they think that he is too rich. Newt picked up some votes from the laid off NASA workers because he promised to create a permanent space station. A lot of people in Florida lost their jobs when our government tried to reduce the budget by making cuts in our current space program. On the one hand, Newt and his Republican buddies want to have no tax increases, but how else can those people get their jobs back?

Sports -- None for me last evening. The quarterback of the New England Patriots, Tom Brady, is once again on the front cover of this weeks edition of Sports Illustrated. He beat the "Kiss of Death Curse" the last time that he was on the front cover. We Patriot fans hope that he beats the curse on Super Bowl Sunday.
I do have some Boston Sports team to watch this evening evening while I am savoring a book on my IPad.

The Blah, Blah, Blah, sports talk people have been talking about the Super Bowl since Monday.
Next week, they will be doing their broadcasting from Indianapolis ( where the Super Bowl takes place) instead of Boston all week long. I am not sure if I can handle the daily barrage of all of these talk show programs.

We have winter weather advisory, but there is no major winter storm in our forecast. We have the possibility of some snow, sleet, freezing rain, and all rain. I am still waiting for some weather that will make me want to do a little ice-fishing. The ideal conditions for this baby boomer is temperatures in the middle 20's to low 30's, snow cover on the ice of 3 or 4 inches, sunny day, with not much wind. The next time that that these conditions are forecasted, you will be able to find me on some frozen pond.

Observation -- My radio talk show host had a couple of Vietnam Vets on his talk show program for one hour of his 3 hour program. The guests try to help fellow veterans of all conflicts in their local chapter. Some interesting things came out during the interview. One Vietnam Vet has been struggling since he came home from the Vietnam War. He said that the doctors back then would prescribe Valium for anyone experiencing Post Traumatic Stress from the war. As you can guess, pills and alcohol could not make the mental and physical pain go away. One of the guests turned to meditation as a way to get through each day.
As I listened to this two hour discussion, I came to the conclusion that war doesn't end when the physical conflict ends for these military men and women.
The radio talk show host is also a disabled Vietnam Vet who also was in the "thick and thin" of it when he went off to Vietnam as a teenager.
Another thing that I didn't realize was the adrenaline rush that our military warriors get when they are involved the daily conflict. When they come back home, there is no adrenaline rush like they were experiencing in the war zone. The guests said that this why you will see many Vets who purchase motorcycles to get some of the adrenaline rush that they experienced in war. The guests also pointed out that some of the Vets who couldn't handle life after war, would use the motorcycle as a method of suicide.

On a happier note, life continues to be good for Linda and me. We both realize that things can change in a heartbeat, and this is why we try to keep busy in every form that we can.

My Father -- He wants to go back to his home, but there is a problem. The head therapist has to approve Dad's leaving the nursing home so that Elder Services can step in and get dad help to either go back home or into an assisted living setting. The Head Therapist told my sister that my dad is not physically ready to leave the nursing home. If dad just leaves the nursing home on his own, he can't get any reduced cost services for having a Home Health Aide helping him out at home. Oh Darn!

Kyla is doing well with respect to her pregnancy. She is less than a month away from delivering her baby girl. For anyone who has had children, you know how difficult things become as your due date gets closer. I am not sure when her doctor will tell Kyla that it is time to stop working!
Actually, Linda and I are on call when the blessed event happens. When we get the word, we will be heading East to take care of Max and the two dogs and three cats. We thought that Kyla's Mom was flying from Florida to Boston around the time of the birth, but we found out that she is arriving after the birth in early March. This means that all of our February social calendar booked in events will be subject to change.

Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and get dressed for my 9:15 AM appointment.

Have a great day at work or play!

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,

Hope that you all had a pleasant day like we had in our lives on Tuesday.

Lunch with the Mah Jongg ladies went very well. I studied some of my ServSafe Manual for several hours in preparation for the recertification test which I and bunch of friends will be taking on Valentines Day.

I did have to take an afternoon nap so that could make it through the Boston Bruin's Hockey game and the President's State of the Union speech.

The Bruins lost their hard fought game, but the President's Speech was a winner.

President's State of the Union Address -- As the analysts said it was his first major campaign speech. He has my vote in the next election. If you had Democratic Party leanings, you had to think that his speech was wonderful. Yes, I can hear my conservative friends talking about substance, etc., but the President pretty much "laid it on the line" to Congress. He clearly explained what needs to be done as our country progresses in a positive direction.
Democrats are portrayed as the tax and spend party of the people. Time Magazine had a great chart starting with President Reagan to our current President. The chart showed that President Obama has increased the National budget / debt by the least amount of money of any of the previous Presidents.

If you listened to the President's speech last evening, you have to admit that he has command of the English language.

My Radio talk show host friend and many of his callers bash our President and his administration almost every day of the week. They take shots at our local politicians too on his program. There are a lot of angry people out there. Even if God was our President, they wouldn't be happy.

Could a pill for depression help some of these people out? Oops! I better not discuss "Depression" because I got myself in trouble the last time that I gave you my thoughts on Depression.
Can we ever get through watching a television program without some company pushing their particular magic pill to help depressed people out?
Maybe if people worked hard all day, took care of their children which they brought into this world, etc., they would come home "tired" instead of depressed.

On my friend's radio program yesterday, the callers were ranting and raving about the people who collect Social Security Insurance checks and Welfare checks for sitting on their butts when they appear to be healthy individuals. I do agree that able bodied people should not get something for nothing. If you need to work two or three jobs to make ends meet, then do so.
I do agree that the system should not be paying for people who have multiple babies with different fathers. When FDR created the Social Security system, it wasn't designed to have a nation of able bodied people to get free handouts for life. Some of my conservative friends want to throw out the system completely, but I say close the loopholes.

Close the Loop Holes for the wealthy with respect to the Tax Code. Don't give me the standard conservative line that the rich people create jobs for the middle class. Profit and greed is a top motivator for most of the larger companies. I would give the small business owners the biggest Tax breaks.

Sports -- Our Super Bowl party will be one rowdy place on February 5, 2012. Several of the guests are diehard fans of the Giants as well as we Patriot fans. The trash talking has already started in the newspapers and on all the sports' talk programs. I listened to all of this stuff in 2007 when the Patriots were supposedly the best team. Well, the Giants proved otherwise.
I am going into this game like I have done for most of the regular and playoff's season. I am going to continue to use the words "cautiously optimistic", but I am hoping that the Patriots will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the game.

Social Calendar -- Linda has only two commitments on her social calendar. This evening at 6 PM is her Wednesday Panera Bread knitting group gathering, but she will not be attending this event. She has her once a month session of BONCO at a friend's home.

I saw a picture of a person ice-fishing on Laurel Lake in Lee in our local newspaper today. There didn't appear to be any snow on the ice. Wearing ice creepers on my boots for several hours is not that appealing. There are 20 to 30 mile per hour winds which will be blowing all day today which is another negative. On a positive note, I can park my car in the Laurel Lake boat ramp parking lot, and watch my tip ups from the comfort of my car. I can bring a book to read also.

I could stay home and do more studying of my ServSafe manual. Staying home is looking pretty good.

Today is garbage collection day for our neighborhood. Paper is the recycle product. With the winds howling, it will be another day of paper products blowing up and down the streets. Oh Darn!

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

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

Another day in Curleyworld went as planned. It was really kind of nice to have absolutely no commitments.

I was mentally set to go ice fishing today, but I forgot that I have a Physical Therapy session this morning at 8 AM at the Medical Arts Complex. If I was going to go ice-fishing, I would leave the house at daylight; pick up bait at the bait shop which opens at 7 AM, and head off to Pontoosuc Lake. I would then drill some holes with my gas powered auger, and set 5 tip ups. I would be sitting in my folding chair communing with nature by 8:30 AM while waiting for a flag to go up. I could go fishing after therapy, but I am kind of anal when it comes to an ice-fishing routine.
Wednesday looks like totally commitment free day for me, but the temperatures won't be as warm as they will be today. Oh Darn!

Even though we had a free day on Monday, I spent four hours working on my ice-fishing gear. I had to replace lead sinkers with eco friendly ones. I have almost 40 tipups. Even though I have so many tipups, you can only use 5 per person in Massachusetts. I needed to work on all of them because, have ice fishing Derby to attend on February 18, in New Hampshire, and some of my friends don't have ice-fishing gear.
I moved the gear from the storage shed in the back yard to the garage. I wanted everything in the garage so that I could be able to load up the car in about 10 minutes, and head off to any frozen pond.

I just had a thought, maybe a weekend activity for me and some of my Irish and Polish friends could be a day on the ice. The weather is too warm right now for any ice-skating, but I could see a day of food, fun, and merriment. Maybe we could find a friend who has a snowmobile?

Linda's Chicken Soup is in the crock pot right now and it has been brewing all night. It should be spectacular by noontime. The Mah Jongg ladies will love it since Linda is hosting her Tuesday Mah Jongg session. I might dine with the ladies. After lunch, I will go in my Man Cave and study my Servsafe manual in preparation for my ServSafe recertification review and test night which will take place on February 14, 2012 at the ITAM at 6 PM.

Speaking of February, Kyla, our daughter-in-law from Tewksbury, had a dream Sunday night that she was going to deliver her baby on Super Bowl Sunday. I told her that I hope that this was only a dream. Both Kevin and I have Super Bowl parties at our respective homes, and babies are not allowed to be born on Super Bowl Sunday.

Four years ago, when our first granddaughter was born, the Patriots were playing the Giants in the last game of the regular season. Mike and Danielle were stationed in Las Vegas at the time. Danielle was in the hospital and she was getting ready to deliver her first child. The football game was on and Mike was watching the game and holding Danielle's hand. The timing of the birth worked out well, and Isabelle was born after the Patriots beat Giants.

The moral of these stories is that birth has to be worked around the Curley men and their sporting contests. Just kidding!

Continuing on with the sporting contest theme, The Boston Bruin Championship Hockey team was invited to the Whitehouse on Monday. It is a tradition that all championship teams are honored by the standing President at the Whitehouse.
Their all star goalie was noticeably absent. He gave a written excuse of why he did not attend the function. Goalie Tim Thomas, wrote some lame politically motivated letter explaining why he refused to attend the function. Well, Tim Thomas was the talk of every sports talk program yesterday and into the evening. Many of us Boston Bruin supporters are not happy with his decision. I think that the Boston fans should "Boo" Tim Thomas when he participates in the next Boston Bruin home game. These celebrations at the Whitehouse have nothing to do with Politics.

Papa Joe Paterno from Penn State passed away, and the Penn State students and Alumni are in a state of mourning. Who is shedding tears for the victims of the sex abuse scandal?

The Year of the Dragon with respect to the Chinese New year is supposed to bring romance and babies. Our mature single friends do hope that the romance part comes true in their lives.

Yoga took a hit with respect to a written article and a video which I saw on CNN online. There were documented cases of people who have injured their body while participating in Yoga Classes. We have a friend who is dealing with a bulging disk. She picked up that injury during a Yoga class several months ago. Of course, the Yoga instructors are speaking up, and claiming that injuries do happen. They also recommended that the Yoga classes should be given by certified instructors.

Politics -- Newt's popularity is not winning the support of Republican Leaders. These leaders must feel the same way that most of the conservative voters do that Newt can beat President Obama!

I have the Boston Bruins to keep me happy this evening. One of the Boston Bruins won't be playing tonight. Another concussion has him sidelined for this game. He got this concussion in a weekend game against the Flyers. Oh Darn!

The gasoline spill accident article which I wrote about sure fired up some of my e-mail recipients. Linda doesn't like controversy, but I love it. Isn't that the job of a writer?

Well, I have read the local newspaper, and put on my Therapy clothes. It is so relatively warm today that I might wear gym shorts.

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

Hello on Saturday

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned in Curley World!

My Physical Therapy went well on Friday. The visit with my father in the nursing home went okay except dad's legs were shaking was pretty bad for the past few days.

On a happier note, good thing that I weaved in a nap on Friday afternoon nap because my head never hit the pillow (Linda's a little later since she is a night owl) until midnight after a full evening of dinning with friends at the Shamrock Restaurant and Pub, and dancing the night away at the Polish Falcon Hall to the music of the local band called "Whiskey City". The band announced last evening that they are now sponsored by Coors Light. This means that every place that they have a gig, they will be passing out promotional items; Coors light tee shirts, tee shirts for sporting teams, and all kinds of other trinkets.

The waitress at the Shamrock, who is an Irish American Club member, was listening to our conversation, and asked "Do you guys ever stay home?" We both responded by saying "No!"
Seeing my dad and other patients in the nursing almost every day of the week, gives me (and Linda a little bit less because she likes to relax more) motivation to do things and "party till I drop"!
This past week, Tuesday night was the only night that we had no evening commitments. This was after Linda had a four hour session of Mah Jongg during the day.

Are we staying home this evening? The answer is "No"! We are going back to the Polish Falcon Hall this evening for a Pasta Figioli supper prepared by one of their Italian members. We are meeting a friend at 5:30 PM in the members bar before going upstairs to the Polish Falcon Hall where the dinner will be served. We did decide that after supper, we are not going anywhere else, but back to our home.
If anyone wants to join us for the Pasta Figioli, you are welcome to dine with us. As of this moment, it is Linda and me, and just one friend. The friend does have a significant other, but he is going to a motorcycle show at the Eastern States Exhibition Grounds. He already built into his trip lunch and dinner plans in the West Springfield area, and they don't include dinner with us. Oh Darn!

This got me thinking that maybe I should get my own motorcycle, and ride down the highways and byways throughout the country. Not! The way I drive a car would just put me in harms way if I was driving a motorcycle. I can't visualize Linda sitting on the back of a big Harley Davidson in a black leather outfit. We already have so many aches and pains that it probably wouldn't be a pleasant ride.

There was a little sadness at the dance last evening. One table was set up trying to raise funds for a young lady who is dealing with bone cancer. There is a fundraiser for her on February 18 at the ITAM that the Curley's will be unable to attend.

Another table was set up, and friends were collecting money for a young lady who passed away a day ago leaving two children. This family needs money to pay for funeral expenses.

Those two sad situations is another example of "life is too short", and "not to sweat the little stuff". If you think that your aches and pains, which we all get as we age, are pretty bad, there are so many people who are worse off than you.

The saga of the neighbor up the street who hit something that turned out to be a human being made the local newspapers on Friday. The victim spoke up and explained how he was treated. He is still struggling with his physical injuries. The picture that he painted of the incident sure made it look like that it was a "Hit and Run" even though the Clerk Magistrate decided that it was a accident, and that no charges will be brought forth against the driver. The picture of her damaged car went viral over the internet yesterday. If you saw how damaged the car was, you could form your own opinion if it truly was a hit and run! This saga will continue!

We lost 6 American military personnel in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan the other day. Will the killing every stop? We never seem to learn that war might not be the best solution to solving problems. Us baby boomer were taught that "World War II was the war to end all wars". Well that lesson sure didn't happen!

My home town of Lee made the local newspaper on Friday. There is a 150 year old "Inn at Laurel Lake". The latest set of owners advertised their place on the internet. One of the owners is a licensed masseuse, and they advertised massages on the premise. Well, the police did a little sting, and found that they were giving more than massages. The stately Inn has turned into a house of prostitution. I usually go ice fishing at Laurel Lake. The Inn is about 100 paces from the Laurel Lake Parking lot where we fisherman park our cars. If I ever get a chill while ice-fishing, I know where I can go to get warmed up.

Massachusetts wants to penalize the people in our State who smoke. They want to raise the cigarette tax up $.50 more. While I don't support smoking, I don't trust our lawmakers when they get their hands on this extra money. I say "stop beating up people who smoke".
On the other hand, when we left the Polish Falcon Hall last evening, we had to make our way through the smokers who were hovering in the covered entryway into the Club. Just a two second walk through the smokers made us want to gag!

Weather -- We are getting a nuisance snow for most of the day on this Saturday. Luckily we don't have to leave the house until 5 PM.

My snow blower repair guy called yesterday to say that he was waiting for a part that was supposed to arrive possibly on Friday. I am going to need my snow blower before this day is over.

Sports -- The Celtics continued on their losing ways. At least I have the Bruins and Patriots to keep me happy! The Bruins will be playing the number one team this weekend: the New York Rangers. I can't wait for that game.

Patriots -- While at the Polish Falcon Club Dance last evening, I see an older guy walk in with a New Orleans Saints leather jacket on. He came over to our table of 10 plus people to say "Hi" to friend at our table. I commented on his jacket and the fact that his team got knocked out of the playoffs as well as how good that the Patriots are playing. He said that my New England Patriots were a "Sissy" team, and that he was cheering for the Giants. He said that he hopes that if both teams make it to the Super Bowl that he would love the Giants to kick the butts of the Patriots.

Politics -- I asked Linda if she wanted to be a participant in an "Open Marriage" like the one Newt asked his now ex wife if she would agree to. Linda said that she would use our Ron Popeil set of knives and one pair of scissors to put an end to any thoughts of us having an open marriage.

Speaking of the Patriots, I should be having a Patriot Party on Sunday, but I think that the Curley's need a day of rest unless some one invites us to their house for an impromptu party. I do have that 1 PM food fest at the Italian American Club at 1 PM for all of us people (not Linda) who entered the 16 Run Baseball Pool at the club. If I eat lightly, I could consume some Patriot Party Food once the game starts. I am not sure that I want to watch both football games alone in my Man Cave on Sunday.

Well, I rambled quite a bit today so I better end this blog.
Have a great weekend!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

P.S. Don't forget that anyone on my daily blog who wishes to be taken off the list, just let me know!

Hello on Friday

Dear Friends,

My Polenta dinner went well last evening. An Irish Sister City friend and her friend joined me at the Italian American Club. Two members of the club sat with us too. We quickly realized that it definitely is a small world. One of the members started chatting with my Irish Sister City female friend, and they soon realized that her brother did all kinds of remodeling in the man's house. This guy said that he and her brother were best friends before the brother's untimely death. Actually both of them got teary eyed while discussing my friend's brother. At one point, the man of Lebanese decent, who has a full blooded Italian wife, thought that my Irish friend and I were married because we were sitting next to one another. The two men at our table are married, but their wives don't like Polenta.
The Polenta and Venison dinner was superb. Besides the Polenta on the plate, there was a whole sausage, and a piece of baked chicken. Some of the people at our table of 5 would have preferred a chicken thigh or leg, but it was pieces of bone in chicken breast. At the end of the meal, one of them made a telephone call to one of the wives to pick them up because they are really against drinking and driving. They purchased a Magnum of a wine called Fortissimo for the table. We drained the bottle by the time that the meal was over.

I can't comment the fun Linda had at her Book Club party because I was in bed by the time she arrived home. I fell asleep after watching the 3rd period of the Bruins game. They were behind by a score of 1 to 0 when the period started. All of a sudden they started skating like Stanley Cup Champions, and routed their opponents.

I was supposed to go off to Patrick's Pub after the Polenta dinner, but it was snowing quite heavily as we left the Italian American Club. I wimped out! The snow almost stopped when I arrived home, and I had thoughts of turning the car around and head toward the Pub. From what I gathered, I was missed at the Pub. Oh Darn!

Social Calendar -- We are going out tonight to attend a dance with a live Band at the Polish Falcon Hall. The Band is a local band called Whiskey City which plays all kinds of music to dance to as well as listen too. I think several friends and the Curley's are going to the Shamrock before heading to the dance.
I think that we might be going back to the Falcon Hall for a Pasta Figioli fundraiser on Saturday night. Do you get the feeling that Linda and I might be joining another ethnic club?

I am leaving the house first today because I have a Therapy session at 8 AM. From there I will head off to see dad in the nursing home, and bring him his favorite newspaper.
I will be taking an afternoon nap for sure because the band tonight doesn't start playing until 9 PM.

Politics -- I can't believe that during the debates, one of the candidates asked Newt about his marriage status / love life. During the day, his ex wife explained on a nationally televised interview why they got divorced. Newt hooked up with a campaign staffer, and when his wife found out he asked his wife if they could have an "open" marriage. His wife said there is the open door, and that he should go right through it. Some of my friends firmly believe that what people do in their love lives shouldn't be an issue, but when Newt tried to come across as a family man, and all kinds of red flags went up. I wonder if all of our friends who have been married for a long time would have understanding wives if we admitted that we were having affairs. I think that Newt's campaign is in trouble.

The Blah, Blah, Blah sports' people are discussing nothing this week but this weekend's conference championships. I don't know who is going to win because on any given Sunday the favored teams can get beat like two of them did this past weekend. I am still betting on the Patriots to be one of the participants in the Super Bowl.

Speaking of football, 6 New York Giant fans rented a small jet, got themselves a hotel room, and tickets for the game. The cost of everything ended up to be $7,000 per person for the weekend in San Francisco. Wouldn't it be nice if I could have been one of the trip goers!

Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and get dressed and head out the door.

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

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

Yesterday went as planned in Curleyworld.

If you remember, I mentioned about people who can't park their car in between lines in a parking lot, or park so close to me that I can't get into the drivers' side of my car. Well, my first stop of the day, which was in the Berkshire Medical Center parking lot, and it happened to me again. I parked the Kia in a nice parking place at the hospital. When I came out, I was almost blocked in so much that I couldn't reach the driver side in the normal way. Luckily, I left enough room in the front of the Kia (which had a wall in front of it) so that I could walk around the front of the car by way of the passenger side, and squeeze my large body in the drivers' side door. Maybe I should not have mentioned the way people park their cars because it definitely came back to bite me on Wednesday.

I went from the hospital parking lot to a "Family Meeting" at the nursing home. The meeting went well until a financial officer came into the meeting and said that Dad is going to max out at 100 day Medicare level in the nursing home on January 30, 2012. This means that after that date, what ever nominal nest egg that he has, it will be going directly to the nursing home. Since we failed to convince dad to turn the family home in Lee over to my sister and I several years ago, Dad has to eventually sell the family home and use those assets to pay for nursing home care. Essentially, the nursing home will take every asset that a person has. I am telling you this story as a warning to anyone who has parents in a similar situation. Oh Darn!

On a happier note, Linda had a pretty good crowd at her Panera Bread knitting group gathering. She even ran into our radio talk show host and his wife who must have decided to let someone else to do the cooking for their supper time meal. I was home eating leftovers, reading a book, and watching the Celtics finally win a game against one of the worst teams in the NBA.

Tonight we are going in opposite directions. Linda has a book club meeting, but not with the same group which she met with last week. I have a Polenta Dinner to attend at the Italian American Club, and Rakish Paddy is playing at Patrick's Pub this evening a little after 8 PM. I might just go to the Polenta Dinner, and go home.

Around the time of the Polenta Dinner, some snow showers will be falling. The snow showers will end early on Friday. Our Albany, New York weather guy said that we might be in for some measurable snow on Saturday.

Speaking of weather, the Gillette Stadium weather on Sunday for the Patriots' game might be okay for their 3 PM game. If they do get any precipitation, it might be in the form of rain. They too might get some snow the day before the game!

Could winter finally be arriving in New England?

I called my snow blower repair guy yesterday, and asked if they were close to fixing my snow blower. I left this request on an answering machine. I am guessing that the answer is "No" since no one responded to my telephone call.

I just got through making my picks for this weekend's playoff games. I told you that I participate in this free weekly "U Pickem" WEEI Radio Program contest. After 19 weeks, I have picked on 65 % of the winning teams. If I was better at this game, I could win a prize every week.
You wouldn't want to give me a fist full of money, and have me go to Las Vegas or one of the local Casinos, and place bets on sports' teams. I would come back with nothing!

Speaking of Casinos, Linda and I and our talk show host friends are booked into the Italian American Club Casino trip to the Mohegan Sun Casino on January 29, 2012. After seeing what a nursing home can do to a person's nest egg, I (and Linda) have decided to go to my grave with very little assets. I would rather have the Casino take what little funds that we have while I am having fun then give it all to the nursing home. I don't see any fun happening in a nursing home.

My latest book that I am savoring is so much better than the last one. Somebody was killed during the first couple chapters of this book, and the hero of the book is trying to solve the case(s). It took 200 pages in the last book before anyone was murdered. The last 150 pages were the best part of that book!

I did put a layer of eco friendly salt on my glare ice driveway on Wednesday. I did put creepers on my boots so that I wouldn't fall on the driveway. Now I have to remember to take the boots off before coming into the house. One of the rugs in our hallway is covering up some indentations on the laminated wood floors which I made last year. Those creepers can do some severe damage to the floors. Linda keeps on thinking that I do these things just to drive her crazy. I tell her that things just happen. Like she always says, I am still a "work in progress" and that is after 40 years of marriage.

I found out yesterday that an ice-fishing derby that I have been participating in for the past couple of years in New Hampshire on February 25, 2012 might be changed to a week earlier because some of the participants have scheduling conflicts. This will be good if it does happen because I really didn't want to miss the Women's Imaging Center Polenta and Venison Dinner which my UNICO bothers and Sisters prepare for over 350 people at Berkshire Hills Country Club. This fundraiser usually makes between 15 to 20 thousand dollars each year in net profits. I have not missed this fund raiser since UNICO has been doing it.
We still have a semi conflict if the date is changed because we a Jack and Jill Baby Shower to attend on February 19, 2012 which means that we have to leave Tewksbury, which is where will be staying, early Sunday morning.

Well, I have to resume with quiet activities. Yes, I am up a bit early. My afternoon nap on Wednesday might have been a bit too long.

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

Hello on Wednesday

Subject: Hello on Wednesday Morning from the Beautiful Berkshires


Dear Friends,

The wind is howling and the cold air is starting to make it's way into the Berkshires. We have some nuisance snow heading our way on Thursday. It won't arrive until the commute home from work on Thursday ( which doesn't apply to Linda and I), and the snow showers will fall into Friday. The last time that we had snow showers, we picked up 8 inches of snow, but the weather guy keeps on saying it will be just a couple inches white stuff.

The boneless pot roast cooked in our crock pot turned out spectacular for supper last evening. I put the onions, potatoes, and carrots in the crock pot along with the beef. I used a special gravy mix which I put in the crock pot which was the liquid contribution for the crock pot concoction. You had to be there to taste how good this supper time meal really was.

For working people, the crock pot is a wonderful solution to coming home after work to a home cooked meal when you have no energy to think about making supper. Of course, there is "take out" as a second option. Linda and I used to use the crock pot when we were teaching. We either prepped the crock pot the night before, or I did so in the morning. Linda didn't want to touch any food in the morning, but since I always got up early, it was usually me who set up the crock pot meal.

Speaking of crock pots, Linda is hosting her Tuesday Mah Jongg session next week. The ladies will be treated to chicken soup which will be made in our crock pot. We will start the soup before going to bed on Monday night, and it will be ready by noontime on Tuesday. I will have lunch with the ladies unless the lakes are safe enough for me to do a little ice-fishing.

Observation -- Some of us are lucky enough to have garages to put our cars in. While on the highways after last week's surprise "Snow Showers", I was amazed how people who have to remove snow from their cars do so. One driver had so much snow on their front and rear windshields that a policeman could have pulled them over and issued a ticket for driving a vehicle with unsafe conditions. Even their passenger windows contained a lot of snow.

Another thing that really bugs me is the way people park their cars in parking lots. Since I have been making many visits at the Berkshire Medical Center parking lots while dealing with my mother (when she was alive) and father, and now me going to therapy at the Medical Arts Complex, I can't believe the way people park their cars. When the parking lines are clearly marked, I don't understand why people can't park their vehicles in between the lines. I remember one time when a person who I said "Hi" to, as we crossed paths at the hospital, squeezed his Suburban into a parking place next to my car so close to my car that I couldn't get into the driver side door. I tried to find the guy, but he had already entered the hospital, and I couldn't catch up with him.

Today is garbage collection day for our neighborhood. The wind is blowing so hard that I am afraid to put out the trash. My trash buckets will not stand upright with the severe winds as they are right now. This is one of those days where people's trash will be blowing up and down the street all day long. Oh Darn!

Social Calendar -- I will be leaving the house first today. Have to resolve an issue with medical payments since I am now on Medicare. Medicare needs proof that I need my sleep apnea device since I went from the City of Pittsfield's health care system to Medicare. I can solve this problem over the telephone. Oh Darn!
Linda is the only one socially engaged today. She has her Wednesday Knitting Group gathering at Panera Bread this evening at 6 PM.
I started savoring another book, and I will have the Boston Celtics game on with the volume turned way down this evening. There is turmoil on the team, and rumors about trading one of the big three aging stars. Oh Darn!
My Boston Bruins were beaten last evening! Oh Darn!

Politics -- The wealth of Mitt Romney has become a discussion point during the Republican debates. I was wondering if a person like "Joe the Plumber" could ever be President of the United States in this day and age. I would think not! Politics and Money seems to go hand in hand. Oh Darn!

Cruise Ships -- From January through March, this is prime time for booking cruises. A couple whom we know and their friend's are booked in for a cruise before the winter is over. I would imagine that their cruise will be extremely safe since the Tuscany incident has been on the television airwaves for the past week or so. They are still looking for bodies in Italy. Can you imagine the class action suit which will be filed, and how much that the cruise lines will have to pay out?

Wind turbines - There was a report in our local newspapers that they are not a hazard to our health. They are a hazard to our beautiful landscape in the Berkshires. I say put them in your back yard if you love them so much. Leave my Berkshire Hills alone!

The accident which occurred in our neighborhood has come to an end. The Clerk Magistrate, who heard the case, didn't find enough evidence to go to trial. The person who was struck by a neighbor's car has damaged body parts. I would imagine that the car insurance company of the driver will be paying for the medical bills for the victim.

Well, I have to attach creepers on my boots, and take out the garbage. Our driveway is a shinny sheet of ice. I don't need to fall on the ice, and damage any body parts like I did 5 or 6 years ago.

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

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

My visit with my father in the nursing home went well on Monday. He has returned to his semi normal health since they took him off some of the medicines he was on. My sister picked up on the double dose of the same drug, and brought it to the attention of the nurses who dispense drugs.
My wife did remind me that when my father was starting to experience problems that my sister and I should check for drug interactions. Linda firmly believed that the medicines were putting dad into a zombie like state.
He was able to feed himself yesterday which wasn't possible for days. I could carry on a normal conversation with him which I wasn't able to do for a couple of weeks. If any of my blog readers have loved ones in a nursing home, make sure what kind of pills that your loved one are taking. The pills were killing my dad. Oh Darn!

My UNICO meeting at the Italian American Club went well. As I guessed, I have to book in more dates on my social calendar. I have to add two events in March. On Thursday March 15, we have tentative plans for doing a UNICO Celebrity Bartending Fund raiser. UNICO members do the bartending in 45 minute shifts with all tips going to UNICO(for our charities). If you attend the event and purchase food, the owners of the Heritage Tavern in Lenox donate 10 % of the food receipts.
We also have a date for the Annual UNICO Wine & Beer Tasting fundraiser which takes place at Berkshire Hills Country Club. The date is March 30, 2012. The cost is $25 per person. Food will be provided during the event. There is a Chinese raffle with some great prizes, and a 50/50 Raffle. The co-chairs of the event said that they would have tickets at our February membership meeting if not before.

When I skimmed the CNN News on line, nothing jumped out at me. I did see in one small article that some parts of the country will be hitting the $5 per gallon mark for gasoline. This is not good especially if you are looking to fly anywhere. Increase in fuel costs for airplanes will be passed on to all of us in the price of tickets. Oh Darn!

Social Calendar -- It is Tuesday which means Mah Jongg for Linda. She will leave our house a little 11 AM, and I won't see her until after 4 PM.
I have an 8 AM therapy session, and I think that I am coming straight home after the session. We had a dusting of snow last evening, but I don't think that the ice and snow prediction is coming true. The temperatures will be in the 40 degree range which means the predicted precipitation will be mostly rain! Oh Darn!

Supper -- I just set up a beef pot roast Crock Pot Dinner; boneless chuck roast, potatoes, onions, and carrots. I can't wait for supper time.
Neither of us have any evening commitments, but that is not true for the rest of the week.

Sports -- The Celtics lost another game at home. The Boston Bruins won their game in a shoot out.
The Boston Bruins are playing again against a different Florida team this evening so I am happy!

Football -- The Blah, Blah, Blah sports talk people have already started talking about Sunday's Conference playoff games. The Patriots are favored by 7.5 points, but the Giants are underdogs by 2.5 points. I still maintain that the participants of the Superbowl will be the Giants and the Patriots.

Observation -- While at the UNICO meeting last evening, I chatted with one of our new young members. He is actually a survivor of a childhood illness.
I asked him what he does for a living. He said that he was a paraprofessional who deals with children who have severe behavioral problems. He told me that he hates his job. He is going to survive until the end of the school year. He didn't see these behavioral problem students making any positive changes in their lives. He was starting to visualize these high school age children being part of the penal system in no time at all. My friend did say that he likes working with children, but that he has been so frustrated with this group of children. He will be putting out feelers for a new job soon. I did tell him that when I was teaching, our department head created teacher schedules with a mix of kids in classes who could lift your spirits, but that we all had a class or two of students that could drive you crazy. I told this student that I have no desire to return to teaching at all. I wouldn't have the stamina to make it through each day at this point in my life.

I have to read the local newspaper, and put on Therapy clothes.
Have a great day at work or play!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday

Dear Friends,

It is a balmy 4 degrees below zero as I start this email, but it is going to warm up to 29 degrees for us in the Berkshires. A wintry mix is on tap for later this evening and into tomorrow as the temperatures rise on Tuesday. The morning commute on Tuesday might start off as ice before changing over to all rain. Oh Darn! I have an 8 AM therapy session on Tuesday so I have to be on the roads. Another Oh Darn!

Neither Linda nor I left the house at all yesterday. I finished savoring another book while watching both football games on Sunday. I did so while in my Man Cave. It took over two hundred pages of the Robin Cook book for someone to be murdered before the main players solved the murder. I prefer books where death comes early, and there are many twists and turns before the killer gets caught!

Football -- Even though the conference championships take place next Sunday, I am guessing the Super Bowl Participants might be the New York Giants vs the New England Patriots. The New York Giants are peaking like they did in 2007. The New England Patriots are finally getting most of their injured players back to playing status. If you remember, the New York Giants in 2007 won the game against the Patriots with a miraculous catch with very little time left in the game. I am guessing the New England Patriots, especially Tom Brady and Coach Belichick, might want a little revenge for losing the Super Bowl that year!
I am pretty sure that the Giants can beat San Francisco, and that the Patriots should be able to beat the Ravens. The Ravens vs the Patriots is another revenge game because if you remember, a few years ago, the Ravens knocked out the Patriots in the first round at Gillette Stadium. The long term forecast for next Sunday is for 40 degree temperatures with a possibility or rain. I hope that rain holds off to the following day.

Who wants to go on a cruise? When I first heard that a cruise ship ran aground in Tuscany, I thought no big deal. As I watched the ship roll over on the video, my first thought it was similar to the Titanic disaster.

Politics -- My conservative friends in the Berkshires won't be happy about John Huntsman giving up the race to win the Republican nomination for President. My conservative friends thought that Huntsman was the candidate who had the best ideas. Huntsman is even going to throw his support to Romney as he makes it official that he is dropping out.

Movies -- The movie "Contraband" starring Mark Whalberg was the top money maker at the box office this weekend. Mark Whalberg wants to do a movie about the Massachusetts based Irish Mafia leader Whitey Bulger. The families of the victims of Whitey's ruthlessness don't want to dredge up sad memories of what Whitey did to these people.

Martin Luther King -- The Civil rights hero would have been 83 years old today if he wasn't assassinated those many years ago. There are all kinds of programs going on today in Pittsfield in his memory as well as through out most communities in the United States.

Social Calendar -- I am the only one who has to leave the house today. I will be attending a UNICO membership / dinner meeting at the Italian American Club at 6 PM. Every time we have a meeting, there is always some event that UNICO will be participating in that I have to add to my social calendar. We already have two booked in events in February. On February 2, we will be preparing food for a benefit dinner at the ITAM for a mental health group called NAMI.
On February 26, we will be preparing a Polenta and Venison fundraising dinner at Berkshire Hills Country Club for the Women's Imaging Center. Our Irish Sister City Club President Rob Dwyer will be volunteering as the D.J. for this evening. He does get a free meal.

WolfTones -- It is official that the Irish Band right out of the 1960's will be performing in the Berkshires at the Wahconah Country Club on March 1, 2012. Yes, the Curley's will be attending this Thursday evening event! Oops, I almost forgot the Curley's from Tewksbury might need some grandparent help at their home since a new addition should arrive during the later part of February.

Liam Geddes -- Liam, the Irish idol finalist, will be arriving in the Berkshires during the first week in February. A calendar of his daily events will be sent out to our Irish Sister City members at some point this week. His major benefit performance will take place at Barrington Stage theater located in downtown Pittsfield.

Dad update -- There isn't any since I abandoned dad for two consecutive days this past weekend. The guilt is almost overwhelming. He will be getting his favorite newspaper today for sure after Linda wakes up.

Observation -- As I went out to get the Boston Globe which the guys throws at the bottom of our driveway, I got to thinking about homeless people and how that they could possibly survive through those below zero nights. No one should have to survive on the streets in this country of wealth. As a cost cutting measure years ago, Massachusetts closed down their mental institutions. Well, where do you think that segment of the population ended up?
In school systems, they call it mainstreaming, and I am not sure if this system is cracked up to what it is supposed to be doing. I am all for giving kids a chance, but I am not sure if most of the institutions for adults and children should have been shut down.

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

Hello on Friday

Dear Friends,

We have a roller coaster day weatherwise on tap for today. It is in the 30's right now, but during the afternoon, the temperatures will start dropping. We might even see some Lake effect snow squalls. It is already in the lower 20's in Western New York as the cold front heads toward the Berkshires. After a couple days of winter like weather, we will have another warm up. I hope that one of these days that I will be able to drop in a few tipups!

It was a quiet day in our house on Thursday. I did leave the house and brought dad his favorite newspaper. He wasn't in his room because he was tooling around the corridors in his wheel chair. He seemed a little better, but his speech wasn't that great.

I did stop at the grocery store and picked up a loaf of Italian Bread and salad ingredients. Our Pasta supper went well last evening, and it was yummy.

I did bump into a former colleague at the grocery store. My friend is a member of Berkshire Hills Country Club. He was walking with cane, and I asked him what he needed the cane for. This almost octogenarian said he spent 6 days in the hospital with leg issues. He couldn't remember the long medical name of his illness. He was experiencing some unusual swelling in his legs, but he is back to semi normal.

After supper, Linda and I parted ways. I went into my Man Cave and watched the Boston Bruins Hockey game. Linda did some knitting while watching her favorite programs. The Bruins won their game by a slim 2 to 1 margin. They do miss one of their players who got suspended for 5 games because of a dirty hit on an opponent.

I have a therapy session at 8 AM this morning, and then I will head off to the nursing home and bring dad his favorite newspaper.
Linda has a mid morning body maintenance appointment. I think that this is it for our commitments today. This is good because we have to make sure that we are set for the Saturday night Patriot's party in my Man Cave.

I skimmed through the CNN news on line, and nothing jumped out at me.
I do have the television on in the kitchen as I sit at the table and create this e-mail. They showed a video from a courthouse in Georgia. Two families, one for the victim and one for the alleged murderer, got into a brawl in a corridor of the Georgia courthouse just before they were supposed to go into superior court. The crowd of about 40 people had to be restrained by the Court house sheriffs. I was thinking how lucky that all of these people had gone through the normal court house security checkpoint. It was just a normal fight with words, fists and not weapons of any kind. This brawl will hit the airwaves for sure throughout the day.

I also did see where the Republican Governor Haley Barbour from Mississippi is getting a whole bunch of flack for releasing / pardoning some prisoners in their over crowded jails. He even pardoned a convicted murderer. Doesn't this sound like something that former Governor of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis, did just before he decided to take a run at becoming President of the United States several years ago?

An Irish Sister City friend and her boyfriend are visiting her Mom in the Villages in Florida. I can't wait for a few stories from this 55 year old and older community! Our two friends are not old enough to live in this community so I am guessing that they will tell us some funny stories from their weekend getaway.

On the local level, there was little controversy which took place at the publicly televised School Committee meeting. The school committee members do not receive any compensation for their job. The new Chairman of the committee made committee appointments during the meeting. He made some changes, and some people who have been on certain committees for years were assigned different committees. Well this upset the former chairperson of the committee. My radio talk show host friend also got all of his listeners fired up in support of the person who felt she was "dissed" when the sub committee appointments were made. My position is that "Change is good." I really didn't see that the changes made were a big deal. I say "Don't sweat the little stuff!"

I was also thinking about the Marine incident which has hit the airwaves. Can you imagine the not so nice stuff which happened on both sides during World War II, but did not make print or get caught on video?
All this technology stuff is a detriment to actually what goes on in war. When you are fighting side by side with a friend who gets killed or maimed in action, you might develop a little hate for the enemy. When you have to pick up your military brothers and sisters that were wounded and possibly killed from a roadside bomb, you might have a revenge motive in your next firefight. War brings out "Mans inhumanity to man."

Well, I have to read the local newspaper and put on therapy type of clothes.
Have a great day at work or play!
Talk to you soon! The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

Our one social event of the day went well on Wednesday. The 65th birthday party (four people) for our friend from West Stockbridge went very well. The food at Mario's is all made from scratch including the desserts. It was an expensive meal, but we all agreed that when you pay top dollar for a meal, it better be good. Our meals were spectacular.

Today is the first day in a long time that we have absolutely nothing on our social calendar. I am going to whip up a batch of red sauce with some sausages, and homemade meatballs. I also like to put in a handful of peppers and onions in the sauce too. We will have some form of pasta, a salad, some Italian Bread, and maybe a glass of heart healthy red wine. It doesn't get any better than this!
I feel bad for the people who have trouble consuming red sauce which is another heart healthy food that we all should be eating.

I see where the Hostess Brands Company has filed for bankruptcy. They still will be making Twinkies, and similar type products that they are known for. Their Wonderbread line, which we all grew up with, might be a thing of the past. The last time that we had that bread product in our house is when our two children were really young. Now when we go to either son's home, there is some kind of multigrain bread in their bread boxes.
The health conscious people have put a curse on white flour. I always marvel at those people who have an aversion to white bread, but who will eat it when they are out at a restaurant. Last night, the waitress brought out some homemade warm Italian bread and some olive oil to dip in. Every person didn't hesitate to grab at least one slice of the white bread. I got the feeling that their bodies were just calling for some of the unhealthy white bread.

Speaking of the white stuff, we have a coating of snow outside right now. The temperatures are supposed to rise and the precipitation is supposed to change over to rain, and the winds are going to pick up. We have some chilly weather heading our way. Some of the temperatures for us in the Berkshires this weekend will not even hit the 20 degree mark. There are still no major storms heading our way.

They showed a picture the other day in our local newspaper of an elderly man with a walker ice fishing on one of our lakes here in Pittsfield. The ice was only three inches thick in some spots, but lower in other places. Our fire chief warned ice-fishing enthusiasts to stay off of the ice until we get several more days of cold weather. When I got Sporting License the other day, they had a couple rows of ice fishing gear. I have never seen the amount ice-fishing gear on the shelves during the middle of January. Our mild winter has put a damper on a lot of winter type products.

One of the quiet projects that I am going to do today is to go through my tackle boxes and remove the small lead sinkers. As of January 1, 2012 in Massachusetts, it is illegal to use lead sinkers 1 ounce or smaller. Our aquatic birds are consuming lead sinkers, and the lead is killing them. You can't use shotgun shells which had lead pellets in them any more. You must purchase shotgun shells with steel pellets.

I made some comment yesterday about impatient drivers, and what do they gain by tailgating, and passing you when you both meet at the next stop light. My friend said that it happened to him the other day. The impatient driver was a Massachusetts State Trooper, and he wasn't heading toward some accident or crime scene.

There is always some commercial of some weight loss device. It could be in the form of pills, shakes, diet food, gym equipment, etc. Whatever happened to the "Shake Weight" commercial that seemed to be on every station? The company made their millions, and it seems to have fallen by the wayside.

I remember when our children were small and a company was selling "Pet Rocks" in a box. Someone had the idea of gluing artificial eyes to a rock, and putting the rock in a box and selling them. The Curley's contributed to someone's wealth, and their simple idea.

Politics -- I have to sit down with my conservative minded friends, and see who they are leaning towards as the person who can best represent the Republican Party. In my mind, there is not one individual so far that has the ability to make our President a one term guy.

Well, I have to start prepping the sauce for tonight's supper, read the local newspaper, and continue with quiet activities. I do hope that the telephone does not ring, and does not wake up the Queen.

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

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned in Curleyworld.

The medical staff at the nursing home has determined that my father has Thrush. If you don't know what it is, just go to WebMD to find out the symptoms and how to put an end to the illness. The Saga continues!

On a happier note, Linda's two events went well; Mah Jongg and Book Club. My Irish Sister City meeting went well, but the best part of the evening took place at Patrick's Pub.
I also feel great because I don't have to type up the minutes of the meeting since I moved up from clerk / recording secretary to vice-president.

The only booked in event for Linda and me today is a birthday celebration for another baby boomer that is 65 years old today. We have reservations for 6:30 PM this evening at Mario's.

Weather -- We are in a winter Weather advisory today even though we will have sunny skis and mild temperatures during the day. This evening we will get a dusting of snow. Tomorrow morning the wintry mix turns to rain. Oh Joy!

I did get my sporting license (fishing and hunting) yesterday at Walmart. The 65 to 69 year old age range gets a discount which I did. At age 70 the same license is free. I can't wait!
Getting older sometimes has its advantages.

Mitt Romney got the most votes in New Hampshire. Whoopee do! Can he win in States like Florida? I think not!
Newt's popularity is down the toilet. The saga continues!
We Democrats are still backing President Obama!
My radio talk show host friend beats up the President and his advisors almost every day of the week. He did so yesterday!

Patriots -- The Broncos are coming to down, but not without controversy. The American Atheists Association is objecting to Tim Tebow injecting religion into sports. There sure are a lot of people who must have a lot of free time on their hands.

The Boston Bruins won their game last evening after a sluggish start. The Celtics do battle this evening.

Observation -- While on the way to the Sister City Meeting which takes place at the Pittsfield Public Library, an impatient driver passed me. For the next three stop lights we ended up side by side. I arrived at each light a few seconds after this driver. I asked myself: "What did this driver gain by his impatience." I also noticed that the driver wasn't a teenager. I wanted to roll down the window and give him a piece of my mind, but I didn't want to get into a road rage incident.

We found out at last night's meeting that Liam Geddes, from our Irish Sister City, might be coming to the Berkshires to do some singing gigs. If my readers remember, Liam was a finalist in the Irish version of the American Idol contest. My radio talk show host will get a chance to have him on his daily program for sure! The time frame is the first week of February, but nothing is set in stone.

Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and get dressed. I am not sure if I am going to visit dad because Thrush has caused some nasty symptoms. I don't want to get sick, or pass on the illness to anyone else.

Have a great day at work or play.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday

Dear Friends,

Another Day in Curleyworld went as planned on Monday.

I am leaving the house first again today. I have a Therapy session at 8:30 AM, a visit with dad, an afternoon nap, and then off to an Irish Sister City Meeting at 6 PM. Linda will not be attending the Irish Sister City meeting because she will be attending a book club meeting at 6:30 PM. I would imagine that some of us Irish Sister City Committee members might head off to Patrick's Pub after our meeting.

Linda does have her normal Tuesday Mah Jongg session from 11:30 AM until 4 PM today at a friend's home. I will go back to straightening up the garage. Yesterday, I did spend a couple hours cutting up boxes. Tomorrow, paper is the recycle material.

My visit with dad did not go well on Monday. Dad was delusional once again. His mind is going back to events that happened years ago. I hope that things are better today, but I fear that they will be the same. A UNICO friend once again visited my dad as well as some of his friends who are at the nursing home.
Food, fun, and merriment at Patrick's Pub is looking pretty good this evening.

The stuffed peppers in the Crock Pot went very well for lunch yesterday. Linda and I figure the next home cooked meal won't be able to happen until Thursday night. We have mentally planned that Thursday will be a pasta night for us.

Some not so nice weather is supposed to happen Wednesday night into Thursday. Some areas will get rain, sleet, and snow instead of the earlier predicted rain. Linda and I will be out in the middle of the bad weather because we are celebrating a friend's 65th birthday. We will be dining at Mario's Restaurant which is just over the mountain in Lebanon, New York. Linda will be missing her Knitting Group gathering at Panera Bread.

While at the Italian American Club for my UNICO board meeting, I met an Italian friend whose wife organizes those Casino trips. He asked me if Linda and I are going to attend the Mohegan Sun Casino bus trip on January 29, 2012. He said that his wife was going to call all the previous attendees to see if they wanted to go on the trip. Since I was in bed when Linda came home from her south county Mah Jongg session, we did not talk with one another. I am supposed to ask my Radio Talk show host friend and his wife if they want to go on the Casino bus trip. We went with this couple on the last trip out of the Italian American Club.

There is a polenta dinner next Thursday at the Italian American Club. I will be going alone because Linda is going off to another book club meeting, but with a different set of her friends.

While at my board meeting, we learned about several events that we UNICO members will be preparing food for. Our first one takes place on February 2, 2012. We will be preparing food for a fundraiser for a mental health group called NAMI. We will be preparing a buffet dinner with the main dishes of Chicken Parmesan, and a vegetarian pasta primavera type dish. Of course, the buffet line will include a salad, bread, coffee, and dessert.
The meal will be served at 6 PM at the ITAM, but I am not sure of the cost. I know last year, the NAMI group charged $25 per person.

The next event in February is a Polenta / Venison Dinner for the Women's Imaging Center of Berkshire Medical Center. This annual event takes place on Saturday February 25, 2012 at the Berkshire Hills Country Club. For we UNICAN's, some of us will be in the kitchen from 8:30 AM until about 8:30 PM. I usually am one tired buckaroo when this day is over. The meal will be served at 6 PM. People from the hospital are the volunteer servers. We UNICO members are not involved with the ticket selling and the table reserving. I don't have any of the contact people and telephone numbers at this time.

Dreams -- For some reason, I have been having dreams every time that I am in bed, even when I take an afternoon nap. Usually, my dreams are related to something that I have observed, or have done during the day. In my dream last night I discovered a hidden bar with beer taps, a collection of Dick Tracy comic books, and other memorabilia. I think that this all took place in a different house that we currently live. All the stuff that I found was from the previous owners who just left everything as they were going through a divorce. I know where the thoughts of beer taps came from because I was socializing at the members bar at the Italian American Club before the UNICO meeting. The Italian American Club do have three beer taps. I can't figure out where the rest of my dreams came from.
I hope that I don't need psychological help.

I just read the newspaper this morning. One of my former students was in the obituary pages. The 52 year old man died in a hospital in Minnesota. I will never forget this former student. He started a sign business at age 15. He made me a license plate / name plate that I still have in my garage. When I had the student in class, he made this license plate for the Starcraft Tent camper that we owned at the time. When he made the License plate, the only family members that he put on the license plate were Linda, me, and our son Michael. I used a permanent marker, and added Kevin's name to this license plate a few years later.

Well, I have to get dressed, pick up dad's favorite newspaper, and head off to therapy. After therapy, I will head off to the nursing home, and visit with dad. I hope that he is more lucid today.

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

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,

It is balmy 2 degrees outside this morning, but we will reach the 24 degree mark in the Berkshires today.

Our day went as planned yesterday.

I helped dad with breakfast yesterday at the hospital. Dad was shipped back to the nursing home. This time he has a roommate, and his new room is almost across from the nurses’ station.
I was going off to see him this morning until I remembered that we have two people coming to our house; one to replaces the outside front door, and an insurance agent. My visit to dad will take place later on today.

With today being Wednesday, it is Linda’s knitting group gathering at Panera Bread at 6 PM. I have the Boston Bruins, and the Boston Celtics to keep me entertained while she is gone. I started a new hard cover book last night after Linda left for her second session of Mah Jongg. I shut off the television so that I wouldn’t be distracted.

As I surmised, Linda came home totally exhausted after her second session of Mah Jongg. She couldn’t say “No” when she was asked to be a substitute for this other group which she normally doesn’t play with. The three players, who were colleagues and friends of hers, have not been in contact with one another for a long time.

I see were Romney and Santorum picked up the most votes in the Iowa caucus. I am really so excited. I can’t wait for the New Hampshire caucus. Watching these conservative candidates debate is like watching the National Basketball Association plays games on television. It could also be comparable to “watching paint dry.”

After the back and forth discussion because of comments I made in Tuesday’s blog, I think that it all comes down to people thinking that the other guy has an easier job in life. Every job has its perks and benefits during and after a person retires. My perks and benefits come from taxpayer dollars, but sometimes people forget that we teachers are taxpayers too.

When the relatively young floor nurse came to give dad his medication yesterday morning, she said that my father and I looked familiar. We should because my mother, my father, me, and Linda (who was on this floor for 15.5 days dealing with an infection) have been on this floor. Some of us have been on the other four floors at some point too either as a patient or a visitor.

We will be going out on Thursday night to a wake for our 90 year old Irish friend who passed away. The wake is from 4 to 7 PM, but we members of the Irish Sister City Committee are going to have a real Irish Wake a little after 7 PM. We are going to a covered dish affair at the home of one our members where once again there will be much food, fun, and merriment. The Curley’s will whip up some kind of dish. My first thought was to make a platter of some finger sandwiches.
We won’t be able to make the funeral service at the Dwyer Funeral Home on Friday at 1 PM because we are taking a friend and her mom to the Hartford airport. They will be flying into warmer southern climates at 2 PM. This means that we will be on the road, or at the airport.


Warmth and Lack of snow – This unusual weather really does affect a lot of people. The ski areas couldn’t even make snow and retain it. The deer hunters struggled to locate deer because the Berkshire Hills had no snow cover. The deer had an endless supply of food. If hunters chased the deer to high elevations, there was still food on the ground. The deer didn’t have to go to lower elevations in search of food.
The winter sports stores have taken a hit. If a person received snow shoes for Christmas, where could they go to use them?
I am ready to do some ice-fishing, but there was open water on the lakes and ponds on Sunday. The cool weather for the last few days has provided a thin layer of ice, but it is too thin for me to venture out there. I also don’t like to fish on bare ice. 6 to 12 inches of ice with a little snow cover make for idea conditions.
Anyone who sells live bait and ice-fishing equipment has taken a hit too.
How about the people who bought trucks and put a snow plow on them thinking that a little snow plowing would help make some truck payments?
There is a positive among this lack of snow and ice. The budgets for snow removal for the cities and towns have been used only once for the October snow storm.

I chatted with our restaurant son last evening. He was with Max all day yesterday since Tuesday is Kevin’s day off at the restaurant. Kevin and Max did go into the Chelsea Depot for some food and restaurant supplies. Even though Max is only two years old, he is never too young to learn the family business.
For my local Berkshire Eagle Readers, Kevin’s restaurant Dough East Boston will get a little mention I think in the Thursday addition of the newspaper. I am not sure if will be in either today’s or Thursday’s newspaper. I will let you know when the article appears.

Speaking of food, we did have the B.J.’s warehouse $4.99 rotisserie chicken last evening along with the leftover potatoes and carrots from the night before. The meal was wonderful. I cut the chicken in half. We can have a second supper time meal or slice up the chicken and make sandwiches for lunch.

Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and get dressed. I think that I will get dad his favorite newspapers first; deal with the people coming to our house this morning, and then go off and visit dad.
I do have take an afternoon nap so that I can watch my sporting contests while reading my John Sanford book this evening while I am in my Man Cave.

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