Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,

You already know how our Monday went, and we sure are glad that it came to an end.

We have another busy day coming up today. Besides me giving the lawn a trim, we have a furniture delivery at 11 AM. Linda is going to her Tuesday Mah Jongg session late.

Between 12 PM and 4 PM, Warner Cable is coming to fix some issues with the telephone and cable television.

I have an Irish Sister City Sports meeting at our house at 3 PM with members of our Pittsfield Irish Sister City Sports Committee.

In between the above mentioned events, we have to return at least the first floor of our house to normal since Linda is hosting BONCO on Thursday evening.

There doesn’t appear to be enough hours in a day to accomplish all that we need to do.

Of course, there is also the guilt of not seeing my parents since we were gone for over a week. We had planned to stop and see dear old mom at the nursing home on the way back from North Tewksbury. We couldn’t stop since we were riding in the cab of the flat bed tow truck because of the car issue.

I suppose that in the scheme of life, these are minor things compared to people who are dealing with more serious health issues.

The Yesue lad is correct about the car problems. Repairing cars which are already paid for is much less painful. I would readily accept the pain that we had, but that $500 + car repair bill dollars could have been used for extra things which we wanted to do with respect to getting our house back to normal.

Sports – Luckily the Red Sox had a travel day on Monday, but the Yankees and Tampa Bay won their games. It appears that the Sox can’t gain any ground on the top two teams in their division. It might be another; “wait until next year” type of season since there are so few games left of the regular season.

I see where Hurricane Earl is heading toward costal North Carolina. I am glad that I don’t have to prepare for hurricane Earl.

Observation – On the flight from Atlanta to Boston on Sunday, there were three women in the seats behind Linda and me. When one black woman found out that the white woman was originally from Oklahoma, a conversation began (two black women and one white woman were in these seats). The black woman talked for the 2.5 hour flight. We wouldn’t mind, but the whole conversation was loud enough that we couldn’t concentrate on reading our books. By the end of the flight, I knew the Black woman’s whole family situation, and what she did for a living, how religious she was with respect to her Baptist religion, etc. which I really didn’t want to know. I was wondering if I turned around and asked her to tone it down, would I have been out of order or would it be considered rude of me to say anything.

I am going to read the local newspaper, and start quietly returning things to where they belong. I will need supervision, if I start hanging pictures, etc., so I will have to wait until Linda wakes up.

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

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

Another day in South Carolina went well on Wednesday. Two of the males left for
their 8:10 AM tee time while the three women and me leisurely went through our
morning routine until we headed off to Charleston.
The golfers had fun except that they forgot their bug spray, and got eaten alive
by mosquitoes.
The rest of us left the unit as planned at 10 AM. The 1 hour drive to Charleston
was a very pleasant one.
After parking the car, we had a short walk to what used to be a Farmer's Market.
It is a 1/4 mile long straight row of shops with gifts and no food. The
restaurants and extra shopping are on both sides of the market.

The women and I had a wonderful lunch at a place called "The Crab House'. I
stayed for another beer and chatted with the female bartender. She graduated
from college in 2009 with a biology degree. I took the fatherly and teacher
approach to tell her how valuable her degree in biology actually was. I
suggested three paths; teaching, working for a bio tech company, or for a
pharmaceutical company. I also said that if she is willing to move, the Boston
area offers all three positions.

When the golfers arrived, two of the three couples when I a buggy ride tour of a
portion of Charleston. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. The other couple
deiced to not join us because they were thinking of the Seinfeld movie where
Kramer gave the horse beans as horse food, and the horse passed wind all the way
on one of those rides.

The golfers came to Charlestown, and for supper we ate at a wonderful Italian
Restaurant recommended by a guide from the carriage workers. I gave him a list
of three Italian Restaurants which we were considering. He directed us to a
place called "Gribaldi's". From appetizers through desserts, the food was
wonderful.

By the time we arrived home, we all pretty much so tired that we didn't have the
energy to finish Tuesday's nights card game.
I found out that some people went to the beach last night. They said that there
was a full moon, and that there was a nice breeze (and no bugs). It looks like I
will be going to the beach with them this evening.

I think today will be another beach day. Steve and Marilyn will be waiting for
the arrival of their son and his daughter. The unit will then be complete.
Having a 1.5 year old running around the apartment will be quite a change. I am
hoping that I feel the love between Noelle and me. It wasn't working as we
departed Hotlanta this past Sunday.

It might be another supper on the grill this evening. We are using charcoal
which is a bit different than using the propane grills which we all own in the
Northeast. Food items cook quicker on charcoal, and you can't control the
intensity of the heat.

Our two sons and their children are having a fun time in Kansas, but I think
that it comes to an end today. Kevin, Kyla, and Max fly back to Boston at some
point today. They have been sending Linda and I some pictures of all that they
have been doing; from trips to the Kansas City Zoo, swimming in the pool in
their back yard, swinging, etc. They appeared to have had a fun packed week with
good deal of bonding among the children. This all goes back to my saying;
"Family and friends are what life is all about"!

Well, I only got myself in trouble twice on Wednesday. One was by way of an
e-mail which I sent to some Pittsfield friends who will doing things with an
Irish Sister City Guest who will be arriving from Ballina, Ireland for a
vacation on September 5, 2010. I just reminded people to not over schedule the
guests two week "Vacation". This is not an official Sister City visit; it is
just a person on vacation who we will include in various activities.

The second thing that I got myself in trouble was when I commented on supper;
the time that we should dine and what restaurant that we were going to. I got
over the conflict quickly, but Linda didn't. I wish I could go through life and
not make waves. Today, I am going to go through the day like I had a piece of
duct tape across my mouth. My fingers on a key board are another story.

In a unit next to us, the whole family hooks up workout devices to the rafters
(since all the units are on stilts), and do exercises every morning. The
Patriarch of the family is a retired Army Officer. As we were driving off to our
Wednesday adventure, all the women were exercising including the wife of the
retired officer. Some people pray together, and others exercise together.

Steve and I are the only ones up. He just we out the door for his morning walk.
I am sitting here typing away on my laptop. My fingers are getting a good
workout. Actually my good knee isn't feeling 100 %. I think I twisted some
ligaments in it. Things aren't bad enough that I can walk, but I really do have
to be careful with any kind of twisting motion like getting in and out of a car,
or getting on and off of a bar stool.

This is the best time of the day for me. I love it when I am alone, and don't
have to make idle conversation with anyone.

Well, I have to grab a second cup of coffee, and enjoy the solitude while it
lasts.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,

We had a pleasant day at Edisto Beach on Tuesday. After a breakfast of bacon,
breakfast sausages, and people cooking eggs the way that they wanted them, Linda
and Marilyn made sandwiches for the beach for 6 people. I was the first one to
leave the beach because I wanted to take a nap, which was the first one since we
left Pittsfield over a week ago.
Note -- Not everyone had eggs for breakfast since there is an egg scare in the
United States at the current time. Linda, a former biology teacher, was one of
the people who chose not to have any eggs. All the men had two eggs each, and we
all turned out fine. Marilyn was the only female who had an egg.

My nap worked out so well that I stayed up past 10 PM, and I was even a
participant in a marathon card game which we have never played before. We will
have to finish the game either tonight or tomorrow.

Steve and Raul are teeing off as I type this e-mail. I will be going with the
women this morning for a little recreational shopping and sight seeing in
Charleston, South Carolina. It will be a 50 mile drive from Edisto Beach. The
golfers will meet us for supper in Charleston.

Last night we dined in. Raul cooked steaks on a charcoal grill located outside
our unit. Lee, Raul's wife made oven roasted potatoes. A salad, and some red
wine complimented a great meal.

I do miss my Red Sox even though they aren't getting any closer to a playoff
spot.

It is hot and humid each day here in South Carolina. We are in for another day
of 90 degree weather with a chance of an evening thunderstorm.

I do miss the Northeast even though the weather is cooler, and hasn't been so
great the past few days.
Good thing that we have a washer and dryer in our unit. I average a two to three
shirt change per day.

Kris Gerardi, and his daughter, Noelle, arrive tomorrow. I wish him luck on the
5+ hour drive with a 1.5 year old buckled up in a car seat. He is trying to plan
for the child to be taking a nap for a least two hours during the drive. I am
not sure what is going to happen when Noelle wakes up from her nap while Kris is
driving. Ah, the joy of parenting!

Linda and Marilyn are still sleeping. It is just Lee, and me typing away on our
laptops.

On CNN news I see the typical murder and mayhem throughout the world. It never
changes no matter where you live.

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

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

Hope that all is well this Monday morning for my daily readers.
I will start off by responding to two of my readers had had inquiries about specific issues, or who commented on my awful night of sleeping on Saturday night in Hotlanta.

First of all the temperatures are in the 90's in Atlanta, and will be so in Edisto Beach for the week. The humidity levels will suck the life out of you in both places. Marilyn has been using the deck here in Edisto Beach as a warming staion since we have the temperature on the first floor so low.
The two couples sleeping above us have set the thermostat higher on their floor. Marilyn had her sweater on the whole time that she was on the first floor which has the kitchen, dinning room table, and a semi living room.
The locals say that May and June are the most comfortable months in the Atlanta region. Could my friend be looking for a second home or a place to go for the winter?

Another reader asked why I didn't tough it out while suffering in Atlanta on Saturday night when the central air died. You don't open windows to a townhouse when the outdoor temperature are greater than than the indoor temperatures. Also there appears to be thunderstorms almost every night that we were in Hotlanta. There was one last evening as we headed off to bed here in Edisto Beach.
The reader was correct that we never had an air conditioner when I was growing up in Lee, Massachusetts. My father had a fan set up in a bedroom hallway window which sucked out most of the summer heat in the family home. Yes we did open up windows, but we didn't have the global warming type of heat which we have been experiencing in the Northeast this summer.
The reader who asked the question doesn't know what it was like unless he went through what Linda and I experienced.

Good thing that we chose the bedroom on the first floor. As I headed off to brush my teeth before going to bed, a 2.5 palmetto bug (like a giant cockroach) went scrambling across the bathroom floor. If Marilyn saw this bug, she would have screamed "bloody murder." She doesn't like any bug of any type at all. She wants to live in a bug free world. Good luck living in your second home in Atlanta!

During the middle of the night (2:30 AM), my sleep apnea device shut off. I thought that it died which could have been a real problem. I fumbled around in the dark, and got it working. I think that the extension cord might have died, or that it might have been an outlet problem. I got it working by a direct plug of the cord from the device into the socket.
We didn't check the alarm in our bedroom. The darn thing went off at 6 AM about two minutes after I got up and was making a pot of coffee. I hope that Linda got back to sleep okay.

We stayed in last night since all of us had long drives. Marilyn's sister brought an eggplant Parmesan, and made a chicken primavera like pasta using bow tie style pasta. A salad, and some Italian bread and red wine made for a wonderful supper. She also brought a cake that a relative made. Life was good last evening!

Since no one is up right now, I am not sure of our plans today. I am pretty sure that we will be going to the beach. The men are booked in for three days of golf, but I left my sneakers in Atlanta. I decided that I am going to play in my "Crocks". How appropriate since the water all over the golf course has alligators living and swimming in those waters.
There was also some talk of us three men paying for a charter boat for 3 hours of ocean fishing.
A day trip to Charleston will take place one day during the week.

I would be whipping up some bacon, eggs, and home fries, and toast but we would have to make a grocery run before that could happen.

There is a washer and dryer on the second floor in our four bedroom unit. I will be using it at some point today. The complimentary clothes washing soap wasn't there when we arrived. This is another thing which we can add to the grocery list.

As my readers can see, "Life is Good" for the Curley's.
Hope that all of you have a great week at work or play.
There is the local police station about 100 yards from our unit.
They also have a 10 PM noise ordinance in the Edisto Beach area.
The area is pretty deserted since the children in South Carolina are back to school already. Any kids at this resort are from the Northeast since school in that region doesn't start until the Labor Day time frame.

Have to grab a second cup of coffee.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday Morning

Dear Friends,

My day went as planned. My friend and I played a quick 9 holes of golf, and I was home by 9:30 AM. As a matter of fact, the back nine was closed because they were aerating the greens. Today they are aerating the front nine. Our course is in excellent condition. The fairways are super, and the returns have come back from the winter kill. One friend said that he played the Dalton course the other day, and the Berkshire Hills fairways get an A++.
At one time, the members of my course were grumbling how awful the Berkshire Hills course conditions were. Now they are praising the great job that the superintendent has done to bring our course back.

I did give my lawn and the neighbor’s lawn a trim before I went to my 1 PM REAM meeting at the community room in the Berkshire Mall. I secured a former Juvenile Court Judge to be the guest speaker for our October 12, 2010 Luncheon Meeting.

After the REAM meeting, I decided to head to Lee to visit dear old dad. My sister was there installing a new telephone so that my father could read it better. I left her as she was having trouble making the telephones work. Eventually she had to call the Cable Company. It was a modem problem, but she did get the telephones working.

I left the family home in Lee, and went off to see Mom in the nursing home. She was in bed looking at a picture taken of all her brothers and sisters which was taken in 1965. She also had a picture of Grandma, and Grandpa Castronova. I did find out that the name was Castronovo when he came into Ellis Island. Grandpa’s Italian name was Melchiorre (Michael) Castronovo. I did a little research, and I even found when, and on what ship he came into the United States.

Linda had fun with her girlfriends doing lunch in downtown Lenox, and doing a little recreational shopping in the stores in Lenox. The adventure lasted until about 4:30 PM.
Linda was actually on the telephone talking with the Liberty Mutual agent dealing with our case when I walked in the door from my busy day. Linda had a positive discussion with the agent. Things are looking up with respect to our water damage claim.

The painters were there a second day. They picked up our vanity which we purchased at Home Goods. It is a beautiful piece of furniture. You might think that it is too nice for a laundry room, but this bathroom is the most used one in our house.

The contractor is stopping by at 7:45 AM this morning to chat with us. He is just about ready to install the flooring material on the first floor. We can’t wait!

We are on the road again today. We are going off to visit the Brodeur’s, and eventually visit our grandchild Max and his parents in North Tewksbury. It should be a fun time.

I watched the Red Sox do battle with the L.A. Angels. One of the rookies for the Sox hit his first grand slam of his brief career as the Red Sox went on to a victory by a 6 to 0 score. I went to bed a happy man ecept for the fact that the Yankees and Tampa Bay won their games.
Another positive was that one of their multiple injured players returned to the lineup. He was trying to too hard, and never got a hit during last night’s game. His presence was a morale booster.

Observation – While working the golf tournament on Monday, my elder friend who is just about ready to turn over the reins of the cooking portion of the golf tournament was talking about smoking. He was telling my friend and me that he smoked two packs a day during the prime years of his life. Eventually, he needed to have a bypass. The circulation in the legs of this octogenarian is not working like it should. What got me thinking about smoking was that he told my friend and me that he used to smoke two packs of cigarettes per day. My comments here are not meant to beat up the people who do smoke. They are treated like outcasts on a daily basis. I was thinking about the time it would take each day to smoke two packs of cigarettes. If you are employed, much working time must be wasted by the smoker.
When I retired from teaching, the public schools outlawed smoking on school grounds. Some of the diehard smokers used to go to the sidewalks out on the main road to have their cigarettes. Some diehard smokers used to sneak into their cars, and have a cigarette (which was a violation of school policy). Some of my teaching colleagues did eventually quit smoking, or reduce the number of cigarettes per day.
The generation before us baby boomers were brainwashed that smoking cigarettes was okay, and should be part of their everyday lives. I am so glad that no smoking takes place in our house. Also, if you have children and the parents smoke, there is a good chance that the children will take up the habit too.
When it is hot and humid, and we are gasping for a breath of fresh air, I don’t know how a person can even think about smoking.

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

Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Tuesday had a few bumps along the road for both Linda and me.
Linda drives to Hadley, which is about an hour from our home. The end table that they had reserved for her wasn’t like the one we purchased locally. Oh Darn!
Also, on the drive to Hadley, Linda heard a pop, and the air conditioning died in her 1996 Neon. Is this a sign that we might have to consider replacing the vehicle?

At the golf tournament, things were going well until the assistant pro comes to our food preparation tent around 1:30 PM, and says that a severe storm is heading toward the golf course. An hour after he tells us about the severe storm, the assistant pro blows the warning horn, and shuts down the tournament and the golf course in general.
The storm rolls in as predicted. A pole from the large tent where golfers were eating snaps due to the violence of the storm. All the golfers headed to the wrap around deck of the clubhouse, but the rains drove them inside. My friend and I decided to stay under my 10 foot by 10 foot canopy as the thunder, lightening, and rain comes down with hurricane force winds. My friend held one side of the canopy while I scrambled to keep rolls, napkins, paper towels, salt and pepper shakers, etc., from getting wet. I lost my battle. Luckily, I had the extra rolls in a rubber maid bucket as well as a few in the back of my car. It was also fortunate that I had two of everything because I purchased the items at a grocery store which had a buy one get one free sale.
Oops! I almost forgot that we did have a helper who dealt with cooking and serving the corn on the cob. He was the smart one of the three of us, and he went to his car as the rain fell. We did have to restart my turkey fryer which we were using to cook the corn. The rain knocked out the burner on the turkey fryer device too.
The rain was coming down so hard, and at an angle that my friend and I were soaked from head to foot. One of the golfers brought us a couple of towels from the locker room. We had to fire up the gas grill again because the rain blew out the burners. As the rain let up and eventually stopped, the golfers who hadn’t eaten returned to the food tent for their food. Some of the golfers went out to finish the few holes which they had left, but there was a lot of standing water on the course. Most golfers ate, and went home.

I was so exhausted when I arrived home that I went to bed early. After about a five hour sleeping period, I woke up, and couldn’t get back to sleep. Oh Darn!

Linda had a book club meeting at 6 PM on Monday night. I was sound asleep when she arrived home a little after 10 PM.

Social Calendar – I am off to the golf course at 8:25 AM. Our foursome became a twosome, but that is okay because were playing only 9 holes.
I have a 1 PM meeting to go to, and then I am coming home to give the lawn a trim.
Linda is giving up her Tuesday Mah Jongg session to do lunch with a couple of girlfriends who are not among the usual suspects.

The painters did do some work yesterday, and they are returning to finish up what they started.

Observation – If anyone was thinking that the golf tournament should have been postponed knowing that severe weather was going to happen at some point during the afternoon, well it couldn’t unless the severe weather was at the start of the tournament. Most golf courses in our area host all kinds of tournaments throughout the summer like the UNICO one last Wednesday. The members often feel that there are too many tournaments which interrupt when they want to play golf. Unless an all day rain is forecasted, and actually takes place is about the only time that a tournament will be postponed.
Most of my golfing buddies won’t play in the rain or in cold weather. I do have a couple of friends who will play in any kind of weather, but I am not among that group.

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

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Sunday went pretty much as planned. I loaded up my car with all the supplies for today’s Senior Club Championship at Berkshire Hills Country Club. I will pack up any food that requires refrigeration, and put it in coolers before I head out the door around 8 AM this morning.

The painters are coming back to do some touch up work this morning around the time that I will be leaving the house.

Linda will be directing the painters in my absence.

Yesterday Linda purchased a side table for the new couch (which will be delivered at the end of the month), but she couldn’t find a second one. The clerk at Marshalls called stores all over the area seeing if they had one of those tables, but she didn’t have any luck. When Linda arrived home from her shopping adventure, she went on line, made a few telephone calls, and found that there was a matching end table in Hadley, Massachusetts.
After Linda gets through dealing with the painters, she will be driving to the store in Hadley , and hopefully be picking up a matching end table. For my readers who don’t know where Hadley is located, it is a town that you go through on the way to the University of Massachusetts. Hadley is known for its acres and acres of farm land where many of the vegetables in our local supermarket originate from.

My Red Sox could beat Texas on Sunday. The Yankees lost to the Kansas City Royals, but the team that they are chasing for the Wild Card spot won their game. Oh Darn!

Observation – In the local Sunday newspaper, they had a big article about the bombs that the United States dropped in Japan which supposedly ended World War II. Us baby boomers were taught in our history books that it was necessary to drop the bombs so that the war would come to an end. Some people who are looking back at the bombings are trying to point out that the Japanese were just about ready to surrender when the bombs were dropped. Some of the veterans from World War II, who are still alive, are leaning toward this theory that we didn’t have to drop the nuclear bombs. Other veterans are remembering the cruelty which the Japanese inflicted on our soldiers during the war like the Bataan March, and they would drop those nuclear bombs in a heartbeat.
There is always a conflict between good versus evil, one nation wanting to dominate another nation, one warlord trying to conquer another warlord, but when will the killing ever stop?
We stopped Germany and Japan in World War II. We helped both countries get back on their feet, and they now try to beat us in the economic arena. Yesterday, a German won a professional golf tournament in Wisconsin, and a Japanese pitcher was on the mound for the Red Sox in Texas. Isn’t kind of ironic that were killing each other in World War II, and now we are friends with both nations? “War, what is it good for?”

Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and get ready for a busy day at the golf course.
Have a great week, at work or play!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

The Curley’s did participate in the Tax Free Weekend on Saturday. After a quick stop at the Post Office, which was to return the battery which we didn’t need to replace, we went of to the furniture store. Linda had talked with a girlfriend on Friday night, and discussed the couch colors of green and brown. Linda had selected the color green. Well, her girlfriend suggested the positives of the brown over the green, and Linda acted on her suggestion. Linda changed the couch and love seat colors to brown. The guy said: “No, Problem!” While at the store, she took some pillows home of both color fabrics. By the afternoon, Linda decided to return to her original color selection of green. The furniture guy must think that she is crazy.

We then headed off to Home Goods, and returned the slip, and repurchased the vanity with the sales tax removed..

Our next stop was Home Depot. We had to purchase things like faucets, towel racks, toilet paper holder, mirrors, and new light fixtures for both bathrooms. I couldn’t believe it when the total came to almost $500.

We needed some lunch so we headed off to the family picnic at the Italian American Club. When we arrived at 12:30 PM every picnic table was taken, so they put out a couple of extra tables. For mere $5, we had hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage patties, every salad that you could possibly think of, and unlimited soda and beer, and cookies for dessert. They had one of those Bouncy Castles for the children, and clown doing his thing. The adults started a BOCCE tournament, but we had to get back to shopping after lunch.

We went back to Home Depot, and we purchased some replacements for our vertical blinds in the family room. Linda loves the new ones and said: “Why did we wait so long to change them?” I think that I was the one who thought that it was a major project. Not!

We then headed off to J.C. Pennys which had some bedding material on sale. I really started to fade in this store. An adult was being trained at the cash register, and the time shopping went by even slower.

We were so exhausted by the time of 4 PM rolled around, we had no energy to pack up food and beverages for Tanglewood’s Film Night. The Culver’s went alone. We also found out that our next door neighbors were at the event. They were given some Shed Tickets, and they went with another couple.

Linda and I decided to use one of those Radio Coupons and we went to the East Side Café for their wood fired pizza. We met another couple from the ITAM, and we chatted while eating the pizza.

After supper, it was pajama time. Linda settled down in front of the family room television, and I head off to bed to read a book while watching the Red Sox. I failed at doing either activity, and I dosed off until I heard the roar of the crowd during the baseball game. I woke up to see the Red Sox score two runs in the top of the ninth.
You would think that a 3 to 0 score going into the bottom of the ninth was looking pretty good, but we have seen them lose before in similar situations. The relief pitcher gave up a solo home run after getting the first guy out. The next guy gets on base with the potential tying run at the plate. The guy on first tries to steal second base, and the Red Sox catcher throws him out. The Sox put in a new relief pitcher, and he strikes the guy out for the win.
Of course, on this night the first and second place teams both won their games. Oh Darn!

Observation – Tax free days in places like North Tewksbury are no big deal because they live so close to the “Live Free or Die” State of New Hampshire which is tax free all year long on purchases. Cars and boats were exempt items for the Tax Free days this weekend in Massachusetts.
We talked to the people at Home Goods. They said that they were open at 7 AM, and that they weren’t getting the crowds that they hoped for.
Another thing was that the savings occurred when you purchase big ticket items. Another friend called from Walmart, and said that the place was a zoo. Some people were coming out of the store with new televisions, but she thought most people had carts full of small items. I would like to see what the State reports as the total loss over the weekend from the revenue normally generated by our 6.25 % sales tax.
I think that Linda might drag me back to the stores after reading the Sunday newspapers.

Well, I have to cut up onions and peppers for Monday’s Golf Tournament.
Linda is giving me a haircut out on the lawn after reading the newspapers.
Have a great Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

The best part of golf on Friday was that our foursome finished a round of golf in three hours and 15 minutes. Our team played the whole round without waiting at all. You might think that we ran around the golf course (we were in golf carts), but we played at a steady pace. We still lost the maximum of $3 per person, but the four of us blended quite nicely.
I will be missing the next two Friday’s due to previous commitments.

Linda kept her self busy while I was on the golf course. We had some of the leftovers from the polenta dinner which I purchased the night before at the ITAM for lunch. The Polenta just wasn’t the same as when it was made fresh.

I did go down for an afternoon nap. I thought that Linda would go off and do errands, but she decided to stay home a read a book, and just relax.

I did forget to mention that she did have fun at the 65th birthday party for a colleague on Thursday night while I was at the ITAM. The host made appetizers to “die for” as they sipped champagne and congratulated the birthday girl.

I also failed to mention that August 13 was Michael and Danielle’s anniversary. This was the date of their second wedding when Danielle got to wear her wedding gown. If all of you remember, they did one of those “drive by” weddings in a Las Vegas Chapel a year or so earlier because Danielle was going to be sent off to Iraq to help take down Saddam Hussein.

Also, this Sunday Michael becomes another year older. It is difficult to imagine that we will have a son who is going to be 37 years old. Does this mean that Linda and I are getting pretty old too? Yes, it does!

My Red Sox let me down again last night. They had a chance to gain on the second place team in their division which lost their game earlier in the evening. You would think that 9 runs would be enough to win the game, but not with the bullpen that the Red Sox have. I am almost ready to give up on the Red Sox for this year!

Linda has set her alarm, and we are going off to Home Depot at 8 AM this morning to shop for things like faucets, towel, and toilet paper holders which go with our new vanity. Yes, I know that this doesn’t sound very interesting, but we didn’t want to fight the crowds on this Tax Free weekend in the State of Massachusetts.
We saw so many people scouting items that they were going to purchase this weekend earlier in the week.
A friend has already decided to replace his refrigerator with a new one, and give his current one to a daughter and her boyfriend who purchased a duplex several months ago.
Any spare funds that the Curley’s have, will be going into the extra’s which we are doing as the house is being restored to what it was before the water damage.
I would love to get a new grill, some air conditioners for the first floor, have fans installed in all the bedrooms, install wood floors in parts of the house not damaged by water, etc., but we would have to win the lottery to do so.

I am also going off to purchase some hot dogs for the Senior Club Championship which my friend and I are cooking for on Monday. The previous chairperson will be ordering the hamburgers and corn on the cob.
The peppers and onions need to be purchased, and cut up before this weekend is over too. We will cook them fresh on Monday morning

We had a problem with our Dell Laptop, and Linda solved that problem too. The battery wasn’t charging so Linda purchased a replacement on line. The replacement battery didn’t solve the problem. She went to a friend’s home yesterday, and used a power cord from her laptop. The old battery started charging like it is supposed to. She then she had to go back on line and order a new power cord. The battery which she purchased will be mailed back at some point today.

Social Calendar – There is a Family Picnic at the Italian American Club starting at noon. We might stop by for lunch. I think that they are charging $5 per person.
It is film night at Tanglewood this evening. A few days a go, I had no desire to attend the function, but I have mellowed over the past few days. I am not sure if the usual suspects are planning on going.

Today, I would normally be attending a clambake for another baseball pool sponsored by the American Legion Post (I am not a member of this post since I have had no military service). A former colleague and veteran said that there weren’t enough people who signed up for the usual two charts of baseball pools signups so they only have one group attending the clambake. Oh Darn!

Well, I know that it is early, and that I should be sleeping, but I woke up thinking about how the Red Sox lost last nights’ game, and I couldn’t get back to sleep. I don’t know why I can lose sleep over a baseball game, but I just do.

Have to do some quiet activities until the Queen wakes up.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday

Dear Friends,

Our Thursday went as planned.

I decided once again that I don’t have the stamina to keep up with Linda when she is shopping mode. While in the middle of shopping yesterday, near the 3 PM hour, I had to go home and take a nap.
I should qualify that this wasn’t a day of clothes shopping. We were in the Lee outlets for 30 minutes for the shoe returns, before we headed back to Pittsfield to do more shopping. This time it was furniture shopping. This lasted a little over an hour. You can’t have new flooring put in without a change in furniture. With Linda, this is never a quick decision. When we first chatted with the one person who was managing this store, he said that he was a “little bored”. Well, he wasn’t bored after an hour and one half with the Curley’s.

We left this store, and we were headed toward Home Depot to check out vanities since one is being replaced due to water damage. Well, I had to use the facilities, and I didn’t think that I could make it to Home Depot especially since some road construction was going to cause a delay. I convinced Linda that we could stop at Home Goods, and she could look at bedding material since we also replaced a tired mattress at the furniture store. As fate would have it, a couple of Home Goods employees were wheeling a beautiful vanity to the front of the store in preparation for this weekend’s Tax Free Saturday and Sunday. The vanity was better than anyone that she was researching at Home Depot. She fell in love with it and bought. We are going back on Saturday, and doing a paper return, and re-purchase the vanity without the sales tax.
The furniture store guy was going to do this for us so that we don’t have to return there on Saturday.

Well, good thing that I took a nap, and didn’t watch the afternoon Red sox Game. The Sox went into the ninth inning with a 5 to 2 lead, and the relievers lost the game. They could have picked up a game on the second place team if they won the game. Oh Darn!

I did get to watch the New England Patriot Preseason Game last night so I did get my dose of sports.

I sat alone at the Polenta Dinner. People invited me to sit at their table, but I chose to be alone. The Polenta dinner was great. The Polenta was creamy, and the sausage and chicken were cooked to perfection. The crowd wasn’t that large, but a good time was had by all. I purchased a dinner to go, and split it into two portions, one of which will be my lunch after golf.


We will be teeing off early this morning because there is a golf tournament at our course today which starts at noon. Linda will have at least 5 hours of peace and quiet. I am not sure what she has planned for me after golf, but I usually take a nap.

I didn’t see any news on the national level that jumped out at me. Things are pretty quiet, which is good.

Well, I have to get to my morning routine, and select my wardrobe for golf.
Have a great weekend.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,
It was a long day for Franny at the golf course while helping out at the UNICO Golf Tournament. I arrived at the course at 6 AM, and never left until 8:30 PM.
The weather for the day was picture perfect. There was much food, fun , and merriment as we served the morning round breakfast sandwiches, and lunch. The afternoon round enjoyed lunch too before they teed off at 1 PM.
All of the golfers were then served a prime rib dinner at the awards, raffle, and silent auction. The golf chairperson zipped through the raffle at an auctioneer’s pace, and the night ended at 8:19 PM.
I went home and went right to bed to watch the Red Sox game, but as usual, I fell asleep as the Red Sox bats came alive.

For the second time this week, I was in bed by the time Linda came home from her activity filled day. This means that today I will get a two day summary before we go off to the Lee Outlets. Linda bought me some shoes the other day while doing a little recreational shopping this weekend, and one pair needs to be returned. I have to be there to replace the ones which don’t fit.

Tonight we are going in separate directions. I think that she will be attending an all girls’ birthday party for a former colleague of ours.
I will be off to the ITAM for a 6:30 PM Polenta Dinner. There is still room at my reserved table if any of my local readers want to join me.

It will be cloudy, but a comfortable day with respect to the humidity which is on the decease. There is a chance of what they call pop up showers.

The Red Sox did win their game, and inched a little closer to the Wild Card spot since the Tampa Rays lost their game. The Yankees keep rolling along.

Observation – I was thinking about the Mosque that they are trying to put next to the former Twin Towers site in New York City. I was wondering how my readers felt about the situation. I think that I am going to take the position to not allow the Mosque to be built at that site. We are the Country formed upon the principle of religious freedom, but I am not sure if it applies in this case. The argument by the proponents is that it will show that not all Muslims are terrorists. This is not a strong argument in my mind. The terrorists will treat it as a victory even if they never enter the Mosque in their life time. The terrorists caused a lot of death and destruction when they blew up the twin towers. A Mosque at that site would just add an “insult to injury”!

Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and do some quiet activities out in the flower beds.
I will give the queen a little time to wake up before we head off to do some errands.
Have a great Thursday!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday Morning

Dear Friends,

I spent most of Tuesday in grocery stores. It takes a good deal of time and effort to shop for bargains. I was attempting to purchase all the stuff that I would need for my friend and I to prepare and serve 80 to 90 golfers for the senior golf tournament this coming Monday. We still have to confirm the exact number of golfers before purchasing the meat portion of the cookout. I tried to accomplish the shopping goal in one grocery store which I knew had a good deal of bargains, but I did end up going to 3 more grocery stores. My adventure never ended until almost 3:30 PM.

Linda had fun playing Mah Jongg, but I forgot to ask her how her day turned out.

After a little down time, and quick shower we were out the door for our next adventure which was a “Picnic in the Park” with our Irish Sister City Friends and guests at Wahconah Park. The set up for private parties at the Ball Park was very nice. The menu was hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni salad, a tossed salad, non alcoholic drinks, and cookies for dessert. The cash bar sold 16 ounce domestic beers for $3, and $4 for beers like Sam Adams, Heiniken, etc.

Linda said that the ladies’ room at the baseball park was better than the ones at Tanglewood.

In less than an hour, I will be heading out the door for the UNICO Golf Tournament to be a worker all day long.

Linda has a day full of errands, but it should be peaceful with me not being around to bug her.
I think that she was going out with some of her girlfriends this evening. She will be missing her knitting group at Panera Bread. Oh Darn!

I see where the Red Sox won, the Yankees lost, but the team that they are chasing for a wild card spot won their game.

Things appear to be calm on the political front. The President has to get back to fulfilling his campaign promises.
I do like the talk that we will be turning over the reins to the local government in the war torn regions pretty soon. It is so sad that it took so many American lives before it could happen.

Well, I have to jump in the shower and select my wardrobe for the day.
Have a great Wednesday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,



The best part of the day at the Saratoga Horse Race Track was the food, and the people who went on the bus trip. Whatever money we brought to the race track, now belongs to the State of New York. No long shots came in during the nine races of the day, and I had them covered in each race.

It is so nice to be able to walk into the picnic grove, and not have to search for a place to settle down. The organizers of the bus trip sent their husbands at 8 AM in the morning to reserve a bunch of tables for us on the bus.

A couple of Lee High Wildcats who I grew up with were on the bus too.

The heat and humidity did start to get to all of us as the day progressed.



Even though we weren’t lucky in the betting aspect, the Red Sox earned a split in the four game series with the Yankees on Monday afternoon.

It looks pretty grim for the Red Sox to earn a wild card spot for the playoffs. They are five games behind the second place team as of today which is a lot to make up. If the Red Sox were in any other division in either league, they would be guaranteed a playoff position with their current won / loss record.



Speaking of sports, a professional football player was suspended a few games for violating the NFL drug policy. He is claiming that he has a syndrome called “overtrained athlete syndrome”. He claims that the syndrome can trigger hormonal spikes after breaks in training, which would explain why he tested positive for a fertility drug last September. He said that he never took such a drug. Yeah Right!



Social Calendar – Linda will be off playing Mah Jongg today from 11:30 AM until 4:30 PM.

I will be off scouting for discounted food items for the senior golf tournament that a friend and I are cooking for this coming Monday.

We are off to Wahconah Park at 6 PM today for that “Picnic in the Park” with our Irish Sister City friends and guests.

I am missing another UNICO Golf Committee Meeting tonight again. Oh Darn!



Observation – Anyone who goes to the horse race track thinking that they can make a living by betting on horses is nuts. I say this, but every once in a while somebody does win a big one. I met a friend at the Clambake the other day and we started talking about the Saratoga Race track. He and a bunch of friends have been have been going there every Friday to try their luck. He got behind a guy in the betting and cashing in line the other day at Saratoga. The guy was cashing in a pick 6 ticket where you must have the winning horse in six consecutive races. His winning ticket was worth $42,000. He had two winning tickets! Wouldn’t that be a nice day at the track?



Restoration – We are still in the state of disruption. The flooring on the first floor should be taken care of at the start of next week. Linda is still battling with the insurance company in an attempt to get our house back to the way it was before the water damage occurred.



Well, I have to read the newspaper, and check all the grocery fliers. One grocery store had some “buy one get two free” food items which I need to purchase for next Monday’s Senior Golf Tournament.



Have a great Tuesday.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad



P.S. There are still plenty of openings at Thursday’s Polenta Dinner at the ITAM (6:30 PM- $15 per person). Just send me an e-mail.

Hello on Monday

Dear Friends,

The Ethnic Fair was big success weather wise. We met a lot of acquaintances who we haven’t seen for a while. Many of my former students stopped by and said “Hello” as they were trying to find kid venues and food for their children. Politicians, tourists, and local people dropped by and had some food at the Pittsfield Irish Sister City Booth as well as the Irish American Club booth which had Guinness, and Smithwicks beer on tap to hold their interest.
Our Irish Bangers went very well. We have only 5 pounds out of the forty pounds left. The Irish Whiskey Cake was sold out early.
The Irish American Club ran out of the meat for their corned beef sandwiches. I am not sure about their Lamb stew.
The Irish American Club booth had a few musicians playing which helped keep patrons eating and drinking what we had to offer.
Even if we didn’t make a lot of money at the Pittsfield Irish Sister City Booth and the Irish American Club Booth, we did well in promoting Irish Heritage.

I did venture across the street to check on how the Italian organizations did, and it appeared that they were sold out of most of what they were selling.

The Fire Inspector and one of multiple the Health Inspectors came by early, and said that we were up to code. The Health Department required my signature, and that of Sister City President.

A reporter from the Pittsfield Gazette stopped by and took some pictures, and notes of me cooking Bangers. I explained to him what an Irish Banger consists of, and where I have to special order and purchase them. There is a possibility that our Pittsfield Irish Sister City booth might be highlighted in this week’s edition of the newspaper.

There had to be over 10,000 people roaming up and down the main street in downtown Pittsfield.

I won the Irish Soda Bread Contest because I was the only person who submitted any Soda Breads. What I did do is cut up my Irish Soda Breads, and I passed out samples to people as they walked by the Pittsfield Irish Sister Booth. My samples were gone in a couple of minutes. I had a lot of compliments from people, but I did tell them that I couldn’t share the recipe. A former colleague, who sampled a piece of my soda bread, said that I should hook up with a bakery, and sell it to the public.
My Irish Soda Bread is not the typical soda bread that an Irish person would have grown up with. The secret recipe which I use creates a moist Soda Bread, and it has a hint of sweetness (like me).
A true Irish Soda Bread tends to be on the dry side. Americans prefer the type which I make.

A few of us stayed around for the clean up, and take down of chairs, tables, and the packing away all the gear needed to make the event a success. Some of the workers from the Sister City Booth, and the Irish American Club were then going to the Shamrock for just one beverage, but I never made it. I was so tired because I had been on my feet from 8:15 AM until 7:30 PM.
Also, my whole body and all my clothes smelled like an Irish Banger. Every article of gear smelled like grease, and I transferred that odor to my car. Even my glasses have a thick layer of grease on them.

I tried watching the Red Sox vs Yankee Game last night, but I fell asleep in a heart beat. Good thing that I fell asleep. The Yankees are too good!

Social Calendar – We will be exiting Pittsfield at 10:30 AM this morning by bus to the Saratoga Horse Race Track. The most physical activity that we will be engaging in is going back and forth to the betting windows. We are hoping that lady luck will be with us today.
I will be missing a UNICO Golf Committee Meeting. Oh Darn!

Well, I am going to read the local newspaper, and hose down my “Grill to Go”, and then select my horse racing wardrobe.
The weather is supposed to be pretty nice with a slight chance of an afternoon shower.
Have a great week at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

My Saturday went very well. There were a little over 80 guys present at the clambake. I gave my clams to a friend whose children I had in class. Many guys left early, and they took their steak, corn on the cob, and clams home. Since I knew Linda was occupied with her female friends, I decided to stay to the end. The keg of beer ran out just about time that they put the steaks on the grill. An officer of the Italian American Club went down in the members’ bar and brought a pitcher of beer for our picnic table.
I was exhausted by the time I arrived home, and I was in bed before Linda came home from her shopping adventure, dinner, and a chick flick. I won’t get all the details of how her day went because I will be heading to the Ethnic Fair, setting up what I need to set up, before she gets up.
Our Irish Sister City President and a skeleton crew are doing a partial set up of our booth at 6:45 AM. I will be there a little after 8 AM. My car is all packed with my needed supplies except for the Irish Bangers which I will put in as I leave the house. I also have two soda breads which I am submitting for the Irish American Club soda bread contest. If any of my readers are local, stop in and sample the various soda breads, and vote for your favorite one. If the Irish American Club President needs help cutting up the soda bread entries, I could do so for a Guinness.

My son and his family from North Tewksbury are in the Saratoga area for the weekend. I did invite them to stop in at the Ethnic fair on their way back home.

For my local e-mail recipients, there is a Polenta Dinner on Thursday night at the ITAM. I do have a table reserved, and I am looking for people to join me. The menu is Polenta, sausage, chicken, salad, bread, dessert, and coffee. 6:30 PM is the starting time, and the cost is $15 per person.

I also found out that there are five seats remaining on the Mohegan Sun Casino Bus trip for August 15, 2010 out of the Italian American Club. I am not sure if Linda wants to go.
The next day my friend and I are cooking for the Senior Golf Tournament at Berkshire Hills. I might have to finalize some details for this tournament which means that I might have to take a pass on the Casino trip.

The Curley’s have a busy week coming up:
Monday – Bus trip to the Saratoga Race Track out of the East Side Café
Tuesday – 6 PM Wahconah Park "Picnic in the park" with our Sister City Friends, and guests while watching an Independent League baseball game.
Wednesday – The UNICO Golf Tournament at Berkshire Hills Country Club (all day long for me)
Thursday – Polenta at the ITAM at 6:30 PM / Linda might be doing her thing with some female friends
Friday – Golf with the seniors (me only)

The Yankees beat the Red Sox. If the Sox won, they could have picked up a game on the second place team which lost their game.
The Sox do battle with the Yankees again today. Go Red Sox!

Well, I am going to skim the Sunday newspapers, finishing packing up my car, and head off to the Ethnic Fair.
Have a great Sunday!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

Another day went as planned.

There is still room for improvement in my golf game. The weather was wonderful on the course. The elder gentleman in our foursome played the best, and helped us to lose only $2 instead of three.

I met Linda for lunch at the Country Club. We each had a healthy salad. After lunch I went home to take a nap so that I could make it through the Red Sox Game. Linda went off looking at items for the house which need to be replaced because of our water damage.

For supper we hooked up with another couple, and went off to Papa Joe’s for pizza. All of their pizzas were on sale for one fixed price of $9.99. This included pizza of all sizes and toppings. Their specialties pizzas were included which normally cost $17.99 for an extra large size. We ordered two pizzas, and ended up taking some home.

Well, the Red Sox won the first game of the series against the Red Sox. They gained a little ground on the first place Yankees, and the seconds place Tampa Rays who lost their game last night. The Yankees probably never saw so many players for the Red Sox which they have never seen before. One of the rookies for the Sox hit his first home run of his career last night in Yankees Stadium. Do you think that he might remember that one?
I think that the Sox are on national television this afternoon.

As soon as I end this e-mail, I will be going into baking mode. A little noise in the kitchen, and the pleasant smells of 2 Irish Soda Breads, and the Irish Whiskey Cake baking is the only thing that could possibly wake Linda up.

Social Calendar – I have a clam bake today at the Italian American Club. It starts at noon, and I am staying until the end. The clambake is for a 16 run pool which I entered for a fee before the baseball season started. They will have the usual hot dogs, hamburgers, hot and sweet sausage patties, raw clams for lunch as well as all the salads which go along with a picnic. For supper they will have steak, corn on the cob, and steamed clams. Since I am allergic to clams, I won’t be getting near those babies.
We play a little horse shoes and BOCCE for our physical activities. It will be a great day weather wise for a picnic.

Linda decided to hook up with one girlfriend for some recreational shopping during the day. In the evening she invited her shopping girlfriend to go out with a few more female friends to either to see a play or go to the movies. I am so happy for Linda!

Well, the humidity left the Berkshires last evening. It was so wonderful to shut off the air conditioners, and let Mother Nature cool down the house. Linda’s friend, who is always cold didn’t really like the change at all. She would rather have the heat. She wouldn’t do well in our house if we had central air conditioning because we would set the temperatures so low that this woman would be in long pants and a sweater for sure in the middle of summer. Hazy, hot, and humid are the three most dreaded words for Linda and I.

Observation – I see where California reversed the law on the legality of gay marriages. It doesn’t bother me one bit that two people who love each other have the right to get married. The people who believe that marriage should be a man and woman relationship to be able to call it marriage can have their opinion, but I say you can’t discriminate when it comes to relationships, healthcare, visitation rights when a partner is in the hospital, etc.
The Catholic Church doesn’t agree with this position, but look what happened to all those priests who might not have gotten in trouble if they were allowed to have a companion whether the person was the same sex or not.
Also, the Church treats a gay person as someone who has an illness. The Church can’t believe that a person can biologically wired that way. Every one of us knows someone who is gay, and the ones whom Linda and I know are wonderful people.
I say live and let live. The gay people don’t want to take over the world. They just want a right to happiness just like us heterosexuals.

Well, the kitchen is calling me.
Have a great weekend.
The Curley’s have a great start on the weekend

Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Thursday went exactly as planned.

Linda did get her day off to do what she wanted to do. She never even left the house on Thursday.

I on the other hand was moving around for a good portion of the day. I headed off to fill up my 5 pound tank that I use with my “Grill to Go” for tailgating and camping. I lost my concentration and drove right by the place which is just a little over a mile from our home. I had to circle around out of my way to return to the propane refilling place.

My next stop was to visit Mom in the nursing home. My mother, who is 93 years old, may have memory issues, but she never forgets who her son is. She told me once again to get a haircut after she did ask me if my curls were real. She was in good spirits except for the fact that she is confined to a nursing home.
Her good spirits were most likely brought on because I brought in some pictures of the grandchildren from Kansas. The last visit I brought in pictures of the North Tewksbury grandchild.

After an hour or so visit, I headed off to Guidos to pick up the forty pounds of Irish Bangers for the Sunday Ethnic Fair. I asked the Meat Manager if he had any extra Irish Bangers in the Freezer, and he said “No”. He said that I am the only one who orders the Irish Bangers which are made in Connecticut at Nodine’s Smoke House.
The weather is going to be super on Sunday with a zero percent chance of rain with temperatures in the 70’s. I have a feeling that we might run out of Bangers.
We do sell Irish Whiskey Cake and bottled water too.

I have decided to do my baking on Saturday. I am going to whip up two Irish Soda Breads for the Soda Bread Contest at the Irish American Club booth and the Irish Whiskey Cake, for the Pittsfield Irish Sister City Booth, in the morning since I am up so early.
I have the raisins soaking in the Whiskey right now. They will be very happy by Saturday morning.
The Irish Whiskey Cake has to sit overnight on Saturday in the refrigerator so that the flavors can blend. I will cut the cake on Sunday morning, and put them in containers, and then put them in a cooler.

Speaking of food, the Pasta Fund Raiser last night went very well. They planned for about 125 people, but we served closer to 175.
It was like old home week for me because the parents of the baseball players were students of mine who graduated in the early 1980’s. The Babe Ruth team plays Rhode Island in their first game after winning the Massachusetts State Championship. The game takes place on Saturday in Worcester, Massachusetts. The funds raised last night will be used to help pay for bus transportation to the game.

Speaking of baseball, my Red Sox won last night. I saw the grand slam by the Red Sox player.
This weekend the Sox do battle with the Yankees who are in first place. I am hoping that the Red Sox can stop that Yankee train from rolling along. The people in New York won’t see too many of the regular Red Sox players because they are on the disabled list.

Linda won’t have her relaxing morning while I am playing golf with the seniors today. I gave her a task to do which is really one that I am supposed to do. While at the pasta dinner last evening, I was informed that no one from the Italian American Club went to the Health Department and filled out an application. You have to put down on the form exactly what types of food and beverages which you are going to serve. I was asked by the person preparing if I could take care of it. There is a problem because the application is reviewed, which takes a few days, and they send a permit in the mail to the applicant. Well, today is Friday. The Ethnic Fair is Sunday. I asked Linda to ask the Health Department if they could process the application today! I don’t know if this is possible, but maybe Linda can pull it off!

Golf Tournament – We picked up two more sponsors on Thursday. Even though a non strict deadline for doing so has passed, how could we say “No” to big donors?

Observation – I have been having some weird dreams lately, and they haven’t been alcohol induced. In one dream, I was in a non motorized boat with a guy in alligator infested waters hoping that the alligators wouldn’t crash into the boat and knock us over into the water.
Another dream had me marking a spot on the ice because it happened to be a lucky spot where I caught a whole bunch of fish the day before while ice-fishing. The second part of this dream had Linda in it because we went back to the ice a day later but the ice was too thin to walk on. So I went to the deck of a nearby cottage and drilled a hole in the guy’s deck.
I also have had dreams where I had to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and when I go back to bed I go right back into the dream.
The other day I was dreaming about Adirondack Chairs which was probably brought on by the fact that Kevin and Kyla have two in their yard. I visualized me getting into one, and not being able to get out.
Should I seek mental help?

Well, I have to read the local newspaper when it arrives at 5:30 AM, and select my wardrobe for golf.
Have a great Friday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

Wednesday was a lazy, hot, and humid day that sapped the energy right out of any human being who had intentions of working outside. I did not accomplish all that I set out to do except for some UNICO Golf Tournament stuff with a friend.
Our job didn’t sound like a difficult one when we accepted to do it, but it does drive you crazy at times. We are the people in charge of getting sponsor signs on the tees and greens throughout the 18 holes of the course. If a sponsor is a big donor, we have to get plaques, and banners as well as the signs. Just when you think that we have everything all set someone turns in a new sponsor, and back to the printer we go. The printer set a time line, but that date is kind of meaningless. How can we stick to it when people are donating money?
We are also in charge of the “Goodie Bags” that are given to each golfer which will include a golf jacket, golf towels, plastic mugs, etc.
Oops! I almost forgot the volunteer workers for the tournament also get shirts.
My friend and I are in charge of getting the golfer jackets, and worker shirts.

I think that I am the only one socially engaged this evening. I am working a Pasta dinner at the Italian American Club. They are serving from 6 to 7:30 PM for a Babe Ruth Baseball team which is moving from winning the State Championship to the Regionals. UNICO was asked to do the food preparation for the fund raiser.
I also have to pick up the Irish Bangers for the Ethnic Fair this Sunday. I will stop and see mom first since the nursing home is a couple miles from the place where I order my bangers.


I am not sure what Linda has planned for the day. I hope whatever it is takes place where they have central air conditioning.

Well, my Wednesday blog sure stirred up the conversation with respect to Unions. For those people who don’t see any value in unions, and who also think that they do a great job at whatever they do, wait until you get notice that you have been terminated. The unions at least give you some recourse for management to explain why you have been terminated. In a union shop, you get a right to hearing, and management has to show cause for the termination.
If there were no teacher unions, and management was looking to cut costs, they could just get rid of veteran teachers. Getting rid of 10 teachers at the top of the pay scale who are paid $60,000 per year could save $300,000 if you hire 10 new teachers whose starting pay is $30,000.

My Sox lost another game, and they had one of their best pitchers on the mound. Oh Darn!

I see where the Celtic’s picked up the veteran basketball player, Shaq O’neal. $33 million for two years is a bit excessive in my mind because over the last few years he has missed 30 or 40 games due to injuries. He makes more money than the quarterback for the Patriots. Tom Brady gets beat up every weekend on the football field during the regular season, and into the playoffs.

Well, I have to do some quiet activities.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday

Dear Friends,



Our Tuesday went as planned. I played a quick nine holes with the usual suspects. I was home before 10 AM.



One of my golfing buddies put himself on the disabled list, and he might be out for the rest of the season. This is the same friend who popped a tendon connected to his bicep. His family finally convinced him to go to an orthopedic doctor. X-Rays were taken, and they showed that a bone spur (from high school football) in the shoulder area nicked the tendon. The doctor said that the practice years ago would be to clean up the bone spurs, and cut and sew the tendon back together. The alternative now is to have a semi deformed bicep, and let nature heal itself as best as it can.

Well, yesterday was the first time that my friend tried to play golf in two weeks. It hurt to make contact with the ball every time that he swung the club. He could have never made it through 18 holes yesterday. He actually is going to put his clubs away for the next few weeks before he makes an attempt to play a pain free round of golf.

If this was me, I would opt for the surgery. This friend has already had two knee replacements which were much worse to go through than this type of surgery.



Talk about injuries, another Red Sox player has been put on the 15 day disabled list. The report this morning said that he might be out for the rest of the season.



Of course, this is all happening as the Tampa Rays have taken over first place in the division which the Red Sox are in.



Tanglewood on Parade was very nice last evening. I was chastised only once for falling asleep, and snoring. Some sweets perked me up so that I stayed awake after that little aberration. The night was actually a tribute to John Williams, who has been associated with Tanglewood, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra for over 30 years. Yo Yo Mah, and James Taylor joined in with the tribute. We stayed to the very end which included waiting for the parking lots to empty. My head hit the pillow at 12:30 AM. Good thing that we are retired so that we can relax today. Yeah Right!



I really can’t relax because I have to start thinking about when I am going to make my two Irish Soda Breads for the Irish Soda Bread Contest which takes place at the Ethnic Fair this Sunday from noon until 6 PM. This contest is run by the Irish American Club. I have to soak my raisins in Whiskey for at least two days to make them happy.

I also have to make an Irish Whiskey Cake for the Pittsfield Irish Sister City Committee. We sell the Irish Whiskey Cake at the Pittsfield Irish Sister City Booth which is where I will be one of the people cooking Irish Bangers.

I might have to make a run to the Liquor store for some Jameson Irish Whiskey.



Today, I also have to do a little Golf Committee work with my wounded friend mentioned above.



I also have to visit mom in the nursing home. I am bringing some pictures from the recent visit with all three grandchildren.



The contractor wants to meet with us too with respect to the flooring material which they are going to install in a couple of weeks.



I not only have these things to worry about, but I have to scour the grocery fliers for the lowest price supplies for the Senior Golf Tournament that my friend, mentioned above, and I are organizing, preparing, and serving on August 16, 2010. Last year, we served close to 90 golfers.



Linda said that she is going to relax, but she really can’t with all the turmoil at our house.



Observation – Trying to fire someone is a dangerous task during these difficult economic times. A two year employee was called into a meeting with two options given to him; either resign or you will be fired. Well, this guy takes out a gun, and kills his boss, the union president, and 6 other people at his place of employment. He killed himself as the ordeal came to an end. This guy was caught on video tape stealing from the company.

What boss of what company is going to want to fire someone after reading about this incident?



Well, I have to put out the garbage, but there really isn’t much when you haven’t been around for over two weeks.

Have a great Wednesday.

The weekend forecast is rain free which bodes well for the Ethnic Fair on Sunday.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,



We said our “Goodbyes” in North Tewksbury on Monday morning, and departed around 9:30 PM. After a brief stop for lunch along the Mass Pike, we were home by 1:00 PM. I unloaded the car and went right to bed for a nap.

Linda went off to the grocery store while was napping.



As I departed for my golf committee meeting, which started at 6 PM, Linda hunkered down, and decided to read the Saturday through Monday local newspapers while watching her previously recorded programs.



Speaking of the local newspaper, there was an interesting but brief article of a husband and wife riding his 2001 Harley Davidson motorcycle from a nearby town while on route to Pittsfield. His wife fell off the motorcycle, and he kept on driving for 7 or 8 miles back to their home in Pittsfield. This all took place at 6:45 PM. The wife was uninjured when the police found her or she called the police on her cell phone. They arrested the husband 90 minutes later at their home. He was found to be intoxicated. This was his third DUI offense. Do you think that his wife will forgive him?



I chatted with my father yesterday. Mom was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, and she is back in the nursing home. The pneumonia is almost gone, and she appeared to be more lucid according to my father. I will go to visit within the next couple of days, and bring her the latest pictures of the grandchildren.



I tee off at 8 AM today for nine holes of golf with the usual suspects. I will then come home and give my lawn and the next door neighbor’s lawn a trim.

Linda has her normal Tuesday Mah Jongg session which she has missed for 3 straight weeks.



No, these aren’t the only activities for the Curley’s today. Tonight we are off to Tanglewood on Parade. The ending song will be the 1812 Overture, including the firing of cannons and the shooting off of fireworks. I have to prepare a couple of appetizers after cutting the lawns. I am trying to figure out when I can squeeze in a nap. If I do fall asleep during the concert; the cannons will wake me up.



I did try and watch the Red Sox in bed last evening. I fell asleep as they were losing by a 6 to 2 score to the team who is last in the Central Division.



Observation 1 – I have said this before, but child rearing was not meant to be for 60 year olds. Every time that we go from grandchildren to the life of retirees, it is actually kind of nice. We do love our grandchildren immensely, and do enjoy taking care of or visiting the grandchildren. Chasing around grandchildren or entertaining them all of the time except when they are napping is quite a challenge. Newborns are the easiest to manage.

Yesterday, I was playing with Max on the floor before he went off to day care. He is at the crawling, touching everything, and standing up, but not walking stage. Max didn’t realize it, but Grandpa had a bit of a problem getting off the floor as we moved onto breakfast. Good thing that I have been doing a little working out at Retro Fitness, or I would have had to call 911. If I was thirty years old, I wouldn’t have had this physical challenge.

Now, I don’t want to the invitations to visit, or the invitations to baby sit to stop from our two sons and their families, I was just thinking about the woman over the past few years, who made national news, and who decided to have children in the late 50’s or early 60’s. They don’t realize what a challenge that they will have before them unless they were rich enough to have help from a Nanny.



Observation 2 – I always read the lost and found section of our local newspaper. Most of the time, it is the usual missing cats and dogs, birds, piece of jewelry, etc., that are reported. For the past week or so, someone put in a request for help to find a missing 10 inch turtle. Today, the request wasn’t in lost and found. I am hoping that the person found the creature. Family pets do become part of the family.

Kyla still hasn’t had any luck finding her missing cat in North Tewksbury. It has been over a month since the cat disappeared. She hasn’t given up all hope as of this weekend.



Well, I have to read the local newspaper, and select my wardrobe for golf.

Have a great Tuesday.

Linda and I will have a long and fun filled day, but I will be missing the Red Sox do battle this evening. My portable radio doesn’t come in good at all at Tanglewood.



Talk to you soon. The Curley lad

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

We are still in North Tewksbury,but we will be heading back to the Berkshires this morning.
I did write a Sunday blog, but I had trouble sending it out because some e-mail addresses for people who are working have spam blockers. I didn't realize that my e-mails were spam. I will send the Sunday one when I get home today.

We stayed and extra day because Kevin and Kyla wanted to have a date night. Sunday night they went to see the movie "Inception" which still is the number one box office hit.

It took Kevin and I two hours on Sunday to return their yard to its original pristine state. I did get a chance to watch the Red Sox blow a three run lead in the top of the ninth inning, but they had a rally in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.

Max was his usual good self the whole weekend. He still gravitates to Grandpa. He even prefers Grandpa over the females in the house, but he still knows who takes care of him when the grandparents are not around.

We had leftovers for supper. I could eat them for several days, but Linda has a two day maximum. I grew up in a don't waste food family.

I did call my sister and asked how Mom was doing, but I probably went to bed before she responded.

The contractors should be installing the new floors when we arrive back in the Berkshires today.

I am not sure if Linda is going to play golf with her friends today at 3:30 PM. She was a bit tired from her weekend activities.
I have a UNICO Golf Committee meeting at 6 PM. I have missed the past two meeting. The tournament is a little over a week away.

Have to go.
I hear Max stirring. When he starts making some more noise, I will take care of him.
On the other hand, I should let the parents take care of him since this is a normal work week for them.
He must have those early rising genes that his grandfather passed on. As a teenager, this might change, but it didn't for me.

Have a great week at work or play. The Curley Lad

P.S. If you don't get my daily blog, you can always google "The Curley Lad" and it should be there.

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

The birthday party / house warming / Saturday cookout went very well. There weren't many leftovers which was a good sign that people enjoyed the food that we worked hard to prepare. The people who traveled the farthest were Kyla's Uncle from Danbury, Connecticut.

If you like children, there were all age groups at the party. The youngest was only a couple of weeks old. The people with children arrived the earliest, and stayed until the mid to late afternoon.
There were also several woman who were pregnant, and will be having their first baby within the next couple of months.

Max was his usual good natured self. People at the party did notice that he loves to be held by Grandpa Curley. I think he thinks that I am like a big teddy bear who needs a lot of hugs.

As I look out onto the grounds at this early hour of the morning, I see multiple hours of clean up work before everything returns to normal. I have to return some items which we borrowed from the Broduer's like platters of all varieties, cooler's, and the barrel which was used to hold the keg of beer.

I see where the Clinton wedding went very well. I would have loved to have been present at that affair. I have attended some weddings that were very expensive to put on, but $3 million dollars is a bit much. 400 wedding guests to take care of must have been quite a task. If they had an open bar, most of us couldn't even afford to pay that bill!

I am going to take care of Max when he wakes up to give everyone else a chance to sleep longer.
Kevin's high school friend from Pittsfield is the only one who slept overnight, but not at Kevin & Kyla's. It might have been at the home of an unattached female.

Well, I have to hydrate myself after a day of fun and merriment.

Both Kevin and Kyla are up now. Max and I were up first. He is almost ready for someone to make him breakfast.

I am hoping that Linda sleeps as long as she wants because she has been working so hard over the past few days.

Red Sox -- I just got through watching the highlights of the Red Sox game. I didn't watch a moment of the game.
The Sox won with a clutch hit by David Ortiz. Could Ortiz be back to his clutch hitting ways? The Yankees beat Tampa Bay which helps the Sox in the hunt for a wild card slot.

I am not sure of our exit strategy. We definitely can't leave until everything in the yard is all picked up, and the borrowed items returned to the Brodeur's. We do have the option of staying overnight, and leaving in the morning.

Danielle said that the separation of us leaving Isabelle when we left Kansas on Tuesday was difficult. It was difficult for Linda and I to say "Goodbye" too. A trip in mid October could be the next time that we fly out to Kansas.

Well, I have to get to work.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad