Dog Days of October - Hurricane Michael

As I write this blog Hurricane Michael is roaring through the Florida panhandle and southern Georgia leaving massive destruction in its path. 

Outside the windows of my home office the sun is shining brightly and the air is heavy with humidity. Even though the temperature is 82 degrees it feels like 95 degrees.

Halloween is two and a half weeks away and here we are slogging through another late summer like August day.  Where is fall?  Where are the crisp, brisk days of autumn with the smell of autumn leaves crackling underfoot? 

Climate change is a hoax?  I don't think so.

Trump with Homeland Security Director and FEMA Director (they look like hostages)

President Trump just had an awkward photo op in the Oval Office with the head of Homeland Security and the FEMA Director, attempting to show his concern about Hurricane Michael.  I doubt seriously Trump cares about Hurricane Michael but he knows he has to show "concern" lest he drop in the polls.  Oh, and he has another ego feeding rally in Pennsylvania later today.  That's what he's concerned about, he might miss one of his rallies. After all, that's what he lives for, feed that insatiable ego of his.  But I digress.

Trump in Oval Office during Hurricane Michael "briefing" - you can tell he's anxious to get on Air Force One and to his pep rally in Pennsylvania because "thousands of people are already in line and we don't want to disappoint them"

Tomorrow morning we have the rug cleaning people coming in to clean the high traffic areas of our rugs.  This is the first time I've done this.  I didn't tell Bill, he would get whacked out.  He doesn't like people coming into the house.  I'll spring this on him tomorrow morning. Those rugs need cleaned.

Sunday Ferdinand Hernandez and his wife come by to trim my twenty-one holly trees.  That's a twice a year expense that I probably shouldn't have had I not accepted those holly saplings my neighbor's mother offered to me ten years go. Little did I know those holly trees would grow so big.  I should have planted trees that didn't need twice a year trimming.

Just check the stock market, the Dow is down 831 points!  Guess Trump won't be bragging about how HE improved the stock market at his pep rally in Pennsylvania.  

His Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice and is now hearing cases.  Nice job Republicans who put an accused sex abuser who displayed a total lack of judicial temperament during his hearings to the Supreme Court.  You don't believe the woman, Dr. Ford who accused Kavanaugh of attempting to rape her.  What gets me, even if they didn't believe the woman, what about Kavanaugh's injudicious rage and disrespect to sitting Senators who were questioning him during his hearings?  Is that the way a future Supreme Court Justice should behave?  Certainly not but the Good Old Boy network is still in power.  But maybe not for long, only three weeks to November 6th.

November is coming.

Driving Bill

After yesterday's political rant posting about Kavanaugh being confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, I am providing a palate cleanser.  

I don't like to posts political rants to my blog but I just had to get my disappointment and frustration out of my system.I had to fight off the urge to post today about those two phonies Senators Flake and Collins but I will spare the readers of my blog. Instead I'm going to post about something that is good.

Almost every day I take Bill out for a ride. Bill still has his driver's license but he doesn't feel comfortable driving now at his age.  For the past year or so I do all the driving for us. In an emergency Bill could still drive, but he prefers me to drive. And I don't mind driving. 

For the first thirty years of our domesticity Bill did all the driving. I had a driver's license but I didn't drive.  I didn't get my own car and drive until we moved out of Philadelphia to the suburb town of Downingtown, PA in 1980.  Then I only drove to work, the grocery store and garden centers.  

Gradually I increased my range of driving to visit my good friend Bob McCamley in Georgetown, Delaware.  I never have driven in a city, like Philadelphia and I never will. That's why I pay a neighbor to taxi me to the Philadelphia airport and my friend Don McKenzie's co-op for me and Pat's twice a year visit to Philadelphia.

Since moving to Delaware in 2007 I gradually took over most of the driving. About eight years ago Bill gave up his Jeep Cherokee and we used my car all the time.  Bill occasionally drove but I did most of the driving. Now I do all the driving.

Every day I try to take Bill out for a ride.  Usually it's too the local Food Lion for food shopping.  About every two weeks we make the twenty mile trip to Millsboro to B.J.s Wholesale store. That's always a special trip that Bill looks forward too.  The other two places that we make occasional visits to are Lowe's and Walmart.

Yesterday I took Bill to Walmart to get a new pair of house slippers.  When I take Bill out he almost always greets older ladies with a "Good morning!"  He often compliments the ladies. In the one photo you'll see woman with a white dress. Bill approached her and complimented her on her dress. She said "Oh thank you!"  

Lady in white dress at checkout counter is who Bill complimented on her dress - Bill usually leaves a trail of either smiling old ladies or old ladies who look at him like he's weird (check out the lady in the black slacks and white top)

After complimenting that lady Bill saw this other woman in black.  He didn't know it but this is a woman I work with at the hotel.  Her name is Helen.  As Bill approached her to compliment her I told Bill that I work with her.  I don't think Bill heard me, he's very hard of hearing.  

I am so thankful that I have these opportunities to take Bill out for "his ride."  Bill so looks forward to these outings.  

When I first met Bill on that rainy Saturday night in July of 1964 at the Westbury Bar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; I didn't know that  one day fifty-four years later I would be his caregiver. That I would be the caregiver of a 90 year old man.  If anyone would have told me that was my future, I probably would have turned right around and left that bar and gone into the dark rainy night.  But this is the way my life has evolved.  And I am glad.  This is good.  My life is good. Our life is good. 

Sad Day for the United States of America

Non photo-shopped pictures of privileged white men showing their anger when their power is questioned

Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice today by the Republican controlled Congress.  Today is a sad day.  

Many of us will remember where we were when this travesty happened.  

I will minimize my rant here but I did want to make my displeasure known.  

No profiles in courage here today.  These Senators will go down in history for the cowards that they are.  

November is coming.

Why I Continue To Work

Representative Lisa Blunt-Rochester and me yesterday at the hotel

Yesterday when arrived at work the hotel, I was again reminded why I continue to work.  Delaware's lone United States representative was just finishing up a meeting at the hotel.  As she walked by my work station I said hello to her and told her "November is coming!"  She said "Yes!" I told her my birthday was in November.  She asked what date (November 9th). I said I am looking forward to a wonderful birthday present of a Democratic sweep of the House.  I asked if I could have a photo of her.  She said "Sure!"  and one of the women in her retinue of five took my camera and took this picture.  

I work to supplement my income so I can take my quarterly trips with my Travel Buddy Pat. I also work to stay in the game. Working at the hotel I have the opportunity to meet a lot of people.  I like people. Yesterday was a prime example.  I didn't know my representative would be at the hotel. Thus it was a pleasant surprise when I saw her walking by my work station with her retinue.

There is also something else I find interesting. I've met several politicians and so called "important" people.  I find it interesting how they react to me, someone they don't know.  Some react to me like "Who are you?"  When I introduced myself to a former Delaware governor during my testimony at the Delaware state capitol for marriage equality, he looked at me like I had cooties.  When I introduced myself to another local politician who is the Democratic majority leader at the Delaware house of representatives, he looked at me like "Are you someone important that I should know?"  Thus it was refreshing to meet Representative Blunt-Rochester yesterday.  I didn't get that side-eye look or that look that indicated "Who are you? Someone I should know?"  No, she smiled back at me and engaged me in a brief conversation about my birthday and the oncoming mid-term elections. She was totally natural and friendly.  How refreshing. How nice.  You know what?  I think we need more women in politics.

Foods That I Don't Like

Me having a black bean burger and big fries at 33 Bowen Restaurant during my recent visit to Hamilton Canada. Black bean burger was flat and the roll tasteless but the fries were great!  I love crispy fries!

Time for a list!

I love lists.  This one is of foods that I don't like. Actually, foods that I hate.  Foods that I cannot eat.  Foods that literally I am unable to swallow.

Some of these foods I have disliked all my life.  Growing up, I didn't have much choice since we had to eat what my Mother put on the table. But once I got away from home, I had the freedom to choose to eat what I liked.  

As I have grown older I have noticed that foods that I used to like I can no longer eat.  My stomach rebels. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten those foods earlier in my life.  But when you're brainwashed by the mass advertisements for food, you don't know the difference.  But I have listened to my body and here are the foods, in no particular order, that will never pass my lips again:

Seafood - that includes ANY kind of seafood including fish, shrimp, lobster, octopus, mussels, oysters, et al.  I literally gag if I eat seafood

Rhubarb - I had a piece of rhubarb pie once given to me by the mother of a friend of mine, I almost died.  I don't know what was in it but it was one of the worst things I ever ate.  It took me about three days to recover. That was because she insisted that I take a "second piece."  Makes me dizzy to think about that episode again

Milk - I used to drink milk as a beverage as I was growing up.  However, the older I became I must have developed an intolerance to lactose. The first time I tried almond milk on my cereal my stomach said "Thank you!"  Thus, the rest of my life, no milk. Sorry milk industry.

Beer - sorry beer drinkers, but to me beer tastes like piss (not that I know what piss would taste like).  For the life of me, I cannot understand why anyone would like the taste of beer.  I just don't get it.

Prime rib steak rare - a big slab of pink meat? No thank you!  I can eat beef stew where the chunks of beef are very small and fork tender.

Any food with artificial ingredients including trans fat - I know this covers a wide range of foods.  It took me some time to realize that I was allergic to artificial flavoring and other shelf extenders.  Once I cut out foods with artificial ingredients I didn't have an upset stomach anymore.

Garlic powder - this is an interesting choice because I love garlic but garlic powder makes me sick.  Every now and then I eat a frozen entree or other prepared food for convenience.  If I get an upset stomach I check the ingredients of what I ate and sure enough, garlic power was one of the ingredients.  I don't know what it is about garlic powder but if I eat food that is loaded down with garlic powder I don't have a good night's sleep.

Brown chicken meat - all my life I could only eat the white meat (breast) of chicken.  Growing up only my Mother was allowed to eat the chicken breast.  Me and my brothers got the drum stick or wings.  My father used to love to torture me by giving me the tail of the chicken and forcing me to eat it.  Yep, that was pop.  I vowed when I grew up I would only eat the white meat of chicken.  Now I can hardly eat even a half a breast of chicken. I can tolerate three or four chunks stewed in a white wine and vegetable mixture.

Wild game - includes rabbit, deer, squirrels and another other game meat.  I ate pheasant once and like that but that was only once when I was about ten years old.  

Rice - I actually like to eat rice but if I do, it constipates me something terribly.  If I do eat rice, it has to be very light, aromatic and fluffy. I hate the gummy kind.

Macaroni and cheese - literally gags me.  Which is interesting because I love pasta. I just can't figure out why I can't eat macaroni and cheese. So many find it the perfect comfort food. For a long time I thought my aversion to macaroni and cheese was the macaroni pasta but I've had that pasta in a Greek dish called Pastiche and I like it.  Tis a mystery to me.

Ground turkey - as in meatballs and meatloaf.  Sorry, if I'm having meatballs or meatloaf I'm having ground beef in that concoction.  What's with the turkey? I love turkey but cooked in the oven and slathered with turkey gravy, not ground up in a fake meatball.

Candy - I don't eat candy.  Which is very unusual because as a kid I practically lived on candy.  I spent most of my paper boy money on candy (and comic books).  After I left school and put on forty pounds (weighing over two hundred pounds), I gave up candy.  Haven't gone back since.  I do like dessert which I usually treat myself to once a day, at the end of the day but to snack on candy?  Something I haven't done in over fifty years and never will again as long as I live.  I could eat it but I have a mental block against eating candy.

Wonder bread - like many of you I was brought up eating Wonder bread.  Didn't like it then and don't like it now.  Tasteless.  I do like fresh bread but that's very rare to get really fresh bread. I don't eat any bread at all.  Only exception is the Indian Naan bread, a flat bread.

There are more foods that I don't like but I can't think of them now.  As I said before, I've notice the older I get I don't have the appetite I used to have and my tastes are more sensitive.   




This video was taken during my recent visit to Canada. Pat and I always stop at IKEA and partake of their wonderful cafeteria. I go for the Swedish meatballs and Pat gets the veggie meatballs.

Turning Points In My Life - Bullying

Me, second grade - 1949

Who hasn't been bullied?

Yesterday a blogger friend of mine wrote a post about one of his patients trying to bully him by threatening to write a bad review. This situation caused him so much consternation that he was losing sleep at night.  Finally, he went to his superior who gave him advice on how to resolve his situation.  He took the advice and, hopefully, can now sleep at night. 

Imposing building in the distance, no longer there, torn down and replaced with a very ugly one story school. Jack used to push me down on the wet grass in front of the entrance to the school. Something I will never forget. Also will never forget that I told my father and he did nothing.  I was on my own at five years old. Probably the best lesson I could have had at that age.

I will always remember the first time I was bullied. I was a first grader, five years old. My classmate "Jack" (his real name but I don't include his last name because, believe it or not, he's a friend of mine now), would wait for me at the entrance of the school and refuse to let me pass. He would push me to the ground, which was wet with morning dew. This didn't happen too often but when it did happen, I was terrified. Jack was a lot bigger than me.  I didn't know how to handle it.

"Jack" my first bully - we're good friends now - he says he doesn't remember him bullying me in first grade

The first time it happened I told my Mother to tell my father.  My father did nothing. No advice either way.  He didn't care.  I knew then and there I couldn't count on him to stand up for me. No matter what.  He just didn't care.  I was on my own. 

The bullying from Jack eventually stopped. I guess he got bored with me. The only other instance I remember being bullied during my elementary school years was by the Butcher brothers. They weren't in my class but they too would wait for little meek boys like me to chase.  What I remember clearly about them was that they were black.  They lived on Whiteland Avenue, which was a street near the East Ward Elementary school I attended in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Ironically "Whiteland Avenue" was one of the segregated streets in Downingtown where blacks lived during the Fifties.

I was always able to outrun the Butcher brothers and their friend Kenny Webb (who was in my class) but I remember how terrified I was if they would catch me.  One close call I had was when I was delivering newspapers and had to ride through Whiteland Avenue.  They chased me on their bikes, throwing stones at me.  Thinking back on those episodes, I'm thinking now they probably could have caught me but were just trying to scare me.

The next time I can remember being bullied was when I was in seventh grade. Our class was standing in line outside a classroom waiting to get into the classroom during a class change.  Behind me was a classmate of mine named Kenny Van Lew (real name).  He started to shove me.  I don't know why but he kept shoving me.  Now remember I was very shy.  I think Kenny mistook my demeanor for weakness.  After a couple of shoves, I shoved him back.  After a couple of shoves, we ending up on the floor outside the classroom trying to lay punches on each other.  We ended up in the principal's office.  We were admonished and sent back to class.  Kenny never bullied me again.

Kenny Van Lew - my second bully - at my first class reunion (the 20th) I asked "Where is Kenny?" I wanted to remind him of how he bullied me.  Sad to say, I was informed that he died in Viet Nam.  Our only classmate to die in the Viet Nam war.  An immediate sadness enveloped me when I heard this news. Rest in peace, Kenny.

The second time I remember being bullied was in ninth grade.  A classmate and friend (I thought) was trying to show off in front of the other classmates.  We were in Mrs. Roger's science class (Mrs. Rogers was one of those teachers who couldn't control a classroom).  My friend Lew (his real name, by the way, we're friends now at our class reunions),

"Lew" - nice guy but he made the big mistake of bullying me, never did it again after I punched him in the head an knocked him to the floor

would walk up to the front of the room to put something on the teacher's desk and on the way back he slapped me on the face.  This happened during a visual aids display (slide projector) class.  When he returned to his desk, after slapping me, he and his friends would have a good laugh at my expense.  By the way, Lew was and is black.  He's also gay, didn't know it then though.  Lew had such a good time at slapping me he decided to do it again.  He went up to the front of the classroom and placed a paper on the teacher's desk and came back by my desk and slapped me again.  This time, my Hulk personality came out.  I didn't plan this but I just knew he wasn't going to slap me again and they have a big laugh about it. After he returned to his desk, I calmly got up from my desk and walked back to his desk and "slapped" him.  Only thing though was I "forgot" to open my hand so I guess I punched him on the side of his head . . . . hard enough that I knocked him out of his desk chair on onto the floor.  After he came to his senses after seeing stars he wasn't expecting to see, he came flying up to me off the floor and we both ended up on the floor grappling with each other, trying to land punches.  What I remember so clearly was trying to avoid hitting my head on the metal desk stand legs which were bolted to the floor.  During our grappling we knocked over the slide projector (thank goodness it didn't fall on us) and Mrs. Rogers was going berserk, screaming "STOP! STOP!"  Her classroom was two doors down from the principal's office and there we ended up.  Mr. Emery, our high school principal, wanted to know what was going on.  We both told our story.  I wasn't disciplined.  Lew was.  He never bothered me again during the remainder of our high school years.  I had established myself as not to be bullied.  Not to brag on myself but I wasn't going to be one of those classmates who begged not to be bullied. I just didn't see any other option.  And as I said before, I didn't calculate my response to both of these instances of bullying, it was just some inner force that comes out in me when someone is trying to bully me.  I just wasn't going to live my life like that.


Now of course this wasn't the last instance of bullying in my lifetime. After all I am 76 years old.  But this was the last time in high school that I was bullied.  After high school, I joined the Army for three years.  During basic training I was bullied, once.  I think I've already posted about that episode in one of my previous posts.  That indeed was a turning point in my life too.  But I won't post about it in this post, that episode deserves its own posting.

Bullying is a way of life.  Every day someone is trying to bully someone else who they consider weaker than they are.  We have a president who is a bully. He constantly seeks out those he considers weaker and bullies.  What is sickening to me are those around him who enable him.  Yesterday at a press briefing on NAFTA, he bullied a female reporter by saying she "doesn't think much."  His all white men around him chuckled and enabled his bullying.  Sickening.  But to the woman reporter she stood up to him.  Good for her.  Bullies hate people who stand up to them.  One day this monster will be out of office and just a sad footnote as a dark time in our nation's history.  

Always remember this, stand up to bullies, even if you may lose.  They'll respect you more for it.  There is no other choice.

"Some Kind of Wonderful"

Arriving late Sunday afternoon September 16th in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Pat took me on the last day of the Hamilton Crawl. 

Pat and I both like live music.  We were in luck. John Ellison, the composer of the song "Some Kind of Wonderful" was performing right in the center of Hamilton. 

The only live music event I ever attended in my life was Brasil 66 performing at the Philadelphia Academy of Music in 1966.  I had one of the cheap nosebleed seats way at the top of the Academy of Music auditorium.  I got to see the tops of the heads of Sergio Mendez and his group. Sound was great but visual, not so much.

This time was different.  Here I was going to see the man who wrote the song "Some Kind of Wonderful", John Ellison.  Prior to today I didn't know who wrote the song. 

Before performing his hit song, Mr. Ellison explained how he came to write the song.  That I didn't tape, too long.  Let's just say he was besotted with a lady he happened to meet by chance and wrote a song for her.

I was very impressed with Mr. Ellison, who happens to be the same age as me.  Don't I wish I had his energy and talent.  

So without further ado, here is my video of Mr. Ellison's performance of his song "Some Kind of Wonderful".  And I will say, my one week stay in Hamilton with my host Mr. Patrick Flynn was "Some Kind of Wonderful".

Now here is Grand Funk Railroad which made this song a hit. What do you think? I prefer John's version? What version do you like?