Week In Philly Coming To An End

As usual, when Pat and I get together for one of our quarterly holidays, the time goes by too fast. This particular holiday in Philadelhia will end this Sunday. Pat will catch his overnight Greyhound bus to Toronto early Sunday morning. At noon my ride will pick me up here at the guest suite where we always stay during our semi-annual visits to Philadelphia. Then this fall/winter holiday will be over, all too soon. Next time we get together will be next February in California.

My visit to Philly this year was severely curtailed because of my injured toe. Each day it's a little better but still not good enough to give me free range of walking that I've been used to all my life. That is one thing I've always had, I had the freedom to walk and walk, and walk.  Not so this time folks. Very frustrating. However, I have learned the bus route which I am taking plenty advantage of. I have a senior citizen pass which enables me to ride for free.  

I managed to go out for breakfast again this morning at a newly discovered restaurant called "Green Eggs."  Our past several visits to Philly Pat and I tended to patronize the same two restaurants.  While they were fine, Philly has so many restaurants so we decided to branch out and explore. The Green Eggs Cafe was fabulous!  Not only good food at a reasonable price, they service scrapple!  Where else can you get scrapple in a restaurant?  And it was prepared properly too, not greasy and soggy.  Which reminds me, it's time for dinner. Nearby where we're staying  is a Guatemalan restaurant which serves Guatemalan "street food."  Sounds gritty and it is but delicious.

Last night we went to another movie at a small nearby theater. That's what is nice about living in center city Philly, everything is nearby.  The movie we say last night was "Bohemian Rhapsody", the story of Freddy Mercury and the rock group Queen. Interesting movie. We liked it but I was thrown/annoyed with Freddy's overbite. Little too much emphasis on it in the move I thought. The previous even we say the "Green Book."  An excellent movie! I predict this movie will win the Academy award for not only best movie but best actor and supporting actor.  Now the question is which actor gets the nod for best actor and supporting actor.

I've rambled on enough here folks.  In spite of my injured foot/big toe, this past has been fabulous.  Always a great time when my Canadian Travel Buddy is with me. Maybe not as many photos and videos as I usually take, limited somewhat because of the necessity of me using a cane but still some interesting photographic and video memories of this great city, Philadelhia PA, my former home and workplace for many years. 

Ah, I remember the times in the past when I used to weave my way down Philly's narrow streets with ease.  Now I am stooped over with arthritis and a slower gait because of my injured foot. I am no longer that young man of the 70's and 80's during my heyday. Now I am one of those old, enfeebled persons struggling to get on and off the bus.   I have a new appreciation for those people folks because I am now one of them.

I hope I have many years left to visit this wondrous, historic and beautiful city that to now so diverse. Much more diverse than when I lived and worked here. I'm glad I've lived long enough to see our society become more inclusive. 

Pat should be walking in the door soon. We'll be spending the evening "home" watching a old film on Turner Classic Movies, the only channel on our suite TV that isn't buried in commercials.

Hope to post one more time before I leave Sunday. Have a great day and evening folks!

Big Toe Stub in Philly!

Yesterday, on a beautiful Sunday, I arrived in Philly.  I was to meet up with Pat who arrived, exhausted, by an overnight Greyhound bus from Toronto. 

I texted Pat when my ride dropped me off at my friend Don's co-op building where we are renting a suite for a week. We come here twice a year, once in the spring and now, late fall.

Pat texted me back that he was attending a service at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He wouldn't be able to meet me for about a half an hour.  I took that opportunity to visit my old home on Naudain Street. I always like to visit our row house on Naudain Street.  Brings back many pleasant memories.

Pat texted me after his church service to meet him on 18th Street.  I left my former home at 24th and Naudain Streets to meet Pat. I'm a little unsteady on my feet these days folks. I don't want to fall.  This is one of my major fears these days folks, falling. A couple of years ago I did a face plant at 21st and Chestnut Streets just as I was returning to our suite her at Don's co-op.  Since that accident I'm very careful not to fall again, face-plant style. So what do I do this time? Just as I was approaching Pat, me taking a video of him, I stub my big toe on the curb. And I mean I stubbed it.  Big time.  It only took a few minutes to realize I did major damage. I was in excruciating pain.

I tried to ignore it but the more I walked to our way to the Marathon restaurant for our lunch, I frequently had to yelp in pain. Yep, like a little baby.  Wow.  

After lunch I told Pat I couldn't wear my shoes because of the pressure on my toe. I had to get another pair of shoes. Just think of it, I'm beginning a week of holiday in Philadelphia which is a major walking city and I can't walk.  

After stopping in a few pricey shoes store, I settled on getting a pair of slip on shoes at Macy's. that provided some relief but I was still in a great deal of pain.

After we checked in to our suite, my friend Don suggested I go to the walk in clinic.  I took his advice. I was quite impressed with the walk in clinic, a much better alternative to a visit to the emergency room, Their diagnosis was a foot contusion.  They tied my big toe together with my second toe with paper tape.  They advised me to do little walking and keep my foot elevated.  Also to put a cold compress on my foot and take an ibuprofen for the pain.  

I hobbled back to our suite and rested and elevated my foot. 

When I awoke this morning my foot was much better. Still tender and painful if I hit it the wrong way.  I borrowed Don's cane this morning to walk to breakfast at the Marathon Grill at 16th and Sansom Streets.  

I'm hoping tomorrow when I awake my foot is back to normal, or not as painful to walk.  And I can dispatch with Don's cane. Old man here.

Man oh man, I can remember those days when I used to live and work in Philly and I walk everywhere. Those days are long gone folks. Old man here.

Well, I'm here in Philly now and I hope I don't have any more accidents. 

I love Philly and intend to get walking again pain free. 

Off To Philly!

Pat took this selfie on his overnight bus trip last year of his seat mate (who he didn't know) falling asleep on his shoulder. The risks you encounter when you embark on an overnight bus trip!

Tomorrow I leave for my autumn visit to Philadelphia. I began this tradition five years ago to celebrate my birthday in early November. 

My Canadian Travel Buddy Pat F. takes an overnight bus from Hamilton, Ontario to meet me in Philly.  In Philly we stay in the guest suite at my friend Don McK.'s co-op for a week. We stay there twice a year, once in the spring and now in the fall. 

Both Pat and I love Philadelphia, my former home and workplace of many years.  I always enjoy getting together with my old friend Don and rehashing war stories from our times at Mellon Bank and Fidelity Bank. Oh those were the days.

During our time in Philly this year Pat and I will catch a couple of the current movies playing.  Usually when we're in Philly the movies playing aren't the ones we want to see.  This time we're in luck though, "The Green Room" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" is playing at the Roxy movie theater only a few short blocks from where we're staying. The Roxy is a very small theater (really small) but comfortable. I was surprised when I returned to Philly after many years of living and working there to find that all the big movie theaters were gone.  Center city Philly with NO movie theaters? The Boyd, the Goldman, the Midtown?  All empty shells or discount drugstores. What a shame! They were such magnificent and opulent movie theaters. 

Pat and I will also venture out to explore some new restaurants. We tend to stay with the same two restaurants, Hip Veg City and the Marathon Grill. We're going to be brave this visit and try some new restaurant, as long as they're not too pricey, which most restaurants are now days. At least for our fixed income retirement budgets. 

I don't know how often I can update my blog but I'll try to keep you all updated. If not in real time then when I get back next week.  Plenty of photos and videos for sure, you know me.

Now to face that hard decision I always have when I take a trip, what do I wear? I always leave that to the last minute. 

A few days ago the weather was unusually cold.  Tonight the temperature is milder (55 degrees) but pouring rain. Dodged a bullet on this one, that could have been snow!  

My ride comes by to pick me up at 10 am tomorrow morning.  That's when I'll make the decision what to wear.  

Thanksgiving Day Musings 2018

Some random thoughts and observations on this Thanksgiving Day.  Very random.

I am at work at the hotel now. The hotel is totally book sans except for one suite. I always work at the hotel during Thanksgiving. This is my twentieth year working at a hotel. Interesting how time slips by.  I've always considered my main adult job working at the bank. This hotel job was part-time to keep me amused and supplement my income.  

I don't mind working Thanksgiving Day at the hotel. I meet the nicest people.  Almost all of them are return guests from previous years.  Old people like me. We identify.

When I arrived at work today I got a little reminder that brought me down to earth. One of the guests stopped at the front desk and asked me to send up a housekeeper to plunge his toilet, that was clogged.  There goes my appetite for some turkey. I told him I was the only hotel employee here and it would be me.  He said he was leaving and for me to go at it.  I did and thankfully, I was able to get his toilet working again.  I always dread not getting the toilet working again because I would have anywhere else to put him, except maybe the suite and at $625 a night my boss wouldn't like that. This isn't the first time I've plunged a toilet. Lovely, just lovely. 

Back to my front desk. Earlier I made the mistake of watching our Commander in Chief make phone calls to "the troops."  Since Cadet Bonspurs (Trump) is too cowardly to actually visit the troops in person (like Iraq and Afghanistan), he calls them on a phone which he has the new media televising. Shortly into the conversations with "the troops" he begins his immigration rant about our southern border. He also rants about "Obama judges".  OMG.  Someone asked him what he was thankful for today and he said . . . . himself for making America much safer. Honest to God, is there anybody is who more narcissist than this self-absorbed would be tyrant?  Talk about cringeworthy. Never in my life would I ever have believed I would be so embarrassed for our country to have this orange buffoon speaking for us. God, how did we ever get here?  I had to turn off the TV, I couldn't take any more. Come one Mueller, get those indictments out.

Just did another faux pas, I walked in on a guy using the urinal in the bathroom here at the hotel.  Geez guy, can't you lock the door when you go in to take a whiz?  Wow.  No, I didn't see anything. He wasn't embarrassed either. I was more embarrassed.

I had my Thanksgiving turkey dinner about a half an hour ago.  A Stouffer's frozen turkey dinner. Not bad.  No cranberry sauce though. I missed that.

I work again tomorrow day shift and the next day. Normally I would go in about 6:30 but my boss said I could go in later.  I have bathroom issues in the morning. It's difficult to use the bathroom at work with guests waiting at the front desk.  I'll probably go in about 8 or so tomorrow.  That's a relief.

Sunday I leave for my annual trip for a week's stay in Philadelphia.  Pat is taking an overnight bus from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to Philly to meet me on Sunday.  I have a personal ride. My usual driver, a neighbor who hates Trump even more than me, has other obligations.  I'll miss riding up with him and back.  He always have a good conversation for the two and a half hour drive to Philly. The man who is taking me up had done it before.  I don't know what his political affiliation is and I'm not asking. He could be one of those brain dead Trump supporters and that would just spoil the whole trip.  Last year another driver picked me up at the airport.  He had his friend with him.  I sat in the back.  All the way back I had to listen to him and his friend spout Hillary Hate.  I never got the Hillary Hate thing.  I was tempted to tell him to pull over to the side of the road and let me out.  

This morning I got up and put on my Apple watch. The band broke.  The EXPENSIVE band broke. This is the second time my Apple watch band has broke.  They replaced the first one after I jumped through several hoops.  I don't think they'll replace this one since I've had it over a year. This is their replacement band. I'll just buy another one when I'm in Philly next week and visit the Apple store and pay the 8% city sales tax!

That's about it now folks. It's 7 pm now here at the hotel.  All continues to be quiet. I have another five hours to go until I get off at 11 pm. Then I can do this all over again. tomorrow during the day. Probably not update my blog like I'm doing now though. No personal computing during the day. I can get away with it at night though.

Hope you're all having a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving 2018 Message

Happy Thanksgiving!  

Just a few things I'm thankful for:

My friends
My home
My family (Bill and Pat)
My health

At this time in our country in which our freedoms are threatened by Trump, I am thankful that, apparently, our system of government is holding up to this assault on our freedoms. 

All my life I had assumed that as Americans we were different than the rest of the world.  Not just in our unique place in the world but in our moral values.  Of course we all know there was always that undercurrent of hate in racism in our country but our better angels always prevailed.  Now for the first time in our history those better angels are being threatened not only in the person of Donald Trump but by those Republicans in Congress who either refuse or to afraid to fulfill their Constitutional duties to provide a check on the abuse of power by the Executive Branch of our government in the person of Donald J. Trump. 

At a time like this I am reminded of the quote:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

I am also reminded of the movie "High Noon" in which Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly starred. Gary Cooper was the new sheriff in a town that was taken over by outlaws. No one in town was willing to confront the outlaws, they were too afraid. Just as Republican members of Congress are afraid of Trump, a Trump tweet to be exact and Trump's base of deplorables, and yes, I said deplorables because that is what they are.  Out from under their rocks.  

Gary Cooper's character in the movie was just an average man but he decided to take on the evil that controlled the town and had everyone intimidated. My question now is, where is our Gary Cooper?  The only man who came close was the late John McCain. While I disagreed with McCain on many issues one thing I never disagreed with him on was his courage.  Would that we had someone what just an ounce of his courage today.  Weak press statements by Senators Flake and Corker don't do it, we need someone to take on this monster who is actively destroying our values.  

So while I am thankful for much this Thanksgiving, my heart is heavy and I am mightily worried as to what lies in store for us as a country as long as this evil is at the top of our government.  Sycophants like Vice President Mike Pence won't save us, only Gary Cooper will and he's dead.  

I hope this time next year I have a better Thanksgiving message.  I hope this time next year, I'm alive. An I hope with all my heart that this time next year we have a president who is leading our country that brings us together instead of dividing us.  

Visit To My Urologist

Wall chart in my urologist's office this morning which I was viewing while waiting for him to see me

This morning I had my semi annual visit to my urologist. 

For those of you who have been following my blog, you know that I have had my issues with kidney stones in the past. Have I ever. 

During my last visit to my urologist, he was monitoring a small kidney stone that was at the top of my urethra, ready to drop. After viewing my latest CAT scan, that kidney stone is no longer visible. He asked me if I passed the kidney stone.  I told him I may have but I didn't know it.  Sometimes the kidney stones are so small we don't realize when we pass them.  All the kidney stones I remember "passing" were the one who got stuck in my urethra. Oh do I ever remember them. I've lost track of the number of times I've had those kidney stone attacks. I think I've had six of them, all requiring emergency room visits, two over night stays and three operations to remove them. So this was a bit of good news today.

I also took a urinalysis today.  My doctor told me he found a "trace" of blood in urine.  It said it could be nothing but just to be on the safe side he's sending it in for further testing.  He said it may be necessary to have that procedure to check my bladder for bladder cancer. This is where the doctor (or one of his helpers) sticks an instrument with a small camera on the end up my penis to check my bladder.  I've avoided this invasive procedure twice in the past ten years but it looks like my time of reckoning has come.  I hate these invasive procedure, especially in THAT area.  I've already had a stent inserted in my penis for three weeks and folks I'm here to tell you, that is no picnic.  Very uncomfortable wearing it (you feel like you have to pee all the time) but the worst part was taking it out.  So I await my doctor's verdict if I have to undergo this procedure.  

At time like this I remember back to those halcyon days which I went years without visiting a doctor. Years in which I didn't have this constant mucous buildup in my throat which makes me feel like I'm suffocating.  Years in which I was limber enough that I didn't ache in pain with arthritis when I wake up. Years in which I didn't require an afternoon nap of at least an hour's duration.  But you know folks, I'm thankful for the good health I do have.  Could be worse, a LOT worse. 

Tomorrow I have off then on Thursday I work at the hotel Thanksgiving Day. I work the following two days for a co-worker who is filling in for me next week, when I'll be in Philadelphia with my Canadian Travel Buddy, Pat.  Every day folks, I treasure and appreciate my ability to work and to enjoy my quarterly get-togethers Pat.  

The Holidays

My last Thanksgiving Dinner - 2003 at a friend's house in Downingtown, PA - the lady in the salmon colored top cook the meal which was DELICIOUS!  

Here we go again, "The Holidays".  I have to be careful here not to appear or sound like an old grump but I'm not a big fan of "The Holidays."  But there is no avoiding it, one does get swept up in "The Holidays."

Bill put up the Christmas lights outside on our porch. I helped him today. We'll turn them on after Thanksgiving Day this Thursday.  

I still haven't ordered my Christmas cards. I've been sending Christmas cards since I was a teenager. Mainly I like keeping in touch with former co-workers, relatives and friends who are a distance away.  I have to admit that I like to keep them informed that I am still alive and I am checking to make are they're still alive. I may not do personalized Christmas cards this year with pictures of me and Bill. We're just too old and ugly. Time to send the sparkly cards and let our card recipients remember us how we used to look before old age melted our looks.

This week I work again Thanksgiving Day.  I do not complain. I never have any special plans for Thanksgiving Day although I do like a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner. I'll take in a frozen turkey dinner.  I'm also working day shift Friday and Saturday for one of my co-workers. Looks like I'm putting up the hotel Christmas tree. No problems, I don't mind. Bill and I don't put up a Christmas tree here in the house, the one at work will have to do the Christmas magic for moi. 

Again this year I don't do Christmas gifts. We have everything we want.  Since my Mother died, I have no desire to give anyone else gifts. I gift friends during the year when I see something they like. Years ago I opted out of the annual pressure of Christmas Shopping Mania.  I used to do that when my nephew and nieces were young. Some of them have grandchildren now who I only see on Facebook. I'm too far removed to gift. They will receive a Final Gift from me when I die, they're in my will.

The last two weeks I had a spate of doctors's visits. My semi-annual checkup at my VA doctor. A dental appointment, at which they noticed my blood pressure was high. I NEVER have high blood pressure so I don't know what that's all about. This week I see my urologist to check up on that kidney stone I still have that hasn't dropped. I'll have him check my blood pressure. Hopefully it is an aberration.  However, I have been taking prescription nasal spray for my mucous problem (constantly clearing throat).  Maybe high blood pressure is a side effect.

This time next week I'll be in Philadelphia for a week's stay at my friend Don MacKenzie's co-op guest suite. I'll meet Pat there. Always a good time when Pat and I get together for our quarterly rendezvous.  We'll do some Christmasy things while we're in Philly.  Five years ago I started this Philly visit to celebrate my birthday earlier this month. I couldn't get off earlier this year. This time is just as well, we'll do the Christmas Thing, which I have to admit I do enjoy. I like all the color and sounds. Just not the pressure to Christmas shop, which I don't do anyway.

When I was a young boy, I used to feel sad for old folks who didn't do much in the Christmas way at their homes. Now I understand.  

I plan to blog at least one more time before Thanksgiving but if I don't, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!