Gunfight at the OK Corral

Okay folks, are we actually seriously considering arming our school teachers?  Really?

Just this morning I was talking to my good friend Bill B. and former classmate about what he thought of his wife, who is a former school teacher, being armed in her classroom.  Now my friend Bill B. is very conservative. He actually voted for Mitt Romney but even he sees the ridiculousness of arming our school teachers.  

Below is a photo of our third grade class taken in 1951 when Bill and I were both ten years old.  Miss Ezrah was our teacher.  

My friend Bill B. is the fourth boy in the stripped pull over from the right in the first row.  I am in the third row on the right picking my nose (not really).  I just cannot imagine Miss Elizabeth Ezrah, our gentle third grade teacher, packing a Glock.  Where would she put it, in her desk drawer?  In a pocket in her dress?

I watched Ed Schultz on "The Ed Show" last night interview a woman school teacher in Utah who was bragging that she can now carry a concealed weapon in her classroom.  Are you kidding me? Are we even having a SERIOUS conversation about school teachers carrying concealed weapons in their classrooms?

Let's take this a step further.  Say a mad gunman busts into her classroom with an assault weapon and starts unloading his 30 bullet clip.  What is this teacher going to do?  Run for her desk drawer for her Glock and have a shootout with the mad gunman while her students duck for cover?  Are we really having this conversation?  

Look folks, here is the obvious and ONLY answer.  Ban assault weapons.  Simple as that.  No one needs an assault weapon to shoot a deer.  Assault weapons are made to kill people.  

Oh I know the "slippery slope" argument.  Ban assault weapons and then what's next?  Take my gun?  Well actually why not?  But that's not likely to ever happen in this country as long as we're a country of hunters and Second Amendment diehards.  

There are so many reasons I am glad I am not a young person today.  This is just one of them.  I literally cannot imagine going to Miss Ezrah's class and wondering if she was packing heat.  

After all, when I went to school in the Fifties all we had to worry about was the atom bomb.  We could handle that, if the Bomb was dropped, we could hide under our desk.

Flu Sweeping America

Yep, I still have it.  I hate to be a bore but I'm still fighting this flu that just won't go away.  I'm on my third week of the coughing, sore throat, aches and fatigue.  

A few days ago I thought it went away but it's slowly creeping back.  I slept most of the day.  I just don't have the energy to do much.  

I did go out grocery shopping this morning and settled our checkbooks this evening.  You know when I'm not updating my blog on a daily basis that I'm sick.

This from an article I read about this strain of the flu on the Internet pertains to me exactly:

I have exactly those symptoms; the cough, followed by sore throat, then fatigue, headache, body ache.  I don't think I have a fever but I never take my temperature so I could probably have a slight fever.

I do have trouble breathing.  I have to breath through my mouth, especially when I'm sleeping.  When I wake up in the morning my mouth is so dry.  SO DRY.  Never been this dry before.  

I got my flu shot this year like I do every year.  Apparently it didn't affect this strain of flu.  

This is so frustrating to me because usually I just barrel through a cold or flu, that's not happening this year though.  Just when I think I'm over the worst, I wake up with a sore throat again.  And I know I have a problem when I have a couple of hefty, to the toes sneezes which I had last night.

So hang in there folks, maybe the Old Ron will be back sometime.  This is frustrating to say the least.

Visit to Jim and Bob at Senior Living

Our friends Jim and Bob this morning

Bill and I visited our friends Bob at Jim at their new home at a senior living facility this morning.  We just got back.

My Bill cheering up Jim

Both Bob and Jim were a bit down when we visited.  But anyone who knows me and Bill knows that we leave you laughing.  We were successful, we left Bob and Jim with big smiles on their faces.

Bob, Jim (smiling) and me at their senior living apartment this morning

This senior living facility is interesting.  It's an option I never considered before but am now giving serious consideration.  Of course I am no where near moving into a senior living facility at this time of my life.  But say if I'm still living ten or fifteen years from now it may very well be an option, for either Bill or I.  

Bob and Jim - together 29 years

As long as Bill and I are alive we're going to live together in our home.  However, should one of us die before the other and continue to live on into advanced old age, one of these senior living facilities makes sense.  

Me (left) - always the clown

I'm 71 years old now.  Say I live to be 85 or 90 years old.  I figure by that time most if not all of my friends are gone.  One of the big pluses about living in a senior living facility is that you're not lonely.  There are a LOT of other fellow seniors living there, albeit most of them women.  I like women, just not in a sexual way. As a matter of fact I wouldn't want to live in a senior living facility with a lot of lecherous old gay men.  Can you imagine? I can't.  

All my life I've always planned for contingencies; what I would do at various stages of my life.  The one stage that I didn't have firm plans was if I reached an advanced age and was by myself.  I think I found the answer.  Of course I would prefer to live by myself but I have to be realistic.  

What do you think?

Bob and Jim at the door to their apartment - leave them smiling

Downton Abbey Season 3

Oh yes, I'm one of those "Downton Abbey" addicts.  

Last night season 3 of "Downton Abbey" began on my local PBS channel.  Oh my, oh my.  I am in heaven.

The staff of Downton Abbey

So why do I love "Downton Abbey" so much?

Well, I've always like costume dramas, especially English costume dramas since that is my ancestral background on both sides of my family (Tipton, Lewis, Hughes, Warrick, Bennett, Hadfield, Hickman, Hannum, Darlington, and Dutton).  There is no family surname in my ancestral tree that ends in a vowel. None. Nada.  

Susan Darlington Hannum - my great-great grandmother

But that's not to say that any of my English ancestors ever inhabited such a grand manse a Downton Abbey.  In fact, I doubt if any of my ancestors even were the servants.  But it is nice to fantasize that they did.  

Earl Granthom and Carson, the Butler

No, what I love about "Downton Abbey" is the human drama.  "Downton Abbey" to me is a metaphor for life in general.

Societal acceptance.  Survival.  Love. Rejection. Happiness.  Sadness. Disappointment.  Great joy. Success.  Failure.  Life. Death.  All of it.  

There is the Earl and Countess Grantham, lord and lady of Downton Abbey, a Yorkshire country house.  The series follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of George V. 

The Countess of Granthom and her daughters

Just like real life, there are winners and losers,  saints and scoundrels.  And some who are a mixture of both.  There are the phonies and the legitimate. 

This series follows the lives of the "haves", who live upstairs (think of the old series "Upstairs, Downstairs" years ago which I also loved).  It also follows those who live "downstairs", the servants.  I you want a parallel to modern life think of the Mitt Romney family living in their California house with four car elevators and the servants to keep that 1% clan afloat in their privileged existence.  Oh wouldn't I love to see a series about the Romney family.  Hint, hint!

The Dowager Countess - Dame Maggie Smith

I would love to review all the characters and their story lines but this space is much to small for that here and besides, so many other writers are writing reviews much better than I ever could.  But what I did want to say is that perhaps my favorite character is the Dowager Countess, played by Maggie Smith.  Oh my, oh my.  She is a delight!  I just wish she had more time on the screen.  

Thomas - gentleman's valet (and closeted gay man)

One other character I want to mention is Thomas, the valet.  Thomas is a closeted gay and is he ever a nasty, vile bitch.  I'm not sure what to think about this portrayal of a gay character.  While I didn't think a "Jack" type character (think "Will and Grace") would be appropriate on a Masterpiece Theater series, I'm not sure if I appreciate a gay character such as Thomas.  Of course I've known gay men like Thomas; bitchy, selfish, predatory and evil but still.  Of course it's no new flash that not all gay men are heroes or saints but.....I would like to see a touch of humanity in Thomas.  After all, no one is totally bad....or good.  And that is what I like about "Downton Abbey", it generally presents all of its characters with all of their strengths and weaknesses and how they survive and seek happiness.  And after all, isn't that what we all seek to do?  Survive and find happiness?

Can Thomas be redeemed? Stay tuned.

"Hope Springs!"

Last night I saw a GOOD MOVIE.  I watch all my movies by Netflix rental.  Most of the movies I rent are not to my taste.  Too much violence and sex.  Not that I'm a prude.  My God, if I could tell you a smidgen about my past sexual history and my fantasies.  Let's just say that the initials S & M are involved. But real life violence, especially the bloody, gory slop that is in so many movies today (think Quentin Tarantino and "Django" or "Kill Bill" or "Pulp Fiction"); just is not entertainment to me.

And I am especially repealed by a movie with opening scenes of a woman's floppy breasts maneuvering over a man's hairy chest.  That's entertainment?  Maybe to a straight person.  Hey, I don't even get turned on by seeing two guys do it, crawling all over each other sucking face with all those slurping sounds.  DOESN'T DO IT!

Here's what does do it for me.  A movie with two (or three) fine actors.  The movie I saw last night was "Hope Springs" with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones.  Steve Carrell (one of my favorite hotties plus a good comedian) was also in it.  So I'm thinking "What movie can be bad with Meryl and Tommy Lee in it?"  Not this one.  

Reading the storyline, it sounds boring.  A couple who have been married thirty one years and the wife seeks to renew their marriage.  Sounds like a snooze fest doesn't it?  Well, with just about any other actors it would be but not with Meryl and Tommy Lee.  Meryl Streep can achieve more acting with an arched eyebrow than just about any other actress, save Annette Bening.  And Tommy Lee?  He can do no wrong.  Oh I know, he always seems to be playing the same grumpy character just like Jack Nicholson.  Of course Jack is in a league all his own.

Well let me tell you folks, I was mesmerized by this movie last night.  There was laughter, sadness, and just happiness.  What I especially like is the on location filming and the filming in a real house which is somewhat stifling and small. 

If I have any complaint at all it was that Steve Carrell played it perfectly straight.  Oh he's good but I love his wry humor which wasn't on display in this movie.  But that was his role and he played it perfectly.

So get your honey, a bag of popcorn and rent this movie.  You can't go wrong.  

New Year's Eve Wipeout - 1963

Me "celebrating" New Year's Eve January 1963 - Fifty years ago

This lingering cold of mine is just about gone.  Just a trace left.  I almost felt normal this morning when I woke up.  This past week has been one I will remember well, the New Year of 2013 that I was sick as a dog.

Which reminds me, fifty years ago, January 1963 I was also sick as a dog.  Regular readers of this blog will recognize the picture of me above with my drunken head in a turkey roasting pan surrounded by New Year's Eve party goers.

There is a Story behind this picture folks.  Here it is.  

Way back in the Nifty Fifties, when a young man like me was old enough to join the Army (at 18) but not old enough to vote or drink, I couldn't wait until I could get a good drunk on like all of my Army buddies.  They always seemed to have so much fun getting drunk.  

In November of 1962 I turned 21 years old.  I was of legal age to buy my own car, which I did.  Of course I totaled it one hour after I got it but that's another story for another blog posting.  Hey, a guy my age is full of stories, what can I tell you?

I was also of legal age to drink and I was determined to get "bombed" on New Year's Eve, just like my buddies. 

I was invited to a New Year's Eve party at Dave Fry's house in nearby Glen Burnie, Maryland.  Dave and I were stationed at Ft. George G. Meade, Maryland at that time.

I got in my clunker, and with my Army buddy friend Ron Hampton (yes, another "Ron") we headed off to Dave's house, in my '54 Plymouth sedan that couldn't go over 50 mph without getting the shakes.  My car frame was bent from my accident but I drove the car anyway.  Such was the folly of youth at that time.

When we got at Dave's all the gang was there.  Hey!  We were told to help ourselves to making drinks.  Since I wasn't a beer drinker, I made myself a screwdriver, which as you drinkers will know is vodka and orange juice.  I wasn't sure how much vodka to put in per orange juice. Ron told me 
"one shot per glass of orange juice."  Okay doakey, that's what I did......the first time.

The second time, since I wasn't feeling the "effects", I decided to put TWO shots of vodka per TALL glass of orange juice.  After the second gulping of vitamin C I still wasn't "feeling it."  Hey, where is this "BIG WHOOP!" that I'm supposed to get?  

Third drink....this time I put THREE SHOTS of vodka to one TALL glass of orange juice.  Guess what, we were running out of orange juice and I still wasn't feeling "IT."  

I guess you all know where this is going?  Yep!  Pretty soon I was WHOPPING it up with a TALL glass of vodka and ONE shot of orange juice.

Well folks, let me tell you.  After I don't know how many of those TALL glass of vodka with one shot of orange juice dispersing down through the clear vodka, which was entrancing sort of like a lava light in reverse, I DON'T REMEMBER A THING!

Seriously folks, I remembered nothing until I woke up the next morning on the living room floor, covered in a blanket with my head in a roasting pan.  And my head!  OMG!  My mouth.  OMG!  I felt like a whole platoon of soldiers with muddy boots had marched on my tongue.  My head felt like an anvil was banging around in it like a bell clapper.

Slowly, as I came to I saw Dave's wife standing over me.  I asked "What happened?"  She said "You got drunk."  Hmmmm.  I don't remember having a good time.  In fact I didn't remember anything until now where I was in a GREAT DEAL OF HURT.    

She said I was trying to kick out the TV screen of their floor model Philco.  OMG! Old Timid Ron in a Drunken Rage?  How embarrassing!  

She said she would call my friend Ron at the base and he would pick me up.  I tried to stand up.  I couldn't.  Everything hurt including MY HEAD.  I was starving but I just couldn't imagine anything going down my throat.  Just the thought of eating made me gag.  

Oh dear Lord, is this what they mean by getting drunk and HAVING FUN?  This WASN'T FUN!  

Long story short, it took me about three days to recover.  And folks, never again did I get that drunk.  Oh sure, over the years I've had a buzz or two (or three) but never, NEVER that  blind ass drunk.  I learned my lesson.  

So this year, with this terrible cold that I brought into the new year, I was think I'll always remember this New Year.  Just like I'll always remember that New Year's Eve fifty years ago.  

Me back at the barracks at Ft. Meade 1963 - sober with a cig hanging out my mouth (yes, I smoked too)

Arising From The Dead

A "Toon" picture I took of myself at work during the height of my COLD
Not a pretty picture

How do you like that for a catchy title?  Got your attention, right?

Folks that's how I feel now; like I've arisen from the dead.  Regular followers of this blog (and you know who you are) know that I've been absent from the blogosphere for a couple of days. About three days to be precise which is very unusual for me.  

So where have I been?  Mostly sleeping, trying to shake this Zombie Cold.  Wednesday I slept all day.  Thursday I slept all day.  Today, I arose from the dead.  

This cold came on just as I was about to begin an "enhanced" work schedule at the hotel last weekend into New Year's.  In past years when I've felt a cold coming on, I've been lucky that the worst of the cold occurred during my time off.  I wasn't so lucky this time.  The full brunt of this cold hit me Sunday night.  I literally lost my voice.  Not a good thing when one works at the front desk of a hotel.  The most I could get out was a squeak.  Plus, I felt LOUSY.  Not so much with the runny nose and coughing, but just TIRED and ACHY all over.  

I struggled through Monday, New Year's Eve.  I could talk but I sounded like Lurch of the Adams Family.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have a delightful, boyish tone to my voice.  THAT voice was nowhere to be found New Year's Eve.

New Year's day I continued to slog through the day with my Lurch Voice.  One caller really gave me a workout asking me to describe every room in the hotel then once I did that she wanted to do it all over again.  Hey, I like talking but this was painful.  I had to decline.  She said she would call in the morning.

Wednesday I got relief.  I got up for a breakfast of Walmart Multigrain cereal (taste like dust but has a load of vitamins) and a banana.  Then back to BED THE WHOLE DAY.

I got up for lunch with was just chicken soup then back to bed.  Popcorn and Canada Dry Ginger Ale for dinner (don't ask, this works for me).  

I repeated this procedure on Thursday.  Now phlegm that was coating my vocal cords was beginning to break up.  I was coughing up the Hulk (same color green).  TMI?  Just telling it like it is.  

What I was coughing up

This morning when I woke up I actually felt half way human again and I had my voice back, albeit with a lesbian like hoarseness.  Actually, I think I sort of sounded sexy.  

I'm still feeling blah, not my usual ornery self.  I've lost about five pounds.  What a way to lose weight.  I wouldn't recommend it.  

I figure by the time I go back to work on Sunday I'll be back to the Old Ron and have my youthful, Philly Twang voice back.  

My annual cold has come and gone.  

Soon to return!