Temporary Tooth In Place!

Temporary crowning place, can you spot it?

Very lucky this morning folks! I was able to secure an appointment with my dentist, Dr. Andy, to replace my broken crown.

I spent about an hour and a half in the dental chair, while my gums were dug into, molds taken and needles injected. 

I now have a temporary crown. My new crown will be ready when I return from California, next month February 24th.  

Now my challenge is that I don't break this temporary crown that is in my mouth.  I was fearing that I would spend my two weeks in California gap toothed.  Even though Pat said I looked "sort of cute" with the gap toothed, no thanks folks. It would be just my luck that I would be called up on stage when we attend our annual "The Price is Right" show.

Now I have to be very careful what I eat. No more pita chips (my favorite) or bagels (which I never eat).  

Of course this replacement crown is yet another financial hit.  Just when I think I'm getting ahead, another big expense turns up. However, I am thankful I can afford these unexpected financial hits but man oh man, I would like a stretch where I can save some money.

No complaints here though folks, I'm a lot better off than many. I'm still here and walking and breathing and enjoying life in spite of these minor setbacks. 

Missing Tooth!

I'm ready for my closeup Mr. DeMille" 

Last night at dinner, while I was chomping down on my crock pot cream chicken dinner, I felt something strange whilst I was chewing the delicious tender melt in your mouth chicken chunks smothered in white wine and cream of chicken soup. Somewhat that SHOULDN'T be there. Reminded me of the time I was eating one of those rabbits my father killed with his shotgun and I crunched down on one of the pellets. Uh oh!

I stopped chewing and ran my tongue over what was in my mouth for the offending particle. 

I found it. 

I put my finger in my mouth and pulled it out. 

What I saw was part of a tooth, uh oh. 

Then I ran my tongue over the teeth remaining in my mouth. 

My tongue couldn't find any missing fillings.

Then I went a mirror. Yep, what I saw was that a cap came off my front tooth. 

I am now Mortimer Snerd.

Autobiography, Vanity Project?

Judge Judy

Last night while I was watching "Judge Judy", the first case brought before her was a woman who was suing a professional writer she hired for $5,000 for not doing a book proposal on her autobiography. Judge Judy asked the plaintiff "Why are you writing an autobiography? What about your life is so interesting that you feel you have to write a book about it?"  That's a good question Judge Judy.

The plaintiff told her that she thought she had a "story to tell."  Judge Judy told her "A lot of people think their lives are interesting but even famous people can't get a book proposal because there isn't a market for their book."  Judge Judy went on to say "Almost all of these books are vanity projects where the writer produces maybe one hundred books and passes them out to friends and family."  

Well, that deflated my hopes of my autobiography being a run away best seller like Andrew Tobias's book "The Best Little Boy In The World." 

I remember reading that book years ago, a coming of age book by gay Andrew Tobias.  I thought "That's my story! I could write a book like that." I have to admit folks, that I thought I could replicate Mr. Tobias's success. But let's get real here, there ain't nobody except me and a few blog followers who will find my autobiography interesting. 

No whining here folks, just a reality check. A reality check for me. But you know what folks? It doesn't matter. I'm writing my autobiography for myself. Partly as a therapy and partly to relive and revisit my life, which I find interesting. 

I read a lot. My favorite type of books are biographies. The book I'm just finishing now is a biography Gloria Swanson. Not all that well written and in fact the writer seems to have a bias against Miss Swanson but I still find this book interesting. Of course I don't find all biographies interesting. I have a biography of Ross Perot. Never got around to reading it and probably never will. I don't care about Mr. Perot. But what I do care about are certain people. For instance I would love to read the life stories of some of my blogger friends. I have one who occasionally posts nuggets of his life in California.  He knows who he is. He writes well and has lived and continues to live a very interesting life. His biography I would read.

My cat loving, movie reviewer friend in England, I would read his autobiography. He may not think his life is interesting but to me it would be.  

I believe we all lead interesting lives. Each of has our own unique series of dramas.  Highs and lows. 

Watching that case on "Judge Judy" last night was a self check on me not to get my hopes up that I'm going to have the next runaway best seller. 

Darn! I was so looking forward to appearing on "Ellen" to promote my book.

Ellen!

Finally, That Autobiography

After much thought and procrastination I am finally beginning to write my autobiography. 

I've struggled over the years in how to write it. Did I want to write a "Gone With The Wind" type of autobiography? No, I don't have the energy for that or the time.

How about paying someone to write it for me? Out of the question, just too expensive. Plus, I prefer to write my story in my own words. My style, which as you know is very unique. 

This is how I'm going to write my story. In short vignettes. 

I got this idea from the brother of a former classmate of mine. He wrote a short book called "Fuzzy Side Up."  He got the title from his rug business.  Fuzzy side up. A unique title that identifies him.

My title is "Sweating Already!"  I got that title from a statement I made when I was about ten years old.  I was with my parents at my uncle Ray's home during a weekly family poker game. I was standing over a heat vent in the living room and as the heat air turn on with a swoosh, I said "Sweating already!"  From that time on my relatives would kid me about "Sweating already!"  That term is an apt description of my life. 

And that is the life I want to record for posterity once I am no longer here to tell my story.

We all have a story to tell. During my research into my family history in Ancestry.com I've often wondered what my ancestors' lives were like. How I would like to read their description of their life. To read their autobiographies. Unfortunately, I have never ran across any written histories of my relatives. But I will leave my own history. 

Right now I know of none of my relatives who are interested in my history. But I am confident there will be a "me" somewhere down the line (through my brother's children and grandchildren and now even great grandchildren, who will want to know more about "Uncle Ronnie," as I am known to my family. 

This is a labor of love folks. I will enjoy writing about my life. I think I have found the right format for me to accomplish this lifelong task. For those of you interested in this speck sand (me) on the beach, here is the link to my Word Press blog. 

http://roninretirement.wordpress.com

By the way, I'm still on a learning curve for writing a blog in Word Press. Anyone know how I can add my photo on the main page, let me know. 

In the meantime I will continue with this blog, which is mainly about my day to day life. My Word Press blog will be about my autobiography.

Life goes on folks!

Back Among the Living

Me on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach yesterday - nice sunny day!

How about that last blog post folks? Pretty depressing huh?  Well, I get that way sometimes. Not as often as I used to in the past but every now and then I enter that Valley of Darkness. I'm out now though.

This morning I confirmed my ride to Philly International Airport two Sundays from now (February 11th).  My regular ride wasn't about take me because he's undergoing a medical procedure.  I like taking that two hour ride with him to the airport because he hates Trump as much (or more) than I do.  I've had rides from the airport from Trump supporters.  I try to avoid riding with them.  The last time I was tempted to ask my ride to stop and put me off the side of the road.  I can only take so much of riding with The Stupid.

I'm really getting excited for this trip folks, two whole weeks in sunny, diverse, California. I have to get away from the cold and dreary of winter here in Delaware. Oh sure, we have a few nice days during the winter here in Delaware but most days are just cold and uncomfortable. Not as cold as my former home in Pennsylvania. 


Yesterday we visited our new friends Mike and Bob who live down the road at Red Mill Pond. What nice fellows! Nice to make new friends.  By the way, Mike is the one taking me to the airport.

One really nice thing about my trip and two week stay in California, I won't be following the news. I'm an avid news follower but I have to tell you folks, I am tired of this constant barrage of bad news generated by this criminal president and is criminal enablers in Congress. I'm embarrassed to have Trump as president and I am embarrassed to be an American as long as this con man is our president. I need a time out. 

Okay, I don't want to end this blog on THAT negative not. Good news here folks, I'm resuscitating my Word Press blog. That's the blog that I'm going to use as my autobiography. Yes, I'm finally getting around to recording my life for posterity. I found the formula for writing it which I will explain in that blog. 

Nice to be out of that valley that I was in my last blog posting.

Have a great day everyone!

Mike and me at the old railroad tracks behind his home yesterday, those railroad tracks will be removed and turned into a bike/walking trail - in Mike's lifetime. He's a happy guy!

Good Memories

These days I often think about what I will leave behind.  Leaving behind when I depart this earth. Yes, this is morbid me again anticipating my demise. 

Yesterday I started feeling a little "off."  I don't know what it is, not a cold (thank goodness).   
These days, when each day when my arthritis claims a little more of my mobility.  

These days when my extra beat heart slows me down from too much physical activity. 

These days when I require an afternoon nap a minimum of an hour (sometimes more, much more). 

Yes, these days when I'm turning into my Mother sleeping a lot and being tired most of the other times I think about what I will leave behind.  Not that it would make much difference to me because I do believe than when I die I will enter the Great Void.  

Yes folks, that's right. I don't believe in the Great Hereafter.  Oh sure, I would like to believe that there is a Heaven. A place where I would go after this life of turmoil and strife and stress interrupted every now and then with brief periods of happiness and peace. Who wouldn't?  Now don't anyone go preaching to me about "You have to have faith."  Keep that "faith" to  your self you evangelicals. Evangelicals which I have little time for (actually no time) since they're giving our criminal president a "Mulligan" on his past and continuing sins as long as he subscribes to their agenda. But I digress.

While I was organizing my photos this morning (a pastime I find as relaxing as my blogger friend Dr. Spo finds making Hawaiian shirts) I was listening to my Artie Shaw Pandora Internet radio station.  The Glenn Miller song "Johnson Rag" was playing. That brought back so many fond memories for me. I had that original record from my Mom's old Victrola. I don't have it anymore, Bill gave the Victrola and all those old 78 rpm records away to his friend Damon (who probably put them in a landfill, knowing Damon).  

What I was thinking was that a person like Glen Miller, who had so much talent and was so productive during his lifetime will live forever because of the legacy he left behind. So many of our icons in the entertainment industry (which is my main interest) and other fields like science, music, literature and medicine leave these forever legacies.  I feel sad because I'm leaving nothing behind.  Have I wasted my time on this earth these past 76 years? 

My honest answer is that no, I haven't.  I've brought happiness to some (they know who they are). I've irritated others (mainly because I wouldn't take THEIR direction in how to live my life) and for most I've made no impact at all. But one thing I have done, or haven't is more accurate. I haven't done any damage, unlike our current criminal president and his enablers. But don't worry I'm not going to go down that rabbit hole now.  I only mention it because I think our current state of affairs in our country now has put me into this deep funk.  I hope I live long enough to see Trump and his criminal conspiracy enablers in jail, just like the Watergate criminals. 

My life hasn't been wasted.  I don't have a rendition of a song like "Johnson Rag" to leave behind for people to remember me by.  But what I do have is that I've been a good person and haven't harmed anyone.  And I've contributed to society by working all these years, paying taxes, and sprinkling occasional kindnesses here and there. And as I said before, those who don't like me, their  complaint is that I didn't do what THEY wanted me to do FOR them. Live my life the way they dictated.  For that I am so proud that I didn't sell my soul, unlike all these Republican senators.  Like Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson yesterday who spread the false rumor about "Secret Societies" to discredit the FBI which is doing a legitimate investigate of the criminal enterprise that is in the White House now.  

Now I feel better that I've expunged these negative feelings that have been building up in me.  And all the while I've been playing Glenn Miller tunes in the background while I wrote this blog. I had to turn off the news.  I am so sick of seeing Trump and his constant barrage of lies.  

How to end this dirge that I just composed?  Time for lunch then going to work today. "When You Wish Upon a Star" is playing now. What a perfect way to end this posting. Have a great day everyone!




 By the way, I did wish upon a star and my dream came true.

California Trip - Getting Psyched

Pat and me in front of Nature's Cafe in Palm Springs last year

Just a couple of weeks now folks and we'll be in sunny California!  

Getting exciting!

Here's the itinerary:  

The first three days we're at our fav Airbnb in West Hollywood

Next eight days we're in a new Airbnb in Palm Springs

The last three days we're back at our fav Airbnb in West Hollywood

Last year was the first time we visited Palm Springs. We've been urged by friends to visit Palm Springs but old hard headed me, I didn't take their advice.  But last year Pat wanted to attend Modernism Week in Palm Springs so I acceded to his wishes (as I always do).  

We were only going to stay in Palm Springs for two days but both of us fell in love with PS.  And as good fortune would have it, our dear friend Dr. Spo and Someone were tying the knot (getting married).  So honored to be invited to their nuptials! And of course Pat LOVED Modernism week. So this year we're spending a whole week (eight days) in that wonderful desert oasis. We will be meeting up with old blogger friends plus a few new ones.

Cubby, Someone, Spo and Tim checking the vegan menu at Pat's vegan cafe in Palm Springs last year - "What? No hamburgers?"

Guaranteed a good time will be had by all. Who said old gay guys don't have a life? This is the best time of my life folks, the absolute best.

Starting to get psyched folks!

Pat checking out his bed at the Baymont Hotel Suites in Palm Springs last year