Thoughts of a Common Man

My Uncle Len passed away this morning. He was 87 years old, and that number doesn't tell much of the story...he packed about a thousand years of life into those days because his legacy will thrive in the hearts of a beautiful family for a long, long time. My Dad and his siblings were close. Dad and Aunt Carolyn were real buddies to be sure, and although the Switalas moved down to Baltimore, we saw a lot of them as we grew. There was real excitement when they came to town! "You're a real pain in the ass, Leonard." I can hear my Dad saying that. And they would laugh. The Yankees-Orioles discussions were legendary and even years and years later, if I was with Dad and the Yankees were pummeling Baltimore, Dad would get a little giddy. "Let's call your Uncle!" And the card games. It's funny what you remember from your childhood. I can certainly recall Mom or Dad being tired and as a kid, I'd be wondering why. "We played card...

I see that Tom Price is looking for work. The price is wrong, Tom! He took 24 charter flights on the taxpayer dime... ...after talking about draining the swamp, out of control spending, and someone who had the gall to fly over the country in a luxury jet. How does this go down???? Man, the nuns did a real number on me because there's no chance that I'd ever cheat on my expenses and think I'm entitled to it. Yet people do it all the time!! I know a guy who put his kids shoes on the company credit card, got busted for it, and then got pissed at the employer because he had to pay for the kicks. Price chartered a luxury jet at a price tag of 25 grand so he could make the trip from Washington to Philly! That's a $75 bus ride. You can bike that! Before he was forced out, Price decided that he'd reimburse the government for his trips. He offered up $52,000 on the million dollar price tag. That's like ordering a coffee: "It's $2.00,...

We've all heard all the stories about the Playboy Mansion. Hugh Hefner was a legendary eccentric wasn't he? The silk bathrobe, the three or four women all 30,40, 50 or 60 years his junior. The hundred million he got for the sale of the empire. 91 years. I got the notice on my phone, and moments later the news announcer was talking about the "shocking sadness in the death of an icon." Not sure how shocked any of us should be when a 91-year-old punches out. And I thought about the sadness part of it... ...and what kind of made me think a little was that there were a lot of men, and women who were introduced to the form of a woman by looking at Playboy. We all got our hands on a copy as adolescents. There weren't any in my Dad's library...that's for sure. In fact, despite the jokes, the cursing, the crassness... ...my brothers and me were taught respect for women at home... ...but I certainly got my hands on a few copies! I kind of r...

Big announcement! Saudi Arabia woman have been granted driving privileges. Isn't that amazing? Up until yesterday they weren't allowed to get behind the wheel of a car, and even now, they must have permission from a man to drive, and there are time limits. They can't drive certain hours and can't go for long. But still... ...they're pretty happy about it! They couldn't ride a bicycle until 2013. My beautiful wife is of the solid opinion that she's a better driver than me. (She isn't). She also jumps into the drivers seat if she beats me to the car if we're going somewhere.  I don't care, actually. She can drive. I particularly let her do the night driving. I also do it because when I drive, she doesn't shut up. "That guy is merging." "Brake, brake, brake!" "You should get in the other lane."  (Doesn't matter which lane I'm in...she likes the other one). "You do know yo...

The phone buzzes, rings, beeps, vibrates and chimes. "Hey, can you swing by?" It feels a little weird to be bitching about 80-90 degree weather at the end of September particularly because I hate the cold and every warm day is one less cold day... ...and especially since people all over the world have been truly suffering from some simply tragic weather-related events... BUT I NEED RAIN!!! I can't get to enough jobs. I can't ever feel like I'm done. Beep, chime, ring, vibrate. "Hey, I need you to get here now!" And the people who drive me the most crazy? "How's it going?" They ask. "Busy!" "That's good, right?" "No! I want it to rain!!" Construction work slows in the rain. Roofers call it a day. Masons show up and then leave. Framers shut it down. And then I can visit just a few sites. There is no huge urgency to be in four places at once. Of course, if it rains two days in...

I was headed towards a job where the superintendent is a well-respected guy. The very first time I met him (about 6 months back) I was a little tentative. I'm a safety guy and his job was set up perfectly. He had a sign on the trailer that said: "I care about you & your family. Go home as you came in today...just a little more tired!" The American Flag that hung on the trailer was also a little different. Construction guys fly the flag high when a building is finished, but it was odd to see one on the trailer door. Nice touch...I thought. Then I spotted the signs on the back of his work vehicle: Vietnam POW. His job was extremely orderly, and well-organized. As it so happens, we hit it off immediately. We had common goals of keeping guys safe. All other visits to his site were similar and when I had something for him to correct, he did it promptly, and professionally. I had about an hours drive to get to his site on Monday, and I thought of him in co...

Back a couple of months ago, I was around some of the oldest friends that I've been blessed to call friends. We started talking about "getting together more often". Same old story. Everyone says, "Yeah, lets do it!" This time, though, Al, as he so often did, took charge. He picked a restaurant, and a large group text went around. Finally, we found a Saturday night when everyone was clear: September 23. And off we went! I've said it before, but the best thing about longtime friends is that there's no pretenses. They KNOW you! There's no faking it. You understand that they're as happy to see you as you are them. The conversations are easy. The laughs come quickly. We ordered our food and through good fortune, actually, had to wait a long time for it to arrive. More time to talk, and laugh. Jeff and Kathy, Al and Jen, John and Sarah, Ed and Jamie, and Russ joined me and my beautiful wife. The prime rib was good. We picked o...

The Alabama rally on Friday night was troubling to me. I get the arguments against kneeling during the National Anthem. People don't like it! I don't necessarily like it. But I certainly will stand up for those who want to take that stand, and it's a pretty straightforward argument. We're free!! That's what that symbol stands for. Free to protest the president. Free to shout at the moon. Free to stand, kneel, crawl or do one-handed push-ups to yell about a healthcare bill we might not like. Here's the thing... ...being told how to act, being forced to act that way is worse. Much worse! The North Koreans march in perfect step when their anthem is played... ...for fear of being shot! Is that what we aspire to? And as Americans, the people who want to shout down a player for kneeling are free to do that too! Straightforward! What's troubling???? Leaders lead. Leaders don't fan the flames of chaos. I know some really good ...

Aaron Hernandez is dead. That might end up being bad news for the NFL. They studied his brain and found that he had stage 3 CTE. His 27-year old brain was aged to that of a 67-year old. Brain damage. He played 40 games in the NFL. He was convicted of killing one man. He may have killed a couple more. Perhaps he might have done it anyway. Frank Gifford was diagnosed as a CTE sufferer. He was always a kindly gentleman and lived to 83. But Hernandez' CTE results are troubling for the league that has been fond of saying: "We don't have enough information. The jury is still out." And what is even more troubling? When the next guy is accused of a violent crime, like beating his wife, or beheading his ex-wife and a waiter, or electrocuting dogs, or raping someone... ...he's gonna' blame it on CTE. Aaron Hernandez didn't play ball in the 50's or 60's . He didn't spend the last years of his life as a shell of himself, not rec...

During the Wednesday afternoon Yankees game, Todd Frazier ripped a line drive into the crowd above the third base dugout. The ball, which could have had an exit velocity at up to 115 mph, made contact with the face of a 2-3 year old girl. Frazier immediately dropped to one knee. Players on each side wore absolutely horrified looks on their faces. The camera didn't pan to the scene in the crowd... ...I was thankful for that! So sad. It's the third time that a fan has been bloodied at a Yankees game this year. Yeah, there are signs that say be alert and watch out for batted balls or flying bats, but what chance do fans really have? The Internet debate started immediately. The kid shouldn't have been sitting there! The Yankees don't care! What were the kids parents doing!! We don't need stupid netting ruining the view from the expensive seats!!! Come on now! A three-year old kid got drilled in the face! I sat behind the netting at the Ka...

I've never been really comfortable with the whole "make a parking lot out of the Middle East" talk. "We will destroy North Korea," is along the same lines. I think back to the old Sting song where he crooned: "The Russians love their children too." That was back in the day when certain portions of the population weren't all pro-Putin. Whatever...not a political post...just more of how I feel about things. I'm sure that there are people of other lands who want to wipe America off the map. They'd do so without regard to any of the lives that we are living. That's why the tough talk is lost on me. There are real people in North Korea. People who just want to live a life and are more afraid of the "Rocket Man" than a fan of him. Women, children, dogs, good men, good women... ...up in smoke. Consider what a bomb can do. Tear off body parts, leave people who survived, breathing toxic air. Poverty, destructi...

Heard about a high-profile DUI and the alleged driver was identified on the news by name and photo. Since I was awake about three hours before I needed to be I decided to check in on him. Everyone is accessible. Spent some time on the guy's Facebook page... ...reading about his life struggles. People really put some awfully personal stuff out there for the world to consume. Some of it won't serve the guy very well because he mentioned drinking to blackout and how he was happy that he'd kicked that habit... ...two weeks later... ...talk of being locked up and how it was time to change again. Hard to feel bad for someone who perpetually puts the lives of others at risk, but just a couple of passes through... ...had me feeling lousy about all of it. One go around. That's all we get. There will be people left behind when we leave. "Uncle Bob was always drunk and in and out of jail." Is sad to me. Yet, everyone is on their own journey ...

I'm of the opinion that eyebrows are just plain weird. And that's because I have an eyebrow problem. It's not a unibrow...some people suffer that affliction and look ridiculous... ...it's that my eyebrow hair remains jet black, like the hair on my head used to be... ...while the hair on my head is grey! I read somewhere that they consider it a disease... ...well, I'm suffering because of it. Recently, a buddy of mine snapped a photo of me... ...my hair was a bit long and my eyebrows were a bit bushy... So, the grey and black together brought comic results. Over the course of the next three days (and two days after a haircut and eyebrow trimming) I endured photos of every man known to man with embarrassing eyebrows. Brutal! And the discussion has come up every time with whomever is trimming my hair. "They're just shaped so weird," my beautiful wife will say if she's tasked with trimming them. (She loves me anyway). ...

Read a study on Saturday that said that we, as Americans, are 40% less compassionate now than we were back in the 1980's. The 1980's weren't all that long ago. Yet, you feel it for sure. There's a nastiness that hangs in the air. Jay Thomas (RIP) was fond of saying that we always had lazy people to deal with. "10% of the population has always been useless," Jay said. "Back when they were building the pyramids there were lazy bastards sitting on the sidelines saying 'This is stupid.'" Jay went on to say: "We used to take care of those people." Perhaps there are more who fall into the "useless" category, but I suspect not. I believe there are more who've slipped into the troubled area, but they're still trying. It's not laziness that is hampering them, but a changing of the rules. The American Dream isn't quite so easily achieved for some. Financial difficulties, healthcare questions, educat...

I have mostly rock and roll on my phone that I play through my headphones by using the Bluetooth. It's a miracle to me whenever it works. I was on the riding lawnmower going in circles at Mom's house and Judy Collins came through the headphones to my ears. I've written about it before, but man, every time I hear it, I think: Perfect song. Just wonderful. Looking at life and live from both sides. Love is great, love is grand, ain't love a bitch? Love sucks. And life is a bitch and then you die, as opposed to wonderful life. We've all been on both sides of all of it. Things that are gained and things that are lost... ...in living day by day. Perfect. I have a couple of other Judy Collins songs mixed in... ...love to listen to singer-songwriters. On Friday night I talked about music with Sam. He was mentioning Lil' Wayne, Drake and Eminem. I was talking Bruce and Johnny Cash and the Stones. He doesn't have to listen to my music...

A scramble of a Friday night as we made plans for dinner out following work, but Kathy got tied up and ended up heading out to Jake on the college campus because there were things he needed. (I try not to get involved in those conversations). So, it was just Sam with me and we were hungry. We ordered like it. Brought dinner back for my beautiful wife... ...and then I sat there... ...watching the Yankees pummel the hapless O's and catching up on social media. Texted Sam (who'd gone to play hoops): No answer. Tried Kathy (who's phone was on fumes): No answer. Gave Jake a go: (he was also playing ball, evidently): No answer. And I started getting antsy. Why couldn't they answer? Yankees game ended. Chops were digested. Tried them all again. Nothing! Me and Melky went up. Kept looking at the phone and thinking about how absurd the phone game has become. We all used to hide for hours! Now an hour goes by without contact and My God! I was...

Jemele Hill is an announcer on ESPN. When she's at work she reads the sports of the day, and at other times she gives her opinion on stories that are controversial. She seems competent. She's a young, thoughtful professional black woman. In her off hours, she posted her opinion of Trump on her Twitter account. She labeled him as a racist, a white supremacist and an all around unqualified president. Certainly her opinion and we are all entitled to our opinions, and her opinion isn't one that is unique. In Donald terms, many people have been saying it. ESPN put out a statement saying that Hill's words don't reflect the company feelings. Hill put out the required apology. Then it got weird. The White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee-Sanders (who always looks as if she just bit into a grapefruit) said that Hill should be fired for what she thought. I laughed at that. Does she know who her boss is? He tweets like a crazed lunatic! He called O...

Sometimes the truth is just too much to take. "You gotta' help us," one of the guys on the site said. "What's up?" "We know a guy who's getting taken to the cleaners by a scam." "Oh boy," I said. They spilled the details. Basically, the guy was promised a 10 who would be all his if she could just get out of the country where she was born. I saw the photos. Definitely an attractive woman. No Kathy Fazzolari, but attractive in a big-breast sort of way. "So he has a little hope in his heart," I said. "He's already sent about twenty grand! Every time that she's supposed to arrive something happens and then he forks over more cash." Damn! "How do I help?" I asked. "Tell him!" Both guys said, at once. People Believe What They Want to Believe When It Makes No Sense At All. "There's no telling him," I said. "He's gotta' bottom out. He'...

...What I didn't know then. On 9/11/01 I was absolutely oblivious. There were three young kids running around here. Sam was only 14 months old. I was on the periphery of anything to do with political discourse. When someone yelled "Bin Laden!" I didn't actually know who that was...I'd heard his name, but didn't have any idea that he could pull something like that off. I think a lot of Americans were oblivious to life's goings-on then. For one thing, it wasn't quite as instantaneous then as it is now. It wasn't the dark ages, but Twitter and Facebook and news media having to write stories in the minute... ...nah, wasn't that way. I remember the instant when I found out. I was listening to Howard interview Pam Anderson. It was a day as bright and sunny as Monday was here in Buffalo. I felt rage. I felt sadness. I felt sick to my stomach to what was happening to America. And the world changed that day... ...not only for...

Who's tired of the hurricane coverage? I don't want to seem insensitive at all, but back-to-back massive storms in two hugely populated areas has resulted in wall-to-wall coverage. And there really isn't a lot to say. Evacuate. Hunkered Down. Ghost Town. We've seen the stories of horror, of course, and it's heartbreaking to know that this is a life-altering event, but do these poor people need a microphone shoved in their faces as they pick through the ruins of what had once been their lives. "Looks like you lost your home, your cars, and your dogs. How do you feel?" "You've decided to stay at your home when all reports say that if you stay you'll die, aren't you worried?" "Now that you're broke and homeless do you think you'll be able to recover?" I don't know. I guess you have to find the story, but those reporters out searching for a shot of devastation could also be kind of dangerous, ri...

The son who is away at college came by yesterday so I could give him some cash. He was back on Sunday morning because he suddenly came up with tickets for the Bills-Jets season opener. The other guy, who usually has to be roused from bed, was up, yelling: "LET'S GO!" All for a team that is reasonably expected to win a half dozen games. Me? I wanted to go to Wegman's in the morning to get the ingredients for sauce. Place was packed! Guys and gals all dressed in red and blue. "GO BILLS!!!" Life in a football town... ...a cash cow. I have my problems with the NFL... ...plenty of them actually, but I do recall being excited for the games back when they were good. I kind of don't see the point now, but hey, the Bills are 1-0! "FIRST PLACE, BABY!" As Sam reminded me for the 6 hours after the game until I headed off to bed. Thank God it's a road game next week. "This team can win it all," Sam said. It...

Another summer over and I hardly picked up my golf clubs. I love the game...have since I was a kid, but just too beat up to pull it off. Decided to play it smart.  With a work tournament coming up with some great friends, I took a couple of days off! Then I went for a massage the night before. 8 holes in to what was supposed to be a 36-hole get together, I couldn't walk! But I refused to give up!! I iced all night. Then shot par for 4 out of 10 holes... ...before quitting. Didn't finish 18 holes either day. As I drove home, after bowing out, I did an accounting of my year. I picked up the clubs 4 times in 6 months...and only was able to finish 18 holes twice! I used to play every day when I was 18. Then every week. I played 45 holes one day long, long ago, and would've played 9 more if we hadn't run out of light! And now... ...I'm so messed up, leg, feet, hip & back-wise that I can barely make it to ...

You know that you're getting older as you check the weather before getting out of bed for the day. And we're all meteorologists right now. "Oh, looks what is coming," someone will say to me as they extend their phone. Clouds of blue, red and green are moving over your location. "I don't know what that means. Is it gonna' rain?" That's all I need out of the weather report.... ... concise! "It's gonna suck!" "It'll be nice!!" Save all the rest. And we got a good rainstorm where I was on Friday. We didn't want rain. "Awful!" One guy said. "Why did it have to rain today?" I thought about the weather bashing communities all across the country. Holy cripes!! Hurricanes! Earthquakes!! Fires!!! We can deal with a little rain, I think. For all the people in Irma's path... ...stay safe! Hoping the destruction is minimal for you! It's gonna' suck.

So, the Red Sux have been caught cheating, using Apple Watches to text information to coaches who signaled batters in the box as to which pitch is coming. Through the years it's always been a game inside a game... ...steal a sign here and there. But when you're doing what they're doing? Garbage. I was mildly irritated with the story until I read about an actual game moment when Mitch Moreland ripped a good changeup for a two-run single. The hit came after a pitching change when the guy on second used the break in action to return to the dugout and go over the sequence to steal the sign. A two-game swing in the standings. The Yankees are also upset because they believe, after viewing video, that Boston has been doing it against all of their opponents. Horseshit! There are a lot of people who say Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. I don't. He bet on and against his teams as he was managing. He agreed with the lifetime ban. The game doesn...

There aren't a lot of chances to see good old rock and roll anymore. Over the last five years or so I think that I've been to maybe 6 shows and 3 of them were Springsteen... ...so U2 at the Bills Stadium has been on the calendar for awhile. I've always enjoyed their music and missed on past chances to see them. Concerts are for the young crowd, but there was a lot of grey hair in our section. And it's funny because Sam went to a concert on Saturday - whole bunch of new "music". (Nothing I'd ever be caught listening to) but I'm glad he enjoys the arts. We need talented people playing music! "Gonna see U2," I said. "Whoever they are," Sam joked. (I know he knows!) I've made you wait for the review because U2 made us wait...didn't come on until 9:30. Most of the crowd is usually in bed by then. Yet, when Sunday Bloody Sunday started I felt a chill up and down my spine. Everyone knew every word...a song from the ...

On Monday afternoon we all received a bot message on our phone from Sam's school. It's the last start of the year message that we'll receive. I put the message on speaker so we could all hear it, and it told us of a meet and greet with Sam's teachers on Wednesday night. "I take it that we aren't going," I said. Everyone laughed. Yeah. We've been through it now...plenty of times...Sam is on his own! It certainly doesn't seem that long ago that Kathy and her mother were all here for the first day of school. We took photos with the digital camera. "What time are you going to bed?" I asked Sam. He is a notorious night owl. "I'll knock it back to two," he said. "I'm thinking about 8:30," I said. "Get a good night of sleep." He laughed. "I'm serious," I said. "Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Melky is regimented. You'll work better that way....

Joel Osteen caught some grief during for the hurricane response of his mega-church. He claimed, after social media ripped him a new one, that he didn't offer up the church as a shelter because no one asked. His website was taking donations, however. Then he claimed that the place was flooded. Then, after a day of being ripped apart, he opened the doors. Even held a service... ...and passed a collection plate. I don't have a lot of patience for this sort of thing. I've left mass when the sermon has turned into a money drive. When the kids were young and money was real tight I went to mass one day and the priest was hammering those in attendance for not giving until it hurt. He explained that the parish had just ten grand in the bank, and needed more. I headed home. There have been a long line of fake preachers through the years. Most of them end up living the lifestyle of the rich and famous. They prey on the vulnerable and the weak. They catch people...

It's one of my favorite days of the year... ...because it's a day off for all of us who work hard all year. One time a few years back I asked a buddy of mine: "How's work?" "I wouldn't go if they weren't paying me," he said. Which is mostly true, right? Yet, it's important to enjoy what you're doing, and even more important that you do the best you can every day. It really doesn't matter what you do... ...you should try and do it well. Whether you're a safety consultant, a writer, a shortstop for the Yankees, or a gal who makes ice cream cones...do the best you can do. And we see a whole lot of people out there who don't do it so well, don't we? I swear that is something that aggravates me to no end. I once interviewed a guy for a job and he asked me: "When am I eligible for vacation and how much time do we get?" That was his first question! He didn't get the job. I know an own...

Woke up early on Saturday, of course, but made a conscious decision to stay in bed. The 9 state trip of the week that just passed had me feeling a little tired. I put on the news and made a decision to not pick up the phone. I could've stayed there for awhile too, as Kathy was at work and Sam was still sleeping, and would be for awhile. I did well with staying away from the phone, and by 1:00 was in a spot to watch Yankees-Red Sox. Finally, Sam made an appearance. "I'm going to a concert, and you're driving me," he said. I thought about dinner. For years and years, dinner was an event... ...making sure the kids had a well-balanced meal. Instead of it being a big deal... ...I made three hamburgers and cut up a few tomatoes. Me and Kathy are in relative silence and cleanup took all of five minutes. "It's weird that nobody's home," I mentioned. We didn't have to fight for the television. We actually took twenty minutes ...

The NFL players are going to be able to celebrate this year! Goodell says that there won't be any penalties for celebrating after a touchdown... ...maybe it'll take their mind off being permanently maimed by the game. Anyway, it's that time of year. I make my predictions so that my boys can laugh at me after the season... ...except I got the super bowl winner right last year when Tom and the Hoodie won again. Easy enough. The division winners: New England, Pittsburgh, Houston and Oakland in the AFC. Dallas, Green Bay, Atlanta and Arizona in the NFC San Diego and Baltimore are AFC wild cards Detroit and the Giants are NFC wild cards. Special Note: Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills. For the 18th straight season they're gonna' put the wagons right back into the barn after Game 16. There's not even a lot of excitement around town. Sam, who usually has them at 13-3 or 12-4 could only find 8 wins for them. Read that again: Thei...

So, there was a lot of excitement for having a shot at the Springsteen on Broadway tickets. We would definitely make the trip if we could somehow score tickets, but the task seemed daunting. Only 950 seats per performance, but he'd be playing 5 shows a week for a couple of months. And then it got exciting! Ticketmaster and Bruce's people wanted to work out a plan to make sure that Bruce's biggest fans got a shot at the tickets. Too many times, at too many locations, the secondary market prices are astronomical. Tickets go on sale... ...BAM! Gone in mere minutes. So, I was hopeful. They were limiting tickets to two per person. You had to sign up and be evaluated and then they'd send back an access code. Fans would be getting the seats! I got an email. "You're on standby." It read. What the hell did that mean? Well, the people with access codes would get first crack, but I was still in the game. They promised that I'd have a shot ...