Thoughts of a Common Man

Here at Camp Clifford we had a pretty trying year. Kathy’s accident - struck from behind by a driver who never touched her brake - dominated our day-to-day. We’re hoping the recovery continues. Slow and steady. So, that’s the way we end 2019... ...good riddance. But I’ve always wanted to move the story forward. It’s true of writing and it’s true of life... ...keep building. Keep an eye on what happened, but accept the new realities and build on them. So, what do I really want of 2020? 1). Some national stability. The chaos has to end. Three years of petty, constant, incessant drama has sucked. There are people who thrive on chaos. There are leaders who create chaos to see what happens... ...it drives me crazy. I love order. I live for routine. I like control and structure. We haven’t had it. There’s an impeachment on the horizon. Chaos will rule the day for a while longer. So, I’ll try and stay above that fray because it was making me mental. 2). Some rest.

These are the two days for top ten lists and year in the review moments. “We look back.” Since it’s all seemed like one long day since January of 2016.. ...the news of politics can stay right where it is. Ain’t no one wanna’ look back on that. The Yankees didn’t win the World Series. They ran into a team that may or may not have been cheating (they were), pending the results of an investigation. The good news was that the Nationals came back and won it. The Bills are good! That’s been a big story and I made my annual predictions in the September football blog and was completely wrong on them. Some people have reminded me of that... ...geez, you’d think they had won the division. But high hopes for the playoff game! Played some golf... ...a fine year in fact with great friends and good and bad shots. I birdied #2 at Harvest Hill twice... ...guy I knew only got it once. Book came out just under the gun... ... Small Town... ...awaiting news on what people t

A little out of whack. That’s what the holidays do, I guess, and it was a tad strange to have Christmas fall on a Wednesday. Kinda’ caught in between. I actually got up and went out on Thursday and Friday even though I was going to eat most of my vacation days for 2019. I needed the routine. It turned out that mostly everyone was at work. But there’s also planning the next week... ...another Wednesday off. I’m thinking it would be a pretty decent thing if that was a constant thing. Would turn Tuesday into a night for happy hour. And the work weeks used to be longer, right? Wasn’t it the emergence of unions that cut it to 40 weeks? There’s a real problem with the 40-hour week these days... ...a lot of younger workers don’t show up quite so routinely. “How many you have?” I asked one supervisor. “Three!” He said. “I’m supposed to have 8 but 5 guys didn’t show. No call. No show.” “They quitting?” I asked. “Nah, they’ll be back tomorrow. That’s the way it go

I used to listen to the radio for entertainment Howard Stern mostly, but before Sirius radio I would also tune in to Don Imus out of New York. He mumbled a lot. I never got his sense of humor. He seemed mostly miserable. Yet he also had a ranch where he’d give back... ...so I’d listen. Of course, back then I would also listen to Jay Thomas and I truly miss him. He made me laugh all the time. In the heyday of Artie Lange... ...no one was better than Howard. And Howard was always embroiled in a battle with Imus. The biggest moment of Imus career may have been his worst moment. He called the women of the Rutgers basketball team “Nappy-Headed ho’s.” He was dragged through the mud, as he should have been. He did the apology tour... ...and I never listened again. Still, when I heard that Imus died yesterday I felt like a little of my younger days was gone. I did make a decision a couple of weeks back: I’m going back to being entertained. I have had enough of

Hanging in my parent’s basement can be a real trip. I remember, as a teenager, sitting on the floor of the storage room reading all the newspaper stories about JFK getting gunned down. My Mom saw me there and I thought she’d be mad, but she was actually good with it. On Christmas Eve, I noticed my kid in the same room. He was holding my year book. The brown one. My junior year. “Wow,” he said. “You were geeky-looking. Tall and skinny and all that hair.” He checked out my basketball photo. That was the year we were actually good. I didn’t have a whole lot to do with that, but when I looked at the photo... ...it all hit me like a tidal wave. Then I read some of the signatures from my good friends, and a couple of girls that I really liked. There was a group photo of a bunch of us and one young gal that I hung around with a lot back in those days had her arm resting on my shoulder. She was wearing a great smile, and I thought about how much I missed her all of a sudden.

We certainly had a more subdued Christmas experience this year, but it was relaxed and a whole lot of fun. I did my best to not get caught up in the rat race of it, and spent a fair amount of time, as the boys were unwrapping their gifts, and remembering them as young boys. It definitely zings on by. In just ten short years they’ll all be in their 30’s or knocking on the door. Just like that. I made lobster this year to go with the steak. It was gone fast. Eight tails in ten minutes. They had a box of 15-20 tails for $149... ...I actually thought about that. “You shoulda’ done it,” Sam said. And as I cleaned up, I kinda’ wished I had. And Christmas is cool because now the house is clean. Sam opened his presents and Kathy set them up (despite only shopping online) so I didn’t have to ask him twice to clean the kitchen floor. My dogs ate all their bones... ...and the teamed up to form a cloud in the living room. Melky is knocking at the door of 14 and Paris will

The stories were flying. “I remember John sitting in a tree at the cemetery drinking Jack Daniels,” was the start of one of my stories. It made my mother spit her drink. “Why was he in a tree?” She asked. “Oh, forget it. You were all nuts.” We laughed. “I’m not kidding! The school would call, then there’d be a car accident, then someone was fighting, then your father would fight the teacher who yelled at you. One thing after another. Every damn day. I have no idea how we made it through. And your father was the biggest nut in the bunch.” There was more laughter... ...another story flying around. “They sandpapered my forehead.” “I pulled over, she opened the door and then puked into the side pocket of the car.” “The teacher called me and said that the rolled up tape, which was as big as a softball, banged off the chalkboard right beside her head.” “Dad went down there and chased the teacher down the hall. The guy locked himself in his room and the principal had to

It really is a beautiful time of the year and there’s not much more to it other than people seem to be ready to share their love. “Merry Christmas!” I heard that about a hundred times as I moved through the day on Monday. And it’s a bit of a weird deal this year because the holiday falls on a Wednesday. “What’re you working this week?” Some have just Christmas Day off... ...others honor the holiday by taking Christmas and the day after... ...for others it’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. “Should I let my employees off early tomorrow?” One supervisor asked me. I thought he was kidding. “Dude, it’s Christmas Eve,” I said. “Let ‘em go at noon.” “Noon?” He asked. “I was thinking a half an hour or an hour. NOON?” “They are only half here now,” I said. “People have things to do.” “Bah humbug.” I laughed. I have vacation time obviously left for the year, but I also know that most of my clients will be working... ...I’ll shoot for a light week but you never kn

Happy Birthday, Dad. 🎂 The plan came together mid-week. “I’ll make the sauce,” John said in the group text. I won’t eat red sauce out unless I’m at one of the Fazzolari households... ...then it’s game on. Since it was Dad’s birthday there really was only one way to serve it and that was with a whole bowl filled with meat, and hard-boiled eggs. I took a good plate of penne pasta, sausage, an egg, a pork chop, a meatball and a piece of garlic bread. Ate it all. Then I had cake. As I ate, I thought of all the Sunday dinners that we all shared through the years. Corinne brought laughter. I talked football with Chuckles. Sunday was always my favorite day of the week because it was always so easy... ...up a little later, church, pasta, football or baseball, nap. As a kid we’d watch The Jefferson’s, All in the Family... ...the entire family would be gathered. One television and we’d vote for what we’d watch and then we’d watch what Dad wanted to watch. So,

So, the Bills had a huge game yesterday in New England against the hated Patriots. There was a buzz in Buffalo not felt since 1995 or so. That’s the last time the Bills won a playoff game. This wasn’t even a playoff game, but a Bills win and some Fitz magic and they’d win the freaking division! The first half wasn’t promising... ...Brady was doing Brady things and the Bills offense wasn’t even on the field. Dinner was ready and we sat down, figuring it would be 10-3 at half and the beat down would continue in the second half. That’s just how it goes 24 years in. But a strange thing happened. “It’s a touchdown!” The announcer said. Kathy looked at me. “Touchdown?? Didn’t the Bills have the ball?” “Yeah,” I said. “The Bills scored.” In the second half the Bills actually took the lead. On the next drive, Brady hit Edelman. “Those bastards,” Kathy said. I laughed. But it wasn’t over! The Bills were down, but they had a chance. First and goal. Minutes lat

And our tree isn’t up yet. We have had some debate about the tree and a newer, smaller one was dropped off. We are going to put it up today. You see, we’ve had a real problem here because Kathy just isn’t moving very well... ...at all! “I just want to be better,” she said, earlier in the week, through tears. And I just kinda’ sat there. “It takes time,” sounded lame even to me. But we’ve kind of resigned ourselves to this is how it will be this year. A lot less movement. Enough in the way of gifts, but maybe mixing some cash in so the boys can get a couple of their own. As for me and Kathy? We are trying to put stock in the fact that we will do some moving around in a warmer client in early 2020. On Friday, I took a day off... ...we watched two 200 minute movies... ...Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and Interstellar. Long ass movies... ...both good. “It doesn’t even feel like Christmas,” Kathy said. But Christmas is a feeling, not a “we have to do th

Social media is a weird thing. I have a guy I know pretty well, but have never met. He’s a baseball fan, an avid golfer and a good family man. He’s also a loyal reader of the blog. One other thing we have in common: He’s disgusted with Trump. Has been for a good long while. Trump was impeached on Wednesday. He also held a rally in Michigan. At the rally he called a protester “a real slob” and lamented the fact that security didn’t rough her up when they were removing her. “Get her out of here!” He yelled more than once. Then he went after the widow of longtime congressman John Dingell... ...of Michigan! (Where he was speaking!) He mimicked the widow who had called to thank him for lowering the flag to half-staff for the man who deserved such a response for his lifetime of service. Dingell wasn’t a fan of Trump... ...called him an idiot numerous times on Twitter. Yet, the man has been dead for months. “Maybe he’s looking up...I don’t know.” A damn disgrace!

After being impeached just before he took the stage at another one of his maniacal speeches... ...The impeachment monster said: “Merry Christmas! Have you noticed that people are saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again? I brought Christmas back!” How dumb is that??? It nauseates me every year! No one has ever been shamed, persecuted or arrested for saying: “Happy Holidays!” There are no laws on the book that stops someone from writing X-Mas. Ever! Anywhere!! I am 55 years old. I’ve been saying ‘Merry Christmas’ for 54 years. I’ve known Muslims, Jews, blacks, whites, and Native Americans. I’ve said, “Merry Christmas” to one and all... ...they’ve said “Merry Christmas” back. Everyone knows of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some actually don’t believe ALL of it... ...but saying ‘Merry Christmas’ has never once offended anyone I’ve ever met and I’ve never once felt as if someone were shortchanging me in saying, “Have a great holiday season!” It

Had a John Lennon line as an ear worm: “Strange days indeed. Most peculiar, Mama.” The day started with a realization: “My windshield is cracked again!” Three weeks ago, I had my windshield replaced. After it defrosted on Tuesday morning I noticed that the crack was spreading across the driver’s side to where Melky sits. Bah! “I read the news today, oh boy.” Picked up the paper and noted that there would be gatherings in 500 cities to group Americans together to let Congress know that Trump must go. I’ve grown weary. The lies are too much. Then came a rambling 6-page letter filled with straight-up lies, exclamation points and utter nastiness. Was this what people had in mind? The media is crooked, Hollywood is dumb, the FBI is filled with criminals, our intelligence groups were all wrong, the Pope sucks, other world leaders are dumb-dumbs, Kim Jong Un really loves him and Russia is better than the Democrats. That’s what 40% of the country believes? At home, a fr

The Bills have played 6 road games in 2019. They’ve won 5 of them. That’s good. They’ve beaten the Steelers and Cowboys. They were “supposed” to lose to both those teams. The worst they can finish is 10 and 6. There are only two games left and New England hasn’t clinched the AFC East yet. That’s good, right? Well... ...the nation doesn’t yet believe. “Who’s coming out of the AFC?” I heard on a national show. Chiefs, Ravens and Patriots led the way. “Don’t count the Texans out,” one guy said. Then, another guy asked another question: “Does anyone think Buffalo is any good?” “Nope.” “I don’t think so.” “Their defense is good.” Those were the three answers. I decided to ask Sam, who I passed about 8 times on Monday evening. “The Bills are in the playoffs,” he said, each time that our paths crossed. “Who is coming out of the AFC?” I asked. “Chiefs,” Sam said. “Bills can’t beat them.” “Who else is better than the Bills?” I asked. “Just the Raven

And Happy Birthday to Mr. Rybak. Thing is, it’s a really weird year here. Kathy didn’t shop once, and you know I’m not shopping. I watched Kathy try and get down the stairs on Sunday morning...gonna’ be awhile. I was going to help but got a: “Just grab the walker.” “Glimpsing the future,” I said. “Shut up.” And we have cut back on our plans... ...I’ll cook something here on Christmas Day after we visit Mom on Christmas Eve. We don’t have a single decoration up yet. Sam is gonna’ dig the tree out this week. “Doesn’t feel like Christmas,” Kathy said. “Being all banged up has sucked.” Understatement. Yet, we’ll find our way. There appears to be a decent haul for the boys arriving with the daily mail. Just a few computer clicks today and the packages are dropped at the door. We are thinking about Florida in late January... ...hopefully we can move enough to get down to that sparkling pool and huge hot tub. Yet, this is a special time of the year... ...pe

Science and facts are routinely dismissed by theories and flat-out lies. I wasn’t much into science... ...a lot of it went over my head in school. I was more interested in fiction. But I tend to believe that there have been climate changes and that perhaps, somewhere along the way we might want to address a growing threat. There is a huge camp of people who believe that the planet has been around for quite some time and that any problems that we’re having now will be handled by the planet itself. Maybe. Perhaps the fix will be to wipe the human race off the face. Then there won’t be anyone around to debate whether or not Greta - the 16-year-old activist should’ve been chosen as the Time person of the year. I don’t understand a lot of the absolute hatred that some people spew on social media, but it’s certainly out there. Maybe taking a shot, here or there, at a politician or a sports star isn’t the greatest of all options, but to argue, send threats, and just go out

I finally set aside the 209 minutes to watch “The Irishman.” Scorsese, Pacino, Pesci, DeNiro. There’s been a whole lot of hype. It was released on Netflix and a whole lot of people have watched it. The actors were young, middle-aged and old. Just an amazing job to put the characters in the right scenes at the right time. First off, the actors are terrific. Pesci was terrific. DeNiro was outstanding. Pacino owned the screen every time he was on it... ...and Ray Romano! He’s turning into a really good actor. The story is one that brushes up against the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Kennedys and Hoffa. I’ve heard people say that it’s too long... ...bull! I could’ve watched it for 8 hours. The story of DeNiro’s character’s relationship with his daughters made me think about the scene at the end of the Sopranos when Uncle Junior has slipped into dementia and Tony Soprano goes to see him and says: “You ran the whole operation!” And Junior says: “Oh, that’s nice.”

My cousin, Kristin teaches college courses at Erie Community College. Over the last few years, she’s used my book, “Dogs On Main Street” as the course book so that her students can evaluate the psychological problems that my characters, Joseph, Adam, Mary, Layla and Rolando have. There’s plenty there! The first line in the book, as one student pointed out is: “It was time to get another shitty year started.” Of course, one can argue that my characters psychological problems are actually my problems, as one student imagined. I made reference to my real life marriage and he said: “Excuse me, Joseph, I thought you were married to Rachel.” I said: “It’s a book! It’s made up!!” “Oh,” he said. “I thought it was true.” There was exceptional fun to be had in each class. “I don’t read anything! Ever!!” One older, black woman said, “and I’ve never heard of Bruce Springsteen, but man, I read this in two days. I laughed so hard. You’re a funny man.” I loved that. Favorite

Juice WRLD was a 21-year-old, distinguished in the world of rap music. He collapsed and died at Chicago Mid-way. I’ve felt like collapsing at that airport more than once... ...seems like my gate is always a mile away from where we arrived. “You hear about Juice?” Sam asked. “Who’s Juice?” “He was an amazing artist. He had a seizure.” “Could it have been drug-related?” I asked. “Maybe.” Juice WRLD also had the misfortune in dying on the anniversary of the death of John Lennon. That fact, somehow, made its way to my boys. “Weird that it was the same day as John Lennon,” Sam mentioned. I actually laughed. “Are you comparing the two artists?” “It’s just weird.” I can remember the exact moment when I heard about Lennon’s death... ...it was before school. We used to put the radio on and listened to music before school. Harv Moore was the DJ who broke the news. Shock. Tragic. Poor guy was only 40. I often think of all of the music that we lost out on. I

Was thinking of what to write about. (It ain’t easy finding something every day and I certainly hate being political). But then it dawned on me. For just the 4th time in history the president of the United States will be impeached. It’s well-deserved. Know where he was following the announcement? Meeting a Russian in the oval. No press allowed. And all I could think about was how scary of a time this is. The divide is unbelievable. The side defending him is not disputing the facts... ...he did it. They don’t like the process. I must admit... ...as important as it is as a historical moment, I shut it off the other day. Congressmen were spouting things that were demonstrably false. How is that even allowed???? The disinformation gaslighting of the American public is so disturbing and leads one to believe that nothing matters. A whole bunch of people have been quoted saying: “No one is above the law.” I don’t know how this is going to play out, but I

Spent Sunday afternoon watching Bills-Ravens with my boy, Sam. He’s obviously crazed because the Bills were coming into the game at 9-3 and the Ravens were a true test. A win and the Bills could actually press New England for the division. They fell behind. I was telling Sam a little about the Super Bowls in the 90’s. I know an awful lot about those teams. Sam has a single playoff memory. Bills lost 10-3 in round one a couple of years back. He wants his own memories. “Will you be fired up if they make a playoff run?” Sam asked. “Maybe,” I said. But then I got to thinking about it. The short answer is ‘no chance.’ And it’s not the Bills fault, it’s mine. A few things ruined it for me. 1). I’m older - Jim Kelly and Don Mattingly were my last athletic idols. They retired back-to-back. Shortly after they left, these guys were suddenly younger than me. I remember seeing a few Sabres at a practice after that. They all looked like kids. “Did you ask them for their au

A 28-year-old man sent out a twitter plea looking for money to bury his 27-year-old wife, and the mother of his two children. She died suddenly of an aneurysm and the man had no means to get her into the ground in a dignified manner. The man was looking to raise $5,000 and had secured $1,100. I’ve seen past go-fund me accounts looking for ways to get medical help, go to school, or even eat. And that’s the rub. Jeff Bezos of Amazon makes more money, per minute, every minute of every day than his lowest paid employee. UPS started a go-fund me for the driver who got shot while delivering packages for UPS!! Americans are working harder every year. Vacations are left on the table. Men and women working 2 and 3 jobs, and using food stamps to survive. Check the unemployment rates... ...people are willing to work. Problem is, a lot of people aren’t being properly compensated for their time. The Federal Minimum Wage is $7.25 an hour. That’s embarrassing! A coffee and

Romance is romance, huh? You don’t even want to read the rest of that story... ...it’s as crazy as it sounds. And there’s actually an internet game that is all about entering “Florida Man” and then your date of birth. I tried it. “Florida Man - October 18.” Florida Man shot outside of bar after refusing to drink a free shot in the bar. It was at a bar called “Frank’s Place.” Two men were having an argument. One guy took the high road and offered to buy shots. The other man refused to drink it. The argument escalated. Went outside where the guy DID take the shot. Killed him. Like everyone else I’ve enjoyed trips to Florida to get away from the cold. Spent two weeks there with my brother back in the late 80’s and that’s when I kind of figured out: “The people who actually live in Florida are a tad different.” It was a Florida man who tried to eat another person after doing bath salts. Florida men have done all kinds of crazy sexual things. Florida men h

Writing a book is a lot of work. I don’t normally feel as if the actual writing is work. That’s all left-side brain stuff. It just flows freely, and I’ve really learned how to do it. I often think of an interview I read with Rod Stewart back in the 80’s. He was releasing a great album every year then. “I know how to do it,” he said. “It’s kind of easy.” I’m kind of at that point now. I feel like I can write a book every three months if I wanted to. Just write a little every day and keep the plot moving forward. The ideas are fresh. It’s a great release for a guy with my personality. It’s kind of the reason why I like golf so much... ...’cause the playing of the game is fun and because I know I can always get better at it, and never fully arrive. But, here’s the rub. Preparing the book for release is where the work comes in. I wrote “Small Town” in the early months of 2019 after reading Grisham’s collection of short stories from Ford County. “I’d like to try that.”

My sister has always had a heart that’s bigger than the Grinch. Her work ethic is crazy... ...it’s a Fuzzy thing. And on top of that. Everyone loves hanging around her. ‘Cause you’re gonna’ laugh! Me and my siblings have relationships that are a little like the characters on “This Is Us.” Except there are more of us... ...and we laugh harder at one another’s stupidity. (My Dad had a lot of Jack in him too). And once in awhile Corinne will text me about it: “Are you watching? It makes me cry.” On a specific episode they were going over dates: “How about October 18th or November 22nd or December 6th?” The character asked. My birthday, John’s and finally Corinne’s. Funny. Corinne was all over that one. The three of us were born 22 months apart. I can almost picture Mom and Dad saying: “We better take a break here!” And it’s a good thing they did... ...because Jim, Jeff and Carrie were on the way! Anywhoha... ...to my older sis (can’t say big a

I was starting to get irritated. I had left the job in Shawnee, Kansas with my mind intent on getting lunch before I got to the Kansas City airport... ...and anyone who’s ever been in the KC airport knows why. It’s a tiny place and the food choices are pretty poor. There’s hardly anything at all beyond the security gate. So, I drove and looked. Arby’s, McDonalds, Burger King. Kept driving. Actually googled “Food near me.” Was offered a couple of options. But there wasn’t anything close... ...they were pushing me towards the airport. Pizza Hut, Subway. Not happening. Then I saw the sign for Scott’s Kitchen. No idea. Knew I hit it perfect as soon as I walked in the door. Kansas City Barbecue. The menu was on the wall. There was a line. I listened to the guy in front of me order. He wanted two meats with two sides. Me too! He ordered the burnt ends and the ghost pepper sausage. Perfect! “Sides?” The girl behind the counter asked. I knew t

It wasn’t a perfect call. They hid it immediately. Giuliani was not acting in any government capacity. Nunes was in the Ukraine and he was on the phone with people who’ve been charged with a felony. He should have owned up to that. Putin doesn’t love America. Democrats didn’t fix the election so they could lose and then frame Trump. We definitely need to deal only in the facts... ...yet the disinformation is allowed to live because: One person tells the lie and then 40 people say it too. The intelligence of our country told the world that Russia attacked our election in 2016. Ukraine didn’t. But that FACT has had no bearing on the story that some are telling. This dude, John Kennedy (not to be confused with the smart guy of the same name) came out and said that Ukraine and Russia were responsible. He got lambasted in the media. So he apologized and said, “Russia attacked us. I was wrong. I’m sorry.” The next day: “It was Russia and Ukraine.” He told a

I got asked that question yesterday. “Wow! Can you believe it’s December already?” “It does come after November,” I answered. “I know smartass. It just seems that it got here fast this year!” How does one respond to that? “January is next,” I said. “F*** off.” And I guess that it does seem like time flies the older that you get. I had the same sort of thing happen to me when someone asked: “How old are you?” “Fifty-five,” I said. He walked away after commenting that I am as old as dirt. Then I stood there, mouth agape, thinking: “I’m fifty-freaking-five years old!” How’d that happen? Hardly seems possible! And I was chatting with someone that I knew back when I was in high school... ...don’t see her much anymore...or more than just a handful of times in 30+ years.. ...but still feel like I know her. ‘Cause time is just an illusion. Does it change anything? You know what I’m talking about, right? We all have friends who we don’t see for awhile (I

Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher was charged with murdering an unarmed, sedated captive. He held his head up for a photo opportunity, and Gallagher was found guilty. Over the last couple of weeks it’s been a big story again because Trump gave him a pardon. The pentagon is quite tested by the interference and it’s so hard for me to even fathom how I can handle the overload of the story because it seems pretty cut and dry to me. “All is fair in love and war.” But there are rules against what Gallagher did. He was punished. Should have stayed punished. There are times when I like to try and gauge what others are feeling because, believe it or not, I do understand that there is a possibility that (hold onto your hats here) that I may not be right! Yet, on this one... ...I don’t get it. Do we have such low regard for human life that we are going to condone such actions? Gallagher was deemed a war criminal. He held the head up like he shot a deer? What am I missing? No

So, wish I could say that the patient was moving better. The braces are still on, the movements are stifled... ...so these few days of rest have been truly restful. I have a bit of a routine, of course. I work on writing stuff for a few hours each morning... ...then plan and work on dinner. Maybe clean-up a bit. I’m usually awake a few hours before Kathy...so those are nice, quiet hours. Me & the doggies. I was at the computer when I heard Kathy wake up yesterday... ...she’s still on the couch because bed is too much. “Clifford!” “Working,” I called back. “On what?” “Books!” “Ahh.” I know she needed coffee. Brought it to her. “Need an hour,” I said. By noon, we were settled, watching the show: “Get Shorty”. On our phones. Jake and a buddy came by for dinner. Roast, mashed potatoes and corn and I even baked brownies. Back to the television. “I’m so bored,” the patient said. “Couple of more weeks,” I mentioned. “And you’re leaving M

Kathy went out on Black Friday. Didn’t go well. She was trying to get some crazy deal on an I-phone and because of some garbage with Verizon. So, because she can hardly move yet, I was hooked in. I headed into Wal-Mart, which I don’t do more than once a year, and headed straight to the electronics department. Laptops are only $300??? 50-inch televisions are $299? There are all kinds of cases for I-phones? Big headphones? I headed for the back counter and it seemed like 70 people were just standing around. “Is there a line here?” I asked. A guy in a ‘Make America Great’ hat said: “It’s a mess.” So, I edged by him and walked up to a guy behind the counter. “My wife was in here last night and tried, unsuccessfully, to buy an I-phone.” I handed him the slip of paper and he said: “Oh, I have that right here.” Couple of clicks later and he asked: “Are you the account holder?” “No.” “You’ll have to be in the account to get the phone.” He pulled up the

It’s been a weird football season. There are some absolutely horrible teams: The Dolphins, Bengals, Giants, Redskins, Falcons, Jets (most of the time), Denver. Just awful. Like they aren’t even trying. So, it’s been hard to get a handle on whether or not the teams who are actually winning. Are they actually good? I have zero idea how good the 10-1 Patriots and 49ers are. The Ravens hammered the Patriots but the Browns also hammered the Ravens. The Bills? They needed final drives to beat the Jets and the winless Bengals. They got beat by the Browns and hammered by the mediocre Eagles. Yesterday, I imagined that they would be stuffed in Dallas on Thanksgiving. That’s what the Bills have done for the last 20+ years... ...lost when it matters most. Dallas went 75 yards to score on the first drive and I felt dread... ...not for me (I really don’t care) but for my boys. They’ve seen one playoff game in all the years they’ve been alive and the Bills scored 3 poin

Truth be told, the longer you go, the less enthusiastic one may be about some things in life. It’s easy to do. “Life goes on. Long after the thrill of living is gone.” Mellencamp wrote a great line there, and someone quoted it to me after we found out about the death of a small town friend. And here comes Thanksgiving. An odd year here. We don’t have a kid in the house for the next four days. I have some mighty sore legs and I’m the healthy one. Kathy is still in a neck brace for another couple of weeks. The wind is howling outside. One show leads to the next. But I’m thankful. And lately, I’ve taken to ignoring the outside noise that has dominated the news. Russia’s plan for America was to bring unrest in the form of disinformation that would directly divide the country. It worked, and it wouldn’t have had there been some attention paid to what we need to be thankful for. We’re free here. I have a roof over my head, more than enough to eat, good kids, a wif

So, my boy, Jake and I spend a lot of time talking about writing and artists. So far Jake hasn’t asked me much about actually doing the writing but he certainly appreciates a good lyric. I have sent him some of the most profound of all my favorite artists. “That’s why he’s a legend,” he said, after I went over ‘Moonlight Motel’ from the Springsteen record. So, I decided to open my mind a little. I actually love Slim Shady when he goes funny. The videos of Eminem’s comical raps are great and that guy can sling a phrase. But man, rap is hard for me... ...it’s usually played too loud and all I hear is the bass and they go fast! Jake sent me a quote from Springsteen when someone asked him who he liked. “Kendrick Lamar is making outstanding art.” What??? Bruce said that about a rapper? “You should try it,” Jake said. “Okay. I have a long drive,” I said. “Send me 5 songs I should download.” Jake sent the titles along. I definitely got bored on the drive. Loaded

Rick Perry, a guy who has never hit me as someone who is overly bright, did an interview where he made the claim that Donald Trump is ‘the chosen one.’ As in chosen, by God, not Vladimir. Now anyone who has read this blog understands that my faith in ‘the chosen one’ has never been all that much. I don’t know of one redeeming trait that he has. Doesn’t love dogs! How can you not love a good dog? Speaks nastily about every single person who doesn’t love him. If you love him he is nice to you. He lies. God chose him to lie constantly about everything? Let’s ask Rick Perry: Through history God has made some questionable choices as a leader of people. That’s what Perry said. Maybe God was going for full deception...throw people off the scent. God: “We need someone to save the world.” Saint Peter: “who you thinking about? Jimmy Carter is still building homes for the poor.” God: “He’s got a bad hip.” Saint Peter: “What about Trump?” God: “The fraud guy?? F

On Saturday we gathered to celebrate Mom’s birthday and as usual, Jim made enough food for 500 and we all did our best to make sure Mom knows how much she’s loved... ...and she had a great time. Got some Red Lobster gift cards, some Yankees gear and a few scratchers...which she loves. And she looks great! At one point she was stepping out for a cigarette and my Aunt Franny asked her when she was gonna quit smoking. “I’m 80! It’s gone all right.” And Pops hooked us up too with wontons stuffed with pepper stuffing. They were gone. And when I think of Mom two words come to mind: 1). Books - my love of reading was her gift to me. And 2). Strength - she was pregnant 27 out of 31 months! She never stopped working when we were all there and the washer and dryer never stopped. She’d have your clothes back in your room, folded, and put away before you were ready to wear a shirt again. And she handled Dad... ...no easy task. So, we had a nice time... ...paying tribu

The digits on my phone just changed to 1:00. I’ve been laying in my bed since 10:00. Yeah. On a Saturday night. Because I was coming off 2 lousy nights of sleep. It all started on Thursday night in a hotel. Asleep at 10:00 and wide awake at 03:00. I battled through night and got back to sleep from 4:30 to 6:00. Dead tired as I went through the work day. Friday night would be better. I didn’t sleep a straight hour all night. Sleep walking on Saturday. And here I am... ...exhausted. As soon as my head hits the pillow my eyes jut open. I even tried warm milk! And it usually passes as it arrives - quickly. But man. It sucks!

There was a lot of talk in the impeachment hearing about 2 and 2 equaling 4. And it made me think about Springsteen on Broadway when he talked about 1&1 equaling 2... ...but that the magic happens when 1&1 equals 3. “That’s where the magic happens.” “That’s where love shows it’s face.” Yeah, when it doesn’t make sense. It’s where the creativity lives. 1&1 = 3. It’s my preferred place to be. Where something exceptional happens against the odds. I was talking about writing with a good friend of mine. He made my night by going over the entire plot of ‘Nobody’s Home’ and he brought me back to the days when I was writing it. It was a story about a tragedy in my hometown. I took the main elements of the story and fictionalized it. 1 - the story + 1 - the act of writing it. = 3 Sitting at a restaurant talking about the finished product... ...15 years later. 1 - boy meets girl + 1 - girl meets boy = 3 A long marriage, kids, grandkids an

Crazy. My brother John is closer to 60 than he is to 50. I remember hanging with him every minute of every day when we were kids. Flying high on the swing set. Playing ball. Boxing. Playing king of the mountain out on the end... ...life came charging up the hill. Man, it charged up the hill! And one of the best text threads that I’m on from time to time is me and my siblings and Chuck. Going back and forth... ...making each other laugh. John always has the corniest of jokes. He perfected telling Dad jokes and has been telling them for a lot of years. Some are so dumb that you have to laugh. On last nights thread we were all in different cities. John was telling jokes. The rest of us finally told him to go to bed. He had a big day on the horizon: 56. Hard to believe. Happy Birthday, brother... ...we love you.

Sondland sort of did it. He didn’t actually have a John Dean moment, but he definitely gave it a whirl... ...sang like canary. Immediately they tried to lower the Barr. It felt like a different kind of moment, but by the end of the day, they were doing their best - on each side of the aisle - to make it fit their narrative. It’s more about what we do to somehow move forward when all this garbage is over. Thought about that a little today... ...not sure that there’s a way through. Ran into a millennial today. I was getting a new windshield installed. Sat in the repair shop. The impeachment hearing was on in the room. “How does anyone vote for him again?” The kid asked. I nodded. “How did anyone vote for him once. He’s just a POS.” I know better than to respond in public... ...there were about 4 other people in the room. The youngster wasn’t done. “Must be nice to spend your entire work day just slinging mud. Nothing is gonna’ happen.” Then the kid was

So, Tuesday brought 4 witnesses to the impeachment hearings. The Republicans actually wanted to hear from two of them... ...one of the others was a Purple Heart veteran who was quickly bashed by the GOP quiz masters... ...they like soldiers who don’t get hurt. But the afternoon session brought Volker and Morrison. The GOP was happy they were included so the witch hunt could be fully exposed. Uh, nope! They backed up the story everyone was telling. The money was being withheld until Trump got his investigation of Biden. It happened. Like we all knew it did. Now what? There’s no spin left. Quid quo pro - check. Extortion - check. Bribery - check. Abuse of power - oh yeah. There’s more to do. Sondland will drive the final nail in the case tomorrow... ...and then what? Some are saying that the trip to Walter Reed was to bring about the resignation for health reasons in an effort to avoid the possible indignity of getting tossed. Others are saying tha

Melky is a pain in everyone’s ass. If you happen to get up from your seat, she takes it. She’ll sit in her going out spot and when I get up to take her, she won’t go. “Go!” Everyone yells... ...and she will do it when she’s good and ready. “She’s a real asshole,” Kathy is fond of saying. Kathy and the dog are currently challenging one another for the couch time title. But, man, that dog is determined. On Monday morning I was out of bed by 5:00. Melky was sleeping soundly. I headed out thinking I could leave her in bed rather than going through the morning ritual. I needed to be at the airport by 6:00. I was sipping my coffee, and watching the news when I heard her jump off the bed. “Are you kidding me?” I heard her coming down the dozen steps. One at a time, grunting all the way. She stood there looking at me. “Why didn’t you stay in bed?” I asked, expecting an answer. I let her out. She sniffed a lot of the back yard... ...took a long pee... ...came b

Myles Garrett won’t be playing football for the Browns for the rest of the year. Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ve seen the footage. A brawl broke out at the very end of the Browns game with the Steelers. The Steelers QB, Mason Rudolph, was the guy wrestling around with Garrett. They were both yanking at each other’s helmets and Garrett got Rudolph’s. Then he swung it... ...in an effort to put it back on, I guess. Ugly scene. I was initially horrified until Pops reminded me of some of the brawls I used to get into with my brothers back in the day. “You were all trying to brain one another.” True. Yet, I thought about the worst things I’d seen in sport. 1). Kermit Washington breaking Rudy T’s face back in the 1980’s. Horrible. Still the worst. It was a sucker punch and it nearly killed Rudy T. 2). Marty McSorely banged his hockey stick over Donald Brashear’s head. A seizure on ice is scary. Clear assault and battery. 3). Ronald Artest going into the crowd.

It’s a never-ending battle to get your shit together isn’t it? I don’t know who was the comedian who said, “I finally got my shit together and I got it all over myself trying to pick it up.” We’ve had some uneven weeks here. Kathy is trying to recoup and that’s been a slow, slow process. I’ve always done the bulk of the heavy lifting around the house (because I’m mental) but these last few weeks... ...it’s been EVERYTHING! Which has been all right. Doesn’t bother me much... ...but pressure has been on. By Friday I could see the end of the week on the horizon. A time to take a deep breath. All my shit together. “Damn! My knee hurts.” I went up some stairs. Sounded like I was walking in leaves. The particular knee in question has been operated on twice. I know what a torn meniscus feels like. Went to work. Was still able to climb around, but the pain was becoming more constant. “You gotta’ fix it,” Kathy said. “Nope. Not now.” So, whatever. You can get

It’s pretty crazy when you look at the difference between the Astros players at home and on the road. Seems that a half dozen of them are much better hitters in Texas. And what’s aggravating about it is that I was sure that the Yankees were a better team in 2017... ...but they lost 4 games to 3. The Yankees lost all 4 games in Houston. It’s alleged that they used a camera to zero in on the catcher’s signs and then they flashed a signal to the hitter via whistling or banging on a garbage can! And sign-stealing has always been a game within a game but the feed into the dugout and watching it on television and then telling a batter when a fastball is coming... ...is way over the line. It’s cheating. And it was a huge deal within the organization... ...coaches were in on it. ...manager had to be in on it. All the players. It angers me. Baseball is my favorite sport, by far, and while it’s not perfect, there needs to be some harsh penalties handed out here. The

Donald Trump Jr. is an idiot compared to his father... ...which is saying a lot because his father is an idiot. And I guess, I’m Triggered but Idiot Jr. has the number 1 book on the New York Times best seller list. I haven’t read it and wouldn’t read it for three million dollars. Cause he’s an idiot. I know that I have written 20 books better than that one and I have only put out 13 of them. I have 7 books on the scrap heap that are better than that garbage. So, how may you ask did he arrive at #1 when my books are nowhere to be found on such a list. The explanation is simple: All roads lead to Putin! A Russian oligarch purchased 70,000 copies. I’m not kidding!! How much more clear does it have to be before some of the people who defend these criminals figure out that Russia owns them. Our government has been sold!! Donny Jr. can’t write. The 70,000 copies at, what $20 a pop, is a way for Russians to launder their money. Right out in the open!! And he

I was 7-years-old when Nixon resigned. At 7, I knew that what was happening was straight-up crazy! “Are we gonna’ be all right?” I asked Dad. “I don’t know,” he confessed. Cut to yesterday, and day one of the impeachment inquiry. We heard from a couple of career diplomats who were sounding the alarm about a president who isn’t just unsure about right and wrong. We also heard from Nunes and Gym Jordan... ...two guys who brought up Clinton and Steele and Soros and a defense that has a lot of holes in it. I was in and out of the car, listening to as much as I could stomach. Absolute lawlessness was being bandied about. “How’s that impeachment thingy going?” A construction guy asked. I laughed. It’s all being treated like some sort of entertainment. Whole lot of people have zero interest. My 19-year-old son who calls Trump, “Donny T” and insists: “He’s a good guy,” just to make me laugh... ...said: “Is it almost over so people can vote to give him 4 more y

All summer long I kept a golf ball in my driver’s side door. When I’d get agitated by work, I’d pick it up and use it as a stress ball, thinking, “5 days until I tee off...4 days left...2 days away!” It was all very comforting. We all knew the snow was coming on Monday. “8 to 10 inches,” the weatherman crowed. I fell asleep at my normal time. Woke up a few hours later and looked out the window. My alarm was set for a full hour before I’d normally get up. I woke a half-hour before that. Then all hell broke loose. Melky needs to make a direct beeline from bed to backyard or she’ll have an accident. She also struggles to get up these days. So, I headed out to the car and started clearing the snow. “I’m freezing!” I yelled. “This sucks!!” Ran back into the house... ...and poor Melky was standing there. She hadn’t made it, and was ashamed that I left her hanging. I let her out and she immediately cried to come back in. It was only 6:30 but I needed to get on th