Thoughts of a Common Man

Ollie and I are on a quest to break the long-standing record held by Shadow for catching balls off the garage. We certainly put in some time yesterday and I found myself saying things like: “You need to stay hydrated.” Or “You should be trying to rest in between attempts.” Or my personal favorite: “You aren’t going to break this record unless you want it more than Shadow did.” We made progress. Ollie caught 24 consecutive yesterday in the 4 fifteen minute sessions. It works like this (Shadow had the same rules). You catch 10 straight and you get a drop where it doesn’t reset. The thing about Ollie was that he was at 20 with 2 drops in the bank. He dropped ball #21 Dropped ball #23 And then had his streak end after 24. “You need to give 110%,” I was saying on the way in the house. Kathy laughed. Ollie was panting so loudly that I don’t think he heard me. “If you weren’t fooling around in between tosses you’d have the record by now.” Ollie doesn’t seem all that concerned about erasing th...

The Yankees have a huge lead in their division and have been a fun team to watch all year. You wouldn’t know it if you read the posts on Yankees twitter.  ‘Fans’ of the team have a long list of complaints. They hate IKF, and Gallo and Hicks and Chapman and German. If the Yankees lose…oh God! They want Boone and Cashman fired. They need a new shortstop and two new outfielders and on and on. I finally got sick of the negativity and muted everyone who complains. Enjoy it! It’s no better on the political front. Everyone is so filled with rage! I sent a song I liked to a friend of mine. The photo of the artist showed him standing in front of a number of flags. It was a tiny photo - it looked like one of the flags was upside down. “Not listening to it. He’s disrespecting the flag.” I laughed! The guy was offended. He was not offended by what happened on January 6th. I asked what he thought about the handling of the flags that day. Everything is tinged in hate these days. I’ve had friends...

Not in love with this stage of life. Got a horrible call on the way into work today. Budman! The man, myth, and legend in the construction world in Western New York, passed away suddenly last night. 💔  I’ve known Budman for more than 20 years. I enjoyed every visit to one of his jobs, and we always, always had time for a personal discussion about the Yankees and life in general. Bud man was a regular texter and he often sent me texts during Yankees games because he knew I was watching. He also will stay in my mind for a couple of conversations that were important to me. The last time I spoke to him - just a couple of weeks ago - he was busting his ass in a cramped basement - he wasn’t complaining, and he was more concerned about how I looked! My back was barking that day so I was moving slowly and he wasn’t a fan of the weight I’ve lost “You look sick! Eat a steak!!” Was the last thing I ever heard him say. But, Budman also was important for my career. Back about 15 years ago a yo...

There is Miller, trapped underneath Ollie who jumped up on top during a quiet moment. That’s the thing about this freaking dog… …never a dull moment. If his eyes are open, he wants to play. The thing is, he’s a tad nutty as well. If I buy him a new bone he will look at it, and take two huge steps backwards as if to say: “I can’t freaking believe you bought this for me!” Then he gathers it and runs from the room. Every once in a blue moon, he’ll actually eat it, but much more likely, he will hide it. I’ve found so many bones buried in the cat litter. I’ve found even more set in a corner. Every corner of the house!  He has a favorite green, squeaky ball. He hid it so well that we have no idea where the hell it is! I had to buy him a new one. He did his little dance and then we played with it, non-stop, for a few hours. But his biggest advancement? He can now catch tennis balls off the garage. He’s getting good at it… …had a modest streak of 14 in a row. (I say modest because Shadow h...

I don’t buy lottery tickets very often and truly think it’s dumb to only buy them when the prize gets way up there as if I wouldn’t be happy with a measly ten million or so… …but I bought $6 worth of tickets for the $800 million lottery. And let my mind wander. Thinking of what I could do with that much money with just a few decades left was worth the six bucks. My first move would be to put about ten of my buddies on my payroll. I’d pay them their salaries and their only job would be to make sure that I have a ready 4-some whenever I feel like golfing. They could work out the schedule… …but 3 of them better always be ready. Which led us deeper into the golf dream. A few country club memberships. Maybe re-open South Shore in Hamburg. As for Bruce and the ticket garbage - I’d make contact and see how much it would cost for him to play for about 30 of us in my backyard. And of course, the boring stuff: A home in a warm climate to get the hell out when it dips below 60 degrees. Money for ...

Have to get this story down. On June 1, 1975 I was a mere ten years old. I know right where I was that night. In a hotel in Geneva, New York with my Dad and my brother John. I think about it now and it had to be because my Mom was sick of dealing with all the damn kids! She sent me and John out of town with Dad. It was like an adventure for us. A road trip with Dad! I passed by Geneva on my way to Syracuse and memories of that trip dominated my thoughts. Of course I don’t recall the specifics of the building that Dad was in charge of building, but I do recall wearing a hard hat as we walked along the site. Then John and I spent a lot of time in the job trailer. We had lunch and snacks and we met everyone on the project. That night, we went out to dinner and then back to the hotel. The three of us in one room… …which was a problem for me because I’m a light sleeper and Dad was a heavy snorer. He sounded like a bear. I was sitting inches from the television, watching the California Angel...

I stopped at my usual hotel in Syracuse - I’ve been going there for 30+ years, and am a platinum member, which gets me a 12-ounce bottle of warm water when I check in… …if the clerk remembers to give it to me. Once in a blue moon there will be quarter shaped chocolate chip cookies up there. I usually pay roughly $100 a night. On Friday, I stepped up and the very pleasant young girl behind the counter asked if I wanted a king or queen bed. “Doesn’t matter.” “If you go with the queen it’s $10 less,” she said. “Let’s do that.” “Okay, but I have to tell you that the rate is $179.” “What?” “I know.” “Why?” “We have an algorithm that prices our rooms based on demand,” she said. “There are four cars in the parking lot,” I said. She shrugged. “That’s the rate.” I stood there. Dumbfounded. Now, of course, it was a work-related visit and I would be reimbursed, but that’s not the point. Still, it was also late in the day and I’m not one for change. “I guess there isn’t much choice,” I said. “This...

Played golf on Saturday with my buddies from Raulli in Syracuse. Kind of funny, but I started doing safety for them back in 1997. A month later they tipped a huge crane over in downtown Syracuse. Front page of the paper stuff. The guy to the right of me in the photo saw me that day and in the middle of the devastation (no one was hurt) said: “We will someday be better for having gone through this.” An amazing thing to say in the middle of a bad spot. Yesterday he said: “What company keeps a safety guy for 25 years?” I asked for a watch. And the golf was fun. Strange though because I played with all of them 25 years ago. None of us move the same anymore! But I know my role. I entered the hall for dinner and boldly announced that we could have won had I not had to carry 3 invalids on my back for 18 holes. Got some laughs. Shook every hand on the way out of the place. Just good people. And the company is better for having to deal with that day so long ago because they worked at getting be...

I was walking through a park area near the Syracuse University Campus.  It reminded me of ‘The Green’ which was a park in New Haven, Connecticut near Yale University. I worked near there in 1988 and would sometimes have lunch in the park. Which made me think of my buddies on that construction crew. Billy Tallamalli was the carpenter foreman. He was a guy who was always going 100 mph and he told a story about his wife being pregnant and overly gassy that had me rolling on the floor. “I told her, ‘Honey, I was in Viet Nam, with 40 guys bunked in one room, and I have never smelled anything as bad as that.” Which made me think of an old college buddy. His name was Bert Doring. We had to call him ‘Dirt Boring’. He was an absolute ball of fire and he had zero chance at surviving 4 years of college. Good old Dirt was only in my life for one year. My mind flipped to California and my labor partner, Zane Conway.  Zane and I were tight. We just hit it off, and I can still see him laughi...

It’s so weird to think about Covid now and Covid a couple of years ago. Yesterday, President Biden tested positive. There wasn’t wall-to-wall coverage on it. We were told that he had mild symptoms, most likely because of the vaccines and boosters. And it’s just weird now. A friend of mine also tested positive this week. He also had just a stuffed up nose and a little fatigue. He only let me know because I spent some time around him the day before he was diagnosed. When he belt me know, I didn’t panic. A couple of years ago, I had to quarantine after hearing I was in the same county as someone who tested positive. I didn’t even consider it this time, but thought, ‘Ah, I’ll take a test if I feel a symptom.’ I didn’t so much as sneeze all week. I felt a bit weird about it though because I was friends with people who died of Covid. A couple of those friends were in their 50’s. What a shame.  Today we know a whole lot more about Covid. It’s no longer a truly scary ordeal. Yet, there’s a...

Pretty amazing that the texts are lost between secret service agents on January 6th. In fact, it’s hard to believe. The shame of it all is that we have always held the secret service in high esteem. We romanticized all of it by believing that they would give up their lives to protect those who they are tasked to protect. The truth of the matter, on that one day, they ‘missed’ a bomb that might’ve killed the vice-president-elect and they tried to get the sitting vice-president into their vehicle and HE WOULDN’T GO! All hell broke loose that day and they didn’t help. And they lost the texts (despite being told on multiple occasions) to hang onto them. This is so much worse than Watergate, and a lot of people are turning a blind eye. Garland did stand tall yesterday and tell all that everyone responsible for the attempted insurrection will be held to account. “No one is above the law,” is a phrase that we’ve heard all of our lives. And that’s what truly needs to happen now. Justice must p...

I work in the construction safety business. Throughout the last 15 years of my career I’ve begrudgingly accepted the fact that anywhere between 4 and 8 lives would be lost in the Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse areas. Still way too many, but a great deal of attention is certainly paid to working safely. There are a number of good safety people and OSHA, despite using the citation book as a hammer, also helps. Yet, in 2021 there were more than 20 fatalities in the same general area. Why????? I had a long talk with some of the other safety dudes and we were certainly of the opinion that workers are distracted. Not by their jobs, but by life around them. Covid. The insurrection. Gas prices. Corporate price gouging. Mass shootings. And then last night I read an article about it, and they noted that cascading collective traumas are distracting all of us. I wonder how many people would concede that the last five years or so has derailed what we believed about living here in America. A tad un...

Okay, so I couldn’t take a break from baseball for too long. Given that it was the home run derby I began thinking about my favorite bombs of all time. Let’s count them down: 5). George Brett - the pine tar homer. This was actually a home run AGAINST the Yankees! In a big spot. Brett hammered it for miles! Then he was called out because Billy Martin challenged how much pine tar was on the bat. Brett was called out and went absolutely insane! That’s why it makes my list. 4) Kirk Gibson off Dennis Eckersly in the World Series. The A’s were heavily favored (I hated them) so I was rooting for the Dodgers (who I hated a little less).  Gibson was hobbled. He could barely stand up. Eck was cocky and the best closer that year.  I got goose bumps when that ball went over the wall and can still see Gibson’s hobbled move around the bases as he did the fist pump. Go watch it again. 3). Tino & Brosius in back to back games in 01’ series. The Yankees were going for their 4th straight Wo...

The Yankees are 64-28 and have a huge lead in the division. By all accounts, a terrific start of the season, but the Yankees were pummeling the hapless Red Sox on Saturday night when Kathy asked if we could go to a movie instead. “Sure,” I said. “I’m ready for the break.” “What?” “The all-star game,” I said. “I need the break.” “Do you know that you aren’t actually a player?” She asked. “Why in the hell would you NEED a break?” “I don’t know, but I feel it every year. I don’t watch the home run derby. I don’t even check on the all-star game.  I take 4 days completely off. “Does it help you make it through the travel and grind during the second half?” So, I guess that she doesn’t quite get it. There’s a lot to going into following every game in a 162-game season. I have to check stats. I have to evaluate the playoff projections, and plot out possible playoff opponents. I have to consider the league MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the year, and managers of the year. I also have to manage my...

I’m appreciating these beautiful days. Because I have a good memory of all the gray days that aren’t all that far in the past, and are coming up fast in the future. One of the reasons I enjoy golf is because of the heat and the beauty of every course. Every single round I’ll look at the surrounding and take a deep breath. Perfect. We have had a pretty long stretch of truly dry weather here. The pond was as low as I’ve ever seen it on 17… …still managed to hit water with a truly horrific swing… …but I also haven’t had to cut the grass this week. And I love a summer night around a neighborhood. You can hear dogs barking, and voices of children and even an occasional leftover firecracker. One of our neighbors has a fire pit and there are summer nights when I can smell that smoke and listen to their youngsters laugh as they jump on the trampoline. Miss those days when the kids were young… …but they stay busy too. “What’s up for tomorrow?” I asked Sam. “Cornhole tournament.” We’re busy too....

Passed a golf course on my way to a site on Thursday morning.  Thankfully I got caught at a light and was able to watch a tall, lanky, older gentleman tee it up. He took a healthy practice swing and when he was in his backswing I thought about yelling, “Noonan!” out the window at him. (Nod to Caddyshack). The guy hit a decent shot - was a little left. His partner gave him a fist bump regardless. “Damn!” I said, as the car behind me beeped to get my mind back on the road. The light was very green. “I’m taking a day,” I also said, to the interior of my car. The tee time was the easy part as JC sets them up. I texted a work buddy - “Want to golf tomorrow?” The “Yes!” came back a split-second after I hit send. And Friday afternoons in the summer are perfect for mental health days. “You’re golfing again?” Kathy asked. “Where would I be on a normal Friday?” I asked. “Working,” she said. “Okay. Pretend I’m working.” And when I think about the hours spent on the course during the summer mo...

Just an awful story out of Ohio and Indiana. A pregnant 10-year-old. A rape victim. Due to the Ohio abortion laws, the young girl was going to be forced, by law, to carry the pregnancy to its conclusion. A child who lived through something horrifically traumatic was going to become a Mom at the age of 11. Then to make matters worse, the child became a political football in this warped world that we now live in. One side blamed the other side of making it all up. The other side used the pregnancy as a way to yell, “See! The new law is crazy!!” On and on it went. And then the alleged rapist was charged, and the girl crossed state lines for the medical procedure required to allow her a chance to live a life. So side one went out of the way to publicize the name of the doctor. To bring anger and bring rage and bring hatred to a situation that was already full of it. This is just the first example of it. Going to have to tune it all out. Probably shouldn’t even read or comment about it. But...

It’s been a long time since we saw Springsteen on Broadway. Bruce and the E Street Band haven’t been around in 6 years! But yesterday the news broke. Buffalo is getting a visit, of course! March 23rd. And what’s funny about the world now is that on the concert announcement sent out by one of the local news channels a whole bunch of people jumped on to say that they hate Bruce because he’s anti-Trump and that he hates America. I laughed at that, but it aggravates me too. As a longtime fan, I knew back in about 1978 where Bruce stood on political issues. “Nobody wins unless everybody wins,” should’ve been a clue that he was left-leaning. He is for rights for all.  Blacks, gays, women. And of course, he grew up poor.  Worked for every nickel. He gave a lot back.  And while I feel compelled to defend him, I don’t need to force anything on anyone. Bruce’s music has meant a lot to me and to a whole lot of people I love. He’s a highly talented writer and performer. His is the mo...

There is no shortage of people out there who have claimed that God came to them in a dream, or while they were driving their car, or when they were drunk off their ass. God. Himself. Came down and spoke to them. I am always a tad skeptical and when someone says it to me (I have had a few people through the years make this claim) I have a standard answer: “How come God only speaks to lunatics,” I will say. Yet, like finding the image of Mother Mary in a potato chip bag… …or seeing Jesus in the clouds… …I just wonder. And man, I was exposed to a whole lot of religion as I grew up. I have always considered religion for people to be like having ten people looking at a camp fire. It’s the same fire, but every person sees something different, and I think it should stay private. Imagine sitting around the fire and having the guy sitting next to you tell you how he’s seeing it more clearly than you are? There’s a great line in an old Dire Straits song and Knopfler sings: “Two men claim that th...

If you’re reading this you were blessed to be born into the top 1% of history’s population. You’ve experienced luxuries that so many millions of others who’ve walked this planet never did. The technology of the day. The abundance of food, water and clothing. Cars and trains and planes. It’s an amazing time to be alive, and yet, it’s never enough. People, especially in the last 5 or 6 years seem to be in a constant rage. Someone is screwing them out of something that they feel entitled to. Some hate those who may be less financially fortunate.  Some abhor those who don’t look like they do.  Women  and gays and black and immigrants and Hispanic and Jewish and Muslim. A need to punch down. Always. An ‘I deserve more because I’m better’ way of thinking. And there’s no shortage of subjects to bitch about. Things that mean zip to the actual lives they’re living. How are gays bothering you if you don’t live in that world? How does someone else’s medical choice about their body i...

James Caan and Paulie Walnuts! Both lost this week. And of course, I immediately thought of Tony Soprano and Uncle Junior at the nursing home. Uncle Junior  has lost his memory while Tony is up to his neck in the life. It dawns on Tony that his uncle will never be the same, and it hammers his heart. “You were in charge of all of New Jersey,” Tony says. “Oh, that must’ve been nice,” Uncle Junior answers. And that scene hit me harder than any other in the entire series. Nothing truly matters. All the little battles all through life. Uncle Junior doesn’t recall any of it, and Tony is destroyed by that. But, of course, it isn’t all that dire. An actor leaves behind a tangible life of work. James Caan in The Godfather or in Misery. People will watch those movies for 100 years. The same with the Sopranos. We will have the same fate. Our life’s work matters, and if we do it right, will live on after we go. Perhaps we won’t be remembered by as many people as a prolific actor, but how many ...

Here’s a secret: I honestly hate watching Yankees-Red Sux games. It goes back to the early 2000’s, of course, but it’s continued to this day. Now, this year there’s a pretty good gap in the standings, so the games shouldn’t be all that anxiety-filled, but I still don’t enjoy the games. Because I don’t ever want to see the Red Sux even score a run. We are in a fantasy baseball league and my boys are still running my brother Jeff’s team, and there’s only one rule: “You can’t draft a Red Sux player.” That, of course, goes back to those series all those years ago. Jeff had drafted Jason Varitek to be his catcher. On the first day of the the season, Varitek homered.  The next morning, Jeff cut him. “I cant root for him.” So, we made a pact. No Red Sux players. This is a 4-game series. Donaldson hit a grand slam early last night and I texted a photo of him to a Red Sux fanatic. “It ain’t over yet,” he answered. “It’s been over since June 1st,” I replied. “God, I hate the Yankees and thei...

Ran into a guy I hadn’t seen in a few years.  We had a 2-minute conversation and I moved away.  On my past him on the way out of the site, he stopped me. “Do you have a brother who does safety?” He asked. “No,” I said. “My younger brother is a project superintendent, but he doesn’t work around here.” “You just remind me of my old safety guy. Cliff Fazzolari,” he said. “That’s me!” I said. His buddy laughed uproariously. “Holy crap! How much weight have you lost?” And the funny thing is, I was asked that same question about 20 times last week. I don’t even know how to answer the question. I don’t pay attention, but I’ll tell you this, I have to wear a belt now. “You must feel better,” one guy said. “Actually, I feel like garbage.” And I honestly don’t know what the hell happened! I was eating like a king, was symptom free, and didn’t even consider what I should or shouldn’t be eating. And then I got a blood test that showed high glucose. It only took a couple of months and I go...

Thought #1 I threw my driver on Sunday. Damn, golf can be aggravating! I had good swings that ended badly and then I put the wrong tee in the ground and topped a drive. Was so pissed off that I sent the $400 club in the general direction of the pond. It didn’t go in! 2 swings later and I hit the green from 200 yards out. It’s a fickle game! Thought #2 It’s so hard to even listen or read the news after a mass shooting. That kid legally bought a weapon of war. Most Americans see the problem with that but bought politicians keep denying any talk about background checks because they’re bought!! That kid should’ve never been sold a weapon. Never! There’s another kid lining up, right now, somewhere to buy such a weapon, for the same damn reason! He’ll get it too. God help us. Thought #3 The Yankees will win 100 games this year if they just win every other game from here on out. They have a 14 game lead so the division is most likely theirs as well. So, they won’t have a ‘big’ game until Octo...

The latest mass shooting has nothing to do with doors. It happened outside. Little kids marching in a parade. On the 4th of July. Nothing more American than that! But when you think about it for more than a split-second it can certainly turn your stomach. One minute people were gathered for a parade. The next minute they were screaming in terror and running through the blood of their fellow Americans. And the white male, between 18-20 years of age, made it clear of the scene. He fired 60 shots in 22 seconds… …killing six and wounding dozens more. The biggest concern for 30% of the population was instantly: “We can’t take away his right to buy whatever gun he wants!” Stomach turning. Nothing can be done. So just an update on places to avoid: Malls, grocery stores, schools, churches, concerts, night clubs, places of business, military installations, colleges, and now, parade routes. That’s living free? “End up like a dog who’s been beat too much. You spend half your life just covering up...

I liked them as a kid, I guess. They set them off at the park as the entire population of our small town gathered and went “Ooohhhh! & Ahhhhh.” It all lasted about twenty minutes and finished with a huge ending that left everyone walking around saying: “Wasn’t that great?” Then we forgot about fireworks for another year. Not anymore. Now the fireworks start around halfway through June and continue the rest of the summer. Every single neighborhood is alive with the noise and the sheer terror that sends every animal and combat veteran cowering and shaking in terror. A dog doesn’t know what a firework is. So, as an adult, I have grown to hate fireworks. And the 4th of July? This year it’s on shaky ground in my mind. Independence Day is a day to celebrate our freedom as we left to form a Democracy. Based on the fact that we would be a melting pot of people who would respect each other’s differences. The church and the state would be separate entities because we were looking to escape w...

Saw a young woman in the grocery store parking lot. She was trying to hustle three kids into the back of a mini-van. Two of them were doing okay, but a boy of about five years old was screaming as if he swallowed the sun. Mom wasn’t paying him any attention at all. She loaded a bag into the back seat and glanced at me as I strolled on by. She laughed and rolled her eyes at her screaming boy. “He’s a picnic,” she said. “I have three kids too,” I said. “They’re older now. Still drive me nuts.” “Oh God,” she answered. “I’ve been living with the idea that if enough time passes it’ll get better.” That was our moment in time, and eventually I noticed that she got the kid into the car and buckled up. I thought about how quickly we went from trying to get screaming kids into the car to wondering what time the knuckleheads were going to get home. An eye blink. It made me sad for a moment because I saw that woman as. Young Mom with her really young children and she saw me as an old guy, snickeri...

It’s here! Finally. Friday was a weird work day because everyone already had a foot and a half out the door. I had a plan for a half a day of work (was originally a plan for a whole day off but what can you do?) By noon we were all on the tee. I golfed with three guys who I’ve known, literally, for more than 50 years! I’m only 57 so we met when we were nothing more than toddlers. It was like putting on an old pair of comfortable shoes.  We talked a little about our Dads. We laughed a lot telling old stories of glory days, and we swung the clubs without any pressure of competition. The highlight of the day was a tee shot on a short par 4 that was 280 yards away.  I was on the fringe - pin high! Al was just a ten yards behind me.  💪 💪 💪 💪 💪  We parred the hole. (I missed the birdie putt). But the game was secondary because we felt pretty free with 3 more days celebrating the weekend. Yet, the politics of the day also entered our conversation on one hole. Way too m...

I work in an industry where the thought of OSHA brings a bit of panic to some of my clients. Now, most of the people I work with are trying to do things the right way and don’t ever want to see one of their employees injured, but the threat of an OSHA fine also makes them truly pay attention to the rules. And rules and regulations are necessary. Just over 50 years ago, OSHA came to be because more Americans were dying at work than dying in Viet Nam… …where there was a war going on. The number of Americans who have lost their life at work has been drastically reduced since then. With a bit of an exception… …there was a time, at the start of the century when the Republican administration wanted a ‘friendlier’ relationship with OSHA. When the threat of fines was off the table… …the number of deaths drastically increased. (I have a point here!) Remember the BP Oil spill? Happened when regulations were eased and liability was capped. What happened yesterday is tragic. The Supreme Court (and...