Thoughts of a Common Man

I have annual books filled with my daily activities back to 1973. 50 years of notes that document my days. As Sam once told me: “We aren’t going to be left wondering what you were thinking, ever, because you wrote everything down.” Yet, I opened the suitcase where I have stored all the journals and it crossed my mind to just get rid of them. Why am I holding onto them? No one will ever want to read what I did with my day back in 1989. It’s funny though because every once in a while, we will have a debate on when something happened.“I can look it up,” I’ve mentioned more than once. But now? There isn’t much of a reason to look back on my days. I know where the idea came from… …back in the 4th grade I was looking ahead. “If I write things down now, when I’m an old man I’ll have material to write a book about my life.” It was a real thought and I was disciplined in writing each day’s recap… …for 50 years! Still, here we are at the end of the year, and I don’t have to worry about that book...

Was listening to the baseball network on satellite radio and the hosts talked about how it was ‘raining cats and dogs’ out there. The first host wondered where the phrase originated and the second host said: “ah, who cares? No one says it anymore.” I cared, and it occurred to me that some still say it. I had to look it up. The phrase’s origin is from 17th century Europe - heavy rains would sometimes result in dead animals being moved down the street in flooding. Made me think of words that have been forgotten. They used to say: Groovy: Simon  and Garfunkel sang a song that had feeling groovy as the chorus. We don’t say groovy much anymore. Davenport: My grandma used to say. “Go sit on the Davenport.” She was talking about the couch, of course, but by the time she was telling us, no one knew what the hell a Davenport was. Snazzy: “Why, don’t you look snazzy?” When we were kids if we dressed up that was why we might hear. I wonder what my kids might say if I told them they looked sna...

A reporter asked Republican presidential hopeful, Nikki Haley. a question about the civil war. She didn’t mention slavery as the main cause. Instead she said that it was about people fed up with the government having too much power and that people got sick of the interference and rebelled. When the reporter asked: “What about slavery?” She said: “Next question.” Evidently, Haley didn’t pay attention in history class, or like many others - there is a real attempt to downplay what the blacks went through. They’re banning books that even mention it in some states. Haley was lambasted for her idiotic answer so she doubled down on her moronic answer saying that Americans don’t want the government telling people how to live their lives… …she’s not pro-choice… …doesn’t she realize that her stance on abortion contradicts her whole anti-government interference position? What is even more confounding is the media’s reaction to Haley’s gaffe. She has to be wondering: “What about the big orange du...

I have to do my best to stick to my routines. It keeps my head clear. The rest of the world isn’t really cooperating. I visited a few jobs, and even the construction guys were moving slowly. I sent an email.  Got an immediate response. “…is out of the office and will be returning on January 2nd. Please leave a message.” So, it stands to reason that I should relax a little and try and take my time during my visits. The problem being, Miller didn’t get the memo to relax. He started my morning by singing Christmas songs. As far as I can tell his entire first purpose of every day is making sure that I don’t sleep too long. To make matters worse, football was canceled yesterday as the rain turned Oliver’s playing field into a mud puddle. Try explaining the game is called off. And Camp Clifford was quiet as well… …everyone is starting to feel better, but there wasn’t a whole lot of movement. “Ugh,” I said, as the day ended. “What’s up?” Kathy asked. “Days are too slow this week.” “Just g...

Political races are usually hotly contested and when it’s for the highest office in the land, the race starts a couple of years before the votes are actually counted. The politicians who are facing one another have their lives examined through the most powerful of lenses and usually it’s hard to differentiate who said what when it comes to wishing their fellow Americans a Merry Christmas. Not this time around! The incumbent candidate went the: ‘From my family to yours we wish you a loving, peaceful, healthy and Merry Christmas.” The challenger: “MAY THEY ROT IN HELL!” Was how he chose to close his heartfelt message. When is enough enough with this dude? Read the message: “Everyone is doing me wrong! It’s not fair! I did everything right!!” When I read it I thought of a petulant child complaining to his parents about how tough his life is because people are unfair. And to be of the mindset to tell someone to ‘rot in hell’ on Christmas Day when you’re being touted as the second coming of...

It was 58 degrees yesterday. Last Christmas we got absolutely blasted and the blizzard kept us in our house for 3 days. Illness changed things this year. I cooked. Jake was my only consistent eating partner. Kathy and Sam slept a whole lot of hours, and we had a great visit with members of my side of the family, but there was a quiet - again - about Christmas. As I was tossing the ball for Ollie it occurred to me that I could be golfing! Then I thought about the last two Christmas weather days. “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas?” Or 58 degrees and playing with the Big O. No contest! “Who in their right mind would look out the window on a day like today and sing about dreaming about snow?”  Sam laughed. “Yeah. This is better.” Christmas was different. I rested and read and cooked and listened to people sleep. Work will be another exercise in sleep-walking as a lot of people phone it in this week… …but I’m ready to roll… …and when everyone wakes up, we’ll do a little more in the way...

Welp. Christmas 2022 was postponed by a major blizzard that kept us in the house. No chance at moving anywhere. Christmas 2021 was put on hold because Kathy was recovering from a hip replacement of her left hip. Christmas 2020 was curtailed because of Covid. We didn’t see anyone. Christmas 2019 was cancelled because Kathy was suffering from a broken hip which resulted in her having her right hip replaced. So, we were a tad fired up about this year. Kathy got sick on Friday. Sam got sick on Saturday. Jake’s girlfriend and Matt’s fiancé are both sick as well - all Covid tests are negative but I’m hearing things like Strep throat and bronchitis. I’ve been around all of them… …not so much as a sniffle. Through this morning, it’s been a lot of sleeping - by all those around me - and very little else. Jake and me are eating well. The presents will be opened. Ollie is getting his reps in. “I’m sorry,” Kathy said at one point. “Not much of a celebration again.” “Eh, we’re all here. We have foo...

 I happened to be looking straight at my Mom when my niece, Andrea, crossed the room with her newborn daughter, Oaklyn. Mom’s face lit up… …like a Christmas tree. In that moment I witnessed pure joy and absolute happiness. Love will teach you joy. And Mom held the baby for a moment and very quietly said: “I want a baby.” We were short a few siblings - Jim is on vacation, Carrie is out of town, and Jeff is missed every day, but we had a full house as our children sat in some of the chairs that were always set around a huge table. Right there in that same kitchen. On Dad’s birthday, it was hard not to think of some of those days gone by. We told a few stories. Dad stories are always good for a hearty laugh and a shake of the head or two. A few old friends names came up too. Mom asked about my buddies Tom and Jeff. She recounted a story from about 40 years ago when Tom was confronted by Mom’s Mom. “You shouldn’t drive home,” Grandma told Tom. “You’re in no condition to drive.” “Ha! I’...

Friday was technically a work day… …I didn’t come across, or speak to, anyone who wasn’t half-assing it. My life is agenda driven.  I wake up with a fully defined plan each day. I was a little out of sorts when I got out of bed because I couldn’t figure out quite what I wanted to do. I thought about the food that we would be consuming at the get-togethers. I’d have to be gathering that. There were a few stray gifts to get, and picking those is never much fun. We are getting together today to celebrate Dad’s birthday which will also factor into our plans. Dad never wanted us to make a fuss over his birthday, but we always did. Getting together and laughing a bit will add to the celebration. But there’s the world to deal with during this time of year. I spent a long time waiting to pull out into traffic at the end of my road - there was a steady line of cars. Too many damn people out! I stood before a clerk at a store who seemed to me to be slightly brain-damaged.  I gave her $1...

Jennifer Aniston leaned in close and whispered: “All right, let’s make out. I wanna’ see what all the fuss is about.” “What do you mean?” I asked. “It’s all any of the women talk about,” she responded. I didn’t have the chance to finish the conversation because Miller, for one reason or another, purred right in my ear. I grabbed the phone - it was only 3:45 in the morning. I couldn’t get the dream back! Me and Jen - two ships that passed in the night. There was also a dream a few nights before. I tried to exit a room and noted that I was locked in. The guy on the other side of the door explained that I would have to pay a $25,000 fee to get out. Not sure how I woke from that dream, but it stuck with me all day. I was pissed! And what dreams mean and where they come from has always been a bit fascinating to me. Jennifer Aniston is a fine actress and I’ve watched most of her shows or movies… …but why would she appear in my dreams begging me to make out with her? Who the hell knows, right...

For the first time ever, the entire story of the John Lennon murder is being told in a documentary. The first episode was absolutely upsetting to me. This was back in 1980. I was only 16 years old when it happened, and I can recall the minute when I heard that Lennon had been killed. It was just a normal morning. My sister had turned on the radio, as she’d done every morning, and we listened to music. Harv Moore was the DJ on WPHD 103 who broke the news to me. As I watched the first episode, I felt the same feeling of dread as I did back in 1980. Lennon had always been my favorite Beatle. As time went on I learned to love all of them as talented writers and musicians, but to this day, John remains my favorite. Why was he killed? I still can’t understand it and it’s because I’m looking at real life through those evil eyes of Mark David Chapman. The pain in the hearts of those being interviewed - 43 years later - is evident. The cab drivers and the security guards broke into tears. I go ...

I don’t much care for these couple of weeks of the year. It’s not that I don’t like Christmas - I do - good food, time with the family, an extra couple of days off… …it’s the actual days when I’m supposed to be working that bother me. No one is really all that interested in working. Everyone that I run into seems to be completely devoid of energy. I don’t do half-throttle very well and while I still have things scheduled, I’m also a little off my game. The colder temperatures and the grey sky doesn’t do much for me either, and above all else, the routine is off. I have to wait for other people to make up their mind on what they want to do. Other people work their schedule into mine… …and I have to lecture myself in just taking it as it comes. “I think we do a Christmas brunch,” Kathy said. “Matt can only make it between 10 a.m. and like 2:00 and Sam has to go to work so what do you think about us doing a ham or a turkey with broccoli cheese and rice or pasta?” “Us?” I asked. “Are we co...

Mark Zuckerberg got about $3 billion dollars richer yesterday. One of the richest men in the world - his billions grow every day.  I also read that 8 men have as much money as more than 90% of the rest of the world. 8 men. Billions of billions of dollars. Zuckerberg is now not so secretly building an underground bunker in Hawaii. If you get the chance take a look at it - there are 30 bathrooms. Meanwhile, I watched a man, pushing a shopping cart up to the door of an abandoned house here in Buffalo. The guy spent most of the afternoon trying to find anything worth saving in the total disaster of the long forgotten home.. He ripped down a canopy that was full of holes and covered in dirt, mold and who knows what else. The man told a co-worker that the canopy would come in handy to wrap himself up once the snow starts flying. The haves and the have nots have never been more clearly defined and there are way more have nots. The guy stripping the home certainly doesn’t have a Facebook a...

For the second straight Saturday I cooked two meals. This week I made a turkey breast and mashed potatoes with corn for Saturday. Pasta Fagioli for Sunday. Then a funny thing happened… …I decided, as everything was cooking, that I wasn’t going to be eating any turkey. The pasta fagioli was amazing. I told Mom about the menu for the weekend and she asked me where I learned how to make pasta fagioli. “Dad taught all of us,” I said. “He made sure that we hit the world with about twenty different pasta dishes in our back pocket.” Mom was happy about that. She enjoyed knowing that all her sons and daughters are pretty good cooks. So, at least winter weather is good for something, right (even though I could’ve went golfing on Saturday). There’s plenty of time to cook. Of course, I made way too much… …of both dinners. “What the hell were you thinking?” Kathy asked. “You made two dinners for eight and there are only two of us here.” “Maybe someday I’ll be able to just cook enough for two. Not ...

This is truly the golden age of television. We have about 5 series going and we’re well aware of when the next season of a new favorite is going to drop. (That’s even the lingo that the kids use). When we were kids if we missed an episode of a show we had to wait until the summer and pray that they play that rerun. Thursday was a can’t miss night - Cheers, Wings - we had to be home for those shows. Now? I read about a possible show somewhere on Twitter and even if I only have one word in the title we can find it in 30 seconds through a search… …and an entire season will be there. Yet, on Saturday night, Kathy said: “There’s nothing on.” “How can there be nothing on? We have about 20,000 stations.” And little did I know but we have to PAY for all those stations. For instance, I came home and mentioned a show I’d heard about. “What’s it on?” “Hulu. Do we have that?” “It expired.” “Oh.” “No big deal.” A second later, my phone chimed. A charge for $9.99 had been approved. “Did I just sign ...

 You can ask anyone who watched Yankees games with me at the start of the century. I wasn’t a fan of Rudy. He was always there in the first row, wearing an NYPD hat.  Free tickets, trying to get in the face of all the Yankees legends. Just rubbed me the wrong way. Over the past ten years he’s become something of a national nuisance. He was all over the news after the 2020 election spewing nonsense about how it was stolen. He booked the 4 Seasons Landscaping for a huge press conference and was laughed off the national stage. But not before he tried to prove the election interference by making two Georgia electors lives a living hell. The jury wasn’t kind to Rudy… …he was found liable and has been ordered to pay $148 million to the two women. Rudy was famous for saying, “We have a lot of theories. We just don’t have any evidence.” Using the math in my above photo: He found out. Yet, as I was flipping by the story I saw Steve Bannon and Alex Jones… …a couple of other men who were...

Every year around this time an email goes out to invite all the safety professionals to a downtown Buffalo bar. We have a couple of drinks, and swap stories about the days gone by. The safest party anyone has ever gone to. And it truly is a fun get-together because all the OSHA compliance officers are there as are safety directors from the biggest contractors and all the best consultants. I worked for and with a whole bunch of guys in the room, and we laughed a lot talking about the cases where guys did epically stupid things, got busted by OSHA and then petitioned me to help them get the penalties reduced. As I looked around the room, a whole lot of years seemed to melt away. “Remember when,” is the lowest form of communication. Tony Soprano said that in an episode and I don’t necessarily agree. I think it’s healthy and often times hilarious to rehash the glory days. What was particularly funny was that a couple of us were talking about a case from back in 1997. “I wasn’t born yet,” o...

Saw that the Dow Jones set a record. Unemployment is about as low as it can possibly go. Wages are going up, inflation is being controlled. Yet, news broke yesterday about an impeachment inquiry beginning to access the ‘Biden crime wave.’ “What evidence is there?” A reporter asked. “We’ll get back to you,” was the answer. Evidently, Hunter Biden, who struggled mightily with addiction after the loss of his mother and brother did some crazy things. At one point or another he sent his Dad payments for a car… …totaling a few grand… …and the GOP is saying that is evidence that Dad is a criminal who was taking kickbacks from China. It didn’t matter that Joe didn’t hold office at the time and that Hunter has never held a political position. “Uh, about that evidence?” “Yeah. We’ll let you know if we find any.” So, let’s tally the work they’ve done: 1). They fired the speaker. 2). A month later they found a new speaker. 3). He thinks he’s Moses. 4). They chased one of their own guys out of Cong...

The nation has been captured in the horrific hell that is the Texas court system. Kate Cox is the mother of two. She is caught in a non-viable pregnancy, and after 20 weeks she conferred with her doctor.  The doc advised that she end the pregnancy. For her own health. The pregnancy is not viable! The fetus will never become a baby. The abortion that she needs is a health care issue. Texas decided that what her doctor prescribed and what she wants (as emotionally devastating as it all is) doesn’t matter. It’s more than outrageous. It’s dangerous. Of course, I read the threads of the debate. “God performs miracles every day,” one man wrote. “Perhaps it’s not as dire as that doctor thinks and the child will be born.” That’s not a working theory. ‘Hoping for a miracle’ when it may cost the Mom her life… …isn’t a gamble anyone should take. She is the mother of two children and the wife to a husband who needs her. She isn’t ending the pregnancy is inconvenient… …it will save her life. As...

The Ollie update. He was named after the Bills player, Ed Oliver, and we had a laugh when the announcer yelled: “Oliver can be really disruptive!” That’s true. We are still playing catch - had to move to the side yard to stay clear of a couple of muddy areas, but we went from playing 4 times a day down to just a couple. So, we have indoor toys: Pinky, Bunny, Brain (a ball that came out of Bunny’s head), Flippy, big football, little football and the two new ones: Pig And Penguin. The game - which we named roll call - goes something like this: I call out the name of the toy and  Ollie gets it. We place them on the couch until they’re all lined up… …and then we play with each one. Basically, we play tug of war. When I get the toy away from him I throw it down the stairs. Two seconds later, he brings it back. There is no time limit on the game. “Someone take the damn dog!” I yell and I get a bit of a break. After he visits Humpy. How long does it take a lab to calm down? Ed Oliver can ...

Early this morning I heard a ad from a patriot website that implored me to buy three months of dry food to prepare for ‘what’s coming.’ Over the weekend we caught the Julia Roberts end times movie that was pretty damn good. It was apparent to me that I would’ve been the Ethan Hawke character - totally clueless about what to do - while running to the Kevin Bacon character for help. I don’t wanna be around when the shit hits the fan and we are all fighting one another for scraps of food. And I often think of the old Roger Waters song where the radio guy announces that the end of the world is imminent. Then he gives the score of a baseball game that is in the 7th inning. Ho-hum. Yet, there’s no joking about it. There are people who are stockpiling guns, food, generators, clothes, etc… …in preparation for ‘when it happens.’ Not us and I take little comfort in knowing my boys would be around… …once we run out of chicken fries we’re cooked.

I’ve always wished that the money being made by athletes was never made public. They’re genetic freaks. We watch them play and sports is an amusing distraction that enriches our lives. Yet, when a player signs a deal for $700 million dollars for 10 years of work… …we all gasp. “No one is worth that!” “We’re going to pay the price! Tickets are outrageous!” Yet, the money is there. The Dodgers wouldn’t cough up that much money unless they were capable of recouping every penny. Ohtani is truly a superstar. He’s one of the best hitters in the game and he’s also one of the top pitchers as well. A once in a generation talent. I’ve seen him play a half-dozen times in five years as he’s been toiling out on the West Coast. The Yankees beat him both times when he was pitching. He hit a few homers against them. He hasn’t appeared in a playoff game, and so far, he hasn’t played in a high-pressured event. Ever! Not disparaging him at all - I wish that he was on the Yankees until 2033.  Here’s t...

We got a whole lot of sun last week. My Italian ancestry allows me to turn darker.  Kathy’s skin is much more fair. She’s red. There’s a price to pay. We’re both itchy. And I had a rough go trying to get back into the swing of things. On Wednesday I returned to work and put in more than 9 hours. I fell asleep on the couch by 7:00. The scratching woke me up. I also checked back into the world. The Yankees showed up and flexed a little muscle. They now have 2 of the best 5 hitters in the sport. Uncle George - may he rest in peace - would be gleeful- Cousin Hal stepped up. As for the Bills - they had a bye week - a week to re-energize. One of their highest paid players was arrested for allegedly beating up his pregnant girlfriend. Their coach was called out for using the terrorists who attacked on 9/11 as inspiration for good communication and teamwork. Politics? Putin sent out a thank-you to the American Republican Party, thanking them for helping his country to attack Ukraine. The c...

  I’ve heard it said that God only seems to speak to lunatics. What do you say to someone when they express that God stopped by to talk with them? I’ve had a couple of people mention their experiences where God visited with them to give them the nod of approval. “Bat Shit Crazy” Is the phrase that normally crosses my mind as I take in what they’re saying. Faith is one thing. Praying is another. Yet, believing that God is telling you that you’re the man to part the Red Sea… …as if you’re the second coming of Moses? Sorry. Bat shit. It’s like the people who believe they found a potato chip that looks like the Virgin Mary. “God placed that in my bag to give me a message that I should lead the world out of this mess.” Uh. No. It’s a potato chip. You, nutbag, you. The scariest part? This guy is two heartbeats away from the top chair. The lines between church and state are being blurred beyond comprehension. The most ridiculous aspect of it all? The very same evangelicals claimed that Go...

For the third time we finished ‘The Sopranos’. The question Kathy asked when it ended should sum up what we thought of this viewing: “Want to start it again?” She asked. “You know, I loved ‘Breaking Bad’ and it was awesome, but if it’s in second place it’s not even in the same universe as ‘The Sopranos.’” The relationships are so well-developed. Carmela’s and Tony’s marriage, the back and forth with their children, the men in the gang, Paulie, Christopher, Bobby and Janice. Religion is front and center. Mental health is discussed at length. Aging and death and grief. In the last episode, Tony sees Uncle Junior in the nursing home. Junior doesn’t recognize Tony as dementia has stripped him of all mental health. “You ran all of North New Jersey,” Tony says. “That’s nice,” Uncle Junior says, not remembering any of it. That’s the scene that always punches me in the gut. None of it mattered. And I considered that James Gandolfini has died. “I can’t believe he’s dead,” I said, as we watched ...

I wasn’t about to stop wearing shorts. I knew that I was going to lose 52 degrees as the plane set down in Buffalo, but I decided to put my sweats in my carry-on bag. I’d put them on in the restroom before I hit the street. The problem, of course, is that my casual dress is truly casual. “What’s that stain on your shorts?” Kathy asked. “Paint?” “Maybe,” I said. “Been there a long time.” “Your Mantle shirt is also ready for the garbage,” she said. “My Lord!” I exclaimed. “Do you even hear yourself?” We were seated at the gate. Kathy turned her attention to my ripped up, bulging gym bag. “Doesn’t your stuff fit into the bag?” She asked. “It fits, but the zipper is busted so it kind of spills out.” She laughed. “What?” “You’re a successful man,” she said. “You look like you’re homeless.” She was being dramatic. Yet, about twenty minutes later, I was washing my hands in the airport bathroom before takeoff. Caught a glimpse. “Mess,” I thought. “Homeless man.” The Mantle shirt IS READY for t...

They threw George Santos out of Congress. As a Congress person you truly have to be scraping the bottom of the barrel to get the boot. They let anything slide. But this guy was a bridge too far. He allegedly lied about what he lied about and when confronted with the truth he lied some more. Yet, that in and of itself isn’t disqualifying… …see front runner for Iowa primary. But George was pretty well not liked on both sides of the aisle and in getting to know stuff about him… …seemed like a different sort of guy. I was still surprised when they bounced him… …normally they let the disgusting behavior continue and fester and there are certainly a few more who should be shown the door. Seems like a decent thought to at least set the floor for what allows you in those ‘hallowed halls’. If that’s the bottom… …well, there may still be a few there who come in below George.

The plane will arrive later tonight and then there will be a huge welcome home as Oliver loses his freaking mind. One of the things that happened with this little break was that I hardly paid attention to the news of the world. I didn’t look at the news stories about the 2024 election - they’re trying to turn the entire thing into a boxing match - and they learned nothing from the last two elections - instead of telling the truth about what’s truly happening they’re pretending that the criminal is actually qualified. I didn’t miss that at all! I forgot that there were football games yesterday, but I did glance at the scores. And what else matters - that is presented - when you think about it? There are stories about crime, shootings, arguments about abortion and immigration. The needle doesn’t move. We were watching an episode of the Sopranos and Tony and Bobby were out in the woods shooting an AR-15. “800 rounds a minute,” Bobby said. The power of the weapon was ridiculous. “They let ...

My skin has been a little warm, and a tad red - too much time in the sun. Champagne problems, huh? Yet, the best part of this break has been the feeling of not being stressed about anything. I’ve left dishes in the sink. Not checking my emails. I’ve even nodded off, and I’ve slept like a rock three nights in a row. Through the years, my bosses have continually told me that I needed to take time to re-energize. It’s embarrassing that I never did it. We’ve spent a little time analyzing it.  “Can’t you slow down instead of walking a high wire everyday?” Kathy asked. The answer to that has always been an emphatic ‘No.’ It’s all or nothing, man. How is Ollie handling it? “He torpedoed Maggie,” Jake said, speaking of his girlfriend. “Knocked her off her feet.” Sounds about right. He hits me hard when we’re playing football. I am able to hold my feet. “He’s not going to let you out of his sight,” Kathy said. “Nothing new there.” A couple of more days. There’s a shot at a round of golf tod...

I was alone at the hot tub on Friday morning.  Unfortunately, I had to hobble to get there, my knee still howling, but I looked up and around.  A bird moving across a bright blue sky. A palm tree. Beach chairs. My phone… …way over there. Nothing much to think about.  And my favorite part about this particular spot is that the hot tub is amazing and the pool is better. A young girl jumped into the pool and did a lap. An older woman, who appeared to be her coach, had a stopwatch. When the kid got to the other side, the coach yelled out: “13 seconds.” I watched for a long while. Each lap was between 12 seconds and 15 seconds. The young girl wasn’t even breathing hard. A little while later, I asked Kathy to time me as I made a lap. I took off, but 5 seconds later, while under water, I started laughing. It was hard to swim with a messed up knee. I kept going though. “26 seconds,” Kathy announced as I popped up on the other side. “Damn, I’m old.” I’ve read for hours. On the cha...

Went to sleep on Wednesday night at my usual time - even though we are on vacation - it was the travel day so getting a good night’s rest so we could hit the ground running… …slept great too… …but then I turned my left knee and pain signals darkened my vision. “What the what?” Turned to put that foot on the floor. Oh no. I did a mental breakdown of when I first felt a twinge there - Tuesday on the ladder? Fixing the toilet? The airport walk? Doesn’t matter. I hobbled around all day. Lots of ice and heat and plenty o’ pain. Now, I’ve been the legs of the operation for a long, long time. “You need a water or anything?” Kathy asked as she got up from our seats by the pool. “Yeah.” Then I watched her struggle away. And I thought of an old quote about love: The blinding passion of youth. The shared responsibilities of middle aged and the mutual dependency of the rest of the way. We aren’t old. This is just a knee. But in the middle of it all… …thinking of her getting me a water… …made me sm...

There was a Twitter account called: “Is Henry Kissinger Dead?” It was started years ago. Last night the leader of that account sent out a one-word message: “Yes.” And all the news channels raced to get out their long-ago written obituaries. Kissinger was 100. This wasn’t unexpected. Yet, some of those obits were rewriting history a little. “An impactful, global icon who was more influential than many presidents.” As opposed to others: “The bastard is dead. Adios war criminal! May you rest in piss.” Now, the living of one’s life should lead to kind words being shared after you pass on… …At least that’s the goal. Seems that there were a whole lot of people who are not devastated by the news. Kissinger did some things that some see as murderous. He crafted foreign policies that some contend cost thousands upon thousands of lives. “Excellent news!” One Twitter account tweeted. “Dick Cheney is on the clock!!” I read a lot about Kissinger and perhaps I won’t just pile on here. History will j...

We tried to hustle away from Buffalo this morning. I listened to the news last night: “An inch of snow later in the day.” I was glad that we wouldn’t be battling a storm on the way to the airport. Woke up and looked at Antarctica outside the window. I hustled. Loaded up the car, poured coffee, let Ollie out and said a sad goodbye. Went back to help Kathy. We made it into the car in decent shape and started the trek to the airport. Couldn’t travel more than 40 mph for first 10 miles but pulled into long-term parking right next to the shuttle bus. The driver never budged as I loaded the suitcases and Kathy. Still doing okay. We took off. “My phone!” I had left it plugged in. The driver doubled back. We got to the gate and I went in one lane with two bags and two carry-ons. Kathy negotiated the line one lane over. I made it through first and had my shoes on. Ten minutes to spare. We arrived at the gate and I thought of coffee. Was adding the milk when my phone buzzed. “They’re letting me ...

Yesterday was busy. A lot to do before we have our little vacation, and on Sunday night I tried to schedule Monday with Kathy… …who is a bit leisurely when it comes to schedule-making. Up and out early on Monday and forgot to work on a 2:00 session that I also missed sending an email out on. I was still okay - I could head home and send out the email on the way to somewhere else. “What are you doing?” I asked. “Running Sam to work,” she said. I knew that. “And then?” “Coming home.” “And then?” “I’m going to see where the day takes me?” I laughed. Stepped past. “Where’s this water coming from?” Stepped into a small bathroom at the basement level. I splashed. “Oh boy!” Looked down to see a dangling hose. Now, here’s the thing: I know nothing about fixing anything! I knew enough to shut the water off, and thought about calling a plumber. Then, I looked at the dangling hose.  Maybe I could replace that! I grabbed the thing and went to the hardware store. Stopped in the plumbing aisle a...

Had 4 days off, which promised real rest. I slept horribly each night! Went to bed tired at 11:00 each night and was up by 5:00 every morning. Threw 1,200 passes for Ollie in the muddy conditions and the frozen tundra at Camp Clifford. He caught at least 1,140 of those. Wanted to play more! The Bills coughed up another game - which matters little to me - but it’s all consuming for the community and impossible to ignore - yet everyone complains about the product that is the NFL - bad officiating, confusing rules, players getting maimed, possibly rigged or scripted… …but everyone keeps watching! The Jets-Dolphins game on Black Friday cost Amazon $100 million. It was a horrific sporting event (I didn’t watch but heard the score). It will break a viewing record. I mentioned it to my son, who also wasn’t watching, but was interested in following the game on his phone. “Have to keep an eye on it,” he said. “For fantasy.” Or to bet it. You can bet on every damn thing now. First score, final s...

I saw a Facebook post of Air Supply singing ‘Sweet Dreams’ - a song that came out in 1982. It was our prom song.  I still know all the hokey words. Immediately after, I saw the photo of Dolly Parton in the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader outfit. Then I heard a disco version of the Stones new song, ‘Mess it Up’ (great song). Then finally, I read an article about Hall hitting Oates with a restraining order over the sale of their music. You couldn’t go a half an hour without hearing a Hall & Oates song back in the 80’s. Hit after hit after hit. Their songs were catchy and their videos were kind of painful to watch as they weren’t the greatest actors or dancers, but in a partnership like that I’d assumed that they were thick as thieves. Turns out they didn’t do all that much in the way of being creative. They didn’t hang out much, but knew that they could make hit pop songs together. Like a lot of acts from back then though they took a bit of a beating with their record deal. I’m not su...

Haven’t heard the Mariah Carey Christmas song yet, but the season is definitely underway. I saw a Facebook photo of someone’s Thanksgiving meal (BTW - Turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing don’t photograph well)… …but there was a tree up already. We don’t even think about putting the tree up until at least December 15 and there’s no way it will see 2024. Am I missing out? I don’t put a single light on the house either. Not even a wreath. Now it’s not that I don’t enjoy Christmas - I do - we just haven’t had a normal one in years. Last year a snowstorm canceled everything. The year before, Kathy was down as she had a hip replaced. In 2020, Covid changed everything. So, perhaps, I don’t want to jinx anything by getting the jump on the next holiday while I’m still digesting the food from this one. I broached the subject of gift for the boys. “They want cash.” Not a whole lot goes into wrapping cash. And our extended family has grown older. There aren’t a lot of kids running around right no...

On Wednesday a car went airborne near the Rainbow Bridge that connects Canada and the United States. Fox News was all over the reporting of the story.  I was working and barely glanced at the coverage, but what I read was that it was a car-filled with explosives driven by terrorists. “Good Lord! That’s 20 miles from here,” I thought. A friend texted to ask me if I was following the story and I repeated what I’d read - unknowingly - off  that right-wing account. “That’s not what I heard,” my friend texted. “God, I pray that’s not true.” I went to a trusted news source and immediately learned that Fox was reporting the exact opposite of what was actually happening. Turns out the two people who died were a couple, in their mid-50’s. They were driving a Bentley. They were not trying to get into the country - they were going to a casino in Canada. There aren’t any more answers than that right now - who knows why the car was traveling at such a high rate of speed.  Terrorism ha...

Got it all started on Wednesday afternoon. My memories of Thanksgiving’s as I grew up had a lot to do with my Mom’s homemade stuffing.  Was always perfect. Mom is no longer the chief chef - she earned her retirement and thankfully, she shared the recipe.  By 8:00 last night I’d tried it. A reasonable facsimile, for sure, and will work well with the gravy. Then I got the brine ready for the turkey, and put it there to marinate. Decided that stuffing a few peppers wouldn’t put me out too much and I ate two of those as well. There’s still plenty to do today to get things ready, but we are laying low and I will have enough food for twenty to feed the four or five of us. As I was strolling around the grocery store I saw the display of celery and there was a can of that spray cheese. I couldn’t resist. We always had that set out before dinner. Got that ready too. Ate a few pieces. There’s a lot to be thankful for. We made it through the year… …not completely healthy… …but still here...

My brother is 60 years old today. It’s a weird thing when he’s the dude you played ball with when you were 3 years old. I can still see flashes from those days. Sixty! Time waits for no one. And we talked about the plans for Thanksgiving. My boys are off today. “A lot of people hit the bars the night before Thanksgiving,” Sam said, as though they invented it. “Really? I never did. I would go straight home after work and see if my Dad needed any help getting things together.” They all laughed. The night before Thanksgiving was always an event. Until I figured out that it’s better to rest up and enjoy the actual holiday. Got old! Happy Birthday to my brother - 60 years since Kennedy was shot.

Time truly flies by when you’re an adult. November 21st already? We got absolutely crushed with snow exactly one year ago. We didn’t clean out the driveway for a full two days. Seems like yesterday, but I got a Facebook reminder of all that damn snow… …and on a day that started with temps in the 20’s, I thought of another year slipping away. And there’s a bit of dread as I consider what next year might bring.  I read a political insider making the claim that next year’s election could be the very last one in a free country. Doesn’t seem possible, but he had a profound statement: A GOP loss will result in a war and that might be the best we can hope for. That is scary stuff. Yet, the trick in living a decent life is trying not to let it tear you apart when you don’t truly have control over much of it. What we once knew was true seems to not matter anymore, and the entire country seems to be on edge. It’s truly left me a little confused. There used to be fundamental truths and the fl...

Over the summer there was an announcement that President Jimmy Carter had entered hospice care. A few weeks later, he went to an event in Georgia. There’s a pretty famous photo of President Carter helping to build homes for the poor - his eye blackened by a fall at his home. He was in his 9th decade! On Saturday, there was news that Rosalynn Carter - the former First Lady and the wife of Jimmy for the last 77 years he also entered hospice. 77 years!! The former First Lady passed away on Sunday afternoon.  What a remarkable life and what a tremendous couple. Know what I saw in between? Yeah.  The turd who is the front runner for the GOP was in front of his rally crowd and he took a break from talking about donuts, windmills and golden showers to make fun of President Carter… …talking about how bad a president Carter was. So damn sickening! The Carter family was never anything but passionate about making America a great place - for all. When Carter was elected he withdrew from h...

As I was on the way to work on Friday I did some quick math. Over the next 18 days… …I’m only working 5 of them. Which will be extremely weird. A 4-day weekend for Thanksgiving and then a quick couple of work days and a week off where we will actually leave town and I may bring my clubs because a buddy will be in the neighborhood. To say that I’m limping into this little break is a huge understatement. I had a 4-hour training session on Friday afternoon, and while I usually get energized by speaking in front of 50 people, I was irritated by the fact they didn’t have any food at a meeting that started at noon! It took me a good 20 minutes to get into the material and despite the fact that I can tell the jokes in all the right spots, I was mailing it in a bit. Which reminded me that it’s time for a break. Construction work is a long, long season. There is always work taking place in the Buffalo area, and while there was a time when things slowed down a little… …the middle of November jus...

My son Jake has been watching the ‘Sopranos’ for the first time. He sent me a message on Thursday letting me know that he was ready to watch the last episode of the first season. “Want to watch it with me?” He asked. Of course, I did. We didn’t stop…. …back on the Sopranos train for the 3rd viewing. It’s an impossible show to turn away from. Gandolfini, Falco, Marchand… …the acting was amazing. The writing was even better. Just television perfection. And like the first two times through I was struck by the phrases and flashes of temper that were ever-present in the generation of men who shared Tony’s timeline. “Why are Italian men like that?” My wife asked. I don’t have anywhere near the temper that my Dad or a couple of my brother’s have…but I’m not ‘Mr. Happy Go Lucky’ either. “We just idle a little higher than other people,” I said. And the food! Tony is always going to the fridge and grabbing a handful of capicolla. The sauce always looks perfect. I got a message from an Italian-Am...

The story about Kevin McCarthy allegedly elbowing the Arkansas Republican Burchett was… …pathetic. They’re in Congress. All the perks that come with their jobs and after the embarrassment of trying to choose a speaker, and they’re elbowing each other in the hallways?  Like 9th graders? What made it even more embarrassing was the reaction of Hannity. He did a spiel on how you can’t even punch anyone in the face anymore because everyone is so ‘woke’ now.  He waxed nostalgic on how he’d get into fistfights while playing hockey or basketball. Idiotic. A hockey fight and elbowing someone in the kidneys at a place of employment are a little different, no? And I’m so tired of the everyone is ‘woke’ whenever there’s a losing argument for what is inexcusable crap. There’s no bottom on anything anymore. It’s all bravado and tough guy garbage and there is never cause to apologize. For anything. They placed a gag order on the guy with 91 felony counts. He appealed and got a stay. Then he ...

What a great tree, right? I get to go to some cool places for work, and my office is the entire outdoors… …which is really great for most of the year, and truly miserable in January and February. I have a contractor doing work at Lake Erie State Park. I’d never been to that park before. It’s in Brocton, New York and, as you can see, there’s a great look at Lake Erie. It was the tree that caught my eye. I once climbed a tree at a girl’s house and then got scared when I was up there, and put on a real scene before being rescued by a buddy. I wasn’t going to try and climb that tree, but I thought about how fun it might be to sit on one of the limbs. It was a bright sunny day here in Western New York and at one point I saw a temperature of sixty degrees. On November 15th! Yet, the weather wasn’t the deal. It was about the fact that I stopped, midway through the job audit, and looked around a little. There’s something about the water, the sun, the horizon, and the small breaking waves that ...

On the day after a Bills game I am greeted differently as I make the rounds - based, of course, on whether they’ve won or lost. There are a whole lot of people around here who have been anticipating a Super Bowl win - especially the last 3 years or so. Hasn’t happened. It’s been a very difficult month for hopes and expectations. Yesterday, the team did what the fans wanted - they fired their offensive coordinator. It didn’t calm the Bills Mafia. And it’s kind of troubling how miserable so many people get about it. “They need to let Allen be Allen. He needs to run wild and go fast.” “He needs to get his childhood girlfriend back.” “He needs to stop making commercials.” “He’s fighting with Diggs. They hate each other now.” And on and on. I ran into a guy hanging drywall - he’d gone to the game (never misses one).  He had figured it all out. “The games are rigged and Vegas controls all of it. A guy like Allen has millions and millions. He doesn’t care. If the season ends early he’ll b...

For my parents Sinatra was their Springsteen. We were exposed to Frank & Dean singing and we also watched all of their movies. Dean was the better actor, but Frank was the voice. And then, Don Rickles showed up with them. Sammy Davis Jr. was also there. Just great entertainers. Well, last night, I was flipping through one of the social media apps and there was Frank, on Johnny Carson. I spent a half an hour watching as Frank sang two songs, and bantered with Johnny. Halfway through, Rickles showed up. Laughter ensued. All three men were about my age at the time of the interview, and I wondered if my Mom and Dad tuned in that night as it was the first time Sinatra appeared on the show in 14 years. Then I felt a pang of heartache because they’re all gone and I couldn’t call Dad to talk about it. Time waits for no one. Not even the legends. Yet, there I was, thoroughly entertained in watching it. I imagine that it will be quite some time before people forget how great Sinatra and Dino...

I distinctly recall the first movie that we were able to order and watch on our television set in the comfort of our home. Was ‘Waterworld’ with Kevin Costner - it was a widely panned movie but I remember liking it. Perhaps because I was on my couch watching it. I was simply amazed! I could watch a movie without having to go to a theater???? And now? I can’t even remember the last movie I saw in a theater. It’s been a long, long time. The weather was brisk. I played ball with Ollie, but I was worn out from a long work week. Didn’t move much. We watched a few movies. There are now a million movies to choose from.  The first one of the weekend was called, ‘Get Wheaties’ and about ten minutes in, I was a little skeptical. The protagonist was really goofy, and the premise was that he went to college with the actress Elizabeth Banks. He told all his friends that he knew her and then he reached out to her - about a thousand times - and got in trouble for stalking. By the end, I was smili...

There are so many unbelievable videos and photos and comedy shows on-line. There are times when I get lost in the phone, watching snippets of this and that on Tik-Tok or reading articles on Twitter or Facebook. There’s so much information out there… …and yet. Was thinking of making a large purchase and picked out the model and agreed on the price. Salesman approached. He was wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat. About an hour later, I watched a reporter interview a woman about the 2024 election. She was dressed head to toe in political gear of her favored candidate including a “He can grab my….arrow down.” The interviewer asked about the GDP, the unemployment rate and other economic indicators. “I don’t believe in your data,” she said. “Where do you GET your information?” The reporter asked. “Straight from his mouth,” she said. “If he says it it’s true. If he doesn’t, it’s a lie.” And I wondered: “How did we get here? Is there a way out?” We watched the 4-part Netflix show with Mar...

We moved the clocks back an hour last weekend, and there was some thought to getting an extra hour of sleep. Someone should’ve informed my cat. Miller had me up early on Sunday, and he’s stuck to his schedule all week. That’s not the biggest problem. I was having lunch this week as the sun was setting. It’s pitch black by 5:30 in the afternoon, and I suppose that it’s always this way in the winter months, but it seems more irritating this year because there’s been so much effort into getting the time change garbage done away with. No one appears to know why we are still doing this. There is a theory that it was for the farmers, or the fishermen or some such crap. Now, the big problem is it is cutting into Ollie’s reps. We had worked out a schedule during the summer months. I return from visiting job sites and before I even go to my office to write reports, Ollie gets 60 passes with the big football. He then settles in beside me as I write reports. A couple of hours later, I toss him 60...

Read that Tracy Chapman won an award for the song ‘Fast Car’ some 35 years after she released it. Someone named Luke Combs re-did the song and also hit number one. I’m happy about it, and have listened to the Combs version, but kind of don’t understand how he made a hit out of it. When Chapman sang it you FELT the pain of a young girl trying to save her Dad, who drinks too much and has given up on life.  The verse where Chapman sings, “Your arm felt nice wrapped my shoulder, and I had a feeling that I  belonged.” Powerful! I’m a big Tracy Chapman fan - I wish she’d put out more music - I have all her songs on my phone. In fact, back in the late 80’s I was in a bar with my brother, John, and I wanted him to hear the record. I played the entire record on the bar jukebox. The bartender unplugged it! “Hey! She’s an awesome writer!” I yelled. “We aren’t listening to the words!” He answered. But I have, for years. For the uninitiated, download: Fast Car Sub city  Baby Can I Hol...

I passed by my old office on Hopkins Street in South Buffalo. I was working for Higgins Erectors & Haulers and while I was a safety officer, I also filled in as a dispatcher. I loved that job because it was unbelievably fast paced and because my apartment was just a couple of miles away. I used to go home at lunch to watch ‘The Flintstones’. I was 26 years old. The regular dispatcher, a friend of mine named Ron, died young and Mr. Higgins called me in to tell me what he thought was bad news. “You’re going to be the interim dispatcher until we can find a new one. The bad news is that Paul will be your partner.” I groaned audibly. Paul was a man who was cranky. He was absolutely brilliant and ran the Rochester operation by himself, but he was short-tempered and different. He had polio as a child and could barely walk. There were 4 steps to our office. It would take Paul about 10 minutes to navigate those 4 steps. On the first day, I announced that I would only refer to him as ‘Crazy ...

“I’m not a patient man.” I uttered that line to the poor woman who was tasked in helping me through an infuriating situation. On Sunday, I got a message out of nowhere that stated that my Face ID did not work anymore because I needed to reset my Apple ID password. I could handle that. Or so, I thought. I put in my old password and got a notification that the password was wrong. Typed it again, and again and again. I called Apple support. So did Kathy. They mentioned that I needed two forms of authentication, and sent a text to “my other I-phone.” “I ONLY HAVE ONE I-PHONE!” At the Apple Store they told me to call Apple Support. Know what Apple Support told me? TO GO TO THE APPLE STORE! I lost it on the poor lady who tried to help me on the phone. “What do I have to do? I’ve given you my phone number, my email, my mother’s maiden name, and the name of every pet I’ve ever had. I’m pushing sixty. Can someone please tell me how to change a freaking password?” The woman was patient… …but she...

George Carlin does a great bit about criminals placing their hand on the Bible and swearing to tell the truth. It always seemed insane to me too. You rape, steal and murder but when you place your hand on the Bible you vow to tell the truth. We always laugh on the Dateline episodes when the interviewer asks the suspect: “Did you murder your wife?” Like the guy is going to say: “I did. You’re the first person who asked me. I cannot tell a lie.” Which brings me to the testifying that went on yesterday. The judge had to admonish the witness to just answer the question and not ramble about how much he hates the judge, the prosecutor and all the people who are stacked against him because it’s a witch hunt. I didn’t expect the truth. Did you? The entire guilt or innocence of it all appears not to be in doubt. Documents were signed. Money was leant under false pretenses. Everyone was involved. Yet, sometimes you tell the truth because the lawyers trick you into it. “Did you sign this?” “Yes.”...

I squeezed one last round of golf on Saturday and while I was dreading swinging with cold hands, it didn’t work out that way. The weather was great! I parred 6 straight holes - not sure I’ve ever done that before and I even got a par on 18. So, if that closes the year - I’m good. (Well, not really, but what can you do?) And we didn’t have a lot planned for Sunday - we got an extra hour of sleep and the football game from Germany was on early. They watched - I put Ollie through his paces. And there’s a lot being planned: 1). A vacation - yeah! We chose some dates! 2). A hot tub - there’s a lot to finalize there but they’re all good with it - if I write the check! 3). We replaced a printer and we also need to replace a dishwasher. It’s crazy to me that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. The Bills played the night game and the boys were all fired up about it. I thought about work and tried piecing together a schedule. It’s going to be dark each night pretty early. Temperatures in th...

Movie night was a real conversation starter. The premise is a place where people show up to see if they’re a love match with their wives, girlfriends, or whoever you are matched with. A bunch of tests are run to see if you’re truly compatible, the most demanding of which: They rip off a fingernail from each and run a test to see how truly deserving you are of being matched. “We should do that,” Kathy said. “No freaking way,” I said. “I want to see if we are a true match.” I laughed. “Don’t you?” She asked. “I have to get a fingernail ripped off?” I asked. “We both do.” “Yeah. That ain’t happening,” I said. “Don’t you want to know?” Kathy asked, laughing as well. “I don’t give a shit,” I said. “No one is ripping off one of my fingernails.” I lost a fingernail once. It certainly isn’t pleasant.  “There isn’t a single thing they could possibly tell me that would be worth the pain of losing a fingernail,” I said. “What if they told us that we are a perfect 100% match for all eternity?”...

It’s kind of funny, but the new Beatles song, ‘Now & Then’ has displaced The Rolling Stones at the top of the charts! Mick had to be thinking: “Are you freaking kidding me?” And I don’t know, but I wasn’t expecting all that much when I heard rumors of the Beatles coming up with a new song.  Lennon had laid down vocals about 45 years ago, and McCartney unearthed them and decided to talk to Ringo about carving out a tune. It worked! I downloaded the song and Lennon’s vocal was crystal clear and it made me instantly sad as I considered all the music that we missed out on. Lennon was a great songwriter, of course, and we were all robbed when he was gunned down. But there was one last song. And the song instantly went to number one and thinking about the Stones - who released a brand new album - as they got the news that the Beatles soared by them… …it’s kind of funny. Yet, thinking about all those guys, and the remarkable lives they lived… …creating music that will be played for a ...

Bobby Knight was a throwback coach.  His style certainly wouldn’t work in this day and age, but there was a time when a coach like Knight was definitely in charge. Knight threw a chair across the court, choked a player as he came off the floor, berated reporters, fans and his own school administrators. I knew a player who went to one of his coaching camps and she was deathly afraid of him - after the camp! Rosemary was an all-star division one player, and she told me about the camp coached by Knight. “He’s a scary man,” she said. Now, I played under some coaches who definitely yelled. My favorite coach ever once told me that if I threw the overhead pass one more time: “I’m going to stuff the Spaulding up your ass!” I laughed. He threw me out of practice. That coach got the most out of our team. Yeah, he yelled to make his point, but we all knew that he cared about us as players and he wanted to win. We would’ve run through a wall for him. I’ve also had plenty of bosses who were scr...

The recent death of Matthew Perry got people thinking about how great he was as Chandler Bing on ‘Friends’. He’s certainly in the conversation of top ten television characters of all-time. Here’s my list. For what it’s worth! 10). Gregory House from ‘House’.  A terrific show and a wonderful character - played great by Hugh Laurie. He was so brilliant. So funny and so sarcastic.  9). Hawkeye Pierce - ‘M*A*S*H - hysterical - especially when he was pranking Frank Burns, or cracking wise with B.J. - he was also well-developed. He was in a war and life and death was at the forefront. 8). Michael Scott - Steve Carrell was the perfect choice and played the hell out of the role in ‘The Office’. When he burns his foot, or drives the car into the lake. He was so sad and so dumb and so like so many suck ups I’ve met in my life. Awesome character. 7). Fonzie - I spent a couple of hours signing books next to Henry Winkler in NYC - he has a reputation as the nicest guy in Hollywood. He is! ...