Baseball has been very very good, to me!

Yesterday we headed for Jet Blue Park with friends Nancy and Tom Widell to see the Red Sox play the Orioles. It was a great day! We had the most wonderful seats I have ever had at a game in the mini "Green Monster" in left field. Plenty of shade, a wonderful breeze, and a good view of the game with great company. The Orioles ended up bashing a few homers and won the game but there was plenty of action on both sides. The stadium was wonderful and the hot dog was OK!
We finished the day off by heading out to dinner at Biancas. Thank you Tom and Nancy for a wonderful day!

176 Years!!!!!!

On Friday we had ping pong at the community center. I have been trying to improve so I can better compete with this talented group of players. I even went so far as to have a self-imposed practice session to work on my game. A sort of bad imitation of Forrest Gump.

I headed into Friday's matches with renewed confidence in my game and left at low ebb. We play doubles matches, which is harder than you think and requires a bit of teamwork. My partner and I faced the two oldest guys in the league. Dean is 92 and the "younger" guy, Rudy, is 84. Dean and Rudy proceeded to annihilate us in a 2 out of three game match. Out of two dozen times or so that Rudy has served to me over the past two weeks, I have returned exactly 4!!!! Yikes! Hard to believe but those two guys can really play!

I keep telling you that I am a good player but obviously you don't believe me now. Maybe I can sneak some video of these guys so you can see for yourself!

Lots of walking, swimming, and helping the neighbor install awnings on his coach over the weekend. At the pool I found an earring. Took it to the Monday morning coffee session to see if I could find Cinderella. It dawned on me that perhaps I might meet Cinderfella! Found the owner and she was grateful.

Saturday had a date for the movies and saw "Run the Race". Enjoyed that and then headed for Bianca's for dinner. Bianca's is special!

Morning Power Walk

Up at sunrise today and took some pictures of our park while on my morning power walk.

 Lots of nice trees to keep us shady in the hot sun.

 Love the pool. Always just the right temperature for Goldilocks. I swim almost every day.

 Looking down main street at sunrise

 Our little piece of paradise

Heat wave here this week. Feels just fine!
Big win for Syracuse last night over Louisville at home. Duke without Zion on Saturday!

"The Arms of a Teenage Boy"

Today we went to the Swan Lake picnic. What a great feed provided by the park owner and all park residents who each brought along a dish to pass. Good time and met some very nice folks! It was another very hot day today, as we had to switch on the ac to keep the cats(and us) cool.

This morning I rode my bike to get some supplies at Publix. Ahhh, Publix! There are things about Florida that I like, and things I don't like. Publix is in the like category. Just a great store! Have I told you about their Key Lime Pie?

Anyway, Joanna handed me a shopping list when I left. Just a few things. Hey, how much can I fit in the Dairylea basket? Bright warm sunshine and a nice tailwind made the trip out easy. Only passed one homeless person on the way there. How do I know? They wear backpacks and are slathered in cheap cologne. My "current' friend, Mike T. ,who works for the govamint, wears the same cologne. What is it Mike? Old Spice?

I arrived safely and padlocked my bike outside the store. (Actually a theft of my bike would be doing me a favor) Then I headed in to fill 2 water jugs from the water machine. We don't like to drink the water at the park or in our tanks.

Finally I got a shopping cart and headed to find the items on my list. I ended up at the deli section and was waited on by a nice young girl named Torrie. I asked her if using that slicer all day was building up her arm strength. Her reply as she made a muscle was epic: "Only my right is getting bigger. I have the arms of a teenage boy." She smiled and I laughed. Made my day! I told her so and thanked her.

The trip home, about 2 miles, was a lot more tricky with a headwind and a full load on my bike, but I made it.

On a serious note, Diana is scheduled for a double mastectomy on March 25th. Obviously we are very concerned.

The Latest News

It was a good day today! Had lunch with my brother and his wife. Rich and Robin live in Naples and we are in North Ft. Myers, so we met half way at Connors Rest. I highly recommend the prime rib sandwich and coconut ice cream! I neglected to take fight eyes (stupid me) so I will substitute this instead:

Very warm today so I spent some time at the pool this afternoon. Quite a crowd there today. Here we are this evening under our canopy celebrating another day in paradise with a nice Rose wine.

And now the news:
Heard today that my dear friend, Kathy Lawless, is very ill. Very worried about her and praying for a positive outcome.
I ordered tickets for Dodgers vs. Mets in LA on May 27th. It will be me, Mary, Brian, and Crawford! Really looking forward to it.
58 days until our Pacific Cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii with Rich and Robin!!!!Yippee!
Hernia surgery for my brother on Feb. 26th. Bummer!
Diana goes to see surgeon tomorrow. Another bummer!
At the pool today, one lady asked me if I wanted to be in the community talent show on March 8th. I am actually thinking it over.

Weapon of Mass Destruction!

I've been playing ping pong at the community center on Tuesdays and Fridays. I am really enjoying this competition with my peers in a game that I have loved all my life. Having not played in 20 years or so, it has taken me some time to get going again.

I was quite the player in my youth back on Long Island at the Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club. We would often travel in to NYC to compete in metropolitan tournaments.  I'm telling you that the competition there was fearsome, but we always held our own against the city kids.

There are some excellent players in this fun league I am in now and the comeback curve has been steep. Throw in some residual vision problems from last year's detached retina, and it is easy to see why I started out as an easy mark. Over the past few weeks my game has steadily improved. I am finally being noticed as a player.

This past Friday was a landmark day for me. I had been playing with a $9.95 Walmart paddle the first few weeks. The facing was already peeling off when somebody suggested I go online and order something better. I remembered having a special paddle as a kid that was really cool, so I did my research and ended up with this:

 It is a Stiga Evolution and it has turned out to be a "WOMD". Just feeling the quality in my hand made me walk into Friday's competition feeling like this:

The Stiga did not disappoint and instantly added a notch to my game. Stuff that before took off into outer space was now landing on the table! Spin shots by opponents were being adroitly returned. My goal is to become a player who is not regarded as a ball and chain by their partner We play doubles. I had never done this before and there is some teamwork involved which I am also getting accustomed to. Ahhhh, life is good!

There is still room for improvement and I am looking forward to the competition ahead. Stay tuned!

On the home front, terrible news in that Joanna's sister, Diana, has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is facing major surgery in the weeks ahead. Your thoughts and prayers on her behalf are welcome. We will take this one step at a time!

Outstanding weather of late and I am making the best of it with walking, biking, and swimming.

The "Procedure" is today!

My sister-in-law has to have a breast biopsy today, so I am at the house to keep an eye on Gerhard. It is really pleasant duty on a beautiful day here by the pool. Praying that all goes well for Diana today. 

I've been playing some table tennis at the community center. Competition is keen and they are giving me a good cardio workout on Tuesday and Friday. Trying to get my vision improved and this will help.  I am hoping to improve my game enough so that I can challenge a friend up in Virginia. Mike claims to be a DC area champ. Of course he hangs around alot with those lying politicians so we shall see. Here is the action venue:

I haven't said much about our cat, Teddy. He is a very sweet, used to be wild, cat that enjoys cardboard boxes.  He spent almost two years surviving on our property and living in the barn. He did it by hunting every day. I would see him stalking prey all around our yard but could never get close as he was always running away.
My brother gave him his name. He said I should call him Teddy as he was always hugging the life out of animals in the yard. The name stuck!
As his 2nd winter in the barn approached I began to feel sorry for him. I didn't think he would last a 2nd winter. The mouse and varmint population around the house had plummeted to zero. And so one day I fed him. From then on we became buddies! I have never seen a cat so thankful and I am sure he knows we saved him. It was a good decision as he has been a wonderful pet.
He is a real lover boy now, except for the fact that he doesn't get along with Scamper. (But then again, who does?) He is a very big cat and loves to eat. He is also a cuddler, which I would never expect after living in the wild. Still living up to his name!

Hello? Is Kevin there?

It often seems like I am stuck in the fifties and sixties. Like the old guy always talking about the "good old days". 

Hey, I'm the first to say that those times were far from perfect, especially in the area of civil rights. But one thing we did have back then was a set of cultural norms, core values that right or wrong, made our culture strong. Here are a few:

Get married before you have children and strive to stay married for their sake. Get the education you need for gainful employment, work hard, and avoid idleness. Go the extra mile for your employer or client. Be a patriot, ready to serve the country. Be neighborly, civic-minded, and charitable. Avoid coarse language in public. Be respectful of authority. Eschew substance abuse and crime.

I think these values would still work today, but I also realize that change is inevitable. So the question I have is: What all-encompassing values do we adhere to and embrace today? I would be greatly interested in discourse on this subject.  Email me at bucko27@earthlink.net 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
About fifteen years ago I got a new cell phone and number. I like my cell phone plan which includes unlimited data and wouldn't think about making a change. However, I have a problem. It seems that before I got my phone, another guy named Kevin had my number. 

At first the constant calls for Kevin were annoying. Evidently Kevin was not good about paying his bills, so I was constantly being dunned by creditors over the phone. I am a patient man, so I figured that over time this would die off. Whenever I received a call from one of Kevin's creditors, I would patiently explain, "I am not Kevin. Would you please remove me from your call list?" The caller always assured me that they would, but in reality they didn't. 

And so here we are in 2019 and yes, you guessed it, I still get several calls and texts each month regarding Kevin. Is he still giving out my number as his? Sometimes I'll take a call and tell the caller that, "I am not Kevin, but if you ever find him let me know, because I want to beat the hell out of him!" Of course, this never works either. But I do feel better! 

So if you want to ding me when next you call, just ask for Kevin. That will get my attention fast!

Another stunning day today here in paradise! Wow! A great run this past week! Joanna and I just finished our morning power walk.

Redhead

The Syracuse Orange played last night and the game ran over into the State of the Union Address. Syracuse made a mighty comeback but fell short to Florida State. A bad start which put them 22 points down was too much to overcome and they fell to the Seminoles, but a great comeback to even be in the game.

On a side note, I watched a fifties western, "The Redhead From Wyoming", with Maureen O'Hara before the SU game. It was a silly western overall but who doesn't enjoy watching the gorgeous O'Hara fighting the bad guys while wearing an evening dress. Good stuff!

In the meantime during the SU game the Trumpster was giving his speech to Congress. I managed to catch just the last part of it, so I can't really comment . The reviews in the news today however were mostly good as the pollsters were busy.  CBS and CNN both reported positive poll numbers for the president. It would be nice now if both parties and the POTUS could find some common ground to stand on in the weeks ahead!

We are with Diana and Gerhard today so it means we will eat well tonight! Yippee!!!! Beef Stew and chocolate cake.

The ladies are playing cards by the pool on a stunningly beautiful day with Jackie the cat supervising the game. 

I spent the morning at the local dealer getting some brake work done on the Ford. The people were very nice but a little overboard.I had to check in at the concierge desk when I went to the waiting room. I'm not a customer but a "service guest". A plate of warm chocolate chip cookies awaited me along with a complimentary bottle of water. All very pleasant I guess. I ate 2 cookies and spent time reading "The Sierra Phantom", a book given to me by a buddy about a man who spent 50/years living in the wilderness. 

Our car is an electric hybrid and we are getting over 70 mpg!!! Really the finest auto we have ever owned!! Can't say enough good things about it. 

Finally, today's weird observation: Why is it that every time I go to the bathroom, my cat, Teddy,follows me in? If I close the door he scratches to get in. So I let him in and he expects a love fest. I try to explain to him that I am unable to multitask, but he will not listen.

Did I tell you he likes cardboard boxes?
Finally, a big shout out to my twin cuzzints, Claire and Judy, who are celebrating a birthday today!!!

Pictures for Naples

This is us with Robin and Rich at Bravo's in Naples! Great patio dining with the tasty 5 dollar entrees. (Forgot to snap a fight eye of da food!)

 This is the pool at Rich's house

And here are the new digs: 

We made the trip home from Naples in exactly 30 minutes!! After being spoiled by Robin, now it's back to reality!

Naples

Naples

Thursday we went to Perkins for breffis. 20% off on that day for seniors so we are in. Perkins makes the best pancakes. There is only one place where you can get better ones...Steve Young's kitchen. If you don't believe me, come over and I will prove it! 

Yesterday I went to the community center which is a short bike ride from our place. It is a great place with lots going on. I went to play table tennis and it was a blast. Played a number of games and held my own even with my questionable vision. At one point in a doubles match I lunged for a shot and went to the floor. Ouch! I figured I was done and they would replace me with the 91 year old guy waiting on the sidelines to play. 

I was able to to get up and get going so I was ok. Ironically, later in a doubles match the 91 year old and his partner manhandled me and my partner. Ouch again! 

Today we are in Naples visiting my brother and his wife in their Wonderful new home here in Florida. Beautiful sunny day for a walk and a swim. 

Yesterday we we went to Bravo's here in Naples. Home of the five dollar entree. Terrific food at a great price. I ordered a shrimp entree and a calamari. Yummy!