January:
First of all, Happy New Year to everyone. Hopefully this will be a better year all around for each of us. On the first two days of the year I went to St. Mary’s Church. The 1st is the Solemnity of Mary and on the 2nd I did the 4:30 Mass for Sunday. Later I drove over to the new Uncle Giuseppe’s on Deer Park Avenue in North Babylon to check it out and get provisions from the deli counter. The next day was Saturday and as a tradition, Eileen and I get lunch out, to the Taco Bell drive in to place our order and then enjoy it at home. Later we got in our first walk of 2021 - from the Islip firehouse to Chase Bank’s ATM room and back. On the way home we stopped at the Nassau Avenue 7-11 for the lotto ticket, Eileen got Beanie Baby #99 - a husky named Baltic, and a Mr. Goodbar candy bar.
I took my first road trip of 2021 on the 3rd. I was not certain where to go, but by the time I reached Motor Parkway (after stopping at the 7-11 at #329 Washington for coffee and another Kinder Joy egg - #33 – a truck that I put into the CR-V), I headed west to the Sunken Meadow Parkway and then to the State Park. First stop was the Boardwalk to take some photos of the Sound, which was quite choppy and at high tide, and then the Boardwalk itself, which was kind of empty. I then walked back to the car since it was damp and windy but did stop at a mini museum with dioramas to take pix of the critters that live in the water and on the land around the Park. Then it was homeward bound but first it was a visit through Kings Park Hamlet on 25A to Indian Head Road and south to Jericho Turnpike, the parkway and home.
We decided to take our Christmas decorations down a bit earlier than Epiphany. Ellen, Eileen and I worked on the 4th to take them off of the bay window sill and the piano, and then packed them away for the next 11 months. Next we put the house plants back onto the sill. The next day I made an appointment with the Islip Fire District Manager for a COVID vaccination appointment which will be on Thursday the 7th at 10:30 am at Stony Brook Medical Center. Later I went to Uncle Giuseppe’s in North Babylon to get lunch provisions and to mail some items at the post office next door. On Epiphany (the 6th) I saw on www.linkedin.com that two associates whom I worked with or played softball with made partner, and one of them has a new baby as well. Congratulations to both ladies. Later in the afternoon I went to the East Islip Shell to fill up the tank and then stopped at the 7-11 at 197 East Main Street for the lotto ticket, a cup of coffee, and another Kinder Joy egg – the Minion bike rider who is #34, who ended up in Eileen’s room.
I was worried that trump followers were going to get violent since their god lost, and Republican congressmen were planning to refuse to certify the votes cast by the Electoral College. Then on the 3rd trump called the Georgia Secretary of State demanding that he find him 11,000+ votes to give him the state’s electoral votes. I thought that was treason or at least sedition. The trumpsters on Facebook had fits because it looks like the Secretary did not do it. And they still cannot accept that their god lost in November. I am glad that loeffler lost her Senate seat – she is nothing but a Carpetbagger and has no interest in the people of Georgia, and that perdue also lost his seat so the Democrats have regained control of the Senate for the first time in 6 years. Then later on the 6th the news reported that trump’s minions stormed the Capitol building and disrupted the proceedings on the Senate floor. Later in the day the Senate confirmed Joe Biden’s victory so he will become our 46th President. The next day I went to Stony Brook University Hospital to get the first of the COVID vaccination shots. It was the Modena version but I am not fussy. I had to use my cell phone to activate a consent form and use for identification. Soon I was shown the stairway to the lower level where I got my left arm stuck, and then went into an auditorium/lecture hall to relax and be observed for any allergic reactions or side effects. So far, so good. On Elvis Day Eileen and I went for a walk along the usual truncated route and then I went for a ride to the Nassau Avenue 7-11 and got myself a cup of coffee and another Kinder Joy egg - #35 - a raccoon Marvel character, which I put into the book case. Later in the day Ellen and I watched MSNBC and saw that the anchors and guests are condemning what happened on the 6th at the Capitol. I also listened to Dennis Prager’s fireside chat #168 and he is not exactly condemning what happened at the Capitol. He said that it was not as violent as the BLM rallies and that no one got killed at BLM rallies. He still thinks that trump was robbed on re-election (bullshit). On the 9th I participated in a virtual exercise workout with an SJU alumna who conducted it with several other alums, mostly women (there was only one other guy). On Sunday Eileen and I rode into town and parked in the firehouse lot and walked to the library so I could return The Vanishing Half. It was borrowed from the Half Hollows Hills Library and I could not renew it. We then walked to Main Street and then to the nail salon by the Masonic Temple building since maybe we can get a manicure and pedicure for Eileen as a birthday present. On the way back to the firehouse we stopped in Sugared Up to get some gummi candy and a Valentine’s Day bear for Eileen - #100 in her Beanie Baby Collection, which she named Jennifer. When we got home I watched The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair on youtube and found it interesting. So maybe I finally did get to visit the 1939 World’s Fair.
Road trip #2 was on Monday the 12th. Eileen and I drove to Field 6 at Jones Beach and walked to the East Bathhouse and back and go to take several photos. We also did a walk on Wednesday after watching the second impeachment of trump on TV, going through Greenview Village along the truncated route, because it was a bit chilly outside. The next day after lunch Eileen and I headed to Babylon to check out the new bakery, the Shuga Pie Shop, on Deer Park Avenue. We walked through the Municipal Lot to Deer Park Avenue and the shop, which is located in an alley between two other buildings. But it looks like a lot of other people also read the Newsday article, since there was a line and we had to wait. After we got our mini-pies (only cost me $5 since a man on line gave the owner some extra money to pay for the people behind him) we walked down Grove Place to the American Legion Post and we went inside – I asked a man at the bar if the post is open to Legion members and he said that it is, with meetings on the meeting is on the 1st Monday of each month. Maybe I will go to their February meeting. We then walked to Roe Roe’s Sweet Street to buy some gummy Lego pieces (6 pieces, 3 for each of us) as well as a new Beanie Baby – a cat like critter named Prince - #101 in her collection. Eileen also wanted a chocolate strawberry and the owner gave that to us. Once we paid for the goods we walked back to the car on Totten Place and drove to Route 231 and then the Southern State Parkway to exit 43 and Commack Road. I saw that the house on Bainbridge Street no longer has the trump banners but still has an American Flag and the blue striped, black American flag. On Wednesday the 13th I went to the family doctor’s office for my follow up visit. They took my blood pressure and checked my lungs – both OK. But they did want to do blood work so I went to the lab on East Main Street by Southside Hospital the next day to have blood drawn (it turned out favorable). While I was in the doctor’s office she told me that her practice is getting swamped with calls from patients who have tested positive for COVID. Islip really has had a spike in cases per capita. Later I went to the 7-11 at Nassau Avenue and bought a cup of blueberry flavored coffee and another Kinder Joy egg, #36 in the collection - Marvel’s Captain America, sitting on the desk in the computer room. I also see that too many trump worshippers still believe that he was robbed in November and that he really loves our country and made it great again. After the 4:30 Mass at St. Mary’s, I went to the East Islip 7-11 at 197 East Montauk Highway to get a lotto ticket for Saturday night’s drawing and treated myself to another Kinder Joy egg - #37 in my collection. It’s the Minion skin diver and he is in the CRV door.
Road trip #3 was on the 17th. I drove to the St. John’s University Jamaica Campus to take a nice walk and to wander down Memory Lane. I chose the fastest and shortest route – Southern State, Wantagh and Northern State/Grand Central Parkways - to the campus. Once there I had to go in through Gate #6 at Goethals Avenue & 170th Street and then parked at the southern end of the Quadrangle. I started at St. Thomas More Church for a quick visit and then went to the Residential Village to check it out. I would have loved to have something like that when I was there. I then walked past St. Albert’s and Sullivan Halls, and then to the side of Bent Hall for more pix, including selfies. The women’s basketball team was playing Marquette University and thanks to COVID I could not go inside the arena but later I learned that they lost 72-61. Better luck next time. I then went past the University Center where Ellen and I became a couple in 1978 and then up to St. John’s Hall and then the steps to Newman Hall and walked along the Quadrangle. I photographed a black squirrel (never saw one that color before) and then a photo of St. Augustine Hall, where Ellen and I first crossed paths in 1976. Then I got into the car and headed to Gate #6 and the parkways to come home and upload the photos that I took.
Normally I would be off on the 3rd Monday of January in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. but since I am retired, I am off every day now. Around 3:30 Eileen and I walked through Greenview Village to the Nassau Avenue 7-11 to maybe get some candy and a Beanie Baby for Eileen. When we went to the candy aisle we decided on two Kinder Joy eggs – one for her and one for me. When we got home house we opened up the eggs. One was a truck, which I already have, and the other was a mouse. I decided to take the mouse, which I put into the CR-V console; Eileen got the truck for her end table. They are #38 and #39 in our collection.
On the 19th the alarm woke us up since both Ellen and I had medical appointments that morning. Ellen went to the internist in Islip while and I went to the urologist in Hauppauge. My urinary tract is OK but I have to get a PSA blood test since they did not check for that last week. Around 4 PM I went to the East Islip Shell to fill the tank and then to the post office to mail two items, before heading to the firehouse to check the Engine 2 mailbox. I tossed out the junk mail but there were a few new statements and reports.
Besides some Smithsonian and Animal Planet shows, I watched MSNBC and am ecstatic that trump is gone tomorrow and Joe Biden will take his place. From what I can tell, the USA is much more diverse than it was 50 years ago and it looks like the Biden-Harris administration is going to reflect that. I love diversity. After all, the southeastern US was the least diverse region in the country until recently, so why wasn’t it the most advanced? The white population was all northern European, with almost no immigrants, and the right type of whites ran everything? The next day was the 20th and after breakfast I went into the TV room and tuned into MSNBC to be ready for the inauguration of our new President and Vice President. At around 11:40 Kamala Harris was sworn in as the Vice President of the United. Then at 11:48 Joseph Biden Jr. was inaugurated at the 46th President of the United States. No more trump. After lunch I drove into town and parked at the firehouse and walked to Chase Bank to deposit two checks and to pay the Visa bills. I then drove to Karp’s Liquor Store in East Islip to get a bottle of Long Island wine (Martha Clara Glacier’s Edge) and the lotto ticket and then headed to the Oakdale 7-11 to get myself a cup of coffee and another Kinder Joy egg - #40 – a dolphin which is in the CR-V console with the lizard and the cat. I then drove to Sayville and made the turn at Railroad Avenue onto County Road 65 (Middle Road) and then turned to go to the ferry terminal. I decided to park in the marina lot to enjoy my coffee and snack and took a photo of the Great South Bay with my cell phone before heading back home. On the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century, Eileen and I went for a walk along the usual truncated route, and we saw that the trump banners are gone from the house on Commack Road. I also went for a drive up Commack Road to Spur Drive South and then back down Commack Road again and saw that the flags are still at the house on Bainbridge Street but the trump banners are gone. I then headed to the firehouse to park and then did some more walking, Main Street to Willow Avenue and back. On Facebook the trumpsters are still insisting that they were robbed and that President Biden is an illegal president. They are also angry that Democrats and decent people hated trump and melania for four years. But it was OK for republicans to hate the Obama's for 8 years.
I had to go to the Northwell Labs in Bay Shore on the 22nd to get blood drawn to check my PSA. As of the 25th the jury is still out as to the results. The 23rd was a Saturday so Eileen and I first stopped at the Islip post office and then we drove to All American Burgers in Massapequa. We headed to the Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway to the southern end and then east to #4286 Merrick Road where All American Burger is. We had to wait on line to order and then wait for the staff to bring it out to us. We got two iced teas, two cheeseburgers, and a large fries for $10. But we had to eat in the car. After we finished we drove east to the 7-11 at #4350 Merrick Road where we stopped for some candy and two more Kinder Joy eggs - #41 and #42. One was the big kid and the other was a top. Since I already have the big kid, I took the top. But Merrick Road has too many lights so we turned north at Route 110 and then along Albany Avenue and Straight Path to the Sunrise Highway. The next day at around 7 pm Ellen and I had a Zoom meeting with our friends Charlie & Debbie and my computer camera worked this time! Eileen and I walked through Greenview Village the next day to the Nassau Avenue 7-11 to get some candy – we split a Hershey’s chocolate-Reese’s bar, and she got herself a new Beanie Baby – a koala named Katy Koala, #102 in the collection. We returned home by the same route, avoiding Tex Court. The next day I participated in the virtual Financial Planning webinar with other St. John's Alumni. Even took some good notes that I will put into a Word document. After the webinar I went to the East Islip Stop & Shop to redeem bottles and get lunch provisions and another Kinder Joy egg – an Easter chicken, #43 in my collection. On the 27th to avoid cabin fever I drove to Deer Park Avenue (Route 231) to find a 7-11 to get coffee and a lotto ticket. I found one just south of the Huntington Town Line on the southbound side - 2160 Deer Park Avenue. I bought the lotto ticket, a cup of coffee, and a Hershey’s white chocolate bar before heading home by way of Long Island Avenue/Pine Aire Avenue and the parkways. The next day I went to the Islip Post Office, Chase Bank, and the Sayville 7-11, where I got coffee and another Kinder Joy egg with #44 – a blue elephant. I then drove to the Sayville Marina to enjoy my coffee and snack while admiring the Great South Bay. It was very windy with the temps around freezing so I did not get out of the car to take photos. Later in the evening Ellen and I listened to a virtual Islip Town Board hearing on the rezoning of property at 2300 Sunrise Highway to make it a gas station and convenience store. We are worried about the additional traffic that will be coming onto our streets. On the 29th I went out to get the lotto ticket and milk at the 7-11 at 56 Lowell Avenue in Islip Terrace The cup of coffee was from one of the newer grinding & brewing machines. I thought that the coffee was a bit too bitter for my tastes so I will stick with the other machines. Next stop was Stop & Shop and for a half gallon of milk and an Easter themed Kinder Joy egg, with a pattern for an Easter egg, #45 in the collection. Two prominent actresses, while both in their 90's, passed away during the week of January 25th: Cloris Leachman on the 26th and then Cicely Tyson two days later. RIP to two lovely ladies.
The 30th was a Saturday and Eileen and I went to the Island Lake Diner on Portion Road in Ronkonkoma for the first time. We each had iced tea and split a quesadilla wrap. I also had Greek soup – creamy lemon chicken, while Eileen had chicken matzo. We did enjoy our lunch and after I paid we took a few more pictures in the parking lot before heading back home. The next morning I went to the supermarket for lunch provisions since we started to get snow at around 8:15 PM and would not stop until Monday morning. Later I did some more errands, like gassing up the CR-V, going to the Chase Bank ATM, and then heading to the Oakdale 7-11 to get coffee, the lotto ticket, and Kinder Joy friend #46 – a pink mouse. After I paid for my items, I drove to the View’s parking lot to enjoy my coffee and snack, and also take pictures of the frozen over Connetquot River and Great South Bay. After the snack and photo op I drove home and fixed the window frame on the back door with duct tape. We often order dinner out on Sundays, and on the last Sunday of the month we ordered from Mango Tango. It is the only sit down Chinese eatery in Islip (but with other Asian countries also represented) and we enjoy the place a lot.
February:
February began with a Nor’easter and it dumped maybe 6 or 7 inches. I started to clear the driveway, the walkway, and the stoop. My neighbor came by with his snow blower to finish where I left off and when that was done I drove over to the firehouse for coffee and to stand by for a little while. I did not want to stay too long because Ellen said that if the snow plow seals in the driveway, she cannot help me. On the 3rd the book that I ordered last month from Square Books LLC, Loose Balls by Terry Pluto, arrived. I looked at the first few pages and I am certain that I will like it. On the 4th I went to Stony Brook Hospital to get shot #2 – Moderna vaccine for COVID. Everything went smoothly and I was even classified as Public Service (PUBSERV) since I am a fire department employee (even if it’s volunteer). But even though I am now vaccinated, I will still be careful around others. During the night after I got dose #2, I had cold feet and hands, a stiff neck, and a splitting headache - maybe side effects from does #2 (but the symptoms did not last). The next day I registered Ellen and me for the annual Blessing of the Couples at St. John’s University. But this year it is virtual. I took the story of how I met Ellen from my website http://cricketbilly8.wixsite.com/billy-and-ellen and sent it to St. John’s after doing some edits. For the website itself, I added more photos and changed the narrative to what I sent to St. John’s yesterday and combined it with the Quadrangle/Great lawn Part of 2011 and our trip to Disney World in 2014.
On the 5th Christopher Plummer passed away at the age of 91. He is the 4th celebrity over 90 to leave us is the past few days. RIP Christopher.
On Sunday the 7th we got another snow storm. It was not as bad as the one on the 1st of the month (only about 3 or 4 inches this time) but I did have to shovel the walkway and steps to the stoop and part of the driveway. My neighbor from across the street helped me with his snow blower to finish the driveway.
Our smoke detector was beeping when there was no fire or smoke condition and it was driving Ellen and me crazy I replaced the batteries and that did not work. On the 10th a Slomin’s technician came by to see about our alarm system. He did work on the panel in the foyer and also replaced the smoke detector. The three AAA batteries that I put into the old smoke detector were then put into my old GE Walkman radio and maybe now I will start using it again when I go walking. Since I am a compulsive collector, I have added to my Kinder Joy collection. On Tuesday I stopped at the Nassau Avenue 7-11 to get a lotto ticket and a Kinder Joy egg - #47 - a dragon, which is in the CR-V console, as is #48, a large wild bird with its chick. On the 11th after checking the mail at the firehouse I drove to the Oakdale 7-11 for some candy and a Kinder Joy egg - #49 - which turned out to be a Minion bike rider. The egg did not have the Minion’s picture on it so I was surprised. Later in the day, Eileen and I headed to the New Balance Store near Smith Haven Mall. We took back roads to Alexander Avenue and then the Mall. I got another pair of the same walking sneakers that I got around two years ago. After that we headed east on Route 347 to the Lake Grove Diner for lunch, where we each got iced tea, a cup of seafood chowder, and we split a chicken quesadilla. Then we headed back to Islip and finally to the 7-11 at Nassau Avenue & Union Boulevard, where we went inside and checked out the Beanie Babies. But there were only the large kind of expensive ones so I suggested two Kinder Joy eggs. Once we got into the car we enjoyed the candy and checked to see what figures we got. There was a cockatoo, which I already have, and a flame car. I let Eileen have the bird, which went onto her night table and I got the car, which in in the driver’s door of the CR-V. These are #50 & #51 in the collection. When we got home I went to the North Babylon shopping plaza on Route 231 to visit the post office, and then Uncle Giuseppe’s to buy a coffee cake, ravioli, and a surf & turf dinner, and then went next door to the liquor store to buy a Northville Chardonnay Long Island wine before coming home to upload the photos that I took at the diner. Once home I learned that trump was acquitted by the senate for the January 6th insurrection. We needed just 10 more republicans to put country over party and trump would have been convicted. The pseudo-patriots are ecstatic that trump got acquitted, but that is only because of spineless republican senators. A group of geese migrated down our street and went across our lawn and I managed to take three photos of them and then downloaded the pix and posted them to Facebook and Google Photos. After lunch I went to the Verizon Store in West Islip to see about my cell phone and why is only vibrated. A technician showed me that I had pushed a lever by the sound button, by accident, and that muted all of the alarms and notices. It makes the sounds now. I then drove to the Babylon Municipal Lot and parked there before walking to the Chase Bank branch ATM and took $20 from the checking account. I then went across Main Street to Roe Roe’s Sweet Street to get a few things: a Ty Paw Patrol mini critter – Skye, a generic Valentine’s Day card for Ellen and Eileen, and some candy for me. I paid for the items in cash, and also talked with owner Roseanne before I drove back to Islip.
Besides fire department activity on President’s Day, in the evening I started to feel chills and my teeth started to chatter so that meant going to bed early. My sinuses were filled, my neck was stiff, and I had a fever of 102 degrees. Was it side effects from dose #2? The next day I did feel better and my temperature was around 95 degrees but I called my doctor’s office anyway. The assistant did say that it was a nasty virus since COVID vaccine side effects usually don’t come after 11 days. I decided to postpone the prostate biopsy from February 17th to March 3rd since I had not fully recovered by the 17th. After some errands on the 17th when I got home Ellen told me that rush limbaugh passed away from lung cancer. Considering what a hate monger he was, I will not miss him. Ellen later took my temperature and it was 97.6, but I still felt pain in the groin. Is it lymph nodes? Later in the afternoon I had a Zoom meeting with my doctor and she advised me to tell the urologist when I go for my prostate biopsy on March 3rd about the nodes hurting and have the urologist check me over. She also asked that I let her know if the lymph nodes symptoms don’t go away. The 17th was Ash Wednesday and around 4:10 I left for St. Mary’s to attend the Word Service. There were readings and prayers and then ashes were dropped on our heads instead of the cross on our foreheads. After the service I went to the firehouse for coffee and to watch some TV. While we are not without power like in Texas, the New York area did get hit on the 18th with about 4 inches of snow. My neighbor helped me clear out my driveway and walkway so I can get the cars out of the driveway and onto the street.
On Friday the 19th I saw people on Facebook condemning ted cruz for escaping for Cancun while his constituents in Texas were suffering and dying. Some trumpers were defending cruz by diverting attention to Andrew Cuomo. One trump asshole from Islip thinks that Dr. Fauci’s messages are bullshit but most likely anything from trump and limbaugh are gospel. Stupid is as stupid does. I went to Stop & Shop for the main shopping trip and while there I also bought another Kinder Joy egg and opened it at the firehouse a little later. It's another wild bird, a different species from #48 (this is #52). After I got home and was reading I got paged for an automatic alarm so I went down to headquarters to sign in and have a snack. One of the trump worshippers from the other engine company was on the call. We were all talking about vaccinations and it sounded like he is against them because it he said that people are getting killed by the vaccines. Stupid is as stupid does. The next day was a Saturday and Eileen and I had lunch at the Oconee Diner. We ordered iced tea and Manhattan clam chowder (I ate most of hers) and split a shrimp salad wrap. I noticed that one of their TV sets was tuned to OAN – One America News, and others had fox noise on it. I was fortunate that the one by our booth was tuned to ESPN and I got to watch Indiana play Michigan State. We enjoyed lunch except for the trump photo by the exit to the foyer and the owners’ pro-trump and limbaugh stances. After we left we drove to the firehouse lot to park and walked to Sugared Up for some gummy candy and a smiley face zipper pull (actually gritting his teeth) which Eileen named Smiley - #103 in our Beanie Baby collection. We then walked to the nail salon near Willow Avenue to inquire about a possible manicure and/or pedicure for Eileen as a birthday present next month. Later in the day I sadly learned that one of our ex-chiefs who was part of the morning coffee klatch passed away. RIP Chief. I did not go to the 4:30 Saturday Mass at St. Mary’s but went instead went to the 12 noon Mass but was late because I forgot that it has not been 12:15 for a while. Before this Sunday I cannot remember the last time without looking it up in my journal. Around 4 pm I went out for a short ride to the firehouse to sign in on two signal 16’s, have coffee, and to watch TV. Then I drove to the 7-11 on Route 111 and got another Kinder Joy egg- #53, a large stand up figure of a bear in a police officer uniform.
On Tuesday (23rd) I planned to go to Kings Park but while I was on the Sagtikos Parkway I noticed that the traffic was starting to pile up so I exited onto Crooked Hill Road and took that to where it becomes Fifth Avenue in Brentwood. I headed south so that I can stop at a 7-11 to get the lotto ticket and maybe a snack or Kinder Joy egg. There was one a few blocks south of Candlewood Road so I stopped there to get the lotto ticket and also some treats: a Hershey’s’ chocolate and Reese’s’ bar, and a Kinder Joy egg, and I paid for everything with my debit card ($5.32). When I left 7-11, I went to the firehouse to get coffee and then to use the Squad computer to download the latest Treasurer’s Reports and company minutes onto the hard drive. I also checked out what was in the egg – a sandwich sign with a racing theme, #54. On Wednesday afternoon Eileen and I went for a walk through Greenview Village and the train station to Little Shop of Shamrocks, where we got some Dairy Buttons and spoke with the owner. I also saw some items that I might get Eileen next month for her birthday. On the way home we walked back home along Moffitt to Wingham Hauppauge Road and James Street instead of Greenview Village. On Thursday and Friday we went for walks through Greenview Village along the usual route via Tex Court. When we came home after our Thursday walk we drove to the Brentwood American Legion Post to see if it was open and to inquire as to when the meetings were held. Apparently people were inside because she saw Eileen and me in the parking lot and came out to speak to us. She gave me a business card to call the Commander and other officers to inquire about visiting. After that Eileen and I got into the car and headed to the 7-11 at Union Boulevard & Nassau Avenue. I got the lotto ticket and then two Kinder Joy eggs for each of us. The eggs had a mega truck #55 and what looks like a Marvel hero #56. Eileen kept the truck and I got the hero. The next day when I did the main food shopping trip, I got myself another Kinder Joy egg from the animals set. I got a shark, #57 in the collection and I put it in the CR-V passenger door. While watching MSNBC later I saw that the pseudo-patriots are holding a CPAC convention in Orlando FL, complete with a gold calf style statue of trump. This looks like an idol to me but the evangelicals have been pretty quiet so far. The attendees also shouted down a hotel spokeswomen who asked them to wear masks since that is the hotel’s policy. Most of the trumpers shouted her down in derision. One reason I cannot be one of these pseudo-patriots is that I have a better half who uses critical thinking. I realized that I may not have been taught critical thinking when I was in school (and it looks like Ellen was). I asked Ellen what critical thinking is. She said that it was doing something like thinking things through, and what are the consequences if I do or don’t do an action. I also checked on Google: Critical thinking is that mode of thinking - about any subject, content, or problem - in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. Five key critical thinking skills to have in the workplace are observation, analysis, inference, communication and problem-solving. On the 27th there was the virtual Blessing of the Couples on the Internet. On a YouTube type screen we watch as a prayer was given by Father Brian Shanley, the new University President, and then a prayer by a fellow alumnus who is also a deacon. Then Father Shanley spoke about marriage and then all of the couples (including Ellen and me) renewed their vows. Yes, I will be faithful to her.
March:
I started March by adding to my Kinder Joy collection with a panther, #58, which is in the book case. Later on I searched YouTube for some videos about charisma and people skills and came upon Vanessa Van Edwards. So far I concluded that while I do like a lot of guys at my firehouse, I really have nothing in common with most of them since they are mostly trump followers, drinkers, and pseudo-macho. As for making friends, I still have PTSD from high school and college days so I don’t really want to try and make too many friends. Later when I finish what I am reading now (The Mouse on Wall Street) I may check out Vanessa’s book Captivate and also check out her website https://www.scienceofpeople.com/. Last month I had to postpone having a prostate biopsy done since I had a nasty bout of influenza on President’s Day. It was rescheduled for the 3rd and before the 3 of us left for the Smith Institute for Urology at Huntington, located in Greenlawn on Pulaski Road, I took a valium pill just before we left to calm me down. Ellen drove us there and back. Around 12:30 on the way to Greenlawn our Honda Accord hit 100,000 miles at Pulaski Road and Townline Road. Once at the practice I waited outside and after they took my temperature (96.7) and I paid the copayment, I was led into a room where my blood pressure was taken. I got to talk with a younger woman doctor who had a tattoo just above her left knee. We started to talk about tattoos and while I almost got some in 1975, to this day I have never gotten any. I then moved to a room where the procedure was performed. I did keep my Yankees cap on and I got to talk baseball with the senior doctor and his assistants. Like a women giving birth vaginally, my feet were put into the stirrups and soon the senior doctor supervised the woman doctor and the nurse practitioner who gave me some injections to numb the area between the rectum and scrotum and then they started to take samples. It was uncomfortable but I survived. Afterwards I spoke with the younger doctor and the nurse practitioner about Long Island, the Nurse Practitioner field, and where the NP get her degree (Molloy College). Remembering the sarcastic question that we sometimes said to people who ask too many questions about your personal life or career (Are you writing a book? Kiss my ass and make it a love story), I told her that I am writing a novella about a cousin who is an RN right now but is considering a career as an NP. When we were talking about the universities and towns the woman doctor said that she did not know where Garden City was. I asked her where she lives, and she said Franklin Square. I mentioned Roosevelt Field and said that the village is just to the west. We then asked her if she is a Long Island girl and it turns out that she is originally from Colorado and also lived in Oklahoma. I mentioned to them about living in Central Louisiana with the Air Force almost 50 years ago and how they treated unmarried people and how dead it was. The nurse agreed that the region pressures people to get married early and often. Ellen and Eileen soon drove me home and we had lunch and then I watched TV. On the way home from a fire call I stopped at the Nassau Avenue 7-11 and got myself another Kinder Joy egg - #59 in the collection - an octopus. I also listened to more of Vanessa Van Edwards videos on how to make friends and how to read people to maybe get to know them. On the 4th I saw that trump was not inaugurated at our 19th President like some of his sycophants hoped. In the late afternoon Eileen and I went for a walk through Greenview Village and then home via Tex Court – the usual truncated route. Once home I went to the firehouse for coffee and to watch some TV and listened to some of the pseudo-patriots and one anti-trump person argue about how the terrorists who stormed our capital are not worse than the BLM people. I think that the Capitol terrorists were a lot worse. Good to see that another person at the Islip FD is not a trump worshipper. I then went to the 7-11 at Sunrise Highway and Romain Avenue and got a small Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups pack and another Kinder Joy egg - #60, a super car which I put on the desk in the computer room. The day ended with the meeting at my American Legion post. It was the first time I was at the post in 4 months.
On the 5th St. John’s e/mailed me to tell me that they are going to interview me as a member of the McCallen Society sometime during the week of March 7th. The next day was a Saturday and Eileen and I went to Campero Chicken on 5th Avenue in North Bay Shore for lunch. We split a four piece pack which included plantains and Latin beans and I know that we both enjoyed it. On the 7th itself, after lunch Eileen and I went for another walk along our usual route through Greenview Village. After the walk I drove to the East Islip Shell to gas up the CR-V and then went to Patchogue. After parking at the main firehouse and I walked to the Olde Curiosity Shoppe (did not buy anything) and then I walked back through New Village (looks like a nice place to move to) before heading back to Islip for coffee and to use the computer at the firehouse.
On the way home from Patchogue I stopped at 7-11 for some candy and another Kinder Joy egg, #61 in the collection. It was a gorilla with a banana tree. On LinkedIn there was a discussion about rush limbaugh and some called him out for what he was – racist blowhard, and a phony. One bogus minister called me an ass because I reminded rush’s ditto heads that he was not a patriot, loving husband, father, and good person: He was on his 4th wife, was childless, did not serve in the armed forces, and hated and demonized groups of people.
On Tuesday I had made an appointment with Universal Cuts for a haircut and when I was there, the woman barber seemed to agree with me that trump was a disaster and that President Joe Biden would be a better president and do more to end the COVID crisis. I was supposed to be interviewed by a St. John’s University grad assistant on behalf of the McCallen Society on Wednesday the 10th but he had to postpone it to the 11th. I mentioned to him that Ellen is also a member of the Society and he asked if he could interview the two of us. We said of course. At 2PM on the 11th the Zoom link opened up and the young man asked us about how we met, and what we have done since graduating from the University in 1978, and also what our experiences were like while students there. We should be seeing it on YouTube in about a week or two. Later, after the interview Eileen and I went for a walk through Greenview Village and when we got home I went to the firehouse but first stopped at the 7-11 on Saxon Avenue by Bay Shore Commons. I got another Kinder Joy egg, #62 – another minion bike rider. On Friday I did some errands in town and then drove to the 7-11 in Oakdale and got the lotto ticket for Saturday and also got another Kinder Joy egg, #63 - a power wagon car. On the 13th I started to read more of Loose Balls. The prologue and the introduction discuss some of the prominent figures of the American Basketball Association (ABA), both players and front/back office people. Since the book was written in 1990, I do not remember too many of them, but do know that several of these people have sadly passed away. Around 12:45 on Saturday Eileen and I drove to Huntington Village to have lunch at MB Ramen, which my cousin plugged on Facebook. We had to park a few blocks away but we got some exercise walking to the place. Once we sat down and had to listen to new music (read – garbage) we got the menus and I ordered spicy miso soup and Eileen got a vegetable noodle soup. Mine was quite spicy, but nothing I could not handle. I naturally brought a camera and took some photos, which I uploaded to the Internet and the hard drive. When we got back to Islip we stopped at Little Shop of Shamrocks to get some items for St. Patrick’s Day and also Eileen’s birthday. It was a bit hectic there but in the end we bought a small box of Irish tea bags, a Cadbury egg with Dairy buttons, and for Eileen’s birthday, a Rory Irish doll. I ended the weekend by downloading 4 cartoons from the Harlem Globetrotters’ Facebook page, and added 3 of them to my Harlem Globetrotters’ website on www.jimdo.com - https://harlem-globetrotters.jimdofree.com/ and I also checked my Billy 2016 site with that provider, https://billy2016.jimdofree.com/.
On Monday the 15th I drove to the Northwell Urologists offices in Hauppauge to get my results from the March 3rd biopsy. The prostate is enlarged but there is no prostate cancer!! I do have to return in 6 months. After lunch Eileen and I walked through Greenview Village to 7-11 and we each got Kinder Joy eggs. One was a lion #64 and the other was a generator truck #65. Eileen got the truck which is in her room. The lion is in the book case. Ellen has told me told me not to get anymore Kinder Joy friends, especially after I used the debit card at 7-11 on the 15th and she saw the ones in the CR-V console and doors when she followed me to Babylon Honda. I guess she is right, and 65 friends are enough. On Tuesday I was up a bit earlier since I had to take the Accord to Babylon Honda Service. Around 10 to 4 I got a call from them telling me that the Accord is ready and we may need more work done in a few months. These future repairs will cost almost $2,000 and now Ellen and I are looking at possible replacements for the Accord – either another Accord, a Civic, or another CR-V. After a few weeks of trying, on St. Patrick’s Day Ellen got a vaccination appointment at the Brentwood Campus of Suffolk County Community College on the 29th of April. Eileen has one two days earlier. On Thursday I went to the library to pick up Linda Gordon’s book, The Second Coming of the KKK. Looks like I will like it, and it’s relevant to today. Since Loose Balls is my own book, I can read it at my leisure. The 19th was Eileen’s 31st birthday. I cannot believe it’s that long since she was born at Plainview/Northwell Hospital. When I checked www.youtube.com I saw that the interviews with the St. John’s University that Ellen and I had on behalf of the McCallen Society were available. Ellen and I naturally watched them - there is a short one that lasts 3½ minutes and then the full one that goes for 36 minutes. When I listened to myself I felt that I don’t sound as bad as I feared. The URL’s to the two St. John’s interviews are here: https://youtu.be/ccZpFA39_Kk https://youtu.be/RA8MEqLwOZc
The next day was Saturday and Eileen and I went to Bay Shore Commons to check out the new Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop, on the location that Subway had. We ordered a regular Philly cheese steak and potato chips and it came to just over $10.00. The man even gave Eileen small packs of chocolate chip cookies and brownies. I told him that he did not have to do that. We then walked towards the car but first we stopped in the card store in the Commons and Eileen got herself another Beanie Baby – Patrick the Star Fish from Sponge Bob (#105). Later I saw on Facebook that several pseudo patriots insist that trump is our rightful president and that the 2020 election was stolen and is a fraud. And the US is doomed. And that he should have been sworn in as our 19th legitimate president on March 20th. On Sunday Eileen and I went out for a walk through Greenview Village and to the Wing School. At the Veterans Triangle we saw that some of the flags were touching the floor and I fixed them. I also wanted Eileen to go with me to the Brentwood Campus of Suffolk County Community College to go for a walk but she did not want to go and I did not force her. I went by myself and did a bit of walking and took pix of some of the buildings with my cell phone. I also saved a list of Bill’s 10 Commandments onto Google Photos. Some I have been following for a long time, some I better start to follow:
Ellen asked me to help with a DNA kit from Ancestry.com. But I could not remember my ID or password and all attempts for them to contact me did not work. Personally I don’t care where my ancestors came from. I am a New York City born American and that is all that I care about. The DNA results could make me an undesirable person among the trumpers. My American Legion post is getting active again. Since I am the Post’s Homeland Security Officer, I get to go to officers’ meetings. They are normally held on the 4th Thursday of the month, so I got to go and participate. This month we talked about acquiring some new equipment for the Post, and what activities we will participate in over the next couple of months.
To end March, Eileen and I had lunch at the Khyber Grill on Spur Drive South near 5th Avenue. It’s a South Asian eatery and I ordered one bottle of water, butter chicken (in a vindaloo sauce) for me, chicken with chickpeas for Eileen, and two vegetable samosas – one for each of us. The food was decent and something different for us. Later in the afternoon we went for a walk along the truncated route through Greenview Village. Once the walk was done I had more errands to do: the lottery ticket at the Nassau Avenue 7-11 (and #66 Kinder Joy friend – a green snake), and gassing up the car at East Islip Shell. On Sunday after lunch I went to the Post for the 80th birthday party of our chaplain, as his daughter invited me. When I got there I realized that did not even have a birthday card! I asked the daughter what her dad would like – wine. Since these days liquor stores are open on Sundays I headed to Manor Liquors and bought two bottles of Pindar Long Island wines. One was for the birthday guy – a blended North Fork red, and the Sweet Scarlett would be for us. For the last Monday of the month I went to East Islip Stop & Shop and redeemed bottles and since Kinder Joy eggs were 2 for $3, I could not resist. One was a picture holder with a drawing of a squirrel looking through a telescope. - #67. The other one is an Easter Rabbit (#68) that is now in our bookcase in the TV room. I listened to Vanessa Van Edwards’ video on introversion and meeting and making new friends. I like it and may try to do some extending of myself. But I still have the worry that people will take advantage of me if I try too hard to be their friend or see it as coming on in a homosexual way. And if someone does not want to be friends with you, you should not force yourself on them.
Earlier in the month when we brought the Accord into Babylon Honda the technician told us that there is more maintenance that will have to be done in the future. Since we want to keep the car until at least the end of 2021 before trading it in, Ellen and I decided to have the maintenance work done - $1,900 worth of it. That was done on the 30th so even if we decide to keep the Accord, it should last us quite a number of years.
April:
The first walk in April was through Greenview Village along the truncated route. The next day after lunch I went on an errand to mail stuff at the East Islip post office and then drove to the 7-11 in Oakdale to get the lotto ticket, and another Kinder Joy egg - #69 – a generator truck. On Holy Saturday (the 3rd) Eileen and I went out to lunch at Relish, a renovated diner in Kings Park at the northern end of Pulaski Road. Each of us ordered lentil soup and iced tea and decided to split a cod fish panini bread sandwich. It seems that Eileen did not like the lentil soup so I put it into a doggie bag and took it home with us. The meal was excellent and the staff was very personable. But since it’s not a fast food spot, it was a bit expensive. We will go back in the future, just not in the immediate future. For Easter Sunday I went to the 10:30 Mass at St. Mary’s and it was fairly crowded – probably mostly Creasters. When I got home we broke tradition by having Sunday dinner at home – made by us. We had an eye round with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. And since it’s red meat, a red Long Island wine. On Thursday the 8th I stopped at the 7-11 on Nassau Avenue & Union Boulevard to get some hand sanitizer and a Kinder Joy egg – a green truck, #70. We added to our collections by the end of the week when I got Kinder Joy egg #71 - a monkey swinging on a tree. On Saturday after lunch at Taco Bell Eileen and I went for a walk along Main Street and stopped at Sugared Up for some candy, and she added Dangler to her Beanie Baby collection at #106. When I got home I relaxed with a trip down Memory Lane by watching some videos on www.youtube.com about the 1964 World’s Fair.
I finished chapter 11 (titled Empower) of Captivate and Vanessa van Edwards says to give people ownership to get them motivated. Share your mission and tie it to mutual interests and learn how to use others’ unique gifts. Chapter 12 (Reveal) discusses secrets and vulnerabilities and asking for advice. She says that revealing them can help with connections. I kind of disagree based on experiences. I also thought about a Facebook ‘friend’ who is a trumpster and complained about seeing non-white people in commercials. I guess he never heard of marketing. This man also complained that Flushing is now mostly Asian. That means more authentic Asian cuisine for me when I visit one of the restaurants there. After lunch on Sunday I drove to the East Islip Shell to fill the tank of the CR-V (with a 50¢ discount from Stop & Shop). I also got another Kinder Joy egg with #72 – another Marvel hero. I then went to the firehouse for coffee and to listen to more of the Dale Carnegie course titled 5 Essential People Skills. I definitely wish I knew these points 50 years ago. A slide and film viewer that Ellen ordered arrived and on Monday the 12th Ellen and I were able to download to the hard drive 5 slides that Ma and Da took at the 1964 World’s Fair. I then uploaded them to the two Google Photos files. On Monday I skipped breakfast since I had an appointment at the family doctor’s office and there was blood work. The vital signs were favorable but the jury is out on the blood work as of the 13th. The doctor and I also discussed friends and meeting people and we agreed that we don’t always have a large circle of friends, and it’s a myth that a good friend will always drop what they are doing and come to your aid. After lunch Eileen and I did our usual walk through Greenview Village and then I drove to the West Islip Marina to admire and photograph the 9-11 Memorial that the daughter of one of the Islip Fire Department members made for her Girl Scout Gold Project. I took several photos and was quite impressed. I also took pix of the West Islip Fire Department fire boat and then of the Robert Moses Causeway bridges. When the session was over I drove to the West Islip Stop & Shop to get the lotto ticket and also treat myself to a Kinder Joy egg. I was not able to get the lotto ticket, but I was able to get an egg – #73 in my collection - a gorilla swinging from a branch. I read chapter 13 (Protect) of Captivate, about social fears and how to deal with difficult people, and the NUT (name, understand and transform) solution for fears. The recap says that when you address someone’s (or your) fear by seeking to understand it, you can transform a problem into a solution. The last Chapter is number 14 (Engage) that discusses curiosity – being curious about others and satisfying three of peoples’ basic needs (love, self-actualization, and esteem). Make people feel wanted, know, and respected but only to those you really want to build a deep connection with. After bowling on the 14th I dropped Eileen off and I went back to town to stop at Chase Bank and then visit the pharmacy to pick up my 30 mg Paxil prescription. On the way home I stopped at the Nassau Avenue 7-11 to treat myself to another Kinder Joy egg – a space top, #74.
On Friday evening I went back to Stop & Shop to get 3 cases of Poland Spring water and also a Kinder Joy egg, #75 - a leopard. For our weekly lunch outside of the house, Eileen and I went to the Peter Pan Diner in Bay Shore to enjoy iced tea, matzoh ball soup, and a chicken quesadilla. All quite good. When we got back home we went for one of our several walks through Greenview Village along the truncated route. Later in the evening when I got home from church and the firehouse Ellen told me that our cousin in law Mike called us from Arlington VA to tell us that his wife Julie passed away on the prior Sunday from cardiac arrest! I could not believe it. On Sunday after lunch Eileen and I did another walk, this time in Babylon Village, from the Municipal Parking Lot to the Village Hall and back, stopping at Roe Roe’s Sweet Street for Beanie Baby #107 for Eileen, a cat named Tabitha and some gummy candy for us. The next essay of Loose Balls, The First Year Notebook: 1967-1968 talked about the first season, which began on October 13th. The League claimed over 1,200,000 fans in season 1. The next essay, The 1.3 Million Glass Ring discussed the Oakland Oaks trade for Doug Moe, Coach Alex Hannum’s workouts, and Pat Boone’s being forced to pay for the team’s debts.
On Tuesday morning (the 20th) I brought the CR-V to Babylon Honda for an inspection and some minor maintenance. In the mid-afternoon the CR-V was ready, so I went over to Babylon Honda to pick it up. We got a new inspection, oil change, and brakes relined for around $300. Then I drove to Carleton Avenue in Islip Terrace so I could mail the sympathy cards at the Islip Terrace post office and then walk next door to the 7-11 for coffee and a Kinder Joy egg. I got coffee with some sweet cream (a bit too sweet for my tastes) and Kinder Joy #76, a space station. On Thursday the 22nd Eileen and I had lunch at the West Islip McDonald’s on Sunrise Highway before heading to the Broadway Commons Mall in Hicksville. Once we arrived and parked, we walked to a side entrance and since I brought my camera, took some photos of Eileen with the mall’s name in the background. We checked out a few stores to maybe get a Beanie Baby and/or some candy, and finally came upon Candy Heaven. There were stuffed animals and candy bins, similar to Roe Roe’s or Sugared Up. I also saw some eggs that looked like Kinder Joy eggs. One said Princess and one said Safari. Kinder Joy has issued specially themed eggs so we decided on two eggs – one for me and one for Eileen. We opened the eggs when we get home. It turns out these were another set of knockoffs. It looks like the eggs were made in Turkey because there was writing in Turkish on the eggs. There was candy –peanut and hazelnut flavor, but there was no crunchy part. The toys – a car and a skateboard – were subpar compared to the real ones from Kinder Joy. I let Eileen have them and she put them on her end table. I will not include them in the list of Kinder Joy friends, same as with the Dada eggs items.
The next day on Friday after a walk through Greenview Village, I drove to the firehouse but first stopped at the 7-11and got a Hershey’s milk chocolate and Reese’s bar and another Kinder Joy egg - #77. It’s a green generator truck. The next day Eileen and I did our usual lunch outside the house, this time at the local Taco Bell. We enjoyed soft and hard shell tacos and iced tea, and I also had a chalupa. We also managed to take in another walk around Greenview Village. Later in the day I went to the 4:30 Mass like I usually do. And after Mass I went to the 7-11 at Main Street and Timber Point Road to get the lotto ticket and another Kinder Joy egg. It's a scale or turntable with two lemur like critters on each side, #78, which I put into the book case. In the evening Ellen and I watched Inherit the Wind, the 1960 movie starring Spencer Tracy, Frederic March and Gene Kelly. What scares me is that a lot of what took place in 1925, based on the Scopes Monkey Trial, seems to be coming back these days. The next morning I went to the firehouse for coffee and then came home to watch my cousin in law Julie’s burial service from Arlington VA with Ellen. Since it was rainy we did not do too much else. But I did drive to the North Babylon Uncle Giuseppe’s to get some salads – potato, chicken, and pasta – for dinner. On Monday the 26th a nurse practitioner, sent by Aetna, visited me to give me an exam – vital signs, did a questioner, and also took my height & weight. My height is 5’6½ inches and my weight is almost 190! She recommended more exercise, like walking and maybe using the stationary bike. Later in the morning our financial advisor came by to check on our financial conditions and our IRA’s and 401 (k)’s. I had a CD in an IRA that came due on the 26th and I wanted to put it into the single account that I have from our advisor. The account was with Capital One Bank and the nearest branch is by South Shore Mall. I drove over to the mall and looked for it in the main building. But it is just off the mall property on the Sunrise Highway service road. Rather than drive I actually walked from the mall’s main hallway to the bank branch and closed the account out. I will put the funds into the account with Jackson National, who will be the successor trustee. I also had to mail a bill and get the lotto ticket so I drove to the Islip Terrace post office to mail the bill and then walk next door to 7-11 to get the lotto ticket and treat myself to a Kinder Joy egg. This 7-11 now has the wildlife eggs, and I got a wild bird with a chick, and is #79 in the collection. This one is orange and already have it, so I gave it to Eileen to put onto the end table in her room. On Tuesday afternoon I took Eileen to Suffolk County Community College’s Edgewood campus to get her first COVID vaccine shot (Pfizer). I stayed with her and answered questions for her and she took the needle like a trooper. While I did not bring a camera, I did take several pictures with my cell phone. On the way home we stopped at a 7-11 on 5th Avenue near the Third Precinct and got 2 more Kinder Joy eggs, which we opened up when we got home. I got a white monkey (#80) and Eileen got the gorilla (#81) since I already have it. After lunch on Wednesday, the 28th, Eileen and I went for another walk through Greenview Village along the Truncated Route. The next day I got an e/mail from SJU about the 50th anniversary of my first graduation. It looks like it’s virtual but there is a 5K walk and some talks with some of the famous athletes. I did try to sign up for these two things. I listened to a recap of Dale Carnegie’s book that was summarized into 10 points. Basically give people a good reputation to live up to, be genuinely interested in other people, don’t talk about yourself, talk in terms of other peoples’ interests. After breakfast on Thursday I watched Eileen while Ellen went to Suffolk County CC to get her dose #1. Since she had her cane and walker, when she got to the door she got a wheelchair and did not get up until they wheeled her back to the car when it was time to go home. After lunch I went to the 7-11 at Nassau Avenue and got another Kinder Joy egg – a clawed monster truck - #82. I ended April with a trip to the Islip Terrace post office with Eileen. She dropped the two items in the mail chute and then we walked next door to the 7-11 to get the lotto ticket and then decided on Kinder Joy eggs instead of Beanie Babies. This 7-11 does sell the wildlife ones so I picked out two of them and then also bought a lotto ticket. We then drove to the firehouse to park the car and walk to Chase Bank to take care of business. We continued walking to Willow Avenue and walked down the block about half way before we turned around to go back to the firehouse. When we got home we opened the eggs up. There was the white monkey, #83, which I already have so that is for Eileen's room. The other was a grey panther #84, so I took that one and put it in the book case.