September:
The 9th month began with my watching a History Channel show about the American automakers and their role in helping the Allies win World War II, and then their problems after the War. Ford introduced its great 1949 model, then Chevrolet introduced the 283 engine, and Chrysler bounced back with Lee Iacocca at the helm. Later in the day, we got heavy rains from Tropical Storm Ida. New York City and Westchester got a lot more than the South Shore, enough to cause flooding in the New York City subway and the highways, and to kill people in flooded basements. The next day while on the way home from signing in for a fire call, I stopped at the Nassau Avenue 7-11 and got a Surprizeanimal for myself. It’s Freddy Hermit Crab, #126, which will be in the CRV. I brought the farting ninja into the house and put him on the computer room desk In the evening I went to the meeting at the American Legion post. I will be doing some research to talk about Homeland Security, especially civil preparedness.
On Day 3 I was up a bit earlier and drove to the firehouse and to park the car and go for a walk along Main Street, stopping at the Veterans Memorial Park at Town Hall where I tool 3 pix of the 9-11 Memorial. After lunch on the 5th I went for a walk through Greenview Village with Eileen. When I got home, I wanted to check out the new 7-11 at 5650 Sunrise Highway but got off at the wrong exit. I went down to Church Street, Nicolls Road, and Montauk Highway but was too far east on the service road so I said screw it and headed west to a 7-11 in Bohemia and got coffee and 7-Select mango flavored cookies.
I then went to the firehouse again to finish my coffee and watch part of the Yankees game. They were ahead of the Orioles while I was there but eventually lost again. I then went home and discussed with Ellen what to get from Uncle Giuseppe’s: rotisserie chicken, cole slaw, potato and macaroni salads, and a marble coffee cake.
On Tuesday the 7th I went to the supermarket for lunch provisions, and also another Kinder Joy egg – a lime green jack o’lantern (#118 in the collection), which I put into the console of the Accord. After lunch the 3 of us drove to JFK Airport to check out where I will be departing from next week (it is Delta Terminal 4). We got a look at it and saw where I will get dropped off. Once that was done, we then tried to find our way out but ended up on Rockaway Boulevard instead of the Belt Parkway. Rather than risk an accident, we stayed on Rockaway Boulevard/Turnpike to Peninsula Boulevard and took it to the Southern State and then to the Ocean Parkway along the beach and home.
On Wednesday afternoon I finally made it to the new 7-11 in Sayville (5650 Sunrise Highway). No Kinder Joy eggs but I got some 7-Select cookies and coffee. On Wednesday afternoon 9th, I listened to a speech by a fellow Vietnam Era Veteran Hamilton Gregory titled McNamara’s Folly – slow witted men who were drafted and often put into the infantry or other hazardous positions, since the military was desperate for bodies. Maybe that is why I was fit for military service (infantry) despite bad eyes, low weight, and flat feet. When I got home from the 9-11 ceremonies at Town Hall, I changed and took Eileen with me to Taco Bell for lunch.
From the 12th to the 15th I was in San Diego to visit my cousins and attend the interment of their parents’ cremains at the Miramar National Cemetery. Their dad was also my godfather. On Sunday morning I was up at around 4:15 to shower and get ready to head to the airport. At 5:05 we left Islip and headed to JFK. We got there in about 50 minutes and then the ladies dropped me off at Delta Terminal 4 where I had Sky Cap check my luggage. I then went through security and then went to the waiting area. After about 90 minutes I was boarding Flight DL 350, the plane was a Boeing 767, and I sat in seat 47C. Takeoff was on time and 5 hours later I landed at San Diego International Airport. It was great to be back in CA after 46½ years, and my first time in Southern CA. My cousins picked me up and showed me around the port, with the cruise shops and the USS Midway Museum. There was a statue of the sailor kissing the nurse (from a 1945 Times square photo) and that was a great photo opportunity. We then went around Petco Park where I saw some light rail trains. I hoped that the team store was open but it was closed due to some computer program glitch. We then rode through Old Town and by the Presidio and finally to my hotel – Embassy Suites. Later after I checked in, I joined my cousins at PJ Cheng’s, across the parking lot from the hotel. Later two of cousins in law and a cousin took me to the Glider Port and Torrey Pines Golf Couse, as well as admiring the UCSD campus (we could not really go onto it because of COVID precautions). The Scripps Aquarium was closed because of capacity crowds but I did get some photo ops. In the evening I joined the cousins and families at a restaurant on the grounds of the Torrey Pines Golf Course and Resort. I enjoyed rack of lamb, which I will never make at home. The next day, on the 13th, my cousin and family picked me up to go to the Miramar National Cemetery. At the cemetery there was a prayer service, taps and a gun salute. We then left to go to the La Valencia Hotel by the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla for lunch. There were numerous photo ops of the beach and ocean breakers. When the lunch was over my cousin drove me back to my hotel. Tuesday was a day for me to explore parts of San Diego. After breakfast a cousin picked me up and drove me to the Gaslight District, and I walked to Petco Park to buy some items in the team store and take pictures. I bought a Padres Teddy Bear for Eileen, and a brown Padres shirt with #5 Wil Myers for me. I then walked to the transportation center at 12th & Imperial Avenues where I waited for 2 of my cousins. We then hopped the trolley/light rail green line to Seaport Village and walked to the port. When we got to the waterside, we walked to the maritime museum checked out the ships moored there: The Star of India, the USS Midway, as well as some smaller sailing ships and 2 submarines. One of my cousins had to pick up his car because he had to return to University of California Santa Barbara so then my cousin & I walked to the Santa Fe Depot to take pictures and grab the trolley back to the MTS Center at 12th & Imperial. Once we got there we walked to his car and headed a further north to have some coffee at Starbucks. Later in the evening my cousin came by and we looked around for a pub before deciding on BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse on Villa La Jolla Drive. We sat at the bar and watched the Padres lose to the Giants 6-1. I ordered a microbrew and my cousin ordered an IPA. After the game was over and I finished my pint, we headed back to the hotel since I had to be up a bit early on Wednesday to check out and head home. On Wednesday morning I was up by 7 am to shower and then go downstairs for breakfast. Great to have omelets and hash brown potatoes, which I don’t make at home. There was time for some TV before my cousin took me to the San Diego Airport to come home. After she dropped me off at the Jet Blue Terminal, I checked my baggage and went through security, and soon I boarded flight 190, an Airbus A321, in seat 23D (aisle). We took off around 12:10 Pacific Time as scheduled and were heading east. I did have some coffee and granola bars and that held me over until I got home. Since the middle seat was vacant, I was able to watch entertainment on two screens: baseball – the Red Sox vs. the Mariners, and Boston won 9-4, and a movie – Jurassic World. We landed at JFK around 8:32 New York time and Ellen and Eileen were able to pick me up.
On Saturday, just before noon Eileen and I went to the Islip Library so we could use the computers, and I got to take some books out for Ellen. Then we went over to the Rusy Bohm American Legion Post for the annual picnic. It was $20 each so I shelled out $40 total. But we did have some good eats and I got to talk with several of the members. Around 4 PM we left to come home so I could take a nap, but then just after 5 PM I returned to the post to help with putting things away.
On Sunday morning on Medium I saw an essay about the master race (WASP’s and Nordics) not actually being the master race. “Us” cling to 5 myths:
Actually, “Them” beat the masters to civilization, writings, good architecture, and navigation.
Just before lunch on 9-21 I registered for three events at the St. John’s University Alumni Homecoming Weekend: the parade on the 22nd (Friday) and two events on Saturday – the baseball team alumni game, and the basketball memorial Mass. The next day I was up at the usual time thanks to the alarm and habit and went to the firehouse for coffee before heading to the ENT Allergies practice in Islandia. I had my honker and ears checked out. There is some crust on the wall of my nose, and wax and eczema in my right ear. I also had a hearing test. Later I went to the pharmacy to pick up some med’s. When I got home, I went with Ellen & Eileen to the JMJ Hair Salon on Main Street. They took care of Eileen first so she and I could go for a walk. We headed along Main Street to the firehouse and while we were walking, we got an automatic alarm at Bubba’s Burrito Bar. While I was at HQ, I said hello to the guys there and then we headed back to the salon. Eileen and I stopped at Sugared Up and she got Beanie Baby #128 – a bird like round critter named Owen (there is another Beanie Baby named Owen, but he is one of the smaller palm sized critters). The next day after lunch Eileen and I went for a walk through Greenview Village and we ran into a lady named Karen who helps out with the Shooting Stars. Later I went to the firehouse for coffee and to use the computers, and then to the library to print pix and use the computers some more. On the way home I stopped at the Nassau Avenue 7-11 to get a snack – another Kinder Joy egg with a big car with a shovel, #119. It’s in the CR-V.
On September 24th St. John’s installed its 18th President, and as an alumnus, I headed to the Jamaica campus to witness the investiture of Father Brian Shanley, OP. Father Shanley was a Providence College alumnus and was their president until coming to New York. The ceremony was in the Carnesecca Arena (formerly Alumni Hall). The NYPD Pipe & Drum Band led the faculty and organizations into the arena floor and to the stage. I was able to sit with some other McCallen Society members and enjoy the ceremony. But it did get me down that I was never able to learn anything in the 1st three years, and never did get a job or career that really fulfilled me. And I was envious of the fact that I really don’t have athletic prowess, and that the school was not that good 50 years ago compared to today, and that higher education and I were never meant for each other. But I did get a chance to have a nice set of snacks in the Taffner Field House and got more photo ops there and in the foyer of the Carnesecca Arena.
Over the last weekend of this month Eileen and I had lunch at Taco Bell on Saturday and have keeping up on our walks through Greenview Village. After Taco Bell I went to the 4:30 Mass. At the end of Mass, Father introduced a couple who left the Island for Naples FL and love it. They don’t miss the Island at all. I spoke with the couple after Mass and told them that I want to get the hell off of Long Island but Ellen does not want to move, and I am not throwing away 43 years together. They told me that there are no alligators or snakes in Naples and not that many bugs – there are eagles and other animals though. I can still dream though.
On Sunday after having some coffee at the firehouse, I stopped at the Nassau Avenue 7-11 for some honey roasted peanuts and a Kinder Joy egg – I got a super type of hero with a strange weapon. It is #120 and is in the CR-V console.
On Monday afternoon the 3 of us went to Heckscher State Park to do some walking and take pix. We had planned to go to Jones Beach but it was around 2:40 when we left the house and it’s a bit further than Heckscher State Park. It was so windy that there were white caps and small waves on the Great South Bay. And maybe just the same that we did not go to Jones Beach because if it was windy at the state park on a bay, I would hate to see what it was like at Jones Beach. After the walk and photo ops, we drove back on the parkway to exit 43 and came home down Commack Road.
I ended September with meeting up with my friends Charlie & Debbie in Manhattan. After they checked in at the CQ Hotel on East 45th Street, we headed to Junior’s 45th Street location for lunch. I ordered iced tea, a cup of soup, and a small brisket sandwich, followed by a black & white cookie. The main dining room was decorated with paintings from scenes of Brooklyn: the Bridge, Coney Island, and Ebbets Field. That is where I went to town taking photos. After we finished our meals and paid the waiter, we walked past the Schoenfeld Theater where Come From Away is playing. Charlie & Debbie have tickets for tomorrow’s performance. We then walked to the Food Emporium and then to 42nd Street where we stopped at the Yankees Clubhouse where I bought two more squash ‘em characters in Major League Baseball uniforms – one for Eileen and one for me. At this time, they are still in my knapsack (check the October page to learn which ones we got). We then walked to Bryant Park to relax and take in the scenery before I left to walk to Penn Station to grab the 5:51 train home.
October:
October opened with my opening the bags that had the Squeezy Mates that I bought at the Yankees Clubhouse on the prior day. One player was Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, the other had the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte. After some thinking, Eileen selected Mike, so I got Ketel. Later that evening I watched a 2 hour special on Walt Disney World, since October 1st is the 50th anniversary of its opening. It brought back memories of our visit in 2014 and I definitely want to go back.
On the 1st Saturday I went to a yard sale that was actually in the yard at a house on Grace Court. I ended up getting 2 coffee table books: one about American railroads & one about the New York Football Giants, and a NY Giants tee shirt. I then came home and picked Eileen up and we went to Salah’s Middle eastern Café in East Islip where we each enjoyed a gyro and iced tea.
Eileen wanted to eat out on Sunday, so we first planned on Peninsula in Bay Shore but there was the parking issue. I said why not Fancy Lee and Eileen said yes so that is where we ate. We did not stuff ourselves but did not leave hungry. But I know that I have to lose more weight since my body mass index is 29 – not too far from obese for my height.
October 4th is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis was an animal lover and on his feast day, St. Mary’s Church held a blessing of the animals. While I don’t have any pets, I finally had the time to go over and watch the ceremonies. This year the pets were all dogs, except for one cat. Among the breeds getting blest were dachshunds, corgis, mixed breeds, a pit bull, chihuahuas, golden retrievers, and several others. Naturally I brought my camera and went to town photographing the pets, as well as the priests who did the honors. The next day was the interim food shopping trip so besides the lunch provisions, I got another jack o’lantern in the Kinder Joy egg – this one is yellow and I put it with my jade plant in the window. It’s also #121 in the collection.
On Wednesday (the 6th) after breakfast I headed to OCLI over in Hicksville. There was a thorough eye exam and I thought that my eyesight was going, but a lot of the issues have to do with the position of what I am reading and how I am sitting. On Thursday after lunch Ellen took Eileen to an eye doctor so I was home alone. I decided to visit the antique mall in the Light House Commons shopping plaza. I browsed around and also said hello to a former neighbor who has a stall there but did not buy anything. Then I checked out Milo Toys & Collectables Inc. in the Commons There were some items that maybe Eileen and I might be interested in. But I did not buy anything this time but if we both return, we might see things we both like. Then I headed back to Islip and visited the Nassau Avenue 7-11 for some breakfast cookies and a Kinder Joy egg. I got the elephant with the palm leaves (#122), and it’s in the CR-V.
Since it was the 1st Thursday on the month, just before 8 pm I went to the meeting at the American Legion post. I am the post’s Homeland Security Officer and spoke briefly about civil preparedness. It went over well but I realize that I have a voice for pantomime and not for radio or TV. The 1st Vice Commander asked me to look up New York State Department of Emergency Management Civil Response. I managed to get some information from http://www.dhses.ny.gov/media/documents/NYS-Homeland-Security-Strategy.pdf.
On Friday I watched an episode of Hoarding – Buried Alive on the Life Channel and the hoarder said that she felt that since childhood she felt like a failure since she did not always get straight A’s. That was why she hoarded – stuff to make her feel better and be her friends. Sounds like me – I felt like a failure to many people since I did not make the CYO sports teams and had no athletic prowess; had (and have) a very hard time making friends; rarely got selected to be in charge or help run things; had no meaning direction in life or real skills. Luckily, I am not a hoarder but I do seem to like to collect things – they remind me of a trip or event, even if it’s local. I still have several of the model cars from almost 60 years ago, but they are in the attic.
Later on Friday I read a few articles from a History Channel e/mail about the persecution of Hispanics, especially since the 1840’s and into the 20th century. It was sad to read about Mexican Americans being forcibly deported – even US citizens, having to go to separate schools until the 1940’s, and being victims of violence. Also Italian Americans were lynched in 1891 in New Orleans. So maybe I should be more tolerant of Latinos, since people erroneously spoke to me in Spanish on occasion several years ago, and I could be next. Since I was mistaken for Hispanic a couple of times, I would not be surprised if employment agencies and others did the same and that hurt my career in banking. In the evening, I put up some Halloween decorations and a medium sized pumpkin in the bay window.
On Saturday morning I went to my dentist’s office to fix the cover in the upper right jaw and fix a broken filling in the lower left jaw. For lunch Eileen and I went to the North Babylon Taco Bell to order a cravings box each. When we left, I headed to Bay Shore Road to gas the car at a Shell station before heading back to Islip. After watching some TV Eileen and I went to the street fair in Brightwaters. We went down Windsor Avenue from the Sunrise since Windsor was closed by the grade crossing near Union Boulevard. Once we parked in a village lot, we walked to the intersection where the tents were and spent $4 on a pretzel that we shared. The next stop was a realtor’s tent and we helped ourselves to freebies: a small beach ball, a rubber stress ball shaped like an orange, water bottles, a pen, and hand sanitizer. We walked around a bit more and took photos, including some of a fellow Engine 2 member playing guitar in front of a pub. I also said hello to 3 other members and their wives who were there. After about 25 minutes we headed back to Islip to have ice cream at Coyle’s (birthday cake for Eileen, pumpkin for me) and then walked to the Town Hall Park to take more photos before walking back to the firehouse lot to get the car to come home. Once I got home, I uploaded the pix to the hard drive, Google Photos, and Facebook.
On Columbus Day (the 11th) I went with Ellen and Eileen to OCLI in Oceanside, by the Triangle on Long Beach Road. To get there we rode through Rockville Centre and Oceanside and it brought back memories of good years gone by when Ellen & I lived there. While Ellen was being taken care of, Eileen and I walked to Moe’s Southwest in the Great Lincoln Shopping Center on Atlantic Avenue for lunch. We each had a burrito and iced tea. Moe’s is a lot more expensive than Taco Bell but several steps better. The bill came to $31 so I have to definitely stop spending elsewhere. After lunch we walked through the center to CVS for some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups before heading up Lincoln Avenue to the OCLI building to meet Ellen. On our way home, we drove past the Rockville Centre house Ellen grew up in. It has been repainted and the tree in the front is gone. The new owners now have a couple of preschoolers.
I listened to TED talks: How to Stop Screwing Yourself by Melanie Robbins, and What makes you special? by Mariana Atencio. Mariana is anti-trump and noted that when trump won in 2016. I also listened to readings of Kipling’s If You Can as well as The Road Less Travelled by Robert Frost. I have to change and try and improve my life by doing things. But what??? After lunch on Thursday I went for a walk with Eileen along our usual route and then we rode to Sunken Meadow State Park to go for a walk along the boardwalk. It was a good photo op and we even saw some deer near the boardwalk. We then drove to the 7-11 on Pulaski Road in Kings Park for some 7-Select cookies and then I stopped at Chase Bank on Indian Head Road to get $100 from the ATM. It was then time to head back to Islip, along the parkways.
For lunch on Saturday the 16th Eileen and I went to the local McDonald’s for lunch – two McChicken sandwiches and an order of large fries, washed down by iced tea. We then drove to St. Patrick’s Church in Bay Shore, parked on 5th Avenue and walked to Park Avenue. We stopped in 2 stores - the Fruit Mandala and Willy Nilly Shop but did not buy anything. But I did see the “Goddam Doll” collection there that might be a gift at Christmas for Eileen. We took pix at McDonalds, St. Patrick’s Church and the new vest pocket park before we came home.
On Sunday we had the resumption of the semi annual street fair in Islip. In the morning I helped my American Legion Post set up the tables & tent for the fair. I also helped man the table for a while and also walked around to check out the other tables. Around noon I came home for lunch and I changed clothes and took Eileen with me. With the Post’s lot occupied by the Steuben Society (renting the hall) and the firehouse lot being redone, parking was an issue and we ended up next to the library. But we did walk to Main Street and had ice cream at Coyle’s (Mississippi Mud for me, birthday cake for Eileen) which I paid for with a debit card. We visited several tables and at State Farm I got a pad which we can use for shopping, and Eileen won a ball which I put into the toy chest. She insisted on going home so then we walked to Union Avenue where we took pictures of each other by the Islip Fire Department ladder trucks. Then it was to the library to get the car. But not before I saw a yard sale cross the street . Eileen got another beanie baby type animal – cat with the smile or frown face, #129 named Grumpy (after Grumpy Cat).
Sadly, on Monday the 18th former Secretary of State General Colin Powell passed away today at the age of 84. RIP General and thank you for your service to the country. Around 8:15 on Tuesday morning, after firehouse coffee I went to the Post to help with a work detail – floor dusting and helping to mop the floors after two weekend events. When I got home, I was able to register for the Alumni Cocktail Hour at St. John’s and will meet three other alumni while at the D’Angelo Center. The next day I went to Northwell Orthopedics at 301 East Main Street in Bay Shore for my appointment with the orthopedic doctor. It turned out that I have tennis elbow - it’s not a fracture but it’s the tendons. I later went to the Islip Pharmacy to buy a tennis elbow brace and pick up two related prescriptions. Now I can visit a basketball court and shoot hoops.
On the way home from bowling on the 20th Eileen and I stopped at the Nassau Avenue 7-11 and got two Kinder Joy eggs. One was a generator truck (#123) that is for Eileen; I got a catapult (#124) which is in the CR-V. On Thursday morning I drove to Hauppauge for my appointment with the urologist. It turns that the PSA went down a bit and with two biopsies that turned out negative for prostate cancer, I dodged a bullet twice so far. Later in the afternoon, at the library, I listened to You Tube videos on autism and it looks like I may have a mild case since I did not enjoy being with people and only really looked for friends to keep Mom & Dad and others off my back. I also was happy when I did not follow the crowd. I love and have loved inanimate objects: car models, trains, old cars. On Friday I did the main food shopping trip and also treated myself to another Kinder Joy egg – a lime green Jack o’lantern - which in on the jade plant in the bay window. It is #125 in the collection.
After lunch on Friday the 22nd I drove to St. John’s for the homecoming parade. The ride in was great until exit 27 on the Northern State Parkway when it was bumper to bumper all the way to the Clearview Expressway. It did move a bit by the City Line but overall it was stupid drivers who don’t know how to merge, pick up speed or even how to drive on a parkway (naturally I blamed the teachers’ unions for that). Once I got to the campus I parked in the lot at the southern end of the Quadrangle and walked to the residence village. The parade started by the dining hall and went up the hill to the D’Angelo Center and just past the Asian Studies Building some cars joined them. There was a greek week bash by the Asian Studies Building, but it looked like it was not as big as it was 50 years ago (I still have no use for greek letter organizations). And it was nice to see students coming from the residential village and living on campus. The parade ended in front of the Carnesecca Arena. By the Arena there were some tables that venders set up: Qdoba Catering and Blaze Pizza. I won a Blaze beanie, and the Qdoba was giving out burritos for free. I also found time to visit the book store and treated myself to a locker room gray SJU t-shirt and got Eileen a cat with an SJU shirt (Johnny, #130 in the Beanie Babies collection). I hung around a bit more by the arena and then walked up the hill past Marillac Terrace to St. John’s Hall to use the facilities and then went to St. Thomas More Church to rest a bit. I then walked over to the spot between St. Albert’s Hall and the residence Village to take pix of the NYC skyline. There was a bit more walking before I finally walked back to the car to head home and face the slow poke Long Island drivers. Of course I went to town with my trusty digital camera during my entire time on campus.
The next morning was a Saturday, so I went to the growers market for the usual and then to the firehouse for coffee. When I came home Eileen and I rode over to Oconee Diner to have breakfast, since I was supposed to be at St. John’s at around 1 pm. We had coffee and split a mushroom omelet with home fries, and a corn muffin. We also were impressed with the Halloween decorations, and I got to take several pictures while there. When we got home, I got ready and left around 12:15 pm for St. John’s University for Day 2 of the Homecoming Weekend. I was up at the usual time and just like Friday afternoon, the Northern State was jammed from exits 23 to 27 (slow pokes and dead foot drivers) so I switched to the Long Island Expressway. It moved pretty well until the Cross Island Parkway and then the Clearview Expressway. When I got to the campus, I parked the car in the lot by Union & Utopia and headed to Jack Kaiser Stadium, where I enjoyed the last innings of an intrasquad game and even got to talk with the head coach and a baseball alumnus. I then noticed that the press box was named after Bob Sheppard – my speech professor there in addition to his day job. The next stop was the Carnesecca Arena to check out an intrasquad volley ball game, and then talk with one of the alumni coordinators who knows Ellen, Eileen and me from our attending events and Facebook photos. It was a nice walk to Red Storm Field at the other end of the campus, by 168th Street behind the Residential Village. This trek allowed me to do a bit of the Red Storm Fitness Trail. Once at the Field, I spoke to two softball players about the team and the dormitories (they said that both are great). I then went over to the area behind home plate and took photos of the exhibits and also watched batting practice. One of the players even invited me to hit a few! I said sure but told here that I am suffering tennis elbow and will have to be careful. Despite the elbow and age, I did hit a couple out to the infield. Once I finished my challenge to Pete Rose’s hitting record, I got to talk with the University’s Athletic Director while I was heading back to the main part of the campus. Since it was greek week, I decided to watch an intramural basketball game in the residential village court between two sororities. While I was heading back to the top of the hill a campus tour was being started and while I was resting by Sun Yat Sen Hall it caught up to me and soon, I joined them. The two student ambassadors were describing the current campus. I got to inter-splice some of my stories of SJU from 1968-1978 and yes, the place changed a lot in the last 40+ years. It was getting close to 4 pm so I continued on to the car to change cameras and put on my sports jacket, and then head to the Dangelo Center for the 1970-1971 cocktail hour. I got to meet three of my friends from the first time around while in Young Americans for Freedom. They are still ultra conservative, so I kept my politics to myself. I also talked to a lady from the class of 1970 who is the daughter, wife and mother to career military men. She and I agreed that Vietnam (Era) Veterans were treated badly back in the day. The University’s events photographer took numerous photos and hopefully I might show up in the events albums on the School’s website. After an hour or so of conversations, and some goodies, we all walked over to the Arena for the dedication of the Lou Carnesecca statue. Inside was for family, the current team, and basketball alumni. It was still great to be able to see it outside on CCTV. When the dedication was over, I managed to get inside to the lobby and took photos of Lou with the alumni, and also a shot of the current team and Coach Mike Anderson. Once that was done, I said goodbyes and headed to the car and headed home.
On Sunday morning I was up at the usual time and went to the firehouse for coffee, and then went to the 9 am Mass at St. Mary’s, since I did not make it the day before at St. John's. The celebrant was a guest priest from a mission society. Father is a Native New Yorker from Morningside Heights and seems to like baseball. Father also spoke about the mission’s work in numerous countries, emphasizing Haiti and the endemic poverty and violence there. There were donation envelopes, and Ellen and I might send a check.
The next day Eileen and I drove to East Northport to check out a new bookstore, titled The Dog-Eared Bard's Book Shop, located on Lakefield Road near Pulaski Road. Unfortunately, it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so while we now know where it is, we will have to return later in the week if I want to get something for myself. We then walked to the post office and then back to the 7-11 on Pulaski Road to get some candy before heading home on the parkways.
Tuesday the 26th is my birthday and while I did not do anything special, I did head over to Manhattan Sweets to get some scones for the three of us to enjoy in the evening or on Wednesday morning. On Wednesday morning at around 11 am I went with Ellen and Eileen to JMJ Hair Salon on Main Street in Islip. After they took care of Eileen, she and I went for a walk to Smith Avenue and back. Later Ellen told me that the owners of the salon and one of the other patrons are all trumpsters. They kept complaining on what the current administration is doing. But the more I see what is going on in the country, the more I prefer to be a loner and have as few friends as possible.
On Thursday afternoon we went to Town Hall West to participate in early voting. When we got there, we signed in. They now have a computer type terminal and a clerk types in your name. And only one at a time, unlike the book, where they can see your name as well as those of other family members. I decided to help Eileen and had to cosign her computer form. But we did cast our votes for whom we believe are the best people running. Later in the evening I went to my American Legion post for the Executive Committee meeting.
On the last Saturday of the month around 12:45 Eileen and I headed to Del Fuego in East Northport to have lunch. We enjoyed iced tea and split a cheese dip and a chicken burrito. We then walked down Larkfield Road to Chase bank to do business at the ATM and stopped at the post office to mail 3 items. We then walked back to the Dog Eared Bard’s Book Shop. Besides helping ourselves to Halloween candy, Eileen and I bought 5 books for $25 (with a complementary tote bag) based on their ad they emailed to me. I treated myself to a book about baseball – The Old Ball Game by Theodore White (happy birthday to me); Eileen got three Disney themed books, and I got Ellen a history book about the country from 1956-1980 (America in Search of Itself by Theodore White). We also had our picture taken there – “peaceful coexistence” before heading home. Once back home, I purged more files but edited The Cheapskate Guide: 50 Tips for Frugal Living by Leo Babauta. Hopefully I can follow it and save more money. I went to the 4:30 Mass and Bishop Barres was there as a celebrant. No wonder the place was packed. Maybe he should visit more often and help fill the church or the auditorium more often. He spoke about praying more and also finding saints to admire (St. Francis of Assisi, St. John Paul II, and St. John XXIII come to mind). After the Mass I got a chance for a photo op with him.
On Halloween Eileen and I went to the library for a little while and when we came home, we went for a walk through Greenview Village along the usual route. Later I created a document listing The Five Universal Laws of Human Stupidity and it's scary that there are so many stupid people in this world (especially trump supporters). I must keep applying critical thinking to keep from doing unwise and/or stupid things. In the evening the 3 of us headed out to The Harbor Crab on the Patchogue River in the namesake village. I had Montauk Pumpkin Ale which I highly recommend. My main course was seafood lasagna which was quite good. Eileen and I each brought doggie bags home. Everything was good but it was not cheap, but my birthday only comes once a year.
November:
I started November by working with Ellen to switch the summer and winter clothes. We also cleaned out some closets, which gave us room to store hats and other items on the shelves. I also cleared out some items in the armoire and in the jewelry box. With all of these items, it was three options: keep, discard, or donate.
On Election Day I downloaded some pics of Eileen, classmates, and teachers from 20 years ago and saved them to the two Google Photos files, in case the prints get lost. After lunch Eileen and I went to Little Shop of Shamrocks to get some Irish candy and for Eileen to get another pair of shamrock socks. We then drove to the Wing K-2 School and parked by James Street and walked to the school’s Sunrise Highway entrance and then went inside and then walked through the gym and out the front entrance. Since we voted early, there was no need to do it again. While we were walking back to the car, I saw a trumptard pickup with “45 47” in the grill and FU46 in the rear window. I did not notice any other slogans but this is a trumpster for certain. I wanted to get an Andy Pettitte tee shirt with the number 46 on the back. It would be a subtle zap at the trumptards and they probably would not get it. However, Ellen told me not to buy any tee shirts. So I had to do something else: using pinstriped 46 as an avatar and downloading photos of Andy Pettitte and his plaque in Yankee Stadium, and his retired #46. I also downloaded some more pix with 46 on them: the 46th Street Station on the Queens Boulevard subway line. On Instagram I changed my profile picture to a patch of Derek Jeter and #2. I also added more pictures of Derek and Andy to not make it too obvious that #46 in a sneaky tribute to the President. Yes, I do like the Yankees too. People will think that I am plugging the Core Four (who I do admire) instead of our President.
Over the first two days of the month I listened and watched videos on You Tube about how the conservative movement hijacked Christianity, first in the 1920’s and was revived under reagan and got worse under trump. Another video showed how trump and evangelism got intertwined, and how he failed Ohio (especially Youngstown) but the stupid people still support him. Jordan Klepper also showed the stupidity of trumptards. Sadly trumpers on Facebook hate our President and almost worship trump.
Around 10:45 on Wednesday I went to CVS at Saxon Avenue and Montauk Highway to get my COVID booster shot. It was a Pfizer dose but the pharmacy said that I can mix them with the two Moderna verses I got early this year. I saw on Facebook that a manager from local restaurant passed away from COVID complications – leaving behind a husband and two kids. But since she lives in Islip and is a fox news follower according to her likes, she was probably a trump anti-vaxxer. I do feel sorry for her family and also for her, but being a trumptard has consequences. I listened to Mel Robbins’ videos about the 5 second rule, and to actually do the things that you are planning to do.
The first Thursday of the month is the meeting at the American Legion post. I attended and our guests, two attorneys, spoke about VA claims. I asked about Agent Orange being used in Guam during the Vietnam Era and also got to do a brief talk about Homeland Security. One of the attorneys is a St. John’s University basketball fan so we had a nice conversation about the teams, as well as Coach Louie.
Saturday means lunch with Eileen and around 1 pm we went to the local Taco Bell for lunch, and after we finished our Mexican fare we opened the two Kinder Joy eggs that I bought on Friday at the supermarket. Eileen got a Barbie themed bracelet (#126) which is in her room, while I got a white Siberian tiger (#127) which I put into the book case. We then went to the library and parked in the firehouse lot so we could walk to the library and back. Later I went to the 4:30 Mass at St. Mary’s and Father John talked about the widow with 2 coins who gave that to the Temple Treasury. Jesus was very impressed with her and she probably made a lasting impression on Him and maybe brought out the best in Him. Father also said that we have probably had people God placed in our lives who brought out the best in us – parents, coaches, teachers, and others. For me, in school I cannot think of anyone. I was able to have some good people in the Air Force who tried to make me better person but that was a challenge for them. Once I discharged I had Marian, Ellen, one of my bosses at a bank, a priest at Holy Innocents, a few fellow firefighters and a partner at my last firm who saw my dedication to basketball and softball who let me play despite my lack of prowess, and made me the team scorekeeper for 12 seasons.
I also read the Daily Meditation from Father Rohr and this message was interesting: The system is now called the Noble Eightfold Path. Studies have shown that implementing the Path supports psych spiritual resilience against prejudice, oppression, alienation, and trauma. What is the Path? To understand the path, it helps to understand the four conclusions the economically and politically privileged Siddhartha Gautama Buddha reached after years of undertaking ascetic practices to try to avoid human frailty:
Number IV is divided into an eight-part system: (i) Right View, (ii) Right Intention, (iii) Right Speech, (iv) Right Action, (v) Right Livelihood, (vi) Right Effort, (vii) Right Mindfulness, and (viii) Right Concentration. Stacey Flowers gave a TED Talk and one part said that you have to have to connect with these 5 types of people to be happy in your life:
It looks like I never was able to connect with too many of those 5 types.
On the 10th before bowling I was heading to Northwell Cardiologists on Brentwood Road, but I never got there. As I was backing out, my neighbors were also backing out and plowed into the CR-V’s driver’s door. Their mom came out and then I told Ellen what happened and soon she came out. I called 911 and a police officer came to our driveway and filed an accident report. I had to cancel my appointment and will go in December instead. I contacted Allstate maybe tomorrow, and was worried about the deductible. Both cars are drivable and nobody got hurt. After bowling that evening Eileen and I stopped at Milano Bean Café to enjoy coffee with pumpkin flavored cream and a muffin. We both had a good time and it was a nice photo op.
On Veterans Day I put my American Legion full uniform on and drove to the post and was ready to join the other members as we conducted ceremonies at the Maragioglio Triangle, Town Hall West, our post and finally the Veterans Park at Town Hall. I was asked to hold the Post’s flag for each of the ceremonies, including the main one at Town Hall. It looks like I will be in lots of pix since I was at one side of the speaker’s podium. It was a bit tiring but I was glad to do it. When the ceremonies were finally over around 11:20 we walked back to the post for some hot dogs and water. After my mini lunch I went home and changed into old clothes so I could have fun with the windows. I hosed down every window except the ones facing the street. Then, except for the bay window, I washed each screen, cleaned the dust and other stuff from the window frames, and put Windex on the inside glass. Once I was certain that the screens were almost dry, I put them back into the window frames. It was a bit tiring but the windows are a lot cleaner.
On Friday after breakfast I put the CR-V away since it was raining and the driver’s door is dented, and used the Accord to do the main shopping trip. While there I bought 2 Kinder Joy eggs that I will open up on Monday when Eileen and I have lunch someplace. I will let you know then what we each got. After lunch the sun came out and I switched the cars. I also drove to our All State agent’s office in Bay Shore to file a claim. But it turns out that my neighbor had contacted All State and then started a claim.
When I got back from Allstate I contacted All State Claims and made an appointment with Higbee Collision for Saturday. Later in the afternoon I listened to some TED talks and besides saving them to Twitter I have some points here to share: Don’t try to change difficult people because it is impossible; change yourself. Don’t take their words personally. Stay calm if they attach you verbally. Don’t become like them and don’t trust them. On Second Saturday, the 13th, after breakfast I called Higbee Collison and headed over there around 10:30 am. It turns out that I will have to leave the CR-V there but it should be ready, as good as new, in about 2 weeks. We have a backup car, the Accord, so we will survive. And Ellen has not been going out that much these past months so there should be little competition for it. I also started to read Tales of the Radio Traveler by Russell Johnson. Since I love radio it will probably an interesting read. For our Saturday lunch Eileen and I went to Oconee Diner where we ordered coffee a Manhattan clam chowder for each of us, and we split a mushroom omelet. She did not like the soup so it meant more for me. For dessert we opened up the Kinder Joy eggs that I got yesterday at Stop & Shop. Mine was a ranger with a laser gun (#128); Eileen got a Barbie hair pin (#129). After I paid we walked back to the car which I parked in the Town Hall lot, and we did get a short walk in. Before going home, I photographed Eileen next to a 1949 Chevrolet pickup with a carved reindeer in the bed.
On Sunday I finally went into the crawl space to shut off the outside water, and also went to Uncle Giuseppe’s for lunch provisions. In the afternoon I headed to the Law & Order Reception at my American Legion Post. Two park rangers, two Suffolk County police officers, and one fire fighter from Islip Fire Department were honored. It meant a great photo op for me. When I came home after the reception I listened to some TED talks and one said that you have to keep trying even if you fail 90% of the time. One TED talk, by Charissa Wong about mental illness and is also spoke about putting yourself first. Another one, by Lucy Hone, talked about resilience. The last one was by Dr. Joan Rosenberg and she elaborated on the 8 unpleasant feelings: sadness, helplessness, vulnerability, disappointment, shame, anger, embarrassment, and frustration. I saved these 3 talks to Twitter.
On Monday Ellen went to the Memorial Sloan Kettering office in Commack for a routine exam. After she came home I went to the Islip Terrace post office to mail a card to my nephew Marty and go next door to 7-11 for some coffee and a Kinder Joy egg. I enjoyed my coffee at the firehouse and the candy from the egg. The friend is #130, another hero but with a different laser gun and is in the Accord console. When the mail came Ellen and I each received noticed from GEICO relating to the fender bender last week. But since neither Ellen nor I are the policy holder, there is nothing we can do online.
Prager U had a video about author Howard Zinn. It looks like Howard bad mouthed Columbus, the US in Vietnam (the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong were not so bad), the Allies in World War II were as bad as the Axis soldiers, Abraham Lincoln did not want to free the slaves. I listened on You Tube to Why You Think You're Right -- Even If You're Wrong by Julia Galef. She talked about motivated reasoning, like we sometimes see in the military. She cited the Albert Dreyfus case, and how biased our reasoning is (despite evidence to the contrary, the accusers would not admit that they were wrong. Also refer to Paths of Glory). Motivated reasoning/soldier mindset is unconscious. She said to use scout reasoning – what is really there and be more curious and look for new things and ideas. Self-worth allows us to admit that they are/were wrong and that they can change their ways of thinking. Change the way you feel, and be proud when you learn that you were wrong about something. What do you yearn for: own beliefs or see the world as clearly as possible. I also listened to Why We Are Wrong When We Think We Are Right by Chaehan So. He talked about biased opinions and not listening.
The 16th is Ellen’s birthday so in the early evening I went to Manhattan Sweets to get a coffee cake for the 3 of us to enjoy. The next day after breakfast I went to the East Islip Post office to mail the accident report to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and to the main All State Claims office. In the evening I watched some TV and on MSNBC the pseudo-patriots in the GOP are persecuting President Biden and said that the Democrats are persecuting the GOP members of Congress. They insist that it was harmless prank that gosar did to Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. However, if it was a Democrat who had a video of him or her killing a republican congressman, there would be hell to pay (think of Kathy Griffin).
On Thursday, I managed to finally get in touch with the Allstate claims adjuster and told him the details about the mishap from last week and also got to listen to a TED Talk by David Voas that covered the decline of religion in the western world. I will stay observant but be wary of charlatans like televangelists and mega-churches. In the late afternoon Eileen and I then went for a walk through Greenview Village to the Little Shop of Shamrocks to say hello and get some free American candy. Linda, the owner, was busy with three customers so we told her that we will be back in the near future. On Friday (the 19th) I went to Stop & Shop for the main shopping trip, but after lunch I had to go back and redeemed bottles before going to the Paper Store to buy a Thanksgiving card for my cousin in law and treat myself to a Paw Patrol Mashems Series 2 critter. It was the dog with an orange uniform and backpack, which I put into the console of Accord.
On Friday Kyle Rittenhouse got acquitted for his shooting people in Kenosha WI. I know that the judge was biased, and it will send wrong messages to gun nuts and trump worshippers. On the following morning I listened to a TED Talk by Mary Morrissey, titled 5 Morning Habits of Successful People. They are:
At around 1 pm on Saturday Eileen and I headed to the local Taco Bell and ordered a gordita special for each of us. After lunch we came home and I had to do lots of dusting, and also help Ellen wash the curtains from the TV room and Eileen’s room. There will be more housework to do over the next few days. Besides vacuuming most of the house on Sunday, I took out my Sony Walkman, put two AA batteries in it, and attached the earplugs to it and got to enjoy WBZO-FM 103.1. Later in the afternoon I visited Karp’s Liquor to buy two bottles of Long Island wine (a white and a red) and then drive to the firehouse to park the car and walk to Manhattan Sweets and ordered a large pumpkin pie, dinner rolls, and cookies for Thanksgiving (cost us $61.59). Before I went to the Islip Library I stopped at the ready room to have coffee and watch basketball. Some of the superstars were watching football and telling everyone about the whores of Islip. They also talked about the Rittenhouse acquittal. They are fox noise watchers so they are ecstatic about the judge & jury’s decisions. Now I wonder if any of these Islip ho’s will be getting abortions if there is an unwanted pregnancy sometime in the future? After all, this is trump country. At the Islip Library I listened to a talk from www.medium.com about older generations trashing the younger ones and saved it to twitter along with a few other talks. I also got to check out www.Instagram.com. And the avatars for Twitter and Instagram are the pinstriped numbers of two of the Core Four. #46 was the first one, to subtly support the President. And to distract the trumpsters, Instagram has #2. This way I can acknowledge the entire Core. This has gotten me to become a Yankees fan again. And since the 20th was a Sunday, we went out for dinner. But this was a special occasion. Around 4:45 we headed out to Oakdale to have dinner at the View. We celebrated Ellen’s birthday (the 16th) and our 42nd anniversary (the 24th). Once we were seated we ordered wine for Ellen & me, New England clam chowder for me, and Elle & Eileen shared some baked clams. My main course was pasta with scallops and shrimp. Eileen had a lobster roll, and Ellen opted for short ribs. We finished the night by sharing a cheese cake. I managed to converse with the hostess since she is familiar with Islip Village, since she lives in Islip Terrace. It is still a great place to eat, even if it’s a bit expensive. The bill came to $160.76 but birthdays and anniversaries don’t come around that often. When we got home I uploaded several pix to the hard drive. But the photos of our entrees were blurry so I deleted them.
On Tuesday I vacuumed the bathroom floor and finally filled out a report to send to the All State Claims office in Dallas. I also called Higbee Collision to follow up on the repairs to the CR-V from the collision 2 weeks ago. It will cost almost $3,900 with parts (including a new door) and labor! After some housework I went to the post office to mail the accident report to Allstate and then went back to the firehouse for coffee and to open the Kinder Joy egg that I bought earlier at Stop & Shop. It is a Santa Claus which I put into the Accord console right now but when we put the tree up I will move it there. It’s #131 in the collection. Later I listened to some videos abut COVID and the evangelicals and their blind loyalty to trump – believing that he was sent by God. The next day was the 24th and happy 42nd anniversary to Ellen and me!! After firehouse morning coffee and breakfast at home I worked on cleaning the bathroom until around 12:30. After lunch and watching some TV Eileen and I walked to 7-11 on Nassau Avenue where I bought a lotto ticket for the evening’s drawing and then we walked through the station parking lot to Little Shop of Shamrocks to say hello to owner and to get some Irish candy. We decided on a Cadbury bar which we split between us. For the Thanksgiving Day holiday Ellen and I hosted Ellen’s cousin Susan who came out from Sunnyside to be with us. After Susan went home I put some bones and turkey meat into a pot, along with turkey stock to make turkey soup, On Friday I diced two red potatoes and threw them in, and also added some pasta and frozen vegetables. Eileen tried it and liked it. The next day after lunch Eileen and I walked to the Nassau Avenue 7-11 to buy the lottery ticket and also bought a pack of 7 Select cookies.
On the first Sunday of Advent after I helped my fire company with the North House’s Christmas decorations, I came home to do some work in the kitchen. Before we started with putting up our Christmas decorations, I also took our pumpkin from the bay window, cut the top off and brought it out to the woods so our 4 legged neighbors can have their own feast. Later I managed to win 2 chess games against the computer with no hints. Eileen and I put up the Christmas decorations in the bay window and on the piano, later I was able to get the Kinder Joy Santa (#131) out of the Accord and place it on the Christmas tree. For dinner, instead of Uncle Giuseppe’s, I went to Koi Kokoro to bring some ramen soups, Japanese fried rice, and spring rolls home for the 3 of us.
On the second to the last day of the month Ellen got an email from our claims rep in St. Petersburg telling us that the fender bender on the 10th was 35% my fault and 65% the other driver’s fault. Would have been nicer if it was 0% my fault but at least it was not the other way around. I also read chapter 12 from Tales of the Radio Traveler. Russ was in Tibet to talk about the region and Shangri-La. I ended the month with a visit to Stop & Shop for lunch provisions and a Kinder Joy egg. It’s a gingerbread person (#132) which will go onto our Christmas tree. Later at the firehouse I listened again to a TED Talk titled The Three Secrets of Resilient People by Lucy Hone. From what Lucy said, it looks like Ellen and I both have been gifted with resilience. She stressed three points and strategies:
Is what I am doing helping or harming me? You can live and grieve at the same time. I felt that this one was so important that I saved this talk to Twitter.
December:
I skipped lunch on First Thursday and took Eileen with me to go see Clifford The Big Red Dog at the Regal 16 theater at Tanger Outlet in Deer Park. I was familiar with Clifford from the cartoons and the books that Eileen had. The movie was live action with great NYC footage. I did not want to pay black market prices for candy at the movie house so we stopped at 7-11 on Bay Shore Road and got a Hershey’s white chocolate. When we got to the movie house (I made a wrong turn and could not find my way around the village like mall) I bought 2 tickets and a medium popcorn that came to almost $30. Eileen started to whine and make a fuss about my not buying candy at the movie house and I told her that we stopped at 7-11 to avoid buying it at the movies. We went inside the actual theater and she would not stop whining during the previews and threatened to take her home. I even called Ellen to tell what she Eileen was acting up and not cooperating. Needless to say, Ellen was not happy with her when we got home. As for the movie, we both liked it. When the movie was over we went outside to the car and started to drive to Grand Boulevard. But Eileen lost her pair of sunglasses so before I got to the exit road I saw signs for the Sunglasses Hut and said let’s check that out. Again, the directions around the village are not clear. But we did stop at a few places to maybe get candy and a critter or two but did not see anything we liked. Outside Vineyard Vines (no sunglasses) I noticed a shop called It’s Sugar and we checked it out. There were Kinder Joy bell shaped chocolates wrapped in Christmas character tin foil. There was a lot of candy that wrapped around a plastic barrel with Kinder Joy critters. I bought two for opening in the car. We did find the Sunglasses Hut but there was nothing in our price range (under $15). We finally got to the car and opened up the wrapped candy and then we opened up the two barrels. I got a penguin (#133) and Eileen got a polar bear (#134). I put mine under the Christmas tree; Eileen put hers in her room.
When I read Newsday’s obituaries on Thursday, I learned that a fellow SJU Redman and classmate had passed away at the age of 74. His wife Joanne, also a classmate of ours, had passed away in 2007.
The first Thursday of the month is my American Legion meeting so that is where I went. After the meeting we went downstairs to the bar so we could toast our late Commander who passed away a year ago on the 3rd. The Post and most of Islip have never been the same without him. RIP Commander.
On Friday I was up pretty early to shower and head to the Islip LIRR station, since I was meeting my friends Charlie & Debbie at the Met. Once I got to Penn I walked to Herald Square to grab the Q train to 86th & 2nd and walked to the museum, and realized that I cannot walk fast like I could 40 years ago. Once inside they paid for me with their memberships. We managed to take in the Egyptian exhibits, the Christmas tree, medieval art, and the Impressionists (especially the van Gogh paintings). After a few hours we took the M1 bus to 46th & 5th and walked over to the Rockefeller Center subway station to head to Grand Street and had lunch at La Mela on Mulberry Street. I enjoyed bread, a nice plate of spaghetti & meatballs and a glass of red wine. We checked out a few more shops and I managed to photograph the houses that my mom’s family lived in during the 1920’s and 1930’s. Finally it was the subway back to Midtown and to check out the windows at Macy’s. This year the mascot is Tip Toe, a reindeer doe who learned how to fly. Around 4:30 we said goodbye and they went to Times Square while I headed to the LIRR. The 4:40 is no longer running so I waited for the 5:09 one seat train. I had to walk from the Islip station since Ellen said that she was reluctant to take the car out without me to help her. I walked through Greenview Village and was home before 7 and got to upload the pix.
The first Saturday of December is the annual Islip Town Holiday Parade. It was cancelled last year due to COVID but it returned this year in the late afternoon. Before the parade I did the main shopping trip and took Eileen to Taco Bell for lunch. It was take out only since they are still repairing the dining area after the car crashed into it last week. We got our usual stuff and then headed home to eat. At around 3:50 I drove to Ocean Avenue and parked at the Bank of America lot and walked to Town Hall West to join the other members of my American Legion post (along with the Auxiliary and Juniors). This year I opted to march with the American Legion. Next year it will be with the Islip Fire Department. We marched along Main Street to Nassau Avenue, in front of Town Hall and then went by the Grand Marshall’s bandstand, and the Town Supervisor invited the Post’s members up to join her. We all obliged and it gave me a chance to get some great photo ops. The parade ended with the lighting of the Christmas tree on the Town Hall lawn. I also got to say hello to some of the state and Town lawmakers while at the bandstand. Once that was over I walked back along Main Street to the bank parking lot to head back home.
On the first Sunday I went to the 12 noon Mass to say farewell to our Pastor Emeritus. He turned 65 last year and had been in poor health so he knew it was time for retirement. When Mass was over we went to the Sacred Heart Hall for a reception. The Knights of Columbus made a nice buffet and I got a free lunch. Later on a friend e/mailed me to say that senator and statesman Bob Dole passed away at the age of 98. RIP Senator Dole.
On Monday around 12 noon the 3 of us went to the mass vaccination site at SUNY Old Westbury. I had gotten my booster shot last month but Ellen and Eileen needed theirs. Ellen asked me to come along to keep Eileen company. That I did and also got to take 4 pix with my cell phone. After we got home and had lunch I drove to Staples in East Islip to get a new black ink cartridge, and then drove to East Islip Shell to fill up the tank. On the way back I stopped at Little Shop of Shamrocks to say hello to the owner and buy some Irish candy and a shamrock themed coffee cup. She is closing the shop on the 19th for a well-earned retirement. I plan to stop by again with Eileen to get more Irish candy and maybe some blood sausage. Once home I listened to a TED talk by Sharon Livingston covering toxic friendships. Looking back, many of the “friendships” I had were toxic. Here are the signs that she pointed out:
Too bad I never saw the signs on most of them.
On the first Tuesday I joined most other Americans in remembering Pearl Harbor – 80 years ago on the 7th. I only want to remember what happened and pray for those lost that day. I do not open up old wounds and old hatreds against a new friend and ally. Later in the afternoon I went into town to stop at the firehouse to have coffee and look up the cricket teams in the UAE. While using the firehouse computer I filled out some surveys for St. John’s Alumni. Maybe I will hear from them in the near future. I read chapter 16 of Tales of the Radio Traveler and Russ was in a rain forest in Costa Rica. In chapter 17 and he was in Peru by Lake Titicaca.
On Wednesday the 8th I got up around 7:45 and went to the firehouse for coffee and then headed to St. Mary’s for the 9 am Mass, since it’s a holy day of obligation for us observant Catholics. I came home after Mass to have breakfast watch some TV. Around 1 pm I went with Ellen and Eileen to JMJ Hair Salon. Once Eileen was taken care of she and I walked along Main Street to the firehouse for a snack (leftovers from the Fire Police company’s meeting on the 7th). We then walked back to the hair salon to wait until Ellen was finished. Once we got home I watched parts of the day’s cricket matches from UAE, and also checked out some cricket sites on the Internet. Just like we remember Pearl Harbor on the 7th, on the 8th we take a minute to remember John Lennon’s murder outside the Dakota Apartment House in 1980. Music has never been the same.
Later on Wednesday evening I listened to a TED Talk titled When I Stopped Hiding, I Found Freedom by Ruth Rathblott. Ruth was born with a deformed left hand and tried to hide it from everyone. She was afraid that nobody would love her or hire her. Finally she accepted herself for what she was and said that once you stop hiding from others and accept yourself, others will accept you much more. If you let someone else in to love you can let them love yourself. They can teach you how to love parts of yourself that you find unlovable. Later in the afternoon Eileen and I went to see Encanto at the Sayville Movie Theater. I found it hard to follow, even though the songs were pretty good. I would not go out of my way to go see it again. On the way home we stopped at Little Shop of Shamrocks for some Irish candy before going home.
I read the rest of chapter 17 of Tales of the Radio Traveler when Russ winds up his visit to Lake Titicaca. In chapter 18 he is Salvador do Bahia in Brazil and describes the city and in the following chapter Russ is in Heidelberg and checked out some bars and toured. During the afternoon I watched more cricket from the UAE on channel 597. Later I went to the supermarket and before I went into Stop & Shop I stopped at The Paper Store and got a box of religious Christmas cards and a small gnome to put into the Christmas stocking. I was in for sticker shock when I saw the price of the cards: $16!!
On the middle Saturday morning Ellen and Eileen took me to Higbie Collision in West Islip and I was able to retrieve the CR-V after 4 weeks. The door still smells of some chemical that is used around body shops and it probably is giving me a headache. However, it was great to be driving a car that I am used to. And since it was Saturday, Eileen and I went to Salah’s in East Islip for lunch and we each had fish gyros. They were quite good and we will probably order them again when we return in the future.
On Sunday evening I moved some of the older photos from the two digital cameras to the USB storage sites. In chapter 20 of Tales of the Radio Traveler Russ took a helicopter flight almost to the summit of Mount Everest. On the 2nd Monday I learned that our printer is not working properly because ink is not coming out. The following morning I stopped at a computer shop to ask about the printer. It looks like it may be jammed with ink, like a paint spray gun. I think that it is time to replace the printer.
Later on Tuesday I went to the Northwell cardiologist practice in Brightwaters for an exam and will go back next month for an EKG and a stress test. When the examination was over I then drove to West Islip and stopped at Higbie Collision so they could sign off on the certificate of work done. But the next morning I went back to West Islip to drop the CR-V off at Higbie Collision so they could fix the door panel as the molding on the bottom of the driver’s door was loose. While they were working on the car I walked across Union Boulevard to have breakfast at Brownstone’s. It was the first time that I ever had Eggs Benedict that I can remember. It was quite good and will not hesitate to order them again in the future. I would also recommend Brownstone’s, and also Higbie Collision, to anyone.
After I brought Eileen home from bowling on the middle Wednesday I went to the American Legion Post for a Christmas dinner. I bought $15 worth of tickets for the raffles. I did not win anything but it will go to the Girls’ State Program. The meal was ham and veggies, with cake (which I skipped) and candy. In the early hours of Thursday the 16th I listened to a TED Talk titled Be TRUE To Yourself ♥️ by Brené Brown. She said that you have to treat yourself properly first before you can be kind to others. Being brave included these:
The opposite of belonging is fitting in. In fitting in you have to betray yourself for other people. Belonging is being who you are. Back at SFP and SJU meant fitting in, which was frustrating. I betrayed myself to be like others and what they wanted me to be and was frustrated and miserable. After I got up a few hours later I watched the Learning Channel’s A Baby Story and saw Danny Bonaduce’s and his 2nd wife Gretchen’s new baby story. Later in the afternoon I went out to the East Islip Stop & Shop to redeem bottles and get a pint of ½ and ½ and two Kinder Joy eggs. They are both Christmas themed and I opened up one and got a reindeer (#135) that I put under our ceramic Christmas tree. I will let Eileen have the other one and we will open it up on Saturday. When I went to the library the parking lot was full thanks to a teachers’ meeting in their classroom/meeting room. Why can’t they use the schools? These teachers make life unpleasant with the high salaries that result in high taxes, and the “graduates” that are still stupid.
I have been editing this narrative for clarity and easier reading. On the last Saturday before Christmas Eileen and I went to Buttermilk’s in East Islip for lunch. After I placed our order – iced tea for each of us and a half chicken and an order of fries to share – we were told it would take 15 minutes. We then decided to go for a walk, to Carleton Avenue and back and enjoy some photo ops. Once back at the restaurant, we enjoyed what we ordered. For dessert, Eileen opened the Kinder Joy egg that I got two days earlier. It was a Christmas ball, #136 – which she put in her room when we got home. But before that, we stopped at Little Shop of Shamrocks to say goodbye to the store after 33 years. Eileen and I were able to enjoy some nice candy and cookies (American and not Irish) and I took some more photos The owner was too busy with wrapping other people’s orders so she could not pose with Eileen. But we will miss the place since it was there that Eileen started her Irish doll collection, and we both got to love Irish candy.
I read a few more chapters of Tales of the Radio Traveler. Russ visited France, Northern Italy, and southern China in these chapters. On Monday I visited Sugared up and got some stocking stuffers: a brown triangular coin purse (a pile of shit?) and a gummi hot dog and a gummi hamburger. I also listened to Denis Prager’s Fireside Chat #216. He said that God does allow bad things to happen to good people, but sadly formerly practicing Christians and Jews often disown God after that. On the first day of winter I read chapter 26 of Tales of the Radio Traveler. Russ was on Bali and an island next to it (Lombok). He described the Hindu wedding ceremony, and, sadly, how the two islands are being ruined by too much tourism. He also told us how much he hates monkeys. In the later afternoon I went to the firehouse to park and walked to Brookwood Hall, first stopping by the Oconee Diner to take pictures of their Christmas decorations and when I got to Brookwood Hall, I took pictures of their decorations. Nice to see that the Minions are included at both sites. I ended the day by sending an email to my former EBG colleagues wishing them happy holidays and that I hope to drop by next month. I set up a Billy 2022 website on www.wix.com and will start making actual entries on January 1st. Late Thursday (23rd) afternoon I listened to a video about the teachings of Socrates and it noted 9 points on how to live: Open yourself to the truth; Be courageous; Be authentic; Be humble; Beware the busyness of life; Be a citizen of the world; Be happy with less; Don’t seek vengeance; Have a sense of humor. While it’s late in life for me, it is not too late to learn from these lessons. I also check David Ming’s page about being a minimalist. Since I gave up playing keep up, I would be happy to be a minimalist. On Christmas Eve Eileen and I went to the Oconee Diner for lunch. We each had iced tea and cream of turkey soup, and then split a corned beef omelet. It was quite good but not that cheap so I cannot go here as often as I would like to. On the way home we stopped at 7-11 for some candy. Later on Christmas Eve I gave out the Christmas stocking stuffers: the change purse for Eileen, which she put into her pocket book, candy and cookies that the 3 of us shared, and the gnome on the shelf which is now on the piano. On Christmas Day I went to the 9 am Mass at St. Mary’s and Father John incorporated his time in the St. Agnes Cathedral Boys Choir into the sermon and it brought back memories for me. In the evening I watched a You Tube video titled Leaving God: Why I left God and Why So Many Others Are Too by John Tollis. John talked about the hypocrisy of church leaders and the recent sex scandals. This also got me angry but I plan to stay in Catholicism. Since Boxing Day fell on a Sunday I headed to St. Mary’s for the 9 am Mass in honor of the Holy Family. Father John talked about Christmas themed movies like Home Alone and Christmas Story that showed how families live. I always though 60+ years ago that other families were more functional and mine was a mess. It got better later and I think that my nuclear family with Ellen & Eileen is pretty stable, despite two of the members having disabilities. Over the Christmas and Boxing Day weekend I read four more chapters from Tales of the Radio Traveler (#29 to 32) when Russ was in northern California. In chapter 33 Russ was in Jaipur and talked about the astronomical instruments there, and in #34 he is in Mt. Shasta City to describe the Passion Play, and the astronomers. He is heading home in #35 – Sonoma CA. Since I don’t want to risk getting even a mild case of COVID at the firehouse, on the last Tuesday I went to Milano Bean Café in East Islip where I enjoyed a nice regular coffee and a crumb case for a nominal amount. And I got to keep local businesses alive. I finished Tales of the Radio Traveler. Russ described the history of Sonoma and the wine industry. Once done I picked up Loose Balls and read the Seventh Season Notebook 1973-1974. The things to remember are that the Nets acquired Julius Erving and won the league championship. And also Coach Chamberlain when Wilt was signed by the San Diego team as a coach and drawing card. On the last Wednesday I saw an article on www.Medium.com talking about teachers leaving the profession in droves due to poor pay and shitty working conditions. That is not the case here since their high salaries are forcing us off the island. When I went to the town tax receiver’s office to pay our property taxes of $10K and heard that 70% of that is for schools I know that salaries do not suck around here. On the Last Day of 2021 I went for a walk by myself through Greenview Village and watched more television when I got home. Sadly, we learned that Betty White passed away on the 31st at the age of 99. On New Year’s Eve I had a COVID test done at my firehouse and it turns out despite the vaccination and booster, I tested positive! That explains the cold symptoms. It now means 10 days of quarantine.