It's been quite a while.

I was working on a posting some time back, and I was interrupted by life. That said the post I was working on follows: 6 April, 2015 it has been a few years since I've made an entry, That said I'll try to catch things up over the course of the next few months. But not today. I'll be adding photos but not too many. It seems farcebook has become a blogg with instant or near instant feedback. Any you know what? There are days I really don't need that. 

 Well that was the start, and it has been a roller coaster ride from hell with cybil at the controlls. I haven't any idea if I will continue with Blogger, I don't track visitors, collect cookie traffic, or try to sell things. this is just a story board of sorts. It has been said; if you set out to write a story, write about what you know. Some days I'm not sure about what I know. But I do know there is a whirlpool or whirlwind of activities around me at times. So maybe I'll start anew. and Let the games continue.

24 June 2012; Now where the feck was I? Since I don't recall, maybe its is time to start a rant. OK whining and complaining; well too many other people do so why not me? Robo-calls, PACs and politicians, I'm really hating them. Guess what, as the Federal election gets closer and the assholes get more desperate they are sure to start anew and increase. I don't want them, I don't need them and I don't tolerate them. So what am I to do? New game plan on my part. There is now a $5000.00 fee that will be assessed to any politician or political canvaser who needs me to call 911 on their behalf. Its isn't a Tax, it is a fee so that I may recoup costs involved. After all the 911 systems are not free, we all pay for them through fees added to our phone bills. Time to put the sucking head wounds who are or want to be in DC on notice. Since you aren't representing me and protecting my interests; I'm no longer required to extend to them the courtesy of civility in public, the safety of my protection or the benefit of my doubt. The politicians vote them selves pay raises, special protections and flaunt ethics and morality; well thats not a problem. I don't have to extend or expend anything for them. If a politician needs a band aid from me they pay through the nose. If they need shelter and protection, they pay through the nose. If they even consider asking me for my vote through the robotic phone calls of PACs and boiler room phone banks they've lost it. The president does not create jobs, the ex-governor of massachusetts does not create jobs. NAFTA began the exodus of Jobs along with federal and state taxation policies which require lawyers to comprehend. I could employ several people tomorrow and pay taxes through a payroll tax but why should I place an unreasonable burden upon myself when I can't even begin to understand the paperwork without the costly assistance of a lawyer? So maybe I should just say this clearly FUCK YOU Misters Romney, Obama, and all the politically charged assholes everywhere regardless of level of politics be it from the highest office to dog catcher. Cheers and have a nice day.

June 23rd,2012. WTF have I been doing? Well too much and too little, spending too much time on Farce Book and not focusing on other things. Pretty much functioning on reaction as opposed to planning and action. I ended 2011 with a 15 kilometer race in Woolmarket, MS. And Christmas 2011 was quite for the most part at My Aunt's home in Pascagoula with Mom and another few extended family members. January 2012 saw Mom complaining about Gastro-intestinal discomfort and seeing the Doctors for relief. That lead to a surgical action in February of 2012 which didn't go as hoped. The Surgeon performing the colon resection could not complete the surgery laproscopicly as hoped and had to eneter the abdomin manually to remove and reconnect several inches of colon. While performing the surgery he nicked the tube between the bladder and kidneys with a cauterizing scalpel. OK surgical accidents can and do happen. It is a known risk. That said things started to proceed from bad to worse for Mom as due to her age she was to spend recovery time following the surgery in the ICU as a precaution. While in ICU Mom was discovered to have an irregular heart beat, Atrial fibrulation. The day after the surgery Mom's condition was stable but she needed more surgery to correct the accident and she was transfered to Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans from Garden Park Hospital in Gulfport MS. Tulane did much to correct the situation and Mom had a Nephrosity Bag attached to allow the kidney to function and the surgical interventions to heal. After a while at Tulane Mom then went to a Skilled Nursing Facility in D'Iberville MS about 8 to 10 miles from home vs the 95 miles to Tulane & New Orleans from Home. Several weeks at the Nursing facility and a follow up visit at Tulane Mom was allowed to return home under my care. This is where some of my previous training as an Emergency Medical Technician came in essential. Cleaning the wound site, changing the dressings, Keeping Mom on a strict medication schedule & etc. During this period I attempted to maintain a low level of physical exercise and activity which would not interfer with Mom's bouts of surgery and recovery and also allow me some social interaction with others nearer my age group. I also sold my antique Harley Davidson Motorcycle. Additionally I had gotten on to farce book and been filling that with many day to day happenings. Including the repairs I've begun doing on Mom's home after a Thunder Storm rolled through and tore off some of the face boards under the roof edge. Pictures of that repair in progress can be found on Face Book under my profile and the pictures called Mississippi Quality.... Well its now 13:00/1 PM local time and life interrupts yet again and I'll drop off line to go take care of some other business. 24 June 2012 since my train of though on this entry has derailed I'll just post it as is.

December already? Gawd I miss NY & need a beer.

Yeah a bit irreverent in the title but hey, I'll get over it in my life time; don't know about it in the afterlife though.

Ok so the last year has been a bit busy overall and I do need to get grounded once again. That however will come with time. A a brief time line of the past yevents leading up to now and the close of the year. Last year (2010), after I finished my 3rd Marine Corps Marathon, I traveled down to my parents' home in Mississippi to help out Mom & Dad. I didn't know how ill my Dad was and he wasn't letting on either. It wasn't till I arrived that I got an idea of how things truely were and even then not quite the understanding of things. Dad was dealing with cancer and fairly much stopped eating properly. Along with fairly poorly with Chemo he didn't want to relinquish control of life to others, that made things a bit more difficult to deal with.

As for myself, it wasn't a departure from where and what I knew; Nor what I really wanted to make, but one I knew was needed to make. November and December saw a slow yet steady decline in my father's health and even with the pain he was in he wasn't making use of the means available to diminish his discomfort. Add to that he had a heart attack on Christmas Morning of 2010, things got very interewsting for a while.
Perhaps the funniest incident in conjunction with that was when Mom & I went to visit him in the Coronary ICU and as he saw me walking in said " I don't want to talk to you!" I said OK turn on my heels and walked out. Mom goes in with a stuned look on her face and spends some time visiting with Dad. I learned that while under the influence of some very strong pain medications he was hallucinating and thought that while he was in the bed, I had come into the ICU room and started rearrainging the cabinets bolted to the walls and floor. Good times I guess and I wasn't even there to do that.

Well after he was released a Home Care Nurse & Physical Therapist were provided for a while and he seemed to make some progress. Yet pride goes before the fall and he was insistant that at times he did not need to use the walker and that he was still in charge even as he was less physically able to manage things.

Still in March & April of 2011 things were changing. My youngest brother made a quick visit down from NY and brought our Mother to Florida to visit with her older sister. My Aunt wasn't very well and was slipping away from our extened family also. Mom was most grateful for that last visit with her sister and I can't thank my youngest brother enough for that. My Aunt passed away in April and that was difficult on Mom, still Dad was holding on. Then Dad took a bad fall while Mom was off to church and since I was in the room next door I heard him fall and was able to respond immediately. No broken bones but heavy bruising, broken skin and bleeding. I tended to his immediate injuries and had him dressed and sitting when Mom came back in from church. At which point I convinced him that we should have him admitted to the hospital for a once over as I did not like his blood pressure and pulse. The paramedics on arrival were most helpful and accepting of my base line vitals after the fall incident.

At the Hospital Dad spent 3 days under observation and demonstrated noted weakness, not being able to walk 10 paces even with the assistance of two peole and his walk with a third following close behing with a chair for him to sit in. With the assistance of the Social Worker on staff, Mom and I had Dad admitted to a local Hospice. Even then I had to lie to Dad to get him agreeable to go, saying it was an extended care facility. I knew Mom could not assist him by herself and I had to return to NY for a few weeks with Jury duty nd VA appointments occuring in the same time frame. Jury duty I could delay if it was just that but my medical check ups are difficult to reschedule.

In April I returned to NY and was cooling my heels waiting on events I had no control over. Still my yougest and younger brothers made it down to see Mom & Dad, Though at the Airport there too was some drama as there was a screw up in schedulings. Finally they were enroute to MS and I was going to dog sit at the brother's home. Again plans changed. That afternoon I recieved a call from the Hospice as Dad's condition worsened and he began actively dieing (some how that is an oxymoron of epic scale). I was called as I was the second contact point if they could not reach my Mom. Knowing that Mom was picking up my brothers at the airport I called them. I told them the bad news and they went directly to the Hospice to be with Dad. I then talked with my sister-in-law, she placed the dogs in a kennel for the time and I went to my older brother's home to travel down to MS with him. Late in the Afternoon as he was packing we recieved word that our Father had passed. Two days later we were in MS and on Monday attended Dad's funeral in the National Cemetary nearby. I played amazing grace on the bagpipes at the conclusion.

After the funeral I returned to NY to finish my appointments & then traveled back down to MS. Now if you've never been to MS in the summer the weather is brutal, this past summer according to the natives it was more brutal than normal. even they were severly oppressed by the heat & humidity. Still with the way the weather is in MS I can't fathom why shools would start in August.

In the late summer, early Fall it was time for something different. I was to be the causative agent for that. My Mother's Father ahd passed away in 1942 while in command of the 86th Infantry Division. During World War 2 the U.S. Navy commissioned a series of ships as Troop Transports. The AP/TAP 111, General A.E.Anderson was one of these. As the Ship's Company was having a reunion in New Orleans I contacted them and asked if they would like some information on the person whom their ship was named for. So a night was spent in Metaire LA and Mom got to meet new people and talk a little about her father. It was a pleasant time as well and a needed diversion.

September, October and much of November settled into simple routines, yard work exercise, domestic chores and me suffering from the brutal heat & humidity of MS.
Thanksgiving was a enjoyable change with my cousin and older brother visiting for the holiday. As for myself Thanksgiving morning saw me enter and run a 5 kilometer race called a Turkey Trot. I'd like to believe I done very well as i won third place in my age group. I suspect however that I was the last of three in our age group as well. That was followed by participating in a Half Marathon the Saturday morning after thanksgiving, again the heat & Humidity reared their heats to make conditions worse than desired. But overall even with out proper training for the distance i completed it and was happy enough for that. For the 13.1 miles, 2 hrs 30 min 56 sec was the official time however with the massed pandamonium statrt of the Marathon, Half Marathon and 5 kilometer events (walk & race) I suspect my basicv finish tim was faster as I could not run for some distance due to the mobed throng of people all starting at once with people who should of stay to the rear of the start and walking the course ahead of runners & joggers.

the first week of November also saw me bringing my van to the local Ford Dealership with a suspected transmission problesm. The dealership diagnosed the issue as a problem with the ignition system and loaded catalytic converters. The Dealership also ran into a problem with Ford not having spares available for repairs.

Well this brings us now into December. I recieved a call from the Dealership saying that the expected shipping date of the items needed for repairs is now December 19th. I'm not certain but that doesn't seem like a reasonable time period for parts. A month & a half? then with installation time after the dealership recieves the parts geez Merry Freaking Christmas. And the Auto industry wants me to buy into new technoligies such as Lithium Ion battery powered vehicles... Wait the Army used LI batteries in the PRC77 radios those could ignite & rupture with devasting results when damaged. Ummm perhaps not for a few years till the systems have matured somewhat and after Ford resolves issues with it's supply chain.

So aside on using a borrowed vehicle and considering Nissan's NV Van as a future vehicle life goes on and I adapt.

Still regardless of my attitudes and issues; I trust everyone will have a safe and happy end of 2011 and easy Channuka & Christmas Tide later this month.

Cheers all!

Where is the Boogie Man? October & Halloween is a coming.

6 October 2011, Well its been a hot miserable summer since my last posting and the weather in the south still sucks. Regardless of how the loco locals feel, about weather improving. June, July, August, September and the beginings of October the weather effing sucks the life out of you with the heat & humidity. Give me cooler temps and a woodland canopy to hide from the sun under.

End of September found me in Tarpon Springs, Florida, probably for the last time. Not because of any great need to go sight seeing but as I brought my Mother over to see 3 nieces and a nephew and to pick up a few items from her sister's house. The 02 Ford Van made the trip with nary a groan or complaint. My next major trip with the van will be to northern Virginia the end of October to deliver an antique bar to my one cousin from her mother's house and to witness my Aunt's internment with her first husband at Arlinton Cemetery.

However, not all is death, expenses and taxes. I'll be seeing a few folks in NO. VA & DC on Saturday and wishing them well as they participate in the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday. I will not be participating as I had not signed up for nor trained up to run the distance. Not being acclimated to weather conditions in Hells foyer or entry room (and probably never being so) I chose not to sign up or train for the distance and with current weather conditions training for even a half marathon looks to be out of the question. 10 kilometers being about the furthest I may attempt. That and I'll need to get some new running shoes soon as well.

So why does Mississippi Suck? Apart from the brutal weather there aren't any Good German Restaurants or Irish Pubs nearby. The atmosphere in 95+% of the bars are toxic with heavy smoke and the humidity makes the stench even worse. Then like Alabama there is a tax on the poor where food items are taxed. Yepper that is progressive.

Still things could be worse, I could be working outdoors in the sun, heat & humidity for which the Gulf Coast is infamous. If you are to visit the region late October through mid April the weather is decent enough. But late Spring through early fall the weather SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS!

Also make sure you've got decent auto insurance coverage while in the south as the Meth heads and many locals won't carry insurance and if you get in an accident the burden becomes yours if you are hit by the local brainiacs, That and the Law doesn't really protect the driver not at fault. Yeah every day I become less and less impressed by these inbred miscreants.

Still supposedly Mississippi is one of the better states to retire to according to finacial planners. So its got that going for it.

Now if the laws would be amended to allow stronger beers to be sold.

Hey what about those Wall St. Protestors? aside from a few I'll wager over 95% of them are doing the right thing and the Moneyed elited blood suckers would have them all jailed regardless of the right to lawfully assemble.

Now if I could just get this damned journal entry to post when I hit the publish button

Whats been going on? A rehash of the past few months.

July 2011, Blog entries
OK now just a little after 12:40 central daylight time as I start recording these entries. They may seem disjointed and jump a bit as I formulate my thoughts into words, still there is quite some ground to cover and it may well overlap previous entries.///

Well, I guess I can start with a rehash of things leading up to current activities.///

In November of 2010 I came down to Mississippi to assist my parents. My Father was very ill and wasn't letting on how serious his condition was. ///
Jumping forward to Christmas Morning 2010, I had Mom call the ambulance to transport Dad to the Hospital. His breathing was weak and he couldn't stand upon his own. He had wanted us to transport him in the sedan to the Hospital. Since he couldn't stand or walk that was out of the question. I used for the first time the Oxygen Kit I have for scuba diving emergencies on him. He was reasonably stable when the paramedics arrived however his condition worsened enroute to the hospital and he was diagnosed with a heart attack due to a blocked artery. A stent was emplaced through his left leg as his right leg was infected where he had a cancerous mass removed over a half year previously.///

So December went with him in the coronary ICU, being shifted to a private room after recovery and being released in January. The best part of the ICU time though was with him being on a lidocaine drip. Halucinations can be fun and he accused me of coming into the ICU room and moving about the cabinets bolted to the walls & floors.///

January, February, March and part of April saw me trying to assist to the limits imposed unpon me by my father. Also home nursing and physical therapy visits to try to get him up and moving. The Physical Therapist at her last visit was very prophetic and truthful. If my father wouldn't get up and walk he'd be dead probably within 6 months and a year at best.///

By mid April I had my father back in the hospital again, due to falls. Twice in january, once in February, twice in March and three times by mid April. This was the cause of much concern as his last fall he was less cognizent of his condition and had hurt himself enough to break the skin and bleed. By the time my Mom returned from morning Lenten Devotionals/Mass; I had my Dad cleaned up and dressed. He also agreed to be admitted to the hospital as I didn't like the quality of his pulse & blood pressure. Three days after admitting he was released but due to his condition we had him admitted into a Hospice Facility in Moss Point, MS.///

Perhaps the hardest aspect for my self was telling him he was going to be in a long term care facility, as opposed to the truth about being in a hospice. He was adamant about not wanting to be in a hospice, however in all honesty my Mom who is 84 years old couldn't care for him at home alone. Even I had things which required my attention back in New York State and wasn't going to be in Mississippi for about a month to a month and a half.///

April 18th found me back in NY state and reporting for Jury Duty. As the Defendent recognized me and knows my brothers I was dismissed from the Jury Pool. Later that week i went to my Dental and VA appointments which would provide reason to stay in NY state longer than I wanted to.///

May 4th; In the early morning I drove my two younger brothers to the airport so they could catch a flight to Mississippi to visit with my Father and Mother. About Mid-day i recieved a call from Hospice saying my Father had taken a turn for the worse and was actively dying. Since I knew that my brothers were supposed to be on the ground by then I called the Youngest on his cell phone. He had passed that onto the other brother to answer and I passed word on to them to go straight to the Hospice as there was bad news and Dad didn't have much longer.///

May 5th; Found me at my older brother's home in Pennsylvania waiting for him to arrive and pack and we's make the journey together to MS for our Father's last days. Well that journey wasn't to see him while he lived as we recieved word about 15:00/3:00PM EDT that he had passed on that afternoon.///

May 9th; Dad's funeral Knights of Columbus provided an cadre which also acted as Pall Bearers. Police escort from the Funeral Home to the Biloxi National Cemetery. My last act there was to play Amazing Grace on the Bagpipes. Then Mom, My Aunt (Dad's Sister) my brothers and myself went to a late luncheon.///

I drove my younger brothers to the airport again to see them back in NY state a few days later after my older brother & I returned back north.///

May passed uneventfully and after my final VA appointment I returned to MS for a handful of days just to fly back to NY again in June.///

June 15; flying to NY on a U.S. Airways express, travel time was supposed to be about 5 hours with arrival in the late afternoon. Uh right, we arrived about midnight and settled down after 01:00/1:00AM on the 16th. Time in NY was spent at graduation events for my oldest nephew and driving my mother about to visit friends. flew back to MS on the the 29th and what should of been about 5 hours travel time became another all day trip with a 6 hour wait sitting in the airport at Charlotte, NC (again).///

Finally July and what does it find me doing? Well, quite a bit actually; Stripping the shelves and clothes hanger rods out of closests patching screw and nail holes, getting ready to repaint the closet interriors, taking a bicycle over to a shop for repairs & service to make it ridable, trouble shooting a 16 year old dish washer (It may need replacingas the drain isn't functioning even after being checked for obstructions. and still trying to get out for a daily run. The worst part of Mississippi is the outdoors temperature. I find it too hot & humid outside to want to practice with my bagpipes.///

Well I guess that pretty much sums things up for me. Also I find it too hot outside to even consider riding the motorcycle... Now that means conditions are uncomfortable.

OK This has been getting surreal

Since my father passed on in May, I've been connected and unconnected with many things. The whirlwind trip to MS for the funeral Then back to NY for my medical appointment followed by going back to MS to see about starting some house repairs for my mother to flying back to NY for 2 weeks for my nephew's graduation from high school and a graduation party on the following weekend (tomorrow, Saturday June 25th).

Well I have made it into Manhattan once this year and I realized I haven't missed that type of day trip at all and won't be missing it. But this time in NY I've been busy as its not just myself but I've been escorting my Mother and acting as chauffer. No issues but I'll be happy to get her back to her current home next week.

Went to the movies yesterday and saw Green Lantern (3D) nice escapist fair for a rainy day.

Well not too much else going on in my life, too much travel and crazy business. I'm almost hoping July will be a quiet and uneventful month.

Also in July I'll try to post some photos and put words to the pictures but as for now; who knows where I'll be or what I'll be doing next. The one thing I can say with some certainty is that I'll not be running a full marathon this year. Too may distractions from training properly. Though I should be able to train up to a 1/2 marathon for Thanksgiving.

Cheers & be safe everyone.

Who what where....uhhh say again?

Well its been crazy for me as of late. Been through NY, PA, MD, WV, VA, TN, GA, AL, MS, SC, GA, NJ and CT all within the past 30 days and a few of those states two or 3times. All by road trip too. Gaaack!

I had come back to the North East in April for jury duty, dental and medical appointments. May 4th I recieved word from the Hospice that Dad was actively passing on from this mortal plain. I had just gotten my 2 younger brothers to the Airport that morning so they could see him before the end that morning as well.

Well the call came to me about noon time and I contacted my brothers immediately via cell phone gave them the bad news and they along with Mom went straight to the Hospice. The situation for them was grim and I was in NY at the younger but not youngest brother's home to look after the dogs during this visit. Change of plans the Sister in Law took the animals to a kennel and I went to my older Brother's home to get with him for the road trip south.

On Thursday May 5th while at my older brother's home we recieved word that our Father had finally crossed the threshold of life and joined with his Parents, sister and other family members. Slightly later we started our journey to MS for the funeral

Paul & I arrived at our Mother's Home in MS on Sunday morning and joined with our brothers Pierre & Andrew already there as I had brought them to the airport the preceeding Wednesday. A bit of a madhouse would best describe the emotional states of all.

Well the Funeral was on Tuesday with the internment at the National Cemetary in Biloxi, MS. Immediate Family, Cousins and Neighbors all attending.

I really can not express my Thanks to the neighbors enough for all the assistance they provided my Mom & Dad over the preceeding months.

At the end of the services provided by Fr. Bob, Ex Airforce Chaplain, I stepped away from the mourners and played Amazing Grace on the Bagpipes.

But seriously everything was occuring so quickly the events seem as a blur. On Wednesday Afternoon I took My two brothers and one sister-in-law to the Airport in Gulf Port MS for their flight home and on Thursday morning Paul & I departed for MS.

So that is a quick run down of what I've been up to for the past few weeks.

So if you hear me ask "What am I doing in this Hand Basket and Where am I going"....
You'll at least understand why.

Well be safe all and now to see what happens next.

Cheers.

May 2011, Missives & Musings

May 2011 and the Long Strange Trip continues.

Yesterday was the old Celtic Festival of Beltaine a holiday welcoming in the spring, a day of feasting and joy at the end of winter and the time to welcome the returning warmth of the growing season. For the Germanic Tribes the name of Walpurgis should ring similarly.

In our more modern times the Pagan or Traditional Holidays have taken an altered form. Thanks for this turn of events should be given to the likes of Karl Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and a host of others. For the confirmed communist and the departed Soviet Block we had Military Parades in Red Square of Moscow and as an Alternative we had the more bucollic and pastorial Loyalty Day Picnics at Parks and Open Spaces here in the U.S. Either way some one was having a party claiming how one system was better than the other.

Over time the U.S. Loyalty day has mellowed and the May Day Parades of Military Hardware and Massed Troops have faded with a couple of noticable exceptions where a dictator grasps at control still.

Regardless some tribal groups still cling to May Day as a time to gather and experince fellowship. For myself this includes the annual Chicken Bar-B-Que hosted by A.B.A.T.E. of Pike County Pennsylvania, Chapter 41. As for why this date is chosen, Its generally one of the first really nice comfortable days of springs and much of the winter annoyances of snow, ice, salt and sand have vanished from the roadways making 2 wheeled travel fun and enjoyable. What, you wanted something deeply profound and philosophical?

Well That is a bit of how May has started for myself. April on the other hand has been a rather busier than desired month. Between placing my father into a Hospice, doing about a 1300 mile road trip to; be dismissed from jury duty, too close and association to the defendant; have my semi annual Dental check up and get a crown on a tooth broken on Christmas Eve; Make the Lab appointment and have my annual skin cancer screening; and other odd bits of life which constitues membership in a civilized society.

Speaking of Civilized Societies, This morning I read in the local News Paper that A world reknowned terrorist and mass murderer by the name of Osama Bin Laden, whose family has connections to the Saudi Royal Family, has been killed in a military action. While this brought forth some actions speaking of the magnitude by which he was loath by U.S. Society. I propose that we should not exault at his demise. As he has lieutenants and sycophants who would gladly hasten to his grave as an homage site and to continue his plan of action to cause grief and harm to any nation they conclude refuses to heed their message of hate. I suspect as does the Intelligence Agencies of the various Nations on this planet we shall see acts in retribution for the death of this assasin called Bin Laden.

Now with storms pummeling the interrior of the U.S.. A nuclear crisis in Japan after the Tsunami severly damaged an electric power generation station. Increasing fuel and food costs. One might wonder why a nation supposedly as advanced as the U.S.A. hasn't taken action to prepare its citizens for even harsher realities. Well the truth be told we're a nation of Idiots. Oh I'm not talking the congenital defective window licking short bus riders. They aren't the problem causing agents. No I'm refering to the Extremist & Polarizing Politicians and the Electorate that places & returns them to power.

Why is it when the vast bulk of the working population has been forced out of defined pension programs for 401K and 407K retirement programs. Our politicians still have a pension for life that they protect mightily? Why when Health Insurers refuse to pay bills while they have been paid in full each month for the services we are supposed to have; they aren't investigated by our Governmental watch dogs? The radicals of the Left and the Right rail and scream propose changes in plans which would cripple those who've been paying into and supporting for years & decades but yet would be unaffected themselves. Why are we returning our politicians to office where they become ensconced and the monied lobbyists become their guiding light? Its because we've become lazy as a whole and entitlement programs have become too generous.

OK that last line would and could get me pilloried in a different era. Today it sets me off as an extremist to the Extremist Liberals. However at what point has anyone considered the implications of our current governmental policies? The Government has programs to support the poor and marginalized, yet when you look upon the people paying the Tax burden They are also being taken down to poverty levels by the inherent corruptness of a system which does not tax all fairly. For example Exxon Mobil does not pay the same level of taxes I pay and every time I purchase their products I'm paying the taxes on it as a consumer. Meanwhile the Senior executives have tax loopholes aplenty due to the influences of paid lobbyists paying off the elected represntatives of the electorate. What the nation needs is a Lobbyist Tax. Yes a tax on Lobbyists. Oh hey lets use a Billion Dollars a head as a real number for individuals representing Multinational Corporations. Why I'm sure the U.S. Budget could be balanced by the equitable redistribution of Corporate Wealth. Add to that Tort reforms and Government investigative oversight of the Health Insurance Industries and Iwould suspect Millionairs and Billionaires would be screaming for my head on a silver platter.

But anyway that diatribe out of the way i'll progress to more mundane matters. Seeing and being with a few of my friends and former co-workers over the past weeks has been a most pleasant of diversions. Getting together for a few meals of beverages in areas as far apart as Danbury, Connecticut; West Point, New York; Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania; and points in between where up lifting and actually eased my mood & raised my spirits. Yes I can be off putting by making horrific jokes about the placement of my Father into Hospice last month. Yet by the same token thats just a way I find of coping with a difficult situation. Yes, Its difficult being seperated by 1300 miles from people you care about and doing whats correct. Also I see this as potentially leading up to a more semi permanent change in locations from the northeast to the south. So while I haven't the same problems the younger work force has concerning relocation I also find it troubling just the same.

So for my friends and family in NY, CT, & PA. This appears to be the beginning of another adventure for this Accidental Tourist. While I'll keep this blog as a method of communications I'll also be mucking about on Facebook as well. By June I suspect I'll have a hurricane watch station and won't concern myself with snow storms and blizzards.

Also a few photos I think were warranted.

Cheers All.

If this is Tuesday.......

Well to put it bluntly I've been moving across the eastern U.S. in rapid fashion.
Lots of events and the world was coming at me fast & furiously.

On Wednesday morning, April 13th, My father fell again this time he was in trouble. Blood pressure low and pulse erratic along with some mental confusion. Not good signs for a older person weakend by cancer, poor dietary habits and related problems. He was admitted for observation and by Friday, April 15th, he was admitted into Hospice. One of the more difficult decisions any family would ever make. I still harbor some guilt about it.

Regardless, after his last fall he wouldn't/couldn't even walk with the aid of a walker and it was an effort on his part to move about 12 to 15 feet with the aid of 2 physical therapists. Putting any weight on his right leg would cause him enough pain not to want to bear weight on it and move the left leg forward.

So between mental confusion and the fact he was going to need more in te way of care givers it was time to make that difficult choice. Mom is 2 years older than Dad and in reasonably good health. But she wouldn't be able to care for him in the proper fashion alone and home health aids would get expensive very quickly.

As for my self, I'm back in the NY, CT and PA region for a few weeks as I've got Dental and Medical appointments to make. That and I was summond for Jury Duty from which I was dismissed. Any ideas on the odds of having a passing aquaintence with the defendant and having been in high school with his sister 36 years previously?

Came back to NY following the last string of storms that rocked the central regon and carolinas. There was a great deal of evidence of its severity as I drove up I-95.

Not that I was there to partake in disaster tourism. Then once up by Washington DC it was detour time again as traffic became bumper to bumper and stop & crawl. A pit stop at Quantico VA and then around to Manassas VA to avoid much of the I-95 stupidity. Where years earlier I might of made it as far as Fort Belvoir and detoured around to Fairfax instead. Oh well its going to just get worse there and maybe this new Fuel Crisis will start forcing the changes we as a society are unwilling to make.

So that covers much of my experinces and tomorrow its drilling, filling and new crowns for the teeth....Oh boy oh boy oh boy. followed by a run up to Pennsylvania.

Hmmmm, Hey Benny up for brats & beer friday night?

Ahhhh No Social Media!!!! and its April too.

OK today I jumped into facebook; Social Media is a different direction but as the web has connections to connections to connections, Well it might of been just a matter of time. Still exposing myself in public like this is less damaging and more legal than walking about in a rain coat with pants legs tied around at the knees.

I'm still in the third world coastal region of the lower 48 and will be on the road back to the damnable socialist soviet style republic of NY on the 16th day of this 4th month

Well anyway things with family have been like a roller coaster ride what with My Aunt passing away this past Tuesday; Dad dealing with cancer; Youngest brother making a fast trip down the week & 1/2 earlier so our Mother could be given the opprotunity to visit with her sister before the final event and what not.

Well as I'm sort of preoccupied with several issues, I'm not going to be training for or participating in a marathon this year. Let along getting out and performing with the Stepehn P. Driscoll Memorial Pipes & Drums Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 704, Putnam County, NY.

But till I depart MS next week I'll be busy.

Well just this short blurb and I'm of I've been on the computer for way too long already today.

Ein prosit Alles!