Bruins tonight

Bruins and Ottawa - go b's

Day before Halloween

Got two huge pumpkins to carve tonight . Got all my patterns and carving tools ready to go!

Halloween

Big Halloween parade Sunday and must get my pumpkins carved . Got some really nice ones planned, perhaps I'll post photos.

Connections

You know, there are many times that I am saddened by my advanced age.   I happen to be fortunate enough to look younger than many people my age, and most days I don't really feel old but....well there are occasions when the knees creak climbing stairs. Although I take my blood pressure every day at home and record it on a program on my computer to print out and bring to the doctor (120 over 80 today -thanks) and I go to the gym for 35 minutes on the treadmill, and a few minutes pumping other assorted machines, in this techno always changing world we live in there are times I feel totally out of the loop. Now before I go any further I want to stress that it is my opinion that people born around the time I was were born at the perfect time.  We are old enough to remember the good old days when we lived in a kinder gentler world, and yet we were graduating from high school at a time when the computer age was just about to explode and change our world forever.  Our minds were open enough to absorb and accept this new technology, and use it to our advantage in the work world  and also in our personal lives.  Yes it was rough back in the day when you couldn't just "Google," something, or when you had to spend an hour on the phone making airline reservations. Ah yes we live in a much easier world now convenience wise- but we also lie in a much more impersonal world too.  Just look around as you are driving how many people have phones stuck to their ears, or walking through the mall and no one looks at you because thumbs fling they are deeply engrossed in texting.  How sad.  Now I  bring this up because I am a bit disappointed by my recent attempts to connect to my past through facebook.  I searched through people from my graduating class and my first stumbling block was how few out of that huge class were actually listed. (I was also a bit miffed by some who list themselves as graduating with the Wakefield High class of '67 that I never heard of-nor can I find any mention of in the yearbook????)  Anyway I reached out to a few, sent friend requests, and received approvals back- but with few exceptions- haven't really heard back from any of them.  I mentioned this to a co worker of mine (25 years younger than I) and she said , "Well David, most people your age don't use the computer that much...." (good thing I wasn't checking my blood pressure right after that little exchange) But curiously, I think she is right.  Now I like to think of myself as being pretty up to date techo-wise- I have an I pod Touch- apple computer etc, but as it was pointed out to me, for the most part people I see online might not be so tech savvy and may be on facebook to see pictures of grandkids etc.  Oh well I tried- and I ma here so any one who wants to get in touch please do.  Always nice to see and or hear from folks from my past.

Boo's Birthday

Almost  year ago, we sadly had to put our beloved Cat Boo to sleep. Now I am guessing that most who read this would say,  he was just a cat....”   But he wasn’t just a cat he was very special to us.  More on that later my real reason for writing this is that tomorrow would have been his twelveth birthday. “Happy Birthday Boo where ever you are, we miss you so much.

His downfall took us by surprise, even though there were signs.  We noticed a couple times after lying in the window for a long period that he limped when he got down, and then it would go away.  We saw it a couple other times and assumed his leg was just going to sleep-it wasn’t.  Apparently he had developed a heart murmur and blood clots were going through his system.  One day they got so bad they shut his leg off and the vet advised we put him to sleep- we were devastated.

To this day, almost a year later hardly a day goes by the we don’t talk about him.  The wallpaper on my work computer, and n the computer I am writing this on is pictures of Boo.

You were very special to us Boo and again Happy Birthday- I so wish I could give a nice brush and take you out in the yard....

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet!

I have always considered myself a communicator. Fascinated by our rich language with all it’s nuances, I have always loved using it whenever I can.  Writing, speaking, talking with others- I simply cannot ever get enough.
My job at the court requires constant communication.  Hearing a Small Claims case-listening to both sides, hearing what they have to say, making a decision, and then communicating that decision.  Talk, talk. talk- on the phone helping someone solve a landlord tenant problem, listening to someone complain about not getting a service they paid for, or helping someone understand why even though they won their case that we couldn’t turn someone upside down and shake the money out of their pockets. Talk, Talk, Talk- to co workers- people at other courts-this is my job -constant communication.
Come home have a bite to eat head to the gym.  Hows your work out? how many miles did you do in the treadmill? Hey you look great- how many pounds did you lose? Asking questions getting answers having two way conversations-communicating.
Then I pick up my I pod Touch, click on Twittelator. What’s up I tweet.......nothing- no response.  I see other people conversing they are there-somehow I am just invisible. I see one of the people I follow tweet- my group won the battle of the Bands!  I tweet “hey great what did you win?”  Nothing no response whatsoever.  I check back twenty minutes later- still no response although the person is still there tweeting away-just not tweeting at me. Ok time for bed anyway.  I check the next day still no response. How odd-and yet this is considered cutting edge communications this twitter thing.
So I guess as we progress as a society and obtain all of these communication tools-we actually communicate less despite have the ability to do more.
I will end with the absolute best though.  So fed up with this complete lack of communication and ignorance, I start crabbing about it in my tweeting, and this is the response I got as an explanation.  “Generally when I am on here I consider that I am talking to myself....” My question is why bother tweeting?  If you can just sit and talk to yourself-why not just do that/  Why bother sitting in front of a computer or hand held device and tweeting so others can just ignore you.  It just makes no sense, and.....
it also make those seemingly inane conversations you have during the day. “hey is it hot enough for ya?”  “Looks like rain!” and “Have a good one.....”  seem oh so important when you consider that as silly and overused as those comments might be at least there is some actual conversational give and take between to humans- and not just tweeting to yourself.
Perhaps I just need some new ‘Tweeties.” someone with a desire and an ability to actually communicate.   Ah that’s the ticket!

The Lebron Dog and Pony Show

Well folks it’s now over/ Lebron is abandoning Cleveland and signing with the Miami Heat to Play with Dewayne Wade and Chris Bosh.
My first reaction is that since all of these players are used to being the “Go to Guys,” on their teams-how are all three going to coexist peacefully?  Not enough basketballs to go around I am guessing.  Chemistry is a major team factor and I am sorry I just don’t see this working.
Initial reports from Cleveland have fans burning Lebron shirts. My first thought was what happens to that huge mural Nike add that takes up an entire building? Defaced? He sold out his hometown and let me guess “It wasn’t about the money......”   The last joker i heard saying that was Johnny Damon after he left the Red Sox to sign with the Yankees.  Perhaps one of the funniest things I have seen in sports however was the first gam the Yankees came to Boston after Damon defected, there he was out in the outfield and The always funny Boston fans pelted him with rolled up dollar bills. Gee wonder what the cleveland fans will do to Lebron/ Should be interesting.

The Fourth Of July!

As my partner is fond of saying. “Oh no after the Fourth of July, the summer is over.....” As a child growing up , I had some of the best times on the 4TH.  I Grew up in an Idyllic little town, Wakefield, Massachusetts.   We had absolutely “Epic” celebrations on the 4Th of July, starting wit Bicycle and doll carriage Parades, games and of course a massive Parade that had all kinds of bands, floats and military equipment from Camp Curtis Guild in town.  A couple years they actually rolled tanks through the city which to a young boy was awesome.  Along the route they would sell balloons, and all of those other things that appealed to kids, rubber swords, Monkeys on a stick etc.  It was certainly something to behold, and the best thing is that my maternal grandmother lived along the parade route, so amazingly we could go up to the second floor bedroom and slide out the window to sit on the porch roof and watch with an unobstructed view.
Now as amazing as that was, the evening fireworks over Lake Quannapowitt.  They had a bandstand where an American Indian band played music and the usual popcorn and cotton candy wagons. Ice cream vendors were seemingly on every corner.  The Fireworks display itself was something to behold with ground fireworks, and the standard 30 minute display with the rock-em-sock-em finale.  Ah the memories..... Hope you have a happy Fourth-wherever you are!