Ghosts of Thanksgivings Past

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite Holiday.  It is not just the food that makes it memorable, but a lifetime of experiences and memories that define the Holiday.

As a young child, we had a certain routine for Thanksgiving Day.  This was the 50's and we would start the day in front of the black and white television to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Soon, though it was time to get ready to go to the Freshman Football Game between the Georgia Bullpups and the Georgia Tech Baby Yellow Jackets.  In College football back then, Freshmen had their own team and were not allowed to play on the Varsity Team until they become Sophomores.  This annual game was for the benefit of a charity - The Scottish Rite Children's Hospital.  It was always at Grant Field in Atlanta and always drew a full stadium...probably the most well attended Freshman Game in the Country!  I remember the slogan of the game: "Strong Legs Will Run so that Weak Legs Can Walk."  Besides being fans, my Dad was a Free Mason and he would proudly wear his Fez and gather us together to go to the game.

Meanwhile, my Mom would stay behind and cook or go to my Grandmother's to help her cook so that when the game was over, we could enjoy our Thanksgiving meal.  Memories of the standard Thanksgiving fare of Turkey and Gravy, Dressing, Sweet Potatoes with marshmallow topping and other goodies are only surpassed by the fond memories of sharing the meal with family.  Aunts and Uncles, Grandparents and cousins plus any other friends that didn't have a place to go.  Eventually, as our family grew, we had Thanksgiving at my Mom and Dad's house.

And then in 1983, I did the unthinkable and moved our little family to Boston.  Faced with our first Thanksgiving without the rest of our family, I took charge and cooked the turkey myself.  Nobody told me that I shouldn't stuff the turkey the night before, but we survived any threat of food poisoning and after a hike through the woods, enjoyed our first Thanksgiving with just the 4 of us! 

In either 1984 or 1985 - 40 years ago, I had a great idea for Thanksgiving. While watching the Macy's parade most years, My Mom always wishfully mused that she always wanted to go to New York for the parade.  So, because of the connections I had made as an executive with Child World, I was able to arrange for 6 VIP tickets to the parade.  We took the train to New York and Mom and Dad flew in from Atlanta the day before Thanksgiving.  Early on Thanksgiving Day we cabbed to the 8th Avenue entrance to Macy's and was escorted through the darkened Macy store back out to the front bleachers and settled in for the parade.  We were told to be there by 8 am....but didn't realize that the actual parade doesn't reach Herald Square until about 10! And it was cold...I mean really, really cold!  So, by the time the parade reached us, we had no feeling in our feet, and were pretty much frozen.  And trying to get a cab back to The Essex House after the parade was nearly impossible.  But we survived, and rather than a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, our meal that night was at Sammy's Roumanian on the Lower East Side - Chopped Liver, stuffed cabbage and other Jewish delicacies!  But we had created a memorable few days and fulfilled one of my Mom's Bucket List items!

Moving to Florida in 1987 put us closer to Atlanta and made it easier to go there for Thanksgiving, but eventually, we settled into hosting a lot of our friends and neighbors for the Thanksgiving meal.  It seems we always had a full table (or 2) and I became the Head Chef, taking pride in my turkeys and most of the side dishes.  Connie's famous pecan pies always capped the festivities.  By the time we sat down to eat, I was usually already full from tasting everything as I cooked and carved.  So, my favorite food became the late night Thanksgiving sandwich, after everybody had gone home.  That's a Turkey sandwich with Durkees (look it up!) dressing, and cranberry sauce on challah bread - heaven!

Fifteen years ago, we went to Atlanta for Thanksgiving and a reunion of sorts.  My Dad, and all of my brothers, spouses and kids (with the exception of one) were there.  It was really organized by the Cohen cousins and it was the last Thanksgiving we have had together.  I think it is time to do it again! (I chronicled that event in a Blog dated November 30, 2010)

This year is a quiet Thanksgiving.  Lisa and family went to California, and Brad and his family stayed in Denver. So, we have invited over some friends, let Whole Foods do the cooking and will watch some football and enjoy each other's Company.  But while I am most thankful for my family and friends, I relish the fond memories of Ghosts of Thanksgivings Past.

Wishing all a very Happy and Memorable Thanksgiving!

And The Journey Continues.....

My People

 It has been some time since my last blog.  

I guess, like many of you, I am news weary.  That is, I am so damn tired of all of the bullshit coming out of Washington.  Trump's worsening Dementia, the implementation of Project 2025, the loss of free speech, the militarization of our cities, the horrendous treatment of immigrants and racial profiling by ICE, the loss of Democracy and implementation of an Autocratic regime, the government shutdown, the prosecution of Comey and others as retribution, the constant lying by every politician, the bribery and grift perpetuated by Trump, the hijacking of policy by the likes of Stephen Miller and Tom Homan, and the fact that our press and media are now controlled by 3 conservative individuals that don't believe in diverse opinions being broadcast or printed are just a few of the plagues affecting our Country.  I think I would rather have the  hail, frogs, lice, flies, darkness, etc that were the 10 plagues of Egypt!

So, what do we do about it?  Get involved!  I know it is difficult and scary but we all have to stand up for what is right.  If we don't stand united against these tyrants and their draconian policies, then there won't be a Country left for our children and grandchildren.  But that is not what I really want to write about...it is so exhausting!

I want to write about positive things!  As you know, I have had some health problems recently and although I seem to be getting better day by day, it makes one think about what is truly important.  I have read a lot of books over the last few months and have enjoyed a variety of writers.  

One of the purposes of reading is to help you live lives beyond the one you are inside.  It connects us to everyone and everywhere and every time and every imagined dream.  It helps one to escape, and it just might teach you something.

And sometimes, certain passages hit home and I can't help but make note of them.  Recently, as I was enjoying Humorist, Dave Barry's most recent book, I came across this passage:

"In the end, your professional achievements don't matter.  In the end, all that matter-all your really have-is the people you love.

Not your job. not your career, not your awards, not your money, not your stuff.  Just your people.

Which is not to say wealth and fame aren't nice; just that they're nothing compared to family and friends."

How true!  I know I would have had a much more difficult time getting through these few months without the love and support of my Family and Friends.  The phone calls, visits, dinners, coffee cakes, brownies and just the thoughtfulness of my people is uplifting and I am grateful!  I like to believe that the readers of this Blog are included as "my people."  Special shoutout to my Best Friend, Connie, who has been by my side for over 54 years and didn't complain even when I criticized her driving as she drove me around town to doctor appointments and other places!  Well, at least she didn't complain too much!

People never forget the way you make them Feel!!

And The Journey Continues........

I Pledge Allegiance.....

 I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States of America And to The Republic for which it stands, one Nation, Under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL.

The original text did not include the words "under God."  By adding those words in 1954, Congress was attempting to distinguish the politics of the United States from godless Communism.  But like many other acts of Congress, this change divided our nation rather than further uniting its citizens.

As a child, I proudly recited that pledge every morning at the beginning of school...hand over my heart.   I loved my Country and all that I thought it stood for.  Growing up in the South, I saw plenty of things that made me doubt whether it truly was a Country that was indivisible and whether it actually stood for liberty and justice for all.  Abject racism, anti-semitisim, rich against poor, KKK, and all of the other nasty things that nobody wanted to talk about.  

But slowly things began to change.  School desegregation, a younger generation that seemed to want change...change of inclusiveness, acceptance, a yearning for peace and truth.  Yes, there were many diverse opinions, approaches and ideas.  But even then people talked to each other...respectfully.  They could actually have a civil conversation about issues.  Sometimes there was compromise, sometimes not.  But in the end, most everyone was pulling for the same thing.  A successful Country with a successful future.

That is not the case any longer.  We have people that make up alternative facts.  We have people that don't believe in scientific facts. We have people "leading" this country that don't know how to be civil and talk to each other.  We have people that are simply only in it for themselves without regard for their neighbor or anything other than their own pocketbook.  However, in reality, we are headed for incredible inflation, bank failures, and financial calamity that hasn't been seen in a century.  When select oligarchs control the financial sector, it is bound to happen.  Already, this administration is demanding a stake in Corporations that they have no right to have....financial blackmail to benefit Trump and his friends.  Just look at Trump's personal financial dealings of the last 90 days!

We are teaching our children that History doesn't matter anymore.  Slavery wasn't bad...let's erase it from the museums.  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a bad thing because we would not want to treat everyone equally.  And of course Man takes precedence over Woman and she shall be subservient to his desires.  And horrors of all horrors, we need to legislate what sexual orientation an individual might be.   The radical right talks about Sharia Law....that IS what we are living today.

And free and fair elections? Because people are fed up with the current mess of things, and the REAL poll numbers show a complete distaste for the current administration, let's just rig the system so that ALL elections are rigged in the favor of one person.

We are living in a Country where The President's sole objective is to extract retribution against those that disagree with him, have rightfully prosecuted his crimes and simply get in the way of his greedy quest for financial wealth and undeserved recognition for made-up accomplishments.

Just this week, he stated "I have the right to do anything I want to do - I am President of The United States."   Wow!  That is not what I was taught.  I was taught that there are 3 branches of government and that there is suppose to be checks and balances.  BUT....this is what happens when The Supreme Court says that The President cannot be prosecuted...that he is above the law.  A Supreme Court that is bought and paid for by The Heritage Foundation.  Congress is the branch that imposes tariffs...not the President.  Why are his tariffs in effect?  

We are living in a Police State where this orange turd has decided to punish blue states by sending troops to Democratic cities to harass, scare and strip civil liberties from the people...citizens and non-citizens.  Liberty and Justice for All????   I don't think so!  Where is due process....the law of the land?   

His justification is the soaring crime rate!  A crime rate that is significantly DOWN from year's past...but now, all of a sudden, it is a priority to send troops to DC and other cities.....but not those that have the highest crime rates....because those that have the highest crime rates (Louisiana, Mississippi) are Republican States.  Besides, if you agree with Trump, you get pardoned for despicable crimes like insurrection and murder of police officers at The Capital on January 6th.  But what would you expect when we are stupid enough to elect a President that has been convicted of 34 Felonies and gotten away with many others.  But let's prosecute a guy who threw a subway sandwich at a cop but we don't uphold existing gun laws in DC and limit access to firearms....why would we do that, it is only a few kids that are being killed!

And as long as I am rambling, let's talk about those sycophants he has surrounded himself.  It is bad enough that the Administration is being run by a self-hating, racist, sleaze bag, Stephen Miller.  But he has appointed the most unqualified people in the History of this Country to lead important positions within the Government.  Besides the fact that many of them, including 3 Supreme Court justices should be prosecuted for perjury for lying during their confirmation hearings in Congress, their qualifications are non-existent and have quite evidently failed at their jobs.  Career experts have either been fired or quit in frustration.  And we, the people, will be paying the price for the next generation!

So, what's important to this guy?  A $250 million Gold Ballroom so he can throw a party? A paved-over rose garden so his shoes don't get wet?  A Nobel Prize that he keeps demanding?  His face on Mt. Rushmore?  A Declaration that HE is President of Europe too?  Putting covert operatives in Greenland to try to take over that Territory.  When in reality he is a laughing stock to the rest of the World.  Putin plays him like a fiddle...he has no morals, no original thoughts and is the most unintelligent President in the history of this Country.  His late night temper tantrums against anyone that pokes fun at him is pitiful...I have known 5 year old kids with more emotional stability than this guy.

Certainly, Healthcare is of no concern to him...or else he wouldn't have appointed the wacko, RFK, Jr  and his idiot minions.  

And finally, let's talk about his attack on immigrants to our Country.  WE are all immigrants unless you are descendants of the indigenous tribes of North America.  Our families came from Europe, Asia, and Africa for a better life, for liberty, for freedom and worked to help make a functioning society.  Most were escaping horrendous conditions and were simply looking for a better life...just like those that come to our country today looking for help.  I am not condoning those that break the law, don't try to use the system to gain entry, and go through the steps to legal immigration.  BUT, we have placed so many roadblocks in their way, I don't condemn those that get here anyway so that they can work hard, pay their way, pay their taxes and continue to try to slough through the terrible system that we have messed up.  We could have passed immigration reform...there was bi-partisan support.  But passing immigration reform would have hurt Trump's chances of election, so he demanded that the Republican Congress not act.

I am a student of History.  If you look back at the foundations of Dictatorships throughout the world -Hitler, Mussolini, Putin, North Korea and others, the roadmap is plainly visible for all to see.  Trump and Stephen Miller are doing a great job of following that roadmap.  And the scariest thing about all of this is that 77 million people voted for this, including MANY young white men who are buying into this MAGA Bullshit. 

 I have lost any patience with anybody that can support any part of this administration and defy anyone to give me three things that have been positively accomplished by them.  Actually, I have not only lost patience but have found that rational conversation is not possible with his supporters. How sad!

Nonetheless, I still pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States of America And to The Republic for which it stands, one Nation, Under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL.  

Because if I don't keep trying, who will?

And The Journey Continues......

Adventures In Healthcare

NOTE TO MY READERS: 

When I stated this blog years ago, I hoped to use it to present ideas, thoughts, opinions and a record of goings ons.  It turned out to be MY therapy!  I have written about frustrations, my health and other things in addition to politics, grandchildren, general subjects, travel, etc.  This one is about the week I just experienced after having a biopsy on my transplanted kidney that showed rejection and a relapse of my kidney disease.  I wrote it for myself, simply as a form of therapy. So, yes, this is somewhat self-indulgent.  I am not looking for anyone to feel sorry for me…this is NOT a “Woe is me!”  My Dad had some great lines he would use from time to time.  One of my favorite was “You don’t want sympathy…If you look up sympathy in the dictionary it lies somewhere between sh*t and syphilis and you really don’t want that!”  So, I am not looking for sympathy.  Prayers and good thoughts are always welcome though.  

 Even at 6 AM, the weather is sweltering as I took the dog for a walk.  With an expected heat index of 112 degrees, the only good thing to look forward to on this Monday was knowing that the whole day would be spent indoors in the air conditioner.  The flipside of that was that the whole day would be one of 5 that would be spent at the Miami Transplant Institute Clinic of Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.  

Leaving the house by 6:15 assures that the trip should take just about an hour.  Wait any longer and it could take 2 hours in the rush hour traffic in Ft. lauderdale and Miami.  So, although the first appointment wasn’t  until 7:45, we arrived at 7:15.  Looking around the waiting room, I quickly calculated somewhere between 50- 70 people waiting,  After checking in, the wait begins to be registered by one of the clerks so that the day can begin.  It seems that it doesn’t matter that the lab appointment was for 7:45 and the treatment was scheduled for 8:00.  This train doesn’t keep to schedule!  Finally at about 8:30, my name was called and I got the coveted paper ID bracelet and at about 9:00 was called for labs.

Then the fun began!  The phlebotomist poked me so hard the vein ruptured and my arm is black!  However, we commenced with the infusions and the nurses and all in that room are as nice and efficient as can be, Surprise!!  Beginning with 500 mg of steroids, followed by 50 mg of Benadryl, which usually makes me drowsy enough to fall asleep.  But because of the steroids, I was wired. Then we began the 6.5 hour infusion of Thymoglobulin.  All designed to stop rejection of my transplanted kidney.  We finished at about 5:30. just in time for Miami traffic! That is when I decided not to make the daily drive and reserved a hotel next to the clinic!

This is the second time my original disease, PGNMID has returned to my transplanted kidney,  So, we are repeating the protocol that worked about 2 years ago.  A week of infusions in Miami of heavy duty steroids and thymoglobulin to stop the rejection followed by 8 more weeks of once a week infusions that I wrote about in “8 Blogs in 8 Weeks.”

After a toss and turn sleep, day 2 started at 5:30 AM and I left the house at 6:15 again.  I was called by the infusion nurse to do vitals but she said that I had to do labs first.  Of course, my crack coordinator didn’t put in orders for the labs and it was more waiting while I made phone calls to try to get it rectified,  Because of the nature of the infusions, labs are required before each session,  Right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing!

After some research, I found that Jackson Memorial Hospital does more transplants than any other facility in the country.  They average over 500 kidney transplants a year, That is in addition to the transplants for heart, liver, pancreas, lungs and more.  In 2024, they broke their own record for number of kidney transplants with over 600 performed.  I was transplanted in 2020 and have visited either Jackson Hospital or The Miami Transplant Institute, a separate building on the campus numerous times.  Jackson has many specialties including transplant, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Sylvester Cancer Center, a Diabetes Research Facility, a Women’s Heath Center  and a Children’s Hospital among other specialties. It is also thee home of the University of Miami Medical School.  According to the latest data, they employ over 9000 people., 

But, I have seen no changes in their facility or personnel that does the follow up for all of these procedures.  Every bit of my communication has to go through my Nurse Coordinator and sometimes it takes days to get a response.  She tells me that she is assigned over 450 patients.  And if I email her after 4:00 on a Friday, she doesn’t check email again until Monday morning…and that is after she gets “caught up.”So, a lot of things fall through the cracks if I don’t diligently follow up. .  But I have started copying the Doctor on all emails, and that seems to get a quicker response.  I have found throughout this whole process that if the patient is not his own advocate, then nothing happens.

Getting back to Day 2, the orders were finally entered into the system, and blood and urine taken.  Now we wait for results before the infusions begin.  And with nothing to do I write to vent my frustrations that nothing moves efficiently and quickly.  While I was in the lab having my blood drawn, I got a call back from the random person I vented with on the phone earlier to tell me that the order was put through,   I asked that tomorrow’s order be verified so we can get off this merry-go-round.  Infusions began at a much later time than my 8:00 appointment and I am now stuck here until about 5:30.  About 1:30, my coordinator finally called to apologize that there ‘was confusion.”  No, she just didn’t follow up and do her job.  When the patient is a number and not a person, “confusion” does happen and that is the point of this whole missive.

When I arrived at the Center on both days 1&2, I couldn’t help to notice the multitude of people standing around, sitting in every available seat and all looking miserable  The cacophony of sound was punctuated by the number of phone calls that people were having at maximum volume with their speakers turned on and even some having facetime conversations.  Have these people never heard of headphones?  And is it really important to take these social calls in such a crowded area?  There are plenty of outside spaces they could go to have their giggles and laughs where they don’t disturb others.  But social courtesies have become a thing of the past. So, the day at MTI ended about 5:30 and I found the Hotel and checked in.  Dinner downstairs and looking forward to a good night’s sleep  However the steroids coursing through my body had other plans.  Even after taking a sleeping pill, I watched the clock most of the night.  The severe indigestion I had made it impossible to lay flat and trying to sleep sitting up was not happening!  

6 AM came rather quickly and I made my way to MTI by the appointed 7:15 time.  Finally , the reception guy is beginning to know me and he got me pretty much on schedule.  Labs done relatively close to the appointment time and my coordinator actually had entered the orders into the system this time!  I looked up my lab results from yesterday and they were awful, to say the least.  My creatinine, a key indicator of kidney function was the worse it has been since the transplant and the urine protein and blood were extremely high.  Hopefully this is part of the “getting worse before you can get better.”. If today’s results are equally bad, I will reach out to both Doctors to get some input. All in all, the 2nd day wasn’t terrible.  The 50mg of benadryl they injected and my sheer exhaustion gave me the opportunity to take 30 minute naps throughout the day in between every half hour vitals checks.  Back to the hotel and with little appetite, ate a sandwich and going to try to get some rest.  Tomorrow is another day…and a much simpler one since I am only having the steroid infusion.  

Well, it turns out that results are worse.  Sending the results to my Boca nephrologist.  Hopefully he says it is just a side effect of the infusions. He replied that he talked with Dr. Kupin in Miami and they HOPED that the inflammation would begin to go down.  Hope!  That doesn’t seem too very encouraging but I soldier on with the plan.  After a short infusion of more steroids (I have completed the Thymo), the 4th day was done and I went back to the hotel and was able to get a couple of hours of sleep. And that might have been a mistake!

No appetite but I forced down a couple of bites of a quesadilla for dinner, watched a little television and tried to go to sleep.  Nothing worked…I tried a sleeping pill, watched television, turned off  television, listened to music, laid in total silence, tried reading a new book and it is now nearly 3 AM and I am wide awake.  Is it the steroids, or the extreme anxiety I am feeling about this whole situation?  For some reason this feels different than the last time I went through this…a feeling of dread.  I know I have an incredible amount of support, from Connie, Lisa and Brad, all of my brothers and plenty of calls from friends.  But tonight I feel alone.

I need to be up in a few hours. I want to go get a box of pastries in the morning for the nurses in the infusion center to thank them for being so nice all week.  They truly were the highlight of the week…couldn’t do enough  to make me feel comfortable!  Well, I guess I will try sleep again and get through tomorrow’s short infusion.  We reduce the steroids to 125 this morning and them I am off for home.  At least writing has made me more sleepy, so I will try sleep again.  Hopefully this week’s adventures have not been for naught.  Only time will tell.

Day 5…Well, it is 6 AM and it seems I slept between 2 to 3 hours. I guess that is better than none!  Looking forward to getting the final infusion of steroids this morning and heading home.  Oral steroids start tomorrow and hopefully they will be more manageable.  Wonders will never cease.  I arrived at the Center earlier than scheduled and was  ushered back early and completed the infusion in record time.  The pastries were a big hit with the nurses and after hugs all around, I headed home where a much needed nap was in order.

On Monday, I start phase 2 with 8 weeks of Rituximab infusions, but those are close to the house at the Hematologist’s office.  I am sure I will have something to say about those as I progress but don’t promise another 8 Blogs in 8 Weeks.

And The Journey Continues….

Nothing To Write About!

Usually, when I sit down to write a blog entry, the blog has already written itself in my mind.  When I am exercising or riding in the car or just going about my day to day activities, an idea pops into my head and I work out the flow before I even sit down to write.

But, not this time!  I have nothing.... maybe it is because of all of the disgusting crap in the news or my general boredom with the political and social climate in our world or the fall of American democracy or all of the above.

I mean, I could write about the orange buffoon and his clearly demented state and the fact that this country is supporting a convicted felon who is also a pedophile.  I could write about all of the false distractions he is creating by making accusations against Obama, Biden, Clinton and others.  Or, his attempts to get involved in stupid things like the names of sports teams and how to pay college athletes and what comedians he can get fired.  Any distraction from the Epstein files is fair game by this POS.  But the fat asshole is too easy of a target and not worthy of too many words.

I could write about the rise of antisemitism, mysoginy and racism in this country.  According to the MAGA crowd, if you are not a white christian  man, then you are a second class person...the idea of equal rights, especially if you are someone with a slightly darker skin is foreign to this administration.  Equal protection under the law just doesn't exist.  The horrors of ICE raids, Alligator Alcatraz, deportations without due cause is disgusting and reminiscent of 1930's Germany.  And the antisemitism that has become the norm in many parts of this country is frightening - I read today of 2 communities that have barred Jews, Blacks and Hispanics, with more being built in this country.  That is in addition to the growth of the neo-nazi movement, and other organizations like the Goyim Defense League, The Aryan Brotherhood and others.  But hate is a disease and I really don't want to write about hate.

I could write about RFK, Jr. and what he is doing to make Americans less healthy.  His anti-vax movement is spreading and other dumb ideas is a great example of what happens when totally unqualified people are put in to important positions of responsibility.  Pam Bondi, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Kristi Noem and most of the cabinet -all unqualified and dangerous.  Pam Bondi is so crooked, the Florida Bar is considering disbarring her while she is serving as the Attorney General.  And Gabbard has been proven to be a Russian asset.  But, I really don't want to write about lackeys either.

I could write about the Israel-Palestine-Iran war and how f***ed up the whole situation is.  A war started by Iranian proxies against Israel that has escalated into a humanitarian crisis.  Although I fully support Israel, tRump's friend Netanyahu is as big a criminal as tRump and should be thrown out of office so that progress can be made.  Or I could write about the horrific war in Ukraine and the lack of support that tRump is giving Ukraine because of his admiration of Putin.  

I don't want to write about any of those subjects..nor America's standing in the World...how we elected a convicted felon who is doing everything he can to make this an autocracy...how Project 2025 was the goal all along....how we are being ruled by the Heritage Foundation and the multi-billionaires...how the Big Bullshit Bill hurts most Americans, kills healthcare for those that need it the most and balloons the deficit....how members of Congress are just a bunch of frightened babies who have totally shirked their duties as an equal branch of government...or how members of the Supreme Court have been totally compromised and have forgotten how to rule according to The Constitution and precedent.

I want to write positive stories, uplifting thoughts and new ideas....and that's what I endeavor to do going forward.  (But, I am sure an opinion piece or 2 will slip in there somewhere!)

And The Journey continues......

Let's Read!

 I read a lot!!  Besides all of the reading I do on line, there is always a book on my Kindle to read.  Since I retired about a year and a half ago, I have read about 60 or 70 books in addition to the magazines, on-line articles, newspapers and the back of the cereal box.

From an early age, I would lose myself in books.  Whether it is history, memoirs, biographies, mysteries, adventures or even a romance novel, books take you to another world.  It provides an escape from the everyday.  And it is certainly more interesting than the drivel that is on television.

I had so many books in my home office, that I finally had to box up many of them and donate them to the library.  And I still have a full book case!  But now, most of my new books are borrowed, electronically through the library, using the Libby App.  How convenient technology has made it for anyone to borrow books without even leaving their home.

Today, we have a President who doesn't read!  It recently came out that he doesn't even read his daily security briefing and that his underlings were considering doing a "Fox News type of update" so that he could comprehend the daily briefings he should be reading!  What an example he sets for the rest of the Country.

Reading provides numerous benefits.  Besides the obvious benefits of expanded knowledge, improved vocabulary and increased knowledge base, it has been proven that reading enhances memory, improves cognitive skills, reduces stress, improves empathy and enhances communication.  Besides all of that, reading provides a fun and engaging way to escape from daily life and RELAX!  Seems to me that the Prez needs to read more!

One of the purposes of reading is to help you live lives beyond the ones you are inside.  It connects us to everyone and everywhere and every time and every imagined dream.

Because I have been reading so many books, I am often asked for book recommendations.  But, what I enjoy might not be what you will enjoy.  While I like biographies, memoirs, history and historical fiction, you might lean more to romance, or mysteries.  I enjoy "Good writing."  One of my favorites is "James" by Percival Everett...and have read others books by him!  I also recently enjoyed "Lorne" that chronicles Lorne Michaels' Saturday Night Live journey.  And I escape with writers like Dave Barry or Matt Haig.  Nonetheless, a good book has to grab my attention in the first 50 pages or I just don't waste my time!

So, what are some of your recent discoveries?  Share with the group by responding in the comments section of the Blog.

And The Journey continues......

And They're Off....In The 150th Preakness Stakes!

The year it all started is in dispute.  I think it was 1978, the year Affirmed won the race..but it could have been 1979, Spectacular Bid's year or at the very latest 1980, the year Codex won The Preakness Stakes.  Nonetheless, it has been at least 45 years ago.

My new friend, Stan, had moved to Atlanta in 1977.  Having grown up in Baltimore, he had been a frequent visitor to Pimlico Race Track - usually with Uncle Phil or several of the other neighborhood delinquents, that were later portrayed in the movie Diner.  And every year he went to The Preakness, the 2nd Jewel of Horse Racing's Triple Crown.

In the year that is in dispute, he asked me and Abby and Roger (from New York) if we wanted to join him for Preakness weekend.  A "Boy's Trip."  A weekend of partying and gambling. A weekend without our wives and kids! His sister lent the 3 of us her apartment and Stan stayed at his Mom's.  Needless to say, we had a great time.  Friday at the track for The Black Eye Susan Stakes, partying all night and starting Saturday morning with brunch prepared by Stan's Mom...and like every Jewish Mom, she laid out an incredible spread of lox, whitefish and what she called "Revelation"...smoked sable!  And it wasn't just the 4 of us as several of the Baltimore crew also showed up for Brunch.  Of course, the "partying" had not stopped from the night before!  And then, a day at The Preakness.  Our seats have always been a box overlooking the finish line. 

Connie asked me how we did at the track.  Win or lose?  My response, no matter the results, was always "We broke even!" 

We had such a good time, that the next year we increased the size of the party to 6 or 8 of us and at one time during the early 1980's we had as many as 12 people to this "Boy's Weekend " that suddenly became a 4 or 5 day trip.  And yes, we certainly partied non-stop.  But the races were the central focus!  Even after I moved to Boston in 1983, we kept the tradition going and brought new friends to the party.  We saw the filly, Pleasant Colony, beat the boys in 1981, and couldn't believe (given all of the partying we did) that none of us bet on Snow Chief to win in 1986!  And "Uncle Phil" would serve as our tout - Stan won't let me forget the year Uncle Phil touted all of us on a long shot and I was the only one NOT to bet on that horse.  As the horse won easily and everybody was excitingly running to the windows to cash in, I sat glumly at my seat with my head in my hands.

In 1987, my family and I moved to Florida but the tradition continued and we continued the yearly trip with a core group of about 8 guys each year.  Then in 1989, after a Friday night of frolicking, drinking, smoking and telling lies, I finally got to my hotel room about 2 AM when the phone rang and I found out that my Mom had suddenly passed away.  I took a 5 AM flight to Atlanta and decided that, for me, the tradition was over.  I just didn't have the heart to return for a number of years because that was where I was when the terrible news reached me.  The big party weekend eventually fell apart, but Stan kept going and meeting up with his old Baltimore pals, but the others just quit going.

Meanwhile, my love of the Races simply shifted to South Florida and I would go to Gulfstream Park every so often and would take my son, Brad, with me.  I would give him $2 a race to bet and he learned how to read the Racing Form and handicap races...frequently showing a bigger profit than me!  We were lucky to be able to go to The Breeder's Cup in 1989, 1992 and 1999 - all at Gulfstream.  I would tell him about our exploits in Baltimore and he knew how much I missed those Preakness weekends.

So, unbeknownst to me, he called Stan and told him that he wanted to get me back to The Preakness and in 2005, after a 15 year hiatus, we did a 2nd generation Preakness trip with Stan, his son Ricky, me and Brad.  Arnie "Tank" Cohen, from Baltimore joined us and the tradition was revived.  

I continued to meet Stan there for the next couple of years and then Brad moved to Baltimore in 2010, making it mandatory that we go to The Preakness every year from 2011 until Covid hit in 2020.  But it was no longer a "Boy's Trip" and we were too "friggin" old to party the way we use to!  Now we took our wives, our sons and daughters, Stan's nephew, and other invited guests like my brother and his wife.  On Black Eye Susan Day I even took the 3rd generation, my grandson!  It was around 2012 that I bought my Preakness Day sport coat.  I found the ugliest Madras Coat and decided that would be my outfit for all subsequent big races.  I even wore it to Saratoga when I met Stan there for the Traver's Stakes one year. 

       

Some way or another, we missed last year's weekend although Stan, Ricky and Stan's nephew Brad were there but all 5 of us were there this past weekend and saw the most unbelievable race we had seen in a long time.  It looked like Journalism was done for at the 16th pole when he was bumped by 2 other horses. But he found another gear and won the race!  This time, we had the winner and didn't even need Uncle Phil to tell us who to bet on.  Standing at the betting window, some guy came up to me and offered to buy my sport coat from me.  I looked down and he was wearing a pair of pants with the same exact madras pattern.  So, I offered to buy his pants, but neither of us relented!

   

 

However, Journalism was not the only winner.  We all were winners in the sense that we got to spend a terrific weekend with Fathers and Sons (and Nephew).  We ate at the same restaurants we always eat at - Koco's Pub for crab cakes on Friday night, and The Prime Rib (I keep reminding the boys that it is overrated and over priced!) We told a lot of stories, laughed a lot, won some and lost some. Unfortunately, Stan's Mom is no longer around to layout that brunch and some of the others that attended years ago have since passed (Uncle Phil included), but we decided that as long as we are able, this special weekend will continue.  In fact, at dinner Saturday night, Ricky and Brad said that even after the old farts (me and Stan) are gone, they are going to continue the tradition!

Oh, and by the way, in case you are wondering how we did at the betting windows.....we broke even!

Rider's Up!

And The Journey Continues.....