Getting back in the groove

Ok, so I'm a slacker. I have not written in about a week. From the last post, one would think that I might have been taken over by aliens, or maybe spirited off to places unknown to live a life in captivity. But that is not the case.



I have been slacking due a lack of energy. The Thanksgiving holidays dragged the stuffing out of me, literally. I must be the only person in America that lost 2.5 lbs on Thanksgiving week! I will spare you the details, but just leave it said that my Turkey and trimmings made no stops. My blood pressure was a woeful 91/61 and I had a little trouble standing. When I did, I could see all the stars I wanted, right there in my own head. A little disconcerting, but it gave me the reason to stay on the couch. I did not go shopping. Heaven forbid! Black Friday could really have been that had I tried.

Black Friday came and went, and my pocket book stayed green. Well, not really. I did take the time to go out with my lovely wife and buy her a Christmas present. When we lived in Illinois, our house had a hot tub on the deck. She would go out in all kinds of weather (including the dead of winter, the heat of summer, windstorms, rain, sleet, you name it she was in it) and sit for hours in the spa. She would make either my son or myself dig out snowdrifts so she could go out and sit. We left that beacon of relaxation back on that deck, so I went out and bought her a new one. She does not need the relaxation since we retired, but she did miss it, and I want her to be happy.


With the season of the year turning to gift giving, we all need to stop and think about doing things for people. Not just buying gifts, but making them happy. On ThanksGIVNG day, we went to North Hills Church here in Phoenix and celebrated by helping to serve lunch to the homeless and the indigent. What an experience that was! We were able to brighten the day for a few people who had little or nothing. Getting a smile off a small child or a person that was down on their luck really made me feel good. I was able to forget my struggles for a while and focus on others.

As we head into the next month and the coming years, we should remember what we are truly blessed with and pass on to others the gifts of joy we feel. A smile, a laugh, a used coat, a cup of coffee all help others to live their lives just a bit better, if not for only one day.

Look to tomorrow with a light heart, for there true happiness lies.


Doughnut

Hannity Enlightens Me!

I have had an epiphany. You know, a sudden sense of clarity about something. And, I have to thank Sean Hannity for it. Believe it or not, he really opened my eyes today during his diatribe on the radio. He is a true American... the rest of us are just posers.

I listened to him go on for about fifteen minutes, I could not turn it off, I was mesmerized by his voice. He has made our country what it is. Only he tells the truth...We should all thank him becaue he is exposing to us the realities of the problems of government. He knows everything, just ask him.

This Thanksgiving, I really want to thank him and Rush, Glenn, and Fox News for exposing for us the ills of our society and the terrible path we are headed down. If only Jesus had these guys second guessing him! Can you imagine what the times might have been like had Sean gone about revealing the truth about Christ? The Master did not feed all those people with loaves and fishes, he did not raise Lazarus from the dead. Those were tricks that He pulled to fool us into thinking there was an afterlife, that there was something better in loving our neighbor. Christ, after all, had ulterior motives.

As I listened to the Rev Hannity, I suddenly realized that he probably had a broken arm from patting himself on the back so much. Never have I heard the first person pronoun used so much by someone with so little to give. But, he got me, I listened. And the more I listened to him, the more I realized that I have to listen to him. I cannot stop.

If I stop listening to him, I won't be informed, because he has read the ENTIRE healthcare bill and quote it line by line and tell his listeners what page his facts are on. I have to listen to I know what is being said about how my life and the lives of other Americans are going to be ruined by this President, but have not been hurt by the previous one.

Hannity is like a combination of the little boy who did not get what he wanted and the bully that tries to take over the block. On one side, his candidate did not win, so he never finds anything positive about the winner. On the other end, he YELLS at you and derides you by telling you how low you are and he beats you up psychologically instead of physically.

My eyes were opened today. And for that I am thankful. Amen.

Doughnut

Oprah's Out...Shields In?

I was thoroughly surprised today when I learned that the big O--Oprah-- is bowing out of her show after 25 years. I did not even realize that she had been around that long! I have always liked her and the way she talks to people. She has a way of being respectful and still able to ask the hard questions. For a girl with humble beginnings, she became the most powerful woman in entertainment, and possibly the US. President Obama definitely gained a great deal when she endorsed him.

Oprah has long championed the underdog. She looks for the best in people and is always an optimist. She has been a leader in civil rights and women's rights, and she shared her struggle with us on her weight loss. We love Oprah because she is one of us. She is an icon, but she relates and gives back.

With her leaving the talk show circuit, there comes an opening for someone else. There are plenty of women on daytime talks...Bonnie Hunt, Ellen, and Tyra all fill the void for women. Dr. Oz and The Doctors have healthcare covered. Dr. Phil helps with problems. It is time that someone filled the empty spot. What empty spot you might ask?

The Baby Boomer Generation does not have anyone. Regis can hardly fill that when he has that cute little honey next to him. I propose that CBS let Don Shields try and fill the void. I have the experience, the knowledge, the ability to talk that could bring people to the TV set during the day. I am more than willing to travel for the job and we can talk about compensation later. But think of it.... I grew up in a small town, worked all kinds of dirty jobs, went to the college of Presidents (EUREKA COLLEGE) taught school, coached many different types of sports at different levels, was a broadcaster, newswriter, author, carpenter, landscaper, housekeeper, nanny; I have bought and sold over 25 cars, eaten at a wide variety of restaurants, worn many different styles of clothes; I have black friends, white friends, friends from foreign countries; I have a long marriage with two well adjusted kids; I laugh easily, cry often, and can talk to just about anyone.

I don't have those model good looks. My head is bald, my stomach round. I am short and not a great dresser. I am not a caricature or a stereotype. But I am an Everyman. I am your kindly old uncle type who can listen, ask you questions, give you advice, be your champion, and have fun all at the same time.

So, Oprah, as you get ready to say goodbye, let's talk. Together we can keep the candle lit. I even promise to try and help Chicago get the Olympics.

Doughnut

And So it Begins...

Yesterday was great. About a 10 on a scale of 1-10. The only thing that kept it from being totally a 10 was the fact that I had to throw on sweat pants early in the day to keep warm. Why the high rating? Well, for one, I got not one, but three new computers! The Best Buy Homemakeover deal was tremendous. And, since my laptop crashed with my book on it and the other computer in the house is approaching a five year life, my wife took pity on me and gave me an early Christmas present. Bless her heart. We will put off the hot tub until spring or at least new years....But don't tell her.

The other reason that yesterday was so great was the start of basketball season. ESPN is having 24 hours of non stop basketball! Talk about a basketball junkie's heaven! I even put off watching the Big Bang Theory until later. Thank God for DVR.

My former team, the PBL Lady Panthers basketball opened up with a win in a tourney last night. That excites me to no end. The team has a lot of seniors and Taylor Rubarts is someone that the major college coaches are missing out on. This young lady is somekind of basketball player, but since she is from a small town, no one notices her. Someone show this to a major program and get her a scholarship,will you?

The best part of yesterday, though, was talking ot my cousin, Sharon Watson in Rossville, Illinois. Sharon and I are only two years apart in age, and were close growing up . But I lost track of her when she got married and moved away. We re-engaged on Facebook and then talked yesterday for the first time in decades. She sounds great and her voice took me back. We vowed to talk often and visit soon.

One thing we found out about each other... We know our parents are watching over us. For her, she sees the number 842 almost every day somewhere. This was her parent's house number on Orange Street in Hoopeston. For me the number is 503, my first telephone number.

Weird,huh? More on that at another time.

But today, it's time to turn to hoops. Good luck to all, even Thad Matta, fellow Hoopestonite and coach at The Ohio State.

Doughnut

Today begins anew...

The days of despair are over.

I have had some issues lately with my computer which culminated in my Gateway laptop crashing down around my ankles last weeek. I lost all contact with the blog world and most of the rest of my reality. My book was temporarily lost, my pictures were gone. My life as I know it came to a screeching halt in a moment.

I never knew how much I depended on my computer. it was my life blood to Papa John's, my connection to Facebook, and the heart of my communications with friends. What did I ever do without it?

Thanks to a fine young man at Arizona Computers on 35th Av and Union Hills, all was repaired. And Best Buy had a great sale on, I now have a complete computer overhaul.

Dorothy is waiting patiently for her spa. So as soon as i get the book finished and sell my first million copies, she can get one... (Hint here, subliminal suggestion.... "Buy the Book!") Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat....

Love to all my readers who missed me. I will be more punctual from now on because all of my excuses are now gone.

Doughnut

Time to Weigh in

I bet many of you thought this would be an update on my weightloss. Ok, here is the good news. As of today (Monday, Nov 9, 2008) I am down to a sveldt 238 lbs. Net loss, 12 so far. More to go.

Now, for the real reason for this mundane, yet important rant. Healthcare. I don't often engage in political rantings and ravings, but at this juncture, I think I may as well have my two cents. Not that it will sway anyone, especially those who listen to the talk radio people. But here goes...

The President and Congress is going about this whole thing wrong. Yes, we need reform, but they need do only one little thing to make healthcare affordable. Get rid of healthcare's protection under the anti trust act of 1945. If insurance companies can be charged with fixing prices (and we all know they are), then prices for care may fall as they all must COMPETE for our business. Also, hospitals and doctors should have to justify their bills. They also need tort reform to help return them to the days when they really had to screw up. (Like the guy that operated on the wrong finger of patients TWICE out east.)

For instance, I told you last week about my son, James and his surgery for a retina detachment. And the cost of the follow up care (see blog of 10/21/09). He received the first round of bills the other day for the surgery center of Scottsdale Healthcare Surgery Center on Osborn. This was the place referred by his doctor, with 80% of the cost paid by his Aetna Insurance policy. The bill was for drugs that were administered to him. The price tag? $2000! Jim is, of course, asking for an itemized bill. We want to see what the individual cost was. We still have not seen the total cost for the use of the surgery room (one hour), the recovery room (4 hours here) and the services of a consult for diabetes which Jim did not ask for. We suspect that Jim will have to pay roughly $3000 dollars, or 20 percent of 15,000! Looks like he will be staying with his sister for while...

The health insurance industry and the doctors and hospitals have people over a barrel.. We can't live without them, and we can't afford them. The proverbial "Catch 22". They know it.

Most of you do not remember the days when the doctor was also a family friend. When going to the hospital was a necessity, not a first idea to avoid law suits. Doctors's have technology to help them make diagnosis, but the patient pays an astonomical fee to use this technology. When is the MRI Machine or CT Scan Machine paid off? At three or four hundred dollars a pop, it should be paid off within a year! But we still pay the high price for it! Maybe they should SAVE and then buy a new machine, not go out and get a new one every two years.

Insurance companies need to be realistic. They help set the "usual and customary" prices. They need to stand up to doctors and tell them that $25 dollars for a 10cent Tylenol is too much, $300 dollars for an office visit that lasts less than 5 minutes is outrageous. Instead, the industry just fuels the fire and then gives lobby money to Senators who are cornered into coming out against real change.

Select Senate members like Kent Conrad, Max Baucus and John Kerry take millions from the healthcare lobby for their campaigns (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-lovinger/its-the-health-insurance_b_269761.html) And the Senate now says it will not even consider the bill passed by the House last weekend! No wonder, huh?

Republican senators say the proposed healthcare will doom the industry and raise prices. Let them come up with a plan, then. They have not. This group wants more freedom and competition. Then take the protections off the insurance industry and make them play by the same rules as other industries. Investigate why costs are so high, don't just sit there and take it. The President is trying to do something to help out, why are they not doing it?

Wednesday, something light hearted.

Doughnut

The Slow Life

The weather out in Az today is FANTASTIC! No clouds, temps in the low 80s and no breeze. Perfect day to clean the yard.

At the hacienda here in the Grand Canyon State, I have no grass to mow, but I do have bushes to trim, and leaves to blow, and dirt to rake. I find it funny that I have many leaves in my yard, but only two trees on my property. Everyone else has trees that give me leaves, so I have to do some yard work. They must feel sorry for me or something. After I did the blowey thing and picked up the debris and did a round of pooh picking (We're dogsitting with Akkadian, my "grand dog" while Debi is putting in grass.) I finally sat down to enjoy the fruits of my labors.

The pool was a little cold (60 degrees), so I dangled my feet in it, fearing that anything else I put in could have dire consequences for parts of my body. And, I was able to drink a tall glass of agua, the lifeblood of the desert. My best friend AK and I sat and contemplated the meaning of the universe and discussed how I seem to be leading a dog's life.

Being retired is pretty close to being a dog. I sit around all day, eat whenever I want, and occasionally have someone scratch my belly. My food is prepared and served to me and I pretty much get the run of the house, even getting to sit on whatever couch I want to sit on in the family room. Every once in a while, someone will play with me and talk kindly to me. I get to go for walks and bathing is an option.

But I do miss certain things. Mowing is one. I miss being on my lawn tractor going up and down the yard making pretty patterns and listening to loud rock music on my Ipod. I do get to rake my rocks in patterns, but it just is not the same. Garage nights are another thing I miss. We used to have nights where we sat out in our garage and friends would stop by or we would have them over and sit in the garage and drink and discuss things rain or shine. People out here remodel their garages into complete family rooms with big screen TVs and pool tables. It just is not the same.

Tonight we will go to a Fall league baseball game, come home and light a fire in the outdoor fireplace and sit around it until we fall asleep. We will watch the stars, listen to crickets as they try to avoid scorpions, and delve into the problems of the universe. Sounds like a swell time, huh?

It is.

Doughnut

Pickle Ball

I am so excited that I can hardly contain myself today. The National Pickleball Tournament is starting this week in Sun City! People from all over the US are coming here to participate in this little known sport and I find that I am somewhat intrigued.

Pickle Ball? It is the fastest growing lawn sport there is. People are putting aside their lawn darts and taking up this game. Old people, young people, fat people, thin people; anysize people can play. And apparently, there are professional Pickle Ball people.

For the unenlightened, pickle ball is played on a badminton court with paddles and a whiffle ball. The paddles are just a slight bit bigger than ping pong paddles, and the rules are basically the same as badminton.

I turned up my nose at this sport when it was in its infancy in 1984. But now, I find myself amazed at the deftness with which old people play it. Shuffleboard had better look out, or it will be relegated to a corner in the retirement communities while the pickle takes over. There are over 45 pickle ball courts in Arizona alone, and more are coming, especially with the stimulus package that is offered to people who want to build one in their backyard. I am sure that someplace in the great money giveaway people can sign up for pickle ball money and get at least a court and fries with it.

Personally, I have not yet played this game. I have a strained hammy, which would go good with some mayo and little pickle ball. But I am going to road trip out to Buckeye this weekend and see for myself the joy of the national tourney. I can't wait to get my souvenir T-shirt. Will it be green with an animated cucumber on it? Or maybe a slogan like, "Pickle ballers do it with relish!"?

For those of you who want to get involved and maybe get your pickle on, go to the official website of Pickle Ball www.usapa.org. There you can learn all about it!

Doughnut

The First Monday in November

Awwww, the first Monday of November! By now most schools are through the first quarter of school, or at least half way through the semester. Time to sit back, reflect, and see where to go from here. The NFL is beginning its downside, and college football teams are lining up bowl bids. The World Series is almost done, and the NBA and college basketball are both in full swing. And, let's not forget hockey, even the national pickleball tournament is underway here in AZ. What a time this is! So many sports to choose from, so many channels to watch. I think I am getting carpal tunnel and thumb lock from using the remote.

At this time of year, most animals coats get thicker. Here in Arizona, a phenonmenon happens--people put on long pants, sweaters, and even mittens and down jackets! What is that all about? I live in AZ, where people come in the winter to stay warm and get away from cold, harsh weather.

The other day, I was filling up my car with petrol (gasoline for you midwesterners). I was in a shirt, shorts and flip flops. The guy watching the station at the Sam's Club was outfitted in a parka, a stocking cap, gloves, and a muffler! He looked at me and said, "You are new here, aren't you?" I was dumbfounded. How could he know that I have lived in the Valley for just a year? "Your attire gave it away..." I guess that once I live here for a while, my blood will thin out and I, too, will require winter attire.

I guess people who live out here full time do need winter clothes. Think about it. In the summer, the highs are around 120, while in the midwest, the highs may get into the upper 80s, lower 90s. Then in the winter, these folks experience temps in the 60s-70s for highs, while their Eastern and Midwestern brethren shiver in highs of 40-50. Both experience drops of about 50-60 degrees, so once you think about it, Arizonians do need winter clothing to keep their bodies warm. Having come here from the land of mist and snow, I am still having a great time wearing shorts all the day long. We fired up the furnace for about two hours total last winter. The rest of the time, we had the doors open. I must say, though, that my pipes did freeze out here last winter once. Our piping runs on the outside of our house over the top of the roof ( A story for another blog) and it froze until our solar energy kicked in about 9AM.

All of America changed time last weekend. Not us. We remain constant throughout the year like our sister states Hawaii and Puerto Rico. It just goes to show that Arizona is the center of the world and everything evolves around us. For my friends in California, this means we are now an hour ahead of you, while our Midwest friends are only one hour behind. Those of you on the East Coast are still two hours behind, instead of three. This lends itself to interesting math during sports weekends. Next weekend, the NFL games are earlier than normal to accomodate the troops who are watching overseas, here in AZ we will see the Bears at around 9 AM! The question is will I wake up to a nightmare or a beautiful dream? NFL pregame shows start at 7AM. I am going to have to go to bed early on Saturday just to be able to see the game.

I need my beauty sleep.

Doughnut