Raising a Ruckus Again

Well, the mayor and the board of the Incorporated Village of Mineola have yet to put the public meetings back on the air but thankfully, we still have printed media. At the April 8th budget meeting they voted 4 - 1 to give themselves a 61% pay hike so they can participate in the pension system. I have less of a problem with that than with the way the mayor went all medieval on the one board member who demurred. So I decided to get a little medieval myself:

http://www.antonnews.com/mineolaamerican/2009/04/17/opinion/

Must admit - when I saw it in print, I scared myself with how cold I can be. B-R-R-R-R-R !!!!

Don't mess with the Zohan!

Timing is Everything - Part One

It's always been one of my goals in life to see the famous cherry trees along Washington DC's Tidal Basin when they were in full bloom. The times I've been down there over the years were either too early, too late, too rainy, blah blah. Well since my agency hasn't had any work for me recently, I took advantage of the down time to crash at my cousin's swinging bachelorette pad in Alexandria. I kept checking the website for the blossoms and determined that March 30th would be a good day to drive down since the buds were already at Stage Four.

All the weather "talking heads" were predicting that Tuesday was going to be the only nice day of the week and they turned out to be right for a change. I took the metro to the Smithsonian station and walked down to the Tidal Basin and it was a sight to behold! From a distance it truly looked like puffy pink clouds had settled over the water. I revelled in the beauty of the scenery, the warmth of the sun, the good will of the other gawkers who had come from all over the world, and the self-satisfaction of FINALLY GETTING IT RIGHT! Woo-Hoo! (http://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/)

Apart from that, I got to visit with my Aunt Jane, my cousins on the Italian side of the family Barbara and Bill Crennan (ok so she's Italian/Polish and he's Irish but who wants to know?) and I got to jaw with my charming hostess, my cousin Patricia (the swinging bachelorette).

It was a relaxing time of sacking out on the sofa in front of the flat screen TV, imbibing a variety of hot teas (you name it - she's got it in her house) and snacking on yummy raisin-filled bran muffins. (Seriously - very tasty!) Oh! And I've developed an appreciation for Frosted Mini-Wheats! (Did I mention that I recently turned 50? Bran and hot clear liquids are increasingly appealling.) It was a soul-renewing, bowel-cleansing sojourn in the South and I hated to come home. Not because "home" is horrible, or there isn't a bran flake to be found, but because I have always enjoyed my times in Virginia. It's such a different vibe down there - even as developed as the northern part of the state has become over the past 20 years. So if I ever get my ass cracking and pass my boards and get my license, I hope to move down there some day and make it my home. Me and my Frosted Mini-Wheats!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Well, I've finally hit that mid-century milestone! I didn't get dragged kicking and screaming - quite the contrary. Were the economy more cooperative I'd have thrown myself an ass-kicking shindig but between my own extended unemployment and loans up the wazoo, it wasn't going to happen. However, it was an enjoyable weekend with a surprise gathering of former work friends in Astoria. My friend Kathy Kandis invited me out to dinner for the occasion and then surprised me by inviting our friends Sandy and Phil DeCarlo - all of us survivors of The Bank of New York. Kathy is still fighting the good fight there. We all of us, with her mom Barbara, had dinner in a Greek restaurant where I came thisclose to trying some octopus. When it came down to the nitty gritty however, I caved. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. And not for nothin' but of all the things on my "Bucket List" eating scungilli is way, WAY down at the bottom ~ right above kissing a waterbug!

Anyway, it was so nice of her to put this together and we all had a lovely time. The best part for me, was sitting around the table back at the house, jawing over coffee and cake with my friends. I remember my college room-mate, Mary Kane, who used to say when we were all sitting around the table in our college apartment after dinner, "I wonder what the poor people are doing tonight?" Well, I wasn't rich then, and I'm sure as hell no richer now, but I feel rich. Sitting around with people you care about, in a cozy atmosphere is a rich feeling indeed. Props to Kathy and her mom Barbara for opening their home to us all!

Next day was the actual Natal Anniversary. My mom made my favorite cake - a yellow butter recipe with real chocolate buttercream icing. Tim surprised me with a choice of three trips which we'll take in the fall - either Niagara Falls, New Orleans, or a cruise to Nova Scotia. I'm leaning towards Niagara cause it's been years since I've been there and he never has - despite his many trips to Buffalo in his youth. I do believe the highlight of the day ~ apart from the cake and the gifts was the WAY oversized musical Hallmark card he gave me that plays the Chicken Dance! And if I ever figure out a way to load the music up onto one of these blogs, you are all in for a treat! Happy Birthday To Me!

SPRING IS ALMOST SPRUNG !!!

source: Colbert Nation

I really have to start focusing on the more positive things in this world like the fact that spring is going to arrive in just a few days. I have bee… more

Well if that don't beat all!

source: Colbert Nation

Talk about democracy in-action!   We, in Mineola, New York, "county seat" of Nassau, have our own little local newspaper called the Mineola American. … more

Entry for 3/6/2009

source: Colbert Nation

Well this is my first crack at a blog so let's see where this leads me.The fact that I'm able to sit here and freely opine on anything and everything … more