Oh the shame . . .

My poor UCONNs. We are in more than dire straits. We really stink. The only silver lining is that both teams are young and perhaps by next season they will be ready for the big time. I think that the work ethic or lack of it in some players is the problem. I don't need to win every game but I hate it when the kids seem to give up playing and just accept what the other team is doing to them. Of course I've never played any sport so I'm really talking through my hat. I hope my analysis is correct. If so we' ll be looking good for next year if Kevin Ollie, I hope, and Geno can get the kids really motivated and go all out in practice and games.

Had another learning experience. Discovered that I may have to curtail all alcoholic beverages. Bummer. Just one Margarita wired me for almost an entire 24 hour period! I felt like the Energizer Bunny! My blood must be coursing through my veins at lightning speed. Definitely a weird experience. Of course that's not a bad thing. I like the taste of a good Margarita but can certainly survive on water, decaf, and cranberry juice.

Went back to my regular walk and the only tiredness I felt was in my legs. That was wonderful. I'm looking forward to better weather and going to the flying fields with Puppy's Pop. Spent last evening with Kiddo and a new solving problems game from Scholastic for the computer. I Spy Fantasy is really good for reading, problem solving and down right fun. The best part is that Kiddo loves it. He plays it at school during computer class and asked me if I could get it for us. It's an old CD and was inexpensive. Having a little trouble with some of the graphics. I think that's because his Mom's lap top is very new and the program for I Spy is very old. But I'm going to try it out on my computer, our new one, and also on the very old one upstairs. We'll see what happens.

Quote: Of a great and wise statesman it is said, "that he can hold his tongue in ten different languages."
Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing; his reasons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff; you shall seek all day ere you find them, and when you have them they are not worth the search. __Shakespeare

Good news . . . Good news . . .

Older brother called this morning and he passed his stress test with flying colors. The cardiologist told him he could go back to working out at the gym, his regular routine. It seems that the amount of tea he was drinking caused his heart to have irregular beats. So he's going to go from drinking about 10 or more cups of fresh, loose leaf tea a day to two. Sounds about right to me! Wow, that was a lot of tea drinking!

Felt so hyped up this morning with this bright sunshine that I washed some windows, scrubbed the bathroom immaculate and invited Puppy's Pop to walk to Baker's Dozen for a cup of Java. Not even a slight twinge in this old body. How great that is! Had to talk Puppy's Pop into putting up the ladder so I could get out my hammock swing. He doesn't come even close to liking sunny, windy weather if it is below 70 degrees! No clue how nice it feels to swing your life away! Got to tell you, it is shear wonderment! Pure, unadulterated pleasure for all senses. Yes, you can taste the clean, fresh, dry air. Feel the warmth of the sun as the wind bursts rock you. What a feast!

Spent yesterday afternoon in Groton because Richoni's had the riggers from EB for a party and the Daytona 500 was supposed to be run. We had a good time, Kiddo on his mighty scooter and I walking along. After lunch at the bar we also played indoor soccer and I won! Now that is an improvement. Big brother came home for 3 and I was on my way back to Moosup. It's so good to feel like I'm 35 years old again. Of course looking like it is another matter! I even made cookies Saturday !

Quote: Life is a series of surprises. We do not guess to-day the mood, the pleasure, the power of to-morrow, when we are building up our being. ___Emerson

Quote:

Good one . . .

What a dastardly deed. Oh, Mother Nature, you pulled a good one. Yesterday, I was so sick of that puzzle I packed it up to give away. It was almost done, just the green trees left to do but, as I explained to an unhappy Puppy's Pop, I can't stand having a puzzle out when the weather is 60 degrees and I want to be outside not in the house working on a puzzle! So, wake up this morning and the earth is covered with snow. That is just super. Puppy's Pop has already cleared the driveway but the roads will be a mess for a while so I'm going to make some pancakes for breakfast. The weather men were taken by surprise. Good on you, Mother Nature!

Quote: Nature hath nothing made so base, but can read some instruction to the wisest man. ___C. Aleyn

More + + +

Just returned from seeing Doctor Foley and things are looking good. I will go back to see him at the beginning of May and in the mean time he is sending me for Cardiac Rehabilitation. He says it is so the heart can be monitored as the rehab center builds the heart back up to where it should be. They let him know how it's going and then if he needs to change the Toprol XL from 25 to 50mg he will do so. I believe that it is a three day a week program for twelve weeks. I don't mind because I must admit I had a bit of a scare but as Dr. Foley said he likes to prevent heart attacks. Hear! Hear! To celebrate I decided to test if my stomach really is better and I stopped at Dairy Queen for my at one time traditional Reese's Peanutbuttercup Blizzard in chocolate. I did take a couple of Lactaid first. Still a bit of a chicken! It was delicious. So far so good!

Edith Piaf L'Hymne à l'amour

Quelle stupidité . . .

Est-ce possible? I mean really. A music teacher in Montréal cut the word "Dieu" from an Édith Piaf song. I believe the last line of L'hymne à l'amour ends with " Dieu réunit ceux qui s'aiment." "God reunites those who are in love." That's it, in the entire song. The world has gone mad. Okay. That's my rant for today.

Quote: He that is not aware of his ignorance will be only misled by his knowledge. __Whately

Greatest "Wow!" ever . . .

Received a call at 7:52 this morning from Suzan Chasse, the lady in charge of insurances for the Connecticut Teachers' Retirement Board. She said she couldn't change the policy for everyone but will arrange to get me the discounted rates at the CVS store in Plainfield. That is the same discount that I get using the mail. I will pick it up once a month but it will not depend on the freaky USPS so I shall be able to get it with no worries. She truly did understand the problem. She will call me back when she gets it set up. Then I will cancel the next order from Caremark by mail. I will still get my other scripts by mail. After speaking with Ms. Chasse I decided to check my email. I had an email from Caremark that the 90 day prescription was sent out yesterday! So the second phone call to the young man worked and he was able to override the existing mess. Yay! All my calls and emails worked even though getting irate made my heart do flips. It's quite by accident that I knew who to write to at the CTRB. Some years ago I was really ticked off when Puppy's Pop was not issued his Caremark cards after he went on Medicare and I wrote a rather scathing email to CTRB. Ms Chasse, equally angry, called me and we went head to head. She got it straightened out and told me to contact her personally if I ever had trouble with the insurance. Glad I kept her address in my email folder. She is curt and doesn't mince words but , wow, is she ever efficient. Good on this bureaucrat!

Puppy's Pop is off to play horseshoes in East Hartford and I'm going to try to get a haircut and do a little food shopping. Good start to this bright, sunny cold and crispy day.

Quote: Life is a quarry, out of which we are to mold and chisel and complete a character. ___Goethe

Two emails and three phone calls later . . .

Bureaucratic crapola, that's what it is. Okay . . . here's the story. I shall endeavor to be succinct. The day I left Yale New Haven the doctor gave me two prescriptions for Effient, important because of the new little bit of body armor. One was a script for 30 days to be filled immediately and one for 90 days to be filled by mail. CVS special ordered the Effient and I had it the next day. I sent out the 90 day supply to CVS Caremark. Caremark informed me by email that they will not process it until March 1. Since it comes by USPS it may not arrive by the day I absolutely need it, March 9. I called Caremark and they will not process it earlier because I have not used 75% of my thirty day supply and they won't get paid until March 1. Thems the rules! I was irate. After hanging up and not getting my way I thought about it some more. 75% of 30 days only gives me 8 days to get the Effient but 75% of the 90 day prescription gives me about 22 days for the prescription to be filled and sent out. I called Caremark in Pennsylvania again and spoke with a young man who agreed with me and said he would put in an override so that the Effient will be sent out earlier based on the 90 day prescription so I would be certain the USPS will get it to me on time. I also emailed the lady in charge of insurances for the state of Connecticut. There is a lack of common sense floating over the bureaucratic ocean that is Connecticut. I did speak with the CVS store and they will be able to provide a "bridge" for me should the pills not arrive on time but . . . they will need at least two days to handle that possibility! The doctor's office doesn't have any on hand either. I guess it's a very new medicine. Okay. That's it I'm done spewing. It will have to work out okay.

Went to play cribbage with cousin S. this morning and was embarrassed because I had so many double doubles it was incredible. I won all three games. I told her she has to get a new deck of cards! So next week we'll play with a new deck. She has been working on quilting a scene with a house, trees, fence, cat and some esoteric designs. It is such outstanding work. She is so very clever and patient. I enjoy seeing her creations. Everything she does is beautiful.

Quote: Epicureanism is human nature drunk, cynicism is human nature mad, and stoicism is human nature in despair. ___S.J. Wilson

Impressive after Communion prayer . . .

What a fantastic start to a bright, sunny late winter day. I was craving Cinnamon Crisp for breakfast so Puppy's Pop obliged me by taking me to Old Tymes in Norwich. Just delicious and we were able to say hello to Lucille, one of the owners, who reminded us they have been in business for 28 years! We don't stop in often any more but when I crave my Cinnamon Crisp it's got to be satisfied. P'sP likes their Ultimate so we both get our hearts' desires. Maybe not good for our bodies but good for the soul. I like to enjoy good food! Besides the great start to the day I went to 11 o'clock Mass and the choir did a beautiful rendition of Above All for the after Communion song. I tried to find a good rendition on YouTube but couldn't find anything satisfactory. Should tape the All Hallows' choir because they did a great job. Just closed my eyes and enjoyed their music. I've included a link to one YouTube version but it isn't even close to what I heard this morning. The verse that starts with , "Crucified . . ." was so powerful this morning. It wasn't schmaltz as are the renditions I found.

Oh well back to the mundane. Have to make the beds, walk in the yard picking up sticks and cook up some pepper steak for supper. My crazy UCONN women let me down yesterday too. What a life. Time to turn off the basketball and read more!

Quote: I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day. ___Abraham Lincoln

ABOVE ALL

Oh the stress . . .

Can't take it anymore. I shall offer my services to the UCONN men's basketball team. They are awful. I could not make them worse than they are. It's a crying shame because they have some very good players but they don't know how to play together. What a mess. Calhoun should take himself completely out of the equation and so should Blaney. Turn the team over to Kevin Ollie and let him learn the head coach job on the job. Some one has got to make the team work positively with a goal to win and play as hard as possible even in tough situations. They just give up. It's horrible. Just ruined my Saturday. It's such a beautiful day outside I think I'll go out and practice my free throws!

Had a good day with the Kiddo yesterday. I was his gopher as he played basketball and then we just threw a nerf football as it got dark. He shacked the balls I missed so he was pretty busy. We stayed out in the dark to check out Jupiter and Venus plus his favorite constellation, Draco, using the iPad. It really is neat to see the sky with the help of the app. Too bad there are working street lights on our street.

Quote: Silent, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of angels. ____Lonfgellow

Sprucing up the neighborhood . . .

The bare lot where Côté's house was located is sporting a new look. They started digging and breaking up ledge about a month ago. Last week they poured the foundation and voilà, today the house is up. How amazing is man. And this is being done in the dead of winter, granted a mild one, but winter just the same. So this is another, "Wow!" moment.

Had a nice time with the Kiddo last night. We played indoor basket ball, I sitting on the new couch and he across from me in a big overstuffed recliner. We made circles with our arms and threw a soft, fabric ball into the armed basket. He won 34 to 32. He even shacked all the balls we missed. If he moved behind his chair he was going for the 3 point shot. What a blast. Big brother came home at 8 and I was back in Moosup at nine. Good day. Feeling fine. No complaints.

Quote: Knowledge is a comfortable and necessary retreat and shelter for us in advanced age, and if we do not plant it while young, it will give us no shade when we grow old. ___Chesterfield

Valentine's Day . . .

Yay, for better or worse, I think I've achieved normalcy. Cool beansies. Had a nice light lunch with my best love at Java Jive in Woodstock yesterday and then made my own concoction of crazy soup for dinner. The soup needed more oomph but it was okay because I dosed it with green pepper Tobasco. I used barley, lentils and quinoa. Not too bad. Other than putting in a lot more salt I'm not sure how to flavor a soup. I have to work on that because I really will cut out salt, but Manischewitz, I just love it.

Not up to too much today. Will finally drive for the first time in over a week. I will go to Groton to keep Kiddo while his folks work the Valentine crowd this evening. His brother will be home from work at 9:30 and then I'll be on my way back home. It's a good time to be on the road; usually no drunks or idiots at that time! I can't get myself to work on that miserable puzzle but I shall endeavor to at least finish the sky today. I keep finding other things to do so I don't have to work on it but it is taking up a lot of space in the kitchen so I've got to steel myself and get working.

Quote: As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words. ___Shakespeare

Good Samaritan . . .

Younger brother's wife amiably brought me to see Guys and Dolls at Killingly High yesterday afternoon. I had felt so well Saturday that I invited her to come with me but as the time approached for us to go she said she would drive and I didn't fight it. I'm not quite up to par. The play was very well done and my friend Sue had a walk on roll. The kids did a great job on a play that really should be cut down. Some scenes are slow, whether done by professionals or in film, the story needs adjusting. The singing, music, staging, lighting, acting, directing were excellent. I hate to admit that I was tired when we got home but it was well worth the trip and I appreciate N. taking on the driving chore! Even today, Puppy's Pop drove and came with me to Big Y to shop. I suppose it makes sense that I'm not quite up to snuff but it is most annoying. He got me a very pretty bouquet of mixed flowers for Valentine's Day and we'll go out to lunch. Our usual date with Oneco friends at the VFW in Plainfield didn't quite come off as planned because I really didn't feel like going to an evening dinner so Puppy's Pop went and picked up our dinners to go. He had a chance to sit and chat for a while waiting for our food so it worked out fairly well. Kiddo stayed over Friday and we played marbles, Bakugan and then Power Rangers on the Wii. I'm getting pretty good at steering with my left thumb and attacking with my right index finger! Who knows? I may become an addicted gamer in my 70's.

Quote: Heaven in sunshine will requite the kind. ___Byron

Brilliant idea +

I must be getting brighter! Woke an hour early this morning and just lazed in bed thinking. I am already looking forward to our Spring visit to Southern family and I was musing on what could improve the flying part of the journey and it dawned on me. I shall remove my prosthesis and put it in a baggie in the bin with the 3oz liquids and my iPad. Then they can check the prosthesis for drugs without physically involving me. Damn, I'm good. Should have done this years ago and saved myself all of the aggravation. Woot!

Thinking of other matters it has dawned on me that I can hear better than ever. Last night Puppy's Pop came home from a meeting at about 8:45. I was in the living room listening to music on the TV and ostensibly working on my cross stitch when I heard the car come up the driveway. I also noticed that when I was speaking on the phone earlier with younger sister I had to turn the volume down and, as if that weren't enough when Puppy's Pop changed the TV to a show he likes to watch at a volume suitable for him I could hear it clearly. I'm guessing that my blood is moving around better and getting where it's supposed to be in a speedy fashion. No longer sluggish. Of course I may be totally nuts but it sounds reasonable to me.

Younger sister-in-law came to play cribbage yesterday and brought me a Danielle Steele book and an avocado. She explained how I was to prepare the avocado so I shall have half the avocado for lunch with some bread and Earth Balance spread. Unfortunately I had told her that she could beat me at cards and I went and won. Gee, I don't even know how to lose anymore. What else is in store? I am writing this before 7am and Puppy's Pop is just having his breakfast as I write. He slept in this fine late winter morning.

Quote: Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is a speaking picture. ___Simonides

Home again, home again, jiggedy, jig . . .

Well, that was interesting. Started out at WW Backus Hospital Tuesday morning for a look see at my heart and ended up at Yale New Haven where Dr. Cabin et al inserted a Xience V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent somewhere around the upper, right heart chamber. Puppy's Pop picked me up yesterday at 10:30 in the morning. And here I am home again, home again, jiggedy jig. Wow, this is impressive stuff.

The only thing on the agenda for today is "nothing." I'll read two days of the Bulletin. Don't ask me why. It's one of my bad habits. Then I'll work on the hateful puzzle, listen to my audio book, read and perhaps work on the ridiculous cross stitch pattern I had bought for Agnès. That is so much very tedious work. Now I understand why she had never started it! And I'll walk, walk, and walk again around the house like MaTante used to do. Monday I'll be back driving the Élantra. Yay!

Quote: The first indication of domestic happiness is the love of one's home. ___Montlosier

Quote: The first sure symptom of a mind in health, is rest of heart, and pleasure felt at home. __Young

Quote: Home is the sphere of harmony and peace. The spot where angels find a resting place, when bearing blessings they descend to earth. __S.J. Hale

Anniversary musings . . .

Forty five years married; forty eight years together. Perhaps it was the way I was brought up or the period in which we lived but my one goal was to marry and raise children. So I have been most fortunate in my gentle love and we have been favored with three interesting, good children. We've had a wonderful time reaching my goal. I had never thought beyond a caring loving husband and intelligent, kind, loving children. Then Kiddo came along and life and family came full circle. What a pleasure to be loved and love without reserve.