Almost the end of the story . . .

Had a warm and delicious visit with older brother and his wife yesterday. We chatted for a few hours and then I made the trek home to a telephone call from middle child who had a sick Kiddo. So I went to Groton for the evening. On my return there was an email from CVS saying that they received the Toprol script on November 22 and would fill it on December 18. Hmmmm . . . so, the Robo call was a mistake and everything is hunky dory.I couldn't stand not calling CVS to complain. Why I do these things to myself I'll never understand. Now for the rest of the story: that darned doctor's office didn't send CVS back the fax that CVS had sent for the renewal of the Toprol. They only sent a renewal fax. Therefore Robo call didn't know that it was a renewal, thought it was a new script and if it happens again I will get another Robo call to which I must not pay attention. Got that? This is impossible. There is no way to win. The stupidity is embedded in the modern psyche. From now on I shall only do renewals through the mail so I can rail at the postal worker in person. That will probably relieve my obsession to correct all faults I find in any system with which I have contact. Too much redundancy and impersonal relations all to save a dollar that is worthless. The world is too much with us.

Poem

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon,
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. --Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn. Wordsworth

How Pavlovian . . .

I am really learning how to respond to robo calls in the proper manner and sequence. Par exemple, take last evening. I received a phone message that CVS Caremark needed me to urgently call extension 3975424 because of a problem with a prescription. Good dooby that I am I called and three robots later I finally yelled at the super robot which kept repeating, " Say yes or no." I said, "Yes" as it dinged. Super Robot,"Missed that. Say yes or no." I said, "Yes" as it dinged. Super Robot, "Missed that. Say yes or no." I said, "Yes" as it dinged. So . . . in my finite wisdom I figured out I had to wait for the asinine ding-dong before I could answer and at this point, screamed, an emphatic, "Yes." Far be it from me to question why you would need to listen for a ding before you can say a simple yes or no. But in the end Super Robo made me understand that Dr. Foley's Office was recalcitrant and did not fax them the refill for Toprol XL and I had to call the doctor immediately and cajole him into correcting his slovenly ways. Again, good dooby that I am I called Dr. Foley's office and, such a beautiful, wonderful, stupendous idea, a real person handles the calls. The prescription had been faxed on November 22, naturellement. I was given the fax number so I could call CVS Caremark and tell Robo that we were getting close to a solution to the vexing prescription problem. But, again in my wisdom I asked for a paper prescription to be mailed to me and then I will forward the prescription by USPS to CVS Caremark. Naturellement, the postal service will most certainly give me grief so I may have to drive to Pittsburgh and demolish the city after I finally get the Toprol XL. You know, this would make for a cutting edge movie.

On a much lighter note I had a wonderful visit with Rosette. It's always such a moving, touching pleasure to be with her. We had my favorite lunch, pepper and egg grinder and then went to an Italian Patisserie for desert where the company was perfect and the pastries were most imperfect but in the grand scheme of life that was just fine. We took a ride around Southwick, MA and Granby, CT to see just how devastating the Halloween Nor'easter had been. I doubt the states will ever pick up all of the fallen trees and imagine they will be left to rot by the roadside.
Nature has a way of humbling human beings.

Quote: Beware the fury of a patient man. __Dryden

A perfect day. . .

Sunday afternoon, November 27, 2011. Sitting on my mood swing, soaking up the sunshine. Slight breeze agitating the spinner, autumn leaves skittering on the drive, grass, Irish green, sipping Italian Sogno di Sorrento Crema Lemoncello. Climate change, you are magnificent in Southern New England. Bring it on!

Almost forgot . . .

Got a check in the mail for $2.20 from some sort of class action suit. It will buy about a cup of coffee. Wonder what the lawyers got out of this? We ate our leftover turkey and fixings tonight and they were delicious. That was probably the best tasting turkey I have ever made. I shall do it again too. Everyone liked it. Well, almost everyone. The Kiddo had my kid famous burgher and corn chips with grapes and Wheat Ritz on the side! Uconn football beat Rutgers today. That's just a simple fact. I don't really think they're too competitive but the Uconn men's basketball team hung tough and beat Florida State in an overtime battle. They had to work their young butts off but they pulled it out. Good on them. They're really a very young team so I'm hoping they can make it to the big dance in 2012. Fun to watch. Will watch the Uconn women tonight - last night was a terrible bore - hope we see a game tonight!

And Puppy's Pop has gone a fishing . . .

Had thought we might bring the Kiddo back to Oakland Beach yesterday but he spent the day with Mom, Dad and big brother so I did lots of walking up at the Yankee Flyers' Field both yesterday and today. It's good walking with about a third up hill. I can feel it in the poor old legs but it's probably better for me than just walking on our street. I have the UCONN Rutgers football game on and UCONN is wining. But I'll have to change channels soon because the men's basketball game is on at 2 and I want to see if they can recoup from their embarrassing loss to Central Florida yesterday. I really shouldn't be in the house on such a beautiful Fall day but I'll work on my hooked rug as I watch my games. Only about a third more and I will have completed it after eight years of letting it sit! I just may use it on the floor at the kitchen entrance. Will have to put up a photo when it is completed. Then I still have a kit for crewel work. That's been around for a while also. I had bought it for Agnes years ago and neither she nor I ever got very far on it. It's really pretty too. Turkey leftovers for dinner so I can relax and enjoy the day.

Quote: One part of knowledge consists in being ignorant of such things as are not worthy to be known. ___Crates

Thanksgiving Proclamation

Thanksgiving Proclamation

Happy Thanksgiving . . .

This year's Thanksgiving Turkey. Photographic proof that it was cooked here though not on Thanksgiving Day!

Expected to pick up the Kiddo today so he could help with the table setting and pie baking but Mom and Dad are taking the day off so he'll be excited about being home with them. We went off to Hog Heaven Hobbies in Sturbridge to get a pilot for Red Molly, Puppy's Pop's latest plane. I always find something interesting at Hog Heaven and I bought a Klutz book for Cat's Cradle. I figure Kiddo and his Mom can figure it out tomorrow and have some fun with it. We used to play it with Pépère Bonnin and our kids played it with MaTante. I still like the old games the best; not sure if Kiddo will want to stop playing Wii to make time for a string Jacob's Ladder! We have to drive by some of the tornado damage in Sturbridge and it is still mind numbing to see the frightful power of Nature. If I had been living there at the time I think that I would be afraid of every stormy day. On the way home we stopped on the Connecticut Massachusetts border to have coffee and a muffin at Cakettes in Thompson. They've only been open for a month. They took over an early 50's type restaurant and have turned it into a Wifi Café à la Starbucks. I hope they can make a go of it. I find it hard to believe that they can attract very many passersby on Route 131 in Thompson, CT. The muffin was delicious; the coffee weak but I'd stop again and just have them doctor my coffee a bit more.

Okay, time to stop lolly gagging and get to work on the pies and setting up the dining area.

Quote: Wouldst thou first pause to thank thy god for every pleasure, for mourning over griefs thou wouldst not find the leisure. __Ruckert