...More Car Trouble. Help!

Turns out that Rhoda's car needed a new alternator as susplected. So I drove her the D&D Auto Repair in Lantana...a 30 minute ride and left her there at 11:45 so I could go home and have my breakfast consisting of a rye bagel and vegetable creamcheese and pills. On the way home Rho called from her car saying it had no air conditioning, and since she has some lung problems, even with the windows open she found it hard to breath. She was on her way to Duffy's to have lunch with her sister and her cousin, Lenny. Meanwhile I called Firestone and asked if they did AC work and they do, so she will drive there, leave the car once more and I'll go pick her up. It's an old car: 1995 Cavalier and as cars age, they need car doctors just as we human machines do. Anyway, that's what Rhoda said and I told her that was deep. Tonite we are out to dine with our neighbors Bill and Bev Berger. Don't yet know where. Anyway Bonny asked how to leave a comment so: To leave a comment, click on "Comments" on the bottom of the blog. At the next page, write your comment. Then Choose an Identity. Click "Other". Type in your name. You don't need to type in a web page. Then click on Publish or Preview. Have a nice day.

"...the best laid plans aft gang agley"

Well, Rhoda decided that instead of sending me off to exercise she is going to decide what I'm going to eat. So, this morning before she drive off for her Friday bowling, she left instructions for me to eat the strawberries she cut up for me with two tablespoons of sour cream and some matzoh and butter. And to think that my own plan was to have some vegetable cream cheese on an English muffin. It's true what Bob Burns had to say that "...the best laid plans o' mice and men aft gang agley". See what happened next:

So, I followed the instructions and shortly got call from her that on the way to the bowling alley, her car died a noisy death and she was pulled over to the side of Lantana Rd. I told her to call AAA which she did and a tow truck came in a half hour (12:30pm) and towed her to the auto repair shop in Lantana. So, instead of taking a shower and writing a blog, I went to Lantana and picked her up. And instead of bowling, she stood a half hour in the boiling sun. Just now, at home, I got a call from the shop guy saying she needs an "alternator" and it would cost $260...this on top of the oil change and tires I paid $300+ for yesterday. Now the stock market in the last few weeks drained my IRA, fuel and food costs have skyrocketed and the value of my apartment has depreciated. This on top of the doctor's evaluation yesterday that he could do nothing to help me with the claudication of my legs. By now you must be getting the message that I'm singing the blues. Can you blame me? Waaaaaahh Waaaaah!

A Hopeless Case & a Fairy Tale

It's been a busy day. Rho left the house at 9:30 bringing her car into Firestone for an oil change...about $19, right? Just you wait! I followed her at 10am and then we went to Dr. Motta, the vascular surgeon who performed my angiogram on Aug. 1. We waited about 45 minutes before he got to see us with a report. Problem is that he had laryngitis and couldn't speak above a whisper. I had my hearing aids turned to the max and still couln't hear him. So he ran out of the room and came back with a nurse who translated (?) for him. The bottom line is that he said he could do nothing for me to fix the pain in my legs, except some medication which he said had a 90% chance of not working. So, instead of kissing us goodbye, he said that I should do some exercise each day that would strengthen my legs and also to help me lose some weight. I knew he was going down that road. The fact is that in order to lose weight at my age and disappearing metabolism, along with a strict diet, you have to do some aggressive exercise every day for at least an hour. Now, I'm not about to go down and walk in the pool everyday; I've been there, done that, and I don't want to do it anymore. I could go to the clubhouse and swim laps; I used to swim 80 laps (one mile) 5 times a week until I blew out my shoulder. So, I've been there, too, done that, and I don't want to do that anymore. He said I could go on a stationary bike, but after 10 minutes the pain begins. Anyway I've been there and done that, and I don't want to do it anymore. I used to pump iron and it's max boring; I've been there, also...done that, and I don't want to do it anymore.

Now, it's hard to make some people understand where I'm at now relative to this problem.
I've "exercised" all my life. Soccer, track and swimming in high school. Boot camp in the Navy, marching, running, climbing, jumping, pushups, crunches, rope climbs, swimming and whatever else the Chief wanted us to do for torture. I played soccer in college; as a coach I trained with my teams; after my world tour, I ran 5-10 miles every day; I ran two marathons when I was 57 years old. I believe it was Mortimer Adler (maybe not) from the University of Chicago who once said, "When I feel the urge to exercise, I lie down until the feeling passes." So, I've been there, done that, and I just do not want to do it anymore! In the time I have left to me I would just like to take it easy. Read, write, go malling, do x-word puzzles, work on the computer, watch TV. I just want to relax and please let me alone, and don't bug me about exercise. I would just like to be able to play golf. I'll live with the pain until I need a wheelchair...and that's my story, like it or not.

But that's not the end of our day. We went to see an adult fairy tale of a movie, "Stardust".It was completely entertaining as long as you knew it was an ADULT fairy tale. I enjoyed it and so did Rhoda. Now, about Rho's car; the mechanic said she needed new tires and an alignment; so since her tires carried her for 25K miles, we Ok'd it. Instead of the $19 for the oil change, the bill came to $340.99. Tonite, we'll go to Duffy's for dinner, and that's my/our day. Oh, yes, I mailed a copy of Memoirs to Thelma (my ex) to share with her sisters.

Seeing Dr. Motta, Vascular Surgeon 8/15/Continued.

Tomorrow I'll be seeing Dr. Motta. He did an angiogram on me on August 1 attempting to find the cause of my "intermittent claudication" in my legs. But he failed to find a place in the arteries to put in a stent that would allow me to walk without pain. So, hopefully he has another plan to take care of this problem that is changing my lifestyle. I haven't played golf in over a month. I'm also one of those guys who enjoys walking in the mall, but I haven't been able to do that either. Rho and I are going on a cruise around Scandinavia next July to celebrate our 25th Anniversary and her 70th birthday...both BIG events! But my walking problems will severely limit the kind of excursions we can take when the ship docks in a port. Hey...I just may wind up having to buy one of those litle go carts I see a lot of vets riding. Seems like fun, but I just can't see myself in one of those. I'm the guy who ran two marathons, and now I can't walk two blocks. Ah, well, que sera, sera. Hey! Lulu sold 13 of my books. I'm a famous unknown author!

GOOGLE+Memoirs of a Tail Gunner+I"m Feeling Lucky

Got an email from my ex, Thelma, this morning that was very complimentary, thank you. She wrote that she was going to look "locally" to buy my book for her and her sisters, Norma and Mildred. Of course, the book can only be bought on the publisher's web site. One way of getting there is follow the title of this blog. Go to GOOGLE; type in the title of the book; then click on "I'm Feeling Lucky" or "Search". It should take you to the page where you can buy the book by clicking on "Buy" of course. If you are not successful, just leave your email address on a comment to this blog, and I'll get back to you. Just got a telephone call from Rho, saying someone banged into the passenger side of my door. The car is in our parking lot. I haven't seen it yet. But if it's bad, I'll probably cry. I've had this car since 1999 without a dent. Well, it won't be long now before my crew gets back from their Alaska cruise sojourn. Can't wait to get all the news. More later.

VJ Day Continued....

Just got home from Lobster House where we celebrated Helen Herbstman's 69th+++ birthday. Mike and I shared a 7 lb. lobster and I had it steamed for the first time in history...I mean my history because I've always preferred it broiled. He made me a CD with a PDF file of my book. I guess he went to LULU.COM and found that the book could be downloaded by anybody, so they don't have to pay $60 + shipping for it. The only problem is they'd have to read the whole thing on their PC Monitor.

VJ Day

Today, August 14 is VJ Day, no matter what anyone says. Pres. Truman ended the war and thus prevented misery for thousands of American families. What was his alternative to dropping the A-Bomb? Invading Japan? Give me a break! It just so happens that I had an appointment at the VA Medical Center today where periodically I have a chat with my shrink, Dr. Zayas. Nice Cuban gal. I told her that today was VJ Day and she had no clue as to what it was. Then when I checked out with the registrar for a new appointment, I asked him if he knew what VJ Day was...and he didn't know either. Oh, well. C'est la guerre. It blows my mind to think that when I was born, there were still Civil War veterans about my age, getting help from the VA...if there was a VA. I know my father was in a VA hospital in the late 20s.
Tonite we are going with the Herbstmans for a lobster dinner. Comfort food!

The Pasta Pot

With not much to do today, Rho went to the MD for bloodwork and I met her for breakfast, after which she went food shopping and I went to mail a book to Debbie French. Priority mail is $4.60 in a flatrate envelope. The book just fits in it perfectly. But now to the pasta pot. We bought a new glasstop stove and the burner wasn't hot enough for our old pasta pot and the water wouldn't boil. So we bought a pot at Walmart which didn't work either, and therefore we returned it. We went then to Bed, Bath and Beyond, and they had no pasta pots. Then to Target and no luck. Finally to Home Goods where we bought two pots...just in case, and voila! We had pasta with meat sauce tonite. Afterward, I had to clean up, which is my unpleasant duty on Monday nites, because RH+ goes to play cards. The Marlins aren't playing tonite, so I've spent my time on this computer. I checked on Lulu and found that 11 people I don't know bought my book (or books). I don't know if it was ADDENDA or MEMOIRS. But even that number is a very big surprise to me. I don't get any royalties. The price is based on Lulu's printing cost. If they printed 100,000 books, it would be affordable. I don't know if anyone is actually going to read this, but I'm writing it anyway.

I'm a Famous Unknown author.

Since I'm now a Famous Unknown author who has unmasked and stripped himself naked in an autobiography and poetry book, I have to continue writing. Since I have no ideas for a novel or a documentary or an addition to the Bible, I guess I will use this blog even tho' I don't know what blog means. I'll wait for the next edition of the College Dictionary. But for the time being, I'll use this venue to keep a sort of diary or journal and as a useful tool to comment on events and to ask difficult questions. The first question I have comes from the top right hand corner of this post...There are two tabs; one says "Edit Html" and the other says, "Compose" which I assume I'm now doing. My question is what is "Html" and why "edit" it? Socrates said, "The only thing I know is that I know nothing". That statement alone stumps me because if he says he knows "nothing" then he must know something if "nothing" is the something that he knows. Well, don't bother your minds about that conundrum; just tell me what html is if you know. I suppose I can Google it, but I'd rather hear it from a live person...without having to press one for English.

Speaking of Googling...get a surprise by going to Google. Type Memoirs of a Tail Gunner and then click on "I'm Feeling Lucky".

Noel Coward

Went to see a show called "Noel Coward" and 3 people sang all of the songs the guy wrote. I never cared for Noel. His work was much too sophisticated for me, a boy from the Bronx. At any rate it still was enjoyable because the performers were extremely talented. After the show, we went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. Sally and Irv Forman were with us besides two other couples from Huntington Lakes. It so happens that while I was reading my mail, Bobby Called and told us the temp. was 80 degrees and he and Katrina went snorkeling! I'm sure you're all having a good time. Can't wait till you get home to tell us all about it. I also hope that some people would take the time to read my blog, but I realize most would have no desire and no reason to. But if I keep this "Diary" alive, I may have another book in the future.