"Look, he's winding up the watch of his wit; by and by it will strike." (The Tempest)

I wonder sometimes if we have ever gotten out of the Stone Age. So many people have brains that are made of stone. There is no way of cracking them as one might a coconut. There is virtually no way of having an intelligent conversation with them on any subject--particularly if it comes down to Hillary and Obama. Of course, those of you who have computers (a godsend for me) must have gotten e-mails from the stoneheads with scurrilous, vicious, racist, and stupidest comments--particularly on Obama. Now, I don't mind people having opinions about either of these candidates or the Republican choice as long as their opinions are based less on race and gender than they are on the candidate's qualities. Obama's recent speech was, in my opinion, Lincolnesque, both in what was said and how it was said. I don't doubt that any one of these three would make a good president, but I imagine that Obama will make a truly great president. It was Albert Einstein who said imagination was greater then knowledge. He also said something that will apply most appropriately to Obama---"Great spirits have always found violent oppositions from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence"

I got an email from my publisher, LULU, yesterday that they have shipped a proof copy of my new book, "PATER NOSTER in CONDOLAND." Once I have looked it over and find that it is fit for sale, I will get an ISBN number and have it distributed to online booksellers. I'll also get a couple more copies to keep on my shelf. If anyone wants to read it, they'll have to buy it...I just can't afford to buy a book for everyone I'd like to have it.

Today, Rhoda went on a 3 1/2 mile walkathon to raise money for the fight against cancer and other diseases. I don't believe she has ever walked that far before, so I'm very proud of her. Right now she's taking a nap because she was up and out very early this morning. As for myself I am doing nothing today. It's not very easy doing nothing; in fact at times it's much harder than doing something. You walk around the house thinking what needs to be done, like making the bed, or emptying the dishwasher, or taking out the garbage, or checking out your golf clubs to see if you have two sets for the sons, or playing computer games, or writing a blog. You then decide that you don't feel like doing any of those things so instead you go to the fridge for a piece of Dove's chocolate, sit down and read the newspaper to relieve your depression for not having made a decision on what to do.

"She has a good face, speaks well, and has excellent good clothes." (Pericles)

Well, the military tradition seems to be carrying on. Granddaughter, PK (Princess Katrina) turned 21 on March 20th and graduated from Naval Boot Camp on the next day. She is an "E-3" with 3 green stripes on her uniform which means she's an enlisted "Airman"...not a seaman...but an Airman! Guess she's following in her grandfather's footsteps. Besides that bit of fate and fortune, she will be assigned to a school in Whidbey Island, WA where I was stationed in WWII after I came back from Europe. Her goal is to be a mechanic on jet engines. After all, she also graduated from Motorcycle Mechanics' Institute in Phoenix. Katrina's dad is a Harley Davidson sales agent in Virginia...he also acts, now and then, as my son. PK had four tickets to the graduation and they went to her dad, her Aunt Robin, who refers to me as "Pop" and her Aunt and Uncle from California. May her career have calm seas and a following wind.

(Picture is USS HIGGINS named for my son-in-law)

Another bit of current news is that I just had another book published titled "Pater Noster in Condoland". It can be previewed by clicking on "My Lulu Shop" at the top of this blog--then clicking "Print to Cart". On the next page just click on the book title and it will go to a page with all the details. It's part of the "buying" experience...but you don't have to buy it...duh. It will be no big surprise. It has 368 pages of all the blogs I wrote in 2007 from August to New Years Day. It also comes with all the comments. Again I will become a famous unknown author. I guess at some point I'll publish Vol.II of the 2008 blogs. History might consider these books as a sequel to my "Memoirs".

This morning I went to the National City Bank to cash in a CD that has been churning out interest for the past 13 months. I had misplaced the CD, but I did have a letter from the bank indicating that the CD would be maturing as of today. So, I went to the teller's window and showed him the letter which had the CDs account number. He went to his computer and then came to the window with a check for the full amount of the CD without asking me for any identification. Anyone might have found that letter on the street and without having to show any ID might have walked out of that bank with my money. Incidentally, I found the CD in the glove compartment of my car after all was said and done. Rhoda just came home from her Hadassah luncheon and announced that she's too tired to cook...so we'll be off to Sweet Tomatoes tonite for soup and a salad. Today is my one month's birthday. Have a good one.

"My watch hath told me toward my grave, I have travelled but two hours." (12th Night)

A few days ago I got my AT&T (formerly Bell South) local phone service bill for the usual amount of $27, but attached to it was also a bill from some other company I never heard of who was charging me for some cockamamie services I also never heard of. I called AT&T and asked them what was going on with that attachment. Their response was that I should contact that company to get the answer to my question. I said that since AT&T had it on their own bill, why should I have to call the other company, but their reply was not acceptable. I entered the company's name on Google and found there were numerous complaints about them; consequently I decided not to pay that part of the bill. This was the second time in two months since AT&T took over Bell South that strange charges appeared on my bill--so I decided to find another phone company and I did. Comcast had a special promotion going on whereby if I had their internet service and cable--which I do--then I could get their digital phone service with unlimited local and long distance service for less than what I was paying AT&T for just local service. Thus to continue making a short story longer, I now have Comcast for everything talkable, watchable, and surfable.

But that's not the end of this Cirque de Soleil show. The guy from Comcast who was supposed to come here between 11 and 2 to install the new service never showed up until 4pm. This being late is nothing new in the State of Florida. It seems everything here comes up late. If your doctor's appointment is at 2pm and at 3pm you ask the receptionist if you are invisible, she says, "Oh, Sorry. The doctor is running late." If you are in a restaurant and if your entree hasn't come for a half hour after you've finished your soup or salad, the server says, "Oh, sorry. The kitchen is running late." In the beauty parlor, according to my wife, if her nail appointment is at 1pm. and she hasn't been called until 4pm, she is informed that the beautician had an emergency hangnail patient and is "running late." In the dental office, you are awestruck when you only have to wait 10 minutes before they bring you into a room, seat you in a chair and claim that "...the doctor will be right with you." Forty-five minutes later, with your teeth chattering from the A/C freeze, you say to yourself, "Oh, he must be running late." Even at the Pompano Race Track, you look for the horse you just bet on, and when you ask the cashier where the horse finished, his reply would be, "Oh, he ran late!" Well, since all this seems to be the trend and the culture in Condoland, hopefully, your "maker" will also run late before he gives you the bucket to kick.

"There was never yet Philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently." (Much Ado)

We were waiting last night to go to dinner with the Herbstmans and their niece, who is an internist at the VA Medical center in New York. I was going to ask her if she does prostate checks, but I changed my mind when I realized Rhoda would have castrated me on the spot. We didn't actually go out to dinner with them because Helen H. called and said they had a change in plans. We also had a change in plans because we had planned to go to Orlando to see a friend, but the friend got sick. When I asked Helen about that change she said they were going to The Isle casino and that we would bypass the buffet there and go to the Deli instead. That was OK with me because I could get a slice of their checkerboard cake--probably the only place in So. Florida that you get that delicacy. However when we got there, Mike H. said he wasn't hungry--probably because he was hot to trot the nearest 2 cent slot machine. So Rhoda and I went to the Deli and I had a bowl of matzo ball soup and some potato perogies, and she had a bowl of mushroom and barley and an order of potato pancakes. For dessert we shared the cake. When we finished our dinner, in walked the Herbstmans with Dr. Ann. They sat down to dine and confessed to losing money. Rho and I left and went to play the slots ourselves. By 10pm she had lost, but I had won--not much--$80.

Friday I went to my podiatrist because I have some kind of fungus on my toes. He prescribed some kind of cream to put on them twice a day. In addition, while showering I'm supposed to brush my toes with "Head-and-Shoulders" shampoo; then when the toes are dried to douse them with Listerine. I couldn't understand why I had to shampoo my toes since they had a fungus, not dandruff; and then to put Listerine on them?? Well, I suppose Dr. Poss knows what he's doing, so I'll so as he says. I have to go back to him on Friday to take some tests to find out what is going on with my neuropathy--the feeling that I'm walking with cotton balls under my toes.

I got a telephone call today from Mel Nudelman who bought my book at the arts and crafts show a few weeks ago. He said he enjoyed the book very much and marveled at the fact that I ran two marathons and coached soccer teams. I thought it was very cordial of him to call and tell me about his reaction to the book. I also gave a book to Rho's cousins, Sandy and Irwin with whom we went out to a Chinese dinner the other night. Perhaps when they finish reading it I'll get some more reaction.