"The heavens forbid But that our loves and comforts should increase Even as our days do grow!" (Othello)

Hello again. Valentine's Day is over and love permeated the air, but now the permeation is over and love has to take a back seat to the daily annoyances or whatever. Thursday night Renee, Jeff, Ilana, and Allyson were supposed to arrive at PBI at 11pm...Renee is Rhoda's daughter...Ilana is in ninth grade and Allyson in fourth. I kept calling Delta to make sure the plane was on time. To make a bad story worse, the plane was not expected to arrive until midnite. Jeff's parents, Irv and Edna Cohen live here in Huntington Lakes and they followed us to the airport. We left at 11:45 so that we wouldn't have to wait too long in the cell phone lot. We got there at 12:20 am and 10 minutes later got the call that they got their luggage and were waiting at the curb, so we picked them up shortly. They had enough luggage so that I believed the other 250 passengers had no room on the plane for theirs and had to FedEx their bags to Florida. It was 2:30 am before Rhoda and I got to bed.

The next morning we had to get up early because the City of Hope was having their annual Children's Luncheon at Diamonte's, a catering hall in Coral Springs. When I walked into the room, I saw about 500 women from different S.Florida chapters and table loads of toys that had been donated for children who were hospitalized. It so happens that I had a cup of coffee and two Oreo cookies before we left for the luncheon. When I sat down at our designated table there was a scoop of chopped liver in front of me so I munched on those while I awaited my sliced steak lunch. It finally came and was a major catastrophe. It was so salty, we couldn't eat it. If only I had brought some Oreo cookies with me. While we were waiting on our dessert, we were treated to another major catastrophe...the mother of all bad entertainers; the lady assaulted our ears for about an hour with her songs and canned music. I was beginning to believe Sartre, that Hell was other people...and lousy food. But if the kids enjoyed their toys and furry animals, then I guess it was all worth it.

Today I got an email from my bank that a direct deposit had been credited to my account. I couldn't understand this because usually my SS is direct deposited on the third of the month. About a week ago I went online to "taxact.com" and did my tax return for 2007. I answered all the questions they asked for that followed the format of Form 1040. When I submitted the final "copy" I printed it out. It looked professional. TaxAct also gives you the choice of mailing in your own copy or having them file it for you electronically. I opted for the E-filing and a week later...today...I got my refund. Amazing! And I paid not a penny.

Tomorrow there is an arts and crafts show being held in our clubhouse. The arts and crafts are those produced by residents with various talents from painting to ceramics, etc. I am having a table stocked with copies of my Memoirs and poetry books. Maybe I'll sell one. Wish me luck. Right now, the company is at the beach and Rhoda and I are going to the movies. TTYL ... Baron

"There is nothing either good nor bad but thinking makes it so" (Hamlet)

It seems now that this is blog #157; if I can keep it up, perhaps there is the making of another book...not! Who would read it? I don't know for sure how many readers I have now. The only way to get a head count would be if each and every reader would leave a comment. Writing a blog does not take as long as playing a round of golf, but since my golfing days are over, it's something to do besides playing Scrabble or Jewel Quest on the desktop or making the bed or emptying the dish-washer Last nite we had a dinner date with our good friends Phyliss and Herb. We went to a Japanese restaurant in Boca which was really beautiful and the food was excellent. I had a dish called "Pad Thai". It came with white rice, noodles stir fried with shrimp and peanut sauce. Yummmmy. I drove there in the new Malibu, and it rides like you're just floating on water...and it's so quiet I can actually hear what Rhoda says. I haven't decided whether that's a beneficial option on the car or not. One of the amazing things is that it has a telephone in or under or behind the rear view mirror. You can speak, hands free, for 16 cents a minute. Of course Rho has a cell phone also, so she plans not to use the car phone very often.

Renee, Jeff, Ilana and Allyson are arriving tonite at 11pm for at least a week. They love Japanese restaurants and down here we have a choice of three excellent ones that we know of, but of the three, last night's is the best, I believe. This 21st Century is really something what with the internet, robot-like autos, HD TV, IPods, and et al.

I did my taxes on the computer for nothing. Like last year I went to http://www.taxact.com/ and answered all the questions asked just as if I was doing my 1040. When done after about 30 minutes, I printed out a copy of the 1040 with all the right places filled out. Then I clicked the buttons that allowed TaxAct to send my form by electronically. Now if we can only elect a Democrat, we'll have a perfect world. No???

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

"My bounty is as boundless as the sea..."(Romeo & Juiliet)

There comes a time in every man's life when he has to go retro, apologize, and explain actions that may have puzzled, confused, and hurt other people when he hadn't meant to. This involves Rhoda's 70th surprise birthday party. It was never meant to be a secret to anyone except Rhoda. But friends and relatives whoever you are must understand that the fewer people that knew about it, the better chance that it would be a surprise. The only invitees were several couples from my building and three couples from the show, My Fair Lady. Since Rhoda's sister was up north I invited her cousin so there would be a representative from her family. I also invited my sister and brother-in-law...and us. Twenty-one. That's all the room would hold. There were many other people that I would like to have had there, but then I would need to hire a hall and the cost would have stretched my budget to the point where I would need a loan to buy her the car. So she had a party and a car. No debts. So to all of you out there who would have liked to celebrate her birthday with us, don't blame her. I was the one who made the party. I apologize...mea culpa. Now I know that if you go back to the Feb. 3 blog, it was there also that I talked about the party invitations.... Rhoda had nothing to do with them; leave her to Heaven.

I haven't gone near Rhoda's new car as yet because the whole thing is intimidating. The panel looks like one from the Concorde. Up on the mirror there are "On Star" buttons. Press one of them and they will give you turn by turn audio directions to where you want to go. Also, there's a built in telephone...or something...so that if you press the right button and say "House" it will telephone your home number. Of course, you have to program the thing first. Then you have to take a course in how to use the 69 stations of "XM Radio". Once RH+ learns how to do all these things, then I'll take lessons from her before I drive it. The darn thing is liable to be programmed to spit me out. So, #1...The Party; #2 The Car; #3 The Cruise. What more can be given?

My latest wager was a disaster. I bet that the AFC would beat the NFC in the Pro Bowl and the NFC won. I also bet that the total score would be under 63, but it was over 63. I'm getting depressed again.

We're having pasta tonite, so I guess I'll get over it.

"Down, down to Hell; and say I sent thee thither!" (3 Henry VI)

I often wondered what it would be like to go to Hell.

In my life I've been invited to go there by a number of people, but that was in my working days and I wasn't quite ready; and after raising four teen-agers how bad could Hell be? So, I declined the offers. In college, I read John Milton's "Paradise Lost" and Satan didn't think it was so bad when while floating around in the burning lake he addressed his host of legions and said, "The mind is its own place and can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven". I thought this to be a very wise statement and indicative of a great leader; someone who could be President of the United States. For an example of how he could lead us, he might say that the state of the economy is only in your mind. What a relief that would be!

Anyway, I don't think Satan could win the nomination of either party because he would only garner votes in the tropical states like Florida and Puerto Rico. Edward Fitzgerald had his own version of Hell when he wrote "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam". Omar said, "I sent my soul into the invisible some letter of that afterlife to spell; and bye and bye my soul returned and answered, 'I myself am Heaven and Hell.'" I thought that, too, was a very wise statement and that Omar might get to be President if only he were not a Muslim. Then there was Jean Paul Sartre who wrote "No Exit" the theme of which was that Hell was really "other people". Sartre was just as wise as the other two, and if he were to become President, he would say that illegal immigration, the economy, and the war was the fault of other people...so let them worry about it.

In Greek mythology the River Styx is a river which formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld. It circles Hades nine times. When souls are sent to Hades, they get a boat ride captained by Charon who owns the ferry. So what could be so bad? Nine times around Hell in a boat is like an excursion, and since the temperature is tropical, one could wear shorts and a tee-shirt. A cap or sun-tan lotion would not be needed since there is no sun. The adjective "Stygian", of course, refers to the River Styx and means anything dark and dysmal. (For those who might prefer a different excursion, Dante, in "The Divine Comedy" has Charon ferrying folks across the Acheron. Although, it might be a bit more expensive because the Italians love balconies.)

So, if Hell is like Satan's vision, your mind can make Hell a Heaven; if it's like Omar's vision, you yourself are Heaven and Hell...so you can delete the Hell part and imagine yourself in Heaven; if Hell is like Sartre's vision, you'll be lodged in a very nice condo apartment (no A/C!) with some other people, but if you can get yourself elected to the Board you'll have the power surely to make Hell, not for you, but for those other people. The bottom line, I believe, is if you go "there"...you'll get to meet souls who are a lot more fun than the nerds in Heaven.

"What hath this day deserved? What hath it done That it in golden letters should be set Among the high tides in the calendar?" (King John)

Today's the day we brought home Rhoda's new Malibu. The Dashboard looks like it comes straight from an aircraft. There are a plethora of buttons on the steering wheel with different logos on each one, and if I drove it, I'd first need a college course to learn which button to press in order to get the function I want. The clock was about 8 minutes fast and when I went to look for the buttons that would fix the time, I failed to find them. Of course, Rhoda drove the car home and she said it was "scary". To complicate matters, we had rain showers every few miles. When Rho inquired about how often the oil needs to be changed she was told there's a device on the panel that starts out reading 99%. When it gets down to 0% it's time to change the oil. With the mileage that she drives, it will probably get to zero after 6 months. The salesman said that was no problem...save our money and change whenever it hits zero. Besides that, up under the rear view mirror is the "On Star". When you press a button you are asked the address you want to get to and then when you answer you get turn by turn directions as you drive! She also has "XM" radio which has about a zillion stations. I can go on and on about what's in that car, but I don't want to bore you. Now she has her birthday, anniversary, valentine's day, mother's day present. Good, because I cannot afford to buy a card except maybe in the Dollar Store.

News about the grandchildren: Hannah Ross (Joel's daughter) and her mother, Barbara went to London because Hannah was giving a show of her photography for som fashion magazine. At the same time, Sean (Bonny's son) will be giving a second showing of his paintings in California. I would assume these two are well on their way to success with their individual talents. If one has such talents, it should be coveted and nourished as hard as one can.

I'm still fascinated at the prospect of having a woman or a black man as the nominee of the Democratic party. Hillary has the experience which helps her to debate so well, and Barack has the charisma that mesmerizes his audiences. As far as their becoming the "Dream Team" as President and Vice President, it will never happen. I believe either one will be able to win the election, but like Colin Powell said at his interview with Wolf Blitzer (?) I haven't decided who I'll vote for...but it will not be McCain.

"She has a good face, speaks well, and has excellent good clothes." (Pericles IV ii) ...and a new car. (Baron)

I am very happy to report that yesterday we finally (after 13 years!) bought a new car for Rhoda, and it's a beauty...a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LT. The color is an amber metallic and the interior is two-tone dark and light amber cashmere. The car is equipped as follows:

Color1: Cashmere Metallic TRIM COMBINATION CLOTH, MED CASHMERE I
Package:
ENGINE GAS, 4 CYL, 2.4L, MFI, ALUM, DOHC, HO, ECOTEC
TRANSMISSION AUTO 4 SPD, HMD, 4T45-E
Seat Adjuster: 6 way

Power Pedal Adjuster
Remote Vehicle Start System - Key Fob
Floor Mats - Premium, Carpet Frt, Rr & Trunk
Pedals, Power Adjustable Power Convenience Package
Package: Premium Mat Package

Radio, Digital Audio \'S\' Band (XM Radio)
OnStar Navigational System

I wasn't exactly born yesterday; it's not the first time I haggled a price for a car, and I'm sure I got the best deal for this car than I could anywhere else or however else. I still own my '99 Malibu with 73,000 miles which I bought over the internet as I did Rhoda's car and strangely enough at the same dealer in Riviera Beach. We are going to pick the car up tomorrow. The traditional rite for new cars is to toss some coins on the floor mats, so you out there let's get with it and send some coins to this address. Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, Rhoda is a very happy lady. I told her if she's more comfortable driving my car, I'll trade with her. She rejected the offer.

On the Sunday, the 17th of this month there is going to be an Arts & Crafts show at the clubhouse. It's a very good showcase for the people in Huntington Lakes with various talents in painting, sculpting, ceramics, needlework, etc. I asked the director of the show if she considered writing an art or craft and she said absolutely. Therefore I'm going to set up a table with a sampling of my Memoirs and poetry books and see if I can sell one. Ha! Ha!

"If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow and which will not, Speak then to me." (Macbeth)

Now that my computer is up and running and happy again, so am I up and trying to walk, and happy again. Yesterday and today we were busy trying to find a new car for Rhoda. She has been driving a 1995 Cavalier and it now has almost 61,000 miles on it. That turns out to be 4700 miles a year. It looks new; the paint has not faded, and the interior does not show any signs of wear except for the sun shades. We brought it to CarMax today and an appraiser spent about a half hour checking everything on it. Finally the agent said they would pay $1500 for the car, which is about what I expected. I don't think we can get that on a trade-in for a new car. We are shopping for a Chevrolet LT Malibu, and it will probably go over $21K with the options Rhoda wants and needs...like power windows, seats, and pedals. I've been busy on the internet looking for that car, but the strange thing is that of all the dealerships that sell Malibus there arent too many around; Maroone the largest dealer only had one Malibu in the lot and I haven't heard from any dealer who has more than two in their lot.

Shopping for a car is not a lot of fun. There should be some kind of federal law that requires dealers to sell their cars for no more than $300-$500 above the invoice price. Many people try to bargain down from the MSRP price...the sticker price...rather than bargaining up from the invoice price...what the dealer paid for the car. When the sales person escorts you into his office it seems like you're going to hear that you have a terminal disease from a doctor. The whole process of negotiating is intimidating, mind boggling, confusing, confrontational, and torturous. When you get his "rock bottom" price, you learn there are a couple of thousand more things to be added on like state tax, license fees, dealer's "destination" fee (?), and then you need to max out your credit card if you agree to buy the car at that "rock bottom" price. And so shopping for a car is like going "...into the eternal darkness; into fire and into ice" (Dante)

To change the subject, last nite, watching the primary results was very interesting...at times even exciting. We heard McCain's speech, Hillary's and Obama's. Obama's speaking skills are electifying. The man exudes charisma and leadership qualities. He seems "Presidential". Rhoda felt that he reminded her of JFK. Admitting that his experience is lacking, the Presidency often makes the man...or the woman! There is a while to go yet; I haven't decided which Democrat to support but I will surely vote for the Democrat on the ticket. If it were not for FDR I wouldn't be where I am now.