Rant #3,280: That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be

One day after we finally were able to move on from the mess thst we were given to clean up, we had a pretty quiet day yesterday ...

Or at least I did.

Not much doing, not much happening, and honestly, I thought that in retirement, that's the way I always thought it should be.

But today, we get back to full reality.

Life goes on, and I have an eye doctor appointment later this morning.

And since I am actually semi-retired, and not fully retired, per se, I have to do some work, and later today, I have to cover a seminar that will take up the restiof the day--and some of the early evening--for me.

And then on Thursday, I have an appointment with my doctor/surgeon, who will tell me what the next step is in my rehabilitation.

I believe I will now have to go to physical therapy outside of the house, and it is something that I really am looking forward to--both the visit to the doctor and his recommendations.

So Tuesday was just a little blip on the calendar, something of a pause before everything revs up again.

And again, I will wonder what real retirement is, because honestly, I have never experienced it during the past four-plus years.

Days like Tuesday give me a taste--albeit briefly--of what I should be experiencing right now in my life.

And honestly, not being used to such a feeling of not being overly busy on mostly nonsense, Tuesday went by kind of slowly for me.

Times during the day when I am normally busy I was abnormally not busy on Tuesday, and since I really can't do much but sit around and watch TV to bide my time, I couldn't even find much to watch to engage myself.

I pretty much used the TV as white noise, as I wasn't paying attention to it very much.

I was on my phone, which is nothing to brag about, but it did eat up time, which for the first time in a long time, I had plenty of.

The day went on, I got through it, and day turned to night, and I eventually conked out.

And today, I am more than ready to go, as I know I won't have a day like Tuesday ... and I won't have another day like Tuesday for the foreseeable future.

So you have to cherish days like this when you get them--

But it is time to move on, and get back to my current reality.

Rant #3,279: The End

DONE!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, at long last, it finally happened.

We have sold the house!

It happened yesterday afternoon, and while it seemed to take forever--and my bad leg got stiffer by the minute as the proceedings moved along at less than a snail's pace--it finally got done.

My sister and I split the proceeds right down the middle, and while we certainly did not make a killing--not with the house being in a reverse mortgage situation--we both realized a little bit of money.

The way I figured it, we got about 12 percent of what we should have received if the house was sold outright. 

But OK, I guess I can live with that ... I don't have much of a choice, do I?

There might be some residual money coming in--over-payments of various services that we already paid for while this process played out--but we got what we got, and the other money is nothing more than pin money.

I hope you have learned one thing from.my nightmare: NEVER, EVER, EVER put your home in a reverse mortgage--

No matter what Tom Selleck says, they not only aren't "for everyone," but they are really not good "for everyone."

And in my case, really, it didn't have to be the way it turned out, but that is all water under the bridge now.

My tenure as a homeowner was absolutely horrid, and other than the fact that my LP collection is in storage, my family and I are better off where we are, in a nice apartment in a good area.

I truly wish we could have stayed in that house forever, but it just was not meant to be.

When all the paperwork was done being signed--and let me tell you, there was enough paperwork to sign to fill several file cabinets--I wished the new owners good luck, 50 years of happiness as I experienced there. 

And when it was all over, I got up from the chair I was sitting in, and my left leg was as stiff as a board.

I made it this far, so I made it to the elevator--the elevator door would have closed on me if not for the efforts of my wife to keep the door open--made it into her car, made it up the stairs to our apartment, and made it into my bed.

My leg was stiff, but at the same time, I felt a load being lifted off my shoulders.

Now I can fully focus on getting better, and not have to worry about this nonsense anymore.

I heard that the new owners would be getting rid of the pool, and that is their choice--

Right now, I am swimming in a sense of satisfaction, and I don't need a body of water to help me float all the way to the top.

The end ... but really, it is the beginning.

Rant #3,278: Today's the Day

The day has finally come.

At long last, barring anything unforeseen, the house is being sold today.

And all I can say is thank goodness!

Our original meeting was put off until 2 p.m. because the future owner wants to take one last walk through of the house.

I am sure they will find something minor that needs to be taken care of, but then, they just have to sign their name on the dotted line, and they will be the proud new owner of a new residence.

I will shake their hands, wish them luck, and take my cut of the proceeds--very little. I'm afraid, due to the reverse mortgage- and then, get the heck out of there.

The house, and the process of selling the house, has been as unpleasant as it it possibly could have been for myself and my family.

If it hasn't been one thing, it has been another, and the stench of unburdening the house has stretched to our new residence, where not much has gone right for us.

We can't really have a full-blown "new start" for us until we get rid of this house, and the day has finally come to do this.

I spent roughly 50 yesrs of my life in that house, and most of thst time was pleasurable, but the past four years have been nothing but horrid.

And the psst couple of months have Bern worse than horrid. I cant even think.of the right word to describe what we went through since my mom's death in early September.

If nothing else, the burden of the house prevented me from grieving for my mother in the proper way, because when she passed, we had to go right into selling mode.

That is not the right way to grieve, and it is time we can never get back.

But in just a few hours, the burden of the.sale of the house will finally be completed, and maybe my family and I can breathe again.

"Maybe" is the operative word here, because I cannot speak for anyone else, but this entire episode has damaged me forever--beyond my bum left leg--and I don't know if I will ever be the same person that I was before all.of this happened.

Let's hope thst I am wrong about all of this, and my life can be returned to me, in full, when the new owner puts his John Hancock on the bottom line today.

Rant #3,277: Bits and Pieces

Yes, today's entry marks the re-emergence of "Bits and Pieces," where I talk about several different topics in a single Rant--topics that might not deserve an entire column devoted to them, but certainly need to be spoken about.

So let's dive right into it:

Netflix To Carry WWE "Monday Night Raw" in 2025: Don't turn away if you don't like pro wrestling, because this deal signals just so much more ... how we are going to watch television in the future.

This is a multi-billion, multi-year contract the two entities have, and if a streaming service can do it with pro wrestling, you just know that the dam is overflowing, and a deal like this can be done with any sports or entertainment entity.

More and more people are streaming such programming into their homes every year, and where we once lauded cable and satellite as the next TV frontier, they are now old hat.

Streaming is the way to go now, giving us ways to watch our favorite shows wherever we are.

The problem for viewers is that for every show or sporting event you want, there appears to be another streaming service you have to subscribe to ...

And the $6.99 here and the $10.99 there all adds up, and when you add it all.up, it is going to become a financial nuisance.

What I feel will happen is that streaming services will have to provide bundles, with one price paid for maybe five or six of these services.

The availability of streaming services offering programming that people want to watch is already getting out of hand, and with this WWE deal, don't you think.other sports leagues are looking for what else they can stream, beyond what they are already making available only via streaming?

Can the eventual streaming of the Super Bowl be far behind?

Melanie Passes: I liked Melanie, I really did  The singer/songwriter, who passed away pretty much unexpectantly the other day, was as unique as one could be during her time in the spotlight.

Some of her songs, like "Brand New Key," were almost hypnotic, and she was the hippie flower child of her era.

She didn't like her marketing as that flower child, and for the past nearly 50 years, she rebelled against that tag, but never ascended to the level that she was at when she appeared at Woodstock.

I would say the modern equivalent of Melanie is Billie Eillish, another independent soul who rails against her marketing while she sells millions of records.

House Sale: Nothing is final until the name is signed on the dotted line, but I do believe this long, seemingly never-ending odyssey is just about over, and we will be rid of this house in just a few days.

Again, nothing is final yet, but let's just say that it looks pretty good at this point--

But I don't want to give it a "kinahura"--Yiddish for a "whammy"--right now, so let's cross all our fingers as the potential buyer prepares to dot all the "i's" and cross all the "t's" when he signs the papers.

I Have "The Doctor Blues": As you know, for the second time in my.life, I need to look for a general practitioner due to improprieties thst have shut down the doctor's entire practice.

The latest reports are that there were some problems related to staff salaries, meaning that those who worked there were not getting paid.

This story is becoming weirder by the day, and here is a link to the latest on this story, which I do believe has tentacles.

Anyway, have a great weekend, and I will speak to you again on Monday.

https://longisland.news12.com/former-employees-of-blueprint-md-say-they-werent-paid-for-months-ahead-of-medical-companys-closure

Rant #3,276: Just Cant Wait

The day appears to finally be in reach!

On Monday, January 29 at 2 p.m., my wife and I have been asked to attend a meeting at a lawyer's office where the house closing sale to the new owner will finally be consummated.

With everything happening around me and to me, I never thought this day would come, but it appears that it finally is right around the corner.

A few weeks back, when I was not feeling as well as I do now, we had to sign some papers where I gave my wife power of attorney to handle my affairs pertaining to this situation, but now that I am so much better, I plan on being there, with my wife, and I will be able to handle this from my family's end.

This all is a dream come true, because since my mother passed away in early September, the house has been a very heavy millstone around our necks, primarily because we were in a reverse mortgage situation.

This situation forced my family and I to vacate the premises as quickly as possible, and this led to a domino effect of one unforeseen problem after another.

The house became a never-ending nightmare, and now it appears that we are just days away from the end of all of this nonsense.

I could not be happier.

The lawyer has to be paid, the broker has to get his cut,  and the reverse mortgage company gets theirs, so my sister and I aren't going to realize much of anything from this sale, but even if we get next to nothing, getting rid of this house will be a relief to all of us.

It is no fun paying for a house you no longer are living in, but that is what we have been doing for a long time now.

You buy a house, you have to take care of the responsibilities of the house, and quite frankly, we have burned through thousands of dollars to keep this house up to snuff while the buying party got its own affairs in order.

And it appears that in just a couple if days, that scenario will finally be over.

I wish the new owner the best of luck, and I hope that they have 50 years of pleasure living at that residence.

But we have to move on from this debacle, and live our lives apart from this home where I spent about a good half century.

That is the way it has to be, and in just a few days, we can finally get out from under the shadow of this place ... and finally move on with our lives.

I just can't wait.

Rant #3,275: inside and Out

Yesterday was a somewhat interesting day for me, as I actually ventured outside not once, but twice.

In the morning. I had to go to the dermatologist, and everything went pretty well there.

They snipped off two minor growths, nothing with nothing, they send them out to the lab, and I am sure they will come back as what they are, non-cancerous warts.

Then in the afternoon. I had to go to the local Department of Motor Vehicles, to update my license to reflect my new address.

I was supposed to do this 10 days after we moved in, but with all the health problems that I had, this was an impossible thing to do.

I tried to do this task online, but for some reason, while the online form accepted my information, it would not let me go to the next step, so I had to make the change in person.

My wife and son made their changes--my wife was able to do it online--so when it was all over, it was a fruitful day.

For me, I am really.moving around a bit better, and I can certainly do more things than I could even a month ago.

I was uncomfortable here and there, but generally, I held up pretty well.

And I went up and down our stairs--twice--without any incident.

So I am doing much, much better, but I still.have a long road ahead if me.

I have nothing new to report about the doctor incident I told you about yesterday, and I probably won't have much to report in the near future, because it is what it is, and the onus is on patients to find another doctor.

This is unsettling, but my family and I are waiting for some material to come to us in the mail from.our health insurance company about local doctors who are on.our plan.

Otherwise, Tuesday was just another day, and with everything seemingly happening all at once, it was nice to have a day that I could say was productive, not perjorative.

About the sale of the house?

You know as much as I do about it, and yes, that really is unsettling at this point in time.

Rant #3,274: Doctor My Eyes

I kind of thought 2024 would be a better year than 2023 was, but I am starting to doubt myself.

Physically, I am doing great, but there are outside forces that are beginning to make me NUTS!!!!

Long-time readers of this column know the saga of my former doctor, the one who had to close his practice and was jailed for selling drugs to students at Massapequa High School.

Well, what comes around goes around, and while the latest episode may not exactly resemble that debacle, it puts my family and I in the same place: without a doctor.

I had been calling my doctor for about two weeks to get two of my prescriptions filled, and all I got was a constant busy signal, no matter what office of his that I called.

My wife had an appointment early yesterday morning for some tests, and the local location was closed when she arrived..

Not knowing what to do, I called the hospital where the doctor is affiliated, and another group, where he also has an affiliation, to no avail.

I was wondering if his practice went out of business or is simply closed for some type of emergency, but then I knew something was really awry, because I called a doctors' association, and I found out that my doctor pulled all his credentials with them about a month ago.

What I later found out was when the doctor called me himself through the hospital.

All he said is that they were forced to close all.of their establishments due to an administrative manner, which he did not get into, and that they were in legal limbo right now.

in other words, we should look for another doctor. He said he was blocked from seeing his patients or contacting them about the situation, and that is why we never heard from him. He gave me a couple of other doctors he would recommend. The bottom line is thst his office is closed indefinitely, and if he is your doctor, find another one.

Heaven knows what this is all about, but once again, my doctor has failed me and failed his other patients.

I was able to get my prescription filled through my health care provider, but my wife needs to get those tests done.

I have no idea if I can get our medical records from the doctor, but remembering what I went through the last time--where I never could get those records even though my doctor was in jail--I just know that there is going to be a problem with this.

Goodness, what else can go wrong?

This is retirement?

Read more about this story at https://longisland.news12.com/patients-of-blueprint-md-scramble-to-find-new-doctors-as-medical-company-appears-to-have-suddenly-shut-down?fbclid=IwAR1a2i-jT1o4Yb2jdZ748WdpwUQ9trB1dtUAnQu9KDAwWs4cERjHAdG0TVQ.

Rant #3,273: Leader of the Pack

This past weekend was a good one, at least for my mental and physical well being.

I feel like physically, I am getting better by the day.

I can do more, move sround more, and I am not as immobile as I have been.

Sure, it is all in the house, but a few days ago, I couldn't even sit on the couch in the living room for any substantial amount of time, and now, I can do it for an hour or more, so I am not totally confined to my bed.

I am finally beginning to.enjiy my new residence, as I am moving around much better than I had been.

I have also learned that such an injury does take a mental toll on you too.

I was always a very active person, and this injury really has shut me down.

And it has taken quite a bit of time for me to get my brain around the fact that I am in it for the long haul with this injury, and that it is going to take its time in healing itself.

I woke up on Saturday morning feeling so much better about things, and it all had to do with my mental.outlook on the situation.

I have really ridden a mental rollercoaster since I was first injured in late September; I have had many ups, and many downs  too.

But what I am trying to say here is that finally, after all of these months, my mental.putlook and physical outlook have matched in the same plane.

I am getting better--both in my head and in my body--and I am looking forward to what the coming months bring me ...

Hopefully back to as close to where I was as possible.

I don't know how to segue into the next subject, but I am going to try...

One of the first crushes I ever had as a little boy left us a few days ago.

Mary Weiss passed away, and if you don't know who she was, or even if you do know who she was, please read on.

Weiss was the lead singer of 1960s girl group The Shangri-Las, so she was the voice that we heard over the radio on such songs as "Leader of the Pack."

Beyond their recording success, the act were pretty much semi-regulars on "The Clsy Cole Show" on WPIX channel 11 in the early to mid-1960s.

The show--sort of a local "American Bandstand"--highlighted the Queens-based act each week, and Weiss--with her long blond hair parted on the side-- became a crush of mine, even though i probably had no idea why.

I loved their music, but Weiss was IT for me when I was a little kid ... and I listen to.their music today, and it still resonates with me.

And Weiss does too.

Rant #3,272: The Waiting

Physically, I am doing pretty well right now.

Considering where I was and where I should be now, I am doing fine.

I don't get physical therapy at home anymore as of yesterday, as the home physical therapist signed off on me.

When I go to my doctor/surgeon on February 1, he should be giving me clearance to go to an outside physical therapist.

That is an extremely important milestone, because my leg will now begin to be manipulated, not just straight as.it is now.

It will be the first step for me to get back.to walking with minimal.help.

And it will also mean that I am closer to being able to drive again and get back to my normal activities.

Look, I still have months of rehab ahead of me, but you have to be able to take the first step ... and I think I am nearly at that first step.

My life was turned upside down when I was injured, and the second time sround may have set me back at least six months.

It upended my family and the world that the three of us once lived in.

You throw in.everything else that happened to us--including our move-- and we really got hit by the proverbial bus during the last quarter of calendar year 2023.

2024 has been better in its early days, but a lot of the suffering we went through in 2023 has carried over to the new year.

And then the house ...

You know as much about the sale as we do, and for a dwelling that was as hot as could be and we expected to be sold ASAP--like by the middle of December--this soap opera has now dragged out into the middle of Janusry, and who knows how long this will.last?

As they say, the waiting is the hardest part, and patience is something that I am running out of.

I just want to walk again, and I just want the house to be sold.

Are these desires I have too much to ask?

Have a great weekend, and I will speak to you again on Monday.

Rant #3,271: Changes

Our new residence is about 30 yards away from Nassau County, the county I live in since moving to Long Island more than 50 years ago, but it is now so close, yet so far ... we now live in Suffolk County.

Since we changed our address, we have to let everyone know--everything from magazine subscriptions to Social Security--thst we have moved.

But since we moved out of one county to another, there is another layer to this that we have had to attempt to navigate, and that is thst we are now Suffolk County residents.

I called up the Board of Elections earlier this week. I explained my situation, and they sent over a form that is so involved that you would swear that I never voted before.

Yesterday, I tried to change my residence online at the Department of Motor Vehicles website, but I had numerous problems.

First, the site simply would not accept my information--data right off of my driver's license--and then, it accepted it, but in order to make any address changes, you have to set up a My DMV account ...

But since the site said I could only do this with a link they would send me in my email, I couldn't do it because ...

Well, as of this writing, I haven't been sent any link.in my email--

And I know that something is awry with the site, because I actually used two different email addresses in separate attempts, and I haven't gotten anything, in either email, from them.

I was able to get the actual.paper form for change of residence from their.website. But again, it is as if I have not yet spent a day on this planet, as it is very involved and some of the directions are not understandable.

Looking back several weeks, my wife and I had no trouble at all changing our Social Security material, but we had trouble changing our son's information, because the site would not accept the fact that we moved into the new place in November ...

And since thst was the then current month, it read that we hadn't moved in yet, and we had to make the changes in December.

And don't tell me to call and speak to someone person to.person--

That is as fruitless an exercise thst exists today.

The Internet is wonderful when it works. But when it doesnt--and seemingly puts you through the ringer because you had the audacity to not only move, but move out of the county you were in.

And talking about the post office, we did apply to have our  mail forwarded to us, but they only do it for six months, and if you want more, you have to pay for it.

And I am P.O.'d at the P.O., because they miss plenty of dtuff.

And then you have other concerns that completely ignore what you have alerted them to, and either continue to send your mail.to the old address or have the wrong information about where you now live--

Like what is happening with my monthly car bill, which I have called up on several times. And so far to no avail.

You can't win for losing when you move, and hopefully, everything will get straightened out soon.

Would you bet on this being rectified first or me regaining my mobility first?

If I were a betting man, I would say the latter would happen first--

But in this crazy world we live in, who really knows?

I dont even think Kreskin could figure.this all out.

Rant #3,270: Snowblind

It finally happened.

After more than 700 days of no snow, we finally got some if the white stuff in my neck of the woods yesterday, both overnight and during the day.

I don't like snow, certainly hating it as an adult because of all the havoc and commotion it causes every time it comes.

This snow is different from the other snows my family has experienced over the past decades, because we don't live in a private home anymore.

When you live in a private home, the responsibility of cleaning up is all on your head.

You have to clean the walk, you have to clean up your cars, and you have to make your entire location passable.

During the past 50 years or so, I absolutely hated the dreaded call of, "Larry, it's time to start shoveling!, a clarion call that first came from my mother, and later, came from my wife.

I just hated to go outside in this mess and clean up everything, whether it was an inch of the stuff or a couple of feet of the mess.

Now, my family and I live in a community where everything--less our cars, of course--is shoveled for us.

The street was plowed pretty quickly, but the walkways came later, and i think the rain helped to clean up the walkways more than human toil.

I can't do any shoveling now, anyway, but at least my wife only had to clean her car.

We ended up getting maybe an inch or a little more, so it wasn't terrible, but at least we didn't have to worry about any major shoveling.

The roads were icy, and my wife had to take my son to work, but she handled thst job, and picking him.up, without a hitch.

So all told, I still hate the snow, but my family and I just don't have to worry about it as much anymore.

And to think that since we hadn't had any appreciable snow in about two years, there are some little kids whose very first interaction with the white stuff was with this little storm that we had.

Let them enjoy it while they can, because their fascination with the white stuff, based on my own experience, won't last.

Rant #3,269: Brand New Me

It is funny how simple things can make you feel so much better about yourself.

Yesterday, on Dr. Martin Luther King Day, I finally got a haircut, and let me tell you, it was a long time coming.

This is the second haircut I had since my injury, and I really needed it badly.

Even though I don't have too much hair on the top, my hair growth is as active as ever in the back, going down my neck into my back.

I wish it grew like this on my head, but it was growing down my back like the ivy grows on the outfield walls of Wrigley Field.

Normally, I would have taken care of this situation, but having to rely on my wife to get me to the barber, she is so busy that I had to wait for her to have an open spot on her schedule, and MLK Day was it.

We went to the barber in late morning, and now I have a nice haircut.

Rather than looking scraggly, I just feel so.much better about myself.

And I am one day closer to regaining my mobility, so a simple haircut made me ferl.happy and confident all at once.

And today, we are supposed to get the first appreciable snowfall of the season ..

We haven't had much of anything in two years or so.

That actually makes me sad, because I hate the snow, but I will be indoors, so if my wife can get my son to work, everything will be hunky dory as it was yesterday.

Again, simple things make me happy, bring up.my spirits and make me firmly believe that I am going to be OK within time.

And let's end today's Rant by giving a hearty salute to Joyce Randolph, who is etched in our memory, and TV history, as Trixie Norton in "The Honeymooners."

At 99 years of age, she lived a full life both on screen and off, leaving the business to be a full-time wife and mother pretty much after her role as Trixie ended.

She married into money, so Randolph pretty much lived the socialites' life after "The Hineymooners," but she basked in the show's glow, even though she lamented that she received no residuals from her role, or at least none until "The Lost Episodes" finally saw the light of day.

Ninety-nine years old ... I hope I can get there myself!

Rant #3,268: Time To Remember

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Today is a federal holiday, and post offices and banks are closed today.

Dr. King was an icon, a beacon of light for many causes, most prominently the civil rights of all Americans.

He was a friend of Israel, supporting the Jewish state in its endeavors and struggles to survive.

Flash forward to the present time, and I don't think Dr. King would be very happy today.

Yesterday marked the 100th day of the Israel/Hamas War, a war thst could be ended instantly but on the same token, looks to be as far away from a conclusion as possible.

When Hamas attacked Israel, it not only blatantly murdered scads of innocent people only because they were Jewish, but they also took many hostages, and those who are thought to still be alive--probably at least 100 innocent Israelis--continue to be held captive.

And this does not include the desd bodies that Hamas refuses to return to Isrsel.for proper burial.

This is a war that could end instantly.

Hamas simply has to return the hostages it holds to Israel, return the bodies it holds, recognize Israel and then rebuild the territory.with Israelis and Palestinians working together in peace.

But why should it, when the world seemingly looks past the atrocities Hamas has committed and blames Israel for this war.

The UN has never condemned Hamas for its vicious attack, preferring to blame Israel for simply trying to.protect itself.

And yes, the Palestinians are complicit, as they are allowing Hamas to use them for the terrorist organization's own gains, the focus of which is the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of Jews everywhere.

And now the World Court is getting involved, condemning Israel for its actions, accusing it of "ethnic cleansing" while completely ignoring the initial Hamas attack.

Dr. King was a proponent of non-violent action as the cure for the world's ills, yet I do believe that he would be aghast at the condemnation that Israel is receiving, all for defending itself against an acknowledged terrorist organization and its clueless minions.

Dr. King once said, " peace for zisrael means security, and we must stand with all.our might to protect its right to exist. It's territorial integrity."

As we celebrate Dr. King on his day, perhaps we can hope that somehow, this war will come to an immediate end, and that the sides can sit down and talk, work out their differences, and come to a conclusion that would benefit everyone.

But being realistic, "I Had a Dream" is only a pipedream at this point in time, in particular when the world seemingly backs terrorists over a country that only wants peace.

Rant #3,267: Java

I am continuing to improve, continuing to gain increased mobility through my crutches and my walker--

And all I need is a haircut to make me feel even better than I do right now.

My wife is just so busy doing so many things that it is difficult for her to take me to the barber.

I wish that Floyd the Barber from "The Andy Griffith Show" lived right next door to me, but he doesn't.

And then we have coffee...

With all the TV I have Bern watching as I get better, I have noticed that there is an incredible amount of coffee being consumed on sitcoms from the 1950s and 1960s.

Characters on "Leave It To Beaver," "The Donna Reed Show," and just about every sitcom from that era drink coffee all day 

And it was around no matter what they were doing or eating. I remember one episode of "I Love Lucy" where they drank coffee with their meal in an Italian restaurant.

And what were they eating?

Pizza!

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and every time in between, the adults on these series drink coffee morning, noon and night.

And when they have company, out comes the coffee urn.

I really didn't notice this until now, but the coffee flows on these shows.

I think it was just reflective of the time.

My mother was a huge coffee drinker in her younger days, and the coffee pot was on the burner and at the ready all day, every day.

It was just later on that she found that she couldn't handle the caffeinated stuff, and had to move wholly over to decaf.

And you think thst "coffee-mania" is only a recent phenomenon!

Me, I never got into coffee, or tea for thst matter.

I asked my wife the other day what the small coffee she bought at Starbucks cost her, and she replied, "Five dollars ... and that's why I only go out to buy coffee once a week."

In the days of these TV shows, I think $5 would have gotten her a month's worth of coffee.

Now, she barely gets a small cup of the stuff for thst amount of money.

My father only really drank coffee socially, although he would drink it on the weekend 

My sister is a coffee drinker, but somehow, the yen for coffee completely bypassed me.

I like milk, soda and seltzer.

Those are my go-to beverages of choice.

And on Monday, we go to Martin Luther King Day.

My wife will drink coffee and I will have my usual drinks of milk, soda and seltzer during that day.

Even though it is a federal holiday, it is like any other day to me.

In fact, I never had the day off when I was working full time, so why change now?

I will be back here on Monday.

Have a great weekend, and I will speak to you again on Monday.

Maybe I can listen to "Java" by Al Hirt as I while away yet another Monday.

Rant #3,266: Beat It

The physical therapist I am using stated that I was improving and doing so much better that she recommended seeing me just twice more in the apartment, and then I could move over to outside-the-home physical therapy.

Honestly, I know that I am doing better, and it is just a matter if time before I beat this thing ...

Several months, but I am determined to kick this thing to the curb.

I would also like to do the same to those ill-informed protesters who support Hamas and the Palestinians in the israel/Gaza War.

The other day, these gutter snipes blocked access to a number of major thoroughfares in New York City--

As if this is going to push the war participants to agree to a ceasefire.

I saw some video of someone who could not get through the barrage of subhumans blocking the Brooklyn Bridge, many of whom were connected together with some type of pipe handcuffs that could only be cut off with a saw to extricate the connected protesters.

The driver got out of his car several times to implore the protesters to let him through. He had to pick up his wife, and this idiotic protest was holding up the works.

Finally, after he literally begged them to move, they did, but the protest continued.

One of the most recognizable supporters of this particular protest was actress Susan Sarandon, who just happened to apologize for her anti-Isrsel and anti-Semitic actions a few weeks before when her management team threatened to drop her, but evidently she doesn't care about that anymore.

More than 300 people were arrested in this array of protests, and it begged the question: 

How about exchanging these belligerent, ill-informed fools for the 130 hostages, and the remains of deceased Israelis, thst are continuing to be held by Hamas?

I am sure that no one will miss these protesters, not even their families.

And if you think Sarandon is alone in Hollywood's virtual silence when it comes to israel's right to exist, think again.

At this past weekend's Golden Globes, most attendees refused to wear a pro-Israel pin that was being distributed at this gala.

Sure, you can say that those in attendance did not want to make the Golden Globes into a political event, but when has that thought ever before crossed the minds of those in Hollywood?

Shameful, and if the war persists, let's see what the other award shows demonstrate about those in Hollywood, who jump on board just about every cause and non-cause known to man but quivers when it comes to the support of a Democratic nation in its war against the most repugnant terrorists and anti-Semites that exist in the world today.

Makes my own problems look like nothing.

Rant #3,265: Pushin' Too Hard

In yesterday's Rant, I talked about a slight setback that I had.

Today, I am going to go in the complete opposite direction, as on Tuesday, I broke right through a barrier that had been set for me.

I am.only supposed to go on my desktop computer for an hour at a time, so as to not add extra stress to my injured left leg.

I have to sit in a chair to access my desktop computer, which is placed on a computer desk in my bedroom.

So I was told to sit only an hour at a time, but yesterday, I covered a morning conference for work, and after it was over in late morning, I went on the computer, went into it whole hog, and sat there typing away for--

Two-and-a-half hours.

And I don't feel any worse for wear, at least not as I am writing this Rant.

Look, I am a writer, and once i get into it, there is no stopping me.

I wrote the article--slightly less than 2,000 words--and then put the computer--and my leg--to rest.

I won't go back on the computer until.tomorrow afternoon.

Yes, I could use a laptop, but to me, using that device is OK, but I so much prefer using the desktop.

Yup, I pushed myself ... maybe a little foolhardy, but I did it.

I am tired as can be, but I am happy, too.

I hope my work is happy with what I gave them.

I guess it all amounts to this: I may be down and out, but I am not dead.

I am not opening any closets or drawers, so I am following those orders.

Will I do this again in the near.future?

No, not in the near future ... but st least I proved to myself that I could do it if push came to shove.

I am not gloating here.

When you have been completely immobilized since late September--and your full rehab.is expected to take seven to 12 months--every inch you take forward is equal to taking a mile.

It really feels good, mentally, emotionally and physically.

Let's see what happens as the day progresses.

Physical therapy comes to the house tomorrow, and I am really looking forward to the visit.

Onward and upward!

Rant #3,264: One Step Ahead

I had a wee bit of a setback overnight from Sunday into Monday.

I honestly wasn't going to say anything, but I figured it would serve as a warning that for every good thing I do to regain my mobility, there are going to be times where I might have to take a step back.

Case in point was during that overnight time.

I am normally a light sleeper, and this has not changed with this injury I have.

In the past, I would wake up, and if I could not go back to sleep in due time, I would make my way to the living room, sleep there fir a while--I guess the change of scenery helped me--and then invariably work my way back to the bedroom, where I would go back to sleep.

However, now I have this bad leg, and I learned the hard way that i cannot proceed like I had in the past right now.

I woke up at about 2 a.m. or so in the morning, and I seamlessly went to the bathroom. 

I then climbed back into the bed, but honestly, I simply wasn't tired ... so after a few minutes, I figured I would go into the.living room to get some shuteye.

What happened is that I went into the living room in the pitch black with my crutches, prepared to sit down on the couch, and I tripped ... maybe just a little, but it was enough to move the couch a bit.

I was scared as could be, got back to the bedroom and the bed, and started to cry and yell and make myself into a mess.

I woke up my wife with all the commotion--I think I woke up our son too--and I was completely beside myself.

It probably took me at least 45 minutes to calm down, but I had scared myself into a real tizzy.

When I finally slowed down, I went to sleep, and woke up about three hours later, and I went to the bathroom, proving to myself thst no damage had been done.

I ate breakfast, did the day's first set of exercises, and proved to myself that I was no worse for wear--

I just had simply scared myself into a frenzy because I tripped maybe a half inch. 

I never fell, amd even though I was scared, I made it back into the bed.

Honestly, I want to be well and I want to be back to myself again, but I really have to take it at a slower pace.

I will reach my goal later this year, but until then, I have to take it real slow 

Today will ne a good test, because I have to cover a conference for work, which means my day is pretty much shot, as it can take hours to sift through everything, and then write a cohesive story about it all.

I will do this, but I will take the necessary precautions--one hour st the computer at a time--because the long-term goal is way more important than the short-term goal.

I want to walk and be mobile again, and that is all that counts.

Rant #3,263: Masterpiece

NO SNOW!

I know a lot of other places got tons of snow, but in my neck of the woods, we got nothing.

Excellent.

As a kid, I loved the snow, but as an adult, I hate the stuff ... and I don't even have to shovel it anymore!

So, I could say, "Let it snow ... let it snow ... let it snow," buy I won't go there, because of my recent memories of having to shovel the stuff, and my feelings about those who have to do this.

I really feel for them.

As for me, I am doing better, and I am getting stronger--and more confident--each and every day.

On Saturday afternoon, I decided to set up my computer and turntable, so I could go back to digitizing my vinyl record collection.

I had actually set this up weeks ago, but I could not really use it because the turntable was on the floor, and I had trouble bending down to access it.

My wife had a great idea--why not use one of our snack tables to place the turntable on, which would lift it a few feet off the ground?

So we agreed that sometime on Saturday, she and I would set this up.

But while she was out taking our son to his bowling league, I decided to do the whole thing myself.

I took my walker to grab the snack table, and placed it on my bed, which is opposite the computer.

Then, I switched to my crutches to do the job, since the area by the computer is tight and not wide enough for the walker.

I then sat down on the computer chair, lifted up the turntable with my right hand, and grabbed the snack table with the other hand, pretty much throwing the table against the wall of where I wanted it to be.

I put thecsnack table in a standing position, and then with my right hand, I put the turntable gingerly down on the snack table, took a breath, and then turned everything on.

And to my relief, it worked!

And for the next hour, I digitized away!

The first song I did was "Do You Love Me" by the Dave Clark Five ... how fitting, as I am now able to something I truly love to do, giving me back a part of my life that I lost when I hurt myself all those weeks ago.

And I did it all myself, which made it all the more sweet.

One of the things that I have learned through all of this is thst one should take absolutely nothing for granted.

It can all ne taken away from you in an instant--

Which is exactly what happened to me.

But now, things are looking up, and given time, I will be physically back to where I should be.

What's my next challenge?

I don't know, but you can bet it won't involve the opening of any drawers or closets.

One step at a time ... .

Rant #3,262: Can You Dig It?

My doctor's appointment went very well yesterday.

My wound is healing well, I can actually lift my left leg, and the only pain I had is when he removed my sutures--think of about 10 pin pricks taken directly ifrom your knee, and that was the level of pain I had--

So not much of anything.

He was very happy that I could lift my leg as high as I could--about seven or eight inches from a laying down position--and I think I really surprised him by my ability to do that.

He also gave me a new physical therapy itinerary that I have to pass on to my therapist, and it clearly laid out the timelone for my recovery.

We are talking about six months to a year until I will be able to fully get back to somewhere near where I was, and while thst is a bit much, I don't care how long it takes, I am going to beat this thing and become mobile again.

Now, what about this supposed snow we are getting this weekend?

There is no itinerary for this coming storm, but it appears that where I am, we are either going to get some appreciable snow after more than 700 days without anything, or we are just going to get a wintery mix that will be mainly rain, making a fine mush and slush outside.

I still hate snow, and my condition doesn't allow me to dig out of anything, but the best thing with where we live is that I don't have to clean a walk or driveway anymore.

We are not responsible for thst chore, as workmen will do that for us.

The parking lot will also be plowed, so I guess all that my family is responsible for is our two cars.

What a relief after digging out tons of snow during the past 50 years!

Who will dig out the old house?

Who cares!

We are just a few days away of fully divesting ourselves of that mess, so I wish the new owner well ... 

But when you own a home, you've got to dig, so I hope he has a shovel.

Have a great weekend, stay safe in whatever the heavens bring us, and I will speak to you again on Monday.

One question before I leave you: does anyone wear galoshes anymore?

Just asking for a friend.

Rant #3,261: I'll Be Back Up On My Feet

Today is a big day for me.

I have a doctor's appointment later this morning, and I am hoping that he gives me a thumb's up on my progress from tearing my left leg's quad muscle twice.

I fully expect that I am going to have to be in this heavy leg brace for a few more weeks, but other than that, everything is progressing pretty well.

My leg is definitely stronger, and I have started physical therapy, and I just feel better and stronger, mentally and physically.

The brace does not allow me to bend my leg at all, but that is part of the healing process.

One day soon, I will be able to bend my leg, and get on with my life.

So today is a big day for me, as the doctor--also my surgeon--will be looking at my leg for the first time since my second surgery.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

If nothing else, it gets me out of the monotony of the day.

The fact of the matter is that I have not been out of the house since I had the second surgery early last month, so yes, I have "houseatosis."

I will finally be able to breath fresh air later today, and I hope to smell the roses--

And then we have the final sale of the house--

More about thst tomorrow and over the next few days, I hope.

Between my injury and the house, I could have totally lost my mind by now.

But hopefully, I will be able to give you an update on everything, so stay tuned!

Rant #3,260: What I Want

Well, I want a lot of things as we go full throttle into 2024, and I do think that most of the things I want are fully attainable.

I want to walk again.

I want to drive again.

I want to contribute to and help.out my family again.

I want more money coming into my family's coffers.

The last one actually is happening, as minimum wage went up to $16 an hour where we are, which gives my son a nice $1 an hour increase.

The problem with this is that employers are going to have to find the money to.pay for this increase, which means some lower-wage workers will certainly lose their jobs and the cost if goods and services will increase.

And Social Security payments are rising 3 percent or so, which directly impacts myself, my wife and my son.

The problem with this is thst with things going up as they have been, the increase doesn't cover much of anything, and will be eaten up by these increasing costs.

So it is nice to see a little more money in the coffers, but the money won't cover very much of anything.

I want the war in the Middle East to end, but being realistic, the ball has been in Hamas' court since Day One, and being terrorists, they go by their own playbook ... meaning thst everything logical is just the opposite in their minds, so not much is going to happen of a positive nature until they are obliterated.

I do believe that Isrsel darn well knows what it is doing, and damn those who support terrorism over freedom.

I want my life back, and slowly and surely, that is going to happen.

I had physical therapy yesterday which pretty much wiped me out, but I am ready for the next stage of my redemption, and I will do whatever I can to get better and back to where I should be.

And I want AXS TV, the cable rock.outlet that was recently removed from Verizon Fios TV's channel.lineup because they could not come to a carriage agreement.

As I have been recuperating, I have watched about two hours a day of AXS TV's programming, but more importantly, the station carried TNA Impact Wrestling, which my son enjoys immensely.

With the channel gone from the lineup, we will have to go to ridiculous means to watch the pro wrestling show each week, but we will do the best we can.

And those are a few things that I want ... 

Pretty please?

Rant #3,259: Get Ready

Well, we made it!

2024 is finally here, and good riddance to 2023, undoubtedly the worst yesr I have experienced in my more than 66 yesrs of life.

That is all behind me, and I am looking forward to nothing but good things in 2024.

First, of course, I want to regain my independence, which means that I have to do everything I can to rehab my left leg.

I am doing everything I can to reach this goal, and I will see my doctor/surgeon later this week, and I hope he can give me a good report as my rehab continues.

Now as for New Year's Eve, I did not make the actual ball drop ...

Not only didn't I make it, but I missed it by several hours.

I was watching the annual "Twilight Zone" marathon on TV, and I admit that I com0letely conked out st 7:30 p.m.

My wife fell asleep slightly before me, so both of us were in dreamland way before the actual ball drop. I do believe.our so made it, but not my wife and I.

The next time I woke up was at about 1 a.m. or so, so I missed everything--

But at least I was able to get some shut eye.

And a few hours earlier on December 31, I did something that I had vowed to do for decades, but never really got a chance to carry out.

Back in 1964--the first Beatles 45 thst my mother ever bought my sister and I was "Do You Want To Know a Secret."

It had a nice picture sleeve with caricatures of John, Paul, George and Ringo.

Through the years, and through all the moves and all else that has happened the past nearly 60 yesrs, that record got lost in the shuffle, and I never replaced it in my collection.

My son bought me an eBay gift card for Hanukkah, and as I pored through the various listings, I checked to see if anyone was offering this record for purchase or bid.

Usually, this record goes for a ridiculous price with the sleeve, and again, there were some completely ridiculous prices posted for this record.

But then I saw a listing thst was actually reasonable, and after going back and forth.on this for literally hours, I finally took the plunge ... and I should have the record in my possession by mid-month.

The gift card more than covered the total cost, so I am happy that I could finally, at long last, fill in this hole in my collection

And yes, that is me in the above photo, dating from 1964 or 1965, when I was seven or eight years old.

My sister sent me this photo last week, and yes, that is my old stomping grounds--Rochdale Village, South Jamaica, Queens, New York--in the background.

The only question I had about the photo was this: what am I holding?

It looked like a hat to me, and when I put up the photo on Facebook, people agreed with me, going into more detail about the type of hat it was: one of those old winter hats that almost looked like an old aviators hat, with flaps to cover your ears.

I'll buy that explanation, because I have no other explanation about what I was holding in this photo.

Yes, 2024 has started off nicely; nothing terrible here, I have physical therapy coming up tomorrow, and I am focused on getting better ...

And these little things I described to you might be a bit unimportant on the surface, but if they help me to get to where I want to be, then they ARE important.

I haven't really smiled in months.