Joe

I played golf with Joe Monday. He died Wednesday. It was a shocking and unexpected death.

While waiting to tee off Monday Joe told me for the first time he had a slow growing form of leukemia. He said he had had it for about seven years. Doctors told him, he said, he could have many years left. He had lost of lot of weight and was much thinner than when we first met about 10 years ago.

But he seemed more concerned about the state of his game than the state of his health. Years ago he had been a club champion. When I first started playing with him at our municipal course he was in the low to mid 80s. I was mostly in the low 90s with an occasional breakthrough into the 80s. I remember one round where Joe had an 82 and I had an 83, my best score ever.

Lately, we both had trouble breaking 100. We were supposed to play again on Wednesday. But Tuesday afternoon Joe called one of our foursome to say he couldn't play because he was going to the emergency room.

I called his home Tuesday evening to find out how he was but had to leave a message. I called again Wednesday morning before going out to play but there was no answer. I had just gotten home that afternoon when Joe's wife called to tell us he had died. The cancer had attacked his entire body and he went into cardiac arrest. Several attempts to resuscitate him failed.

My wife and I and Joe's other golfing buddies sat together at his funeral this morning.

It was a beautiful day for golf,

Gladys

We remember my late former neighbor, Gladys, for two unique characteristics, one worldly, one not so much. We fondly invoke each at specific times.

This evening we performed one of Gladys’s most memorable accomplishments, the baking of plum cakes for Rosh Hashanah. She introduced us to these home-baked delicacies many years ago and my wife instantly secured the recipe. To this day, we bake them every year at this time and share the treats with family and friends.

Gladys’s other characteristic was her belief that she could communicate with the spirit world. She was convinced she received messages from the departed and took all ribbing about this in good spirits, no pun intended.

BUT, Gladys also had no qualms about asking her spiritual friends for favors. The most exorbitant one of all was requesting a parking space in mid-Manhattan as she and her husband drove into the city. Not just any parking space, but one near their destination.

Incredibly, more times than not she usually got it. Coincidence or heavenly help? Who knows?

The thing is, not only do we continue to bake Gladys’s plum cakes each holiday season, we also invoke her indomitable spirit to help us get a parking space when we’re on our way to a congested area anywhere in the Metro area. You think we're nuts? Other "friends of Gladys" also call upon her out-of-this-world parking ability.

And, thanks to Gladys, sometimes we get it.

Gladys lives!

Positive Feedback

As much as I complain about dealing with Verizon FIOS I have to admit I had a very positive experience this evening.

I was on the phone with two different agents for well over an hour resolving some issues with recording programs on my DVR and then installing the Verizon Security Suite powered by McAfee, which is part of my deal with Verizon.

No wonder it takes so long to get to speak to a real person when you call. When you finally do get someone they actually spend as much time as possible with you to resolve your issues.

I’m fascinated by how they can take control of your computer and do their thing while you sit there and watch. Although it took a good chunk of my evening tonight, the end results are worthwhile.

Thanks, Vanessa and Tom, whoever you are.

Leftovers

Here are some leftovers from fine tuning my laptop to what I am used to on Ye Olde PC:

I don’t seem to have access to Outlook Express and I think I should.
I have to enter a password every time I open the Laptop. (Annoying)
I find the print too small on most web pages.
Speaking of print, although my grandson, Ben, got the laptop to sync with my wireless printer, I don’t seem to have that ability. We have to work on that.
And I have to add several more programs to get it fully in sync with Ye Olde.

This will be an ongoing process, I’m sure, and I’ll probably have to check in again with Ben for advice. Meantime I’ll muddle through as best I can.
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Passwords, etc.

I have had it with passwords. Whenever I want to get to a web site for information I’m asked to “sign in.” Then I have to create a user ID and password. Then they don’t accept my password. Or tell me I’ve already used it and get another one.

It’s enough to make a grown man turn off the unit.

Like now.

A Short One

This will be a short one tonight. Have to get up early tomorrow for a doctor's appointment. I know I'll be on time. Will he? We'll see.

In any case this may or may not be the last blog I write on ye olde PC. My wife has banished me and the new laptop to another room with strict instructions to use it there. She doesn't want to see me sitting here in my old office using ye olde-ie.

You bought it you use it, sez she. And she's absolutely right. I will get on with it, soon.

See you tomorrow.

24 Steps

We like to exercise. My wife goes to an exercise class for seniors three days a week. While she's there, if I'm not playing golf or tennis, I go to our gym and run through my own set of drills.

Her class stresses stretching and strengthening core muscles. I do a variety of aerobic exercises and then move on to some free weights and resistance machines. Just trying to maintain muscle tone, not build muscle mass. Missed that boat a long time ago.

We go to the gym together on weekends or on days she's not in class. The room with all the equipment is downstairs. No problem there. In fact there is always a moment of suspense on descending to see just how busy the room is and whether our favorite machines are available. Actually there's more than enough to go around. But you do get used to certain treadmills or ellipticals.

We generally spend about an hour going through our favorite routines and then it's time to go home. You've probably guessed where I'm going with this.

UP those 25 steps to the main floor and out. We both feel this is the hardest part of the workout. She goes first; five steps to a landing, breathe, 10 more steps, breathe, then the final 10 to the top. My ascent is not quite as measured but still a minor struggle since I carry the bag with all our “stuff.”

But we make it and look forward to the next, much easier trip DOWN those 25 steps.