Saturday, October 8, 2011

Reflecting

Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement just ended, is a time for reflection. How did I do last year? Can I do better next year? I hope so.

Our rabbi gave a sermon this morning on the importance of reflecting on many things. One of them was nature. Do we take the time to appreciate what's around us. As some would say, take time to smell the roses.

I frequently do this on the golf course. Particularly after hitting a poor shot. After all, there must be some benefit to being out there. Which had me reflecting as I listened to the rabbi's words.

If the Almighty created the wonderful natural world we live in, why did Man have to mess it up by creating golf courses to torment us?

Just a thought, for which I probably will be asking forgiveness next Yom Kippur.

Friday, October 7, 2011

In the spirit of...

the Jewish New Year, if I have written anything this year that offended anyone I sincerely apologize and ask your forgiveness. I will try to do better in the coming year.

Muddling Marv

Thursday, October 6, 2011

A First

I knew I would have something to write about on a Bridge lesson day but it has nothing to do with Bridge. It has everything to do with memory and irony.

This morning, as we were leaving the house for our lesson, I noticed my car keys were missing from their hook. Not a good thing. You can't call your car keys as you would your cell phone when it's misplaced.

We looked in all the usual places in the house and no keys. I had no idea where they might be. My wife suggested I look in my car which was parked in our driveway. (Remember this.) So I went out and looked and sure enough there were my keys on the left side of the driver's seat.

Obviously I dropped them there yesterday afternoon when I returned from golf. Why didn’t I miss them? How did I lock the car before entering the house? Answers: I had so much “stuff” in my hands when I left the car I never noticed I didn't have the keys. So, obviously, I hadn't locked the car.

Now that was a first. A long time ago I did lock myself out of a running car, but at least I knew it and was able to call for help. But forgetting to take my car keys altogether? Never.

But wait, I said there was irony. Eleven years ago our BMW was stolen off our driveway with the car locked and the alarm set. And we were home at the time. It was found the next day totaled, in Newark.

This morning, car unlocked, keys in car in plain sight and still in driveway.

Go figure.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

You Can't Force It

I try to write something every night. Sometimes it comes easy, sometimes I stare at the blank screen waiting for an idea to pop up.

One thing I've learned: you can't force it. The idea is either there or not. Tonight is a “not” night.

Won't bore you any longer. We'll try again tomorrow, which is a Bridge lesson day.

Maybe I'll be dealt an idea worth writing about.

Hope you'll bear with me.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

iPhone XVIII?

They might as well start numbering them like Super Bowls since they seem to come around yearly. The only thing missing is a trophy. How about the Steve Jobs Jug?

No matter what version the iPhone comes out with the early adapters will be lining up to be the first to buy it. Which makes me wonder just how smart does a phone have to be?

I realize these new phones are not for me. I just need to make an occasional phone call, text my grandchildren and that's about it. (Full disclosure: said grandchildren all have smart phones, which proves how much smarter they are than grandpa.)

But let's not be grouchy. If new products help the economy, that's good.

Have fun all you iPhoners, old and new. I'll be watching from the sidelines.

Monday, October 3, 2011

A Good Day, Spoiled

As my wife said good night and went upstairs to bed she said “this was a good day.” It was. Up to a point.

There were no tussles with technology. I had two recall items taken care of at my car dealership. She had a good workout at her exercise class. I had a pleasant morning with coffee and the paper.

The afternoon was quiet. But the Yankees blew the evening and the game, losing 5-4 to Detroit.

Good night.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

So Long, Andy

Andy Rooney signed off as a regular commentator on “60 Minutes” tonight and we will miss him.

He was a writer. Those of us who try to do that appreciate the effort it takes to put one word after another and have them make sense. It's harder still to write words to be spoken, by you or someone else. (I did that for many years in both radio and TV news.)

Andy could be read, as in his newspaper columns, or heard on TV. You may not have agreed with him but he always touched a chord somewhere. I usually agreed with him. Particularly when he picked an everyday item and told you how silly it was.

Take phone books. In the old days we used to get two phone books for every phone in the house. One white pages for residential numbers, one yellow pages for businesses. A bit of overkill, that, but the phone company meant well.

Now, we receive one phone book for the household and it's all yellow pages. No residential numbers at all. There was a notice in small print at the bottom that said if you wanted a white pages you could call a toll-free number and order it. We did.

Delivery in six to eight weeks. Do they have to print one just for us?

I wonder what Andy would have made of that.