Monthly Archives: October 2014

20

Oct. ’14

Cold Is Coming

Time is really flying, autumn is here, the air is cool and, soon, the snow will be upon us. I am not a fan of cool or cold air. It is beyond my comprehension on how people can endure the coldest of cold weather. I shiver thinking about it and don’t ever want to have anything to do with it again. I can take off clothes to make me cooler but I seem to be unable to find enough clothing to warm my body.

I guess you are wondering why. Well, Ill try to tell you why or, at least, give you enough that you’ll hopefully understand. As I was growing up it was the era of wood and coal for cooking and heating. It was my job to get the wood and coal, make the fires and keep them going in good weather or bad, warm or cold. It was never easy, in the winter, nor could I ever get the house warm enough for me. I was glad to go to school because it was warm there but it was a long walk to get there.

When I went into the U.S. Air Force I was always stationed in cold weather, with the exception of Viet Nam, Thailand, Florida and northern California (it got cold but it wasn’t too bad). The worst cold weather place was Minot, AFB, North Dakota. That place was too cold for human existence and I never want to see that place again. I thought being stationed atop a mountain in West Germany was cold but North Dakota made me rethink that thought.

I have walked K-9 patrols, in the forest (woods) and in fields, when it got so snowy and cold that we took the dogs back to the kennels and us K-9 handlers were taken back to our positions and we patrolled without dogs. It seem that it was too snowy and cold for a dog but not for a man. I still can’t wrap my brain around that thinking.

When I retired from the military and became a city policeman, I had my fights with the cold. There were always accident pile ups when it was either pouring rain, extremely cold or both. To make matters worst, I was normally the person for multiple car accidents and, when you’re wet or cold or both, things seem to slowly drag along.

Hopefully you understand why I don’t like cold weather and it will soon to be here with everything it can produce. At least now, being here at Imperial Plaza, I can just stand it my window and look out at it. Good luck to all of you this coming winter and I hope you can keep dry and warm. Take care….

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13

Oct. ’14

Football and Exercising

I am into pro-football and my favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys.  Win or lose, I’m with them all the way.  Each team, in the NFL, is lacking something or there are injuries to key personnel or other things I just can’t say at the moment.  I’ve been for the Cowboys from the beginning, when they were first formed.  Believe it or not, I was a Baltimore Colt fan before that.  You can remember black and white television, outside stadiums, Johnny Unitas, Ray Berry, Snowshoe Moore, and, when it rained or snowed, plenty of gooey mud.  Those were some good Sunday afternoons.

I called some of my friends, those that are Washington Redskins fans and detest the Dallas Cowboys.  This is what I said when they answered the phone….”I have only one sentence to say and that is five and one against one and five”.  The Dallas Cowboys, so far, have won five games and lost one and the
Redskins have won one and lost five.  I shouldn’t say more but I have this one thing.  They beat last year’s Superbowl champions and I didn’t think they could do it.  That’s how much I know.

I am getting my exercise the hard way and it’s accidental.  There are two elevators in my building and one was broken, the other day.  To make matters worse, someone was moving in and had that elevator dedicated to the move.  I had to walk the stairs, seven floors, but I’ve walked it before.  It felt really good and I will continue as much as I can and, hopefully get back into some sort of shape.  I have exercise equipment in my apartment and there is a gym in the next building.  I used to use it all the time but, lately, I’ve gotten lethargic.

I don’t even want to ride my bicycle or do my walks.  I just want to watch my pro-football.  Every now and then I’ll watch some college football.  Taking a closer look and really thinking about it, a football fan and exercising does not go hand in hand.  A fan eats plenty of food, on the couch or tailgating, while sitting around watching a game.  Now that is exercise coupled with enjoyment.  At least the eyes and mind gets a great deal of exercise and that includes the voice.

Some people will call me lazy however, as I look at those around me, there is only one other person, man, that is exercising and riding his bicycle.  He is a retired military man also and I guess it is drilled into our heads to stay in shape no matter how old you are or your condition.  There are only three of us military retirees here at Imperial Plaza and all three of us are in better shape than a lot of people much younger than we are here at Imperial Plaza.

Anyway, I will be getting more exercise, trying to get into better shape.  Take care and see you around.

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09

Oct. ’14

Fun At Imperial Plaza

I went to Imperial Plaza’s Oktoberfest and had a great time.  It bought back many fond memories of days of yore.  Not only was the music great but there were dancers (women in the traditional dresses and the men in leather hosen) and a wonderful female singer singing in German.  I remembered and understood most of the songs and was lulled into dreams of my ten years in Germany.

There was not only the music and dancing but plenty of beer, wine and food.  I believe I had more than my share but I didn’t run them dry.  The food was good but, although they tried hard, it was not cooked the way Germans cooked their food nor did it taste German.  Good try but no cigar.  I can cook somewhat like a German but not like a true German.  What I wouldn’t give for a real Wiener Schnitzel (those of you that were station in Germany with me know what I mean).

Yesterday Imperial Plaza spent most of the day touring the Richmond Federal Reserve and, again, it was great.  I’m not only talking about the money but they view from the twenty third floor dining room was fantastic.  As someone commented…..it’s like when you look down at a model train set with the tiny village, that’s what we see……we could see and pick out most of the points of interest in Richmond.  Those that did not take the trip missed another great endeavor that Imperial Plaza’s Activities Department presented.

In two weeks Imperial Plaza will be going on it’s every other month trip to a casino and, this time, we will be going to Maryland Live, not too far north of Washington D.C.  I understand that there is another casino, farther north that just opened and, as new casinos do, there are plenty of winners (just to pull players there through word of mouth).  I’m game and want to try it.  Since I’m going to Maryland Live this month and Imperial Plaza’s next casino trip will be either December or January, I think I’ll go next month and see if I can get a share of the loot.  Imperial Plaza’s next trip should be West Virginia to Charlstown Casino but the horses aren’t running then.

We have a new Executive Director here and, thank-you very much, she is a Dallas Cowboy just like me.  We talked about it and I think we’ll get along just fine.  Win or lose, I am a cowboy fan with the Dolphins as my second team.  Unlike many others, I am not a fanatic because, like I always say, I don’t get paid by them; I just enjoy watching them and hope.

Say hello via e-mail or comment on this blog.  I want to know you are there.  And, as I used to say at the end of my radio programs…Be kind to your neighbor for you’ll never know when you’ll need them.  Bye-bye

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