20

Oct. ’14

Cold Is Coming

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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

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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

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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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29

Sep. ’14

Musings

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I am having problems syncing my blog with my other sites, such as Facebook. If I don’t fix the problem soon I will go back to my old computer until I get it in order. Then, not only will the people that only come to my blog page see what I have written, the people that follow my other sites will see the blog also.

Imperial Plaza Activities is really getting a lot more on it’s calendar and I am finding it hard to participate in most of it and I find I am spending more money than I intended. The activities doesn’t cost much but it adds up quickly and then you find you are getting close to being broke, if not broke. However, it does not cost as much as when you go it alone or with another outside agency.

I was thinking, the other day (that can be a dangerous situation) and estimated the number of mobile people that live within the four units and I then began to realize that only a very small percentage of the residents participate in anything that happens here. This includes the Townhall Meetings in which only about half of the auditorium (on a good day) is occupied.

It is finally fall, the air is cooler and the leaves are beginning to change. I will have to get more bicycle riding done and do other exercises. My wardrobe is getting smaller and smaller and I mean size, not volume. On my job, I wear dress pants and I don’t like the squeezed feeling I have for eight hours. Since I can’t just leave my pants open, like I do at home, I will have to buy larger pants. I’m getting that old age spread. Back to the gym and cycling.

Have you noticed the new shows on the fall lineup on television? I like to watch pro-football and they have some good shows at the same time the games are on and that include Thursday night. Now I have to watch a lot of shows, on my tablet or laptop, a few days later. I don’t like to do it because of the constant buffering but I guess I will have to put up with it if I want to see the show.

I guess I am now officially part of the government’s Health System because I received a letter saying they will give my specialty care to a civilian facility because they are overbooked. I phoned them and said I had one they can assign me to and to tell my doctor to call me (I even faxed them my records from the place in order to give them a head start). That was a week ago and I haven’t heard from anyone about anything. Oh well, I guess it’s like when you file a claim, hurry up and wait. How long does it take to make a quick phone call and to say yes or no to my suggestion.

See you next time………………;)

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23

Sep. ’14

I’m Back And Here To Stay

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It has been a long time since I last wrote in this blog and I know I am well overdue. A lot have happened, since I last wrote and I will attempt to highlight a few things before I continue the normal weekly activities. It is not difficult to get off track and not get back to writing but I must in order to dig deep into the book I am writing.

I have hooked up with a buddy that I have not seen in thirty years (in fact we were together in the military in Germany and in North Dakota) and he and his wife have been getting together with me and my wife, over a meal or two, several times since we reunited. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia which isn’t that far away. And, to my surprise, he is now a minister (I would have never thought he would become one from the way we used to drink and party).

My wife and I also went to Tennessee for a week long family reunion that was great. We were in Dolly Parton territory and, of course, I had to go by the corn whiskey distillery for the booze. To tell the truth, that booze is not as strong as that which is gotten from the back woods. The family have gotten much larger and family members came from every state up and down the east coast.

Imperial Plaza have been keeping my wife and I busy, not only with the trips but also with the other activities. Coming here has been one of the best moves I have ever made. My wife run the twice weekly WII bowling, the Saturday Pokeno games and work part-time. I am part of the Bellevue Community Neighborhood Patrol and I have a part-time job as well. Now that it is pro-football season..(enough said).

When I add in going to the McGuire Veterans Hospital, fighting with them for my due benefits (it seems to be a hopeless case), most of my time is shot. There is an old saying….”If you can’t say anything good about someone, don’t say anything at all”. I won’t say anything more, I’ll leave it alone except to say that the law suits and investigations into the Federal Health Care System is long, long overdue.

My time (space) is up and I’ll try to stay on track. Until next time…

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14

Jun. ’14

Longtime Friendship

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I revel in the knowledge of knowing that this retirement is great and, so far I have led a wonderful and full life.  There is nothing to be ashamed of or, to put it another way, hang my head in shame and ask for forgiveness.  All of this was bought into the forefront when a person I have not seen nor heard from in the past thirty five years contacted me and we met Saturday.

We renewed our friendship and I met his wife.  Ricky worked for me in the Air Force, both in Germany and in North Dakota, and although I outranked him and he worked for me, we partied hard together.  I was surprised to learn he was a pastor now and is walking the straight and narrow but stranger things have happened.  Just to think I don’t drink anywhere close to what I used to drink, or cuss as much (it is almost non-existent now), or even go out like I used to.  Chalk it up to growing softly older or maturing enough to finally know that that was not the way to go or somehow live to a sweet old age.

I looked at Ricky and remembered the many good times we had together and, like I told his wife, I was the First Sergeant while in North Dakota and he spent more time at my house than I did (I was joking, of course, but he did spend a lot of time at my house).  Ricky was crazy enough to have been part of my K-9 outfit in Germany but he was security.  I was sent from K-9 to take over a portion of the security force and that is how we met and started partying together (in fact, I partied with most of my men).  The rest is HISTORY, a little alcohol clouded but a blast anyway.

We sat and talked, ate supper and talked, sat and talked again.  We reminisced a lot and still did not hit but the tip of the iceberg.  I will go to Charlottesville and have lunch with him very soon (just a short drive).  This just goes to show us that true friendship last forever.  Ricky Clatterbuck and I have proven that point.

Take care and, with school being out soon, be very, very careful.  FISHING this week (rain, rain go away) and I will write about it.

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08

Jun. ’14

Hear Ye – Hear Ye!!

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This weather is beautiful and is just right for any outside activity.  Sure, there is occasional rain, here and there, and it is mostly at night when everyone should be sleeping or at least inside, out of the weather.  Don’t let the threat of rain or an occasional sprinkle bother you.  Like the shoe ad say….”just do it”.  Imperial Plaza had a cookout and the weather was perfect for that as well as for all other things going on at that time.

My wife talked me into playing BINGO and, lucky her, she won one and was really close on a couple.  I, on the other hand, wasn’t even close so you know what that mean.  Yep…..no more BINGO because I can think of other things to do with the time I spend at BINGO.  She still runs the twice weekly WII BOWLING and she is trying to get me into that also.  I show up, every now and then, and watch while having a beer or two.

There are a few things that have changed at Imperial Plaza and they are to talk about it at the next “Men’s Conversational” which will be with Cindy as the guest speaker.  Since she is from Corporate, she should have all the answers we want and then some.  The one thing I heard is that the name (Imperial Plaza) is changing to Brookside, the company that bought facilities across the nation.  This should be interesting because after calling a place by one name, it’s hard to call it something else.  I still say Mosque instead of Altria (those around Richmond know what I am talking about.  All others can contact me directly and I will explain).

Virginia is a place to behold.  They are so against gambling (years ago it was very hard to get lotto) that they not only repeatedly turned down casinos (the Indians wanted it like in other states) but now the only horse racing arena is going around and around with the state over some sort of regulations, etc. that there is no time for racing this year.  This state tries to be too puritanical and we all (the residents of the state) suffer for it.  This is not the 1600 or 1700 but we are into the 2000’s and things have changed.  Morality has changed all over the world yet Virginia refuse to change.

SEE YA LATER!!!!!!!!

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31

May. ’14

Outings Galore

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Again I have had a full week and, right now, I am pleasantly tired.  This week I’ll write about two things, ROMEO and The Traveling Vietnam Wall.  First ROMEO.  At Imperial Plaza ROMEO stands for Retired Old Men Eating Out and we had two meals this month (May).  When we were originally scheduled to go to the steakhouse there was a vicious rain and hail storm.  All of us were on the bus, except for Ron, raring to go.  All of us men were on the bus having fun laughing and joking with the storm raging all around when Ron came on the bus to say the trip was cancelled because of the storm.  We didn’t want to cancel because we knew it would soon blow over.

We went to the White Squirrel and had dinner there.  We didn’t care about the storm or anything else because it was our evening out and we would not be daunted.   Ron came in and we jokingly told him the tab was on him because he cancelled, we didn’t.  He laughed it off and said he would reschedule the outing.  He called me three days later and said we were rescheduled for the following Thursday.  We went to the steakhouse and partied hard because we are ROMEO.

The Vietnam Traveling Wall may not be as good as seeing the real thing but it was something a Vietnam vet should not miss.  While there, the vets had the opportunity to computer research the name of a fallen service member and locate the name on the wall (where it would be in DC at the real wall).  The display also included some small items used in Vietnam along with a few pictures.  Some of the pictures bought back memories that were being suppressed but I made out ok.

I was a little sad but after talking to a couple of vets (we all can start a conversation with another vet at the drop of a hat) we lost that feeling (they admitted they felt bad also) and we had a pleasant but short conversation.  All of us Vietnam Vets are brothers, no matter where we may meet, and all other vets are second.  A hard thing to say but vets understand this because we all went through the same thing.

That was a short week but a full week.  Take care!!

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25

May. ’14

Happy Retirement

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Thinking about being retired, how long it has taken to be considered retired and exactly what I am to do now.  Such a long wait, such great fun while waiting to retire and now the real fun is to begin.  I have fun having fun and I have fun working.  Which should I do and, most importantly, how much of this so called working fun should I take.  It is important to throw into the equation fun divided by work to equal more than ever fun.  I found the solution and it is as nostalgic as it is fun.  To balance with the things I am already doing I have started a part-time job.  It is working a mid-shift every other weekend.  I have worked too many midnight shifts to even attempt to count.  Being in the military, a cop and private security, working weekends, holidays and midnight shifts was a given.  After a while you forget what day it is, whether it is a weekend or a holiday.  They all seem the same and you don’t care anymore.

However, I will still go on trips.  I will still ride my bicycle all over the city.  I will still salt water fish.  I will still read.  I will still write.  I will still have so much to do and will enjoy every minute of it.  A person never knows when the end is near and a person should enjoy every minute that is left.  Tomorrow is not promised.  All I can say to all of my comrades enjoy life while you can because I am trying to enjoy mine while I have the energy and mobility to do it.

I was contacted by men I supervised in German thirty years ago and what a surprise to get that e-mail.  There is, so far, one that lives close by (if you want to call Charlottesville close by) and we talked on the phone for almost an hour.  We will have to meet and have lunch or something.  As for the other guys, well I will attempt to meet with some of them also although they are in other states.  I hope to get e-mail addresses from some of the other guys.  I really don’t hold out much hope but it would be nice if it happens.

I wish a Very HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY and be CAREFUL with whatever you do!!!!

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17

May. ’14

New Developments

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Things have really changed since my last writing.  For those that do not know my background I will say this…..it was colorful and varied and I really enjoyed all of it.  I am retired from the air force and have had many careers since then with another retirement included.

I decided to apply for a part-time job, that was seen in the papers, to have a little extra spending change and to take up the rest of my free time (I know I am crazy).  I have been training all week and will be on my own next weekend.  The job will have me working midnight shifts Friday and Saturday nights, every other weekend.  That’s not bad and it will give me a little change in my pocket and it won’t take up all my time or all my weekends.

The second thing that happened is the message I received from one of my EX-air force comrades.  I had no idea anyone was looking for me and I did not know there will be a reunion of the guys I worked with in Germany.  These were great guys although they were not K-9 (smile).  I worked with these guys as their security supervisor and, if I may say so, we had a great time.  There was always something happening (I should write a book about the things that happened).  There were a few guys that came to North Dakota where I became the First Sergeant.  Again we had some good times together although not as much.  I was invited to the reunion but I cannot go to Chicago because of other commitments during that time frame.

Needless to say, I haven’t had time to ride my bike but I will tomorrow.  The weather will be good and I shouldn’t have anything to do.  RICHMOND AND HENRICO LOOK OUT BECAUSE HERE I COME!!  The temperature should be low (around 75’) and it will have a light wind from the north.  That will be great for riding and Richmond is becoming safer for us on bicycle.  I am glad to be here, in a city and county that is bike friendly and will be more so as time go by.

Not forgetting Imperial Plaza, tomorrow is WII day in the White Squirrel and Wednesday is a trip to the Eastern Shore.  TAKE CARE!!!!  Don’t forget to click “like” and/or “follow”.  BYE-BYE!!!

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