Granddaughter's Visit; Golf for the AFL-CIO, Lunch at O'Connor's

Update June 2 to June 8

-- Granddaughter's Visit on Tuesday

Definition of Cute

Even though the granddaughter's visited a few days ago for the holiday, the usual Tuesday visit was still a lot of fun. The girls like to play together and they like to test the grandparents whenever they can. Lucy especially likes to see where the boundaries are for various things. She's anxious to pull out a lot of her toys but is reluctant to put something away before moving on to the next event. In order not to be overrun with toys, we insist that she clean up as she goes, but it's a challenge nonetheless.

Olive is less of a challenge in that regard as she is only ten months old. But, no toy goes un-tossed if she's in her high chair, so that means a general clutter zone at her feet. This requires a lot of bending over to keep up with her tossed items. But, as you can see, the cute face always comes to the rescue for her.

-- Golf for the AFL-CIO at Leicester Country Club

The annual AFL-CIO Scramble was held on June 7 at the Leicester Country Club, which is just up the road from us. Patti plays in it every year and I occasionally play when they need a last-minute fill-in for someone who can't make it. We like playing the course whenever we get the chance. It's got some fun holes and we managed not to be the last-place team, which is always our goal. 

-- Lunch at O'Connor's

Met with Ray for lunch at O'Connor's Restaurant in Worcester. I had the Tortellini, a fine Italian specialty at an Irish Pub, and Ray had the usual salad. Ray had just spent the month of May in Greece so there were a lot of good stories to tell. But I had him save the best ones for dinner with our wives later in the month. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

READ my Blog "The Books of Richard F Wright" (Books, Bookstores, Writing)     

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

READING UPDATE:

American Theocracy, The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, by Kevin Phillips

Geez, Louise, it confounds me how the fundamentalists of all religions continue to be a plague to humankind. History shows that 1) global overreach, 2) militant religion, 3) diminishing resources, and 4) ballooning debt has been the foundation for the collapse of all world-dominating powers throughout history. And now, we are on the threshold of the same thing in America.

We are perfectly set up for a major disaster with the fundamentalist ignorance leading the way. False Prophets (according to a book I wrote, The World’s Seven Biggest Liars), have set loose the mad dogs of evangelical meddling in the nations of the world. Phillips explains things rather well in this book.

Golf at Grand View, Visit from the Girls, and Harvest Grille

Update May 19 to May 25, 2019

-- Olive and Lucy Visit on Tuesday

Lucy and new friend, Pinky

It's hard to believe that Lucy has been visiting weekly for about four years and this will be her last full summer with us. She will graduate from Pre-School and move on to Kindergarten this fall so we make sure that we get at least one day a week with Lucy and her baby sister, Olive.

Olive continues to impress us with her various new skills which include giving us a vigorous raspberry whenever the mood strikes her as well as the increasing velocity and trajectory of objects that she flings from her high chair. If something is missing, it's best to start searching in the general vicinity of her high chair as it's her habit to toss things from the tray as soon as you put it in the tray.

Her dining habits have been improving. She likes to use a spoon, especially if she can stab herself in the forehead with it. She would much rather eat whipped cream off the plate using her fingers rather than a spoon, but that's only following in Lucy's footprints as that was her favorite trick as well.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

READ my Blog "The Books of Richard F Wright" (Books, Bookstores, Writing)     

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

-- A Visit to Harvest Grille Yields Fish Tacos

Patti at Harvest Grille 

After four o'clock on a Thursday, you will find a good deal on Fish Tacos and drinks at the Harvest Grille in Jefferson, MA. It's two minutes from the house and a warm summer evening is a good reason to let someone else handle the grilling. Patti has the imagination to try different things from time to time as they have a lot of Happy Hour special pricing for appetizers and small plates. I'm stuck on fish tacos. Sorry.

What's nice about it is you can buy one taco at a time so if you're really hungry you can go for three or more. But, I generally get two, which is enough for me. We are really lucky to have a wide range of restaurants so near the house including fine dining, family-style restaurants, diners, and quick-bite coffee shops that range from Mexican to Thai, to Chinese, to American and more.

-- A Grand Day at Grand View Golf in Leominster

The Gazebo between Hole 4 and 5

Just a few minutes up Route 68 and along some backroads is the shortcut to Grand View Country Club in Leominster. We love this little course that has a "grand view" as well as a few rough spots along its fairways. But, although it's a short course, it will make you work hard to get a low score. With so many good courses to choose from it's hard to decide where to go each week. We often make a decision on where to play golf based on where we want to stop for lunch after golf. In that case, heading north brings a lot of restaurants into play for us on the return trip. Today's rounds did not yield very good scores, in fact, we didn't par any of the holes. Patti used the round to practice her putting with more than one ball on the putting surface, but that's okay, we deemed it a practice round this early in the season.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

READING UPDATE
The Life and Times of Thomas Becket, by Richard Winston

This biography of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, written in 1967 was the first full-scale attempt at a biography in about 100 years. What I like about this interpretation of the stories, legends, and commentaries about Becket is that the author, Richard Winston, turned to letters Becket wrote and other source material generated in Becket’s lifetime to provide a more authentic view of his life and times.

I’m always interested in any investigation in the church-state phenomenon, and there can be no more compelling life-tale than that of Thomas Becket, who was ultimately murdered by his King.

Yankee Swap, Visit Joey's, Granddaughters, Nieces

Update - January 13 to January 19, 2019

-- Yankee Swap Closes the Holiday Season

Paige Gets Reciprocal Gift Bag

Due to everyone having a busy schedule over the holiday, the traditional Wright Yankee Swap took a big hit this year and was postponed clear into January. Normally, it is only demoted to the weekend before or after Christmas when everyone can gather for the event. My sister-in-law Marna volunteered to hold it this week on a Saturday for a "brunch-time" event. Not to overstate the lateness of the event, but the tree at 3 Patch Reservoir was already down for the season. So, the gift wrapping had to substitute for any cheer a lighted tree may have provided.

When Susan Wright brought out some extra gifts for Paige and Lily, she pointed out that the "gift bags," were actually bags the twins had hand-made a dozen years ago for gifts they gave to Susan. Sue had kept these unique, hand-painted bags over the years and was returning them as gifts this year. Neither Sue nor the girls could determine who exactly painted which bag, but it was nonetheless the coolest gift received.

Minimalist holiday decor

There were only minor skirmishes in gift-grabbing during the Yankee go-around, so most of the gifts had enough appeal to be welcomed, but not overly coveted. After all, this is a "Yankee" swap, where you might expect a somewhat miserly approach to evaluating gift values. Anyway, I ended up with a pair of stemless wine glasses (my preferred style) and a dandy wine/champagne bottle stopper to keep the bubbly as bubbly as possible. I hate flat wine of any kind, so this is a handy gadget. Maybe next year we can get organized soon enough to have a tree still on the premises when we open our gifts. Lucy already knows what she wants for next Christmas.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

READ my Blog "The Books of Richard F Wright" (Books, Bookstores, Writing)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Patti had water; I had wine

-- Visited Joey's in Worcester for Lunch

We have been to Joey's Bar and Grill a few times in the past and have found it very nice. It's located in the small plaza across from the Nu-Kitchen on Chandler Street in Worcester. The location is where the Struck Cafe operated for many years. The lighting is subdued, which is something I appreciate. I'm not looking for the cafeteria-level lighting some places mistake as creating a "bright" appearance. Turn down the lights a little, so I don't have to squint so much.

I got the baked Haddock and was particularly impressed with the light Pancho crust. It was a large portion of fish and the vegetables and the garlic potatoes were just to my liking. Patti had a pasta dish which was sufficiently large enough that we had leftovers. No such luck with the fish; I was particularly hungry that day. We also noticed some interesting and colorful artwork hanging on the walls. It turns out that one of the people who work there is also a color consultant and artist. Her name is Rosemary Lebeau. She has a website showing her work at rosemarylebeau.com. You may be surprised.

-- The Olive and Lucy Show Rolled Into Town

Frog Chair Center Stage

Like clockwork, the two granddaughters rolled in on Tuesday morning to spend the day with us. Olive was very active and was happy to sit in her "frog" chair and engage in conversation with big-sister Lucy. Lucy entertained Olive for quite a while, eliciting smiles, and what appeared to be raspberries through her lips as her way of joining in on the singing.

Always Listen to Big Sister

Baby Olive has become more vocal and more physical lately. She enjoys her playpen mat which has overhead arches from which dangle a variety of colorful and perhaps tasty items. She likes to grab at them as they swing over her head and then "taste-test," each one to see if it's as tasty as it is colorful. From the squirmy faces she makes, after she takes a bite, I believe most of these cloth and plastic toys are tasteless at best and poor tasting at worst.

The Frog chair has been a lot of fun up to now as it allows Olive to sit up and be a part of the playtime on the living room floor. But, each time I reach in to pull her out for a change or a feeding, I realize she's wedged in so tight I'm not sure she may be permanently stuck in it one of these days. We need a bigger gimmick for her to play in.


-- Olive Uses Two Hands to Control Bottle Time

Lucy is Her Own Biggest Fan

Geodesic Globe

Self Sufficient

Olive has reached the point that four ounces are not enough for a feeding. We have to move her up to a larger bottle. This week she was able to grab the bottle and feed herself so it won't be long before she orders some steak tips, I'm sure.

Olive also had a fun new toy, which appears to be a miniature geodesic globe. It has numerous handy facets that allow her to get a good grip and leverage sufficient to allow her to bop herself in the head.




-- Lily Preparing for Concerts at UMass-Amherst

This picture of Lily with her flute at UMass came in this week. Lily is visible sitting front row center in this group shot.  I will have to check to see when the next concert is so that we can plan to attend.















------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

READING UPDATE: I finished reading Who Are We? by Samuel P. Huntington, which is an analysis of the challenges to American's national identity as seen by this well-known Harvard Professor and author of a dozen books. His assessment of the threats to our culture and our country and his observations about how the new century will transform how Americans view America can be quite alarming. 

But, you can be sure that there are no countries, no cultures, no foreign organizations, no foreign non-Christian religions that are interested or supportive of our current view of ourselves or any concocted new view that we may develop. We are slowly being outnumbered and will eventually be overwhelmed by countries that see our role as exploitive and insensitive to their needs and desires on a global scale.

Christmas Concert - Olive and Lucy - Lunch Date

Update - December 2 to December 8

-- Paige and the Worcester State University Chorus

Now that Paige is taking classes at Worcester State University she has had the chance to join their chorus. As part of a concert featuring the school Chorale and the Chorus, we attended a concert held at the Our Lady of the Angels Parish on Main Street on December 2. The Concert was titled: Winter's Spirit: A Celebration in Song. The whole event was a project of the Visual and Performing Arts Department at the school.

As a holiday concert, I had some expectations that we would hear a mix of traditional music and some lighter variations as well. But, I did not expect to hear Queen, Cyndi Lauper, and Dr. Seuss! But, they were a definite part of the mix. Also, they featured a guest appearance by Carlos Odria on guitar. Carlos has a Ph.D. in Musicology and is an adjunct professor at Worcester State. He gave a solo performance of his guitar, which was very impressive.

At most performances, either a recital or a play, Paige generally has a solo to perform. On this afternoon, she did not get to give a solo performance. She's very new to the group so we will have to wait for her to develop her repertoire for the Chorus. In any event, it was a fun time and then after the concert, we all went to Antonio's for some pizza, except Paige, who had the Mac and Cheese.

Paige took a prominent spot - Stage Left - Front (as usual)

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

READ my Blog "The Books of Richard F Wright" (Books, Bookstores, Writing)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Tuesday Brings Lucy and little sister, Olive for the Day

Paige with Olive

Olive behaved well today, and Lucy continued her fascination with the holidays. She wanted to touch all the decorations that Patti had installed. With a little effort, we have begun to establish the difference between a toy and a decoration. A toy can be dragged on the floor where a decoration can't even be touched. Lucy appreciates the difference once it's pointed out to her, but she always assumes something is a toy first, and decoration second.

Olive has reached the point where she likes to grab various small toys and see if she can stuff them in her mouth. The toys on the playmat are attached, so even when she gets it to her mouth, she can't swallow it. She likes to reach for and kick at the moving items. She also reaches out to grab any stuffed animals nearby to give them a taste-test.

-- Lucy is the Consumate (and constant), Artist 

Lucy and Mask

Lucy is always ready to express herself artistically. Today she wanted to make masks that she could wear on the face. She asked me to make a mask for myself, with me being the sad face and her being the happy face. This was accomplished by drawing the semi-circle for the mouth upright or inverted, depending on the mood we were creating. When she first asked to work on the masks, it was not clear to me exactly what she was asking for. It turned out that if you punch a hole on either side of the piece of paper and run a long paper or plastic straw through it, it's possible to use your teeth to grab the straw and position the mask on your face without using your hands. In this manner, you can then wave your arms frantically to frighten off any invading animals.

-- Lunch with Another Retiree

Richard and Ray

My friend, Ray Mariano and I had lunch Thursday at our usual haunt, O'Connor's Restaurant in West Boylston. For all the many years he worked downtown Worcester and I worked in Northborough, we found O'Connor's a convenient mid-way to meet for lunch. Now, that neither of us is working we still go to O'Connor's for no reason other than we like the place.

Patti has not retired yet, so we still plan vacations and activities around her working schedule. For Ray, his wife Nia has also retired so they can make longer-range plans. This winter they will spend a few months in Florida in the general Cocoa Beach area. It's a location that Patti and I have been to and liked very much. But, we are not destined to turn into snowbirds at this time. Maybe later, we'll see.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How Flat?

Reading Update: I just finished reading "The World is Flat," by New York Times Columnist and 3-time Pulitzer Prize Winning Author, Thomas L. Friedman. His reference to "flat" is not regarding questions about whether the earth is a ball of dirt circling the Sun, rather it is what we used to refer to as the "shrinking" of the planet; the globalization, if you will. His point, among many, is that as the 21st Century emerged, we entered a phase of the Berlin wall falling, "Windows" (by Microsoft) rising, Netscape, Work-Flow software, Open-Sourcing, Outsourcing, Offshoring, Supply-Chaining, Insourcing, In-Forming, and Steroids. All of which have contributed to the need for the workforce to constantly be looking to upgrade its skills, capacities, understanding of technology and always with an eye to the future, where more change is inevitable.

Phony Prophet

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reading Update: Another book I finished was "Brigham Young, Pioneer Prophet," by John G. Turner. I'm totally fascinated with the wide, wide range of phony prophets, and how they managed to snag hundreds, thousands, and even millions of passionate followers into believing substantially unbelievable crap about deities and afterlife. He rose to prominence in the Mormon faith after Joe Smith, the founder, was murdered.

He portrayed himself as following in the footsteps of other phonies, such as prophets Jesus and others who sought to place themselves in contact with the ultimate deity on behalf of the flock who followed. If you want to understand how prophets, all prophets, have deceived humankind, this book will help you. He is the archetype.

Olive and Lucy, Simon Pearce, Evergreen Harvard, Thanksgiving

Update - November 18 to November 24

Patti and Lucy

-- Twice as Much Olive and Lucy This Week

Patti told me that Corinne would bring Olive and Lucy over on Sunday to visit so that she and Patti could go shopping. Something about Kohl's cash, whatever that is. Anyway, I told her that I didn't mind watching both grandaughters while they went shopping.

As it turned out, Patti had invited my twin nieces, Lily and Paige to visit as well. When they arrived they had brought a college friend with them; Sarah.

Olive and the Pigeon

So off shopping went Mom and Grandmom and I was home with the five girls. It was a fun day as the girls doted over the baby and kept Lucy busy as well. I made lunch for everyone and when Olive became extremely agitated after taking her bottle, I was the one who spent an hour holding her until she calmed down.

It was probably nothing more than above average discomfort getting up a burp after feeding. Anyway, everything was fine by the time our shoppers returned. That then put me in the house with seven women. Yikes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

READ my other Blog "The Books of Richard F Wright" (Books, Bookstores, Writing)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Our Plan is to visit Vermont in December

Simon Pearce Restaurant

Patti has taken some extra time off this fall and winter so that we could enjoy more travel, particularly places nearby that we seldom get to visit. We have wanted to visit Woodstock Vermont in the winter as we have been there many times during other seasons. So, I have reserved a hotel for us so that we can get some of the Vermont holiday spirit going.

We already have reservations for a visit to Maine at the end of the month, so this continues our effort to travel more. One of the restaurants we want to visit is Simon Pearce in Quechee. We have never had a chance to stop in yet.

-- Trustees Meet to Decide on Hiring a Management Company

Following Saturday's informal meeting of the Trustees, tonight's meeting included an in-person and a teleconference with the two finalist applicants. The Board reviewed the credentials of the companies and the credentials of the person who would be the primary contact each month. This was a very important component in the view of the Board, as it was felt the previous meltdown with the current management company was due to a lack of open communications.

The Board selected Evergreen Harvard Group and I was detailed to contact the winner and notify the losers so that we could get the transition underway and in full effect no later than January 1, 2019.


-- Olive and Lucy Make Usual Tuesday Visit

Lucy and Olive

Olive was a bit less cranky in taking her feedings today, which was a relief. Patti has the magic touch with the wee one. Lucy was energetic as usual and spent time trying a puzzle, drawing, pretending to be a monster cat, and having me read eight books (one of them three times) to set a new record for reading.

She had a mix of new and familiar books, in particular, she likes familiar books as she likes to re-read the loud parts in a loud voice. New books have surprise elements, so she's not ready for the loud parts.

-- Finalized Management Company Tasks

On Wednesday I picked up signed contracts from Rachel, made a scan of the document and forwarded it to Evergreen Harvard. I communicated with the transition team and collected a list of coordinating tasks that will require our old company to turn over to the new company. I got all the phone calls and emails done so that as of tomorrow, Thanksgiving, all the paperwork is now in process. My role is essentially done.

-- Maintenance/Repair Skills Continue to Shine

Undercabinet Lighting

For some reason that totally escapes me, the under-cabinet work light in the kitchen came loose and was dangling on its cord. The unit was screwed in and how it dislodged is beyond me. I grabbed the electric screwdriver that I had bought last week to install the new window blinds and found it very handy in reattaching the light panel. I inspected the other panels under the other cabinets and they all seemed in good condition. I may never know why this thing fell off as it did, but at least I confirmed that I know how to put it back if it falls off again.

-- Today is Thanksgiving Day and Patti is Working

Hand Made Candy Wreath

Patti almost always works on Thanksgiving. She has to work two or three major holidays each year and so this has become part of the tradition. I usually visit my brother's house and spend the day with my nieces, Lily and Paige. It was a very pleasant visit and the dinner was very good. Marna packed up some leftovers so that I could bring them home to Patti.

Another tradition that had faded out a few years ago was revived this year. Marna had resumed making candy wreaths. She ties small, individually wrapped candies to a wire hanger to form a wreath of candy. How she has the patience to do this is beyond me. It generally takes weeks or months for us to plow through the candy; ripping each piece off, one at a time. Anyway, tradition is what you make of it; in this case, it's all about the Tootsie Rolls.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading Update: Here's a book you didn't read about, didn't see advertised in the Sunday weekly supplement, didn't know existed, but may be as important to understanding the threat presented by Muslims to humankind as anything else you have read in the past 20 years. If you understand how the Turks ruled the planet for 700 years, right up until the First World War, you may start to understand what the hell is going on. Jason Goodwin has written "Lords of the Horizons," providing a glimpse into a terrible dilemma facing our modern world. It's the same dilemma that faced the middle ages, which is who is going to be in charge of your world? Is it the religious fanatics, of any type, or is it the tyrannical fanatics, of any type, or other fanatics, or some other type? Tyrannical, religious, and ruthless are what you can expect from those who want to take over your world. Prepare yourself.

Shopping, Olive and Lucy, Toadstool, Road Trip

Update - November 4 - November 10

Pre-Holiday Shopping Adventure

Here's to California

California They Say

We like to shop for the holidays as an excuse to take a drive, see some sights, grab a fun lunch, jump into a local pub for some refreshments, and if at the end of the day we have bought nothing; that’s okay, we’ll just give cash. On Sunday we went up Route 9 to the Natick Mall. Sometime last month we had stopped in at Shopper’s World, especially to visit World Market, so this time we went further East to the next mall. It’s got Crate and Barrel and others like that where we can see holiday decorations and get some ideas for home decorating.

The mall also has some fun eating places, such as Cheesecake Factory. This visit found us at the California Pizza Kitchen. The name’s a bit of a misnomer, as pizza does not dominate the menu as much as it sounds. I went straight for the fish tacos and Patti found a wrap sandwich that was destined to have leftovers. The menu ranges from Chicken Piccata to Cedar Plank Salmon; not exactly what you expect in a “pizzeria kitchen.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

READ my Blog "The Books of Richard F Wright" (Books, Bookstores, Writing)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Closing In on New Management Company

On Monday I met with another prospect to take over as our condominium association management company. My plan is to have written proposals in hand by Friday, so the Trustees can consider them next week, and be ready to accept an offer by the end of the month. This company was among the larger agencies that we are considering. There are advantages to going with a smaller firm as there are disadvantages. The Trustees will have to consider what makes the most sense. Any of the four finalists, in my view, is very capable and would work out for us. We’ll see.

It Was a Five-Story Afternoon

Olive Helen Perras

Tuesday was a hectic day with Olive and Lucy dropped off early. Olive was her usual happy self until she became hungry. She tends to not get all the way through the feeding before becoming cranky. She has difficulty getting that burp up to make room for the rest of her meal, so she complains loudly. Patti patiently rocked her and burped her so that she could finish her bottle. Later, Olive became cranky and wouldn’t take her nap; so, I took her and walked with her until she calmed down and went to sleep. She slept on my chest while I sat in my favorite chair for over an hour. She seemed to be content with the warmth of lying in my arms. When she woke, she was ready for a change and another meal. It’s a process.

Lucy and her sister, Olive

Lucy got in the mood for reading today, which resulted in five books (one was read twice). She has her favorites but is always open to the new books that I have each week. I had to read certain “loud” passages a bit quietly, as Olive was in the same room sleeping. Lucy likes to have the “shouted” parts of the text delivered at high decibels. If you don’t read it loud enough, she steps in and shouts it herself. That always leads to laughter on her part.

Thursday Was Perfect for a Road Trip

Patti Resisting Urge to Buy

As Patti had to work on Wednesday, she was in the mood for a road trip on Thursday. We elected to head north and see what developed. In the back of my mind was reaching Peterborough where we could find a favorite bookstore and a restaurant that I know Patti always enjoys. I decided to take Route 31 straight north out of Holden and kept going until we got to New Hampshire. It was a pleasant ride, we even tried to glide into the auto road to the top of Mount Wachusett, but the gate was closed. Probably for the season. Anyway, we kept going. We crossed into Rindge NH and then into Peterborough.

We made a familiar stop at the Peterborough Basket Company. The outlet store has a variety of baskets on display and the operator of the store was very friendly. We established that we both knew downtown Worcester and he asked about Cedar Street, as it was where is Grandmother had lived years ago when he would visit from Newton. I mentioned that Cedar was very familiar to me as it was a place I visited frequently growing up in Worcester. That’s where the Science Center and Natural History Museum used to be. They were replaced by what is now known as the Ecotarium on Harrington Way. He mentioned that the outlet was offering a 20 percent discount this weekend, but he would extend it to us today if we made a purchase. As it turned out, we didn’t, but it was certainly an appreciated gesture.

Peterborough is Home to the Toadstool Bookstore

Took Advantage of 20 Percent Off Sale

There are three Toadstool bookstores. I visit each of them at least once a year, and Peterborough often more than that. The other two are in Keene and Milford NH. These stores were among those that I included in my travel book, A Vacationer's Guide to Rural New England Bookstores. The theme of the book is that various “destinations,” for vacationer’s throughout New England are blessed with great independent and used bookstores. Toadstool is a classic example. A large, strong collection of books, operated as a local venture, with a large, strong section displaying used books. And, in the case of the Peterborough locations, it includes an in-store café too. Perfect for the book hound.

I picked up two books in the Used Book annex; The Last Open Road, by Burt ‘BS’ Levy (a signed copy) and Wheels for the World by Douglas Brinkley, an epic telling of Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress. Levy’s book is a work of fiction, but I’m sure it’s really a semi-sanitized autobiography with elements of fantasy rolled in. He self-published back in the 1990’s when major publishers turned him down. It’s now a well-known classic that continues into its fourth printing. I like to see that. The book about Ford should be enlightening, given that it’s Douglas Brinkley doing the research and writing. There is probably no more outstanding writer about historical figures than Brinkley.

What Do You Mean, “We Don’t Have Any Johnnie Walker Red?”

Patti and I stepped into Harlow’s Pub for a quick drink before we finished up our tour of downtown Peterborough. The pub had been labeled “a hippy place,” by a local when we asked where was a good place to get a drink? I understand where the hippy reference came from, but in reality, this was no hippy bar. It’s a well-liked local restaurant with an eclectic menu, eclectic look, and an eclectic clientele. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t have Johnnie Walker Red scotch, and its only gin is Hendricks. So, you can see why it’s viewed as non-traditional. We both got a drink and after viewing the menu, I’m sure we will stop in to eat something the next time we visit Peterborough.

Four Management Company Proposals in Hand

As of Friday, we have four written proposal in hand. I made copies of the proposals so that the Trustees may review them. I’m preparing a brief outline/grid that will help with comparison points on the proposals so that the Trustees can evaluate them and determine which candidates they may want to interview directly, before making a decision.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reading Update: I just finished reading, "Of Arms and Men," by Robert L. O'Connell, (an autographed copy), which is a history of war, weapons, and aggression from early man through the nuclear age. At one point he uses the phrase, "Man was born with a weapon in his hand," which goes to the heart of his thesis (he's a professional army intelligence analyst and arms negotiator) that if we understand man's relationship to weapons perhaps we can learn how to limit its use. The book is profoundly alarming and I recommend that you read it if you can. I will loan you my copy.

Olive and Lucy Visit and Condo Needs New Management

UPDATE - September 23 - September 29

-- Time for New Management for our Condominium

Winter from our front porch

The President of our Condo Trustees visited with me on Monday to inform me that they were about to start a search for a new management company. The Trustees and the current management team had mutually agreed to make a change effective at the end of the year. Rachel indicated they would like me to help seek out the new company. I had participated in previous searches and had helped with other contracts that we entered into and maybe she knew I was retired now and might have some spare time. We'll see. I need to start some research on this.

Don't kid yourself on how important it is to have the right condo management company. When you get over 100 inches of snow and the plowing costs reach 30, 40, or $50,000 a season, it's important to have somebody looking out for our best interests. A recent let-down by the current company on repair and repainting contracts has led to the need for change.


-- If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium? (No, it must be Olive and Lucy)

Lucy as the illustrator

Olive as the Grandaughter

Olive and Lucy brought their mother Corinne today. Corinne is still on her maternity leave from work so she can get used to managing an eight-week-old and a four-year-old at the same time. On Tuesday's, we try to help. The weather was a little grim, so we engaged in a lot of indoor activities, which included drawing, painting, playing board games (not well) hide and seek, book reading and building castles out of pillows on the couch in the playroom. This was mostly Lucy's activities. Olive concentrated on nursing and soiling her diapers. When not nursing, Olive will take a bottle, which lets Nana Patti exercise her skills as a newborn baby expert. Thank goodness Lucy is potty trained. She's very low maintenance.

-- Planning for the trip to Washington DC

Next week, Patti and I will drive to Washington DC to participate in my bi-annual reunion with the men with which I served in the Air Force. We all took basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and then we trained as radio intercept operators at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. After seven months of training, most of us were assigned to USAF Security Services headquarters at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio. After serving two years state-side we all got overseas assignments, which included Vietnam, Japan, and Turkey.

Of our group, only one stayed in the Air Force and made a career of it. The rest of us escaped after our four-year hitch was up. But, since then we have held a reunion every two years to keep in touch and reminisce about life in the Air Force. One of our guys, Dick Mason, has arranged for a private tour of Arlington Cemetary and the Cryptologic Museum in Annapolis Junction. These are two places I have never been to, although I have been to DC many times. I'm looking forward to this trip. I have confirmed our room at the Crowne Plaza so we are all set.

-- 16 Loose-leaf binders filled with history

Since mid-summer, I have been sorting and cataloging the news commentaries that my Dad wrote for the Evening Gazette from the mid-1960's through the 1970's. His wife Sue painstakingly assembled the clippings into binders over the years and I have been reviewing them to see if I can make a useful compilation worthy of printing.

It's not an easy task. But, reading the columns as I go along has been very interesting and entertaining. I hope I make some progress this fall.


Reading Update: Having been a news reporter in my own time and growing up in a family where broadcast news was a daily event, I have always been fascinated to read about the legends of television, radio, and print newsgathering. I just finished a biography by Bob Edwards called, "Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism." The book tells about a time when "broadcasting live," actually meant something. Today, when a suspect is due in court later in the day for an arraignment, the "news" person sets up a camera at 5AM, outside the courthouse so they can claim "reporting on the scene." What rubbish.

When Murrow was reporting "on the scene," he was on the rooftops of London while Nazi bombers terrorized the city with nightly raids. That was "on the scene."