Student Comment # 57

Her  Facebook Post

November 2022

Student Comment #57

My High School Principal Bridget E Kelly and amazing friend Cares so much that she shares this every year and unfortunately the list just keeps growing. These are all people under the age of 50.

Bridget E Kelly

November 2, 2022  · 

Shared with Public

REST IN PEACE

*

On this All Souls' Day, I remember all of my students who left us too early, too young. It was my privilege to be a small part of their lives.

*

*May they all Rest in Peace:

Photos 2023

 Photos of the Year 2023

USA, Antigua, Ireland, Greenland, Azures

2023 Highs and Lows

 2023 Highs and Lows

RIP  Mark

RIP  Libby

RIP Roslyn Carter

RIP Sinead O'Connor. You were misunderstood

RIP Tina Turner

RIP Ann Dougherty

RIP Alma Weber

Kaye Doyle died and I don't care.

I received the first Distinguished Alumni Award from MMA.

My high school classmates and I celebrated our 50th high school reunion.

My puffin trip in Maine was fabulous, fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.

I loved my trip to Antigua.  I did nothing but hang out at the beach.  I was completely mindless.  I wish I had stayed for two weeks.

My trip to Greenland was dangerous and thrilling at the same time.

I visited 71 breweries; 45 of them were new breweries.  I've visited a total of 377 breweries to date.

I took 16 road trips around the country this year.

As always, the annual visit with the Germans was fun.

I watched the House of Representative elect a Speaker of the House.

I read 26 books.

I saw 26 movies.

I discovers a few new musical artists.

Peter told me that he loves me. And I love that sweet child.

Mason has begun to greet me when he sees me.

Our family Christmas in July party was well attended and fun.  I had so much fun that I agreed to host next year's event.

Trump got arrested on four different occasions.  YAY!!! Now lock him up.

The community events at CS are starting to pick up in frequency and draw a crowd similar to pre-covid days.

I saw Jeffrey Gaines in concert @ Uptown.

I saw Dar Williams in concert @ the Under The Stars events in Bryn Mawr. I also saw Livingston Taylor there as well.

I saw Ruthie Foster in concert @ the Ardmore Music Hall.

I saw Las Cafeteras @ The City Winery

I met my birthday goal of 67 new experiences in West Chester, PA.

Uptown had two great plays this year: Mountain Top and Tommy and Me.

No one in my family was diagnosed with cancer this year.

My bone density is improving.  I went from osteoporosis to osteopenia.  Thats a great improvement.

Jaye has progress well enough with her cancer that treatment has been suspended since March.

I lost another damn tooth.  What an expensive ($6000) pain in the ass. I now have two implants.

My trip to China was been cancelled.  I was susposed to leave on Nov 15.  I was going to travel to two weeks with former students.  Then I would teach at SIAS for 4 weeks.  And then I was going to visit Taiwan for a week.  But the Communist Party of the university has decided that we have too strong an influence on the young women in our program.

I didn't contact covid.

I went to Ireland in the spring and got to spend St Patrick's Day in the Guiness Brewery. That has been a lifetime dream for me.

The community events at CS increased this year and the crowd sizes are similar in size to what they were before covid.

I went to the dermatologist for the first time in 16 years and she didn't find one singular spot of concern.  This is a relief in light of the fact that my siblings are all getting zapped and scraped by their dermotologists.

I scraped the right side of my car and it as all my damn fault.  And the damage isn't enough to file an insurance claim.  So now, I'm driving around blemished.

One of my neighbors thrown out a deluxe charging cord that is perfect for my old MacBook and this find made me happy for three days.

My cousin, Nancy, is free of cancer at this moment.

It's been a whole year since I stopped biting my nails.  I was a nail biter for 67 years and one day, I just stopped.

A hummingbird hung around my balcony garden this summer.

Sharon and Great Dames launched their book, Women Sharing Their Power. I am one of the authors,

My relationships with the next generation improved substantially this year. Elliot wants to play with me whenever he sees me. Peter told me that he loves me.  Mason asks me a question every time he sees me. June and Georgia always greet me.  And Kevin's daughters interact with me on the few times I have seen them.  This next generation is fun.

My damn car got towed at night, in February, in Philadelphia.  It was a pain in the ass and cost me $250.

I spent a week in the Azures.  I've wanted to travel here for years.  My grandparents lived here in the early 1950.

My group won the Quiz match at a CS event.  We all got $15 gift certificates to the local gelato store.

I scored tickets to see the Rolling Stones, finally, finally, finally.

My car has 125,000 miles on it and it is still going strong.

When I was in Washington, DC, I walked over 23,000 steps.  My feet were killing me.

In Christmas Day, I was notified that I could go back to China to teach in the spring.!!!! 

One day, my blog had 2700 hits.  I do not know why that happened.

Kiva loans

Twitter followers- 35,300; this number has decreased from last year.

Facebook followers- 2700

Instagram followers -790; I follow 114 accounts

Instagram posts -2838 to date

Blog views to date- 1,143,764

Blog post totals-2932; 

Best of 2023

 

Best of 2023: Music, Movies, Podcasts, Books

In My Opinion

Music

• Harbor by Beverly Glenn-Copeland
• Just Like That-Bonnie Raitt
• I remember Everything-Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgrave
• A&W- Lana Del Ray
• It Never Went Away- Jon Baptista

Movies

• Nyad
• The Lost King with Sally Hawkins
• Asteroid City-I like everything Wes Anderson makes.
• Barbie-this was one great, great movie
• Theater Camp- 

Podcasts

• Edith Warner's Atomic Tea Room-The Kitchen Sisters-August 1
• Border Trilogy I, II, III - Radio Lab- Oct 13.
• Girl Scout Cookies-Snap Judgement-April 24
• Then and Now-StoryCorps- November 7
• Hurricane Katrina-Against All Odds-Season 30
• Julie Gets Wise With Fran Lebowitz- Wiser Than Me With Julia Dyrefus

Books

• Let Me tell You What I Mean-Joan Didion
• White American Youth-Christian Picciolinni
• My Travels With Mrs Kennedy-Clint Hill
• The Bill of Obligation-Richard Haass
• Stiff- Mary Roach
• Enough-Cassidy Hutchison

Live Performances

• Mary Roach- book talk @ Wilmington Libraries
• Christian Cooper-  book talk @ Philadelphia Library
• Mountain Top- theatre-@  Uptown Theatre
• Tommy And Me- theatre-  @ Uptown Theater
• Ruthie Foster- @ Ardmore Music Hall

Movies 2023

 Movies 2023

Life in Antarctic- i bought this book right after I cam back from Antarctic but never read it.  Now, I want to spend three months working there.  But I don't think I am eligible to do so.  I would have to pass a physical and that isnt going to happen.

The Fablemans- I'm not sure if I liked this movie or if I would recommend it to anyone.

80 For Brady- This was a mindless, predictable, timely movie.  It was released right before the Super Bowl so, of course, I had to go see it.

Women Talking- There were some moving, profound statements made and then there were some slow, slow scenes.  I thought it was going to be great because Fran McDonald was in it.  But she only had a cameo role which was a disappointment.

Knock On The Cabin Door- this movie was terrible.

Living- I had high expectations because Bill Nighy was in it but it was boring, boring, boring.

Oscar Shorts- Documentaries- I think the movie about the white man converting to Islam is going to win.

Edie- I didn’t like the character and I hoped she failed. 

Beckoning Silence- written by the same author who wrote Touching The Void, he told another great, horrible story abut moutain climbing.

The Quiet Girl- I just took this book out of the library in March and listened to it twice so that i could adjust to the Irish accent before I went to Ireland.

The Lost King- the sotry of Richard II.  I know nothing about Richard II but apparently, Shakespeare maligned his character.

Air- the story of Michael Jordan's mother's efforts to get him the best endorsment contract.

Are you There God, It's Me Margaret- I was surprised how much I enjoyed this movie.

About My Father- medicare at best.

Blackberry- This was an interesting movie but it was so poorly shot that it triggered my motion sickness.

Asteroid City- I loved this movie and I have to go see it again as I missed too much of the nuances.

Songs of Freedom- There are some dreadful people in this world.

Barbie- OMG, this movie was so much fun.

Oppenheimer- This was no Barbie movie.

Hook- I think I've seen this move five times now.

Theatre Camp- this movie was fun.

Best of Show- Ive seen this movie about 5 times and I still laugh every time I see it.

The Endless Summer- This movie nurtured my wanderlust to travel the world.

Flora and Son @ BMFI- I couldnt understand much of the Irish accent so I missed important lines.

Golda with Jaye.  I want to watch it again.

Taylor Swift - with Tricia- I am not a Taylor Swift fan but I thought i had to go to the movie to see what all the hype is all about.  I had planned to stay for an hour or two nut not much longer.  And I found that I loved every minute of the concert.  She is quite a performer.  I am still not a fan.  But I get her appeal now.

I am The Noise @ Theater N with Jaye

Dave @the Uptown- I saw this when it came out and liked it and liked it again this time.

The Big Chill @ the Uptown

Bohemian Rhasopdy @ The Uptown

Holdovers @ BMFI- I thought the movie was boring.

Casablanca with Tricia- This is the first time I watched this movie.

Nyad @ Jaye's house- I loved this movie.  What determination!!!!

Elf @ Uptown

Wonka- Of course, I loved it.  I love the theme of this movie.  I've seen it with Gene  Wilder and then again with Johnny Depp and now with Timothy Challamette.

Breweries 2023

Breweries 2023

Breweries 2023

CO, PA, DE, NJ, MD, Ireland, AL, TN, NY, Iceland

*TommyKnocker brewery- (1)- CO- I tried their beers ten years ago and didn't really like them but my flight of IPAs this time were delicious.

*Barrels and Bottle Brewery- (2)- (CO)-  I only had two beers here, a pumpkin and a vanilla hazy IPA and I liked both of them.

*OHM Brewery- CO- (3)- My beers were good.

*Four Score Brewery- (4)- PA- Adam’s County- I had a long drive ahead of me on this date so I drank my beers quickly and got on my way.  I would have enjoyed savoring these beers for a little longer.

*Troubles End Brewery- (5)-PA- they don't do flights but I was able to get 8oz pours of a pale ale, an imperial stout and a winter ale and all of them were delicious.

Ironhill Brewery- (6)- DE- the beers here never disappoint me. I had an Imperial Stout, a winter ale and two IPAs.

Wrong Crowd - (7)- PA- my beers were delicious. I had a winter ale, an oatmeal stout, a key lime milkshake IPA and a hazy IPA. I am very interested in going back for the stout and the winter ale.

Artillery Brewery- (8)- PA- they serve flights of 5 beers of 5 oz pours.  That is too much beer, particularly since we just came from another brewery but I was able to drink them all.

Be Here Brewery- (9)- PA- I go here about once a year and I like their beers.  Last year, their pumpkin beer was one of my top five beers of the year.  This batch was good but it wasn't outstanding.  The Imperial Stout, on the other hand was delicious. I bought two growlers for $24. I think I am going to reconsider buying these beers.  They are just too expensive and then the bartender have me a copy of the bill and a 30% tip was suggested.

*Bethany Brews- (10)- MD- I tried to get in to this place during covid but it was closed for a long time.  It's open now and I went and didn't really like it.

Thompson Brewery- (11)- DE- I've been here before and it is more of a restaurant rather than a focus on the beer.  So the beers were good but they weren't outstanding.

First State Brewery- (12)- DE- I had a porter, a hazy DIPA and a prickly pear sour.  I liked all of them.

Fetish Brewery- (13) - PA- I've been here before and liked it.  Today I had a delicious mango milkshake IPA and a pear sour and two IPAs.

Yards Brewery- (14)- PA- this is an old favorite.  The beers are always good.

*VK Brewery- (15)- PA- I really shouldn't count this plac as it is not really a brewery.  It's a resturant that wants to lore brew kooks in.  So Stolen Sun Brewery is making their beers.  They only had two of their beers on tab and I am not going here again.

Tired Hands- (16)- PA- I hate this snotty place.

*Lebanon Valley Brewery- (17)- PA- I had a stout, a coffee porter, a pale ale and an IPA and I like the two dark beers best.

*Kane Brewery- (18) -NJ- They don't have flights. Beers are expensive.  I didn't like the vibe.

*Jughandle Brewery-(19)- NJ- the beers were good and reasonable. The brewery smelled of hops.

Rebel Hill- (19)- PA- I was here four years ago.  It was nice to be back.  The beers are still good.

Consohoken Brewery- (20)- PA- I go here once a year.  The beers are consistently good.

*Guinness Brewery -(21)-  Ireland- We were here on St Patrick's Day, a life time goal.

Root Down Brewery- (22)- PA- I've been here a few times but this may be my last time.  They no longer serve flights and that frustrates me because they have so many IPAs and 

*Rock Bottom Brewery- (23)- MD- I liked all of my beers: a dry stout, a fruited sour, a tropical hazy IPA and an IPA.

*Copperz  Brewery-(24)- PA- I liked this place. 

*Blonde and Brewnette Brewery- (25)- PA- this place has only been open for two months and they are already making some very good beers.

LaCabra Brewery- (26)- PA- I've been here a few times and mostly, their beers don't wow me but the beers today were good.

*Sinepuxent Brewery- (27)- MD- You could spend the whole damn day here.  There is a huge outdoor space that allows for a band to play music all afternoon.  You could bring a picnic if you wanted.  The indoor bar area is a little tight but the crowd wants to be there. I had a stout, a sour, a DIPA and a harvest IPA.  I liked all of my beers and if I lived near here, I would come often.

*The Other One Brewery- (28)- MD- this brewery is right in the heart of Ocean City on the main road. It is small but it has a large, friendly vibe. I had a coffee porter that was not to heavy and light enough to drink all day.  I had three IPAs and all of them had a distinctive taste.

*Burnish Brewery-(28)- MD- I had three stouts and a peach sour.

Dogfish Head Brewery- (29)- DE- I've been here several times and my beers were always good but today they were nothingspecial.

Sly Fox- (30)- PA- I had a delicious stout.

Locust Lane Brewery- (31)- PA- I had six different beers.

*Decadence Brewery- (32) -NY- I tried six IPAs and a stout. I liked all my beers and I wasn't drving which made it easy to try so many beers.

Autumn Arch beer Project- (33)- DE- I've been here before and liked the beers. None of them jumped out as anything special.  I wasnt driving so I had two flights: 8 beers.

Victory Brewery- 34- PA- I always like to come here and drink beers.

*John Russell Brewery- 35- PA- Erie County- they served me six 5oz pours. That's too much beer to drink at one time. But I was able to finish the flight.

*Erie Brewery- 36- PA- Erie Country, PA- my beers were OK.

*Black Monk Brewery- 37- PA- Erie County- I have a flight of six beers and I didn't like any of the beers.  There were no defining taste with any of them.  I didn't even drink one of them becasue it had a whisky barrell taste and a high alcohol content and it wasn't worth it to drink it.

*OddStory Brewery- (38) TN- I liked my beers.

*YellowHammer Brewing- (39) AL- three of the beers I ordered were 9.8% alcohol.

*Core3 Brewery- (40) NJ- I had a nitro coconut stout, a milk stout, an AIPA and a beery sour.  The sour was too tart for me.

*Somers Point Brewery-(41)- NJ- my beers were just mediocre.

*Bespoken Brewery-(42)-  PA- I had two stouts, an IPA and a Pale Ale and I liked all of my beers.

Attic Brewery- (43)- PA- I've been here a few times and I like the place.

*Apponaug Brewery (44)- RI- This brewery sat on a river's edge and was a perfect spot to sit on a summer night.  They didn't have flights so I had to drink 4 8oz pours. I had a pineapple ,pomade IPA and it was so refreshing.

*Sea Dog Brewery (45)- ME- my hazelnut porter was delicious.

*Blaze Brewery (46)- ME- I had a delicious porter.

*Shipyard Brewery (47)- ME- I've had these beers before but nothing wowed me.  I was very happy to discover that they had bought the Sea Dog Brewery and I could get a growler of thier Hazelnut Porter.

*Odell Brewery-(48)  CO- I didnt like this place.

*Horsefly Brewery- (49)- CO- this was a fun place and I got six beers for only $7.

Oscar Blues- (50)- CO-something happened to this brewery.  They are no longer brewing many of their beers.

*Snowbank Brewery- (51)- CO- I liked my beers here.

*Stodgy brewery- (52)- CO- I liked the beers but mostly I liked the beer glasses.  I should have bought one.

*Brotherton Brewery- (53)- NJ- I took Jill here for a beer experience.  She isn't a beer drinker but every beer in her flight was delicious.  And my four beers were equally delicious.

*Berlin Brewery- (54)- NJ- these beers were OK.

Stolen Sun Brewery- (55)-PA- I've been here many times and I always like my beers.

Brealoch Brewery- (56)- PA- my flight was delicious.  I did think that my milk stout was a bit too sweet.  I also had a side pour pilsner and I liked it.

*Rural City Brewery- (57)- PA - The place was nice but it didn't wow me.

*Cartel Brewery- PA- (58) - PA- my beers were good but it was $14 for a flight.  That is too much.

Mad Chef brewery- (59) PA- My IPA was good.

von C Brewery- (60)- PA- they served beer at a concert I attended and, of course, my IPAs were delicious.

*Funk Brewery- (61) - PA- Lehigh County- this place was hard to get there because I was taken on backroads.  Anyway, I had a flight and I was allowed to buy one 16oz of pumpkin beer to go so I am so damn happy.

*Bryggjan Brewery (62)- Iceland- I had an IPA, a pale ale and a white ale and I liked all three of them.

Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company- (63)- PA- I had two Pumpkin Ales and two IPAs.  I've been here before and the place doesn't interest me much.

*Southern Tier Brewery- (64)- NY- I drove 5 1/2 hours to get to this brewery and it was time well spent.

*Wicked Warren Brewery- (65)- PA- Warren County- there were six beers to this flight.  That's too much beer fro me to drink an dit was $15.  That's too expensive.  But I had a pumpkin, a white stout, an IPA, a pale ale, a hazy IPA and al/lemonade (too sweet). 

*Dented Keg Brewing Company- (66)- PA- Clearfield County- this brewery didn't have enough beers that interested me to even get a flight.  They were out of three beers.  So I just got a pint of the pumpkin beer which was delicious and I took a 4 pack home with me.

*Levity Brewery- (67) - PA- Blair County-  my beers were good.

Stitch House Brewery- (68)- DE- I really don't like this brewery.

*Golden Avalanche Brewery- (69)- PA- Kutztown- this place was nice but I'm not sure I would go back.  None of the beers wowed me.

Troeg's brewery- (70)- PA- Dauphin County- I loved this brewery when I visited it in the past. But this visit was just mediocre.  I did bring a pint of pumpkin beer home with me.

LeVante's Brewery (71)- PA- This was a great brewery to finish my 2023 beer count.

Best Beers Of The Year

The Ghost is Clear- oatmeal stout - Wrong Crowd Brewery

Sticky Bandit- winter ale- wrong crowd brewery

Be Where?- Russian Imperial Stout-Be Here Brewery

Cherry Stout- Guiness Brewery

Banana Stout- Guiness Brewery

Hazelnut Porter- Sea Dog Brewery

Beer Day: three breweries in Colorado in August

Beer Month: April - 15 breweries

New breweries this year: 45

Brewery of the Year: Southern Tier Brewery  (NY)  

I have been a fan of this brewery for years.  They make great beers and so I drove 5 1/2 hours to get there. I particularly wanted to try their pumpkin beer, the stout, the warlock, and a few IPAs. When I went to pay my bill, I was charged $35 and I told the bartender that he undercharged me because I had a flight, a meal, a four pack of the pumpkin ale and a bar glass. He told me that everything but the glass were 1/2 price.  I asked what else was half price and he pointed to the Warlock and the Harverst ale.  So I took some of that as well and my total bill was a mere $45.  That was a great deal.

Runners Up:

• Bespoken (PA)
• Sea Dog (ME)
• Blaze (ME)
• Horsefly Brewery (CO)
• Blondes and Brewnettes (PA)

Countries: 

• USA
• Ireland
• Iceland

But I also tried very hard to find breweries in Antigua, Greenland and the Azores.

First Pour of the Day

1- Jake's Bar- West Chester, PA

2- Clark's Bar- Drogheda,  Ireland

3- Jughandle Brewery- NJ

4- Brotherton Brewery- NJ

January 2023

 January 2023

I Broke a Damn Tooth

RIP Mark

MMA Distinguished Alumni Award

PA/VA/MD/CO/DE/Antigua

1- SU- PA

I spent much of the evening hanging in the lounge. I invited a few people to join me for beverages and then there was another group of people hanging there so we hung with them. The conversation moved to politics and I find it to be a waste of time to engage in verbal combat with right wingers. And I was sorry I shared my beer with them.

2- M- PA/VA

I headed to VA to pick up Clay for our Colorado trip.  I arrived just in time for dinner and it was nice to have the whole family together. It's so hard to believe that Brian's kids are all men now. 

Afterwards, we watched Penn State win in the Rose Bowl game.  And after that, we watched a 24 year old Buffalo Bills' football player have a cardiac arrest right on the field. Apparently he died on the field and was brought back to life.  And then he was sent off to the hospital and he died again and they brought him back to life again.

3- TU- VA/MD

We head up to BWI this warm afternoon. Clay wore shorts all day.  Last week is was 4F. We got to the hotel around dinner time and went out and got Japanese for dinner and then we bought Italian sandwiches for lunch on the plane.

The football player is still alive but he is in critical conditions and in a coma.

The US House of Representatives couldn't elect a Speaker of the House and they are in turmoil and I am enjoying the internal civil war.

4- W- MD/CO

We leave for Colorado today. I am looking forward to the snow covered mountains and worried about driving through them. We upgraded our rental car to an SUV in anticipation of any heavy snow.

Our hotel was right in downtown Denver and it was so nice. i didn't realize that Denver has such a big downtown area.

For dinner, we went to Billy's Hot Dog Cafe and ordered five there: the Denmark, the Tijuana, a Kobe beef, a Texas tommy and an elk sausage.  then we took three different one to go to eat later.

5- TH- CO

We ate the remaining hot dogs for breakfast.

In the afternoon we drove to Canon City and spent the evening at the Dakota Springs hot Springs. It was a bathing optional place and I promised Clay that I would keep my suit on.

Clay and I met with Nick, a former student of mine and an athletic trainer.  I wanted Nick to talk to Clay about training at high altitude.

6- F- CO

Andy recommended a breakfast burritos restaurant in Canon City so we stopped there and he was correct.  The burritos were the best I have ever ha.

We took an afternoon train ride through the Gorge and it was beautiful.  I paid for the expensive seats but they weren't worth it.  Mostly, we stood outside on the platform train and took in the beauty.

Late afternoon, we hooked up with KT and dropped Clay off at Andy's business office. Clay went with Andy for the weekend and I hung with KT.

KT and I headed north and had dinner at the Tommy Knocker Brewery (1)- CO- I had a delightful flight of IPAs.

7- SA- CO

After a difficult drive up the snow covered mountains, we made it just in time for our three hour soak at the Iron Mountain thermal pools. It was a delightful day.  But I wish I had something that kept me warmer as I moved from the tub to the cold, outside air.

8- SU- CO

The ride back to Denver was much easier than yesterday.

We stopped at the Barrell and Bottles Brewery (2) for lunch.

KT and I parted around 4 PM.  She went home and I found a hotel near Andy's office. Once I was settled in, I went to the  OHM Brewery (3) for a flight of beer.

In the evening, I watched Cooksville Miracle, which was one sappy christian movie. I hate that shit.

9- M- CO

I picked Clay up around noon.  We headed to the Red Rocks Ampitheatre, Golden, Boulder and a few other neighborhoods.  Then we headed off to the CO Wildlife Refuge in search of bison and the trip did not disappoint.

10- TU- MD/V

We arrived at BWI by 7 AM and I was tired. Then we had a three hour drive back to Brian’s house. Twice, I almost fell asleep. After the first incident, I took a quick nap in the car and then got something to eat. That energized me for about an hour. Then clay took over and got us home. 

I slept all afternoon even though I tried to get up and do something with the Kellys. But I was too sleepy. 

Brian came home from work. Cindy gave me a 6 pack of good beers. We taste tested all fo them. We ordered two pizzas and just hung by the fireplace. This was a good day. 

11-W-VA/PA

I think I left Brian's house around 11 ish.  I didn't shower or have breakfast.  I just wanted to get on the road and get home. 

Of course, I stopped at brewery, the Four Score brewery - (4)- PA- Adams county and my beers were delicious.

My new blender arrived and I am so happy. I can make smoothies again.

12- TH- PA

The day started with mammogram and a Dr visit. I told her about Nancy's cancer and now she is going to have me take an MRI in six months.

Afterwards, I went to Haverford Middle School to watch Leo's wrestling match. And, of course, he pinned his opponent within a minute.

13-  F- PA

Jaye is in the hospital for blood clots in her lungs. She is on oxygen and thinks she may be able to meet us for brunch on Sunday.

I had an eye exam.

On the way home, I stopped for Chinese take out. As I was chewing on a delicious piece fo shrimp tempura, I cracked a tooth.  It sounded as if someone had broken a plastic fork in half.  It was so loud and I was driving and the moment unnerved me.  I had to pull over.

I had an ushering assignment at uptown.  I went there but I was so unnerved about my tooth, I asked if I could just leave. I needed to go home and feel sorry for myself.

14- SA- PA

Jaye is still in the hospital. She is on oxygen because of her lung clots.

The annual gala event at Uptown Theatre was a big success.

15- SU- PA

Sharon, Tricia, Lauren and I met at the white dog cafe for lunch. We were supposed to met up with Jaye which was a disappointment.

Afterwards, I went to a brewery with Lisa and Deb, Trouble's End Brewery (5) - PA.  I liked this place.

16- M- PA/DE

I was at the dentist ASAP this morning.  Of course, he couldnt do anything with my tooth.  I thought I could be a cap or root canal at worst.  But I have a vertical crack all the way up to the root.  So the tooth has to be extracted and I need a damn, fucking expensive implant.

My prolia shot was scheduled for this afternoon.  But that is on hold now that I have a tooth crisis.  My prolia shot can cause jaw cancer so I am going to have to delay the shot until 4 months after my pending implant heals.  So it could be as long as a year before I get another shot.

While I was waiting to see the dentist, I wandered on to Mark Kleinle's facebook page and discovered that he died of heart failure in September.

In the afternoon, I had lunch with Joann. I haven't seen her for three years. We went to the Ironhill Brewery (6)- DE- my beers were delicious. I had a Russian Imperial Stout, a Winter Ale, and two IPAs.

Jaye came home from the hospital. What a relief.  And the doctor told her that he was going to suspend her treatment until further notice.

17- TU- PA

Day 5 of my damn tooth crisis.

I got up at 8 today to get get ready for my puffin registration challenge.  Registration opened up at 9 AM and I was right on the site t hat time and I was 149 in line to register. I am going on July 5 with Deb Green and I can't wait.

I looked up dental implant centers and I found sites that offer the implant at $6000, $2999 and $1000.  That's a big difference. I have an appointment at 9 AM tomorrow at the $1000 place.  I am a little nervous to use this cheap service.  But I am going to get them, at least, to extract my tooth.  UPDATE: this appointment is cancelled. They called me and I told them what I wanted and was told that they would not extract my tooth.  So I cancelled.

Debbie and I called everyone we could and I finally have an appointment tomorrow at 4 PM.  And it is confirmed that the damn tooth is coming out and that saddens me that I am losing my fucking teeth.

My protein powder came from Amazon today.  Tricia said I should be adding this to my smoothies since I am not eating these days. And my smoothies aren't filling me up.

I made a hotel reservation for our Puffin trip. I think all of the hotels, in this area,  must have booked up now that everyone got their reservations. I cant wait fro July 5th.

I composed a rough draft of my letter to Mark's wife. I just have so much saddens and regret. I cried the whole time I was writing it.

18- W- PA

Sally came over and we spent three hours trying to book our Ireland trip.  We booked the flight but we can not find hotels that are available and reasonable.  We both decided that we are not going to spend $1000 for a hotel room in Dublin.

My damn tooth is out. And... the anchor for my implant is in, and... it costs me $3200 today and I am not finished paying for this damn tooth.  But the tooth is out, I am not in any pain or discomfort and I am so relieved. 

Jaye was told that she can interrupt her chemo treatment because her cancer numbers are good at the moment.  The doctor wants to give her body a rest. And her spirits are already so much better.

I went to Debbie's for dinner and it was so satisfying to eat pasta without my night guard off.  I feel liberated.

I went back on the internet and looked for hotels in Ireland.  I found something up north and booked it.  I can cancel if needed.  But this may fit our need to be near Dublin, the beach and in a small town with a few pubs.  I hope Sally likes it.

19- TH- PA

OMG, I feel great.  I ate food today and used my full mouth. I do have a big hole in my head but who cares, the tooth is gone.

We had a pool tournament here at Chestnut Square and my two friends won.  Everyone was surprised, even the winners.

20- F- PA

Jerry Blavat, the Geeter with the Heater, The Boss With the Hot Sauce died. He was 82 and his musical influence on the Philadelphia scene has been legendary for 60 years. I never liked him but anyone who loves 50s music, loved him.

In the afternoon, I went to see the movie, The Fablemans, with Kathy Flatley.

My car is dragging a plate that is bolted under the engine. The plate serves to keep pebbles and stones out of the engine.  KF and I got down on our backs and used zip ties to fix the plate. It was hysterical and fixed.

21- SA- PA

Sally came over and we finished up our plans for our trip to Ireland and I think it is going to be a good time.  Afterwards, we went to The Wrong Crowd Brewery and Artillery Brewery. My beers were delicious.

While we were parking to go into the brewery, a skunk waddled out from underneath a car.  It scared the shit out of me.  When I told one of the bartenders, he said she has seen multiple sighting of this skunk.  Now I will have to be on the look out for that damn things.

I came back and went to Debbie's to let her know that I would be around for the Eagle's playoff game.  When I got there, everyone was eating dinner. So I sat down and joined them and hung around until the first half of the game.

I stopped by the lounge and it was packed with people who are drinking and cheering and shouting and watching the Eagles and having a good time and it was great to see this crowd.  We haven't had a crowd in the lounge like this since covid. And, we won handsomely tonight.

22- SU- PA/DE

Today I start my journey to Antigua.  I will have dinner with Jaye and Dom and then I will head out to the airport hotel for my very early morning flight to Miami and then Antiqua.

23- M- PA/Miami/Antigua

It was a long day of travel but I finally made it to Antigua.  I was up at 4AM for a 6AM flight to Miami. From there I picked up my flight to Antigua and then I had about a 45 minute ride to the hotel.  I checked in around 5 PM.

I had to share a taxi with a couple from Scotland. Of course, as the rest of the world is so inclined, the husband made a joke about Trump. I think the wife held her breathe until I let them know that we are on the same page.

He asked me where I was staying and I told him the Jolly Beach Resort and he mentioned that the place may be a dump.  And then he apologized and said he may have wrong information. Oh well. If the place is too gross, I'll just hang on the beach.

24- TU- Antigua

It was a day at the gorgeous beach.  I slept late and wandered down to one of the many places to eat brunch in my all inclusive resort.  I went to the gift shop to get a hat as I forgot mine at home.  But I will have to come back tomorrow to buy one as I was not able to charge the hat to my room.  And then I was off tot he beach for the afternoon.

I found a lounge chair with plenty of shade and close to the bar. After three beers and some fruity banana drink, I made my way to the pool and slipped in to the chilly water.  I would have loved it if the water was just a few degrees warmer.  But I still loved it because it is January and I am outside, swimming in the pool.

I watched the sunset and took lots of photos but most of them had to be deleted because it was too sunny to see what was in my view finder. And, of course, I ran out of battery power just as the sun was finally setting. So I will have to prepare better fro tomorrow's sunset.

I was also able to book a facial and a fruit scrub for tomorrow. I can't wait.

I went to the Asia buffet in one restaurant, was seated and served water and left shorty thereafter because the food was unappealing to me.

25- W- Antigua

My Spa appointment was for 10 AM. That meant I had to get up early to get there on time.  I had a fruit body scrub and a facial.  Both treatments were delightful.  And I left the spa in a floating feeling of peace.

I made it to the restaurant for brunch and had a pina colada and a beer.  This open bar has to stop.  It's killing me.  Maybe tomorrow I will had a banana daiquiri .

The gift shop was opened so I was able to get some beverages for my room. And it's a good thing that I bought them.  I turned on the hot water in my facet and duty water came out.

The beach was lovely again today.  Mid afternoon we had a but of excitement as a woman on a paddle board fell over and couldn't get back on.  Another woman noticed and called to everyone the beach for help.  Most people just came to the shore and watched the moment unfold.  I wadded to the bar and told the waitresses, thinking they would call someone for help.  But they didn't.  They just came out and watched as well.  Someone in a key ski emerged and saved the woman. And then I ordered another beer.

Some man came over and chatted me up.  He was a local and he stayed too long.  I was suspicious of him and thought I might have a problem.  But he finally left.

I took a lot of photos yesterday but I didn't take any photos today as my scenery hasn't change one bit.  All I see all day is a gorgeous, sparkling beach.

26- TH- Antigua

It was another beautiful day.  I made my way to the beach a little earlier today. And I got a great spot, right out front with a full view of the water.  I made it in to the water today and it felt like silk.

The head message man found me and he massaged my head, face and neck for about 30 wonderful minutes.  He oiled up my head and rubbed my face and did a little, painful reflexology on my hands.  I loved it and I would love to receive this treatment every day of my life.

I am getting special treatment from the waiters behind the bar. They think I saved that woman who needed help in the water yesterday.  They wanted to know if she was OK today and I just answered with what they wanted to hear.  She is fine, just a little shaken.

27- F- Antigua

I am kicking myself for booking such a short trip. I go home tomorrow and I wish I had another week.  These days of nothingness have been delightful.

The past three days I have just done nothing but drink beer. I don't think I have even been thinking about anything.  I just sit mindlessly and enjoy the breeze.  But today I started listening to an audiobook.  And just as I was deep in to the story with my eyes closed, someone poked me.  I was so damn startled. It was the head massage man.  He wanted to know how I felt today.  I wanted to tell him that I was fine until he scared the hell out of me.

28- SA- Antigua/Miami/PA

I'm in the lounge of the resort, waiting for a taxi to take me to the damn airport. And I am filled with regret that I have to go home so soon.  I wasn't here long enough for my liking.  I never got tired of going tot he beach and doing nothing.  Therefore, I did absolutely nothing the whole time.  If I had stayed longer, I would have booked some excursions to snorkel and see dolphins and explored the town and found a brewery.  But I didn't do any of those things.  I just sat on my fat ass on the beach and drank pilsners.  And that was enough for me and these last few days have been beautiful, relaxing and great.

29- SU- PA

My flight out of Miami was delayed so I didn't get home until 230AM.  I was tired.  But I was bombarded with challenges.

There was a drunk man in the lobby, sleeping.  I had to call the police and they did something with him.  I didn't hang around to see what happened.  But they had a hard time trying to get him to wake up and cooperate. I left when they asked for his ID and he handed them his phone.

And then I opened my mail and I had a letter from some legal entity telling me I owe $3000 in fines for not filing my campaign report from 2014. I was also informed that I could go to jail if I did not comply by March 1. Shit!!!!  I have to get right on this issue on Monday.

I tossed and turned all night and laid wide awake in bed until noon and got up to watch the Eagles play today.  And of course, the game doesn't start until 3PM. And now I am exhausted.

The Eagles won the game today so now they go on to the Super Bowl game and everyone in Philly is thrilled. As with last week, the lounge was packed with people and food.

Sara, from the building office, stopped by to see me.  She watched the security tapes from last night and saw that our male intruder came in with one of the residence but she seemed to have been spooked by him because she ditched him in the lobby.  According to Sarah, several people were in and out of the lobby and saw the guy but did not intervene.  She saw me talking to him and she saw the cops take him out in handcuffs.

I'm always surprised when people don't have the courage to do the right thing.  This guy was obviously in need of some sort of help.  It seemed obvious to me that he didn't belong here.  And it was obvious that he was tresspassing and could have created a problem.  While the young woman who ditched him may have felt unsafe, why didn't she call the police when she got up to her apartment. And why didn't others speak to him? 

30-M- PA

Today was a day of great anxiety and great relief.  I got up and called the MD Prosecutors' office to discuss the letter I got this weekend.  As luck world have it, I dealt with this agent 9 years ago when I missed another submission deadline.  She cut me a break then and she is going to cut me a break again.  She assured me that I was not going to jail and was not going to have to pay $25,000 in fines.  She put me in touch with someone who is going to walk me through the process to terminate my campaign.  I am so relieved.

31- TU- PA

It's the end of the first month of 2023.  I can't believe it.

I went to the bank and got the copy of an old check that is the stumbling part of closing my 2014 campaign fund. I will be so happy to get this burden out from under me.

I went to Belvin Deli - bday goal

When I got home, I had a voice mail from a woman who tried to call me last week.  She is on the  MMA Alumni Association and she informed me that I am the recipient of the first Distinguished Alumni Award. I am honored and I am bewildered. I do not deserve to receive tis award.  There are far more distinguished alumni than me.  But it seems they are looking at my career and my retirement activities.

All of the usher were asked to come to the Uptown play review. The Mountain Top opens tomorrow.  It is a speculation of Martin Luther King's last night he was alive.  The play was outstanding.