FINALLY - SEALED THE DRIVEWAY!!

Well... been some time... but got a flyer thrown on my driveway a few weeks ago... quoting a great price for sealing my driveway...so I called the number listed and spoke to George... of Sealing Long Island... got a great price considering how big my driveway is... they fill cracks, and then apply coating with a brush rather than spray... much better coat... they did a great job... driveway looks great.See before...during and done pics...

LONG TIME NO SEE, again...

Wow...October 2011 was last post? ...Sheesh.... have been neglecting my blog... so let's catch up... Hmmm... OK... Dan did great his first semester back in college... 3.45GPA... like it.. He's no longer playing hockey, rather watching the NY Rangers try again for the Stanley Cup... He and brother Jay went to 2 or 3 of the playoff games... Go Rangers! Jay on the other hand is working in his first land-locked job in over 10 years... Jay had been sailing on tall ships...(got his Captains Ticket and all) ... but now is the Harbor Manager at the South Street Seaport in NYC... Rachel is engaged to Jed...no wedding date set but we're waiting patiently... Rachel is still working at Stony Brook University Hospital in the Emergency Department and Jed works for Poland Spring, delivering that "cont get there from here" spring water...heavy job (literally)... I, on the other hand am still working at NPFD...AS FIRE/EMS Dispatcher... (15 years) and still run my small home business. (I'm also an EMS (EMT) first responder... but they take pity on the old man and keep me in the radio room dispatching.... While I have had a few "relationships" over the years since Fran died, I just ended (or shall I say) correction... She just ended what I thought was a great 4 1/2 month courting... Anne, so I thought, loved me, as I did her... apparently not so and she cut me loose on April 22. So I'm back on the market, attempting to mend my broken heart.. I'm gonna be strong... (as Gene Pitney sang) and carry on with my life... I lost one love to death... I should be able to bounce back after such a short lived romance. But, she'll think of me (who sang that).. we did a lot together in our short time together... nuff said... So I'm back on a "over 50" dating site attempting to meet some new women...We'll see where that goes. Here's a recent pic of me...(more pics follow)

Here is a pic of Rachel and Jed (taken same night at our ambulance company installation dinner...

Here is a great pic of 2 brother having a blast at a Rangers game...(they won too!)

Well, there you have it... an update... of sorts...As Arnold Schwarzenegger said... "I'll be back" ...cya

Dan is back playing HOCKEY!!

LTNS everyone... just a quick update... My son Dan is attending college at SUNY Albany... now known as UAlbany... along with his studies, he was accepted to the UAlbany roller hockey team and the weekend of 10/23-10/24 went with the team to Glastonbury CT to play a 4 game event with other school teams... They won 2 and lost 2 and I got to watch 3 games... It was great to see him playing again, as he loves roller (and ice) hockey. His Uncle David and Aunt Marilyn were there to watch 1 game too. The pic is an impromptu group shot of the team just before they go on the deck to play... Dan is on the far right... more about this later...

Long Time No See....

Boy, I have really neglected this blog... But it's October now and new events are shaping my life..

About a year and a half ago, one of my many doctors advised me I was "borderline" diabetic. I knew this was coming... My brother has diabetes... I have a few of the signs and symptoms he has, particularly peripheral neuropathy, This is a feeling of numbness and pain in the feet.

I was advised to watch my diet, less carbs...etc. and I have tried... and failed...

Three weeks ago I came down with a heavy case of Bronchitis... Instead of going to my GP, (with whom I am not all that happy) I went to my pulmonologist... He is a great doctor and always takes his time with me when I have an appointment. Well... he examined me and decided the best therapy would be Symbacort Inhaler... and a 16 day regimen of Prednisone, starting at 40mg a day and winding down to 10mg a day at the end. Also, a Z-Pak 5 day anti-biotic. Got through the 5 day anti-biotic, but still had a bad wheeze and cough.. went back to the doc and he re-upped the Prednisone, and gave me a shot of Salumedral (sp) via IV... I was good for a few days... and congestion is breaking up though I still have a wheeze.

I feel fine but still, with the wheeze and cough I'm not 100% recovered. Did I mention I also have COPD? So I'll never really be recovered.

Anyway... Yesterday I did about 3 hours of yard work... mowed the lawn, (with my cute little Weed Eater riding mower) edged and blew away all the debris with my "electric" leaf blower... Lawn looks great. Felt good to do the yard work...

Then Jay and I went to see an attorney of mine for some "legal" advice and then went to dinner with Jed. (Rachel was a her own doctors appointments)

Came home from dinner and realized I was dehydrated,, even though I had been drinking lots of water all day, (I was also passing it almost as fast) . All day, however, my fingers kept cramping up and when we came home from dinner, my calves were cramping as well... I needed some potassium. (I bought two bananas on the way home to eat at work. (remember I work 10pm to 6am five nights a week)

When I got to work my co-workers(paramedics) said I looked pale... I told them about my dehydration and they check my blood sugar level. (WOW... 480...) too high and I'm in keto-acidosis...So they want to start me on an IV to flush out the system, but my blood pressure was 166/88, so no IV... Would put the pressure through the roof...

So I am advised to drink plenty of water...I drank five (5) 20 ounce bottles of water over the shift (8 hrs) and the blood sugar level down to 358... still too high... so this am... I will call the doc and see what we have to do... I'll get back to ya... Have a nice day...

Watch this and laugh...

The Real Reason

I'm alone... not only by choice, but by circumstance. I was going with, what I thought of as my second (maybe third) soul mate. for over 6 years...

We did everything together as our working schedules allowed. Family visits...trips, (including a 4 day Jamaica holiday I won from a radio station) weddings (on my side anyway)

But alas... her daughter was to be married and lo and behold, I was not invited with a lame excuse of her not wanting to subject me to her ex. (she's divorced for many years)

This hurt... a lot... but then I got sick with 2 bouts of diverticulitis... an intestinal problem. My first stay was only (ha only) 6 days in hospital. My second was 11 days... she visited my once during the 6 day stay and twice during the 11 day stay.

I am not the type of person that likes friction, conflict, fighting and rage... I find it hard to find the right words to explain my feelings in many instances and so I found it difficult to tell her just how hurt I was... It got to the point where I stopped calling her as often, we did not do out as often and eventually both of us stopped calling one and other altogether.

Fault... probably mine... for not having the balls to sit down and talk it out. Probably because the harm had been done and could not be undone. I miss her... and the good times we had together. But I believe I am better off to be without someone who was either ashamed of me for some reason (therefore no invite to the wedding) or there is some other embedded reason I am not aware of at this point.

So here I'll stay... alone... missing her... but without. So let it be written....

Tsunami hits Pacific Ocean

On Friday morning, March 11, 2011 (Japan time) an 8.9 magnitude earthquake off the coast of north/eastern Japan produced a very strong Tsunami throughout the Pacific Ocean at a very bad time. While devastation in Japan was enormous, I was worried for a different reason.

My Son, Jay, sails on a tall ship for SEA Semester (Sea Education Association) and was about 500-600 miles south east of Hawaii when the tsunami was to roll through that area. Jay is (2nd Mate) sailing on the Robert C. Seamans... a beautiful white tall ship.
Unbeknown-st to land lubber me, I feared for everyone's safety on board the Seamans...

However, SEA stated (on their site) Even major tsunamis are nearly undetectable to ships at sea. The damage caused by tsunamis results from the energy contained in these waves entering shallow water near a coastline, building into destructive waves and washing inland. During a tsunami, it is safer to be at sea in deep water than in port.

... So I am now somewhat relieved to know my son and his shipmates are safe. Jay is due home after a stint in Hawaii, March 31st... Can't wait to see him again.

All for now... see ya...