It's just easier this way

 Soon it will be the anniversary of my start date as a driver for the JCC.

Much has changed in the 4 years since I began there.

What started out as driving a bus 2 hours every weekday morning has become a full time job.

Well ,full time until Covid hit any way.

Not that I am working less.

It's just my schedule is different (and the full time salary has been cut in half).

We've all had to tighten our belts during these trying times.

I no longer pick up passengers on my bus.

Now instead we deliver meals.Ipads for our lending program and art supplies for the different classes we offer.

I no longer have personal contact with the community we serve.

Meals and supplies for the most part are left on doorsteps or with doormen.

It's easier that way.

There's no emotional attachment.

Working with seniors,always came with it's special price tag.

It was difficult watching as illness and aging took its toll on my patrons.

Now,I have little to no contact with them.

It's easier that way.

Same can be said for my personal life.

Pre-Covid, I was going to funerals on a fairly regular basis.

Now, I can't imagine that other than a very close family member, I will ever go to another one.

It's just easier this way.

Hospital visits, visiting sick friends, social gatherings with friends and relatives are all off of the table.

With all of the restrictions today we just don't do those things.

Bottom line, it's just easier now.

Life is just easier.

The strain on my emotional well being is so much less.

Like I said, it's just easier this way.

I suppose if one was to search for a silver lining to these very arduous times, this personal disconnect could be seen as one. It's just easier this way.

Shabbat Shalom!

It's what we do

 Over the last few days, a number of people have asked me " with the storm coming, what are your plans"?

Well,I plan to deliver meals like I do every day.

Isn't that what we do?

We deliver meals to our Senior community, who for any of a number of reasons, need our help.

One would think that in a snow storm, our service would be as important as it ever is.

I'm not a nut job.

It was a snow storm, not a blizzard.

If I had any trepidations, I would have made arrangements to deliver an extra meal yesterday.

That would have been a last resort.

One of the special things about our program is that these seniors get a fresh meal delivered daily.

It's not frozen,it's fresh.

To them, it's not so much about the freshness.

It's that someone is reaching out to them 5 days a week.

It's part of their routine.

It allows them to connect.

Surely a snowstorm or some inclement weather shouldn't disrupt that.

The day was not without it's challenges.

50 mph was reduced to 15.

Highways where I normally go 60-65 mph were reduced to 25-30.

The snow was an issue.

So were the gusting winds.

I could feel the stress building in my lower back, my neck and my legs as we drove on.

The roads were not in very good shape.

Fortunately, we only got stuck once and for only a very short period before I could extricate ourselves.

By days end,we made 49 out of the 50 deliveries we had on the route for the day.

One house was just impossible to get to.Now that things have calmed down, I will jump out and deliver the last one as well.

It's what makes our program so special.

It's what we do.

Besides, it's bright and subby out now.

Why was everyone in such a panic?

And just like that.....Winter!

 It was just a few days ago that my daughter said to me"I was going to wear a coat and then I stepped outside and it was almost 60 degrees!".

On Saturday, I opened the windows in ou family room to let in some fresh autumn air.

Friday night I did the same in my bedroom.It was that perfect blend of cool night air and a warm blanket to wrap myself in.

This morning....19 degrees!

And now a snowstorm is heading our way.

And just like that,it's hello winter!

The prognosticators are predicting any where from 8" to 2'.

I'm not sure if I I am ready to buy any of what they are trying to sell us.

Still, like I do with Covid, I am willing toa) acknowledge that there is going to be an event and b) that a bit of caution and preparation is probably a good thing.

I am not going to run to the supermarket to buy up enough supplies to see me through the apocalypse.

I am sure we have enough toilet paper and paper towels to hold us over until the roads are clear.

While we probably couldn't last through to the spring thaw, I do think we are covered in the grocery department for a few days at least.

There is going to be a snow event.

How much?

I have no idea.

I have made some cursory plans in anticipation of the storm.

Even though I still had almost a half tank of gas,surely enough to get me through tomorrow's deliveries, I filled up today.

I backed the bus into the driveway for tonight just in case I have to smash my way out over a snowbank.

My plan is to start my day an hour earlier in the morning.

I have no idea how much digging I will need to do or how passable the roads will be.

Picking up the 50 meals that need to be delivered tomorrow should not be an issue. Delivering them may be a bit trickier.

Someone asked me how the new bus we purchased a year ago does in the snow.

That's a great question as we never had a significant storm to deal with last year.

I guess we'll find out in the morning!

Yep,just like that ,winter is here!

And as the words of the song of the season encourages us....Let it snow,let it snow,let it snow!

Life is like a football game

 Life is like a football game.

Hear me out on this one.

Every morning when I wake up,it's as if I am waiting for the opening kickoff.

In my mind,just like the players on the field, I expect to win today.

I will take that opening kickoff and march right on down the field and score.

That's what's in my mind.

It's not always what ends up happening.

A kickoff return for a touchdown happens every once in a great while.

It certainly is not the norm.

So it seems is the way life goes.

Rarely does my day go that smoothly or easily.

As I go about my day, there are a number of opportunities to score

Sometimes I manage to put together some nice long drives.

All too often, they stall and fall short of the goal line..

When that happen, I don't just give up.

I send my defense out,hope for a stop and another chance to score.

As I approach each new possession (opportunity) , in my mind I again believe,this time I will score.

Again, that never happens.

There are some good plays,some not so good plays and even a few fumbles.

There are also quite a few 3 and outs.

Still,I never give up.

I don't quit.

I believe even as my waking and working hours wind down and the game clock seems to be against me, in my heart I still want to try and drive the length of the field and score.

As my day ends and the final gun sounds,all I can do is look ahead to the next game, the next kickoff , the next opportunity to win!

Breakfast of Champions

 Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. Lunch often has a tendency of leaving me sluggish and dinner is always the exclamation point at the end of a long day.

Breakfast is the meal that fuels the start of each day.

When I would travel for work,I had the opportunity to eat at some really great breakfast spots.

I would often book my hotels based on the availability and accessibility of a good breakfast.

I have fond memories of some truly outstanding breakfast experiences.

Omelets,pancakes,french toast,muffins,yogurt parfaits,date nut bread and cream cheese served on a chilled plate,grits,oatmeal,bagel platters, pastries galore and so much more.

I've eaten breakfast in over half of the states in the Union and in countries all over the globe.

I've sat,poolside.lakeside,oceanside and mountainside.

I've sat by a fireplace, on a balcony,on a deck, in a grand dining hall, on a patio and at a streetside cafe.

It's the one meal I don't mind eating at a buffet although I still prefer being served.

Still my favorite breakfast of all time, the one I call the breakfast of champions, is one I was introduced to almost 50 years ago when I worked my first job.

To me,there is nothing that beats a cup of coffee and a buttered roll!

That's what I'm talkin' about!

It's so damn blue collar!

I love it!

Diner, deli or roach coach.

It makes no difference.

There's something about tearing open and bending back that little plastic tab on a coffee cup that can't be beat.

And then,folding back the paper that wraps around the roll and taking a bite.....pure ecstasy!

Preferably a round roll,seeded or unseeded, it doesn't matter.

When possible, standing is the position of choice for consuming this gastronomical delight.

I just love it!

There is something "manly" about this breakfast of champions.

Sounds kind of nutty doesn't it?

I can't explain why,I just love it.

With or without a napkin! 

It's not even Bah Humbug

 It is the holiday season.

Tonight is the first night of Hanukah and we are 2 weeks away from Christmas eve.

Yet in these strangest of times, I have to admit,it doesn't feel very festive out there.

Those who would control every aspect of our lives are consistently bombarding us with "this is not the year to be with friends and family".

Okay,I get it,but it all seems to have had a numbing effect on the spirit of the season.

It's not that they are being Scrooges.

It's way worse than that.

Scrooge hated the holiday season.

So much so that he would lash out with his famous Bah..Humbug! aiming at any anyone and everyone.

Hate is an emotion.

I can deal with emotions.

Apathy is a lack of emotion.

It is emptiness.

It's not caring.

It's being indifferent.

This is what I seem to be seeing all around me.

There is no holiday cheer.

There are no good tidings.

Wassail has been replaced by wassup.

We're feeling it at The Grooming Shoppe.

Since we opened over 4 years ago, the weeks before Christmas have been booked solid by mid November.

Not this year.

Why?

Well, people aren't having guests over so it really doesn't matter if Fluffy gets all cleaned up.

December 25th is just another day on the calendar.

Sadly, there will be no annual holiday mug this year,mostly because I really didn't have an inspiring message to print on it.

Sad!

With Christmas day being on Friday, even the folks in my tribe will have a hard time finding kosher take out for dinner!

Really sad!

Passover was a really tough time for me.

It was the beginning of this quarantine and I was devastated missing our traditional seder.

Now during this holiday season,there is no devastation. Just a whole lot of nothing.

I almost prefer the pain I felt back in April to the nothingness I am experiencing at this time of year.

Like I said,sad,very sad!

ILL EFFECTS

 I know,it's been quite a while since you've heard from me.No excuses,I've just been really sick.

Right after the election, I started feeling really rundown.Day after day,it became harder and harder to get up in the morning. As the day wore on,I felt listless and had no energy to do anything.

Day after day,my energy level seemed to get worse and worse.

It got to the point where I could barely get through the day.

I wasn't sick from the Coronavirus.

I was sick OF the Coronavirus and all that accompanies it.

I was sick of the incessant doom and gloom.

I was sick of masks and nonsensical lunacy around wearing or not wearing them.

I was sick of social distancing,isolation,quarantining, and the hypocrisy of those dictating these terms to me.

I was sick of seeing thriving businesses closing and going under.

I was sick of every idiot telling me about the "science" of it all,most of whom couldn't pass high school bio!

I was sick of the rhetoric that has been fueling such divisiveness.

I was sick of it all.

So sick that the mere thought of sitting down at my computer to write made me want to just go back to bed.

What a shame!

After 7 years of writing on a fairly regular basis, I couldn't summon the strength to even type a single thought.

Today, I finally realized that there will never be a vaccine that can cure my illness.

There is no magic pill or potion to take.

The only way I can begin to get better is through therapy.

If you've ever needed P.T., the only way it works is if you buy in completely and push yourself.

It can be painful.

It can be exhausting.

It takes an enormous amount of commitment and hard work.

That's just the way it goes.

You know what they say about commitment.

Commitment is doing those things you said you were going to do after the mood that you said it in has left you.

It's time to feel better.

That can only come with one thing....hard work.

Today I found myself standing at the bottom of the staircase.

There is only one way to get to the top.

Take the first step,and then one more, and then one more and then........

We hold these truths....

 With all of the noise and nonsense swirling about in our nation, I am finding it harder and harder to continue to be the kind,caring, gentle, happy individual I work so hard at trying to be.

People on both sides of all issues just keep saying the dumbest things .

And to be perfectly honest, most of them have nothing but their own opinions to weigh in with. None of the noise is supported by fact,at least not all of the facts.The "TRUTH" is nowhere to be found.

"Listen to the scientists!"

Which ones?

"Follow the Law".

Again, which ones?

Arguments abound .

The one and only thing I am 100% sure of is that there will be no kumbaya moment where all minds will come together and there is peace and brotherhood throughout the land.

It ain't gonna happen.

We hold these truths to be self evident?

Which TRUTHS?

We can't agree on what truth is and we certainly can't agree on any of what follows that statement.

I for one refuse to even pretend to have an intelligent conversation around any of this.

First because I myself am certainly no expert.

Second because I am not going to sway anyone nor will anyone sway me in my beliefs.

Mostly,though, because the minute I try,people go completely bat shit crazy!

70 million plus people hate the guy in the White House.

Another 70 million plus hate the way things have been for the last 50 years or so.

Am I going to change any of that? I don't think so.

If those in office are of the mindset that I support,I'm happy. If the other side is in charge,it's a safe bet that I won't be.

Loads of people are wearing masks,social distancing,getting tested and self quarantining.

Just as many absolutely think that much of what is going on is overreaching and overreacting.

So where will we find common ground.

Usually that happens when we have a common enemy.

Anyone up for a good war?

There is no such thing as constructive debate.

What there is is a whole lot of nastiness from both sides of the issues.

Sadly, there is nothing on the horizon in my view that will mitigate any of this.

Truths are what we each individually believe them to be.

That will not change.

Neither will anyone's deeply held beliefs and opinions.

At some point,reality outweighs truth.

And the reality is there will be no great coming together anytime soon.

Shabbat Shalom

Blinded by the light

 It is a spectacularly glorious sunny day here in the Northeast.

The sun is shining and the temperature is unseasonably warm.

There is a gentle breeze blowing causing the brilliantly colored leaves to dance on the trees before pirouetting down to the ground.

Given that we are well into November, this is a rare and unique gift to many.

Not so much for me however.

I've shared this with you before.

I am not a huge fan of sunny days.

As we move deeper and deeper into autumn, the sun appears lower and lower in the sky making glare a really significant issue for me. I spend 5 hours each morning sitting behind a glass wall navigating the roads of Bergen County.

On sunny days, heading east means battling the sun directly.When I turn to the west ,the issue becomes reflected glare.

In any direction, the end result is a lot of squinting.

The autumnal equinox brings a different sun problem than the rest of the year when the sun might be higher in the sky, beating down on me and overheating my rolling hot box.

It's still a huge annoyance and inconvenience.

Now I know what you are thinking.

Why don't you just go buy some sunglasses?

Well, for one thing,I don't like wearing them.

For many, going through life wearing rose colored or any other tinted glasses makes sense.

Not so much for me.

I find it unsettlingly unnatural and uncomfortable.

I know others feel differently than I do about sunny days.

Many people love them. Good for them. The problem becomes when people try to tell me that my reality and experience around sunny days is wrong or somehow perverse.

They insist that I should be enjoying sunny days and that somehow I am weird and incorrect in my aversion towards them.

It's quite a conundrum.

There is a beauty to sunny days and many feel that this is the way we should all live, bathed in sunshine 365 days a year.

That may be their reality.

It's not mine.

I for one love a cloudy day.

I appreciate a rainy day.

I have even become accustomed to the occasional blizzard and hurricane.

These are all part of my reality.

The sunshine is nice, as long as I can find my patch of shade to live in and get to enjoy it without someone forcing me into that harsh sunlight.

I really dislike being blinded by that light.

If you don't have anything nice to say..............

 How many times have I been told or used the expression"if you don't have anything nice to say ,don't say anything at all!"?

I can only guess too many times to count.

It's just one of life's golden rules in my book,often easier to preach than practice.

As you can surmise by my lack of communication ,( I haven't written in over a week), I have not been in the mood to say nice things lately.

Not that I have a lot of un-nice things to say either.

I just find myself self at an energetic loss to conjure up any really positive thoughts to share with anyone.

It's been a rough couple of days when it comes to being enthusiastic about life.

The last time I wrote was 8 days ago.

The next day,was dark, dank and rainy and I spent almost 8 hours driving around Bergen County making deliveries by myself.

Not exactly a "woo hoo this is loads of fun" kind of day.

By 10:30 in the morning my sweatshirt was damp and that never changed until I did when I stopped by the house at 4 before continuing on my not so merry way.The newly donned dry hoodie was a great relief. It probably would have helped if I had changed my squishy soaking wet shoes and socks as well.

It was just one of those days.

While the weather may have changed dramatically by the next day, things in my world didn't respond accordingly.

What ever malaise had set in on Sunday, seemed to hover around me all week long.

Hence, nothing nice to say.

Further hence,no writing.

While I can't say that sunrise today brought about any sort of significant change in my atmosphere, I did feel it was high time for me to find a way to rise above all of this and reach out.

The Sun is shining as it has been most of the week. The weather is unseasonably warm allowing for some outdoor activities.including taking Susan to lunch today.

Those are some nice things to share with you.

I just had a possibly aha moment.

I last wrote the day before we changed the clocks back.

Since then, evening has crept in around 4 pm and nightfall has been upon us shortly there after.

Darkness!

Ya think that might have something to do with it?

Not sure, but I'll give it some thought.

Until I figure it out....have a nice day!

Shavua Tov!

Mandatory

 I hate the word MANDATORY.

I know hate is a strong word,however, I can honestly say, I hate this one.

MANDATORY!

The minute I hear someone use it, I assume the fight back position.

Masks wearing mandatory!

Social distancing mandatory!

Mandatory curfew!

Mandatory shutdown!

Mandatory vaccination!

Don't tell me what I have to do!

I understand completely that living in a free society does not mean that I get to do whatever I want to do.

As a socially responsible person, I believe I make fairly socially responsible choices.

Mandatory leaves me no choice.

I can't live with that.

There are certain words that just shut me off.

Words like should have, need to, and certainly have to.

These phrases nullify choice.

Mandatory is absolutely right at the top of my list of words that don't fit my lifestyle.

It makes me crazy when someone says"I had no choice".

Yes you did!

We always have a choice.

Legal or illegal, moral or immoral,safe or unsafe, there is and always must be a choice.

Consequences?

You bet there are consequences.

I don't mind consequences,as long as I have a choice.

Mandatory limits my ability to choose.

Mandatory drives me crazy.

Mandatory rarely comes from a consensus.

Mandatory is rarely formed out of consensual dialogue.

It is almost always driven by someone else's agenda.

I can't say it enough.

I hate MANDATORY!

Shabbat Shalom!

And just like that............

 And just like that....it's just another day of the week.

After an awesome day of greetings, well wishes and salutations on my birthday, I woke up to just another day of the week.

I did get an early morning "Happy Friday" text from a dear friend.

However the hoopla and fanfare that filled my day yesterday is now in the rearview mirror.

Well, not exactly.

You see,I have always taken birthday greetings as an opportunity to reconnect with friends and well wishers.

If you text, shout out on Facebook or call me, I will always respond to you.

Not the obligatory Facebook post of "thanks everyone for the well wishes".

Instead, I respond in messenger or by text or phone individually to anyone and everyone who reached out.

I take these birthday greetings seriously. When I get one, it reminds me to take pause and remember that person. Maybe remember a kindness we shared.

Maybe it was remembering a sorrow or a joy that we shared.

It affords me the opportunity to remember someone and check in with them.

I get to ask "how are you doing?' or "how is everyone in your world" .

Often times, it elicits a response and I can answer in kind.

We all get busy and a little bit lost in our day to day trivialities.

On my birthday, it's nice to use that opportunity to check in, catch up and acknowledge friends ,old and new.

In one very short day, I literally had the chance to connect with people all over the world.

It's a pretty awesome way to spend my birthday.

And just like that,it's over and today is just another Friday.

The good news is,it's less than 364 days until I get to do it all over again!

Not that I won't reach out to anyone in the meantime or get a call , text or nudge on Facebook along the way.

That's a given.

However, it's nice to have that 24 hour blitz where I can fill my cup of joy with the pictures of the faces of all who were kind enough to remember me as well.

Shabbat Shalom!

Just the way I ilke it

 Today is a gloriously awful stormy day.

I can't help it.

I love stormy days.

It's cold,dark,rainy,gloomy and by most people's standards nasty.

I couldn't be happier.

All of this nasty weather and it's happening on my birthday. What could be better than that!

I seem to remember more than my fair share of stormy days on my birthday.

Nine years ago we had a snowstorm and 8 years ago Hurricane Sandy.

Like I said, my birthday and nasty weather seem to go hand in hand.

I suppose the familiar feel of inclement weather serves as a reminder to me of birthdays past.

I remember one such birthday years ago,probably 1967 or '68.

My parents got me a faux leather motorcycle jacket. It was to replace the coat they bought me for Chanukah a year earlier....bright red plush with a totem pole on the back.

OMG.....how embarrassing!

The chubby kid wearing a bright red plash coat with a totem pole!

What were they thinking?

I can tell you exactly what they were thinking. It was on the sale rack at Alexanders.

It was marked down,80% off.

It wasn't often that a deal on my size appeared on the closeout rack.

Hence, it was a no brainer.

Bright red plush with a totem pole.

Are you getting the picture?

But now, I had this really cool, faux leather motorcycle jacket.

It had zippers all over.

So damn cool!

Outside, the weather was much like it is today,cold wet and rainy.

And I didn't care. I went outside and stood on our driveway, just hoping someone, anyone, would walk by and see how cool I was.

Now, it was after dinner, on a very small side street,on a school night so the chances of running into anyone were slim.

Still, it was certainly worth the try.

After a half hour or so, my head soaking wet, I went back inside.

I was drenched,and so was my new jacket,my new,faux leather motorcycle jacket, which took 3 days to dry out.

The red plush coat with the totem pole?

Well, it would have to suffice until my new cool jacket dried out.

I probably could have thought that out a little better!

Rainy birthdays.......such great memories!

I wouldn't want it any other way!

Tomfoolery

 For the last 25 years, I have often felt that I wasn't really contributing much to this world in my professional life.

I have friends who are educators, doctors,lawyers and clergy. Some of my friends are tradesman ,some work for charitable organizations.

Me?

I sold Halloween crap.

How does selling a bunch of junk for Halloween make this world a better place to live?

Today for the first time, I realized just how important what I did for a living really was.

Christmas is a time for joy.

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude.

The 4th of July is a time for celebrating our great nation.

What's the deal with Halloween?

Halloween gave us a chance to be silly.

It gave us the opportunity to let loose,to be outrageous,to carry on.

There is no holiday feast associated with Halloween,only huge bags of candy!

We decorate our homes and lawns.

We wear silly costumes.

We have parties.

We visit with neighbors.

We spend time with our kids.

We mingle with the parents of the children our kids go to school with.

Halloween allows us to laugh at ourselves, laugh at each other and more importantly laugh with each other.

It's what is missing today.

We don't laugh anymore.

We don't dress up.

We don't get silly.

There is no tomfoolery.

This is not a result of Covid.

Halloween has been canceled by the cancel culture.

In our industry, we constantly asked ourselves how far is too far when creating new product.

Is this in bad taste?

Are we being insensitive?

Is this too outlandish?

Is it too silly?

The answer was almost always ,no, it's Halloween, this is what we do!

If a product didn't do well at retail, well, lessoned learned.

Somewhere along the line that changed.

At some point some voice began telling us "you can't do that."

You can't make that costume.

You can't offer that prop or decoration.

"It's offensive!"

If it offends you, don't buy it.

Trust me, if it doesn't sell I won't carry it again.

No, we became too sensitive to every breath of wind .

We lost the ability to laugh at ourselves, to have fun.

Too gorey.

Too scary.

Too outlandish.

Too over the top.

Too sexy.

It's a sad place to be in.

It's a truly said state of affairs.

Unfortunately,it is the world we live in today.

Sad,very sad.

We need some good old fashioned tomfoolery.

Zachor

 I had the opportunity to watch The Eichmann Story on Netflix. I don't tout a lot of movies , however,this was a pretty good one.

The one thing that jumped out at me was when they showed some brief frames of the films that were shown to Eichmann at his trial. The footage that documented the atrocities committed.

Although very brief,they were enough to remind me that we must never forget.

In a few weeks, we will remember Krystal Nacht once again.

November 9-10th,1938,The Night of Broken Glass.

It has been 82 years.

Unfortunately,the world has already forgot.

And as if forgetting isn't bad enough,there are many out there who just have no idea of just how horrific the Holocaust really was.

If they did, they would never throw around comparisons that paint any thing that we may be experiencing today to the evil that was perpetrated under the Nazis.

The comparison is beyond deplorable.

I am ashamed to say that I have seen people I know post things on Facebook in the past calling someone a Nazi and I didn't call them out.

In High School, they used to show a film,I think it was called A Night in Watching .

It was as graphic as one could ever want to see.

I for one would want to see more of this shown on tv.

That's the film festival I want to see.

This my friends was social injustice. Social injustice on such an enormous level,we should be reminded of it constantly, graphically, until it makes you puke.

Zachor, to remember.

Mark your calendar.

16 days.

Zachor...............remember.

Closet Cleaning

 With the change of seasons comes a change of wardrobe.

Short sleeved golf shirts are replaced by long sleeved hoodies.

This is the weekend that I have chosen to put away the warmer weather shirts and pull out the warmer clothes that will get me through the next 4 to 5 months.

As I began this task, I found myself rifling through clothes that to be perfectly honest, I will probably never wear again.

My life has changed,in part due to Covid and in part because that is just what happens. Change.

Change happens.

There was a time not that long ago, that I was The Guy In The Tie.

For a period of about 2 years, when I got dressed, it was in a dress shirt and tie.

7 days a week.

Even when my plans for the day were to stay home, I would still put on a shirt and tie.

Just in case I had to run to the store for something, I needed to be prepared.

There are probably 100 or more ties in my closet.

Why?

There is a very good chance, that I may never wear a tie again.

I haven't worn a tie since a year ago when Sara got married.

Covid and the quarantine has obviously had a huge effect on that.

My uniform has changed.

Dress slacks?

Dress shirts?

Nice seaters?

I can't foresee an occasion when I would ever need any of these.

The suit I bought for the wedding?

Unless something really special comes up, like another one of my kids getting married, I probably won't need a suit again.

At least not while I am still breathing.

No,short sleeve polos and long sleeved hoodies should suffice for the immediate as well as the foreseeable future.

(You can feel free to read foreseeable future as ever!)

So instead of reshuffling the deck, it's probably a good time to clear the decks if you would.

This weekend there will be a purge of my wardrobe.

I will not be hanging on to things for "someday" or "maybe".

Life just isn't that spontaneous that if the occasion should arise where I would want a special outfit, that I wouldn't have time to buy something appropriate.

Other than that aforementioned suit, the selection in my closet isn't what one would consider GQ worthy.

Oh sure I will save a sweater or 2.

At least 1 dress shirt.

Maybe a tie (I will need to make sure it goes with the shirt an sweater).

Other than that, the only thing that should end up hanging in my closet for the season are 10 or twelve hoodies.(and my snow overalls!).

The polos will get put away until spring time.

3 pair of jeans.

Maybe 1 pair of black slacks.

(just in case of a funeral).

That should do it.

The purge is upon us.

FYI.........

my birthday is next week,so if you were planning on buying me a new tie ............DON'T!

Zip up your jacket

 As a child, how many times did I hear"zip up your jacket,you'll catch a cold!".

It didn't matter if I was taking out the garbage, heading out to play with my friend or just going to the car because we were going somewhere.

Somehow, the magical zipper was going to prevent me from catching a cold.

It had nothing to do with the fact that kids get colds.

It had nothing to do with the fact that I was sent off to not 1 but 2 different schools,secular and hebrew ,where I would come in contact with a few hundred germ carrying super spreaders.

Nope.

It was all about the zipper.

Eventually I would catch a cold.

As noted before,kids catch colds.

There would be no sympathy.There was no concern. What there was was the inevitable"ya see, you should have zipped your coat up!".

It never failed.

My unzipped jacket,was at the epicenter of my cold.

20/20 hindsight, zipping up before going out was probably a good thing.

It certainly couldn't hurt.

During the cold and flu season,it makes sense to be more attentive to dressing properly, including zipping up and wearing a hat.

Kind of like wearing sunscreen when outdoors in the summertime.

There's no law that says you must,but what does it hurt.

This is kind of how I look at my approach to Covid 19.

After months of mask hysteria and social distancing protocols,we have more than enough evidence that while these things don't mean I won't test positive,it certainly doesn't hurt if you do follow these guidelines.(85% of people who test positive say they wear a mask all or most of the time).

Do I always zip up my jacket now?

Actually, no. That's why I wear hoodies as much as I do.

Will I drive alone in my car wearing a mask?

Ain't happening.

However, if the sign on the door of the building I am entering says I must wear a mask,I do (or I leave).

I don't stamp my feet and refuse to wear it.

People nowadays are clambering about all of the mistakes that have been made along the way in addressing this virus.

I for one,do not believe we make mistakes.

We make choices based on how we perceive the information we have at hand in that given moment.

Not a mistake. Maybe a bad choice.Maybe some bad intel.

In either case,it is always an opportunity to use that experience the next time I am faced with the same or similar situation.

Cold and flu season is right around the corner. Time to break out the hats and hopefully to remember to zip up my jacket.

An under appreciated blessing

 When I look back at the beginning of this quarantine, the one thing that stands out is how dark the world seemed.

It was mid March, the latter part of winter.

Daylight savings had just begun and we were still experiencing shorter amounts of daylight.

Even though snow was not a factor, it was still winter,cold,dank, and dark.

The trees were barren and although temperatures were not frigid it was virtually impossible to feel warm.

It was emotionally draining.

Sometime around late early May, all of that changed.

Seemingly overnight,winter vanished and spring came bursting through.

Trees started to bud,flowers started to bloom and the weather became ,for lack of a better descriptive, pretty awesome.

On a daily basis the sun was shining and the temperature responded in kind. Hoodies and sweatshirts were replaced very quickly with short sleeves and tees.

Day after day,people took to the streets, crawling out of their caves and enjoying these gifts from Mother Nature.

The weather here in the North East has for the last 6 months, been nothing short of spectacular.

Hardly a day goes by without the sin greeting us and treating us to a gorgeous day.

Oh sure,we have had our fair share of rain,even a hurricane a=or a tropical storm or two.

Even those seasonal storms were mild and mostly blips on the weather radar,despite the hysteria stirred up by the news media and our state governments who all seem to thrive when they create and perpetuate Doomsday scenarios.

It is late October and we are still experiencing seasonably warm temperatures.

For those who enjoy summertime outdoor activities (that doesn't include me!) you couldn't have asked for a better summer.

I continue to see friends enjoying the Jersey shore even as the fall foliage is ablaze all over the Northeast.

Every morning I see walkers and joggers.

I can't remember ever having experienced a 6 month period of such continued good fortune when it comes to the day to day weather forecast.

Blessings have been few and far between during this Covid nonsense.

I for one am grateful for this blessing that Mother Nature has been so kind to share with us.

Who knew?

 I can not begin to share with you how overwhelming and humbling your responses were to my post the other day about Breast Cancer Awareness were.

While my intent was to shine a light on the glaring absence of pink at NFL and MLB games,along with on the political hacks who appear on media outlets daily as well as the always "jumping on the latest cause celeb" celebrities,the overwhelming majority of feedback was so warm and supportive of what Susan has been through over these last few months.Touching doesn't come close to describing it.

I was sharing this with the nurse at my doctor's office the other day and she said,kind of matter of factly, while it is still Breast Cancer Awareness month, the NFL has shifted to a new platform called Crucial Catch.According to their website "The NFL's Crucial Catch mission is to fight cancer through early detection and risk reduction. The league, its clubs, players, the NFL Player Association, and the American Cancer Society are committed to providing individuals with the tools they need to help them better understand early detection and ways to reduce their cancer risk. Each year, every NFL team raises awareness during their Crucial Catch game, which features on-field and in-stadium Crucial Catch elements. Crucial Catch games also present a special opportunity to honor cancer survivors and those currently battling cancer."

Who knew?

Certainly not me.

Certainly not my daughter Becca who is as woke as she is into watching football.

Actually, not one person in the very large circle of friends who read my blog seemed aware of this either.

Whoever is in charge of marketing for the NFL should probably be fired.

The message seems to have gotten lost.

For years now, during the month of October, we have been flooded with pink images.

Socks,sneakers,wristbands,ribbons,t-shirts,hats you name it ,they all turned pink.

All of that has disappeared.

The all encompassing "all cancers are bad" have mollified the impact statement once so laser focused on this one particular cause.

Here's one thing I learned during Susan's treatment.

It worked because the entire plan was to pinpoint a specific problem,address it treat it and get rid of it.

Period!

Her medical team didn't concern itself with sore throats or her skin tags, or her knee pain. They found a lump,determined that it was cancer and dealt with that and only that.

The results?

Nothing but excellent.

Sorry NFL. Sorry Crucial Catch.

Nice try, but ineffective and ,well for lack of a better way to put it,dismissive of the cause.

You have taken the focus away from the mission.

Basically,you took your eye off of the ball.

Frankly, this is what happens all of the time.

Instead of addressing a cause,problem,situation or isolated incident,someone opens the barn door and pulls out the band wagon for everyone with a gripe and a placard to jump on.

Suddenly it is no longer about the fact issue,it is now about a movement.

Towards the end of 2019, there were a spathe of anti-semitic attacks here in the New York area.

A cry went out to Congress and our leaders to denounce this targeted anti-semitism.

Their response?

"All racism is bad".

Cowards!

When did speaking plain truth cease?

When did calling a spade a spade stop being a thing?

Why must every thing that happens become about the band wagon?

It's the horse that's pulling the load.

Take care of the horse!

Crucial Catch?

More like dropped pass in the end zone.

One thing every coach will always drill into his players,keep your eye on the ball until the catch is complete!

Shabbat Shalom!