On Your Mark, Get set, SHOP

       It's cyber Monday, and everyone should be back to work from their Thanksgiving rest. The weekend was great, Wednesday I went with John Cromie to Dalton Mass to hear Rakish Paddy, nice night, great music and met some very nice people. They are playing Friday night at the Albany hall if you would like to check them out. Friday night was my brother John's 50th birthday party. Kate did a great job and everyone had a fun night. The kids all got to see the family and Sara and Sean were my drivers for the night. Saturday night was Trivia night at the hall. Ish let me play along with them and at the end of the night they had zero points, don't blame me, we blew it all on the last question, (What decade did Bud Abbott die?). Two questions really bothered me that we couldn't get. Of the first ten Presidents of the US, how many are not named John or James? A team of eight good Americans could not name the first 10 Presidents, how embarrassing. On the same category, name the 14, 15 and 16th Presidents. We got two out of three.

The whole night was full of fun and laughter, the next Trivia night is in Feb. keep an eye out for it.

      So here we are heading into December and the Christmas shopping melee. Thursday night is the Victorian Street Walk in Saratoga, a great way to shop in downtown Saratoga. So buck up and remember it's not the gift but the thought that counts, unless you are buying for me then it's the amount you spend that matters.

What I'm Thankful For

      It's Thanksgiving week and it's the time we all think about what we are thankful for. Yes I know that it's cliche but I am really thankful for my friends and family. Don't anyone else think it, I have the best kids in the world. Growing up in a broken home is not the best environment for children but my kids have come through it wonderfully. They have made superior choices in their lives. Sean is a graduate of Colgate University, Samantha is a graduate of The College of St. Rose (a Catholic education ) Jack is a Freshman at Ithaca College. Michael didn't go to college, he went straight into life and I am as proud of him as I am his siblings. He moved away from home and found a job to pay his expenses, he is pursuing his goal of being a comedian and he is doing it without a lifeline home. They have also done very well in surrounding them selves with good people. I have a wonderful daughter-in-law Sara, Samantha's boyfriend Tom is all a father could wish for for his daughter. Michael's girlfriend Jess has added a whole new dimension to our family.
     As far as friends go, I couldn't ask for better. Belonging to an organization that has friendship as part of it's motto, you would think would offer many friends and it does. Some better than others. There are friends that I have had since high school, sometimes when we get together you would think we were 15 again, somethings never change. Work friends is the hardest part. I am not a person that tosses around the word friend, I believe that friends are an important part of your life and I don't take it lightly. Some people meet someone once and refer to them as friends, with me you have to prove yourself a bit. So at work you really have co-workers and maybe a couple of friends. Think about this, how many people that you work with do you see socially, when it's not a company function.I spent 25 years working for the Post Office and in that time, all the people that I have worked with, there are only two that I see out of work. facebook, the world of friends, lets you see the lives of others, your facebook friends. these are people that share a small part of your life but are again in a subsection like work friends. These two subsections are important, they fill your life but when the going gets tough, just how many of these people are you really going to be able to count on.
     Family other than my children, well there family, you have to be thankful for them. They were the people that helped shape your life while you were growing up. Your parents set the standards and the older children passed the standards on to the younger ones. I would not be the person I am today with out my sisters and my brother. I love you all very much. I come from a very large family, there were 12 kids in my grandfathers family and most of them came to America and lived close to each other. We grew up with many, many cousins. This also I am very thankful for. If I was to name everyone that I am thankful for I would surely leave out someone and I don't want to do that.

      So this Thanksgiving, sit back and think of all the people that make your life complete and smile.Happy Thanksgiving everyone, eat a lot, load up on the carbs and hit the malls on black Friday.

Alive and Kicking

Yes, I am still alive. I am currently living without the Internet and I really don't know how people do it. My only access is through my phone and it is only a smart phone or it's only as smart as me phone. This access does keep me somewhat up to date with facebook, my lifeline to the outside world. The good news about being without Internet service is that I am no longer homeless. After living six months with Chris and Amy I have moved into my own apartment. I can not begin to thank Chris and Amy for opening their home to me and letting me mess up their family life.Chris epitomises the motto of the Hibernians, Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity. He saw me at a very low point of my life and helped me through it.So now I am in the process of setting up a new home. When I was moving in April I had  a few friends to help, only one with a small truck, now that I don't have aq lot to move I have friends with big trucks and a contactg with a local moving company. Saturday I went on a search of garage sales looking for an easy chair to rest my old tired bones at night, apparently the garage sale season ends with election day. I bought a chair from Wallmart for $19 and sat in it once, now I have to fiqure out where to throw it away. Life was easier when everything just went to the dump. So anyway, things are very good and as soon as I can I will go back to putting music on the blog.
Wow I did it, music, sometimes I even impress myself.