Sunday, Oct. 20  2024--My closest friend in high school was John, a handsome, quirky fellow.  His quirkiness was a result of his memory of watching as a child his mother throwing herself in front of a railroad train.  Years later John and I were in the attic of my parents’ garage listening to my 78 rpm jazz record collection.  Suddenly John started tossing my Fats Waller record as if he were a discus thrower, smashing them to pieces.  From that time on, John was known as “Waller.”  He also was a left-handed pitcher for the Dickinson Junior Legion baseball team.

 Tuesday, Sept, 3 55 degrees—  I’m at Old Town Bagels having a toasted onion bagel with honey walnut cream cheese, coffee, and a short story by Annie Proulx, “The Hadal Zone.”  A customer at a nearby table said, “I have no idea what the word ‘love’ means.”

 Saturday, Aug. 21 56 degrees—Up at 6:so after a nightmare about losing my van at night in an unfamiliar neighborhood.  Took meds, posted backyard pic, then I drove to the library and walked to Old Town Bagels for coffee and a breakfast melt on an onion bagel. Had a brief chat with Lavonne Trotter.Read more of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories at Lake Kohlmier.

Supper was a hamburger, baked potato, salad, and steamed asparagus/green beans.

Tonight I watched Betty Grable, Don Ameche, Carmen Miranda, The Nicholas Brothers, Charlotte Greenwood, and J. Carrol Naish in Irving Cummings's “Down Argentine Way” (1940).

 Thursday, Aug. 29 71 degrees—Up at 7.  Took meds, posted backyard pic, then had grapefruit/oatmeal breakfast.

Parked at the library, walked to OTB where I had a garlic bagel with honey walnut cream cheese at a sidewalk table.

This afternoon I had the 2014 van’s oil changed, etc. at Seykora’s for $61.  Only 44,247 miles  on it.  While that work was being done, I had coffee and read read Poe’s short story “Hans Phaall.”

Supper was a brat, mashed potatoes, salad, and steamed asparagus/green beans.

Tonight I watched Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, and Veronica Cartwright in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” (1963).

 Wednesday, Aug. 28 65 degrees—Up at 6:15.  Took meds, posted backyard pic, then drove to the library, walked to Central Park Coffee for Wednesday's blueberry lemon curd waffle and Edger Allan Poe.  After taking some pictures around downtown and dropping off a $180 Heritage II check at Lifestyle, I drove home.Supper was pork chop, baked potato, salad, and steamed asparagus/green beansTonight I watched Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton in Victor Fleming's “The Wizard of Oz “ (1939).

 Sunday, May 22. 2022--I gassed up the van (15 gallons @ $4.24 a gallon) and drove to Kaplan Woods parking lot.  Walked to Lake Kohlmier’s north end to see the martin bird house that John Gibson donated to the city.  As Gibson forewarned, there were no purple martins anywhere to be seen.

 Thursday, May 20, 2021--I’m at CPC with a raspberry scone, coffee, and Hunter S. Thompson, who Joe Capistrant disdains.  When I walked in here at 10:30 a.m. the place was quiet.  Heidi Hartle and Lori K were sitting on the bench seats but moved over to the soft seats to join a handsome, well dressed man with cutoffs and white sneakers with black, gray, and blue trim.   Slightly graying, middle-aged man with a swell haircut.  He talked, they listened for an hour or so.  Lori occasionally asked questions and chuckled. 

Sometimes, in between sips of coffee, I closed my eyes and listened to the room full of chatter, the bawling of a toddler, soft rock on the sound system. By 11 a.m. the place packed and noisy.