NO GAME

The weather this morning has been very cold, dreary & rainy. I found out yesterday that New York's weather, & southeastern Pa's, was worse. It was raining violently. Lately I've been practicing my guitar more after quite an unfortunate lull. Last night there was another football game but my father & Uncle Frankie didn't bother to show up because it's playoff time & their favorite team didn't make it this year. Today would have been my cousin Karen's fifty third birthday. It's her first birthday since her death. Tomorrow's yet another milestone birthday for a classmate of mine. We now shall give a major doffing of the hat to Mike upon his fiftieth. We were in the same class in high school. On Monday, although I don't have an official appointment, I shall be giving blood in Pittston.

FRIDAY THE 13TH & BROKEN ARM

Yesterday I went to Barnes & Noble at the Wilkes_Barre Hub for a while. On my way home I made sure I stopped at a local Sunoco station for gas & at Price Chopper for pumpkin pie. I also read T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land". It's considered a classic among twentieth century poems. Having been a bit lazy lately about practicing my guitar I took advantage of the latest issue of "Acoustic Guitar" magazine. It always has a lot of really good songs & music in general in it. I went to Rose Chairge's barber shop slightly before 10:00 this morning for a haircut. As I reminded her, I noticed recently in my schedule book that my last haircut was on June 5. Nothing much is on TV these days but lately I've been watching reruns of "Cheers". It's always been quite a very favorite of mine, better than anything new I've seen.

COLD WEATHER

Uncle Frankie came over yesterday. It was just a typical visit. It was a really nice quiet Veteran's Day. It just occurred to me that Labor Day is another source of confusion for me. I seem to get the three of them mixed up. Somehow I didn't notice any parades or celebrations. Today is my cousin Java's birthday in Florida. It's also cousin Loredana's birthday in Italy. She's just a distant relative & we've never gotten a chance to meet in person, only on Facebook. Thanksgiving is now exactly two weeks away. I miss the trips to Buffalo but it's really nice around here too. Lately the weather's been getting colder than it's been so far. I've never liked cold weather but I don't mind it as long as the rain & snow don't get out of control. I still go to St. John's each morning. I found out this morning that their bus ride yesterday was a trip to a show.

MEMORIAL OR VETERANS' DAY?

Father Marchetti will be gone for a while so I shall be going to Mass at St. John's in Pittston until further notice. This morning I overheard Fr. McGroarty & some other people in church talking about some bus ride they intend to take today. Today is Veteran's Day, or is it Memorial Day? I've always gotten them confused. It's just a naturally bad habit I appear to have. I've always made the same mistake with Sidney Poitier & Harry Belafonte, & Doris Day & Debbie Reynolds. I recently noticed that this past Monday was the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. At my age it seems as if it were only yesterday. I was working at Citicorp Retail Services in Farmingdale in those days. I still haven't gotten a haircut but I've been thinking of getting one in time for Thanksgiving.

HOLIDAY TOMORROW

Uncle Frankie came over for a while yesterday. He & my father spent a lot of time arguing over dollar coins, including the Eisenhower dollar , Susan B. Anthony's & the Indian woman's. He even called me on the phone, a little while after he left, to explain something about them. Tomorrow will be Veteran's Day. Banks will be closed but the library only closes down for very big occasions. My scratchy throat lingers but at least I'm not violently ill like other people. A happy twentieth birthday is in order to cousin Mary Ellen's son Scott today. He's the youngest of her four kids. The weather today, although it's colder than I like it, is still unusually warm for November. It watched a half hour of the show "House" a few nights ago. It turned out to be a horrendously left wing show. Aren't they all though?

BLOOD DRIVE

The ziti party worked out quite well. Fran couldn't make it but my parents & Uncle Frankie were there. I showed up at around noon & helped the kids with the cake. Howard sent me to Price Chopper to get some ice & soda too. Besides ziti & cake, they served bread & butter & salad. They also served coffee, tea, soda, beer & wine. It lasted until around 5:00. It was as nice as St. Joseph's ham party. Last night I got yet another call from the blood drive people. The woman asked me to make an appointment for next Monday at O.L. Mt. Carmel in Pittston but I'm going to be there anyway. It's the closest one in this area. Veteran's Day is this Wednesday. There will be parades & decorations for the big occasion. I'm not a veteran.