Thursday, November 20, 2014

Winterguard season is rapidly approaching and I am once again excited for its return.  I have a new reason for that....my granddaughter Kayla is marching and my Daughter Kira is the Saber instructor for the Corning Winterguard.  It is very exciting for me to see them in the guard!  I have been out of the guard activity for a few years now and miss it a lot.  This will give me the opportunity to see another generation do the things that we all love so well.  Kayla is an 8th grader and has never spun before but is a very proficient trumpet player.  Kira has marched drumcorps and winterguard with....Royal Blue, Spectrum, the Brigadiers and The Bluecoats.  My very good friend Les Hampton will be doing the drill.  Les was a vital part of the success of the Royal Blue program in Campbell/Savona.

Corning is going to be the host of the WGI Northeast Regional on February 7th at the brand new Corning High School Gym.  The booster group there is gearing up for this huge undertaking.  It is very exciting to have a WGI Regional in the Southerntier of NY.  They are usually held in Rochester area or Syracuse.  Groups and spectators will be impressed with the size and layout of the new facility.  It is wonderful.

I am a proud Father and Grandfather.


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Over the past few years I have been subject to numerous medical tests.  EKG's, Blood work, the dreaded colonoscopy and even a test to find out if the blood pressure in one leg is the same as the other.  I have had operations on my hand, for cancer on my kidney and a hernia.  I am currently off work with a broken bone spur in my heel.  I take statins for cholesterol control, 2 different medications to control type 2 diabetes and a mood leveler.  I actually am in pretty good shape health wise for a 63 year old man that used to smoke and didn't really take very good care of himself.

My mom is in a care facility and I try to visit her every day.  What I see there is very hard to accept as a son and a human being.  Don't get me wrong....she gets very good care and she likes it there (except that she would rather be home).  What I see makes me question my reasoning for living longer.  I see old folks that cant talk, cant communicate, that wet and soil themselves, that are always silent, that are always combative, who never get visitors, who are warehoused, and who are asking to die.

Is this the future I have to look forward to?  A future of lining up in my wheelchair for 2 hours before meal time?  A future of taking medication after medication?  A future of hoping that the aide gets to me before I shit myself?  A future of staring out the window and probably not even knowing why or maybe who I am.  How about a future of having my children visit when they get around to it and having them yell at me because I am telling them the same story that I just told them yesterday or even a few minutes ago?  I hate to be called honey but I guess I better be prepared to be called that a lot when I am warehoused.

Don't get me wrong...I wont blame my children if I am old, cant take care of myself, am a danger to myself and those around me..........they should put me in a home....or take me out in the woods and shoot me.  I don't want to be a burden to my family.

The next time you visit someone in a care facility and smell that aroma of urine and death remember this.....these folks were young once just like you and maybe someday you will be in a place like this.  Maybe you will be sitting in the hallway while someone passes by and you wish you could remember where you were and who you are.  Next to our Veterans...the elderly are the most neglected segment of our population.


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

I have been long contemplating about something that I am sure that all of you have experienced in your travels across the country.  You are driving along and suddenly the car in front of you slows and turns.  But no signal.  You are in a parking garage following someone and whoa....they start backing into a parking space....did you see any signal....No.  You are waiting at a light and the car in front of you is waiting and waiting and then they turn....wow....no signal again.

Are we not being taught to signal anymore in school?  Have we become that rude in our society that we no longer value the safety or concern of our fellow citizens?  Its only a small flick of the wrist that warns everyone around you......Hey...I am going to turn this 2 ton vehicle and it might affect what you are doing out there.

Now I know that everyone will occasionally not use their signals....you are on a highway and you are changing lanes and there is no one around you other than that huge truck you are passing.....no problem but when you are in traffic and you want to turn into a store or parking space.....Hey man flick that wrist!  Make the effort!  We are becoming more and more lazy.....I cite the automatic lights that turn themselves off when we get out of the car.  Is it too much to flick that switch too?

Accidents would be reduced.....road rage would be lessened and I could quit bitching about it.  Thanks......just my view from high up here on the bleachers.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

One last comment for the day. Does anyone else besides me find it disgusting that Congressman Tom Reed made all his money by running a collection agency dunning money from people that cant afford to pay their medical bills. No wonder he votes to repeal "Obama Care". His company would be out of business. Yeah I know he "divested" himself of this company.
Term limits! All government elected officials should have term limits. Government office was never intended to be a career. It was meant to serve the citizens and then go back to real life. If there were term limits perhaps there would be more governing and less fund raising to get re-elected.
Why do you think that all these other countries can give free health care and higher education? I can tell you why.....they keep their money to themselves and serve the interests of their citizens. They don't give it away in billions of foreign aid. They rely on the US to protect them and by doing so they don't have to build huge armies etc. Big savings there! Its time that we stopped policing the world and paying out our tax dollars to corrupt countries. We should be making sure that every citizen in this country is healthy, educated, fed and housed.