Billy 2020

Like I said, I retired from my day job on December 31, 2019. This is going to be a very interesting year for me. Let's see how it turns out. I started 2020 with a visit to St. Mary’s to commemorate the Solemnity of Mary, as January 1st is a holy day of obligation, just like Christmas. Later I spent time at home on the computer and watching some bowl games on TV until around 3 PM when Ellen, Eileen and I drove to a rehab center in Far Rockaway to visit Ellen’s cousin. Since she cannot care for herself in a responsible way any longer, she will be placed into a nursing home in the near future. We stayed for about 50 minutes, and I got to watch part of the Alabama – Michigan Citrus Bowl game, which the Crimson Tide won. After we left, we drove to Islip to have dinner at Mango Tango, and I got to watch part of the Rose Bowl game on TV – Oregon vs. Wisconsin.

The next day I went with Eileen into town for lunch at McDonald’s and for a walk between the firehouse, the library and Town Hall Park, where we took photos of the veterans’ memorial monument and a sculpture that I never knew was there – Spring’s Promise. On the third day I was again up from habit and thanks to the alarm since I had to take the Accord to Babylon Honda because the tire pressure warning light came on when we were heading to Far Rockaway on New Year’s Day. After I dropped the car off with them and they gave me a loan car – a Civic – which I drove home. Since it’s a push button start, I had to figure out how to work it, which I eventually did. In the early afternoon Eileen and I went to the Islip Library for the usual stuff and then to the Islip Movie House to see Spies in Disguise. It’s a CGI film with voices provided by Will Smith, Reba McEntire, Rashida Jones, and Rachel Brosnahan among others. It was interesting but since I was pooped, I nodded off a few times. Later we learned from Babylon Honda that the Accord will have to stay overnight because the dealer needs to procure a part for the cooling system. In the late afternoon my sister in law Chris came over with a wheelchair and the slide projector equipment that Ellen’s parents had, as well as boxes of slides. I put the wheelchair into the garage, and in turn took the old Sears 1984 model lawn mower to the curb (where it got picked up by either the recycling department or a scavenger).

On the 4th I was finally able to retrieve the Accord from the dealer. Basically I traded the Civic for my Accord and when I got home, I started to write an essay about the 5 most important or watershed days of my life. The first 3 are done and now I have to finish #4 and #5. I checked out an e/mail that I saw before retirement and came across a six point list from www.inc.com:

Explore passive reading; Incorporate a weekly review and plan the week ahead;
Watch classes online instead of attending traditional ones;
Adopt the uniform approach to clothing;
Don't procrastinate replying to emails;
Prioritize your to-do list.

I have not started passive reading yet, as that would mean taking out a set of audio books. But it is something to consider. I did start to do a weekly plan and added appointments into my Google calendar which will remind me of things that I have to do. Right now there are no plans for classes, either online or in person. I have actually had a uniform approach to clothing for years: tee shirts & shorts in the summer (with a baseball cap and sneakers); long sleeved tee shirts or rugby shirts with jeans & sneakers in colder seasons (and a cap, of course). I usually reply rather promptly to e/mails but will be even more prompt now. And a ‘to do list’ is a good idea.

After OSHA class on January 5th Eileen and I went to the Islip Library for the usual activities. She was ambivalent about which pictures she wanted to print. I told her that she has to make up her mind. I also knew that we had to take a walk somewhere and figured that Babylon would be a good choice, and we parked in the Municipal Lot and headed to Main Street and then west. I figured why not go and use their library? When we arrived, we headed to the reference desk and tried to use to computers, but we needed guest cards, and the librarian was obliging. Eileen wanted more pictures, this time of both soap opera actresses as well as Dance Connection personnel. She managed to print 8 photos, but they were not free - $0.25 each. And she took out $2 from her own wallet. The librarian and the other patrons were rather understanding that she is special needs. On the way back to the car we took a few more photos. I uploaded all of them to Google Photos, but only a couple to Facebook. Eileen still wanted to go out to dinner, and Ellen made reservations for 6 PM at Viva La Vida. I also read more of Basketball Junkie. In chapter 13 Chris Herren is in rehab at Daytop, on his way to becoming clean. I finished the book on January 6th and saw that Chris is finally clean and sober, and while not playing on a basketball any longer, now runs a basketball clinic. He got elected to his high school’s (Durfee High) hall of fame in 2009.

I started a new book that I got from the Islip Library, titled The City Game by Matthew Goodman. It is about the City College of New York (CCNY) basketball teams of the mid-20th century. The prologue and chapter 1 told us about the history of City College, its student body (mostly sons & daughters of immigrants, or immigrants themselves) and the state of the sports program. Chapter 2 discusses Coach Nat Holman, while Chapter 3 gives a bio about Eddie Roman. Chapter 4 describes the first two games of the 1949 season which the Beavers won, and also about Ned Irish and his desire to promote college basketball at Madison Square Garden. Chapter 5 introduces Floyd Layne and Al Roth, as well as the point spread system to win bets. In chapter 6 we meet Ed Warner. He is also the son of West Indian immigrants, and soon was in the numbers game and also a gang for a while. The Beavers played Southern Methodist and were supposed to win by fewer points than the spread but didn't. Chapter 7 is about Mayor William O’Dwyer and some corruption in the city government, and chapter 8 CCNY lost to UCLA 60-53, but would beat St. John’s 54-52 a few days later.

When I retired at the end of 2019 the firm said that instead of a gold watch, they would get me a nice Mets varsity jacket. There were none is stock at the end of December but it was on back order, and it arrived on January 8th. While I have not worn it outside yet, I think that it will look good on me. Later on during Elvis Day, Ellen asked me to take Eileen bowling at East Islip Lanes, which I did that after our library session. She got only 62 in game 1 but 101 in game 2 after she started to pay more attention. When we got home, I finished watching the 1977 production of Our Town and checked for some websites to see if anyone else can tell me about the lessons to be learned.

On https://www.theodysseyonline.com Elizabeth Barker of SUNY Plattsburgh gave us 5 lessons that she got out of the work:

Love appears when love is ready to;
It is unwise to seek counsel from others when making a personal decision;
Life is unpredictable;
We live without looking;
Does anybody truly realize life while they live it?

Another website summarized it into: The lesson that we learn is the need to be content with the traditional rhythms of life rather than go searching for something strange and exciting. Still another one had this to offer:

Everything changes;

Gradually try to help others (but know that some things can’t be helped;
Love transforms us; Carpe Diem (Seize the Day);
We don't realize life while we live it;
We spend so much time sitting around and doing nothing, waiting for tomorrow and expecting tomorrow to come;
We aren't guaranteed tomorrow, nor should we expect it to be what we want;
How many people actually live life as they live it?

I probably don't, but Our Town has made me aware that I don't always live life. Try to appreciate life while you live it. Even simple things. Don't dwell on the past. It's over. Since realizing this, I am going to try to live my life to the fullest extent that I am able to.

On January 10th I finally tried on my Mets jacket and I think that it looks good on me. I sent a joint e/mail to my former coworkers to thank them for it and attached two photos that Eileen took of me in the front yard. After a visit to the Islip Library Eileen and I drove to Commack to have lunch at the Candlelight Diner on Veterans Highway. Like we usually do, we each have a glass of iced tea, a cup of soup, and then split a wrap sandwich. Today we had seafood bisque, and a chicken salad with bacon wrap. After lunch, we did some walking around the shopping center that the diner is located in.

On the 11th just after 12 pm Eileen wanted to go to the library but we were meeting my train friends Barbara and Michelle at the Oconee Diner at 1 PM, and we can go to the library afterwards. She insisted on the library so we headed to the library for a 45 minute session. When we arrived at the diner, Barbara was already there. Soon Michelle, Sean and Enya arrived. We were just missing Ellen. She soon arrived and once we were all together the waitress took our orders: mine was a cup of Manhattan clam chowder and then a shrimp salad wrap. In the end, Michelle paid for all of us – her family, as well as Barbara, Ellen, Eileen and me. I told her that she did not have to do that. We then assembled under the canopy and took a few group shots. Once home I uploaded the photos while Ellen & Eileen went to Stop & Shop. I also checked out some other lessons to learn from Our Town from another website. This site says that we don't realize life while we live it because we spend so much time sitting around and doing nothing, waiting for tomorrow and expecting tomorrow to come. We have to realize that we aren't guaranteed tomorrow, nor should we expect it to be what we want. Then I asked myself, “How many people actually live life as they live it?”. I know that I don't (or didn’t), but Our Town has made me aware that I didn't always live. Since realizing this, I have tried to live my life to the fullest extent that I am able to.

On Sunday the 12th Eileen and I went to the library for the usual stuff and then we drove to Babylon for a nice walk. We parked in the Municipal Lot as usual and then went south to Main Street and west towards Argyle Lake. Since it was around 4 PM, the sun was in our faces on the sunny side of the street. We walked to the gazebo on the canal that leads from Argyle Lake and using her Olympus Camera, I took a photo of the plaque on the gazebo and then one of Eileen next to it. Somehow, the camera merged the two shots so I have two photos on one frame for a panorama view (this is not the first time that it has done this). Then we walked back to the parking lot and stopped in Roe Roe’s Sweet Street and Eileen got Beanie Baby #73 – a zipper pull named Slush who looks a dog. We took a couple of more photos on Deer Park Avenue and then took the usual way home (NY 231 & the Parkway). When I got home, I uploaded the photos and also brought to date the book report on The City Game.

The next day the 3 of us went to the Islip Triplex to see Little Women. We all liked it, even if it was slow moving in some parts. Eileen and I also went for a decent walk in Bay Shore, walking from past St. Patrick's School to Smith Avenue and back. On Thursday the 16th I was up early from habit and headed to the firehouse for coffee and to type the minutes from my fire company’s Monday meeting. Then it was back home for a quick breakfast and a ride with Ellen and Eileen to East Meadow where we all went to the hair salon that Ellen and Eileen patronize. While I was not getting my hair cut, I did have my goatee trimmed and I think that the stylist did a pretty good job. Later the financial advisor came to the house to discuss our financial plans in further detail.

On Wednesday the 15th we all went to the OPWDD (Office of People with Development Disabilities) office in Hauppauge (It is also called Front Door) and listened to talks and saw a Power Point presentation. I took decent notes and now we have to get the ball rolling. When we came home Eileen and I walked to the 7-11 at Nassau Avenue and Union Boulevard and back to get the lotto ticket for that evening. On Friday I enjoyed coffee at the firehouse, and after breakfast Eileen and I went to the Islip Library for the usual routine, and then headed east. I planned a visit to the Selden campus of Suffolk County Community College, but when we got past Horseblock Road the traffic came to a standstill on Nicholls Road. We got off and drove through Farmingville to North Ocean Avenue (CR 83) and stopped for a quick lunch at Burger King before going to Patchogue Village and St. Joseph’s College. At the college we parked in the front visitor’s lot and walked to the library in Callaghan Hall and where we even got to use the computers! Then we walked past the commemoration rock to the Danzi Athletic Center where we took more pictures and I got a schedule of the college’s teams. Then to O’Connor Hall and the bookstore. I was hoping to get a few items but the store closes at 1 PM on Fridays and it was past 2 PM. Maybe another time. Then a few more photos, by the statue of St. Joseph with the Infant Jesus before heading home. We returned to Patchogue the next day after first stopping at 7-11 to get a new lotto ticket (I had won $1). Once there we walked to a novelty store called Paper Doll Curiosity Shop just east of Ocean Avenue and saw some interesting items. We told the shopkeeper we would be back after lunch at Del Fuego. Lunch meant splitting a mesquite chicken wrap, with iced tea for each of us. I was watching the Pittsburgh - North Carolina game on one TV set, as well as the St. John's University - Seton Hall game on the adjacent. After we paid our bill, SJU was ahead by a few points. We then went out the back door and walked through the New Village lot to Lake Street and then to the Blue Point Brewery. We did not go on a tour but did take some photos in the lot before walking back east to the novelty shop where I treated us to a coffee cup about being Normal (in Normal IL). We then came back to Islip and I had to put air in the tires since the warning logo came on. I later learned that St. John's lost 82-79 to Seton Hall.

On Sunday afternoon Ellen, Eileen and I went to the annual Past Commanders’ Dinner at the Rusy Bohm American Legion Post. We honored the post’s commanders, as well as the presidents of the auxiliary, living and deceased. The sergeants at arms of the post and the auxiliary escorted the living leaders into the meeting room where they were introduced to those present. Then the names of all commanders and presidents were read, with a bell tolled when each name was read. Eileen and I headed to Sayville on Monday the 21st to see 1917. I thought that it was a great movie. The depiction of the trenches was very authentic, and it almost made me feel like I was there. I have been looking for ways to make new friends and keep busy and on Tuesday evening I drove to Christ the King Parish in Commack to join an old St. John's U friend and some other men for the Men’s Roundtable. We discussed the scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday’s Mass and the state of our country and agreed that it is divided.

Thursdays are usually days that Eileen and I (and sometimes Ellen too) go out to lunch. On Thursday the 23rd Eileen and I went up to Kings Park to go for a walk and have lunch in town, and then maybe go for another walk on the boardwalk in Sunken Meadow State Park. When we got to Kings Park, I parked in the firehouse lot and we walked along Main Street (Route 25A) to a diner called Relish at the corner at the corner of Pulaski Road. For lunch we each had iced tea and a cup of potato leek soup and split a fried cod sandwich. Everything was quite good. After I paid the bill, we walked back to the firehouse but first stopped in the Long Island Toy and Hobby novelty shop where we bought a pair of Mashems before we heading north to the Sunken Meadow State Park. Here we parked in the lot and took some photos, and then trekked to the boardwalk to walk to the western end and back. Unfortunately, it was hazy out and that meant not being able to see the Connecticut shore. Between Main Street and the boardwalk, we got a decent amount of walking in.

After going for a walk in the South Shore Mall on Saturday, the next day Ellen, Eileen and I went to Far Rockaway to visit my cousin in law at a nursing home. After our visit we came back to Islip to have a nice dinner at Mango Tango (same as on January 1st). Then the fun began for me on Monday, as I headed to the endodontist for a root canal. The tooth was still hurting, after the drilling and draining of the abscesses. Since my hearing is going south, it was recommended that I get fitted for a hearing aid, actually a pair of them. I had ordered a set earlier in January and on January 29th, drove to ENT Allergy to have the pair fitted, and received instructions on how to install them and take care of them. I am also $2,335.00 poorer. We ended January with a walk in Babylon, since that is what Eileen wanted. We parked on James Street at Totten Place and walked to Deer Park Avenue and then along Grove Place to St. Joseph’s Church, where we both stopped for a visit. Then it was over to the Babylon Library to use their computers. Later around 7 PM I headed over to my American Legion post for a Social Night. I just watched TV, spoke to some other members, and noshed on some snacks. I also learned that the Auxiliary’s Sergeant at Arms is a member of the Hagerman Fire Department, as is her husband (but both are on leave). I sat at a table with two other veterans and soon learned that most of the Post is quite conservative.

__________________________________________________

I started February with a visit to the Islip library with Eileen, and then a light lunch at Taco Bell, before walking to Little Shop of Shamrocks from the firehouse and back. While there I said hello to the owner and bought a small bag of Cadbury Dairy Buttons that Eileen and I shared. As we walked back to the firehouse we also stopped at Nook & Cranny, where we met a lady who knows Eileen from bowling. Eileen got herself a cupcake doll, which is a small doll that folds into a cupcake. Then it was back to the firehouse to get the car and go home. I finished The City Game and by the Epilogue I was happy to see that Floyd Layne got to become head coach of the CCNY Beavers in 1974, Bobby Sand got reinstated as a teacher at the school, and both Eddie Roman and Floyd got advanced degrees. The sad part was that Eddie passed away in March 1988 at only 57 years old from leukemia.

On Super Bowl Sunday, the 2nd, the three of us went out for a light dinner at a pizzeria called A Slice of Bay Shore, located in a former Friendly's on Montauk Highway at the western edge of town. My cousin in law had recommended it to Ellen so she suggested that we give it a try. I enjoyed linguine in red clam sauce (clams in the shells as opposed to minced clams) and thought that it was pretty good.

3 days later Eileen and I went for a nice walk from the firehouse to St. Mark's Church at the eastern edge of Islip to get more exercise and to check out the thrift shop. I saw some jeans for $4 that I may look into in a few days, while Eileen got Beanie Baby #74 - an owl zipper pull that she named Wingan. On Friday the 7th I went to my dentist’s office in East Islip in the morning to have the tooth where the root canal was done re-filled, and now we have to get the insurance company to approve payment for a crown. After that I went back to Islip to get a haircut, since bad hair days were starting to appear. After lunch Eileen and I brought the books that Ellen and I decided to clear out of the house to the Islip Library. We used the computers and then headed to Sayville and parked in the fire department lot before walking to Starbucks. Eileen had iced tea, I had coffee, and we shared a muffin. One of the other customers noticed my fire company jacket and it turns out that he is a retired FDNY firefighter, assigned mainly to the “Big House” in Far Rockaway. When we finished our snack in Starbucks, we went across Main Street to browse in Celtic Crossroads before heading back home.

On February 8th I had a light lunch and then went to the library with Eileen, before going with Ellen to Stop & Shop to get our weekly provisions. After we came home and unloaded the car, Eileen and I drove to Babylon and walked along Totten Place to Montauk Highway and then, after a stop in Chase Bank, all the way to Carll Avenue and then up to Grove Place and finally back to the car before heading home on NY 231 to the Southern State Parkway. When we got home, I went to gas up the CR-V and then went to the firehouse for coffee, the computer, and TV, where I enjoyed a cricket match from Australia’s Big Bash League – the Melbourne Stars vs. the Sydney Sixers. Sydney won.

The next day after lunch it was the library for the usual stuff, and then a ride to the main campus of Suffolk County Community College in Selden to get a nice walk up the hills there. Then we headed to Waverly Avenue (County Road 19) to Patchogue for another walk and then get a snack. As usual, I parked by the Patchogue FD headquarters and then we walked to Roast Coffee and Tea Trading on Main Street. We split a scone, and I had coffee while Eileen had tea. After that we walked through New Village to the car and then headed home. On Monday the 10th I helped Ellen with sorting out the LP’s and 45’s that we had amassed and had stored around the house. We separated the rock & roll and blues artists’ recording from the others and cataloged them. We now plan to take them to a record dealer to see if they will buy them back from us. Since it was raining the next day Eileen and I did want to go for a walk outside, so we decided to go to a mall. After a free lunch at the firehouse (beef/venison stew left over from my fire company meeting) we drove to the Walt Whitman Mall and checked out the aisles and hallways, and even stopped to take her picture next to a Tesla sedan. On the way home, we had a snack at McDonald’s.

On Wednesday we did some walking in Islip and stopped in the nail salon near Locust Avenue to see about a manicure and/or pedicure for Eileen as a birthday next month. In the late afternoon I took her bowling at East Islip Lanes but she did not do so well – 79 & 72. Better luck next time. February 13th was a Thursday so the 3 of us headed out to the Brick House Brewery in Patchogue for a late lunch. There were micro-brews available, but we all opted for iced tea. My lunch was an Asian shrimp wrap and a cup of egg drop soup. I also got to watch the Villanova – Marquette basketball game. For most of the game, Villanova led by as much as 10 points. In the final minutes, Marquette kept gaining on the Wildcats, but still fell, 72-71 – a very close game. Lunch came just over $70.00 for the 3 of us. The next day was Valentine’s Day. Eileen and I went to the library and then to Taco Bell for a somewhat light lunch and then to East Islip. I saw that everything I was interested in visiting was closed: the St. Mark’s Thrift Shop, St. Mary’s Ministry Office, and St. Mary’s Thrift Shop. So we parked in the St. Mary’s lot and walked to the 7-11 at Timber Point Road and Main Street, where we got some gummi bears, and back for a decent walk.

We have been going to the St. John’s University Blessing of the Couples pretty regularly since 2009, and we did not want to miss this year. On Saturday February 15th we headed to the Jamaica campus and the St. Thomas More Church at the end of the Quadrangle. When we got to the parking lot a couple asked me to take their picture and noticed my Mets jacket and Eileen’s Yankees cap. I joked that it was peaceful coexistence. This couple were Yankees fans so we talked about baseball on the way to the church. In the foyer I met fellow alumnus whom I knew from undergrad days and I almost pledged his fraternity with him. He taught at Islip High School for 40+ years and knows several members of the Islip Fire Department. During the Mass all of the couples took turns telling everyone who they are and how they met. After the Mass three couples were introduced and honored for their contributions to SJU and their accomplished in life. We then went to the foyer for some goodies and then got into the car to head back to Islip, and went to the Oconee Diner for a light dinner. I enjoyed a cup of soup and a cheese quesadilla and watched an XFL game on TV (Tampa Bay vs. Seattle).

The next morning I drove to Looney Tunes Records in West Babylon where I sold the blues & rock LP’s, and all of our 45’s, to them for $150.00. It may not be thousands, but I do want to clean out the house. When I came home, I took Eileen with me to the library for a visit and then we walked from the firehouse to the American Legion post and back. On the return part of the walk we stopped in Sugared Up and bought some gummi fired eggs (6 of them - 4 for me, 2 for her) and she got a little pink teddy bear which we named Hope (#75 in her collection).

On Presidents' Day Eileen and I went to the movies in Sayville. I was not really in the mood, but she wanted to go and we ended up seeing Doolittle. I thought that it was OK even if I nodded off a few times, and they did a good job with the CGI’s. The next day we stopped at the St. Mark’s Thrift shop and Eileen got Beanie Baby #76 – a bear named Erin and I got a $4 pair of jeans (a bit loose but they fit). I saw in a photo that my former neighbors from across the street were posing with the rector, who is also the chaplain of the Islip Fire Department. Once we paid for our items, we drove to the social ministry office at St. Mary’s where I told the staff that both Eileen and I would like to volunteer. They said that they will get back to me (as of July 4th they still had not so I will wait until after the pandemic is over to follow up). In the evening I went to Christ the King Parish to join my friend Tom and some others in a bible study. We read part of the second epistle of Peter. I also got to learn about ETWN and Catholic apologetics. We all agreed that the Bible is not to be taken literally. I told them that I read that the Roman Catholic Church did not start until the early 4th century when Constantine made Catholicism / Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. Then what did we have for 300 years? When I got home, I listened to John Oliver talk about televangelists (whom he thinks are mostly con artists).

On the 19th after Eileen and I went for another walk and after relaxing I took her bowling at East Islip Lanes. This week she did much better - 88 in Game 1 and 140 in game 2, for a 114 average. I did go to the firehouse for coffee on the following day since I went with Ellen & Eileen to the hair salon in East Meadow. They got their hair done, I got my goatee trimmed like before. On the 23rd Eileen and I drove to Bay Shore in the late afternoon and parked in the St. Patrick’s Church lot and then walked to Willy Nilly Boutique (nice stuff but we did not buy anything) and then walked one more block before walking back to the church parking lot where I took two photos of Eileen by the statue of Mary. After we got home, we did another walk, this time to the Wing School, by going through Greenview Village to Moffitt Boulevard and then up Wingan Hauppauge Road to James Street. Since we promised Eileen dinner out if she did well at bowling, around 6 PM we headed out for dinner at Fancy Lee, an Asian Fusion Bistro in Babylon Village – it is a former diner. I had flounder and veggies. The ladies had udon noodles. The bill came to $111.61 but we were not hungry when we left. The lights were really low in the back where we sat. On Monday the 24th after coffee at the firehouse I went to St. Mary’s Parish Ministry Office to follow up on my visit from last week. This time I left a business card and also spoke for a little while with Tom, the volunteer who is manning the desk. Hopefully I will hear from them soon. After breakfast I went with Eileen to the library for around 45 minutes, and then for a walk to Nassau Avenue and back along Chestnut Street. But it was only around 1:45 so we hung around the firehouse to kill time, as the Call of the Wild first showing is at 3 PM. I let her use the computer in the Ready Room and we each had some hot drinks, and then around 2:45 we walked to the movie house and got our goodies and sat in our seats. Once the movie came on, I found it interesting. I loved the CGI's of dogs and the footage in the Far North Country. It will probably make me want to read one of Jack London’s novels or short stories. But Jack London will have to wait since I had started to read Falling Upward and finished the Introduction and am starting chapter 1. The intro mentions life is in two halves, and life has failures and falls. Father Rohr mentioned myths and that in the Western World they have been replaced by “isms” like communism, fascism, terrorism, and materialism. Father also refers to The Odyssey and how Odysseus went from part 1 to part 2 of his life.

On February 25th I decided to apply for volunteer work at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip. That meant filling out an application and contacting people to serve as references. Besides possibly working with Ellen and Eileen in the thrift shop in Babylon, I also put down working at the hospital gift and also hospice. In the afternoon I went to my dentist's office to have a temporary crown put on the tooth that was treated for root canal surgery late last month. Mardi Gras was the 25th and the next day, February 26th, was Ash Wednesday. After coffee at the firehouse I headed to St. Mary's Church to receive ashes as part of the ritual. Then it was home for breakfast and then Eileen and I went to the library for a while. After our session, since today is Wednesday, I took her to East Islip Lanes so she could bowl with her league. I promised her a Beanie Baby or a Cupcake Doll if she broke 100 in each game, and she did - 111 in Game 1 and 115 in Game 2. After I tallied up the scores for the two teams, we headed to Nook & Cranny Boutique on Main Street. I spoke with the owner, Lori, and Eileen got herself another Cupcake Doll. She already had the grape scented doll, so this time she got the lemon scented one. Later in the evening I found some time to read more of Falling Upward and finished chapter 2, which describes what makes a real hero or heroine. I read part of chapter 3 that describes our first part of life. The next day I took Eileen out for lunch like we usually do on a Thursday and and this time we went to the Sonic on Deer Park Avenue where we bought a Philly cheese steak combo. Yes, the car hop brought it out to us (I gave her a $1 tip) and then we came home to eat it at our own table since I did not feel like eating in the car (too messy). After lunch I went to a record store in Amityville and was able to sell our jazz LP’s to them for $40.00. I am also trying to fill out my application to volunteer with Catholic Health Services (CHS) and I looked for the papers that said I had a flu shot at work last fall. No luck. That means no patient care or hospice if I cannot get the shot again. I also got in touch with the Henry Cowit Fur Company and scanned them the photos of my mom’s mink coat to see if they would like to buy it from us. I spoke with the brother of a man who lived on the same floor as Ellen and I did when we lived in Oceanside. I was able to get the proof of flu vaccination form from the company who gave it at the office - Rite Aid - and then scanned it to the contact at CHS. Hopefully I will hear from them soon. I ended February with a nice walk with Eileen through Babylon Village - from James Street & Totten Place to the Hibernian Hall and back. We also stopped at the LIRR station - the first time for me since December 31, 2019.

______________________________

I started March off with a visit to the firehouse for coffee, and then home for breakfast. Later on I would be heading back to join other members for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in East Islip. I am still reading Falling Upward and while I like the book, it is not easy reading. Maybe my reading comprehension has declined? While I might do volunteer work somewhere, I am not going crazy looking for a part time job. But I don’t want to be like the welfare freeloaders in New York City’s lindsay years who were lazy and did not want to work while collecting welfare. When I got home from the parade Eileen wanted to go out to dinner but we said that we were out only a few days ago. So later in the evening I went to Café Americano and brought home some pizza for our dinner. I read a bit more of Falling Upward and chapter 5 mentions that there are going to be events in life that we cannot overcome with our current mind sets. I also enjoyed the music of J. S. Ondara, a Kenyan singer and guitarist who plays in a folk style similar to Bob Dylan, whom he admires. Not much happening for me after the Parade, but Eileen and I did go for a nice walk on March 3rd in Babylon Village over on Fire Island Avenue where we also took a photo of the Pier 44 restaurant, a favorite eatery of ours for years, which closed two days before. The next day I took Eileen bowling where she was the only girl on her alley. She did manage to get a 105 in game 1 and 130 in game 2. I had promised her that we would go have lunch at a diner on Thursday if she broke 100 in both games. The next day, we drove to Route 110 in Melville and had lunch at the Sweet Hollow Diner, a place that my friend Barbara recommended. We each had iced tea and a cup of matzoh ball soup and split a chicken with feta cheese wrap. We went home a different way, along Colonial Springs Road and then through Wyandanch to Route 231. We returned to Babylon Village and revisited Fire Island Avenue for another photo op. We parked by the playground where Fire Island Avenue splits into north and south and we took some pix at the mini-park, as well as the Babylon Fish and Clam Restaurant (which is thankfully still open), and finally at the Village Marina at the very end of Fire Island Avenue. In the evening I headed to my American Legion post for the semi-monthly meeting. But since there was no quorum we just hung around and talked about our military experiences (real war stories) and politics (something I try and steer clear of). I ended the work week by finishing chapter 10 of Falling Upward and starting chapter 11. The book is not easy reading but I think that I am doing some of the things from the second half of life. I have to do more like not reliving past hurts. And not be a blowhard or have to prove myself. And continue to live simply. After a light lunch on Friday Eileen and I went to the library for the usual stuff and then stopped back at the firehouse for hot chocolate (her) and coffee (me). Since her birthday is later on in March we drove over to Little Shop of Shamrocks where she got herself a nice green tee shirt about Irish eyes for an early birthday present. I got myself a nice green sweatshirt saying “’Tis Himself” (it’s me). We also split a bag of Cadbury Dairy Buttons, a favorite of ours.

Saturday was the 7th and I went to Bethpage Ballpark for the Long Island Ducks job fair. I put on Dockers, a white shirt, a tie and sports jacket. It was the first time since November 1, 2019 that I had on a shirt and tie for something other than an American Legion function. When I got to the park there was a long line by the ticket windows, but the hard part was waiting in the wind. But soon we went inside and waited in a room where I filled out an application and waited. I finally got interviewed and told them, based on the application, that I am retired and interested in being an usher, ticket taker, ticker seller, or security. They told me that security would not be for me since it requires extra training (maybe firearms) and at my age, not a good fit. I told them that since I now know what security entails, I was not interested in that department. After the interview I stopped at the firehouse for coffee and a snack and then came home to change and have lunch.

On March 8th Daylight Saving Time started. There was fire school so I was down at the firehouse in a short time to grab my cup of coffee and head up to the classroom. The topic was placing apparatus. At the same time was bail out training and fit testing (interior firefighters only), and since it conflicted with fire school, the chief was not too pleased. After the training I grabbed a snack and more coffee and then came home for a shower and to watch a woman’s basketball game where Delaware beat North Carolina Wilmington in a close game (61-57) but was actually played on the 7th. When we got back from the library, I read more of chapter 12 of Falling Upward and it looks like I have been following what Father Rohr says about being a loner – I do enjoy solitude and being by myself on occasion. Around 6 PM we headed to Mango Tango for dinner. It was kind of empty at first but when we left, the parking lot had more cars. So it looks like the corona virus only scared some of the locals. I started the workweek by going to the movies at the Islip Theater. Eileen and I went to the movie to see the new Disney Pixar movie, Outward. I thought that it was interesting in that it could inspire me to go on some type of quest to do something. Also to never give up. I finished Falling Upward a couple of days later. Chapters 12 and 13 warn us that dualistic mindsets are not the best ways to go and we should avoid them. And to enter into the second half of our lives, we have to allow ourselves to go. In the late afternoon I also went to my dentist's office and had the crown permanently placed into the upper jaw. After lunch on the 11th Eileen and I went to the library and just before 4 we went to East Islip Lanes and she got to bowl with her league. I promised her a Beanie Baby if she broke 100 in each game. She only managed 89 and 81 in the two games. But since her birthday is next week, we did go to Sugared Up after bowling was over. She wanted some gummi bears and some other sweets. We bought a small bag of gummi bears, white chocolate piece in the shape of a deviled egg, and Beanie Baby #77 – a flamingo named Gilda. Since I finally finished Falling Upward I took out Call them by Their True Names: American Crises (and Essays) by Rebecca Solnit and Little League Family by Leonard Wibberley. On Thursday afternoon I headed to the Modell’s at Gardiner Manor Mall and bought some sporting goods to create a gift basket for the Engine 2 Wild Game Dinner in 2 weeks. Sad to learn that Modell’s is closing after 131 years. I have bought some great things at their stores over the years. For Friday the 13th I learned that several activities have been cancelled due to the Corona Virus, including my American Legion post’s St. Patrick’s Day party and Night at the Races, the March Islip Fire Department meeting, the Good Samaritan Guild Dinner for Friday the 13th, March Madness, and numerous St. Patrick’s Day parades. But on a happier note, on Friday after lunch Eileen and I went to Babylon for a walk and to grab some coffee and hot chocolate. We parked at our usual spot and walked to Jack Jack’s Coffee Shop on Deer Park Avenue and ordered an apple muffin, coffee, and hot chocolate – for a total of almost $11.00! A bit of sticker shock. We then walked to George Street all the way to Cooper Street and then back to the car. Like most trips, we took NY 231 home. With the dispensation from Sunday obligation from the Diocese of Rockville Centre, I did not go to St. Mary’s Church over the weekend.

On π Day Eileen and I headed out to the Bed Bath & Beyond on Sunrise Highway and bought a new coffee pot and ordered a new tea kettle. Then we headed back to Islip and Bay Shore Commons where I went to Chase Bank to visit the ATM and then the Shell station next door to gas the car up. Since it was a bit later than usual, we then headed to the Olympic Diner on Deer Park Avenue so we could have lunch - a cup of cream of broccoli soup each and sharing a chicken wrap and a glass of iced tea. The next day on the Ides of March we went for a walk in Kings Park (after trying to decide between there or Northport). This time we parked in the railroad parking lot and walked around the lot and station platform, as well as the overpass to get some nice photo opportunities. Then we walked to a dead end street and along Main Street and stopped at Long Island Toy and Hobby Shop, where we had been there before. Since Eileen’s birthday was coming up, I bought her another Mahsem critter for her collection and this time she got Cattermelon. Then it was time to head home. With the possible of closure of restaurants to in house dining on the horizon, we celebrated Eileen’s birthday a few days early by going to dinner that evening, 4 days early. We decided on H20 in East Islip. The food was good as always, and they gave us a free birthday cheesecake for Eileen.

On Monday the 16th Eileen and I went for a walk at Robert Moses Park’s Field 5. While the boardwalk is nowhere near as long as the Jones Beach counterpart, Robert Moses Park is closer and we did not have to contend with road work on Ocean Parkway. It was a bit windy but we did get a nice walk in with some photo ops. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City was cancelled or postponed thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the next two days Eileen and I did some walking. On the 18th we walked to the Islip post office and then to the Nassau Avenue 7-11 to get a Lotto ticket, and then past the Wing School to get back home. March 19th meant happy birthday to Eileen and on her birthday we drove to Sunken Meadow State Park to walk on the boardwalk. I brought my camera as usual but too bad that she did not have her sunglasses on, since she squinted in almost every photo. After lunch on the 20th Eileen and I went to the Bay Shore Stop & Shop to redeem bottles and so she could get a magazine (Women’s World). We then walked to the Chase branch to pay the Visa bill, and then we drove to Babylon – first to mail letters at the post office and then to drive to the end of Fire Island Avenue South, to the Village Pool, to take some photos. This time she wore her sunglasses and there was no blinking or squinting like yesterday. On Saturday March 21, the fire district commissioners went to Restaurant Depot and got us some OJ, eggs, and milk. After the delivery, Eileen and I went up to East Northport so I could go down Memory Lane, as I had memories of going “into town” when I visited my aunt, uncle and cousins who used to live just outside Northport Village until 1996. So in 2020, we parked in the LIRR lot and walked along Larkfield Road, stopping at the East Northport Fire Department main house, then to St. Anthony’s Church where we went inside. Masses and confessions are cancelled there. Then we walked back down Cheshire Place to Hewitt Square, the shopping center where back in the day I visited many of the shops there. This time we visited Pat’s Market Place where I was able to get a jalapeno pepper, pita bread, and 2 rolls of toilet paper. Then we walked past the war memorial plaques and the baseball fields to the train station and the car. After I finished Little League Family, I started to read Call them by Their True Names: American Crises (and Essays). The author definitely does not like trump. On Sunday I went to the firehouse for coffee and to use the computer and I got a chance to go to the 8:30 Mass by going to the Rockville Centre Diocese’s website. Bishop Barres celebrated it from St. Agnes Cathedral. It looks like they did more re-modeling in the sanctuary area since I was there last (2007 if I can remember).

On Tuesday the 24th I went to Stop & Shop and got lunch provisions and toilet paper – one 4 pack per customer (fair enough). But Ellen told me that the deli counter person game me baloney instead of chicken, and since none of us eat baloney, I donated it to the firehouse. Later in the day Eileen and I went for a walk through Greenview Village and then to the Wing School and back. I managed to get a nice picture of her in her Yankees regalia at the Veterans Memorial Triangle at the corner of Moffitt Boulevard and Commack Road. On the 25th I did not go to the firehouse and did not use the car at all. The only time I went out was to go for a walk to the Nassau Avenue 7-11 with Eileen to get the lotto ticket for the Wednesday and Saturday drawings. The next day we decided to go to Babylon so we could mail some items and go for a walk. So we first stopped at the Babylon post office and then parked at our usual spot on James Street and then walked to Railroad Avenue and to the sports fields on Carll Avenue, and then to St. Joseph’s Church. We went inside and saw that everything was cancelled until further notice. Outside of St. Joseph’s I got to take a picture of a 1931 Model A Ford before we walked back to our car. On the 27th after food shopping and lunch, Eileen and I went for a walk through Greenview Village along the usual route. Since all church services are cancelled by the Diocese due to the Corona Virus pandemic, I did go to Church on Sunday the 29th – by watching the Mass from St. Joseph’s Parish in Babylon on the computer (in Spanish). The Mass was not live but was from Saturday the 28th. I could not find a live one on the Diocese’s website. Later in the day, Eileen wanted to go to Dang BBQ but we had to tell her that all restaurants are closed to in-house dining and we would have to do take out. Ellen and I checked the website and picked some items to order, but when we called Dang we could not get through. So we contacted Café Americano and ordered two pizza pies.

On the 31st a nurse practitioner sent by Aetna came by the house and questioned me (with some help from Ellen) about my medical history, and also checked my blood pressure, lungs and oxygen level. They all seemed to be favorable. After she left, I had lunch and started to drink more water (which was recommended by the nurse and also Ellen). After lunch Eileen and I drove up to Sunken Meadow State Park for a walk. I brought my camera, but Eileen did not bring her sunglasses so in the two pix I took of her she is squinting. I decided not to upload any of the four photos on to Facebook but only on to Google Photos. So far, it looks like we are coping with the Corona Virus Pandemic. I reading more of Rebecca Solnit’s essays. Once I finish the last one in the book, I will resume reading The Greatest Ballpark Ever. With the Corona Virus pandemic on everyone’s mind, so far, I am feeling OK. I have the usual allergies like a runny nose, but no fever and I can breathe normally.

___________________________________________

With almost everything closed thanks to the Corona Virus, our activities are generally confined to walks somewhere. I started April with a visit to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum with Eileen. We decided that we needed to do more walking in places other than Islip. The grounds still had a lot of people, since the parking lots were not empty. But the mansion and anything in it was closed thanks to the pandemic. We walked to the gravel path and then took photos of the creek that runs into the Connetquot River, as well as some of the bridges that cross it. We stayed for a decent amount of time and got a good amount of exercise. The next day we did another walk in town to the Wing School (we had also gone there on the 1st before going to the arboretum) and went the usual route for most of the way, except for heading west down Wallace Street instead of James Street. When we got home, I then took the car and went to Islip Pharmacy and got rubber latex gloves but was unable to get masks at either the Islip Pharmacy or at CVS.

April 3rd was a rainy day so there was no real walking. But so that Ellen could do food shopping in peace, Eileen and I did a fairly long drive to Port Jefferson Village. We drove up Route 112 to the northern terminus at Route 25A by the ferry terminal. But since it was raining and almost everything was closed, we did not go for a walk. I did to get in two photos worth keeping. Her Olympus digital seems to have a delayed flash and she moved when it when off. She then wanted to go home so we headed down Route 25A to Nicolls Road to Route 347 and the Route 111 home. The timing was good because we beat Ellen home. Since I was not able to buy any face-mask when I went to the pharmacies on the 2nd, Ellen and I ordered them on Amazon. The problem is that they won’t be here until next month. In the meantime I will improvise with a handkerchief and a safety pin. We did not order lunch out on Thursday so we did it on Saturday, the 4th. I contacted Oconee Diner and ordered two wraps – one for me (Greek salad) and one for the ladies (tuna salad). I only ate half of mine during Saturday’s lunch so I finished it on Sunday. Later on Sunday I checked out websites of Square Books and some other independent bookstores on the Island and other locations to see if they have anything worth getting. I finally accessed the Square Books LLC website and ordered a long sleeved tee shirt in forest green with the store’s logo and location on it, and a book titled Asphalt Gods – An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament by Vincent Mallozzi. Square Books e/mailed me to confirm the order but they have to get a copy of the book. Once they have both items, they will shop them to me. We got a couple of walks in over the last couple of days. Besides the walk to the Wing School, on Sunday afternoon Eileen and I went for a drive to Jones Beach and then walked along the Boardwalk from Field 6 to the first concession building and back. We did manage to stay 6 feet from other people, and also take a dozen photos. And we did the same thing the next day when we did a short walk in East Islip along Montauk Highway near the Bank of America property. East Islip was quite empty, considering it was 4:30 PM. I managed to make a few edits to my Billy & Marist page as well as my “fan club” page - https://billys-fans-page.webs.com/. There was a nice walk in Babylon Village from the Municipal Parking Lot to the American Legion Hall and then to Main Street and back. Babylon's streets and sidewalks, and the parking lot, were fairly empty for a weekday.

On Holy Thursday, April 9th, I watched The Life of Jesus on the History Channel, showing his life through the eyes of people who knew him, like Peter, Mary Magdalene, Pontius Pilate, Judas, and others. Very interesting, and moving. Commentators told us how the roots of Antisemitism and “Christ killer” came about – the Gospels were written decades after the events of Holy Week and they did not want to offend any Romans whom they were trying to convert. And then I watched the Mets Yearbook on Sports-NY. It was a great trip down Memory Lane while watching the first 4 years. Then for an early dinner/late lunch I went during a downpour to White Cap and got a pint of New England clam chowder, a clam strips sandwich and two flounder fillet sandwiches. Came to $42.20. Not hungry after that. On Good Friday I went to the supermarket and was well armored, and later in the day I finished chapter 8 of The Greatest Ballpark Ever and saw that Branch Rickey and Walter O’Malley became co-owners, and Branch Rickey paved the way to signing Jackie Robinson. Happy Easter. Since my parish (and all of the other Catholic churches) are closed thanks to the pandemic, I watched the Mass in Italian from St. Joseph’s Co-cathedral. After breakfast and lunch Eileen and I went for a drive to Sayville and stopped first at the ferry terminal, where we took some photos. We wanted to go by a park to get close to the Great South Bay but it was closed to cars, so no go. Then we drove to the Smith Wever American Legion Post #651 on Foster Avenue and had another photo shoot. And to get our walk in, we parked at the firehouse and walked down a deserted Main Street to the Japanese restaurant that used to be a diner and back. Naturally, we took photos of the shops and the deserted Main Street. We also did some more walks in Islip and Babylon. I am almost done with chapter 9 of The Greatest Ballpark Ever and Jackie Robinson made in debut on April 15, 1947 despite protests from some teammates.

On April 16th I went over to CVS on Montauk Highway and was able to get wipes but none of the other items on the list. Then since it was a Thursday and we usually eat lunch out (or pick it up now thanks to the pandemic) I went next door to Taco Bell and got two burritos and two tacos for Eileen and me. After lunch we went for a walk to the Wing School and back, wearing our store bought masks. The next day I went to the supermarket in East Islip but was not able to get several items that I wanted, especially cleaning supplies, or had to find substitutes for some food items on the list. And lately, on Saturdays, we have been ordering out for lunch like we do on Thursday. So on the 18th I went to the Oconee Diner and got wrap sandwiches for the 3 of us. But I first went to the Shell station on Sunrise Highway in East Islip and got to fill up the CR-V for only $8.20 – gas was only 89ȼ a gallon after the Stop & Shop credit! My long sleeved tee shirt and book that I ordered from Square Books LLC two weeks ago (Asphalt Gods – An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament by Vincent Mallozzi) arrived on April 18th. I finished Chapter 11 on The Greatest Ballpark Ever. The Dodgers keep losing the pennant or the World Series, and Branch Rickey leaves the Dodgers for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then in 1955 they won it all on October 4th. And O'Malley was looking for ways to get a new ballpark in Brooklyn. Chapter 12 covers the 1956 and 1957 seasons where O'Malley kept looking for a new ballpark and all the deals fell through. The Dodgers' last game in Brooklyn was on September 24, 1957. Chapter 13, which I finished on April 23rd, talks about what happened after 1957 and ends with the return of baseball to Brooklyn in 2001 in the form of the Cyclones.

I have been going on walks with Eileen around Islip during April. We generally go to the Wing School along our usual route. We did also make a trek through Babylon on April 14th from James street to the Hibernian Hall and back. On the 25th, after I finished reading The Greatest Ballpark Ever, I started on Asphalt Gods. The intro tells us about the author (Vincent Mallozzi) and his growing up in East Harlem on East 119th Street and playing basketball with black and other white kids. Chapter 1 talks about Holcombe Rucker, the tournament’s namesake. We learned so far that he was a high school dropout, WWII Army veteran, graduate of CCNY, and later on a Parks Department Director and then also a teacher. He coached basketball at St. Philips in Harlem. He met his wife Mary when he dated a friend’s girlfriend after the friend could not make the appointment. Chapter 2 goes into detail about several of the men who played at Rucker Park and how they fared. Chapter 3 is a long one and we get to meet several great hoops legends, such as Wilt Chamberlain, Connie Hawkins, Roger Brown, Walt Bellamy, Earl Monroe, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabaar), Earl Manigault, Harthorne Wingo, and Tony Greer. Chapter 4 is also quite long, and as of May 4th, I have read about Pee Wee Kirkland, Julius Erving (Dr. J), and Joe Hammond. Dr. J also faced Joe Hammond in 1971 when their teams played each other. Both men scored 40 points for their respective teams. Dr. J credits Rucker Park with developing his skills to make it in the pros and then in business. Joe Hammond was approved by both the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Nets (Lou Carnesecca was the coach) in 1971 but Joe declined both offers. Chapter 5 talks about the Rucker Tournaments being played indoors, and how Ronnie Nunn shined in Mexico and at Rucker Park. The Rucker Tournament also payed indoors from 1972 to 1977 at City College and Brandeis High School. Fly Williams made himself a name at Rucker Park, as well as in the ABA. Billy "Black Jesus" Rieser played at Rucker Park and also at Centenary College and Eastern Kentucky. In chapter 6 we learn about the Entertainers Basketball Clinic and what happened to Joe Hammond, as well as Richie Adams and Malloy Nesmith. In chapter 7 Greg Marius teams up with a club owner to provide security at the games, and we meet 15 year old (1992) Kareem Reid who would shine at the Park, high school and the University of Arkansas before joining the Harlem Globetrotters. Later on we meet Larry Atling, Rafer Alston, and "Wolverine", who plays for one game at the Park and is never seen again. Later in the chapter we see that Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury played on Puff Daddy’s Bad Boys team, and by the mid 1990’s players would be paid for a game. By the end of chapter 7 Toronto Raptor Vince Carter played a game at the Park. Chapter 8 starts at the turn of the century and Beavon Robin led Net Posse to a Park championship, and Tim Doyle shined at the Park and at St. John's. Some complained that it got too commercial at the Park. In the epilogue the author concluded that going commercial helped the Park and the EBC, thanks to sponsors. And also concluded that stories from the Park will be told for generations to come. I am starting to try and learn how to play chess. I signed up on www.chess.com, and right now am playing the computer. Once in a while the computer lets me win. __________________________________________________________________________

So far in May it has been walks, including one I did by myself on May 2nd from the firehouse to the Town Hall to look at the closed or limited activity businesses, and walking to the Wing School with Eileen. On May 3rd I ordered dinner from the Oconee Diner – chicken quesadilla for me, and shrimp salad and tuna salad wraps for Ellen & Eileen. What worried me was that almost none of the staff had masks on when I went to pick the order up (but I did). May 4th is the 50th anniversary of the Kent State shootings, and after all these years I still remember the turmoil that took place at St. John's University. Earlier this afternoon (May 4th), I ordered a book and a coffee cup from Square Books. The coffee cup has a quote from the late author James Baldwin. The book is by Lian Dolan, titled Helen of Pasadena. 4 days later, after a walk with Eileen to the Wing School, I gave our CR-V a run along Sunrise Highway, driving to Lindenhurst to take a couple of photos at the Railroad Museum on South Broadway. Sadly, on May 9th Rock & Roll icon Little Richard died at the age of 87. I also tried to use www.zoom.com to have a video meeting, for fun, with my friend Charlie the professor. I finally was able to get it going on my cell phone but the connection was not particularly good. And now #2 of famous people has died, as on May 11 comedy great Jerry Stiller left us at the age of 92. #3 was Pretty Things' lead singer Phil May, who died at the age of 75 on May 15th. The Pretty Things were one of my favorite bands while I was in high school.

On May 14th Eileen and I went for a walk to our usual destination along our usual route and got to talk with a lady who lives on Wingan Hauppauge Road and has a pair of pug mix dogs. When we got back to the house, I went for a drive to Babylon Village and walked from James Street & Totten Place to Fancy Lee and back, taking a few pix along the way. Fancy Lee is temporarily closed while Roe Roe’s Sweet Street is open, but only one person is allowed in at a time. Ellen and I learned that a family of cats lived under the overhang by our bedrooms – a mom cat and at least 4 kittens. I got to photograph one of the kittens, but the others were camera shy. On the 16th Eileen and I took a walk along our usual route and I got to speak with the lady with the pug mixes and it turns out that she graduated St John the Baptist High School with a man who lives a couple of doors from us. Later on in the evening we had our first cookout. On Monday the 18th Eileen and I had our usual walk to the Wing School and when we got back, I took the Accord for a drive and headed up to Kings Park by myself. The highways were kind of empty for a weekday at 5 PM. Kings Park was kind of empty too. I parked at the firehouse and walked along Church Street to St. Joseph’s Church and stuck my head inside. Then I went to Main Street over to Renwick Avenue (chess players and tweens hanging around in the plaza between Main Street and the LIRR parking lot did not have masks on). The last stop was the shopping center on Indian Head Road, and the parking lot was kind of empty there as well. Then I walked back to the firehouse and drove back home. When I got home, I saw that my package I ordered from Square Books LLC 2 weeks ago arrived. I got a nice coffee cup, and a book to read when I finish Asphalt Gods. Sadly, actor and Los Angeles Police Officer Ken Osmond passed away on the 18th at the age of 76.

On Thursday the 21st I went to a food truck to get lunch for the 3 of us. The brick and mortar part of the restaurant (called The Blue) was damaged in a fire so they only have the outdoor seating (with social distancing), and pickup at their food truck. The sandwiches that I got for Ellen, Eileen and me were big hits. After lunch I went to Father Nature's, a nursery in East Islip and got several potted plants to put in the front of the house, as well as grass seed. We planted most of the flowers the next day. On the 23rd I started to read Helen of Pasadena. Helen Castor Fairchild is a rich widow whose husband was killed in an accident at the Rose Bowl Parade. Her two friends, Candy McKenna and Tina Chau provided some support after her loss. So far, I get the impression that Pasadena CA is a city where keep up is a big game. On Sunday the 24th I was up from habit and watched the Korean Mass from St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral (and later read the gospel readings in English on a website). I observed Memorial Day by driving over to my American Legion Post to join the other members for ceremonies at the Maragioglio Triangle (at Moffitt Blvd. and Commack Rd.), as well as Town Hall West. At each stop the Post’s rifle detail did a nine gun salute and the Commander made a short speech, and then taps was played. At each location, the flag was raised first to full staff and then lowered to half-staff. And since the Post’s ceremonies were done early, I was able to drive home and change into my fire department uniform to participate in their Memorial Day ceremonies as well. When I got to the firehouse, I said hello to some of the other members, and noticed that most of the schmucks from the other company did not have face masks on (not surprised, as they are trump-tards). As in prior Memorial Day services, we had the flag raising at the flagpole and then this time we marched without the band to the Islip Town Veterans Memorial Park at the main town hall. There was a short speech from our chaplain and then we were dismissed. We then walked back to the firehouse where I managed to get a cup of coffee, get credit for an motor vehicle accident call, and use the computer for a few minutes. After I came back from the fire house I changed and took the Accord to the Long Island National Cemetery and photographed the graves of my maternal grandparents, Ellen’s father’s cousin and his wife, Lt. Tim Shorten (KIA in Vietnam) and Holcombe Rucker (the man who started the Rucker Tournament and gave us the Asphalt Gods). When I came back Eileen and I went for a walk along our usual route and I got to speak with the lady on Wingan Hauppauge Road who has the pug mixes. It turns out that I knew her son since he was a religious education student of Ellen and me during the 1984-1985 school year. I also remember going with the Rescue Squad on a call to her house in the 1990’s because one of her son’s friends got hurt falling off a bike and she must have made the call to us. I also uploaded some of the photos that I took to the www.findagrave.com pages for my grandparents, Ellen’s 2nd cousin and his wife, Holcombe Rucker, and Lt. Shorten.

On the day after Memorial Day, after lunch Eileen and I went for a walk along our usual route and when I went past down the street from us, I saw fireworks debris on the grass. It was shot off on Memorial Day evening, which is not a day for fireworks. I posted this on Facebook and Google Photos. When we got back from our walk, I drove by myself to Patchogue to take pix around New Village and Main Street of the shops that are closed or limited in service and also photographed the low amount of traffic for a weekday. I saw that Sensationally Sweet, a favorite of Eileen and me, is closed and out of business. Most of the eateries are takeout and/or delivery. While walking through New Village (would not mind living there if I had to sell the house) I experimented with panoramas and different photo sizes and then back to the car at the Patchogue firehouse and drove home. I read part of chapter 2 of Helen of Pasadena and Helen learned that her late husband Merritt was having an affair with a news anchor named Roshelle Simms when he was killed. We also meet her mother in law Mitsy Fairchild, a society type bitch who is ultra-status conscious. Helen and Merritt were hoping that their son Aiden would get into Ignatius Prep School. By chapter 3 she visits the law offices of Billy Owens, a friend of her late husband and with their accountant Bruno Purcelli who breaks the news to her that thanks to bad investments and the market tanking, she is broke. Helen also learned that Merritt was going to divorce her and marry Rochelle (aka Shelly Slusky) who was quite wealthy thanks to her company Slusky’s Wash & Dry. In chapter 4 she is working on selling the house, and Melanie Martin stops by to tell her that she is off the Sponsorship Committee of the Five Schools Benefit. Helen told us how since Aiden was an only child, she always had time for school activities. Now she needs a real job, but her prospects are not good and her super rich mother in law cannot or will not help. On the 30th I went to the ATM room at JP Morgan Chase and two guys in there did not have masks on (I don't leave home without mine). ____________________________________________________________________________

I started June with a walk with Eileen along our usual route. Elsewhere we are worried about the demonstrations around the country as a result of the police choking death in Minneapolis and on the 2nd Ellen and Eileen helped me shave off the full beard and trim the goatee to a bit more than stubble. I finished chapter 5 of Helen of Pasadena and she realized that her marriage soured after a visit to Mexico in 2003 and in the next chapter she goes to the Huntington Library and is hired as an assistant to a Distinguished Scholar named Dr. Patrick O’Neill, who is an expert on Ancient Troy and in chapter 7 she started her new job at the Huntington Library. On June 3rd I saw texts on www.groupme.com where several of the super patriots at my firehouse were planning for a possible violent confrontation with peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrators because there they saw notices of demonstrations in Smithtown and East Islip. These patriots had to protect the Islip businesses from looting should the East Islip march spread to Islip. There was a march in Islip along Main Street/Montauk Highway from Brookwood Hall in East Islip to the Islip Town Hall and there were no altercations reported. But if these guys love guns and fighting so much, why don’t they join the auxiliary police, or the US military? I started to read chapter 8 and Helen tells us about the history of the Millington School and the Read-Write Fest and how she is now the chairmen of the fundraiser. On Saturday, the 6th I went to the Grower’s Market by Town Hall and got there too late to buy lettuce but was able to get strawberries and bread. In the late morning and early afternoon I watched a show on Discovery Channel called Why We Hate. It seems that it is passed on from parents & other elders to children, can also be a fear of “us versus them”, or propaganda – demonizing the ones you hate. Since it was a Saturday, I got lunch for the 3 of us at the Oconee Diner: shrimp and tuna salad wraps for Eileen and Ellen, and grilled chicken for me. After lunch Eileen and I went for a walk. We did not go the usual route but detoured at Moffitt Boulevard to go to the 7-11 on Union Boulevard. I bought a lotto ticket for Saturday’s drawing and she got herself a Beanie Baby, #79 in her collection, a poison dart frog named Dart. While we were there it started to rain while we were at 7-11 and after we left, we walked fast as the skies started to open up. I told her that we will have to skip the Wing School so we could go up Commack Road to Tex Court and then onto our street. I finished chapter 8 in Helen of Pasadena and she learns that she will not fill her late husband’s seat on the Millington School’s Board of Trustees and then works with Rita on showing the home at an open house event. In chapter 9 she is started to work with Dr. O’Neill, who has theorized that there may have been a 10th city at the Troy site and later in the day goes with Patrick to a wine bar owned by Ted Gamble and Ted joins in the conversation. She then tells Patrick that he will be speaking at Aiden’s school in a few days. Since June 7th was a Sunday, I took the opportunity to go to the 10:30 drive in Mass at St. Mary’s West Parking Lot. The parish set up a tent at one end of the lot and we parked in the usual spaces. Even though they had microphones in the altar, we also had the chance to tune into 99.7 FM to hear what was said on the altar more clearly. There was still no communion because the Bishop is still trying to figure out how to make it reverent and safe. After Mass I drove to the firehouse for coffee, the computer, and two alarm points. I also spoke with two other members about the social unrest and if it hit Islip, some of the gun nut blowhards would probably hide in their basements when shooting started. One of the guys also told me about another department member who is most likely a trump worshiper, who thanks to the socialism of the LIRR, can live in on a nice street in a fairly upscale part of Islip. In the afternoon Eileen and I did our walk along the usual route.

Earlier this year I had applied for part time and temporary work with the Census Bureau and on Monday the 8th I heard from them by e-mail. I had to make an appointment to get fingerprinted at one of their offices and I was able to get Saturday June 13th at their Melville location. Since I also have to have two forms of positive identification with me when I go, on Tuesday I also had to go to the safe deposit vault at JP Morgan Chase Bank to get out my social security card and my birth certificate which I will have to take with me on Saturday. The rest of Tuesday was spent going for a walk with Eileen along our usual route, and later checking out people on www.ancestry.com whom I have known.

I also went to Stop & Shop on the 10th for some lunch supplies and after that I had to go into the crawl space to turn the water on. Once I opened up the bilco doors several different types of arthropods came out and I had to sweep them away, along with cobwebs. I then had to crawl through some cobwebs to get to the lever to turn the water on. I also had to sweep out the stairway to the crawl space, as well as the garage. After lunch Eileen and I went on our walk along the usual route and after we got home, I went to Father Nature’s to buy 2 hydrangeas and three decorative grasses. Later I checked out independent bookstores in Louisiana and added one, in Denham Springs, to my likes on Facebook. I also checked out the independent bookstores in New York State and subscribed to the mailing list of The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid. But for actually buying things from independent bookstores, I will stick with Square Books in Oxford, MS.

Since the 11th was Thursday, I ordered lunch at a sandwich shop in Islip: chicken salad wrap with bacon for Ellen & Eileen, and a turkey burger wrap for me. When I went to pay for it the cost was way higher than I expected. The chicken salad wrap cost more than the $7.95 per the price on the menu. On the turkey burger wrap they charged me for a burger with fries (which I did not order) and was a lot higher than $7.95. The total was $28 instead of the $18 (including tax) which I expected. I will never go there again. I was pissed off enough to give it a shitty review on the internet. After lunch I went to the barbershop for the first time since February. The one on Main Street that I have been going to almost exclusively since August 1984 still was not opened as of Thursday, so I went to a shop on Islip Avenue and the sloppy mane was finally trimmed back.

On Friday and Saturday Eileen and I did our walk along the usual route, and on the Saturday walk I was able to talk with the lady who has the pug mix dogs. After my walk on Friday I drove into town to visit the ATM and then Nook & Cranny, where I talked with the owner and another customer. All 3 of us were not happy with the state of the country, and also with the state of Islip Hamlet. On Saturday morning I went to the Growers Market for some produce, as well as bread & croissants. In the early afternoon I went to the Census Bureau office in Melville to get fingerprinted and photographed, and when I got home, I saw an e/mail from them with forms that I got to fill out online.

Sunday was Flag Day so I went to the 10:30 drive in Mass at St. Mary’s and then to the American Legion Post for the Flag Day ceremonies. Since the Islip FD was at Yaphank, there was no burning of the flags in that ceremony, but three flags were retired, though. After the American Legion ceremonies I came home and changed and went to Taco Bell to get some lunch for Eileen and me. After lunch, we went for a walk along our usual route and when we got back, I went to the edge of the crawl space and emptied the water from the de-humidifier so we could water the plants around the house. Then I drove to the firehouse to have coffee (and enjoyed a slice of pizza from the Yaphank drill) and used the computer for a little while. When I got home, I read chapter 10 of Helen of Pasadena and her grieving and stress has made her pay less attention to her work and she has torn a page in one of the Schliemann notebooks. The 15th was a Monday and Eileen and I started out the week with a walk along our usual route and when we passed by the Marconi Lodge, I saw that they were signing people up for their blood drive. I told the lady taking names that I would not be a walk in but did sign up for 5 PM. Eileen and I then headed home and finished our walk and I then headed to the firehouse to have coffee and use the computer for a little while. Just before 5 PM I drove to the Marconi Lodge to sign in and while I waited outside before going in to fills out the forms and get examined, next to me was a members of the East Islip AMVETS Post who was in the US Air Force Tactical Air Command (TAC) like I was from 1971 to early 1974. He was at the two bases in Arizona (Luke and Davis Monthan) and then went to Thailand. I told him about England Air Force base and we agreed that Central and Northern Louisiana are dull and boring, and that England AFB was a zero.

On Bloomsday (June 16th) I headed to Chase Bank to have the balances of my mom’s estate accounts transferred to Ellen and my accounts and also put the papers that I needed for the Census Bureau back into the vault. Other stops included the post office, 7-11 for a lotto ticket, and Stop & Shop for lunch provisions and to redeem bottles. I started chapter 11 and Helen described the Ignatius School that she wants Aiden to attend. On Wednesday the 17th I took the Accord to Babylon Honda for the state inspection and some maintenance. Around 3:50 the dealer called us and said the Accord was ready but they had closed at 3:30 (shortened hours due to the Pandemic). We could have done the payment over the phone but decided to wait until the next morning to pick it up. Eileen and I then did our walk along our usual route and when we returned, I drove to the firehouse to have coffee and use the computer. After I got home from the firehouse, I finished chapter 11 and it looks like Aiden blew his interview with the Ignatius admissions officer, but does manage to help the school water polo team win. And Helen got an offer for the house. I then started chapter 12 and Patrick did his presentation about Ancient Troy to the middle school grades at Millington and it went over well. He thanked Helen and Aiden for their help. Now the other Millington moms are interested in him. The next day, the 18th, I did pick up my Accord at Babylon Honda and it is now as good as new but the work set us back over $1,000.00. While the car is 11 years old, we don't want to buy a new car at this time. Later in the evening I went to a social meeting at the American Legion post for the first time since March. After the meeting I went downstairs to the bar for one round of Jameson Irish whiskey with ginger ale and also watched boxing on ESPN.

The 19th was Happy Juneteenth. While I am not black, I can empathize with the African Americans since I am not one of the right types of white. We were limited by quotas for 41 years from entering the US because some people thought that we would not make good Americans. And 11 Italian Americans were lynched during the late 19th century in New Orleans. It does bring back to my mind the quote from Pastor Niemöller about when they went out for others and finally came for me. After lunch and a catnap I went on a walk with Eileen to our usual place and when we came home, I headed to town and went for a quick walk to Sugared Up (which is closed for remodeling) and the new pub – The Harp and Hound – which will replace Mary Dowling’s. The last stop was Nook & Cranny and I spoke with the owner and also another lady with her daughter. I got myself a small gift for me for Father’s Day – a man cave themed coffee cup. I could have bought something online but decided to give my money to someone I know. Then I decided to walk back to the firehouse to have some coffee and use the computer. While I was in the ready room at the firehouse some engine 1 bozos came by after a golf outing and kind of took over the room. It was my cue to leave, notwithstanding that it was almost 6:30. Saturday started with a trip to the Growers Market for produce, croissants, and bread. St. Mary’s had just opened up for in person Mass and I went to the 4:30 Mass and even sat in my usual seat in the front row. After the Mass I went to the firehouse for coffee and to use the computer. This time no one from the other company crashed my session. When I was done, I headed to the town hall parking lot where the car aficionados meet on Saturday afternoons to show off their cars and to hang out. I was able to take pix of two pre-war cars: a 1938 Oldsmobile and a 1937 Plymouth. On Father’s Day I managed to get a walk in with Eileen along our usual route and when we got home, I went to the firehouse for coffee and some computer time. We normally would have gone to a restaurant for Father’s Day but with the COVID-19 crisis, we ordered out from Babylon Burger. We opted for lobster rolls and lobster meat wraps and I naturally drove over to pick everything up. It cost us $88.07 after a $10 tip, but everything was delicious and we were not hungry afterwards. I finished chapter 12 in Helen of Pasadena. Helen and Patrick went on a nice lunch date to Laguna Beach and when they returned to Pasadena, Patrick tried to score with her (no luck). When she gets home, Helen is thinking about her relationship problems with men. Now I have to write the book report to include this chapter (which I did).

On June 23rd and after breakfast I did some errands and then went to St. Mary’s for confession for the first time in over 3 months. I met Father outside and we spoke. After lunch and the walk with Eileen, I took the CR-V to the East Islip Shell to fill the tank and saw two patrons go into the cashier’s room without masks despite the warning signs posted. Oh well. The next day, I started chapter 13 in Helen of Pasadena and when she reported to work the day after her date with Patrick, she ran into her former classmate from Willamette University, Annabeth Sturges. Annabeth is her nemesis and the exact opposite of Helen. Helen dropped out of Berkeley to marry Merritt while the other one went on to finish and become a colleague of Patrick. On Thursday afternoon Ellen ordered lunch for the 3 of us from Buttermilk’s, a new chicken restaurant in East Islip. Since there is still no dining in, I drove there to pick it at around 1:35. When I got there, I had to wait about 10 minutes since they were a bit behind schedule. Waiting with me was our county legislator. The chicken from Buttermilk’s was quite good (Ellen & Eileen shared a shrimp boat while I had dark meat chicken) so we will go back there again in the future. After lunch Eileen and I went along our walk but this time chose Wallace Street to return from the Wing School and we got to say hello to a fellow Engine 2 member, and while we were walking down Wallace Street the Islip FD’s tower ladder truck passed us on the way to a call on Shaw Avenue. This meant I could go to the fire house and sign in for the point once I dropped Eileen off. I did manage to get my point for the call and also have some coffee and use the computer. Today I finished chapter 13 and Helen had to explain to Patrick that she dropped out of Berkeley to get married. Sarah White then comes in to tell them about a new TV program that will be produced, about archaeology, and they want Patrick as a guest. I spent some time on Youtube.com looking at some good videos. On Thursday evening I watched Charlie Chaplin’s classic, The Great Dictator. This video was all in French (dubbed in French and with the closed captions also in French), but I still got the gist of Charlie’s message. I also listened to videos covering The Charisma Myth. I would like to do more to get some charisma since it can be acquired - Develop presence, power and warmth. And definitely avoid people who do not have any worthwhile qualities.

Saturday means the Growers Market and that where I went on the 27th. Some of the people there asked where Ellen and Eileen were. I told them that I got “elected” as the designated shopper. After breakfast I edited and added some new photos to my Wikipedia like page https://ex-mothman29.wixsite.com/billy-2019/home. Eileen asked about lunch from Taco Bell so I drove over to their drive in window for two tacos and two burritos (one each for each of us). After lunch we went for a walk but while we were walking through Greenview Village it started to drizzle which meant the walk was shortened – we turned up Commack Road to Tex Court and then home. It did start to rain after we got home so that meant we did not have to water the lawn. After the rain stopped, I headed over to St. Mary’s for the 4:30 Mass and sat at my usual seat. During the day, I read chapter 14 in Helen of Pasadena and Helen, Tina and Candy are concerned about their kids’ being admitted to their dream high schools.

On Sunday the 28th we often order out for dinner (no in house dining yet so we ordered from Mango Tango online). Even though we did not go out, we did enjoy our Sunday dinner at home. On Monday, Eileen and I walked to the Islip post office for our daily walk. I promised her a Beany Baby if she cooperated and after the post office, we walked to Sugared Up and Nook & Cranny, but both were closed, probably since it was Monday. So we headed to the 7-11 at Union Boulevard & Nassau Avenue where she got a tarantula spider named Hairy. While we were at 7-11 some patrons still did not have masks on (not good). After our visit to 7-11 we walked past the Wing School and then home. I read chapter 15 from Helen of Pasadena and Helen’s mother came down to Pasadena for a visit, and Aiden got accepted to Ignatius Prep.

See Part II for July 1 to December 31, 2020

__________________________________________________________________________

Make a free website with Yola