H O M E |
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SUNDAY,
NOVEMBER 24th, 2024
I had the opportunity to
take a wonderful vacation
trip recently, and I would like to share
it with you here today.
I was supposed to have driven from Orlando to Myrtle Beach on
Oct 25 to the annual Ghost On the coast dart tournament. I
would then have gone inland to Dalzell SC to visit a dear friend
and stay with here. While there, I was also planning to
visit with other friends and (hopefully) family, Then I
would have cone back to Orlando. All this would have been
in just a week's time, but no problem as my retired lifestyle
flexible part-time job is something that would allow be such
luxury of travel like this.
Well, then the Universe threw me a curveball (some medical
issues that prevents me driving long distances now) and I had to
re-evaluate and re-schedule. And I did!
I looked at possibly flying up, but that was a bit too
expensive. So I turned to an old reliable method of
transportation.....AMTRAK! I
researched the schedules and found the train did go to both
Columbia SC and Florence SC which are both about the same
distance from where my friend Lee lives. But the one going
to Florence had a better arrival time at around 11:00 am
following morning. I did have a bit of a layover (6 hours)
in Savannah GA, but that was okay for me. It meant Lee
didn't have to go the the train station at 4:00 in the morning!
So I booked the tickets and was all set! Along the way, I
discovered that the first train I was on also went
through Columbia and stopped in Camden SC, which
is about half the distance for Lee to come pick me up.
Noted for future travel plans. As I side note, I changed
my return ticket so I could leave from Camden back to Orlando.
I was able to have two friends (Jacob & Savannah) to
graciously give me a ride from my abode to the train station.
I arrived in plenty of time to get situated and wait for the
train to arrive. Shortly after getting there. I received
notification the train was running about 30 minutes behind
schedule. Not a big problem as I knew I had that long
layover in Savannah GA later on. So I cozied up in the
station and waited. What else was thereto do, right?
The train arrived around 8 o'clock and my first wonky
adventure began! We were given instructions on how to
board the train, but they turned out to be just a bit off!
They forgot to tell us once we left the station, go left, then
right, then wait for the train that we also had to have crossed
a street then turned left again! Once that little nugget
was deciphered we all went to the correct area for boarding!
I boarded the train and was assigned a seat. It
wasn't too far from where I got on the train, which was nice.
The Assistant Conductor took my not-to-large suitcase as said
she would store it in the back of the car. That was okay
and I still had my carryon satchel and lunch cooler (that I had
packed in a drink and some snacks - smart eh). Although I
prefer having a window seat, I was not so lucky this leg of the
trip. I got an aisle seat as the train was crowded.
So I settled in and made myself as comfortable
as I could. Luckily, I always bring a travel neck pillow
and can usually get some sleep along the way. I had also
purchased some Bluetooth earbuds so I could
listen to music on my phone. Makes the time go by faster!
We arrived in Savannah GA around 12:30 am and got off
the train. The station was well lit, but not really anyone
there. I found a quiet spot in the corner
and plugged in all my devices to recharge. I then laid
down one of the hard steel benches in an attempt to get a bit of
a better nap. It worked okay considering everything wasn't
perfect. zzzzzzz
After several hours of bleh sleep, I woke up and waited for the
next train to arrive. It was pretty much on time and
pulled into the station around 7;30 am. We boarded and
fortunately this one was nearly empty. I found an
wonderful aisle seat and no one was assigned to site next to me!
This gave me more room to stretch out and get more comfortable!
So I did! And was able to once again get some sleep on my
last leg of my journey.
The train was a few minutes late getting to Camden, but
Lee was waiting there in plenty of time to pick me up. It
was about an hour's drive back to her place, but she is so
wonderful in coming to pick me up on these visits. When I
went to visit her when she lived in Tennessee, she would
actually drive almost TWO HOURS to pick me up at the airport in
Memphis, and take me back as well! She is such a
sweetheart for doing that!
We went to Sumter SC (my hometown) and stopped for some lunch.
We went to LOGAN'S ROADHOUSE, which I had gear of but never
been. it was delicious as was the company!
We then went to her house, I unpacked a bit, we chatted and the
decided we both needed a nap. So napping we went!
That night we went to go see a play at the wonderful
Sumter Little Theatre. Lee usually goes to a friends house
to play cards on Saturday nights, but this was a special
occasion and they did actually have a production going on that
weekend. I had purchased tickets ofr us, but had come to
find out that a long time friend (Joel Osborne) was an Archangel
there and could have gotten us free tickets. Oh well,
More on that in a few. I have bee a member of the SLT
family since 1974 and did many shows there from 1974 - 1986.
Acting, directing, stage crew, lighting. sound, props, and set
constriction were all part of my resume and I loved every minute
of it! So it was great to be able to attend one of their
performances live and in person!
We got to the theatre around 6:30 pm as I thought the show
started at 7:00 pm. But, as happens but rarely, I was
wrong! Curtain wasn't until 7:30 pm! We di go to the
front entrance and luckily there was somebody there to let us
in. I explained our predicament, but she let us in anyway!
I then started telling her who I was and my long history with
SLT, and she actually knew some of it and people I knew from the
past. Even the director of the show (Traci Quinn) who was
another long time friend! Then I asked her about the seats
and if she had something more centered fro where we were, and
she was able to move someone else around so we sat on the FRONT
ROW in the left section (stage right for those who know).
Since I also mentioned the bit of a snafu with Joel offering us
tickets, she told us that next time we wanted to to (ether me or
Lee) the tickets would be comped! She gave us (or mainly
Lee) her phone number and said to call ahead and explain the
situation, and the tickets would be taken care of! Another
stroke of Llama Lluck indeed!
The show was titled "Next To Normal" and is an award
winning musical drama about a family dealing with bipolar
disorders and other mental health issues. It won a Tony
Award in 2009 and a Pulitzer prize in 2010. It was a power
look into topics not usually show in a musical form. But
everything was amazing from the cast, the set, the small band,
and script, and the vocals. I told them afterwards it was
probably the best performance I had seen there in 40 years!
And gave kudos to everyone involved, including Traci as the
director! It was so great going back to my roots there.
And the building they now perform in was part of my high school
(Sumter High Class of 1976), and the room was our old shop
class! Go figure! A tru blessing of an evening!
We then went home to Lee's to rest for our next adventure on
Monday!
After a great night's rest, we arose and had a coffee
and Lee did her morning routine for her collage of animals (cats
and a dog) and we the headed off to Columbia for a special
brunch rendezvous with another dear friend, Amber! I first
had met Amber back in 2001 while working at Kline Iron & Steel.
After we both had left there, we kept in touch and become best
friends over the years. But that friendship is for another
blog! We were to meet at a place called COOL BEANS.
A wonderful local coffee house in downtown Columbia
that Amber and I had been going to for over 20 years.
She lives in Greenwood SC and was great to drive over to
meet us! We had a wonderful time, I bough everyone coffee,
food, and a t-shirt for Lee!
 
It is always so amazing when two people that are so
special to me are able to join me in the same place. More
great memories made indeed! But! Our adventure was
not done just yet! Lee had wanted to get some holistic
things and had located a shop not too far away. We all
three went over there and the ladies each purchased some items
for their needs and wants! Lee and I then left to head
back to her home, while Amber went on her way to another
friend's house to get some more items she wanted. We had a
wonderful goodbye hug and parted ways...for now!
On the way home, I told Lee one of the things I really wanted
while I was there was a beverage called Blenheim Ginger Ale. It
is made in the region (Blenheim SC) and tastes wonderful!
Although they make a spicy flavor, the regular flavor has enough
og a kick forme! So, I searched and found a couple of locations
in Columbia that claimed to carry it, but to no avail.
Then I did find a store in Sumter that carried it! I
called and they had some in stock! It took us about an
hour to get there (it wasn't really out of the way so off we
went! It turned out it was a place Lee had just been and
the woman (Felicia) remembered her! I got my Blenheim, we
made a quick stop at the liquor store for some Bacardi(the best
mixer for Blenheim), some other liquor, and headed home!
That night, we had some leftover Logan's, Blenheim & Bacardi
(mixed with some fruity liquor), and watched a movie ("The
Bank Job) and several episodes of
"Rules Of Engagement"! A great ending to
another great day!
Tuesday came, and this would be my final day here on
this vacation. We both had some shopping to do, so we went
to the local Dollar Tree (love that place, even though items are
now $1.25 or more!) and then to Walmart. lee bough some
grocery items (fr our final lunch and her house) and I got a
fuzzy throw blanket for my trip home and a few travel items
(soda, a lunchable, and snack). We then went home, had a
great salad lunch meal, and watch some more "Rules Of
Engagement"! Since I rebooked my return trip to go
from Camden instead of Florence, we had more time together.
Life can be so wonderful at times!
After dinner and relaxing, I went a packed up everything for my
trip home. We drove the 30 minutes or so, finally found
the train station, and parked to wait for the train to arrive.
It was also about 20 minutes late, but once it arrived, I
hurried to get on, but did get another special goodbye moment
with another dear friend. As is said, "parting is such
sweet sorrow", but I know we will see each other again soon.
We chat most every day and play on online game all the time!
The ride home was direct from Camden to Orlando (Winter
Park actually) and took about 10 hours. I had a window
seat and there was another passenger in the aisle seat, but
about 2/3 of the ay there, he was able to move to his own window
seat! So I did get two seats (and more room) for some of
the trip. Sweet!
The train pulled into Winter Park, I got off with all my stuff,
called for a ride (Lyft), came home, and here I am! Llama
home now. Llama happy.
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SUNDAY,
SEPTEMBER 8th, 2024
The month-long celebration of my birthday began in grand
fashion! Have you decided when you are going to participate?
First of all, I received my first present last week. It came
from my wonderful cousin Shannon Frank. She has a store that
sells a multitude items. I saw one that I liked and she
packaged it up and mailed it to me! Although it did arrive
early, I waited until my actual birthday (Monday, September 2nd)
to open the package.
It is called Sodalite and it's properties include wisdom,
clarity, and calmness. I am generally hoping it will help me
with some issues.
Later that day, I received a video chat from another awesome
cousin, Elizabeth Kochara. We first connected back in 2007 when
I went to my Family Reunion in Altoona, PA. We have several
common interests and have gotten closer ever since. She had
given me a wonderful, heartfelt text and will be sending me a
card that should arrive shortly!
That nigh, I received another video chat from my best friend,
Amber Parris. I first met her back in 2002 when we worked
together. She has become very important to me, and she once
again proved why with by calling me. Another special time on my
birthday!
Tuesday, September 3rd was a fun filled time courtesy of another
person I have know since 2002. her name is Michelle Cagle. We
met playing darts and remained friends ever since. We even
lived together back in 2009 here in Orlando. She has been back
and forth between Orlando and Greenville over the past decade.
She first got a job working for Disney in 2009 and has remained
working for them ever since. She first took me to Disney in
2009, and repeated the offer this past Tuesday! Here is how the
day unfolded. . . . .
We met up at the AMC theatre in Disney Springs. She had already
purchased tickets for us. We decided to see the movie BORDERLANDS.
Once we got inside, she gave me my Disney birthday button! And
she even spelled my name right!
After we checked in we went to the concession stand. With it
being my birthday (day after actually), I asked if I could get
anything free. They replied I could join the AMC Rewards Club
and get a free LARGE POPCORN AND DRINK! So
of course I did! By the way, the movie was pretty good.
Similar to the old Mad Max films. Check it out folks!
After the movie, we went next door to Planet
Hollywood for lunch. After we
were seated, the waitress recommended we try the World
Famous Chicken Crunch appetizers.
She explained these were chicken tenders that were breaded with Capt'n
Crunch! Sweet! They were so delicious.
For my drink, I just had to order one of their 12 0z. Children's
light up drink cups!
Lol! Hey, as I stated...this was MY birthday
party!
After we were finished eating (neither of us ate half of our
order - I had a chicken-broccoli-alfredo pasta dish and Michelle
order a Guy Fieri Smash Burger), I asked to speak with the
manager. I do this when the waitress/service/food is
extraordinary. our server obliged and the manager came out. He
immediately saw it was my birthday and told me they would give
me a complimentary dessert! (Golden sponge cake topped with ice
cream, strawberries and blueberries). He then asked if I had
gotten my name on "the big board". (The restaurant has GIANT television
screen all around the interior. I told him no, I had not had my
name on "the big board". he said he would take care of that!
So as we finished our dessert, this appeared on "the big board":
We were both in awe at seeing this, and as I pointed upwards, I
jokingly said "Look! Y'all are sitting next to a celebrity!"
They all laughed and wished me a Happy Birthday! Michelle and I
packed up our leftovers (entrees only and one of the chicken
tenders I saved - but no dessert as we devoured that!) and left
the restaurant.
At this point, it was still light outside and clear skies. We
decided to walk around some, and boy am I so glad we did! We
came around the corner, and I saw a sign for Pelé Soccer! I am
a huge fan of Pelé and of soccer, so I told we needed to go in.
Just on a whim, I asked if the had any jerseys from my favourite
team (Ipswich Town) on the off chance they might. To my
surprise (and glee), the salesman said "we just got some in!"
So he took me over and showed them to me. He picked out the
blue home jersey and told me I could get my name and a number
put on the back. So I told him to put LLAMA
42 on the back of the shirt. For those
who don't know me, LLAMA is
my nickname, and 42 is "The Answer To Life,
The Universe, and Everything" (Hitchhiker's
Guide To The Galaxy). We then
went to the register and while he was ringing me up, of course I
told him it was my birthday and asked "what do I get?" He
replied "I saw that, and have already given you a 10%
discount!" Awesome mate! He then asked Michelle if she was a
Disney employee, she said she was...and he gave me another 10%
discount! He said the jersey would be ready for pickup in 10
minutes. So Michelle and I went outside to wait. We found a
table with a big umbrella over it...and suddenly that became
very important!
A storm cloud rolled in quickly and the sky opened up with a
heavy rain. Typical Florida weather, right? Michelle had come
prepared with and umbrella and a poncho. As the time was now
there for me to go get my shirt, she gave me the umbrella so I
could troll over to the shop. When I walked in, I asked the
clerk if htey had a rain-proof bag. he said they didn't, but
they did have ponchos for sale. I was thinking this could be
expensive and asked how much. He said $10. So I grabbed one
and went to pay. It was the same clerk, so I told him "it is
still my birthday", and he said "I know...and I gave you the 10%
discount"! Another win-win for Llama! So I got my poncho and
my shirt and left.
 
I am very pleased with my purchase!
We then proceeded to walks down the main part of Disney Quest in
the rain, splashing about in the puddles, and having a great
time. Around the next corner was the M&M store!
As we walked in, I went up to the lady at the counter and
exclaimed "You know I am diabetic, right?" She laughed. There
has been much laughter so far today! Means there is much joy
going on! She then told me I could get my picture on on M&M! I
shouted "NO WAY!" She replied "WAY!" So I went to the kiosk,
uploaded a suitable photo, and went back to the counter. The
attendant then instructed me that he would countdown from 5, and
then i was to press the large black button in front of me. He
ten told Michelle when I hit the button, she was to yell HAPPY
BIRTHDAY. She agree, but I also told him he needed to
do the same thing. He said he always does! So he went
5-4-3-2-1, I pressed the button, both of them yelled HAPPY
BIRTHDAY, a large amount of the candy dropped into a
cone and into a machine. Only a few minutes later, he produced
a decent sized bag of the delicious M&M candies! With my very
own pictur on each and every one of them!
Another birthday gift for the one and only LLAMA!!!
The rain had stopped by this point. Our final stop of the
evening was at the Starbucks shop.
We both wanted a hot chocolate. I ordered a larger, and
Michelle wanted a small. Again (of course), I said since it was
my birthday, I wanted something. The lady said I would get my
beverage free! And again Michelle got her employee discount!
For for both drinks, the bill was still only $2.34! How awesome
is that?
It was truly a "magical day" in the "most magical place on
Earth"! Hard to agree there mate!
So, you see how someone can and did my the effort to give me a
special day to celebrate my special day? All you need is to put
forth some effort. Not everyone can take me to Disney, but you
can take me somewhere, right?
Contact me soon to set up some quality time. I am expecting to "hear" from
all of you. Not just a simple text!
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 19th, 2024
Okay, Llamalites. In
15 days my birthday arrives. That is the good news. The bad
news is that this year, it falls on the first Monday of
September. And that means it will be engulfed by
LABOR DAY. This means it could (and has) get over
shadowed by the masses. I do like this, but it happens every
several years. Such is life.
So, in order to combat this injustice, I have been letting
all by family, friends, and followers about my plans to increase
my celebration from not just the one day. . . but for an
ENTIRE MONTH!!! That's is correct folks! You now have
a full four weeks to shower me with all the love and adulation
so richly deserved by your truly iconic, ironic, and inspiring
entity of this (or any other) realm!
To do this, all you have to do is contact me (via email,
text, or message) to set up when and where you want to take crew
of this. I will be taking reservations immediately, so do not
wait too long to set something up. Calendar may fill up fast (I
hope)!
Suggestion/ideas for you to consider:
PHONECALLS ♦ VIDEO CHATS ♦ CARDS ($$$ OPTIONAL
☺) ♦ LETTERS ♦ MEALS (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER)
DRINKS (ALCOHOLIC/COFFE) ♦ MOVIES ♦ LIVE THEATRE ♦
GAMES ♦ ENCOUNTERS (BE CREATIVE!!!)
Thing NOT ACCEPTABLE: Plain Texts ♦ Simply
"Happy Birthday" Messages ♦ Posts On My
FACEBOOK page (or other Social Media accounts)
DISCLAIMER: ALL EXPENSES FOR SAID RESERATIONS ARE THE THE SOLE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PERSON(S) MAKING THE RESERVATION.
LLAMA ASSUME ~NO~ FINANCIAL
PARTICIPATION
I want to be pampered, loved, smothered, and made to feel
as if I am the enter of the Universe!! Because in reality, I
am the center of MY UNIVERSE! So it is now up
to all of you to realize that. and make this once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity come to fruition.
Waiting now for the plethora of reservations to start
rolling in!
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FRIDAY,
JUNE 14th, 2024
This blog deals with health coverage and insurance. Do you
currently have that? If so, are you satisfied with it? Does it
give you the coverage, benefits, medications, etc. that meet
your needs? If so, then GREAT! If not, I hope you can find
some soon. Let me tell you about my health coverage/insurance.
When I had a steady job, I was usually covered through
whatever company I worked for. The insurance was pretty
affordable, or at least I figured it was because it came out of
my paycheck each week and I didn't really miss it. And the
benefits seemed to fulfill my medical needs. That was that, and
I adapted. There were a few times while unemployed that I
struggled a bit, and at one point I wasn't able to afford my
diabetic meds, and that ended up hurting my. But I digress.
Back in 2014 while living in South Carolina, I discovered
that the state provided Free Medical Clinics for health care.
All you had to do was show up around 7:00 am and sign the
waiting list for that day. They usually took around 25 patients
a day. Once on the list, you had to wait until 1:00 pm when the
doctors came in. These physicians (and specialists) were all
volunteers who came to help those that didn't have regular
medical insurance. They came when they could, and the clinic
would try to schedule as many doctors in many areas to insure
complete coverage for the patients. There was no cost to the
patient. All visits (and meds) were 100% free of charge! The
two biggest items were that 1) you had you be one of the first
25 people to sign up (or you had to come back another day) and
2) you had to wait the 6 or so hours to see the doctors. I was
always there early (some people would show up at 6:00 am to get
in line), and I had no qualm about waiting. I had nothing but
time. But there were still those that complained. There was
one lady complaining so much about the wait, I finally asker her
what she would be doing if she wasn't there. She replied,
"Sitting at home in my air conditioning, watching TV". I
pointed to the TV there mad the air conditioning vent, then told
her to "shut up"!
My next foray into low cost medical coverage came when I
moved to Florida. After being laid off 9for what turned out to
be the final time), I looked around and found the Community
Health Center. This wasn't as good as the Free Medical Clinic
in SC, but it was still affordable. They have a sliding scale
for office visits (based on what your income is) and most of my
prescriptions only cost me $4 each. And I was able to get back
on my diabetic meds. This helped bring my A1C from 14.1 down to
a more respectable 7.9 in about 18 months. If you know anything
about diabetes and A1C then you understand the significance of
that!
Once I turned 65, I was eligible for Medicare and
Medicaid. At first I was skeptical as that was going to cost me
$165 a month! I had taken early retirement in August of 2020
(when I was about to turn 62) and that it would have not been
good for me or my budget! But then, I went to a local office
that claims they could help. . . . .and they did! It turns out
that many people in my situation can apply for benefits that
will help pay the costs of both Medicare and Medicaid. I
applied, and wad accepted. The state of Florida pays the entire
amount! Kudos to Florida for the assistance.
Next there is the situation about my current health
insurance provider. It was determined by Social Security that I
should be covered by an outfit called WELLCARE. They specialize
in covering people of my age, and they have done it wonderfully
for many years. At first, they had selected a Primary Care
Physician (PCP) for me, but after some research, I found out
that Community Health Care was in their network! And the PCP
that I had from CHC was also one of the doctors on their list.
Even though she had moved from one CHC facility to another, that
was a minor adjustment to say the least. And the new location
was actually a bit closer to my new residence , so everything
worked out for the best. Touché Health Care Environment!
Finally, and I know you have all been waiting for this
update! One of the great benefits of WELLCARE is that they will
pay for a membership to a local health club. All I had to do
was register through a program called
Silver Sneakers and that allowed me to join a
facility called LA FITNESS (you make
know of them). They offer a class of water aerobics to help
folks in my physical condition get a good exercise program
going. It is low impact, but still provides would with enough
movement and resistance to help you. With all of the lower back
pain I had been having, along with other issues, I figured this
couldn't hurt. And it was the complete opposite! My back has
been much improved, and my overall muscularity (is that a real
word? LOL!) has been way better. So I truly recommend anyone
that can attend this type of class to do so.
That is all I have for now. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings
and come back for more!
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SATURDAY, APRIL 13th, 2024
I have discovered something that is currently missing in my
life! I have looked all around and in every conceivable place I
can think of. But I can't seemed to find out where it went!
What is this elusive thing? Well, if you really want to know, I
am asking you to go to my
MESSAGE BOARD and look at the latest entry into the LLAMA
BLOG section. There you will find out what I am referring to.
So please make your way over to check things out.
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SATURDAY, MARCH 16th, 2024
I know it has been a while since I have published a new blog,
but it is time. Life has been a bit busy since my last post.
But that doesn't mean you all deserve an update. So here goes!
Since my new insurance kicked in back on October 1st of last
year, I have had the opportunity to see better doctors, and to
see them in a more timely manner. Now this isn't a knock on my
previous situation. I was going to the Community Health Cater
program where I only paid a set price for my doctor visits.
That was around $30 each visit. My medications cost me around
$4 each and some were even free! And any visits I needed were
at no cost to me. The only drawback was I had to go to the
physician they use, and I had to wait until that particular
specialist had openings. It could take several weeks or months
for that to happen, unless it was a critical need. But with my
new plan, there is a wider range of specialist that I can see as
long as they are in the network.
With that said, it has become apparent that with the ability to
see more specialist in a more timely manner, it has led to
finding out more issues and ailments that I am going through.
Some are just due to my advancing age but some are cause by my
diabetes or other circumstance. I won't say these are life
threatening but rather life changing. There are a couple of my
closer friends that I have told about some of these but not in
too much detail as I don't want them (or anyone else) to be too
worried. If or when circumstances take a more serious turn, I
will inform those that show a genuine interest r concern. For
most of these, there aren't thing that anyone other than myself
can really do to make things better. Just follow me and give me
support.
Please check out my other pages and content. And go to the
Message
Board
and leave me a comment or make a comment. Or you can use
Contact Us page. Hope to hear from
y'all soon!
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4th,
2024
2023 has now drifted off into history. We have now set sail
into this new and promising year. But I would like to reflect a
bit on what happened and how I got to where I am as of now.
Several thing happened in the recent 12 months. Some good, some
not so good. Some hazy, and some down right lazy! So let's
take a few minutes to reflect on those, shall we?
I can think of two words that basically describe 2023. Those
would be DISCOVERY and RECOVERY. As the year progressed, and
because I had my health coverage updated (I was granted full
Medicare and Medicaid coverage), I ended up visiting several
different types of physicians. This ultimately led to me
discovering some maladies that had crept into by body, causing
potential ailments that could affect me in the near to
not-s-near future. However, rest assured that non of these are
considered "major" or "critical". . . . .but have the potential
to increase in severity if not caught and treated. This had led
me to make some changes in my lifestyle.
I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes back in 1997. I tried to
keep things under control, but due to a myriad of reasons, no,
excuses, things escalated. I was put on insulin after only a
few years. Since then, I have been taking that along with
several other medicines in hopes of controlling it. Life wasn't
too bad until 2014 when, after becoming unemployed (again), I
was not able to afford medication for a long period of time.
This resulted in my A1C level soared to 14.1. Now bear in mind
the normal number is supposed to be 7.0 or less. You can see
how bad off I had become. Luckily, South Carolina has Free
Medical Clinics which allowed me to get back on most of them for
a good while.
Enter 2017 when I had the opportunity to move back to Florida.
Here, the have a system of medical facilities know as the
Community Health Center. They use a "sliding scale" to
determine your cost for seeing a physician, specialist, and drug
prescriptions. Through their efforts, I was able to bring my
A1C level down below 8.0 in a relatively short time! And now
that I have great medical coverage through a company called
WELLCARE, I am in good hands in that respect.
More to come soon. Tata for now!
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FRIDAY, JULY 7th, 2023
BASEBALL. The great American Pastime. Right? It has been one
of my passions ever since I can remember. My first memories of
watching the game on television was in October of 1969. I
watched the New York Mets win the World Series by beating the
Baltimore Orioles. After that, I can remember watching the 1971
All Star Game in Detroit. So many star players. Several home
runs, including Reggie Jackson launching one to the top of the
roof in Tiger Stadium. Still today, that is one of the longest
and hardest hit balls I have ever seen.
Since then, I have followed not only my beloved Pittsburgh
Pirates to not one, but TWO World Series wins of their own (1971
and 1979, both against the Baltimore Orioles) but also the
Atlanta Braves (WS champs in 1995). I even learned how to keep
score in the games, thanks to my cousin Tim. He showed me how
back in 1976 as we were going to Pittsburgh to see my first live
game! I got into it and kept score for dozens of games for the
next 5 years or so.
So here we are now, some 50+ years later and although my passion
for the game hasn't deteriorated much, my actual watching of
games has gone down significantly. To almost ZERO over the last
few years. I tried to watch a few last year, but somehow life
interceded to curtail that activity.
But this year, I have to try again. Try real hard. So hard,
that my goal this year was to see at least ONE GAME of every
Major League team! All 30 of them! And thanks to having
several platforms online, I will attain that goal tomorrow,
Saturday July 9th by viewing the Chicago Cubs playing in Yankee
Stadium against New York. This goal didn't take me as long as I
thought it would. So this will be another milestone for me.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 22ND, 2023
Well, it seems to be that time once again. Over the course of
my 64 plus years of living on the planet, I must once again
relocate and find a new place to live. That is right folks. I
said I am about to move for the THIRTY SEVENTH time. The owner
of the house I currently rent a room in has decided to sell the
house that has been in his family for a number of h=years. He
has just put a new roof on it and has decided he wants to move.
He said he will put the property up for sale once a few more
updates have been made. I do not harbor any ill will towards
him as he has every right to do this. So, with that said, I
must now find a new location to move to. I have lived here for
about 2 years, which seems to be the morn for my life this past
decade of so. Except for a 3plus year at my late brother's
house, I have been relocating around 2 years at the most. Such
is life.
If anyone in the Orlando area knows of one has a room to rent,
please contact me. I don't know exactly the time frame for me
to move, but I don't want to wait to the last moment to do
this. Sent me wither an email, text, of IM to discuss. Thanks
in advance for any help.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 12TH,
2023
I miss dancing. Except for a couple of brief moments last year,
I haven't really be able to "cut loose" in decades. In my
younger day, say my 20's and 30's, I was always rocking out the
great tunes of the day. I must say that I was pretty decent at
doing it as well. I could draw a crowd for my style where ever
I went. Loved it. Rarely got tired or worn out doing it
either. I could go for hours. And I could almost always find a
willing partner to join me. Especially the prettier girls that
seemed to enjoy being seen with me. The music back in those
days (and YES I will include D-I-S-C-O) were magical and
provided the perfect backdrop to help us all "get down on it"!
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