2022 - A Year In Flux

 

This was a year with many changes in my life, some good, some difficult, and some, let's just say, still pending.

I made a huge life choice, for sure. After spending my entire life on Long Island, I chose to move to Florida. That move was a good move, but difficult, because while I moved with my daughter and her children, I moved away from my son and his. I also left many friends behind, some of whom were lifelong friends. And I left my cousins there as well.  Difficult.

 I had been diagnosed with Stage 2 Bladder Cancer at the end of 2021. I was worried how I would treat this, and I considered coming back to see my doctors for my treatment.  Well, it became very expensive right away, with airfare and Uber costs the first time, and the cost of car rentals the next two times. So l, as much as I loved my oncologist and her team, who I developed a great relationship over the years, fortunately, found another great oncologist and a terrific urologist right here, in the next town. Difficult, but ultimately, good.

I am presently, after a relapse and return of the cancer, in remission under the care of these two great doctors. So, while that is good, it is still pending. And that is okay, since pending and being in remission is a whole lot better than dealing with the surgeries, chemo and Keytruda. And all the mind games dealing with what cancer brings. However, I lost a lot of weight and no longer need to take insulin. Ultimately, good.

 I love the weather here, wearing shorts and short sleeved shirts, especially on December 31. We did have winter last weekend over Christmas when the temperature plunged to 29* Christmas Eve at night. But it was in the 40s Christmas Day, and then in the 50s and 60s by Wednesday. Spring has returned, for sure. And today, it will be 80. So, good.

 We had two hurricanes since I moved here. But they were just rain with some wind. No biggie. I went to a couple of tree lightings and a Christmas parade, in shorts, in early December and it was 75*at dusk. Listening to Frosty and looking at lights with the AC running was different than anything I experienced on Long Island, but it was good. Weird, but good.

This was my 2022. Some good, some difficult, some still pending. But isn’t all that just life? Surely it is. And the coming year, well, it will be different, too.

 For 2023, I plan to finish writing a book I started earlier this year and that will be a positive goal and accomplishment. For all of you, I wish peace, happiness and love because you deserve it. You are, after all, my friends.

 So Happy New Year and may 2023 be the best year we ever had.

The Trump - McCarthy Dynamic

 

Former President Donald Trump was asked by the New York Post about his view on who should be elected Speaker on January 3. He believes it should be Kevin McCarthy and gave his reasons for why, especially in light of the Boehner to Ryan disaster in 2015.

 While I agree with the former President that was a disaster, it truly does not explain the reason the anti-McCarthy fallout would destroy the legitimacy of a Republican Speakership, since a worst-case scenario would result in a Democrat-elected Speaker.

 Presently, the Republican-controlled House majority stands at 223, five more than the 218 needed to win the Speakership. But if my math is right, then should McCarthy lose six votes, giving him only 217, the whole speakership would be subject to wheels and deals, and eventually, a Democrat (Pelosi?) could somehow be elected Speaker. Just to end the donnybrook.

 What then to committee assignments, chairs and even the flawed Jan 6 committee? Two more years of turmoil, brought on by the pettiness of Andy Biggs, Matt Gaetz and others who had found McCarthy to be too moderate for their taste.

 The American people voted to end Pelosi’s Speakership in November, believing that she (and other Democrats) had overstayed their welcome. They believed they had “fired” her and her cronies to hand over the House to the Republicans to keep the Democrat-controlled Senate in check, knowing that the Executive branch was still in Democrat hands, and not allowing one-party rule to destroy this Constitutional Republic, as was happening these last two years, and maybe since the early part of 2020 when Donald Trump went along with the Democrat-controlled Congress as the pandemic exploded in our faces.

 But enough was enough. It was time to stop the runaway pork gravy train and place a stop-check in place. And while Kevin McCarthy is not a true conservative by anyone’s definition, he is a shrewd politician who understands what his role would be in a fractured government. A STOP sign. A “do not pass go and do not collect $200” roadblock.

 Because if he doesn’t see it this way, he and the Republican Party will lose in 2024. As will Gaetz and Biggs and his other adversaries.

 And of course, Donald Trump would also be the biggest loser in his quest to recapture the Presidency. He understands that even if he doesn’t say it. He isn’t an idiot, even though the media makes him out to be.  That’s why he wants McCarthy. He is a party guy. But he is really all about Trump.

And believe it or not, supporting McCarthy is Trump’s best shot to become President again. You can be sure Kevin McCarthy understands the dynamic being played out here.

The proverbial clock is ticking fast to January 3. What will be the result? Only the political gods know for sure. For the rest of us, we will find out in sixteen days.

 Hang on tight.

A Cousin's Remembrance

 

My cousin, Mike, passed on December 2, 2022 after a long battle with cancer. He was in constant pain at the end except when he was given pain killers. He was unable to move or talk except when he was given those medicines, which we know is no way to live. At the end his wife Robin and his loved ones were there in person and in spirit.

 We were two months apart as the oldest boys of a large family which sprouted from Howard Beach, NY. As children, we were best friends and lived on the same block. His dad would call him Munga Magoo and his sister, Maureen, Suzie Q. I called him Bunga as a kid which didn’t stick, but to this day, Maureen is still known as Suzie.

 Nevertheless, we were “best friends” well into our teens until life choices dictated different paths as adults. When we saw each other at family events, we would pick up where we left off, as if we just saw each other just days before. But of course, life got in the way.

 We became friends on Facebook several years ago and would occasionally chat for a moment or “Like” each other’s posts from time to time. When I shared that my son was an MTA police officer, he offered his congratulations and best regards for a successful career.

 When I heard he was in hospice, I sent his wife Robin a note to share with him. While it was heartfelt, it was also private, so it would be up to Robin to share.

 The only solace we have is the knowledge he is no longer in pain, at least in the earthly sense. Whether we are Christians, Jews or non-denominational, we hope and we pray he is at peace. Spiritually, for me, I pray he is seated at the table of Good, Plenty and Love with other family members who have gone before him.

 So lift your proverbial glass to the memory of Michael Kevin McHale once more and remember the man he was to us all. And Mike? May you Rest In Peace. Amen.

Here are his details as of now:

https://www.monarchfuneralhome.com/obituary/michael-mchale?fbclid=IwAR2FWTW2fXgLtM-nk8wl8yS5uaKLzlkTTCGH2BpFLZLAvCXeEC_J48n7o_0