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

 

A Boomer's View

 

What does it mean to be a “boomer”?  It is generally accepted that the “Baby Boom” generation lasted from 1946 to 1964. The peak time was the early ‘50s, from 1950 to 1956.

 By that time, Rock and Roll began to overtake the music, TVs were popping up in many homes, FM radio was in its infancy, and WWII's great general, Dwight (Ike) Eisenhower was elected twice as President.

 America’s economy was enjoying a long-term resurgence after the war, the housing market boom was unprecedented, Ike began the longest peacetime era after withdrawing from Korea. And boomers were watching Captain Kangaroo and Howdy Doody, while their moms watched Dave Garroway, J Fred Muggs and Senator Joe McCarthy.

 But there was the Cold War, too. The USSR developed the bomb and threatened to use it, until Stalin died and cooler heads prevailed. Then, the policy of “peace through strength” was foisted on the world as both the USSR and the USA engaged in a massive arms race. And boomers spent many school day afternoons under their desks or in the halls hiding from the bombs which never came.

 There was more: the Space Race, the young vibrant President who followed the Old General, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall. The Beatles, Vietnam, the civil rights movement, assassinations, protest marches, Nixon.

 All of these events influenced an entire generation, though those born after 1956 were less influenced by these events than their older sisters and brothers who were as old as ten when the younger group was born.

 Our parents were from the greatest generation: WWI and WWII, the Great Depression and a front row view of Fascism, Nazism and Communism. They influenced us with their experiences, their world view. Until they didn't.

 We have elected four presidents born since 1946 from our generation, two Democrats and two Republicans.  The current occupant was born in 1942, before the Boomer Generation officially began. He was also influenced by many of the events which influenced us. And is probably the last person from his generation to be elected President, or any other position as a first-timer.

As for being a boomer, I always thought the term Baby Boomer was demeaning, because the society at the time felt we were too immature to make any decisions, any headway to improve the lot of society as a whole. My opinion.

 But I came to terms long ago with that moniker, understanding the significance which defined us. Not as babies, but as achievers. We made all the other generations, both before us and since, pale by comparison. Gen-X? Millenials? One group did nothing comparatively of note to us and the other didn't make it to its namesake, millenium, when the I-Gen generation was being born. I-Gen you ask? Yes, those born since the I-Pod, the I-Pad, and the spread of Apples and PCs, developed by those from the boomer generation.

 Writing this has made me consider so much from my own life that similarly affected many others: Graduating high school in 1969, going to college to study in one field and ending up working in another, totally unrelated to my original field, getting married, having kids, retiring and still doing something to stay viable and alert, in yet a third field, unlike our parents who retired and mostly sat in front of the TV.

 We are now doing a slow walk to 80, still young at heart and looking younger than our years. Even those of us with silver or white hair look great compared to generations past. Even our music from the 50s, 60s and 70s are popular with those generations which came after us. And many musicians we idolized in our teens are still performing to this day.

 So what is a boomer? We are many things to many people. But we are the generation that saw it all happen in real time, on TV, without edits, unlike our parents who watched it unfold on a weekly showing of film in a movie theater or our children who watch it happen on videotape, on their laptops and phones. Which we invented.

 Best music? Check. Longer life span?  You betcha! But most of all, the broadest, most honest view of life. All because of our childhood and total life experiences.

 And I am proud to say I am a boomer.

 

Storming? Let the Sunshine In!

 

I’m not telling you anything new that you probably already knew. But having recently moved from New York to Central Florida, I never really appreciated the daily thunderstorms that pop up almost every mid-afternoon or early evening, until now.

 It is amazing how quickly the temperature drops from 95* to 83* in mere minutes. It becomes cooler, even though it isn’t. Not really. In New York, we complained about how hot 83* was every day. Trust me, after living here for just over two weeks, 95* doesn’t bother me in the least.

 It is amazing how quickly I became used to the differences in the heat index. I actually have to walk out of my constant 72* air-conditioned home to feel comfortable. It is all relative, I know. The heat, the cool, the change, and even the humidity. Even what used to be oppressive heat with an 88* temperature and 70% humidity on Long Island is just another day of summer in Central Florida.

 I have been asked by my New York and Long Island friends how I like being here. I can honestly say I don’t like it here. Nope. Not Like it. Instead, I LOVE it here. It was a change of life, a better change for living. A long time coming.

Long ago, in 1986, I took my family to Florida in October, while scheduling several job interviews, thinking that the weather would be warm but not oppressive. But as luck would have it, we spent ten of the hottest October days with temperatures in the 90s that late in the year. And of course, we didn’t move.

 And the biggest benefit? I don’t have to be concerned with the wind chill factor or the 7* “real feel” in January and February. I am looking forward to early Springs, late Falls, and one day of Winter. With months of Summer.

So. Let those thunderstorms come every day. For fifteen minutes. And let the sunshine in all the rest of the time.

 I look forward to them.

 

A "Rock" Story

I acquired the rock on a Saturday night in April, 1970 in Garden City, New York as I, along with four friends, were coming back from Burger King. We had picked up a couple of Whoppers for a couple of guys who couldn’t fit in my 1966 Mustang.

 As I drove down Nassau Boulevard and under the trestle, I though I saw a  bag and figured I would make it if I ran over it. Of course I thought I could. I had drank a half quart of Jack and a six pack of Colt 45s. The sobering effect of a Whopper and fries did nothing to allay my judgement.

 Bam! I was suddenly alert and aware of what I had just done. My buddies, my friends laughed so hard as we got out of the car to assess the situation.  I said I should take the rock because my Dad would never believe it.

 We pushed the car from Nassau Boulevard to Floral Park, about five miles. We were stopped by two separate cops who found it amusing. As we passed Sewanhaka High School, we took the two Whoppers and tried to push the car over them. Hahahaha. The Whoppers were like boulders.

 We finally got the car home and my cousin's husband put a 1968 305 Cougar engine for $750.

 Over the years, the rock has been with me everywhere I lived: Floral Park, Flushing, Selden, Manorville, Holbrook, East Norwich, Brentwood.  Now, I have brought the rock, and the fond memories associated with it to Florida with me.

 For now, it sits in front of my home, yearning for someone to ask me how it got where it rests for now. But you know the story and some of you have asked me about it before. It awaits that proverbial question.

 How did the rock get here?

A Change For a Difference and A Change For the Better

 

I have lived on Long Island for all my life, short four months, as I was born in Fort Benning, Georgia in 1951 just before my Dad was shipped off to Korea, the Forgotten War. I was born in May and my Dad was deployed in September.

When I came back to Long Island, my Mom settled near her parents in Ozone Park, Queens, a thriving Italian-American community, which if you look at a map, is actually on Long Island. From there, after my Dad returned, we moved to Howard Beach, a deep-rooted Irish and German community, also in Queens and also on Long Island. In 1955, we once again moved, this time to Corona. You guessed it – Queens, Long Island.

 Finally, in the summer of 1957, we moved to suburban Floral Park, located in Nassau County, which most Americans, and most New Yorkers, consider one of the two counties which make up Long island, the other being Suffolk. But once again, that pesky thing, called a map, will show you that Long Island actually comprises four counties: Kings (or Brooklyn), Queens, Nassau and Suffolk. And maybe, someday, Peconic will be created on the twin forks beginning with Riverhead. And, someday, Long Island, with a population of over eight million people, more than thirty-eight other states, may someday become the fifty-something state, too.

 

Long Island is comprised of four interstates, three cities plus part of New York City, several major, highly trafficked highways and parkways, three commercial airports, three private airports, countless bagel and bakery shops, various ethnic foods, of which you will find hundreds of pizza, Chinese and Latin takeouts in just about every strip mall from Coney Island to Montauk Point. We have the largest commuter railroad in the country to take us to work every day to that little town to our west.

 Plus we have two minor league baseball teams, a major league team and both a professional hockey team and basketball team. And countless theatres for off-Broadway shows, concerts and other means of entertainment.

 Finally, we are surrounded by water, with some of the greatest and most famous beaches in the world, including the Rockaways, Jones Beach, The Hamptons and the exclusive north shore.

 But, as usual, I digress. I share all of this with you because after seventy-one years of calling this Island home, I am finally starting a new chapter in my life, leaving all of this behind to take on the easy living in the Free State of Florida. I have wanted to go for many years and finally I have made my decision that the time is now. I am tired of being told I must do this or I must do that by people who have forgotten that this is The Land of the Free because of The Brave.  And who are proving that they are dumber than a box of rocks. Plus I get to live in warm weather, sunshine, longer days and true peaceful contentment for my weary soul.

 And through the magic of television, the internet and so many other modern conveniences and technology, I can still watch my Mets and Jets, or grill a burger, or drive to a strip mall for some pizza or Chinese or Latin food. Or go to a beach, in December. On Christmas. Which is something I can’t do now unless I want to freeze my buns off.

 And, I can go to a Spring Training game in February and March, and not be cold in the stands like I was in April, sitting in Citifield. In the sun. With the wind blowing right through me.

 So, in all fairness, I will tell you that I will always be a New Yorker at heart, a Long Islander in my soul, and of course, a free spirit doing what I want. And what I want now is to enjoy my remaining years living the dream. In warm, sunny climes, maybe sipping on a frosty alcohol-free pina colada, on my lanai, in my lounge chair.

 And knowing that the life I left behind on Long Island is filled with fond memories that I can recall with a smile and a song, about all the wonderful people who crossed through my life. And made a difference.

Cya, Long Island! Hello, Florida!!

 

Corruption Lives In New York State

 

Apparently it is time to clean house with all the corrupt Democrat rats crawling through Albany, beginning with Elliot Spitzer, Andrew Cuomo, Kathy Hochul and Brian Benjamin .

 There are no checks and balances when only one party controls all facets and areas of state government.

 Hochul did a poor job vetting this guy for Lt Governor, if she vetted him at all, and got the Democrat controlled Legislature to rubber stamp his appointment.

And in addition, Hochul's husband's company, DelawareNorth  was awarded the $850MM contract  to build the Buffalo Bills new stadium with STATE FUNDS APPROVED IN THE LATEST STATE BUDGET.

 It is a total, allegedly, of $250MM from Erie County and $600MM directly from NYS.

 Corruption Lives in New York State!

Happy Birthday In Heaven, Godson

 

Happy 30^th Birthday, Steven!

Sadly, you are not here to celebrate this momentous milestone day with us, but know that your Mom and Dad, Roseann and Gary Wessel, have already begun marking this day by remembering you on Facebook. I am sure, knowing my sister, many tears flowed down her cheeks as she began to write that remembrance.

Aa I recall, you were a boy, and then a man, who marched to his own drum.  It was, at once, both frustrating and amusing. But, now it is missed.

I am sure you are aware, but you are going to be an uncle again. Your brother, sister-in-law and niece will be welcoming a boy this summer. And soon enough, your sister will be getting married.

Perhaps, he would inherit some of your fine characteristics which showed love and kindness, humor and wittiness, and even talent when you sang and acted that all who knew you, appreciated when you came into contact with them. See what you could do to make that happen. Okay?

While you are at it, please give a big hug and kiss to Nana, Gramps, Uncle Tim and a tutta la nostra famiglia that you have the privilege to see every day wherever you are, and tell them all that they are missed by so many. But I am sure they, and you, already know that.

Godson, I vaguely remember my 30^th birthday, even though it was so long ago. I still have all the Beatles albums your Godmother, Aunt Anne Marie, gave me that day. And I still enjoy listening to them even today.

So Steven. Enjoy this milestone birthday and make the most of it, as I'm sure you will. And remember this. Although you are not physically with us anymore, you are always in our hearts.

Blow out your candles and make a wish. Happy Birthday Steven! 🎂🍰🍺🥂

 

Eric Adams, the ELITE Mayor of New York City

 

So today, Eric Adams, Mayor of NYC, righted part of the stupidity that Dedumbo bequeathed to NYC as he was leaving in December.

HOWEVER, by cancelling the vaccine mandate for ballplayers, stage actors and other entertainers, he ignored his own common sense he applied for the elite for the same mandate and kept it in place for the city workers who were fired, or about to be fired, including Police, Fire, Healthcare Workers, and other union and non-union workers who spend hard earned money to support Broadway and Sports people.

 Essentially, if you are RICH, PRIVILEGED and part of the ELITE Class, Eric Adams has decided you have separate rules than the rest of us, who are being penalized for our non-compliance to the same dumb rule.

 He wants people to come into the city to spend their hard-earned money to help bring the city back to the pre-pandemic economy. So, as the elitist he perceives himself to be, he wants your money but demands that you must comply with his now-dumb, asinine rule because he looks down on the unvaccinated middle class as if we are dirt and slime, while our money isn't.

 Hey Eric, it will be a cold day in hell before I spend my money in your dirty, crime-ridden, $#!+hole of a dump city again. And wait until you see the theaters, arenas and stadiums remain less than half-full going forward.

 You need to look into the mirror and know that the man looking back at you is now a bigger DUMB@$$ than the one you replaced. 

Good luck with that!

The NFL's Crazy Playoff Overtime Rules

Say what you want about this year’s playoff season, but this weekend proved to be filled with exciting finishes in all four games. There were three upsets and a game of evenly matched contenders who played their game into overtime.

The three upsets were not decided until the waning seconds of their games. It made for exciting finishes to a football fan with no skin in the game. Fun to watch, no emotional ties to who won or lost, no money at risk. Just enjoyable football.

But it is the Chiefs-Bills game I want to discuss.

It was clear from the start that both  quarterbacks were up to the task and traded touchdowns on their first drives. It was also an exciting game all throughout, right up to final play at the end of regulation.

Game tied, overtime to commence. The last game of an absolutely exciting weekend with more excitement to come, right?

But then, the rules got in the way. 

During the regular season, overtime rules state that if the receiving team scores a touchdown on its possession, the game is over and the other team does not get a chance to score. But if the receiving team does not score, then the other team gets the ball. At this point, it now becomes first team to score wins, or ends in a tie if no one scores at the end of overtime.

In college, overtime rules differ slightly, but in an important way. Both teams get a chance at possession and then the team who scores the most points in overtime wins. For example, if the receiving team scores a field goal, the other team must score a touchdown on its possession to win. If, instead, they also score a field goal, the next score by either team wins, or ends in a tie at the end of overtime.

To Roger Goodell: This is something which should be considered for post-season only. While the current rules may make sense during the season, for expediency's sake, TV conflicts and other reasons, for the post-season, it isn't fair to the players of either team, or the fans, if one team gets a chance to score and the other does not.

I understand that this year is done. But there is plenty of time for the rules committee to modify playoff overtime rules for next year and for the years to come. 

Let's get it done.

Keith Is Finally Right. Now, Retire the Best Mets Ever

 

Thank you, Steve Cohen! You have finally done something your predecessors failed to do. Recognize the greatest non-pitcher who played for this great franchise.

 I know that Mike Piazza was finally recognized in 2016 by having his number retired by the Wilpons, but only AFTER he was elected to Cooperstown. And I guess they felt they had to recognize the greatest left-handed pitcher by scheduling to retire Jerry Koosman, which ironically, they couldn’t because of the pandemic.

 So, that honor fell to you, which was fun to witness with fans in the stands.

 But retiring Keith Hernandez #17, who was a leader in every sense of the word, proved to me and I am sure, many others, that you are not only a fan, but a man out to right a lot of wrongs done over the last sixty years.

 Now, I am not saying you should be like George Steinbrenner, who seemed to retire everybody who played for the Yankees. That was insane! But as a fan who has watched, enjoyed, rooted for the Mets since their first Opening Day, back when I was eleven years old, I can assure you that there are several others who equally deserve recognition for their play and later, for their support of a franchise which ignored them.

 First and foremost, Ed Kranepool #7. He played his entire career only with this team, starting in September 1962 until the end of 1979. He has also been a great Ambassador for the team for all the years since.

 Then, we have Tug McGraw #45, who had the guts to stand up to a man with the cheer which still inspires old and new fans of a day gone by. “Ya gotta believe!” inspired the team to rush from last place on August 16, 1973 to win the Pennant by beating the Reds in the playoffs. And almost beat the A’s in the World Series.

 Or, how about Gary Carter #8, who took control of a talented pitching staff and made them into the best pitching staff since the 1969 to 1973 Miracle Mets? And who brought his own unique leadership skills to win the 1986 World Series and retired with dignity at the end of 1989?

 And finally, there is John Franco #45, the best reliever the Mets ever had. He was with the team from 1990 until 2004 and as every fan knows, he was counted on to save the win each time he appeared. Oh, and he was one of the four Captains the team had, too.

 In the years to come, there will be others who may deserve to have their numbers retired and flown on the peaks of this beautiful ballpark, like David Wright, and maybe Mookie and Darryl and Doc.  Davey Johnson also deserves consideration, as well as Bobby Valentine.

 But Kranepool, McGraw, Carter and Franco should come before any others. And while you are the owner and can do what you want, as a fan you know these are very valid and excellent choices.

So Steve. It is time to fix the past and recognize those who made this franchise into the best team with the most truly loyal fans of any sports team which played in New York. As a long-suffering, dedicated and loyal fan, Orange and Blue since ’62, do the right thing and recognize the greatest players who ever played baseball as a New York Met.