I don't make this stuff up. I just write it down.

I am not sure when deliberatly giving false information in retaurant reviews became such a huge amount of fun for people who, apparently, have very small minds, but that seems to be the case. A site called Yelp, which carries restaurant reviews for various spots, ran a review - obviously written by a troll - which told people to stay away from Maddie's in East Hartford, as people of color are treated badly there.   To me, that was the worst thing they said, but there were others.  They claimed to have been overcharged for drinks (Maddie's does not serve liquor), and also said the waitresses are rude, inattentive, and that they threw their change back at them. Nothing stings like injustice, in my opinion, and the fact that a wonderful, family-owned and operated diner is getting a bum rap is injustice in my book.  The owners - a mother and daughter combo - would never be guilty of being disrespectful to any patron in any way whatsoever, and if any waitress ever treated...

I hate to admit it, but my plan to lose 12 pounds before I see my cardiologist again in January is in danger of falling on its face.   The reason, of course, is that I have not walked seriously in some time - I have walked the odd two miles sporadically, but not religiously. I told my sister that the worst feeling I ever had in my life was standing on Dr. Mansoor's scale in the summer and seeing a number I do not even want to put in print.  I was embarassed nearly to the point of tears; it was like a physical pain. I swore to him that I would lose 12 pounds by the time I came back to the office, and he said, "From your mouth to God's ear.  You are the only one who can do this.  Dr. Cheema and I saved your life.  Don't let us down." How can I argue against that?  On the bright side, I would be dead and, thus, I would be spared seeing the look of disappointment in his face; on the dark side, I would be dead.  Period.   Being that I am not ...

I am hoping to get my bathroom done over in 2023...hoping being the key word.  My sister, Maureen, also needs to have her bathroom done over; hopefully, we can get a group rate. Maureen needs a walk-in shower with a seat, while I am hoping to get a claw-foot tub...it will take up a lot less room than the shower/tub combination that is currently in there. The problem, as always, is the nuisance of having work done, but I would just deal with that if another problem did not exit.  That problem is that the back stairs leading to the second floor (where Maureen's apartment is located) have to be replaced in order to get her old bathroom fixtures out and get the new ones in.  Because they are back stairs, they fall into the "structure of the house" catagory, and I will have to come up with half the cost.  I can feel my bathroom renovations being put on hold, and it is not a good feeling. On a happier note, I told Calla about the planned renovations,  and I even told ...

Over 20 years ago, my friend, Jesus, and I were heading for a craft fair in West Hartford.  At that time, I was still selling soda can dolls - Beverage Can Kids - and puff ball teddy bears - Boslee Bears - and Jesus was selling jewelry and some small, miscellaneous items.  We arrived at our destination, and pulled into the parking lot.  It was while we were unloading the back of his car that he dropped a box of things...my things.  While we were picking them up, I became aware of someone watching us - you know the feeling you get when someone is staring at you...it's kind of creepy. Anyway, as I looked around, I saw a woman in a car that was parked near us.  Frankly, she looked like she wanted to bite us at the very least.  At the worst, I suspected she wanted to hold us hostage until she could sell us to a foreign government. I had no way to know that she was thinking my friend looked like a clumsy clown for dropping an entire box, while I looked unbelieva...