We're Gettin' There...
Christmas is coming like a jail-on-wheels...that's a fact.
And it makes me wonder if all the "sales" from Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be truly worth it, after the shoppers see even LOWER prices during the next 25 or so days...something to ponder. Do you buy NOW, or wait for better sale prices in the next several weeks?
Don'cha just HATE all those "executive decisions"?
I know I do.
*** But before we go any further, let's update the story of the 25th homicide in our fair city.
And those of you who followed this from this past January, you knew I predicted this number, even though the year isn't over yet.
(( Victim in shooting ID’d; 25th homicide - Jeff Wiehe The Journal Gazette
The man found dead in an alley in the 2200 block of Chestnut Street was identified Monday and declared Allen County’s 25th homicide of the year.
The victim – 33-year-old Patrick Lee Bennett of Fort Wayne – died from at least one gunshot wound, according to the Allen County Coroner’s Office.
Bennett’s body was found by a resident in an alley behind a home in the east-side neighborhood at 12:45 p.m. Sunday. Police at the scene said he suffered "obvious trauma," but how he died was not revealed until the coroner’s office completed the autopsy Monday.
Police said there were no reported disturbances in the area Saturday or Sunday nights. No arrests have been made in the case, which remains under investigation.
Bennett was wanted in Allen County on a felony charge of possession of marijuana before his death. In 2002, he was convicted of dealing cocaine and pointing a firearm and served some prison time. He had also been arrested on domestic battery charges in the past. ))
Oh, gee...another "stellar" citizen of the ghettohood is found DEAD...why is this NOT a surprise (to me)?
Already had an active *14* (warrant) for felony possession at his TOD..amazing.
Priors out the butt, too, INCLUDING a firearms violation AND domestics (helluva man beating on a woman).
And he was used to wearing ORANGE (prison attire)...sound like a good recipe for cheesing someone off, doesn't it?
Yessir, I'm sure his mama would say he was "such a good boy...always joking around..."
Sorry, mom...your 33 yr old boy is now just a statistic.
What I find incredulous, is that NO ONE in the area either saw NOR heard anything...gunshots tend to be loud enough to be heard, unless a suppressor is used. Then it sort of sounds like a BB pistol. No one noticed any "suspicious" vehicles in the area, people that don't belong...nothing out of "the ordinary" to them.
To me, that says three things:
1- Someone is covering something up.
2- People around there really DON'T give a sh*t and life IS cheap to them.
3- The body was dumped there from another location.
Be nice to see if the amount of blood was consistent with the area the vic was found at.
It's always weird to see so little blood from such a trauma (the head bleeds easily, thanks to all those capillaries) - that's why over 25% of heat loss in winter is FROM THE HEAD, and it wasn't really cold enough to NOT bleed out.
Makes me want to sit down and chat with the coroner to find out the specifics.
Given the number of gunshots in the SE over the last few days, I'd track back to THOSE locations and start questioning neighbors in THOSE areas.
But I'm a little O/C when it comes to skulling that kind of stuff out.
I just like to know the FACTS, and eliminate all the other garbage along the way. I'm sure the FWPD is on this...
*** Just like they were on catching the four white-trash punks of a burglary ring up north.
Here's the story on this collar:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20101130/LOCAL07/311309932
Guess being a good citizen wasn't on THEIR short-list...but I'm sure they'll have PLENTY of time to mull their bad decision-making skills over in the hoosegow.
Hope they like the color ORANGE.
*** And another HAPPY ENDING lands in the Summit City.
Here's the link to the article:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20101130/LOCAL03/311309985
Just another case of stupidity run amok in the minority community...with absolutely NO outcry for the act committed.
Astounding!
Naturally, the appeals will drag on, seemingly forever, but at least that's ONE less RPIA to deal with, right?
Guess these people really DON'T care about one another, otherwise, they'd have a much better handle on this and we'd see a helluva lot LESS of these acts perpetrated upon others in the city.
I suppose as long as these gangstas KEEP killing one another, the rest of us can breathe a bit easier.
That's predicated upon the notion that these assholes can shoot straight!
(most of them cannot, that's why we don't see even MORE homicides...they're NOT skilled...just "lucky" once in a while.)
But maybe we can turn this off for a while - put it on the back burner for a spell.
It's the holiday season, and although the homicide vics cannot partake in it, WE certainly can.
It's time to dust off the decorations and think about putting them up again.
I know a few in my part of the ghettohood had their outside lights up as EARLY as Halloween...
(WTF???)
Yeah, they're the SAME ones that will leave them up until AFTER EASTER.
And you'd think that in THIS day and age, telling time would be a lot EASIER...guess not for some folks.
And one thing you MIGHT want to think about is those smoke-detectors in your houses.
With all the decorations, it's too easy to overlook something like those.
Better to check the batteries and swap 'em out NOW, than after you get that nice blue spruce indoors and light that bugger up.
It's the right time of year to make your house SAFE from harm, and that includes INSIDE as well as OUTSIDE.
Be sure to check all the cords for wear, including the plugs themselves.
Replace any damaged ones NOW, while the prices are good (actually, the prices are even better AFTER the holidays, so get some then as well).
An ounce of prevention IS worth a pound of cure..and certainly worth the lives of your loved ones, at this time of year.
And it sure beats having to live in a motel with nothing but the clothes on your back because the house burned down, right?
Let's not make the fire department's task any harder by doing dumb things, fair enough?
They have plenty of "job-security" (as does the local PD), so we need to be on OUR game as well when it comes to being safe around the house for the holidays.
You do YOUR job at home when it comes to safety first...so they don't have to.
In the meantime...
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.


(( Only 25 shopping days until Christmas))

Monday Musings...
Wow, you wake up on the tail-end of November and...BAM...all this "stuff" waiting to be blogged about.
And in some cases, you don't know whether or not you WANT to proceed into December...OR roll back into October, hoping that a do-over of this past month would be any better.
It's CYBER-MONDAY, too, and we all know what THAT means...right?
More electronic junk than we can shake a motherboard at, which could all become a really nice doorstop with a power surge or EMP!
Don'cha just LOVE technology?
*** First up, the garage door case is closed - got two NEW remotes that work just fine (for less than the retail price of ONE), and the other 3 have been relegated to backups. Having taken the batteries out to prevent false trips to the doors was advised, so now they're quaint paperweights...lol.
*** Thanksgiving leftovers are winding down here, which means in a mere three weeks, I have to do a proper dinner all over again...talk about DEJA VU...LOL.
*** On a sad note, actor Leslie Nielsen passed away.
(Surely you jest...No, and don't call me Shirley)
Here's the WIKI on this fine actor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Nielsen
Now most will remember him from the NAKED GUN trilogy, or even AIRPLANE!, but I remember him from Disney's THE SWAMP FOX (when I was a kid) along with FORBIDDEN PLANET (when Leslie took his roles a bit more "seriously".)
Nielsen appeared in over 100 movies and 1500 TV shows (...wow), portraying over 220 characters.
Not too shabby for a Canuck!
Nielsen was admitted to a hospital in Fort Lauderdale earlier this month ("A hospital? What is it?"..."It's a big building with lots of doctors, but that's not important right now.") for treatment of pneumonia. And it there he passed away yesterday around 5:30 P.M., with family and friends at his bedside. He was 84 years old.
Thanks for the great movies and funny shtick...your brand of comedy will be sorely missed.
*** In news a little "closer to home"...
It would appear that we have hit my "magic number" of TWENTY FIVE HOMICIDES in Fort Wayne:
(( Body found in alley on east side; homicide hinted - Chris Meyers The Journal Gazette
The death of a man found Sunday in an alley on Fort Wayne’s east side is being investigated as a homicide, police said.
"Everything is treated as a homicide until proven otherwise," police spokesman Scott Tegtmeyer said at the scene in the 2200 block of Chestnut Street, near Wayne Trace and New Haven Avenue.
Police were called to the alley behind a home in the 2200 block of Chestnut Street about 12:45 p.m. Sunday after the person at that address arrived home to find an unconscious and unresponsive man in the alley, police said.
The man had suffered "obvious trauma," police said, but the cause of death has not been determined. Tegtmeyer said an autopsy will be done today.
He said he was unaware of any reports overnight of disturbances in the area.
Police had about half a square block marked with police tape as they searched for evidence Sunday afternoon. ))
Weird thing about this...I can see more before year's end...hope I'm wrong.
Neighbors were concerned about more situations like this in their neighborhood, and refused to go on camera.
It's not one of the best areas on the SE side (what part really is?)...near the railroad tracks, and not that far from a place I used to work at (before they moved out of town). There are only a few smaller houses per block, and after the sun sets, it's a real good place to not be noticed.
Then again, we've a few too many places just like that down here; places people can go to do whatever they want.
Overgrown foliage, vacant houses, trash-strewn alleys all help to make this part of town somewhere you can "get lost" in real easy. Lots of apathy to go around.
And that's why I've maintained over the years that Neighborhood Code NEEDS to clear out these alleys...have that foliage cut WAY back, and hold the landlords (and whatever homeowners still remain, besides us) accountable for the conditions down here.
I've also said that more FWPD patrols up and down these alleys would be advisable, as more goes on there than on the streets.
*** Remember back on Friday I mentioned about that nearby house with ALL the vehicles stopping by?
Well, there WAS a funeral for someone at that house, and we had cars from MN and AZ there (big family?), as well as locals. Over TWENTY cars were parked at that house during the weekend. Now, I'm sure they were just ALL paying respect (rolls eyes) , but from what I've seen around here, funerals mean that you party for ONE WHOLE WEEK, as was evidenced a few years back in another nearby house. They had fights breaking out in the streets because of the partying, and the police KNEW about this, and yet no additional patrols were assigned to the area.
Hell, I had to string up some yellow "FIRE LINE - DO NOT CROSS" tape across our driveway JUST to keep people from parking THERE!
(makes a good case form some nice, high wrought IRON fencing)
That's the way people shake around here...everything's a party to them...for as long as they can milk it.
I had to drive back to Philly for my Mom's funeral (and had to make all the arrangements), and we didn't party one damn bit...AND I was back in fort Wayne within 3 days! But then again, I'm NOT a ghetto-dweller on the gov't dole, living off of others.
*** Lastly today, I want to show you the face of another WAR HERO.
This is LEX, a Marine working dog who was stationed in Fallujah with his handler, Cpl. Dustin Lee.
In 2007, they were attacked by an RPG and Cpl. Lee was killed in the attack. Lex was wounded with pieces of shrapnel still in his body.
While the Marines were wanting to put Lex back into action, the family of Cpl. Lee tried to have the dog sent stateside, as a tribute to their late son.
With the intervention of Congressman Walter Jones (R., NC) Lex was retired early and came to live with the Lee family, but had trouble getting around.
Dr. Lee Morgan of Georgetown Veterinary Hospital was recently made aware of Lex’s condition and volunteered his services. Dr. Morgan is a leader in using adult canine stem cell therapy for treating animals in pain and Lex’s procedure proved to be a success. Lex can once again run "with the big dogs", and his life is made better as a result.
Here's a related article that speaks to all our hearts at this time of year when we feel compelled to give of ourselves: http://www.lhj.com/relationships/family/pets/a-true-war-hero/
FOX AND FRIENDS this past weekend ran this story of courage and devotion...and love of family.
NO ONE is forgotten...NO ONE gets left behind...
That's a great legacy for us ALL to remember.
We're almost into DECEMBER, and that means some of the "nice" things that make the holiday season a lot more joyful (and it's not all about "stuff", but about US...people...you and me).
We'll cover things like shopping, decorating, favorite things, songs, movies and every other facet of the Christmas season.
And as I have in years past, you might even come away from all this by learning a few things...about others, and even about yourself.
I promise it won't hurt a bit, and the price will ALWAYS be right...FREE!
So, have yourselves a fantastic week.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

((Remember - 26 shopping days until Christmas))

(Black) Friday Follies..
Alrighty, then...got all the leftovers cuffed & stuffed, right?
All set to go shopping on this day, otherwise known as "Black Friday", right?
What...are you CRAZY?
Good luck to you...you're gonna NEED it
We plan to stay as CLOSE to home as possible.
It was funny to note that one house in our area has had CHRISTMAS LIGHTS up since Halloween...someone need to get these folks with the holiday list chronology!
A bit EARLY there...but these people will do whatever they want...because they CAN.
Yesterday's festivities around our house were sedate (and I wish many of the neighbors would have been SEDATED).
I've been used to cooking for at least FOUR, and this year, it's only two. Talk about recalculating the logistics of the day...lol.
It was fun after a fashion...mostly.
Later on in the day, I got in my usual "funk", because I had a pet cat pass away on Thanksgiving (back in Philly)...
That's an...interesting thing to have occur, especially right in front of you, as you hold him.
Feline Urinary Syndrome was the culprit, and my little buddy went to that Rainbow Bridge on that day.
After that devastating event, I boned up on as many health concerns about felines (and canines) as I could.
Helluva learning experience, I can tell you.
But, I still carry a picture of him in my wallet...STILL.
Told you...I'm a complex individual.
It makes me all the more fond of the cats we have now (and they're entering their 14th year, so I can plan another round of losing them soon enough).
At least THEY think they're still young...the way they run through the house.
*** Anyway, enough about that for now...
I want to describe what our ghettohood was like yesterday, but I first want to convey the fact that last night (and early this morning) we had TWO MORE shooting incidents in town.
Three people are in the hospital for now, but remember, we're only ONE HOMICIDE away from my prediction of TWENTY-FIVE for the year.
(could be higher should more than ONE give up the ghost).
((Update 1500 hrs - From The News-Sentinel/WPTA:
The Fort Wayne Police Department is investigating two separate shooting incidents – one late Thursday night, the other early this morning – that resulted in three people being shot.
Police officers were dispatched around 0315 hrs. today to investigate a report of a possible shooting in an area near Hobson Road and Trier Road, according to a news release from the police department. Officers heading to the scene were
then notified that two men who had sustained gunshot wounds had reported to the emergency room of a hospital.
One of the men was reportedly in fair condition with a wound to an arm; the other man was reportedly in serious condition after being struck in the chest, according to the news release.
Police said witnesses reported that a light-colored vehicle, possibly gray, pulled up next to another vehicle at the intersection of Hobson and Trier, where someone from the light-colored vehicle opened fire.
In the first incident around 2345 hrs yesterday, police officers responded to a home in the 800 block of Lake Avenue after a report of a shooting and home invasion.
Upon arrival, officers found two men in the residence. One, a 27-year-old man, had a gunshot wound to an arm, while the other man, 55, was reportedly struck in the head by a person with a gun, according to a news release. Both men were taken to a hospital and were said to be in fair condition.
Police investigators believe two armed men knocked on the door to the home and then forced their way in when one of the victims opened the door, according to the release.
Police are looking for 2 white males, in their 20's, about 5'10", around 185 lbs. One was wearing a camo hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans, while the other wore a black sweatshirt and jeans.
The men reportedly robbed the victims of an undisclosed amount of money.
No identities in either incident were released. ))
So, there 'ya are...crime really DOES NOT take a holiday, at least for the chronically cranial-rectally-inverted among us.
Neither area is near us (for a change), and I can state I did not hear ANY gunfire in our area (also, for a change).
But that doesn't mean we came through Thanksgiving "unscathed", as it were...
Personally, I prefer every other house in our immediate area to be EMPTY...I can monitor the ghettohood a LOT better when "their" numbers are fewer.
However, thanks to Section 8 housing (and we all know how wonderful THAT can be), we get more than our share of human refuse moving into the area.
Now, we did have a wheel-chair bound individual at one house nearby, and that was working out well. Then, suddenly, we didn't see that person any longer, but instead saw a car from Minnesota at the house. Another "new" tenant? Didn't see any furniture come OR go...perhaps a "relative"?
With these people, who can say?
But since the 20th of this month, the house has seen about THREE TIMES the traffic is used to have (which was practically a handful of cars per month).
Last night was the kicker, though.
Over TWENTY vehicles came and went, until well after midnight (this began late morning).
Now, you're probably thinking "Family's over for the holiday", and you "could" be correct.
BUT...I know enough about these people from being exposed to them for a dozen years down here.
I know the "patterns" they follow, the "M.O." if you will.
And this had all the trappings of something a bit more "involved" than mere holiday frivolity.
About 8 or so years ago, we had a guy living at the same house that was running a gambling house.
How did I know this?
Well, it as pretty obvious (to me).
People were coming and going, usually at night, and I could see hands being moved about (in the garage window) AS IF someone were tossing dice, and I would see people walking to and from the house with WADS of foldin' money that could choke a damn horse.
And most all the "patrons" were BLACK MALES...hardly EVER saw any women there.
Yesterday was like Deja Vu...all over again.
The exact same patterns at the house, except I saw no money (it WAS dark after the sun went down), no women, and sheets are covering the windows. (many around here don't know what the hell DRAPES, CURTAINS, or BLINDS are...how ghetto is that?)
They DID have every outside light on,...as a "beacon" to those wanting to "stop on by". Plus, those at the house did put out TWO 96 gallon trash bins that are a bit more than FULL!
(that's a LOTTA trash for just ONE day, right?)
Whenever you have a group of these people, they create trash like there's no tomorrow. They will stand in one spot, and then leave a pile of trash when they move...simply A-frigging-mazing!
I swear they must ship it in.
And naturally, the PARKING issue becomes a problem REAL fast.
Houses around here with garage parking (like ours) are uncommon, as when these places were built not everyone even HAD a car...so, it's either a driveway or on-street parking.
No one told these assholes that having TWENTY vehicles at a bungalow that isn't even 1000 Sq. Ft in size is MAYBE not the smartest thing to do.
Double-parking is standard, and taking over half the damn block with their vehicles is the norm.
Screw anyone ELSE living around here that wants (or NEEDS) to park at THEIR house...these morons have NO regard about others.
Yes, friends...this IS once again a "party-house".
((OR..it could also be another "week-long" funeral PARTY like we had at the house across the street from THIS house several years back...either way...it's an f'n nuisance.))
And given the repute of other such establishments, we could be in for some interesting times.
We've already seen what can occur at illicit places that are conducting activities that could deemed "dubious" in nature.
Hell, we had rolling gunfights that weren't even related to houses in this area...it's just a fun place to drive around and shoot at one another (or houses).
Now, I plan to relate my suspicions to our FWPD quadrant captain...and then we'll sit back and watch to see HOW LONG this house is allowed to "operate" before ANYTHING gets done.
I know I plan to call in ANY loud music or loud partying...that's SOP for me.
I mean, I don't want to see this escalate (or is that devolve?) into someone getting pissed and then start shooting up the area.
Oh, wait...that's the way THESE PEOPLE take over good neighborhoods...by fear & intimidation.
I suppose when you're bred to be a "ward of the government", look upon that as "your right", and have absolutely NO self-worth or esteem, you gotta do something while in between handout checks, right?
Maybe President Reagan was onto something when we wanted to make WELFARE into more like WORKFARE.
Perhaps it's time to revisit that place.
*** The GOOD news is that the weather has turned wintry...with a vengeance!
(that should keep the local flotsam shivering their sub-woofers off)
Last night, the wind-chill dipped into SINGLE digits (which seems kinda BALMY if you live in Montana...or Wyoming...or Idaho).
And we saw on the news where people were CAMPED OUT in this weather to be"first in line" when whatever store they were at opened today...
Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot????
What on God's green earth is SO enticing that would cause one to leave their senses (and warm home) to bivouac on a sidewalk alongside a BEST BUYS in freezing weather?
The only reason I would do anything remotely close to that (and I DO mean the ONLY reason), would be if I knew *I* was being given a brand new Aston Martin DB9 (in the color of my choice with all the extras, and a year's worth of gas)...that's IT!
They could offer me my choice of women, firearms, or scotch (all together...for free), and NONE of that would be worth getting my warm ass outside to "wait" in some dumbass line, freezing parts of my anatomy that shall remain nameless...period.
I guess these people really DON'T know what the hell Thanksgiving was all about...damn shame.
Seems we have more smart PHONES than we have smart PEOPLE these days.
Not necessarily a good thing, is it?
At least I know what I am thankful for, and it ain't some 5AM sale at some electronic "boutique".
Wifey and I will get shopping...when all this hoopla dies the hell down.
We don't have to prove anything to anyone else..or even each other.
We got it together in that regard.
Which is a lot more than I can say for all the rest of these mooks around here.
Yeah...it sure helps to make the season BRIGHT, if nothing else, right?
Have yourselves a great weekend...shop wisely, and remain aware of your surroundings.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Giving Thanks Day Edition...
Amazing how that sounds when you REVERSE those two words that are in the word THANKSGIVING, isn't it?
Takes on a seemingly GREATER meaning to the whole day.
Pretty simple to figure out, and you ALL know that I am a simple man.
(oh, you're simple, all right, Bob)
Seriously, though...today represents the culmination of all the other "memorialized" holidays.
We take time to offer our thanks...our gratitude and appreciation for all that WE have.
And it's never measured by the AMOUNT of stuff, either.
It's measured by the QUALITY of whatever it is we're blessed with.
And that especially goes for the people involved.
I would feel MORE fortunate to have a handful of friends that have virtues such as honesty, integrity, and honor, than hundreds of friends that have none of those traits. And they would be friends with a capital *F*, and not the fair-weather friends that abound in our lives.
So, today, we take time to acknowledge such people...and to enjoy whatever we receive as the blessing it really is.
*** A long time ago, in a city not so far, far away we had our traditional Thanksgiving.
I say "traditional", because it represented something close to what Norman Rockwell would envision.
We certainly didn't have the HUGE Walton-esque table with all the relatives around. It was just Mom, Dad, and me (and the family dog nearby someone's feet), but it was a sincere setting, nonetheless.
Mom would spend the whole morning prepping the turkey (and it wasn't a huge bird, but enough for us). Homemade stuffing was mandatory...she didn't have "stovetop-stuffing", and when it came on the market, she didn't like it AT ALL (and neither did Dad and I ...we knew the difference)
She made the stuffing by hand, stuffed the turkey by hand, and "sewed it up" by hand. That's right. She had these HUGE needles that "pinned" the opening in the bird together so neatly.
Mashed potatoes were also homemade, and many of the veggies were fresh ones, because they were often cheaper than canned ones.

They were sold on the streets by the "hucksters" that drove by in old pickups with a produce section of a market in the truck bed, complete with scale (and really good prices).
These people got their produce right off the docks along the Delaware, and it was all fresh.
You'd hear them shout out the truck "Jersey tomatoes - three pound for half a dollah!...Fresh, white sugah cawn..." and so on.
Dad and I would be looking forward to a football game (when football WAS football), and all through the late morning and early afternoon, you could smell the magic being made in the kitchen.
When it was time to eat, everything else stopped...no messing around. We said a prayer at the table, taking turns (neither Mom or Dad attended church, but that didn't diminish their faith), and then dug in.
Yeah, it wasn't much, but we DID have a lot to be thankful for.
There were years when my Aunt Elsie (across the street) bought our turkey, because we just didn't have the funds, and neither she nor Uncle Joe EVER asked (or accepted) anything in return...that leaves a profound impression on you as you grow up.
When things got better and we moved uptown into our own house, we took in Aunt Elsie (after Uncle Joe passed away) as our way of paying it all back. We did the dame with Grandma when Grandpa passed. Eventually, Aunt Elsie had to go into a nursing home, and Nana passed away around the holidays in the early 1990s.
By then, Mom and I (and Val, wife through my first marriage) were pretty much it. Dad had passed in 1978, and the numbers at our table were looking kinda bleak.
Then Mom started inviting Val's family over. Pop and Glenn (both PPD officers) really enjoyed having Mom "do her thing" at Thanksgiving, and that went really well for more than a few years. Nothing like "shop-talk" at the table to make things interesting, that's for sure.
But times do change, and sometimes people do as well.
Circumstances became such where I had to make some decisions, and it eventually found me to Indiana.
Mom passed suddenly in 1998, Val and I had gone our separate ways, and I found myself looking for all those great times again.
I wondered if they would ever return.
I found them with my wife Donna, and her Aunt Wanda an Uncle Leo.
They became the "family" that I used to have.
We invited them up (from Portland) every Thanksgiving and they enjoyed every minute of it.
Only the big difference this time, was that I was taking the place of my Mom, in that I was responsible for all the cooking.
And I think a part of the spirit...the essence of my Mom is what I have received from her, even more than all the memories of her, because no one has ever left my dinner table at Thanksgiving hungry...or disillusioned at what I cooked.

(and I cook a lot, just like Mom)
I have carried on the tradition of making Thanksgiving nice for others, just as Mom used to for us.
Sadly, even this new found tradition has fallen on hard times.
Last year, we lost Aunt Wanda, and Uncle Leo is residing in a nursing facility.
So, when I speak of "the empty chair" at our table...I speak from experience at seeing them...there are so many to speak of these days.
It's just my wife and I now.
But, that will not diminish the meaning of today, nor the blessing we continue to receive.
It just means we have a lot FEWER people to share it with at our house.
Today, I will still prepare the food, and it will be good, and we will sit at the same table around which many others have sat in years past.
And I think of them with fondness, and know that they will never be far from my thoughts.
It's been a roller-coaster ride for the last 20 years, and thankfully, I haven't tossed my breakfast along the way.
It's been a study in awareness...of who I am, what I am doing here now, and where I might be headed.
Life is funny, in that you never are supposed to know your destination, or how you're going to get there.
But isn't that part of the challenge in this journey?
Aren't we meant to glean the best of things, and apply them to our lives?
Those traditions, those values, and even those people we used to have around us at this time of year ALL serve to define who we are..where we go, and how we will affect others.
May we NEVER lose sight of the meaning of what it is to be honestly THANKFUL...for everything, good or bad.
We have learned through it all, and we have become better people.
And whenever we give to another soul, in any capacity, all of those who gave before us are standing right alongside...and they are smiling.
That's a LOT of people to have on your side, don'cha think?
And remember, whatever you GIVE with thanks, you RECEIVE back in greater measure.
That alone is worth the price of admission.
So, as we get ready to celebrate a day of giving thanks, I want to wish the very best to each of you out there.
Keep your traditions, make some new ones, and take the time to realize JUST how fortunate you are, wherever you are, and whoever you are with.
And may all the blessings of Thanksgiving follow you through the rest of your days and touch every soul you encounter.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Humpday Happenings (Turkey Day Edition)...
Before we get started, I KNOW all of you have been on the edge of your computer chairs wondering HOW I made out with the garage door opener.
(...yawn...not really, Bob, but I've got a feeling you're gonna tell us anyway, so let's get it over with, 'K?)
Well, after calling the repair guy and having him come out, he found that it was the RECEIVING unit (that black box...what is this damn thing, a flight recorder?) attached to the rear of the "head" assembly (where the motor, pulley and gears all party hardy). He jumped out the contacts and the door went up....and back down when he repeated the action.
SUH-WEET...it's not the remote.
CRAP...it's the receiver. (which is hard to come by, as it's relatively obsolete now)
He took the unit with him to see if it can be fixed (circuit problem), and in the meantime, I have a "tried and true" method for opening and closing the door....
(think about how you "boost" a car without a key - a must if you want to graduate high school in Philly)...
That's right, I HOT-WIRE it open (and closed). Got me two nice wires that I touch and PRESTO...magic time.
And at NO time did my hands leave my wrists.
I'm also looking into snagging some "spares", as in an updated "newer" version of the receiver that IS compatible with the current technology.
Never hurts to BE PREPARED...ask any Boy Scout!
So there we are...they can slow me down, but it's damn hard to STOP me, even at my age...LOL.
(And if YOU ever have a problem with YOUR garage door, feel free to ask me about it.)
I'm still learning things in life the practical way - by EXPERIENCE.
*** Meanwhile, back at the turkey farm...
Tomorrow is the big (meal) day in many households, and a time when family gets together to share the bounty.
Many are not as fortunate, either by circumstance, or by design.
For some, it's not about life crapping on them, for they manage to see the reason and the good for why things happen.
And they are no different that many that came before our generation.
They persevere...they struggle, and they make it through the rough times.
Others wander around through life, not having a care in the world for others or even themselves.
No matter what special time of year it is, there are "those" who keep alive the phrase:
"Crime never takes a holiday."
We'll see shop-lifting, robberies, burglaries all for the sake of satisfying some perverted need, when in fact, it's giving in to more of a "want", than anything else.
Now ALL of us "want" something.
Maybe we WANT to just wake up today (always near the top of MY list), or perhaps we just WANT a nice holiday. Others just WANT to have enough food to feed their family, or even a coat to brace themselves against winter's impending chill. No matter what the case may be, there has to be a clear understanding of what that WANT is.
To many poor people, their "want" is indeed a true NEED.
They need to sustain themselves, and they need to be warm.
And perhaps most of all, they need to know that they're not forgotten.
Now I tend to believe this is one of the "big-ticket" items of the holiday season....not to be forgotten.
There used to be a old black preacher that stood at the bottom of the stairs leading to the train I used to take from Center City ages ago (in Philly), and I'd usually give him some change, and he'd smile and thank me. It wasn't much, but it was SOMETHING.
The preacher's clothes were well worn...you could tell that straight away. A bit of fraying about the collar, and maybe some pulled threads here and there, but he never wavered when it came to smiling for whatever money found it's way into his hat. And he could sing a hymn really well.
And I remember so vividly that one year, as I went down the stairs, I thought about the time of year...it was the holiday season...this time of year.
I stopped in front of him, dug out my wallet, and placed a $10 bill in the hat (and that was back in the 70s...when $10 was a lot more than today).
And it was at that moment that something wonderful happened...
The preacher stopped singing, and the noise that was all around at rush hour seemed to fade; the cold weather wasn't as cold, and it was just the preacher...and me.
I could see tears forming in the preacher's eyes, as he looked at me and said through a quiet voice that broke slightly "Thank you, Son...God bless you".
Now, I've always been a God-fearing person, and I know that several times in my seemingly many lives, I should have passed through the Pearly Gates, but this was one of THOSE moments...a moment of clarity...a moment of understanding (on my part) and appreciation and love on the preacher's part.
He didn't know me, and I didn't know him, but at that moment...we knew where each of us was coming from.
Here were two people as diverse as the day was long...who were not forgotten. We related to one another. By one action and a few words, volumes were spoken between us.
Yeah, life can toss some pretty amazing stuff at you, especially when you're not expecting it.
At times like these, we get a glimmer of what it means to be all IN ONE FAMILY, namely, the human race.
And, it's times like this we come to understand who WE are, and how much WE can affect others, no matter how small the effort.
When we give from the heart, the reward is greater than we can ever imagine.
For we don't see the far-reaching effects of that giving...we only see the immediate net result.
I don't know where the $10 went that day after it went into the preacher's hat...that's wasn't my worry.
Maybe it went to feed someone in the preacher's family, or his congregation.
Perhaps it provided warmth to a shut-in, or a toy to some needy child.
What I DO know, is that one minuscule act on my behalf made me feel...GOOD.
And it's that GOOD kinda good...you know what I'm talking about.
The type of good where you have even God smiling.
Come to think of it, I must have had a dumb-ass grin on my face all the way home, and I didn't care.
Sometimes, it IS about someone else, and it can be a total stranger.
Sometimes, it IS about appreciation...and gratitude.
And tomorrow, when you're all together and enjoying whatever awaits you at whatever abode you find yourselves, take a minute to think about how much ALL of us have to be thankful for.
It's not about the paycheck, or the house, or the car, or even all the other possessions we have accumulated over the years...
It's about US...you and me and all those in our respective families.
It's about being thankful for living in a great nation where we enjoy a level of freedom unparalleled.
It's about people willing to make sacrifices to ENSURE that freedom.
It's about all of us, taking those moments to look into a preacher's eyes at rush hour.
It's about us doing the right things...for the right reasons.
All of this, and so much more is what we all have to be thankful for.
Even the poorest among us are thankful...because there are people like US still around that give a damn.
And if by chance you come upon an old thread-worn preacher singing at the bottom of some commuter stairway with a hat to collect some money, toss in a ten-spot. You'll be very glad you did.
*** Tomorrow, some of "my" remembrances of Thanksgiving traditions, past and present.
In the meantime:
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.