Mood:  blue

Walks: Eileen managed to get three walks to the Wing School and back home over the past week.  We almost always go the same route: down our street to Greenview Village, and through the complex to Moffitt Boulevard and up Wingan Hauppauge Road to the School itself.  Then we head home by either James Street or Wallace Street.  The round trip is about a mile, so we do get some exercise in.  We also went out of Islip on three occasions.  On Palm Sunday we went for a ride to Jones Beach Field 6 to go for a walk on the Boardwalk.  We walked from the parking lot to the first concession building and back.  We did manage to stay 6 feet from other people.  She wanted to go home after we reached the concession building, so we headed back to the car and then home.  But we did get to take a dozen photos.  The next day after lunch we went to Heckscher State Park to maybe walk around the park.  But there seemed to be too many people and it would not be easy to maintain a safe 6 foot distance.  So we headed to East Islip where I parked the car in the office plaza my dentist‘s office is located (near the library) and trekked down Main Street/Montauk Highway to the Fairfield Apartments and back.  I did not bring my camera like the day before but did take some photos with my cell phone.  They show how empty East Islip was at almost 5 PM.  We then came home by driving past the Wing School (and did not walk past it this time).  On Wednesday we drove to Babylon and parked in the municipal lot which is being repaved and walked to the American Legion post and then to Main Street and back up Deer Park Avenue.  Almost all of the businesses in the Village were closed thanks to the pandemic.  We then came home on Route 231 to the Southern State Parkway and home.

Fire Department Activity: We actually got some fire department activity in this past week.  On Thursday the 9^th at around 5:45 the other Engine 2 members and I met at the Holly Hobby/Kohl’s parking lot on Sunrise Highway because we were going to drive to the neighborhood nearby to blast the fire engine horns and our own cars’ horns as well, in front of another member’s house because April 9^th was his birthday.  I think that he was surprised, and it went well.  But when I got to the lot the other members were outside of their cars less than 6 feet from each other.  I put on my mask and did not get too far from my car or too close to them.   

Books: Last Saturday I checked the Internet to look up independent bookstores in Asheville NC, the Hudson Valley, Long Island and State College PA, as well as Square Books in Oxford MS.  It looks like the stores in New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania do not have what I am interested or there online ordering app is not up.  So went to the Square Books site that I am interested in and ordered a long sleeved tee shirt in forest green with the store’s logo and location on it, and a book titled Asphalt Gods – An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament by Vincent Mallozzi.  The store e/mailed me my confirmation order but then e/mailed me again to tell me that they have to order the book first and then will shop everything to me.  Until the book and shirt arrived from Square Books, I am finishing reading The Greatest Ballpark Ever.  I finished Chapter 7 which talked about the 1938 to 1941 seasons and started chapter 8, which goes into detail about the hiring of Branch Rickey, the football Brooklyn Dodgers, and Rickey’s plans to hire a black ballplayer when World War II is over.  I also read most of Rebecca Solnit’s essays in Call them by Their True Names: American Crises (and Essays) and one point that I will try to remember from the collection is found on page 180: that ideas, courage, emotions and hope are contagious.  Another essay says that results don’t often happen right away  

Lunch Out:  Actually we don’t eat in the restaurant but call them on the phone and I go and pick the order up.  Last Saturday for lunch I contacted Oconee Diner here in Islip and ordered two wraps – a Greek salad wrap for me and a tuna salad wrap for the Ellen and Eileen, which they would split.  I only ate half of mine on Saturday so I finished on Sunday, with no need to prepare anything or order out another time.  On Thursdays we usually eat something from outside, and yesterday  For an early dinner/late lunch I drove in a downpour to White Cap Fish on Main Street by the canal and got a pint of New England clam chowder, a clam strips sandwich and two flounder fillet sandwiches.  Came to $42.20.  But none of us were hungry after that.

Coping with the Pandemic:  One way to cope is to watch television, even with no live sports on the channels like ESPN, SNY, YES or MSG.  But yesterday SNY had the Mets Yearbook, from 1962 on.  It was a great trip down Memory Lane for me while watching the first 4 years: the original Mets, Casey, the Polo Grounds, and Shea Stadium.  It’s too bad that I lost interest after the summer of 1965 and switched exclusively to music.  There could have been room for both, like today.  The History Channel broadcasted The Life of Jesus, showing his life through the eyes of people who knew him, like Peter, Mary Magdalene, Pontius Pilate, Judas, and others.  Very interesting and moving.  Commentators told us how the roots of anti-Semitism and “Christ killer” came about – the Gospels were written decades after the events of Holy Week and they did not want to offend any Romans whom they were trying to convert.  And since the churches are closed, with last Sunday being Palm Sunday, I knew that I wanted to “attend” Mass on either TV or on the Internet and saw I part of one Mass with Father Richard Rohr as the celebrant.  But it could not be live since it was from New Mexico (it would have been around 5 AM there) and there was a full choir (no social distancing?).  I went to the Brooklyn Diocese website and got to watch one, in Italian, from St. Joseph’s Co-cathedral.  I was able to access another website and then read along when the Gospel was said.  For the Canon, I know many of the prayers from the days of the Latin Mass, and Italian is derived from Latin.  Also a small knowledge of French and Spanish helped too.  It looks like I will do the same thing on Easter Sunday in two days.

This and That: I have been editing my Billy-2020 websites, as well as my Billy & Marist website (http://ex-mothman29.wix.com/billy-and-marist) and Billy’s Fan Club (http://billys-fans-page.webs.com/).  Please do check them out and comments are welcome.  Last Saturday, Ellen and I ordered a DVD, a CD, and a pack of surgical masks from Amazon.  The masks won’t get here until May.  In the meantime I made a makeshift one with a handkerchief and a safety pin.

Mood:  not sure

I had wanted to get some more rugby shirts from L. L. Bean so on Saturday January 19^th after breakfast Eileen and I first went into town to stop at the bank to take care of business, and we then walked to the library to use the computers, return stuff, and take out some items.  Then we drove to Smith Haven Mall and our first stop was the L. L. Bean store, where I bought a nice new rugby shirt.  Then it was the food court where we visited Wendy’s and got a large iced tea and some French fries to share, as well as a 2 for $6 deal – a cheeseburger for me and a chicken sandwich for Eileen.  Then we walked around the mall to get some exercise (kind of cold to walk outside, as well as threatening to rain).  We visited several of the shops, including The American Dog Club to admire the dogs for sale (especially the bulldogs), the Disney Store, and Godiva Chocolates.  Our last stop was a store called Gadgets and Gizmos where Eileen got herself a little Beanie Baby sized Yankees dog.  The last time I was at Smith Haven there was a Yankees Clubhouse Store, but it obviously closed.  But Eileen was able to get a nice Yankees mascot for her stuffed animal collection.  Then we went back to the car to head home.   

All members of the Islip Fire Department have to take an OSHA safety class once a year.  January 20^th was the first time in 2019 that it was being given, so I decided to go an d get it over with.  Actually the class was interesting and hopefully all of the members will remember what they learned and keep injuries to an all time low.  Later in the day Eileen and I went to the Islip Library to use the computers and return one DVD and take out another.  And since it was Sunday, the National Football League playoffs were in progress so after I brought Eileen home, I went back to the firehouse to answer an alarm, have coffee, and watch TV (New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Rams, and the New York Islanders vs. Anaheim Ducks).  I was angry that the Saints got eliminated thanks to some bad calls in overtime but was happy that the Islanders won.

The cold was really in full swing on the 21^st, but I did go to the supermarket for lunch provisions, and then took Eileen with me to the Sayville theater to see A Dog’s Way Home.  It was interesting, and I liked the footage of western Colorado: The Rocky Mountains, and cities like Denver , Durango, and Gunnison and definitely not any footage from the eastern half of the state which is on the Great Plains).  The movie makes me want to visit the state – the western part.  After the movie, we came home and I showered and the waited for our financial planner and attorney to arrive.  When they did, we all spoke about financial planning in the future, and plans for Eileen when she does not live with us any longer. 

Due to the way that the January calendar fell, I had meetings at the firehouse for two days in a row.  On Monday evening, since it was the Martin Luther King holiday, for the department meeting and in honor of Martin Luther King (not really honoring him but making fun of him) the pseudo-patriots served fried chicken and other southern goodies.  But I must admit, living down in Louisiana for 2 years did help me acquire a taste for fried chicken, black eyed peas, and macaroni & cheese, as well as Dr. Pepper (my “Louisiana Legacy”).  The next evening , on the 22^nd, I went to the Rescue Squad meeting and after reading the treasurers report, I had to make copies of the 2018 treasurers reports and Bethpage Federal Credit Union statements for the chiefs to analyze (all companies and organizations in the department are being reviewed). 

On January 22^nd the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) elected Mariano Rivera unanimously to the Hall of Fame, and also elected Mike Mussina, Roy Halladay (posthumously) and Edgar Martinez.  Congratulation to the 4 players.  On the hockey front, I only have a few pages in the appendix to read before I am done with We Want Fish Sticks.  The part about John Spano was interesting and I remember it well.  Luckily Charles Wang had deep pockets and tried to bring life back into the team.

Mood:  surprised

Since I watched the Lady Red Storm lose to St. Bonaventure last weekend it was pretty much SSDD.  On Sunday we went in to Queens to visit my Mom.  Ellen and I went shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond on College Point Boulevard, and then had dinner at one of our favorite Malaysian eateries – Curry Leaves – on 40^th Road.  I was a bit venturesome and ordered flat noodles and cockles.  They are a clam, but they tasted a bit fishier than Little Neck or Cherrystone clams that we get here on the Island.  I still think that I would try then again.On Monday evening I went to my fire company meeting and 4 guests were there: two candidates for 2^nd assistant chief and two for a seat on the Board of Fire Commissioners.  Each man gave a talk saying why we should vote for him.  To be honest, it’s going to be a toss up for each contest.   

I finished reading a book by a baseball historian named John Holway.  It was titled Blackball Stars – Negro League Pioneers.  The book tells of 25 greats who played in the Negro Leagues before 1947.  John does not include Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige, since they are featured in another book.  I thought that Blackball Pioneers was interesting and shed some light on several baseball greats, some of whom are now enshrined in Cooperstown.  I then took out another John Holway book – Josh and Satch: The Life and Times of Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige.  This book is about those two baseball greats, both in the Hall of Fame.  Holway breaks the book’s chapters down into calendar years, introducing each one with some important historical events from that year, as well as hit parade songs, best selling books, movies, Broadway plays, and highlights on the major leagues.  Right now I am up to the chapter covering 1933. 

This Saturday morning I was at the firehouse enjoying some Dr. Pepper and leftover pizza when a call came in for a single alarm on Brook Street – an open burn.  I borrowed some gear and waited for some others firefighters and 3 others showed up.  I was the most experienced one so I got “elected” to be the officer on the ladder truck.  We drove northward. To Brook Street but the chief gave us a ‘dismiss the men’ order when we got to Brook Street.  We then headed back and hoped to go down Brook to Commack Road and then to headquarters but the Suffolk County Police Department had the street sealed off at Boston Avenue – a crime scene.  I would read more about it on www.newsday.com and then on WCBS-TV: an 18 year old was found murdered off Brook Street in the creek that separates Islip from Bay Shore.  The police are still investigating, but the young man may have been murdered for something that he wrote in someone’s high school yearbook.  On a better note, when I got back to headquarters I had a chance to talk to the wife of one of the ladder truck crew.  It turns out that she came from Glendale and her father went to St. Francis Prep like I did.  I knew him from the track team when I was on it during my sophomore year.  My teammate was born in Austria in the same year that I was but lost a year learning English, making him a freshman instead of a sophomore like me.  His grandfather served in the Austro-Hungarian Army in World War I (at that time I was very interested in the history of that conflict).  It’s definitely a small world.   On the Internet I did edits to some of my biographies

http://billyslife.yolasite.com

http://www.wix.com/ex_mothman29/bio

http://billyfor8.beep.com/  

Please check them out.  Some are told in the first person, some are in the third person, and remember to sign any guest books.

Mood:  lyrical

I am back after 12 months, as I had trouble logging in and also have 4 other blogs.  Anyway, since the 4th of July 2008 the following highlights have occurred:

1. My company's softball team lost in the finals during August 2008;

2. We went on a vacation to Philadelphia over the Labor Day weekend;

3. I started to play basketball with my company's team, even if I mainly warmed the bench;

4. Sadly, my father passed away on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009;

5. We bought a new car in June 2009 - a Honda Accord;

6. I bought a digital camera on July 11, 2009: a Canon 1200 Point & Shoot.

I am not certain if it's me, but I often don't see my entries posted and published for days on end.

Anyway, it's good to be back since this is the place where I first started to compose a blog.

Mood:  hug me

Since last weekend I managed to go on one fire call where a clothes dryer caught fire and we had to disconnect the appliance and drag it into the yard.  I also had the honor of helping with the venting – by opening up the windows!

Ellen, Eileen and I celebrated Christmas Eve at my parents’ house, and they served their traditional Christmas Eve meal of pasta and crabs – delicious but messy!  In the past they served blue claw crabs, and they were even harder to get opened.  For the last several years it has been king crabs, which are easier to open since the shells are not as hard.  On Christmas Day I went to church at St. Mary’s and in the afternoon hosted my brother-in-law, a “cousin-in-law” and a friend of the family.  Since my mother-in-law passed away in early January, she was not there.  While she was 93 at the time of her passing, we still miss her a great deal.

So far my fantasy football team, the Washington Federals, is 7-7 through Week 16.

I have also been working on a new web-page commemorating our recent trip to South Bend IN.  While it’s not finished yet (there is still film in the camera, and I have to write a few more narratives) it can still be previewed at http://www.southbend2007.homestead.com. Over the last week I also edited two older web pages that are on Lycos’ Tripod provider:

• http://williamb29.tripod.com/bills_boring_life/
• http://williamb29.tripod.com/washingtondc2004/

It’s hard to believe that 2007 is almost over.  It’s been a trying year for me, but I did get to go to Notre Dame University and also see the Staten Island Yankees play at their picturesque ballpark.

Mood:  hug me

I have not made an entry here quite a long time, since I was concentrating on my Yahoo 360, 20six.co.uk, and Multiply blogs.  However, it's good to be back.  

Over the weekend of December 8 & 9 we went to South Bend IN for a wedding of one of my cousins.  The ceremony was held at the Sacred Heart Baslilca on the Notre Dame campus (my cousin the groom is a 2001 alumnus).  We also got to tour the campus, and visit the College Football of Fame, since the rehearsal dinner was held there.

I did not get a chance to make any blog entries since I got back from South Bend.  Over the past weekend we went bowling with the St. Mary’s Bowling League for our monthly get together at the East Islip Lanes.  This time I nearly broke 100 in each of the three games played.  I fell short in game two with only a 96.  Maybe next month.

With the National Football League’s regular season winding down (we are entering Week 16); the fantasy league is also almost over.  My team, the Washington Federals, is presently 7 and 7.  Hopefully it’s a win this weekend, but is all depends on how well the real players and their teams perform.

I can’t believe that it’s winter already.  So far, the South Shore of Long Island has not had any major snowstorms.  Whatever we did get did not stay around too long.  Now if it can stay like this until spring, it would be a good thing.

Happy holidays to all.

Mood:  caffeinated

I have decided to post here on a regular basis again. My regular posts were on Yahoo 360 (and still are).

Today we had the annual firemen’s parade in Lindenhurst. What I like about this one is that it’s early in the morning and I am back home in Islip by 11:30. I marched as I usually do with the band, and while I carried my padded mallet to hit the keys on the glockenspiel, I also carried a regular mallet to actually make some sound. Since I had done a little bit of practicing here and there, I did not sound as bad as I thought I would. Once we got to the firemen’s park the tournament would be starting. I left with a few others right after the parade since I had things to do at home.

In the evening the public television stations had a show featuring artists from the 1960’s British Invasion, among them Eric Burdon & the Animals, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Peter & Gordon, the Moody Blues, Lulu, Petula Clark, the Troggs, and the Zombies. Most of the musicians and singers aged fairly well over the last 40+ years.

Around 10:20 my pager went off for an ambulance call, at the local pub on Main Street. Apparently a man had injured his hand. As it turns out, he got into an argument after a “beer pong” game and put his hand through a window. Needless to say, his clothes were covered in blood and the emergency medical technicians had to control the bleeding before we finally transported him. What I could not understand was that for such a macho guy, he seemed to be afraid of getting stitches at the ER. The chief and an EMT convinced him to go to the hospital, and he finally consented. Since only a few people showed up, I was detailed to driving the rig to the hospital, which I managed to do without incident.

On the New York major league baseball scene the Mets beat the Diamondbacks 7-1. The Yankees lost to the Red Sox 11-6.