A dirty secret no more, the return of Barb Wire & a paper sack for retirement

20+ years ago, I worked alongside Mike Cullen, a guy my age who was single like me.  He was also twice as good looking, in much better shape and dressed twice as nice.  He even had better hair than me.  Normally I avoid guys like this but I loved Mike.  He was a rascal, but kindhearted too.

One time he told me we should sign a pact.  Whoever dies first, the other would enter the deceased one's home and remove any embarrassing things.  A key to get in and location of the nasty stuff would be supplied in advance.

I didn’t really have anything but didn't want to let Mike down, so I said I had some adult stuff on an old laptop in my bedroom closet.  When I asked Mike what he had, he just laughed and said I'd find everything hidden in his oven.  Surprised, I said "Don't you cook?"  

He just smiled at me and said yes, but not in the kitchen.  

Anyway, it seems that every time I put something in my oven I think about Mike because of the nasty stuff I've been hiding in mine.  About 5 years worth of grease and grime.  How did I let it get this bad?  I bought rubber gloves, large sponges and oven cleaner a couple months ago, but was waiting for the weather to warm so I could tackle this with an open window and plenty of ventilation.  So with Spring arriving this week... ta-da!  

I thought this would take about an hour and I wound up spending almost 3.  But this turned out better than I hoped for.  Y'know, I have an air fryer in my cupboard (a small one).  I'm going to try and cook more with that going forward, every chance I get. 

A couple days ago I ran up the street to Kuhn's to get some eggs and other things.  When I walked down the dairy aisle, I saw Barb--aka Barb Wire--looking at the cheeses.  I wrote about this woman last August, she's in her upper 70s, maybe 80.  She always wears the same thing; a skin-tight black jogging suit and black baseball cap with her ponytail coming out the back end.  She's pretty fit.

The woman has some peculiar issues though--the first time I met her at the Senior Center last summer, she asked me if I grew up in the city or somewhere else.  When I said in the country, she snapped "I think you're too soft to be a country boy!  I think you're a liar!"   

But I haven't seen her since September, so I figured I'd let bygones be bygones and say hello.  I walked up and said "Hello Barb, do you remember me?"  She turned around and frowned, and said "You look familiar..."   I told her I used to be a regular visitor to the center but haven't been there since last fall because of health issues.  She said "How did you know it was me from behind?  BECAUSE YOU WERE CHECKING OUT MY BEHIND!"

Sigh... I'm looking forward to returning to the center, hopefully this summer.  I'm not so much looking forward to that. 😣

Finally, I've had this paper sack with "For retirement" written across its front for umpteen years in my old apartment's storage locker and now my current one, and I honestly can't remember what I put in here.  

It's pretty heavy, I'm guessing a stack of books.  I decided it was time I opened it up and took a look.

Inside were unopened dvds of Babylon 5, a sci-fi tv series from the 1990s that I've never seen.  There are 5 seasons in here, plus a box labeled Babylon 5 Movie Collection.  

When did I buy these?  According to Amazon, they were purchased in November 2007.  It's a little kooky that I can remember conversations with my friend Mike from 20 plus years ago, but draw a blank when it comes to these dvds.  

Are there any sci-fi fans out there that have seen and liked this show?  Is it worth watching?  These hologram boxes are pretty cool, but there's so much here and frankly I feel done with 90s television.  I don't know what the me from 2007 was thinking. 😐

This is a day of independence....

I was sitting here this morning, watching Wizard of Oz and eating my breakfast, and around the time the Mayor of Munchkin City said "This is a day of independence, for all Munchkins and their descendants"  I got dinged by my bank app that two direct deposits had been made to my checking account.  

One was my Federal tax refund (which came surprisingly fast, I just submitted my taxes a few days ago) and the other was my very first Social Security payment.  Am I really going to get that every month for the rest of my life?  Sweet!

I just saw something on the news the other night that the average social security payment is $2,071.00; so at $1,994.00 mine would appear to be $77.00 below average.  

But for someone like myself who early retired at the age of 54, I'm fine with that.

Anyway I'm sure this is tacky on my part, sharing these numbers; I'm not boasting about the amounts, but genuinely surprised I am considered old enough by the government to get social security.  (I was eligible 2 years ago, but held off until my monthly amount was close to $2000.00)   I swear to God, when my long covid isn't acting up I feel like a 14 year old kid inside.  

In fact, the last week or so I've been watching these paranormal videos on YouTube late at night and I'm starting to develop a fear of ghosts again, doggone it.  Do you believe in ghosts?  I'm not saying they're the spirits of dead people, but there's some strange things going on out there being caught on all those digital cameras... 💀

Alright, I'd better stop yapping and get dinner started, I'm having chicken tenders, leftover scalloped potatoes from Sunday and roasted broccoli.  Thanks for letting me share, that's all!  😊

My Life (right now) in numbers

Yesterday I woke up around 6am with my teeth chattering.  It was really cold in here.  I got out of bed, stumbled into the living room and turned on my tv to the local news & weather.  They were reporting it was zero degrees, with a -15 degree windchill.  Brrr!  I hopped over to my thermostat to turn on the heat and--waitaminute--it was already running.

But it was only the unit's fan.  When I put my hand over the main vent, I just felt cool air.  Uh-oh!  I looked at my handy digital thermometer on my bookshelf (right).  The temperature in here was 48F.

A few years ago I would've stressed.  But I've been living in this building for 7 years now, and this happens once or twice a year at least.  (We have a weird central heating system where only random apartments on random floors are affected.)   

I fished out my little electric heater I bought last year for such emergencies, and waited for an email from Steiner that said they were aware of the situation and were on it.  I got the email an hour or so later, and my heat was back on later in the day.

At lunch I was telling a friend on the phone about it, and she said I should look for a new place.  A little later I was talking to my sister who said "I love your apartment".  I don't love it, but I DO like it very much.  I wasn't even upset when they announced my rent was going up to $920.00 effective April.  Want to know why?   

1. Studios in my building are renting for $925 and one bedrooms (like mine) are going for $1020.  
2. My old apartment is renting for $925.00 but isn't as nice as this one.  And the rent there doesn't include any utilities.  My current place includes heat, water & trash in the rent.

So, it doesn't look like I'll be moving anytime soon.  This temperamental place is my home.

I'll be turning 65 this year, on October 31 to be exact.  I'll be switching over from Obamacare to Medicare.  Since Trump and his nefarious administration ended those extended ACA subsidies, my insurance premiums went from $121.22 a month to $281.52.   That's a 233% increase.

I actually felt guilty for paying such a low amount in 2025.  Does the higher amount make me feel better?  No, that's an awfully big jump!  But I know Medicare (Parts A & B) are around $202.00, so if I can find a good Medicare Advantage plan that doesn't charge extra... 

I just got my 1099-INT & 1099-DIV forms for my personal investments.  In 2025, I earned $10,872.00 in interest & dividends.  (It gets deposited automatically in my bank account.)  

That may not sound like a lot, but I live pretty comfortably on $30,000 a year.  And now, starting in February, I'll be receiving Social Security.    

Y'know, the dumbest thing I did in my life was take up smoking the summer before I turned 19.  (I didn't quit until my mid forties.)  The smartest thing I did was take the money I'd been saving for a house and put it in the stock market in 2003 when my girlfriend at the time dumped me for another guy.  

I don't think there's anyone out there reading my blog under the age of 50, but if there was, I would tell them to get their money into the stock market as soon as possible.  Just call up Schwab or Fidelity or Vanguard and ask what the minimum amount is for their S&P or Total Stock Market Fund.  It's a lot easier than you think.

Finally, after umpteen years I decided to retire my old banner below.  The older I get, the less I looked liked that photo of myself from 2011.  

I'm still not sure how I feel about my new one, it's not a great photo (I have a 2 day growth of stubble and my eyes have dark circles) but I'm just keeping it real, folks.  Thank you for letting me share, and I hope everybody is staying warm out there!  

One minute you're 40, the next you're applying for Social Security

The other morning when my brother Steve texted to let me know my nephew (his son Stevie) was getting married, and I asked how old is Stevie now and Steve said he turned 40 in September... weren't we all 40 just a few years ago?

Thinking back to 2001 when I turned 40, I headed into my kitchen and looked through the junk drawer and there it was--the pin I bought for the lapel of my coat, after the events of 9-11-01.  I remember that day like it was only a couple years ago, I'm sure many of you can say the same.  I was sent home early from work that day, as downtown Pittsburgh was ordered evacuated.  I got a ride with my ex's mother (who saw me standing at my bus stop and honked at me to get in, then yelled all the way home about our military, President Bush and trash tv).  

I spent that entire day glued to my tv, watching the same events play out over & over.  I can even remember what I had for dinner, leftover spareribs from Sunday.  A day or two later I was headed to work and saw these flag pins at a newsstand I passed on my way to the office, and bought one for my jacket.  

I don't know why I'm sharing all of this, I just can't believe how quickly the years have passed since I was 40.  I want to tell my nephew "you're going to be 64 before you know it".

Speaking of 64, last Saturday (November 1, the day after my 64th birthday) I was sitting here watching an awful documentary about Bigfoot, and thought "Well it's as good a time as any to apply for Social Security" so I went online to my SSA account.

On my recent statement it said "At age 64 years your monthly payment is estimated to be $1913.00."  Sounded good to me, so I began the application.  There were a LOT of questions, but nothing too difficult or complicated.

After I gulped and hit submit, I received an auto-generated email that said I should be hearing back from them after 30 days.  It added my reviewer would reach out by telephone or mail with additional questions, and they often do this on weekends or after business hours.  

Curious, I jumped on earlyretirement.org and a social security reddit board, and was dismayed at what I was finding.  A lot of people complaining their applications were on hold for months (for faulty or mismatched information) or outright denied.  

One man neglected to report his first marriage as a teen, people failed to report children they hadn't seen since childbirth, some people attempted to file too early or mistakenly filed for disability, etc.

A retired social security administrator said it took on average 90 days to review an application, not 30.  And this was before the recent government shutdown, so I figured I had a wait.

So imagine my surprise when I got an email from the SSA a week later.  Nothing written, just this image at the right, saying my attention was needed.

Assuming they were requesting additional documents (like my drivers license or birth certificate) I went to the SSA site, signed in and saw "Your application is approved."  And below that:

This only took a week, I guess you can't believe everything you read.  As I requested my payments begin in January, they start one month after your request date.

The amount will drop some when I turn 65 and Medicare kicks in, but that's not for 10-11 months.

I still can't believe this is really happening.  I know I earned it but still... I'm waiting for a follow-up that says they grossly overestimated my monthly amount, or I've been declared an anti-Trumpist and being deported instead.  We'll see!

Thinking out loud, sharing a few words and an apology if needed

This was taken in my little kitchen on Monday November 3, at 2:31 pm.  You can't tell by looking, but the one side of my face is swollen & hurts (the side closer to my words).  My chin & left eye sting, with some aching in my jaw.

It's not horrible, but is still uncomfortable enough to keep me from wanting to go out and do normal things.  I'm convinced it's going to fade eventually, just don't know when.

As I've shared before, this all returned in mid-September (after a 3 hour trip to the dentist) and it's not as bad as it was the first couple weeks, at least.

Anyway, one of the reasons for this post is because I know I've been blogging more than usual, and if I'm making you tired of me, I'm sorry.  It's just that this blog is pretty much my contact with the outside world until I can make a complete recovery and get back out there again.

I also didn't know how much easier it was to create new posts until my older laptop died (along with my 20 year old editor) and I had to start using Blogger's nifty online version.  It's so much simpler, I just wish I had more things to write about now!

I took down a recent post I wrote late Saturday night (I was watching a dreadful documentary about Bigfoot while working on my application for Social Security).  It was pretty boring stuff, but really opened my eyes what a lengthy process this can be.  It could take months to get that first check.

Speak of the Devil (heh) I just got this email from them.

I never thought I'd see the day I'd be applying for social security.  I can still remember getting my very first paycheck in August 1977, I was a dishwasher at the Olde Southern Pancake House.  I made $2.10 an hour and worked my butt off.  To this day the thought of boysenberry syrup still gags me.

Okay that's all I have for now--thanks as always for listening, I should be back tomorrow or the day after with a tasty food post.  :^)  

Gentlemen, your mission should you choose to accept it; proceed to Mission Barbecue

This past Wednesday, several of us from the Senior Center took one of our bi-monthly lunch outings to Mission BBQ, in Robinson Township.

Dennis & me, waiting for our ride to Mission BBQ

I was a little surprised to discover there’s a couple of them in the greater Pittsburgh area, and 150 franchises nationwide; I’d never even heard of them.

I’m so glad I stopped in Lincoln Barbershop on the way to the center to tell Rose (my barber) where I was going.  She warned me the food was salty, to taste before reaching for the salt & pepper.  Boy was she right!

To be honest, I almost didn’t go; my friends Mary & Debbie elected not to join us, and my girl Evvie is dealing with some health issues (her sciatica).  I haven’t seen her for a couple weeks now.

Evvie, if you’re reading this… I love and miss you, get better soon.

Well, I had Dennis to keep me entertained & hopefully vice-versa, so away we went.

Here’s the place from the outside.

Inside, the walls were covered in police, military & firefighting badges, gear, helmets, photos, etc.; from the ceiling hung LED tvs airing patriotic videos.  “GOD BLESS THE USA” country music played loudly and nonstop.  (The music was driving me a little bonkers.)

 

This was not a full service restaurant.  The minute you walk in the door, you’re part of a line headed towards a row of cash registers.  Just like an old school McDonalds.  You give them your order (good thing I studied the menu the night before) and then shuffle down the line and fill your own drink cup.

Before you even get to your table, your name is called to come back & pick up your food.  No plates, it’s all served on heavy brown paper on sheet metal trays.  I got the Big Brisket Sandwich, hand-cut fries & coleslaw. It was piping hot & perfectly delicious.

STILL… at 12 noon, the televisions suddenly displayed American flags, and everyone was asked to stop what they were doing, stand at attention and salute (or pledge allegiance to) their nearest flag while the national anthem played. 

I have nothing against showing respect for our men & women in uniform, but the “forced patriotism” in the middle of lunch felt a little disconcerting, to say the least. 

There was a couple hitches with this outing.  First, we arrived & finished so quickly, we were ready to go by 12 noon.  But Access (our shuttle ride) wasn’t returning to get us until 2pm!  I called & requested an early pickup, but they never showed.

So the group of us spent 2 hours outside the restaurant, watching people coming and going while chewing the fat.  I talked about my brisket sandwich so much, Dennis went back inside and ordered one to take home.  Later, he asked me if I’d seen the urinal in the men’s room and when I said no, suggested I check it out. 

(It was a big metal trough in the floor that made a drumming sound while you’re going.  Can you believe I’m sharing that?)  

The second hitch was the ride home.  I forgot to select ‘Drop off at home’ on the sign-up sheet, and Access does NOT bend the rules; so I had to ride that damn shuttle back and forth in front of my apartment building 3 times while the (new) driver dropped off other riders.  The other riders even said “Doug lives right here, just let him off!”   

Nope—I had to ride back to the center and walk the mile home.  Oh well, I suppose I needed the exercise anyway!

 

 

Fast cars, fast women (just kidding) and lunch at Rockefellers Grille

This past Wednesday, a few of us from the Lutheran Senior Center took a road trip to McKees Rocks, home of Rockefeller’s Grille.

Here’s short chubby me and tall skinny Mary before our trip.  Mary chose not to go, she just returned from a family vacation.  I was a little bummed, but glad she’s back.

On my way to the center, I stopped at the barbershop to tell them the restaurant we were going to and got a resounding “boo” from my haircutter and the patrons there.  No one was too impressed with the place.

It didn’t matter too much to me, I was just glad to get out of the house and be with friends.

It’s a good thing too, as this wasn’t one of our better outings.  Our waitress was short-tempered, my own meal was drowning in tomato sauce, and we only had 20 minutes to eat before our Access ride showed up early. 

Plus mine felt overpriced; my lunches never go over $20-22.00 and this one was over $30.00.  But I will say it again, I’m just glad I was able to go. 

Here’s a mish-mash of pics, you know how I roll!

This is Melvin, a regular at the Lutheran Center.  In his nineties, very quiet, but has managed to make a lot of friends.  You should see photos of him from the early 1950s, his “hot-rodding” days.Here’s the Rockefeller’s Menu, the back was as full as the front.My gal Evvie listening to some wild stories.  Boy, she has my dad’s eyes.And here’s Evvie’s lunch, a club sandwich & fries; it looked & smelled so good.Here’s my lunch, eggplant parmigiana and a side of linguini.  Everything was drowning in tomato sauce, the eggplant & pasta were both mushy and tasteless.  Had a nice salad before this came out, wound up bringing most of this home to “doctor up” for dinner.I couldn’t resist sharing this.  When we were heading into the restaurant, a 1957 DeSoto convertible was sitting in the parking lot, with black & white leather seats.  What a sweet ride!Finally, here’s that leftover eggplant I had for dinner—I spooned off half the sauce, added some olive oil, minced garlic & dried basil and put it under the broiler for 5-10 minutes.  It looked & smelled a little better the second time around!

Between you & me, I haven’t been in the best of spirits lately—I keep having these post-covid relapses where the left side of my head & face will burn and ache for 1-2 hours a couple times a day.  I’m trying to not let it stand in the way of getting out there, but sometimes it’s too much. 

It happened on the way to the restaurant, I sat there in silence and thankfully it did lessen. 

On the trip home I was pain-free, and my tipsy pal Dennis & I discussed signing up for Social Security, and should we make plans to visit Club 412 (a gentleman’s club aka strip joint we passed on the way home).  I’m sure those women on our shuttle were getting a real earful—I hope they know we were kidding!  That’s it, thanks for reading!

 

Relapse, remission. Relapse, remission. Relapse.

Right off the bat, I want to say I’m not looking for a slew of sympathetic comments or anything like that.  A lot of us deal with chronic health matters.  It just helps me to put this out there, on here.  It helps me feel less alone.

A couple Wednesdays ago (the day I went to the Grant Bar & Lounge in Millvale, two blogs back) I had a pretty serious relapse. To be fair, I’ve been dealing with “long covid relapses” almost daily for months; but they usually just last a couple hours before winking out until the next day.

This last occurrence… I came home from that outing, lay down to take a nap, and woke up with the left side of my head & face in a good amount of pain.  It’s pretty much been a lot of inflammation and burning in the eyes & mouth since.

(Also the smell of burnt oatmeal—which isn’t as bad as the smell of diesel fuel a year ago, but it’s still unsettling.)

I had a telemeeting this week with my neurologist, told him I was aware this affliction is chronic and can last a couple years, but it’s been 17 months now and I am wiped out. 

He said “Douglas… who told you it would resolve itself in 2 years?”  I said I read that in an article published by the BHS.  He said he was not aware of this having a finite lifespan, and that he has others with post-covid conditions that have lasted longer than mine.  This was most depressing.

He told me they believe it settles into “compromised” parts of the body, and brought up mine.  I have a dark area on the left side of my brain that used to be the source of headaches & seizure activity when I was younger.  And a few years back, my jaw was in pretty bad shape from TMJ. 

(I recovered from TMJ in 2021, but my masseters have never been the same.  That’s what hurts a lot now.)

He didn’t have any real answers for me either, other than avoiding stress and ultra-processed foods which can cause inflammation, sleep 8 hours daily, avoid alcohol & tobacco products.  He said “I’m convinced Naproxen could help with the inflammation, but you can’t afford the spikes in your blood pressure.  You know ibuprofen is dangerous for you, right?” 

He asked if I would consider meeting with a therapist (psychologist) to share my feelings.  No.  I do enough of that here on my blog, and a little at the senior center, but mostly with my good friend Diana.

Here’s a recent photo of Diana at Bruce Canyon in Utah; she recently traveled there to visit her son & daughter who both reside in Salt Lake City

She really has been a terrific friend and insists I don’t owe her anything but I do.  She recently retired, but keeps busy writing a weekly column for her local paper, organizing events for her church & community.  I’m surprised how much time she makes for me.

(I actually have a funny story involving Di, myself and a space heater, maybe I’ll write about that next time.)

Well, that’s all I have.  All I can do now is wait for the next remission and hope the relapses weaken over time.  A couple days ago I woke up and made a promise to myself to go to the Lutheran Center that day, regardless of discomfort. 

Made it there and saw my friends, and had this wonderful lunch below—turkey & smoked gouda sandwich, potato salad, Mediterranean vegetable soup, grapes, chocolate donut. 

You can’t ask for much better than this.

People places and food, on a Wednesday afternood

I don’t really have a lot to share at the moment, but I’m tired of seeing that tiki-idol in my last post, so here we go.

Earlier today (it’s a late and sunny Wednesday afternoon as I write this) I shaved & dressed, swallowed a couple pills for my sore tailbone, gritted my teeth and headed to the Lutheran Senior Center for lunch.

It could not have been a nicer time; many of my favorites like Mary and Cussin’ Connie (who were both sporting new ‘dos) were there, and I love those characters like family.

Speaking of characters, the reason you’re seeing Bette Davis on here is because we got to talking about heavy smokers, and I just had to do my impersonation of Bette Davis from her final appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.  Why Doug… why?

Anyway, here’s a few photos I took of the day.  Nothing exciting to look at,  but I’ve been wanting to share a couple of these people for a long time.

My friend & neighbor Lida, who I ran into in the lobby downstairs.  I’ve known Lida for 7 years, she’s a special needs person who is both funny & kind, and remembers every ailment you have. “Doug!!  How’s your back!  And your front!”Here’s the infamous Kuhn’s Market I’m always talking about.  If you were familiar with the area, you’d notice a BIG empty space to the store’s left that was formerly a YMCA and other building.  They’re constructing a new Kuhn’s “Superstore” that will be more than double the size of our 1950’s sized grocery store. 

I’m not crazy about it, but that’s progress!This is Bridget who works at the Lutheran Center, and one of the nicest people you will ever meet.  I adore her.  When I visited the center’s Open House in June 2023, she was the first person I met and was sold.

(She’s also an expert on all the superheroes in the Marvel & DC universe and we’ve had some great discussions.  Well, she does have 3 boys!)Today’s lunch—pulled pork sandwich, Texas-style corn, coleslaw, cantalope, hunk of cake.  Don’t let the simplicity of this meal fool you, the center serves the best pub steakburgers and pulled pork I’ve ever eaten.  Finally, this is for Cathy & Sharon (my neighbors) who wanted to know what a single man has for Easter Dinner.  That’s a Bavarian ham sandwich with butter & horseradish, roasted broccoli with red peppers, au gratin potatoes with onions and a deviled egg.

I know it’s nothing fancy, but it suited this single man just fine.  The End

Rainy days & turkey days never get me down—as for everything else in the world…

This Thursday morning I awoke (after a really restful sleep, probably the best sleep I’ve had in six months), turned on the local news to confirm all the pitter-patter outside was rain (it was) then saw that Trump was backpedaling on his frigging tariffs and turned the tv back off again.

My retirement account has dropped 140K in value since January, all thanks to that flop-top Mussolini and his MAGA cronies.  I have enough set aside for living expenses for the next 18 months, but this felon has probably put the kibosh on a lot of other’s retirement plans.

But today I was happy, it was “Turkey Flatbread Day” at the Lutheran Center, and I’d be seeing some of my favorite people like Mary, who is a fan of this sandwich as much as I am. 

Waiting for the elevator downstairs after coming home from the center; made a stop at Kuhn’s for some eggs

I was also at the center a couple days ago, but things did not go as expected.  If I share something really honest here, please no lectures—I’m not a kid, I know when I’ve done wrong. 

Every month on Tuesdays, the center has nurses on site who do blood pressure readings.  Before getting long covid 15 months ago, I always got mine checked and always had good numbers.  The other day however was the first it’s been checked in a long while and didn’t go well.

The nurse took my reading, said “This can’t be right” and did it again, and got the same numbers.  She said “Let’s do it old school, with a hand pump and stethoscope” but it wasn’t much better.  She asked if I was on BP medication, I said I was, and she said “You better make an appointment with your doctor then.  Your numbers are very high.”

Here’s what I was hiding:  for the last few months, I’ve been halving my BP meds.  For most of 2024 I was in too much pain to leave my house for extended periods, and my (former) PCP wouldn’t renew my 6 month BP prescription unless I came in for an office visit.

I figured it would be okay to chop the pills in half as I’d lost a lot of weight after getting long covid.  I’m now guessing this wasn’t such a good idea.

I do want to say, I didn’t feel this nurse was doing accurate readings.  She kept putting the cuff over my sleeved arm (it’s supposed to be on bare skin) and kept making small talk with me.  (You’re supposed to remain totally silent during BP readings.) 

Also, this was right after lunch, and that’s a no-no.  Still, I heeded her warning and as soon as I came home, contacted my insurer and set up an appointment with a new PCP at a much more convenient office location than my old one.  I’ll be seeing my new doctor on May 1, and until then I’m back on my regular BP dosage.

I take it at bedtime, and I really think that’s why I’ve slept so well these past 2 nights.  

I was sharing this with Mary today, and she generously offered to give me a lift to that appointment—I was going to go via Uber, but I’d much rather go with her.  

By the way, today there was a new member, Jim—but I have a feeling he won’t last long.  He just moved up from Florida, is staying with his daughter’s family, and kept grousing how awful Pennsylvania is with all it’s hills and cold weather.  Cussin’ Connie finally said “You’re full of shit!  Now shut the hell up!”

After she and most of the other ladies headed downstairs to their exercise class, Jim said to me “What’s her problem?”  I told him he wasn’t exactly making many new friends today.  He said “I’m not HERE to make friends, I want a woman dammit!  Now tell me about this herd!”

Finally, here’s that lunch:  a tasty dish of potato salad (sweet but with lots of onions) and a large square of flatbread topped with sliced roasted turkey, ghost pepper cheese, barbeque sauce & cole slaw.  Trust me, it just works.

 

Good food, good people… but not feeling too Rico Suave at Rico’s Restaurant

Yesterday, I went with friends from the Senior Center to Rico’s Restaurant on Babcock Boulevard north of the city; it took so many twists & turns to get there, it amazes me they manage to stay in business.  

I’m very glad we went for lunch and not dinner—I was a little embarrassed how I dressed.  I should’ve worn real pants and a tucked in shirt, you’ll see what I mean in a minute.

The lunch menu was very limited, which I didn’t mind but was surprised it contained no sandwiches or pasta dishes.  (All it showed was pork chops & seafood.)  But the food was piping hot and delicious, and the wait-staff were excellent.  There were 16 of us, and they made each of us feel like VIPs.

When I heard Colleen was going, I asked if she’d take a picture with me; she’s one of the ladies who manage the center, and I love her.  She just returned from a ski trip in Montana, and next month is going to Italy!You didn’t think I’d post a lunch outing without a photo of Evvie, did you?  Here she is, looking cute as a button.  She is quite literally a ray of sunshine in my life.I didn’t get a pic of my boy Dennis (the one who drinks & chain smokes) but here’s Deb showing interest in Dennis’ explanation of a deconstructed Bloody Mary. “Do you really get all those vegetables in one glass, Dennis?  Great!”Remember Pearl?  This was our first lunch together in well over a year.  (I got long covid in 2024, she got shingles.)  I’ve only seen her once in 14 months, and we even live in the same apt building—on the same floor.Here’s Deb’s entree, a salmon dish with sauce, capers & shrimp, and broccoli on the side.And here was my entree—broiled scrod with buttered crumbs, garlic & lemon, with a creamy dill sauce and fried potatoes.  It was cooked to perfection.I’d like to say this: don’t rely on Yelp reviews to decide where you want to go.  The night before our outing, I read several that talked about how expensive it was to eat at Rico’s. Maybe they were referring to dinner, but my meal included a salad, basket of rolls, two beverages & entree and it only came to $22.63.

In fact, every ticket at our table was less than $23.00 each.  I think people are paying close to that for McDonald’s!

When it’s 5-10 below zero in Pittsburgh, you go (fried) fishing with friends

When I awoke Wednesday morning, I looked out my bedroom window and saw a snow-squall.  I turned on the local news and heard “The snow will continue off & on until noon, but it’s only 8 degrees out there—with the wind chill it feels more like 5 to 10 below zero.  All city schools are on a 2 hour delay.”

Oh no… I was scheduled to go on my first senior outing since last May, to the North Park Lounge in McCandless Township.  That is, if I could make the 3/4 mile walk to the Lutheran Senior Center first.

So I bundled up good and headed out, with a couple shop-stops along the way to warm my face and defrost my glasses. 

I was almost sorry I made the trip when I was told 23 people were scheduled to go, and all but 10 cancelled. 

Fortunately, the ones who DID make it were some of my favorite people at the center.  As for the Lounge, we never saw the place—it was so busy we were herded into their enclosed patio.  Here’s some pics of my friends and our good eats.

Mary needs a couple minutes to look at the menu.. Mary you look lovely today and I am really digging those glasses!Is this picture perfect or what?  They don’t come any better than Evvie and I dearly love her.

Dennis is looking a little out of sorts, waiting for his first double shot Bloody Mary.  He didn’t blink an eye when I asked him for an invite to his apartment above the bakery, he just said of course and rattled off his phone number.  He owns a lot of police memorabilia, and has lived at the same address for 40 years!“Debbie, thanks for saving me a seat at the cool kids table.  Can I share your photo on my blog?  I want to show you to my online friends.  Thanks Deb!”Rose is 92 years old and God bless her, going strong as ever.  Here she is with her customary draft of beer, filled with ice.  That’s her year-round lunch drink.Mary’s food arrived first, a mushroom & swiss burger.  Those hand-cut fries were sizzling hot and seasoned perfectly.And finally…  a one pound fried fish sandwich with fries & coleslaw.  (I requested those onions.)  These come in two sizes, Large & G-I-A-N-T.  I ordered the giant to take half home for dinner, as did Deb & Dennis.  It was excellent. 

We all laughed and carried on (Mary was cracking me up good, demanding to know why Evvie gets all the attention) and I was doing pretty well aside from a little tumble I took on the Access shuttle on the trip home.  (A dizzy spell from I-don’t-know-where.)

But I’m very glad I got to go, I missed everybody—and as cold as it was, the very next day we got a real blizzard!