Being from the pre Baby Boomer Silent (who knew) Generation there have been many big changes over my lifetime. For instance: 1) Computers, the Internet-social media2) No Smoking in restaurants, etc.3) Legalized Abortion4) integration (Obama)5) Gay rights6) World wide economy (foreign cars)7) Beatles-Stones8) Global warming (flooding)9) Cable TV10) …
Over this past raw and rainy weekend I engaged in annual Fall rituals brought on by the change in what had been a wonderful long stretch of dreamy weather. I brought in the out door furniture, wore long pants and a jacket, swam my last laps, took a long drive on a leafy highway and rotated my closets. And, most significantly, Joanne turned on the …
The Pope's visit evoked memories. My mother was Catholic and she baptized me. In 1963 I visited the Vatican and bought a St. Christopher's medal for my mom. I kept a diary and on 7/14/63 I wrote that I then "went to St. Peter's Square to get it blessed along with countless others. At precisely 12 noon the window opened and Pope Paul appeared dresse …
This is a follow up to last week's Friday With Fred blog wherein I heralded last Friday night's Mets-Yanks Mania and anticipated a great night communing in our "special" center field bleacher seats with 124 other Gothamites. In the words of Gothamite Ellyne Finklestein it was "A perfect match up. Weather couldn't be better. 125 Bull pen seats fille …
As a life long Yankee fan I was flexible enough in 1962 to let former Yankee Manager and then Met Manager Casey Stengel's "Metsies" in as my second favorite team and am proud to say that Joanne and I won Banner Day at Shea Stadium in 1964 and I caught my only foul ball (off the bat of Felix Millan) in 1976 at Shea. I gave this background as prelude …
The Traveling Wilburys were a Super Music Group first made famous by Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne. They recorded two great albums in the late 80s and their "End of the Line" music will live forever. Someone utilized a clever turn of phrase and adopted their name for a fun loving later day group of marauding tra …
Yesterday I posted the above photo of the Williams sisters saying Williams will win last night's US Open match between them. Of course one of them had to win, but I had divided loyalty. In the end younger sister Serena prevailed in 3 sets against Venus, her greatest adversary and best friend. There were so many emotional sub texts. It was amazing …
I was on such a roll: not having had a cold for over 2 years and then I came down with a dreaded Summer cold in mid July. At this writing it has settled in my chest and I have lost my voice. The mistake I made, according to Joanne, was that I didn't dial it back and give Nature a chance to cure me. Rather, I continued to push my every day swimming …
Gotham is a Business-Social Networking group. Or is it a Social-Business Networking group?Which ever it is it sure has a lot of value added Bells and Whistles in its 18th year. We start with our World Class Fredslist "Magic Wand" list serve which has proven its amazing ability to conjure up just about anything needed or requested. The magic contin …
Three is my lucky number. They say things happen in threes and in that regard this has been a very fortunate year for me: 1) I was honored by Vincent Russo's Theresa Foundation this Spring, 2) designated as the Friars Club Friar of the Year soon thereafter and 3) I pitched Gotham's Batmen softball team to its first Championship this Summer (It's …
Please read my last week's blog Pregame Anxiety as prelude to this. In a few words, I wrote I was worried about my softball Playoff performance and that of our Gotham Batmen team. Well, we passed every test and won every playoff game on the road to the Batmen's first League Championship and I got to scream, at the end of each game, at the top of …
I am at the field over an hour early (so I won't be late) and I am alone with my nervous anxiety and demons. I have already stretched and I am waiting. Am I at the right field? Why is no one else here?Will I be able to perform up to my expectations? Will I be able to control my pitches and hit with authority? Will I manage the game well? Will …
Joanne and I were talking about the many uses of the word Get and we came up with a list:Get readyGet setGet onGet it onGet crackingGet paid Get downGet up Get byGet closeGet drunkGet stonedGet enoughGet fixedGet goingGet homeGet inGet outGet cleanGet moreGet numbGet overGet pickedGet quietGet realGet softGet tightGet underGet wellGet yoursGet over …
Did you know that Truman Capote Summered next door to the small town Alabama home of (Nell) Harper Lee?Did you know that Harper Lee served as Capote's research assistant while he was writing In Cold Blood?Did you know that there has always been an unsubstantiated rumor and suspicion that Capote wrote or rewrote To Kill a Mockingbird?All these quest …
Following up on last Friday's Three Stages of Life blog, I was pleased to learn that, by one standard of measurement, all my hard work seems to have paid off. I was reading last week's Science Times and there was an article about Senior Olympians who had been tested for their "fitness age". The article referenced a web site: worldfitnesslevel.org. …
Fridays With Fred
A perfect way to send you into your weekend