Xmas Round-Up
…It’s Saturday 10:00AM as I start writing this week’s “F/N” column, and as has become the custom lately, I’ll finish it off tomorrow. These days are kinda a ‘down’ tyme here at Unit #303 555 Harris Place, though I don’t mean that in a negative way. It’s just a case of things naturally slowing a tad post Christmas, before the excitement builds again with New Years Eve and the beginning of a new decade, tho I use the term ‘excitement’ very loosely, in spite of heading into 2020 AD. Now, I don’t want to pooh-pooh on anybody’s grand plans to party, wine and dine, drink and dance the New Year in with some good friends….been there/done that….but to quote BB King, “the thrill is gone”. I know not exactly what year it left, but would be more than willing to bet it was around the same tyme that Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians music….especially ‘Auld Lang Syne’….’fell from favour’ with TV audiences, at least the one at The Astoria in New York City, annually on Dec 31th. So….SO….as it stands these days (and has for a number of years to be truthful) Rotzy usually doesn’t know the TV hosts/hostesses, seldom has heard of the musical acts , and even LESS seldom enjoys the ‘music’. And as far as the ‘big ball dropping’ at midnight, with this olde guy actually being awake to witness it?? Hey….Miz Jo will give you the odds, take your bet (if you think I can/will do it), then gladly take your money. Ain’t gonna happen….no Guy Lombardo, no Rotzy!
…As to the stuff that ‘occupied’ Jo Ann and I before Christmas….none of which, because we didn’t make it down to any of the olde seasonal films that are/were shown on Thursday nights in the Algonquin Room, I didn’t ‘doze off’ even once! We attended a friend’s (40th?) Xmas Open House for our second tyme; we celebrated our 42nd Anniversary….and yes, we danced to Neil Young’s ‘Harvest Moon’; we really enjoyed the first Holiday Gathering for 3rd floor residents; I went to a (quickly put together) Xmas Reunion for ‘a bunch olde football players’, most of whom I coached in the 1960’s and 70’s; we did up/bottled EIGHT batches of Nuts And Bolts, from my Mom’s ancient recipe; then we ‘played Santa Claus’, quietly setting one in front of every door on the 3rd Floor and handed a dozen jars out to others; Xmas Dinner and all the trimmin’s for just the two of us….Son and Daughter In Law for (my fave) one-pan-left-overs Boxing day; visiting friends on other floors and folks dropping by #303. HO! HO! HO! A great tyme!!
(Olde) Readers Write
…And this email clearly came from someone who has been getting OAS and CPP for some tyme now. Altho it is a brutally honest assessment. Check it out….*Not to brag, but I just went into another room and actually remembered why I went in there!! It was the bathroom, but still………
…Following up on my item from last week….The Art Of Parking….as a handful of readers wondered ‘how I’m getting along’? and ‘IF I’ve started ‘practicing’? up in the far reaches of the lot here at Harris Place. Well, as to the latter, I’ve decided to ‘re-think’ that idea, hence it’s been backburnered. And the new watchword is ‘concentration’! So….SO….when I do a GOOD job I remember how I did it, for the next tyme….and when I do a NOT-SO-GOOD job….I assess to see where I screwed up. Tell ya what, Norm The Truck is in clear view from #303’s balcony, in parking spot #58 and I ‘judge myself’ every tyme I park him by seeing how my rear plates align with the number. Well, Norm hasn’t moved since yesterday afternoon, and the parking job, to quote Carly Simon….”nobody does it better”!
…Lastly, a couple of the readership sent a bunch of New Years Resolutions….in fact both of them sent the same list, including a lot of warm and fuzzies/lovey-dovey/love they neighbour(but not his wife)/smell the roses/don’t forget to water them first/be nice to everybody. In truth, kinda like the Ten Commandments. Anyway, Rotzy learned a long tyme ago that the Commandments plus 15-20 Resolutions is a LOT of memory work, right…. so that is where Common Sense comes into the picture. Hopefully!!!
Happy Hour At Harris Place
…After trying two different tyme slots Friday 4:00 – 6:00PM and then from 5:00 – 7:00PM, Happy Hour returned this past Friday Dec 27th. The Skyline Living sign on the bulletin board read ”Happy Hour – Algonquin (Common) Room Fridays 7:00PM – ?? Bring Your Own Beverages”. I thought it might be funn to check it out, but Miz. Jo and Rotzy were/are somewhat involved ourselves in a ‘medical situation’ this week past, one that we want to get looked at/after ASAP. Then, when we’re back on track again, there’ll be plenty of Happy Hours to check out. Or perhaps not? Yours truly chatted with a couple sfaffers this ayem and apparently there were only SIX happy people at 555 Harris Place Friday evening!!?? Then again, the tymeing wasn’t great…..two days after Xmas. In fact, nor will next week be either, two days after New Years. However, if our kindly landlord (Skyline Living) was/is serious about Happy Hour, they’d put a piano/keyboard down there and Rotzy and The Rotzettes just might make a comeback, and we could ‘open’ for Gary The Guitar Guy from just down our hall….hey, Gary does a better Elvis than Elvis. I mentioned the piano to management a month or two ago, but methinks they don’t want oldsters ‘having too much funn’….if you get my drift.
*Thought Of The Day…When one door closes and another one opens, you’re probably in prison
