Some of us are heavyweights workin’ on lightening up. Others are lightweights who’d like to step up a level.
The Challenge Was/Is….
to write something/anything in this week’s column that is ‘non-coronavirus/COVID-19 related’, because it appears to me….and I know I’m not alone….we are being totally swamped with info and statistics on this pandemic. Hey, Rotzy isn’t saying we don’t need to be ‘kept informed’….but the DAILY STATS that are read by announcers on every network and station in the land are virtually sounding more and more emotionless and becoming more and more like hearing an entire slate of NHL scores….remember the NHL?….and/or an unenthusiastic/boring stock market report. Anyway, my ‘mentor’, Lefty, told me 8 or 10 years ago when I was stuck for material for “F/N” to ‘write about yourself’….so I will.
Good Health And Stuff
This one starts Fri June 5th at my Doctor’s office where we set up my bi-annual ‘diabetes check-up’ appt for July 6th and I got a requisition for the necessary blood work. Got into it with the nurse about having another colonoscopy done….I had one a year ago….but eventually, I gave in/up and said “OK”. I also asked if she would weigh me and the olde guy came in at 205 LBS! That’s 12 lbs lighter than the last tyme I stepped on the Toledos! and to tell the truth, I can’t recall the last tyme I was this ‘svelte’! I bragged all w/end, then Mon the 8th I went for my bloodwork. St Joe’s was closed so I found another Life Labs location near the Holiday Inn. Bingo! All’s done/all’s well….then came Tues June 9th, which became Rotzy’s own personal D-Day….not to be confused with the real one, which celebrated its’ 76th Anniv June 6th I believe. ‘D’ as in Diverticulitis, a disease/condition yours truly is quite familiar with, the first tyme having gone via EMS from Nakina to Geraldton DH, then flown to Thunder Bay, almost 20 years ago. This tyme Miz. Jo foned 9-1-1 and EMS took me from 555 Harris Place to BGH, a MUCH shorter trip. A lot of questions, thorough poke and prod examination, i.v. hookup, more bloodwork, this tyme in my right arm, a needle for pain, ‘nothing by mouth’ in case of emergency surgery (that got Rotzy’s attention!), a C-scan with dye injected (so did that, as in the past it had just been that x-ray that pregnant women have, then another pain needle. The lady Doctor came back in about an hour to say ‘it’s Diverticulitis’, to which I let out a big breath of relief, one more needle as two different bags of heavy-duty ani-biotics dripped into my i/v. So there ya go….the olde guy isn’t A-1 yet, but definitely an A-3, maybe a 2….already ‘playing with my hoe/watering can’ down at the garden *(see below). Many thanks for your kind words and best wishes!! Plus a “F/N” thumbs-up to the nurses and staff at BGH Emerg….they don’t stop running! They’re amazing, and under their masks, I bet they’re smiling!!
How Does Your Garden Grow?
I only missed one day of my ‘daily inspections’ down at the community garden after my ‘D Day’ go ’round (*see above) and the growth of everybody’s plots is incredible….us oldsters and the ‘rookie growers’ too! Also, it’s nice to see everybody showing an interest in what their neighbour is growing as well, and people helping people with watering, asking for/giving advice and cetera. At first, yours truly thought the 3 or 4 brightly coloured, plastic ‘windmills’….for keeping the starlings away?….was a bit much, but not anymore. There are a dozen or more now and it makes for quite a display of colour among the green and red foliage. Looking forward to seeing the new three-level box unit that was being carefully assembled yesterday. Miz. Jo’s garden up here on our verandah/balcony is in great shape…..3 or 4 pots of flowers, a variety of tomatoes, herbs….and I/we HOPE to be eating strawberries sooner than later as they’re blooming like crazy.
Well, There Ya Go….
3/4 of this week’s column done with nary a word of coronavirus/COVID-19, with the exception of a brief mention in the first item just to ‘set things up’. So….SO….I admit I enjoyed writing it….and as always things work out well/fall into place when one uses the KISS (keep it simple stupid) mantra. Well, most of the tyme. Hey, I may well be using it more regularly as I glance at what lies ahead for us in the days/weeks/months/years on planet Earth. Stay tuned.
Readers Write
And I dare say that the most recent ‘hot topic’ they’re into/onto/all over has aroused more ’emotion’ in their writings than Rotzy has seen for some tyme….including the coronavirus….and when you read into their feelings…perhaps on the second read….you immediately realize it is NOT just somebody’s ‘rant’. It is a deep concern, bordering on fear, in regard to what many are calling ”The Police Situation”….largely in the USA, but obviously a big problem in Canada too, with some of our politicians wanting/demanding to ‘unfund police departments! *UNFUND immediately was/is the “F/N” WOTW (Word Of The Week). You can look it up yourself if you wish, but I agree wholeheartedly with the writers who see any unfunding as BIG trouble….and some American Mayor spoke of turfing his entire force!! It says here that politicians and other ‘bandwagoners’ who are even entertaining such thoughts are not thinking at all! And to put it simply, there are two people I would NOT want to be today….One is George Floyd, who died a terribly nasty/unnecessary death two weeks ago. Two is a Cop…any cop, black, white, whatever, from Anytown, USA….or Canada. The thought of decreasing/reducing the size of police forces is scary. Turfing an entire force….don’t wanna go there.
Someone Out There….
(in their wisdom) wants Toronto’s Dundas St. name changed. To what I know not. King and Queen St might be next on the ‘gotta go’ list.(*see below) If you guessed ‘because of racism’ you’d be right. And south of the border, the popular female C&W singing group ‘Lady Antebellum’ changed their name to ‘Lady A’ ‘because of racism’, only to find that name was ‘already taken’….by a black blues singer, who is already talking to her lawyer. As to King and Queen (*see above), everyone knows (apparently) those two names/words are just ooozing with ‘white colonialism’. If you weren’t aware, now you are. Makes ya wonder WTF is next, eh?
*Thought of The Day…After Monday and Tuesday even the calendar says W_T_F
