This blog is so neglected I think another update is in order I have not abandoned it. I just have trouble keeping it up. I had right knee surgery June 8th to replace an existing total knee joint. Surgery went well. Rehab went well and we were scheduled to fly home when an infection was noted. The trip was cancelled and it was decided the new joint would to be removed. Another surgery was done to insert a fixed rod…
You know how it it is. You meet someone you know. You ask, only to be polite, "How are you?" and to your surprise the friend launches into a detailed description of some medical ailment they have had or are going through. You aren't really interested because the only thing we really are interested in is talking about ourselves. But, oblivious to our non verbal language of not caring, our friend launches into a detailed report of their medical problems with…
My wife's sister, Monica is an officer at our Gig Harbor Elks Club where her husband Richard is Exalted Ruler. At the last meeting she got talking with a retired Gig Harbor purse seine fisherman Nick Markovich and his wife. She learned they knew my parents because they bought groceries at our family grocery store in Anacortes while running a salmon fishing boat in the summer. He also thought he remembered I had fished on a local seine boat Victory. She told me about the…
I am reading a collection of columns Dick Cavett wrote for the New York Times which he has collected into a book. In one, published in February of 2007, he talks about a conversation he had with the actor Basil Rathbone that reminded me of something I had posted in this blog back on November 30, 2009. It was about the strange death of Sam Kinison. https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2009/11/the-strange-death-of-sam-kinison.html Cavett told a similar story related to him by Rathbone. Rathbone was best…
When the rebellion against the dictator of Tunisia was reported by the media, the name of Mohammed Bouazizi was a central part of the reporting. Bouazzi was one of the poor young men in the town of Sidi Bouzid struggling to make a living in a country of unemployment and poverty. Bouazizi's income was from selling vegetables, something he had done for 7 years. He was one of many who operated an unlicensed vegetable cart because the license was so expensive. He supported his family of eight…
On Monday, February 21, 2011, President’s Day, I had my seventy sixth birthday. I have always disliked birthdays, especially those with a zero, and even though there was no zero with this birthday, I still disliked it as much as the previous ones. All it did was remind me I was one year older then the year previous. But, I don’t need birthday’s to remind me of that fact. Instead, I have two total knee replacements plus a hip replacement which make me…
I think many of us have stereotyped someone and formed conclusions that proved to be very mistaken. We are often fooled by appearances. The proverb that you can't judge a book by a cover is very true in life. Scripture scholar William Barclay illustrates this fact by telling a story involving the famous T.E. Lawrence. Lawrence, of course, gained international fame for his role in the 1916-1918 Arab revolt against the Ottoman rule. His writings and reports as well as books about…
Many of us can point to someone or perhaps several people who played significant roles in our life. People who made the difference or who were a tipping point at a critical time. Perhaps it was someone whose words or actions changed the direction of our life for the better. For me, after my parents, it is a short list of individuals who had a very significant influence on my life. It includes a third grade teacher, Mrs Marshall, always saw the good in me even in…
For many years I've subscribed to a small motivational monthly booklet Bits and Pieces(111 E. Wacker Dr. Ste 500 Chicago, IL 60601). I've found inspiring and wise notes in it as well as amusing stories. Here are a few from the November issue. Francis Cardinal Spellman said that when you say "yes," say it quickly. But, always take half an hour to say "no," so you can understand the other person's side. Joseph Telushkin tells a story in his Uncommon Sense about a 19th century Jewish…
Last Sunday Lita and I headed out of Gig Harbor on our boat Lita Theresa. She is a 2006 39' Grand Banks Eastbay style. A very nice size boat with a beam of 13.3 feet that draws only 3' of water. With twin Yanmar disel engines it has a top speed of 30 knots and cruises very comfortably. We were cruising along in warm weather and flat seas thinking what a pleasure it is to be on the salt water. But,…
