Gifts to give

I've just returned from a trip where I bought gifts for my mom, sister and nieces.  They are all coming to visit me tomorrow and I've just wrapped up each of their gifts, realizing how excited I am to give them to them.  It's like a mini-Christmas for me!  To give is to receive indeed!

Cujo

I love spending time with my niece Rosie but seeing her makes me miss my dog, Cujo! Cujo was a boxer and Rosie is a beagle. Cujo and Rosie were best friends even though Rosie was an energetic pup and Cujo was getting long in the tooth. They would run around the apartment chasing each other, going back and forth, one direction and then the other, tearing up the rugs and having a grand old time. Cujo was always the chaser and Rosie was the chasee! Cujo would eventually catch up and let out a yelp which I think meant "I gotcha!"
When I took them out for walks together Cujo would get very defensive anytime another dog walked by. She would growl and bark and sometimes pounce on the other dog! It was either her motherly instincts or she just didn't want anybody getting too close to her little friend.
Cujo was a cancer survivor. The doctors removed a tumor from behind her ear and in the process had to remove her outer ear. I bought a Christmas ornament one year that was in the shape of a boxer but it wasn't complete until I removed one of the ears. People still come up to me and say, "I remember you. Don't you have the one eared dog?"
Sadly, my baby girl passed away 2 1/2 years ago. (Shortly after her death I saw the movie Marley and me. I cried my eyes out!)

I find that I miss her the most on warm sunny days. I used to take her on long walks. I would let her off the leash so that she could run and play in the water. Of course I always ended up screaming at her because she never wanted to come back. That damn dog always ran away! I bet that I spent half of her life chasing her or searching for her!
I miss that dog terribly :(
I am grateful for the 10 years that we were able to share together.

Generosity of friends... & vacation in paradise

My friend and her husband recently treated me to an amazing vacation in paradise.  I'm more grateful for their generosity than I have words to express.  Thank you Jackie and Bob.  Love you both very much.

Rosie

I am grateful for the couple of times a week that I spend part of my day babysitting my niece, Rosie. I think that she is 4, maybe 5 years old? I guess that a good uncle should know this! Honestly, most of the time she is a pain in my ass! She licks my face uncontrollably, jumps in my lap knocking everything on the floor, doesn't know how to behave on a leash, has way too much energy, and she howls at every single noise! But that's what you get from a beagle! She doesn't mean any harm.
She has her good qualities too. Unconditional love, loyalty, she eats any food that I drop on the floor (and I've been known to drop things...a lot!) She is cute, too! This morning she jumped on my bed as I had just opened my eyes. She used to jump on my bed, trample me, step on my bladder and everything else below the belt, and then lick, lick, lick my face. She has gotten better. This morning she crept up to my face and just stared at me for a bit. Then when I acknowledged her she licked my face...but only a little. She then went under the covers and slept on my arm for a bit. She came up for a breath, put her arms around my neck, and fell asleep again. Cute dog. I think she likes me.

My van

For no reason in particular, today is the day that I am going to celebrate the fact that I can drive. If you really think about it, isn't it scary knowing that there are people paralyzed from the chest down strapped into their wheelchairs driving vans with whatever limited use of their arms they have? If you ask MY family they would say unequivocally YES!
It is amazing that technology can give me this gift. My chair locks into the van, I have buttons for every function imaginable, seatbelts custom built so that I'm strapped in when my chair locks, a mini steering wheel for my right hand and an electronic gas/brake for my left hand. I also have an elbow control that names functions when I tap it and executes that function when I tap it again.
Anybody who has been without a car for an extended period of time can understand the frustration of having to rely on others and public transportation to get around. It is much more difficult being in a wheelchair. There are no accessible taxi's in the 'burbs. There aren't that many in Boston! The MBTA is better than it used to be...marginally! I can drive my wheelchair short distances but if it rains...forgeddabboudit! The Ride? Don't get me started on them, they need an overhaul because they are a disaster.
I am VERY grateful for my minivan and the ability to drive!

Family

I am grateful that I was able to spend a few hours at my brother's house today. My mom was there (gorgeous as ever) as well as my sister in law's family (parents, two sisters, hubby and children.) The brunch was yummy and it was 74 and sunny (I was not expecting that and wore a turtleneck and a black sweater!)
I got to watch my nephew run around and play in the backyard. He is two and a half and big for his age. Not fat, but a big kid. You could easily mistake him as a year or more older. He is fearless and curious...you have to keep an eye on him. He does everything 100 miles an hour but unfortunately his little legs can't keep up with his will. He will get a full head of steam and boom! He'll fall flat on his face! Often he has toys in both hands so he literally will do a faceplant! Thankfully today it was on the grass and no damage was done. He has had an adventurous few years where he's had stitches on his face twice (I believe) and numerous bumps and bruises. I gave him a wicked bruise when he slipped off of my lap on Christmas while we were posing for a picture. It's nobody's fault, he is just an active BOY.
My brother and I can't decide which sport he is going to conquer (I am his agent.) He is a lefty so maybe he'll be a starting pitcher. He's tough and doesn't even blink after he takes a fall so maybe he'll be a football star. You don't see many lefty quarterbacks so he'd probably size up as a linebacker. We'll find out in 15 to 20 years!
I remarked to my brother that his son reminded me of him playing sports as we grew up. Not the toughness or the star potential but the falling. He was always sliding on the ground when playing soccer...at the wrong times! Same with skiing. He always found a ditch to fall into and my dad called him "digger" on our ski trips. I'll give him some credit. He was a catcher in Little League and was pretty good too. Why he stopped playing is  a mystery. He also played high school football. I think he was a flanker. A hybrid running back type. I didn't get to watch him grow as a player because he had so many concussions that they wouldn't let him play anymore! Hitting his head that much as a kid explains a lot!

Wheelchairs grrrrrrr!

My current wheelchair breaks down all the time. I have been in and out of the repair shop countless numbers of times. Everything has gone wrong with this chair at some point in time and it has truly been a burden. I am very grateful for Scott Richotte and the folks at Pride Mobility for reaching out to me and setting me up with a new chair at no cost to me or my insurance! My new chair is going to be fantastic! It has a motor twice as strong as the previous chair and it has much more suspension. The back of the chair is contoured which will be much better for my back and will be much more comfortable. You see, I am not the average quadriplegic, I am much more active. I drive a modified minivan with hand controls, drive to work, stop for coffee on the way, pick up my medications, go shopping etc. I ride my wheelchair all over the soccer field when I am coaching and go up and down the street in my neighborhood and over all sorts of terrain. So as you can see I put a lot of wear and tear on a wheelchair.

I do want to mention my wheelchair company, ATG, and one person in particular, Walter Kromarski ( I have serious regrets that I spelled that correctly!) Walter is there for me any time I have an emergency. He accommodates me on short notice and if there is some way that he can help to fix my chair or put a Band-Aid on it until a part can be ordered he is there for me. He lets me come into the shop whether he has a full schedule or an empty one and sometimes he stays late (despite his wife's protests) just to make sure that I have wheels that are working . I am very grateful for Walter and ATG!

:D

I am grateful that my girl Pia Toscano made a cameo appearance on American Idol last night! It is always nice to see her...whether she is singing or not!

A short week

Yesterday was Patriot's Day and Friday is Good Friday which means I only had a three day work week. Technically I only have to work on Wednesday (because I teach Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays) making it a one day work week for me! I really needed it this week too considering that I am under the weather and I am soon to be shortstaffed. So I am grateful for vacation weeks. And by the way I'm feeling better which is a good thing because my Wednesday class doesn't need an irritated teacher! (Although anybody that knows me well will tell you that I will always have a smile on my face no matter how I feel... most of the time!)

Antibiotics

I have developed a urinary tract infection over the last few days and it reared it's ugly head last night.  I was up all night emptying my bladder (TMI?) and for a guy who shouldn't feel pain...let's just say that I am on fire from the bladder down! It's as if someone stuck a hot poker in the tip of my...you get the point! I got in touch with my doctor and he put me on antibiotics. I am very grateful for antibiotics and will be even more grateful when they kick in. I should feel better by Wednesday or I will take it out on my class!  Just kidding.

Journey Forward

I am grateful that there are organizations out there like Journey Forward. "Journey Forward is a non-profit organization dedicated to bettering the lives of those who have suffered a Spinal Cord Injury through an intense exercise program." Through sponsors like Arbella insurance they are able to keep their program running. They held a celebrity "casino night" at Lombardo's last night to raise money for the program. It was a blast and a big hit. I want to thank the two ladies from Arbella, Jackie and Katie, who let me hang with them. I won $5K in Texas hold'em, too bad it was fake money!

http://www.journey-forward.org/

Celtics

I am very grateful to Jermaine O'Neal who stepped up and willed the Celtics to a win over the Knicks tonight. Ray Allen helped out a little bit with his three pointer with just over 11 seconds left... Anyway it was a good win and for short period will help us forget about the struggles of the Bruins and the slow start by Red Sox. All is right in Celtics nation tonight!

Vacation

I so incredibly grateful for vacation.  It's been seven years since I've actually traveled for vacation and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity and the impending respite from the world.  While I'm sure you'll miss hearing from me, Nate, rest assured I will continue my gratitude, just not in the bloggosphere.  See you when I return!

Naps

I'd like to officially thank God for the magic that is a nap.  I love napping.  It's in a class of its own - it's not like sleep - usually it's lighter, occasionally it's deeper, the dreams I have are usually like flipping to the Sci-fi channel and it just feels good to plop down in the middle of the day and let the world drift away.  So today I'm grateful for the divine art of Napping.

Nature

I'm so grateful for nature and the perfect background it provides for reflection and meditation.

I took this this evening at Walden Pond.

Licorice

I am grateful for Twizzlers, a fat free snack!

Rain, rain, go away!

Everybody has nuances, pet peeves, or things that irk them. For me, I can't stand the noise that windshield wipers make on contact with the windshield. It is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Drives me nuts! The worst is when it is barely raining and you have to put the wipers on the slowest intermediate setting and even that is too much because it is not raining enough and I hear that squeaking noise from the wipers! I would much rather just let it rain on my windshield and turn them on for quick wash every few seconds. This would be much less annoying to me! Unfortunately, I can't play with the windshield wiper buttons while I'm driving because I drive with my hands! My solution is to use Rain-X! If I put a coat on my windshield or use Rain-X wiper fluid it causes the rain to bead up and roll off my windshield! Now I rarely have to use my wipers!
I am very grateful for Rain-X!

This is what I'm grateful for today...

Click here to read why.

Done. Thank God.

I'm so very grateful to have my taxes done.  And filed.  And done.  Did I mention done?

Cheese

I am grateful for cheese.  I had the best fettuccine alfredo tonight!  (There was chicken in it too but don't tell Amy, she's a vegetarian!)

First day of practice

I am grateful for coaching the Quincy College guys today.  An extremely diverse group hailing from Haiti, Turkey, Germany, Japan, Nigeria etc. convened on a soccer field in Germantown around 4pm. Their coach wheeled in not so fashionably late.  The only thing that brought us to that place and time was the love of kicking around a dumb leather ball.  You may ask what I get out of it since I can't play?  It brings me joy watching these grown men high five and congratulate each other after scoring a goal or making a nice play.  They get so much out of a few hours on a field.  Some exercise, bonding, meeting new people, a sense of accomplishment etc.  I'm only there to add a little structure and that's fine with me.
About half way through practice one of the players said, "when is our first game?"  I said, "I know a few high school teams that could come in here and whoop your asses!"  They barely know each other, they have their hands on their knees sucking wind, and we only had 12 guys on the first day!  All in due time.

Comfort food

Today I'm grateful for comfort food after a hard day.  There's nothing a warm baguette and soft cheese can't cure in my world.  Oh yeah, and a couple of chocolate chip cookies.  Tomorrow I'll be grateful for good jogging weather.  ;-)

Hmmmmmm.

As the day came toward an end I started to think about what I was most grateful for today.  Many things came to mind but I am not going to share them with you today because they will become fodder for future blogs and I just don't want to spoil them for you!  I think that is awfully courteous of me!  So I'm watching the Sawx/Yanks game in the den while fooling around on my computer.  The clock was about to strike nine, "Masterpiece Classic" time for my roommate (aka dad.)  Prior to bolting to my room to finish the game he hollers, "want some popcorn?"  Of course my answer is a no brainer considering that popcorn is one of my favorite things to eat ever.  Not just popcorn, but microwave popcorn.  Microwave popcorn has the perfect blend of salt and butter.  I think it is so much better than movie popcorn.  Movie popcorn drives me nuts because you taste the "butter" flavor in the first few bites and then it is gone.  Likewise if you salt it you only get a quick taste on top before it's gone.  And the butter is tasteless and feels like oil, which is probably what it is.  Funny thing is that after every movie I say that I will NEVER eat movie popcorn again.  Yet I order it over and over and eat 90% of every nasty bite of it (and they give you way too much!)  Don't get me started on movie popcorn!  Now if I could only remember to pop some Orville Redenbacher and throw it in my backpack before I leave for the movies.
So today I am grateful for thoughtful roommates and microwave popcorn.

Insight

I'm grateful for moments of insight that allow me to learn and grow.

Red Sox redux

I am grateful for the Red Sox again.  Not because they won, because they didn't, but because I was able to attend the game.  I was the guest of my "girlfriend" Carolyn.  She is my soon to be 73 year old neighbor.  She is a "hot ticket" and I love calling her my girlfriend...she's not too shy about it either!  She loves telling people her age because she doesn't look it...or act it!  She is five foot ten with shoulder length white hair!  Easy to pick out in a crowd and more active than half of the people I know who are younger than me!  We have been to two opening days, several Sox-Yanks clashes, and a handful of Bruins games.

So thank you, Red Sox, for giving me a reason to spend another day with my "girlfriend."

Red Sox

I am grateful that the Red Sox got a win today despite John Lackey's performance!  The way that people were panicking you would have thought we were 0 and 22!  Chill people!  The baseball season is a marathon and there are 155 more games to be played.  Losing six games is a drop in the bucket.  If I were a betting man I would bet good money that the Sox will have many more win streaks of six plus games than losing streaks.  Buckle up and enjoy the ride, it is going to be a very exciting season!

April 7, 2011

I'm grateful for the depth you get from friendships that have lasted for a long time.  And how those friends remember the things about you that you forget yourself.  Especially the things worth being reminded of.

Soccer

I am very grateful to be coaching the Quincy College soccer team.  Our first practice is scheduled for Monday and the forecast is for 80 degrees and sunshine!  Woohoo!  Now THAT will be a beautiful day!

:)

I am grateful for good family!

Happy Birthday

I am grateful that I got to see my Gram's headstone for the first time on what would have been her 91st birthday. Why does it take someone's passing to make us realize how much they truly meant to us?

Grammy

I'm grateful for having the most wonderful grandmother a guy could have! She had Parkinsons for 20 years! She was a tough lady and a fighter. She passed two years ago the day before Mother's Day. Tomorrow would have been her 91st birthday. I love you Gram!

New season

I am grateful for the Red Sox who bring a new season of hope and great expectations! Then I watched today's game...oh geez!

DVR

I am very grateful for my DVR. Did you ever notice that once you get one you can't live without it and you can't remember what life was like without one? We are sooo spoiled with new technology! I can't stand commercials now. If I am watching a recorded program I'll scramble for the remote to fast forward through the commercials. Sometimes I'll sit with my dad and watch TV and he'll say, "can't you speed through this crap?" I have to explain to him that you can't skip commercials if it is LIVE TV! SPOILED!

March 30

I left my house to go to work today and realized that it was a bright sunny day. I am thankful for sunglasses and was very bummed that I left them at home :(

Sunglasses

My spinal cord injury makes it difficult to warm up once my lower body gets cold and it also makes me hypersensitive to the cold from the chest up. Hence I am very grateful for hot showers!!!

Today

Today I'm grateful for the ability to express the deep stirring feelings and inspiration that come through me, not just for myself but for many others to hear and read too.

Blog

   I am so very grateful for my friend Amy who inspired me to create my own blog...I just hope it doesn't suck!