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We Belong Together

We Belong Together

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I mailed a package through the USPS on Monday morning November 9.  It was going to an address in Somerset County Pennsylvania.  Nothing unusual, just a small box I mailed Priority Mail.

According to the tracking provided by the USPS, my package departed the Herndon Post Office at 1:56 PM on the day I mailed it.  At 8:54 PM on November 10 it arrived at the USPS Regional Facility called the Memphis TN Network Distribution Center, a distance of about 875 miles from Herndon.

At 9:17 PM on that same day, it departed the Memphis TN Network Distribution Center on its way to the Memphis TN Distribution Center Annex, which from what I could determine from the internet, is a building next to the Memphis TN Network Distribution Center.

At 5:23 PM on November 16 it arrived.

It took six days for my package to go from one building to the other on the same property.

On November 17 my tracking information informed me that my package would be arriving later than expected. No kidding, that was comforting.

On November 18 my tracking information indicated it was “In Transit to the next Facility.”

At this point, I printed all this out and made a visit to the Herndon Post Office to see what they had to say about the whereabouts of my package.  The nice lady at the post office confirmed it was somewhere but gave me a phone number of the facility in Memphis to see if they had any idea where my package was.

I called and was told the lady who does their tracking had gone home for the day, (she leaves at 12:30 PM) and could I call back tomorrow?

Before calling in the morning I checked my tracking again and was informed my package was finally out on delivery.

At 10:27 PM on the evening of November 18, it had arrived at the facility in Warrendale, Pennsylvania just outside of Pittsburgh, 780 miles from Memphis and the next day, arrived at the post office in Rockwood PA for delivery.

Ten days after I mailed it.

I haven’t paid too much attention to the status of the election but I understand there are accusations of voter fraud and such and so it is still getting sorted out.  I might suggest to President Trump he go look for some votes at that Memphis Network Distribution Center.

But though I think arguing that there was no voter fraud in this election would be like arguing the fact that there isn’t any organized crime in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Nevada; maybe the Pennsylvania folks in charge of creating their election rules knew something about how long it takes for mail to get to Pennsylvania.

 

I have said before, I write when I cry and I cry when I write.

Today is one of those days.

This week has been one of those weeks.

And I always feel sorry for my wife because I am not one who sheds tears gracefully.

No, it’s ugly.

I snort and jerk and make funny noises and my face gets all contorted.

And for some reason, this morning was my time to snort and contort.

 

Fear.

Once again this year we are living in fearful times and it’s sad.

And this sadness seemed to grip me starting on Friday.

Dan Navarro had a post on Facebook about his song “We Belong,” so of course, I had to relive those words.

Then Saturday a trip to Sam’s Club finding the toilet paper and paper towel aisle bare, proof that fear was taking hold once again.

And due to our need to be concerned about visiting our aging parents, especially now that Kim’s mom is in Northern Virginia, we had to disappoint Cameron by not attending church with him and passing on a trip to Top Golf which I thought was too risky.

But this morning the image of dancing with Alexa at her wedding, the wedding I hadn’t planned to attend, but I surprised her by hopping on a plane the evening before and hunkered down in Boca while I waited to surprise her in Fort Lauderdale, really was the spike in the heart.

I couldn’t make that spontaneous trip now.

Because of fear.

And that image brought back the reminder that Kim and I haven’t seen those kids in eleven months, not since last Christmas, and that they were scheduled to come up to Virginia for Thanksgiving but had to cancel.

Because of fear.

Then while I had myself really down for the count I saw my sister-in-law, Carl’s wife’s post about how she couldn’t sleep last night, which I could only imagine would be every night for me.

And seeing my neighbors putting up Christmas lights and wondering why?  Why this year?

 

Sorry, you are probably right now saying “Gee whiz Curt…Just shoot me…”

 

Last week I listened again to an awesome sermon from our friends at Christ Church in Easton, Maryland.

On Friday, I listened to it a second time.

It was titled Perfect Love Casts Out Fear.

It comes from 1 John 4:18:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

 

And then from another sermon this morning I heard these words from a song:

“I’m no longer a slave of fear, oh I am a child of God.”

 

All reminding me I just need to quit my blithering, recognize there are those we won’t share holidays with…Donny, Carl, my father in law Royal; but there are others that we will at some point.  Love survives weeks, months, even years; it is unconditional and faith, even the size of the mustard seed I am exhibiting this morning, will get us there eventually.

 

So Happy Anniversary to Alexa and Namaan and Happy Thanksgiving to all those I won’t be sharing with this year.

I might just put up some Christmas decorations today.

Or maybe mail another package to Pennsylvania for some entertainment this week.

 

And for my sister in law Teesha, I will share these words from Dan Navarro and Eric Lowen:

Close your eyes and try to sleep now
Close your eyes and try to dream
Clear your mind and do your best to try and wash the palette clean
We can’t begin to know it, how much we really care
I hear your voice inside me, I see your face everywhere
Still you say

We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder
We belong to the sound of the words we’ve both fallen under
Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better
We belong, we belong, we belong together

 

We do.

And someday soon I hope, we will.

Rollin’ Stone – Would You Like a Lime With That Week Four

Rollin’ Stone – Would You Like a Lime With That Week Four

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According to my cool guitar calendar on the wall in my office that I have mentioned before, today is the birthday of Muddy Waters.

Wikipedia refers to Muddy Waters as the “father of modern Chicago blues“, and an important figure on the post-war blues scene. His style of playing has been described as “raining down Delta beatitude.”

A beatitude, a supreme blessedness.

Quite the compliment.

Well, my mother told my father
Just before hmmm, I was born
“I got a boy child’s comin’
He’s going to be, he’s going to be a rollin’ stone
Sure enough, he’s a rollin’ stone
Oh well he’s a, oh well he’s a, oh well he’s a…  (from Rollin’ Stone, Muddy Waters)

Featuring that classic blues chord progression, it’s a great harmonica song.

It is said that the band the Rolling Stones and the magazine Rolling Stone both took their names from this song.

 

I spoke with my brother Gary a week ago and he was prodding me about how I had to keep this corona theme going now that I had started.

I haven’t written a weekly post since 2014.

I had to make a beer run.

 

Things got worse this week.

Some people think this is the end of times.

Some people think it is all part of a grand scheme for Trump to declare Marshall Law and take over the country.

Some people think this is this generation’s 9/11.

I don’t think any of that.

It may be the end of times for some things, like values maybe.

This is a different country than what it was twenty years ago.


Gas is cheap.

But we can’t drive anywhere.

Flights to Florida are $49.

But who wants to fly to Broward County right now?

I mean I do, my little guys are there, but I can’t.

Yesterday I got the email that my June 4 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit show with David Crosby opening at Wolf Trap Farm Park has been rescheduled to a future yet undetermined date.

That’s okay because maybe that means Kim and I can go to the Kennedy Center.

Oh, they are not open either?

 

Do you remember when guys used to carry a prophylactic in their wallets?

I am carrying a rubber glove folded up in my wallet

You can never be sure when opportunity knocks so you have to be prepared.

Hey, you could be driving down the road and on the next street corner something catches your eye.

That’s it!  I’m doing a U-turn for that one.

$1.69 a gallon?

Yup and  I’ve got my glove on!

 

And speaking of prophylactics.

Every time I see Andrew Cuomo on the TV, I think of how elated he was a little over a year ago as he was celebrating the signing of his new abortion law, and lighting up buildings in New York City pink.

87,325 dead babies in New York (the average number of abortions per year in New York) and you get so excited you light up buildings.

As of last night, New York had 5,489 Coronavirus deaths.

But no lights.

But I guess it’s different.

Well, who knows, without those 87,325 abortions he might be needing 50,000 ventilators right now.

Maybe that was part of his Emergency Preparedness Plan.

Maybe he should run for President.

 

Well, I feel, yes I feel
Feel that I could lay down oh, time isn’t long
I’m going to catch the first thing smoking
Back, back down the road, I’m going
Back down the road, I’m going
Back down the road, I’m going
Sure enough back, sure enough back (from Rollin’ Stone, Muddy Waters)

 

Got the Blues?

Read your Bible.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday.

The day Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds laid down palm branches before him. We begin the holiest week of the year and sadly, we will not be in church.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

 

So I began with a “Delta beatitude,” I will end with another beatitude.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:8)

Keep those healthcare workers and their families in your prayers.

 

 

And if you want to hear a little Muddy Waters playing Rollin’ Stone at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival, here is a link.

Don’t Piss on My Boots and Tell Me It’s Raining -Would You Like a Lime With That Week Three

Don’t Piss on My Boots and Tell Me It’s Raining -Would You Like a Lime With That Week Three

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My hands hurt.  They are cracked and bleeding.

I am washing my hands a lot.

Back in the early 80’s I was working as a Respiratory Therapist in the ICU at Fairfax Hospital (now INOVA Fairfax Hospital) and I worked with a nurse whose husband was from somewhere in Africa.  I remember her telling us one evening that her husband would say that if you had a wound or cut your skin you should urinate on it.

I don’t know about that but I do know that on those occasions that I have to apply hand sanitizer to my now split, cracked, and sometimes bleeding hands peeing on them sounds like a less painful option.  Alcohol on cut skin stings.

 

This is now the third week of our escalation of caution related to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

And speaking of peeing, there was a lot of pissing on boots and claiming it’s raining this week from all sides but thankfully the bill was finally passed that would begin to bring some economic relief to workers and businesses big and small.

I don’t know that I understand all the detail nor do I want to but I am comforted to know that it may be just the beginning and could be expanded should it be needed in the future. I want to be sure that if the Kennedy Center goes through their $25 million too soon they can get more.

 

Also this week I had a “first” experience.

Instead of kissing my wife goodbye when she leaves for work we started elbow bumping.

Now I want you to know that this year, on July 1st to be exact, will be my 20th wedding anniversary.

And if, by July 1st, the only thing my wife and I are touching are our elbows, I am going to be pissed.

 

And this week the President got in trouble encouraging the use of a drug called chloroquine and another closely related drug called hydroxychloroquine.  Sadly, a man in Arizona ingested an aquarium cleaner with a similar name, chloroquine phosphate and died, which the President got blamed for on social media.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who we have all come to know and love, said he would take the drug if sick but only within a clinical trial.  I understand the need for data, but sometimes it’s hard to understand the delays in treatment while you set up the protocols, qualify the patients to meet those protocols, and then finally at some point begin the treatment while all the time you are your loved one is dying.

 

Yesterday I was going back through some Google photos and realized it has been four weeks since I have seen my parents. The first Sunday in March we were attending the 9th Annual Crawfish Boil and Muskrat Stew Festival in Cambridge, Maryland with my parents and my sister Pat and brother-in-law John, as we celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary that weekend.

Ralph, the winner of last year’s and this year’s Muskrat Leg Eating Contest.

Life was still normal back then.

Well, at least as normal as eating Muskrat legs can be.

Congratulations to “Peg Leg” Ralph Bramble for repeating as Muskrat Leg Eating World Champion again this year.  We didn’t stay to watch the competition but I did ask Ralph for a photo before I left.

 

We also learned this week that Easter was canceled.

Well, not canceled really, you can’t cancel Easter, but churches, at least United Methodist churches are to be closed until at least April 23.

Too bad, I think we could all use a little reminder of Jesus and what Easter is all about right now and in the coming weeks.

 

Please continue to pray for those who are sick, those who are taking care of the sick, those families who have lost loved ones, for our leaders as they navigate us through this situation, and those working on a cure and vaccine for all diseases.

 

Post Script:

While writing this I thought it best to look into this peeing on a wound question and from what I have determined, it is not advisable.  So, let me make it clear I am not encouraging you to pee on the next wound you get.  I don’t want to be demonized on social media for causing you to be septic.  Soap and water and little antiseptic only, please.

Facebook, ReTrumplicans, and Peanut Butter Things

Facebook, ReTrumplicans, and Peanut Butter Things

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trump

My wife is not on Facebook. She doesn’t have a Facebook account and is adamant about the fact that she will never have a Facebook account.

Kim: “I don’t have Facebook and I never will have Facebook!!!”

I have a Facebook account. I have had it for a while but never really paid much attention to it until January of 2014 when I started a blog for work called Happier, Healthier Me and wanted to share it and follow the attention it got. My wife didn’t like the fact that I was on social media.

Kim: “So you are on Facebook now?”

Me: “Yes I need to use it for work, for the blog I am writing.”

Kim: “Do you have a girlfriend on Facebook?”

Me: “No, no Kim I just need to watch it for work stuff, it’s just work…”

Kim: “I can see it now you will hook up with someone on Facebook and leave me…”

Me: “No seriously I will never leave you, it’s just work, I promise!”

The truth is however, she doesn’t have a Facebook account but she likes to get on my Facebook.
The other evening she was logged on. The reason I know this is because I was upstairs reading How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie, a book I got for Christmas, when I checked my cell phone to find it was lit up with Facebook alerts.

Me: “Kim……you are on my Facebook account?”

Kim: “Yes, I was just watching a video.”

Me: “Kim, did you know that you shared that video post on my page? Not just once but twice? And I am getting likes and comments? And did you know that post was about baking? About Peanut butter fudge things? Not about sports; or cool things like guitars; not about surf fishing……it was about baking……peanut butter things! I don’t even like peanut butter things!”

Not only that, she even sent out a friend request that got accepted!

Me: “Kim you have to be careful! What if I was a Democrat and you were sharing Republican propaganda? What if I was a Republican and you were sharing Democratic propaganda? And What if I was a ReTrumplican and you were sharing Hillary stuff, or the other way around? I have a reputation to maintain you know. I would prefer that not be done with peanut butter fudge recipes! You have to be very careful with what you post on social media!”

So we laughed, it was kind of funny. I really don’t mind her on my Facebook, it might be a blessing she doesn’t have her own account!  And I am okay with the peanut butter recipe video too since I do like to cook.
And maybe once I finish reading How To Win Friends & Influence People I will have more Facebook friends for Kim to connect with.
And by the way, if you are not familiar with the Happier, Happier Me blog from 2014 I have posted the links on a separate page on this website if you care to read them.
Thanks again for letting me share.