It’s Saturday morning, and yes that’s me, the ‘oldie’. This week two of my favorite ladies are celebrating a birthday and it crossed my mind that I am older than each of them (creates a bit of a damper on the celebratory aspect). Nevertheless, Happy Birthday to Dia and Jeanne P.

Now, time to organize my morning coffee. It’s supposed to be a gorgeous weekend with solid 70+ degree temperatures, This requires that I perform a check just to see how far the weather folk are off with their prognostications. I do believe that my favorite local radio commentator, Gary Burbank (aka; Earl Pitts) might have something to say on the subject:

Burbank retired a while back. But luckily, he still wakes me up with his daily 5:25 horn blowing bits of wisdom as Earl Pitts ‘Uhmerikun’.

However, truth be told, while he was our afternoon drivetime radio personality my favorite Burbank character was one Gilbert Gnarley. I do miss those Gnarley phone call bits coming in live from the St. Pia Zadora Golden Buckeye Retirement Community.

And, Burbank is older than me – there, I did find someone older!

Old-time TV – A couple of years back the federal government’s digital TV channel mandate caused a lot of topsy-turvy as many small-time analog stations bit the dust.

Marcia and I, having cut cable years ago, ended up barely watching any TV other than maybe NOVA or NATURE. For the rest we’ve transitioned to YouTube and some of the internet ‘finds’.

That has changed somewhat. Our area is lucky in that one group bought 12 networks and rebranded itself as “WKRP TV” and so brought an array of differing viewing options back to life. One such entity broadcasts as “Decades nostalgia TV network”. And Marcia and I have gotten hooked.

Our favorite at 9:00pm is the re-runs of the old Dick Cavett show. Amazingly great conversation-style interview shows, everything from folk like Janis Joplin and Rachael Welch to an hour long chat with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Mitchum, or Marlon Brando. Cavett brings both warmth and in-depth discussion really not found anywhere in today’s TV lineup.

All that and should we tune in a little early may find some of the old Laugh In “sock-it-to-me” or best of Ed Sullivan shows.

The kids and their condo – Adrianne and Tevita managed to get a hold of the unit adjacent to ours. They are currently hard at work making it ready for rental. Hence, for the last two months it’s been a bit of a bee-hive of activity getting the place ready. Next week it’ll be ready for showings.

Somehow, as retirees, Marcia and I are recognized as having a vast array of the innate knowledge and requisite time to assist in the prep work. Work such as painting, plumbing, blind hanging; you get the drift.

Marcia is the recognized master painter in the family with her motto; “the smaller the brush the better”. Nevertheless, I ended up with a roller and a ceiling. My work met her specifications. My limber spine performed perfect arches and letters “S’ as I executed these maneuvers while rolling my heart out on the ceiling.

The problem was the next morning when I could not get out of bed; crawling around on the floor while trying to achieve a vertical position was the problem. It was quickly attained with two Aleve pills and a day in a maximum support sacral back brace; I was good as new.

Plumbing Issue – The one remaining puzzle-piece is the toilet. Two identical new ones were installed in A & T’s condo. One works perfectly.

Number two has a bit of an attitude. Everything works just fine; tank fills, no leaks or seepage, and it flushes beautifully. The problem is that after a flush only about a baby-jar of water sits in the bowl, and this is not good.

A guy at Home Depot spent about a half hour with me. A specialist at the 100-year old Keidel master Plumbing Supply house listened very dutifully to me and offered no solution other than using the word “replace”.

Finally I had a good chat with Ricardo the on-line chat-master at the Fluidmaster toilet parts service desk. Per his suggestion I even put my head inside the bowl to see if water came out from under the seat when flushing – my very own version of ‘waterboarding’; all to no avail. Tevita will be home this evening. If all else fails he’s very good at building an outhouse.

Live Assistance – Fluidmaster support 4-3-2019

Adrian – Last weekend we attended a Celebration of the life of Adrian Carsiotis. Adrian lived in our neighborhood as a youngster and for the past number of years has been Jason’s immediate neighbor. His father was a micro-biologist and Adrian had attended private school plus a couple of years at school in France. Yet, he always lived sort of outside the constraints of having to work for money since he lived seemingly without the need for the stuff. All except his Moto Guzzi that is.

His primary interest was to nurture homeless youngsters using ‘borrowed’ space in the urban core. Someone mentioned that a years-long program had an actual cash investment of no more than $8.000 total, but it worked. His celebration therefore was an eclectic assembly of folk. We all munched happily on Burritos (his favorite) and mixed easily with homeless and professors.

Adrian did have a collection of Geodes and these were distributed to anyone who wanted some. Marcia and I got a couple. Now I have to convince the grandkids that these are actually fossilized Dinosaur poo.

Finis – Later this month it’s once again time for the annual White House correspondents dinner fiasco. May I make a suggestion? Since these days it’s little more than a low-brow skewering of President Trump, that he ask Senator Bob Dole to sit for him. This would cause a massive, behind the scenes, rewrite of all the ‘funny’ stuff. I think it might actually help elevate the event.

Do well and make it a safe week.
Ciao
Dirk