12/31/2013 - New Years Eve

First, my thanks to Him for giving me another year on this earth. At my age, each year is a gift, I often wonder "why" he is allowing me this time. It certainly is not because of my productivity or my contributions to humanity. Regardless, I thank Him for this time.

I forget the exact year, mid 40's, my family was in New York. We were staying in a hotel right downtown. I went down to the lobby to see the crowd outside, stepped outside and was swept into the crowd milling around. I had to do a few blocks up and a few blocks down before I got back to the front of the hotel.

In '44 we took a trip to Miami, Florida to meet my brother who was going to fly up from Cuba, where he was stationed. I remember the morning after, looking out of the window, the town was full of service personnel, many who had really celebrated the night before, bodies, in uniform, everywhere, some walking, some staggering, some sleeping. I was the official "gofer" every morning, going to a nearby Orange Juice Vendor who had great donuts.

I vaguely remember "trying" to stay up for that magic moment when we proclaimed "Happy New Year." I remember "Kippers," I think they were called, some sort of fish, and an appropriate food item to eat on the New Year.

The "Blackboard" is erased at midnight, the slate is clean, a whole new year to change your ways, so many things to accomplish, and a whole new year to do it in, a "second chance" on life.

I'm off to Walmart, boneless port ribs, sauerkraut, masked potatoes for dinner, gonna slow cook them, I think, Caraway seeds and apples in the sauerkraut. I must admit, It has been a few years since I was "awake" at midnight, seems like the year arrived without my assistance ... Happy New Year to ALL.

Happy New Year

Seven PM, 12//3111/2012, the Good Lord has seen fit to let me live another year, I thank him for that. He has given me the opportunity to spend time with two Great Granddaughters  Miss Brooklyn, and most recently, Miss Emma Jane.

He has also seen fit to allow me to have reasonably good health, for an 80 year old, and to still be with my wife, of almost 50 years. As of this moment, life is good, and I am looking forward to the new year.

Some that stand out and come to mind, Not positive of the years, I think, 1943, Mom and Dad and I took a trip to New York. I think I was Eleven years old. Our hotel was right on Times Square. Sometime during the evening, I decided to take the elevator down to the lobby and take a look outside at the crowd. I stepped out a little too far and got caught up in the gigantic crowd that was also walking around the square. At about the second or third block, I found a policeman, explained my predicament to him, and he graciously escorted me back to our hotel.

The next one that comes to mind was in 1945. My brother was still in the service stationed in Cuba, US Navy, submarine service. Again, Mom and Dad and I, along with his fiance, Rebecca Rhue, got on a train in Dayton, Ohio and headed South. We didn't venture out, but from our room window I could take in a lot of the activities going on. Miami was loaded with servicemen. I mainly remember the next morning, I had to make the orange juice run to a vendor outside, doing "fresh squeezed" and close to him was a bakery with freshly made donuts. I remember many bodies, sleeping in doorways, anywhere they could find room to stretch out after their evening of celebrating.

I spent a number of them working in Nevada, working in a casino, and as I recall, we were crowded, a lot of celebrating, but at the stroke of midnight we had to continue to concentrate on the game, otherwise we could lose a lot of money. I remember one particular one, working the Primmadonna, worked graveyard, went in at 3am, and everyone inside the club was crying. I did not know what had happened to cause this reaction. There had been a riot on South Virginia Street, dogs and police called in, a tear gas canister had gone through our front window and exploded, the club was full of tear gas. I cried most of the shift. It was not easy dealing craps with tears in your eyes and tears streaming down your face. I remember some of those slot machine players who had a system, wipe the eyes and pull the handle, they didn't miss a beat.

Happy New Year to ALL ................................