Music, the Reynolds Golf Bash, night sweats, and Medicare
By Chuck Wiser I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
So, having neck pain and a headache at 1600 hours I thought it was safe to take a headache pill containing caffeine. WRONG! It is now half past midnight, and I have been wide awake despite having supposedly retired for the night at 10:00 PM. As Gerry Vance’s dad used to say; “If you can’t sleep get up. And, if you get up, do something.” And so, I begin this week’s Wrambling. Technically now is Thursday anyway and that’s my Wrambling day.
Even as I’m writing this article, the song “Go Tell it on the Mountain” is playing in the background of my subconscious. Tonight was the night for the Grace United Church “Praise Band” rehearsal for Sunday’s music and that song was on the docket. When I get a tune in my head it stays there indefinitely running and re-running repeatedly. That Peter, Paul and Mary song has long been one of my favorites anyway. Now I get to sing it on Sunday and listen to it in my head until then and beyond, until something else replaces it.
I’ll pick up on a couple of items that were planned for last week but that I didn’t get to.
This summer so far until just the past couple of days has had close to all-time highs on average. May and June were very warm. My swimming pool was maintaining 84 to 86 degree water temps even through the evening hours. I checked it earlier today and it was at 71 degrees but even that didn’t feel too bad. At least it beats the 51-degree Stony Brook Park stream temperature that we experienced and swam in one summer in the 70’s calendar wise.
The days of our enjoying the company of feathered friends although still in full swing are about due to run out soon. Most of the males of each species have already begun the southward fall and winter migration. The only males at the feeders besides the recent fledglings are what I call the “guide birds.” By that term I refer to an adult bird sticking around to act as the guide when it’s time for the stragglers to join their already departed migrants. No need to have a “Border Czar” for the birds as they will leave on their own when it’s time. Usually by the end of August or first weeks of September nearly all our summer aviary flock has departed.
Given the unusually warm late spring and early summer, the fruit crops have flourished. We have apple trees bearing fruit in abundance. I’ve been trying to cajole my wife into making apple pies, but she doesn’t want any, so won’t make any. I suppose I could do it, but I don’t want to start a trend. Our apples, although in abundance and of good size, are very tart.
Professional football has already completed their second round of pre-season games. I am a die-hard Buffalo Bills fan and have endured the peaks and valleys of their success since the early 60’s. Many expressed great concern at their poor play in the first game loss and although they eked out a win in the second game, there was still grumbling. I used to get frustrated as well but historically the teams, especially in the Marv Levy era, would perform terribly in the preseason and then elevate the quality of play when regular season games commenced. This year is going to be a challenge as some key players have departed, and others have already been injured. It always seemed to me that Buffalo suffers an inordinate number of pre-season injuries. I often question whether the preseason “getting into playing shape” procedures and drills were adequate.
This past weekend featured the 36th rendition of the Reynolds Bash golf outing at the Serenity Hill Golf Course in Friendship, NY. Garry Reynolds is the event organizer extraordinaire as he organizes and runs any number of activities including not only Golf, but also Horseshoes and Chess, and probably some that I don’t know about. I played in my normal “Tournament Golf” style. I apologetically caution my teammates that I don’t play, or make, average shots. Many of my golf strokes would make even the worst of the worst golfers applaud in envy as I may even completely miss the ball or even hit it backwards. Now that is hard to do, but I can do it. I remember playing a round of golf with my neighbor Don Kear last year where I hit the ball striking a railroad tie edging the front of the tee beside a small pond. The ball ended up 50 feet or so behind us. I also make spectacular shots like chipping onto the green from 20 yards out and holing out for an “Eagle.” For the non-golfers, an “Eagle” is the term used to designate getting the ball into the cup 2 shots (strokes) better than what would be par for the hole. In Garry’s tournament I won the “longest drive” on a par five hole by outdistancing the next closest rival by 30 or 40 yards. But, I also had a couple of whiffs where I missed the ball completely. No problem…I just declared that it was a hard practice swing.
My individual scoring game is terrible, and I much prefer these “scramble” tournaments. A “Scramble” or “best shot” format consists of all the players on a team, normally 4 but sometimes only two, hitting off the tee to start the hole play. The team then selects which drive of the four (or two) that would be the “best ball” to play for the second shot.
BTW, that longest drive was facilitated by my being allowed to play from the “ladies tees” which are typically several yards closer to the hole than the men’s tees.
I would play in a golf tournament every single weekend if possible. I love the camaraderie and the challenge of the game. If anyone reading this knows of other tourneys in the area, and especially if they would accept me as a teammate, feel free to contact me. All golf courses host these tournaments, and I have often contemplated starting a business that gathered up information regarding pending tournaments from all the local golf courses and advertising same. Many of these tournaments, like for example the Belfast Lions Club Golf Tourney, are held each year. These are fund raisers for various causes including such activities as college scholarships, or the recently held Allegany County SPCA Tournament for the care and treatment of their “guests.”
A little over a year ago, or so, Medicare raised their rates. Previous to that raise my health care insurance premium was sufficient enough not only to pay the Medicare costs, but also to give me a measurable over-payment and refund from Social Services. I was always surprised on a quarterly basis, to receive a check in the mail that wasn’t huge but was extra bonus mad-money. Since the rate increase by Medicare, I now need to pay $22/month to Social Services Dept. to make up for the shortfall of my monthly payment to them. I have attempted to contact a “live” customer service representative at both Medicare and Social Services to discuss options to avoid payment of the $22. It is next to impossible to get a live representative on the phone. My latest effort to call Medicare got me all the way through to the contact point of being 45 minutes away for the representative to take my call or call me back. Trying to contact my healthcare plan provider has been as painful, or worse than that of trying to reach out to Medicare.
Just prior to picking up this writing to continue and finish it up this morning, I took my truck to Dan at Dry Brook Garage in Scio, to fix a slow leak in one of the tires. The phone just rang, and my wife answered it seeing caller ID that showed Dan’s phone number. After she chuckled and said to him “you’d better do it,” she hung up and told me she gave Dan permission to perform the Inspection renewal as it had expired in January. Whoops!
I received a pleasant “surprise gift” from Allegany Eye Associates in Wellsville yesterday. My wife sat on my glasses a few days ago, (and don’t giggle if you have a dirty mind) bending them. I tried to straighten them but the frame around the lens was twisted, and I didn’t trust them, so planned to pay the nominal fee for new frames. After sitting down with the optometrist or ophthalmologist or whatever those assistants are called, and handing her the still somewhat distorted glasses she disappeared for a few minutes and returned handing me my pair of newly framed glasses. As she handed them to me, she said that it was a “one time” complimentary, no cost replacement. Not exactly sure why they didn’t charge me but the thought entered my mind that perhaps she broke the original pair while trying to fix them and felt obligated. Obligated or just part of a generous company policy, it was much appreciated.
At our residence, west of the Genesee River and on the banks of Knights Creek, I have noticed a substantial growth of trees, weeds, bushes and all other kinds of greenery in abundance. The triangle of land separating me from the river seems to have exploded in growth. I can no longer even see through or past the shrubbery bordering the creek. With that in mind, I ventured out to Olean traversing County Rte. 31 toward Friendship and noticed that the trees and roadside greenery there was also experiencing a growth spurt. We had a mild winter and then a very warm spring as noted earlier, and that seems to have led to an abundance of flora growth. If we are amid “global warming” does that mean that the growth of natural vegetation is going to overwhelm us?
I have long been vulnerable to “night sweats” whereby I wake up in the middle of the night soaking wet. I shun wearing PJ’s and sleep with a “bare” minimum of any clothing, at least until recently. Lately I have discovered that wearing a thin sleeved T-Shirt and light pajama bottoms actually prevents those night sweats. Also, If I wear my “bath robe” I can sleep on top of the bedding and experience a full night’s sleep, no covers needed, with no sweating.
This weekend will bring the joy of experiencing the wedding of our first to marry, grandchild. I won’t mention names herein as I have not asked for their blessing to do so, but our hearts are filled with joy and our blessings are to be bestowed upon them. My signature phrase explains it best as not only do “I write to share what my eyes see and my heart feels” but the memory of this occasion will linger in my heart for the rest of my earthly days. God Bless the two of them.
In closing, once again I invite questions, comments, criticisms or suggestions of topics from those reading these words. I am truly blessed to be able to share the thoughts of my eyes and my heart with all of you. Many have thanked me for that, so I thank them, and you, in return.
Contact can be made via IM.Wiserdad@gmail.com.
