I am down this morning. I just heard about a dear friend in Utica. Her husband e-mailed me. She has been diagnosed with cancer. Everywhere. Breasts, lungs and spine. Plus a mass in the pelvic area larger than a softball. The doctors are still testing to determine if the mass is cancerous.
A sweet woman. Never hurt a soul. Her husband my best friend.
In a split second, the world turns. Life changes.
Don’s 60th birthday party last night at Don’s Place. Packed! Larry Smith and his group entertained. Christine and the lovely Kathleen Peace singing. Ray on the guitar. Skipper on the drums. A loud night.
The crowd was a three way combination. Don’s friends, Larry’s followers from the Wine Galley, and Don’s usual friday night crowd. A good time was had by all!
Don is one of the finest people I have met in my lifetime. I feel fortunate to have met him. We are friends. I wish him sixty more years!
Hershel and Erika are in town. They left Key West several months ago for a northern state. They flew in for Don’s party. Good people! Love them both!
I saw something last night I never thought I would again. Gas under $3! $2.99 at the K-Mart station on the boulevard. My sense is the price will continue its downward trend for a while.
Every time I think about the price of gas, I recall its cost when I first got a driver’s license. $.16 a gallon! Would you believe!
Today is Joyce Kilmer’s birthday. He died in World War I at the age of 31. He was part of the Fighting 69th.
Kilmer was a poet. Trees being one of his finest compositions. The best lines…..”I think I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree…..Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.”
Syracuse basketball tonight. Play St. John’s. A former Big East foe. Syracuse is a 7.5 point favorite. I hope.
I recall when Lou Carnesecca coached St. John’s. A short, thin amiable sort. A powerful sense of humor.
I met Lou two times. The first in Utica. My son was chairing the United Fun Drive. The final dinner a big deal. We were able to get Carnesecca as guest speaker with Jim Boeheim’s assistance. We met prior to the dinner. My father was with us. Carnesecca said several nice things about my Dad during his speech.
Lou would not take pay for his attendance and speech. Only asked that his plane ticket and motel be covered. That is the kind of guy he was.
The second time I saw him was about a year later. I was in New York City to see the Syracuse/St. John’s game at Madison Square Garden. My seats were first row behind the St. John’s bench. Lou saw me and came over to chat for a few moments.
Lou Carnesecca is still alive. He is 89. God bless him!
Dinner tonight with my Buffalo friends Tom and Fran. We are meeting at the Chart Room and then off to Hot Tin Roof for dinner. The third consecutive night I have been out on the town. For a while there, I thought I had slowed down.
Enjoy your day!