I live and learn. Even at 91. 

I have been having difficulty sleeping. Monday night not one minute. The night before slept only 3 hours. 

I was complaining at the bar at The Grand last night about my sleeping problem. Cindy and Matt heard me and I heard from both at the same time “It’s the moon!” A statement I had never heard before. 

Did some research when I got home. Learned that the claim that people tend to sleep less and take longer to fall asleep in the days leading up to a full moon appears to be widely accepted. 

I shall pay attention to see if the moon is the problem causing my inability to sleep. I don’t think so because I go so many nights unable to sleep. 

The Reader’s Digest does the “Nicest Places in America.” The year 2026 is the tenth year it has done so. This year’s top spot is Liverpool, New York, a Syracuse suburb. Interesting!

When I was in law school at Syracuse University, I worked as a milk man early mornings before going to classes. I worked for Marble Farm Dairies. One place I delivered milk to homes in Liverpool. It was 67 years ago. I was 24 years old at the time. Liverpool was a nice small community back then also.

Yesterday was a bad day for bonds and stocks. Sales of each fell dramatically. Reflected one thing for sure. American consumer confidence plummeted!

The best smelling city in America this year is Boston.

Ted Williams served two times in the military. World War II and the Korean War. He returned to baseball after each. . He was a combat pilot.  Served as an instructor in World War II. Actually as a combat pilot during the Korean War where he flew 40 missions. He flew as  wingman to John Glenn during the Korean War.

His war participations caused him to miss 5 baseball seasons. 

An excellent baseball player. An excellent pilot.

A cataract refers to a medical condition in which the lens of the eyes become progressively opaque, resulting in blurred vision. A lesser known definition refers to a large waterfall. A sudden rush of water, a downpour.

Another word having dual meanings is rhubarb. Its primary definition refers to the thick leaf stalks on a cultivated plant of the stock family, which are reddish green and eaten as a fruit after cooking. Its lesser known definition refers to a heated dispute.

John D. Rockefeller was the world’s first billionaire. He became so in 1916. He said: “The secret to success is to do the common things uncommonly well.”

The first American woman to climb Mount Everest was Stacy Allison. She completed the climb this day in 1988.

An 11 year old girl is a child chess prodigy. Her name Balhana Sivananden. She has earned the title of “Grandmaster.”

The nor’easter proved strange in Surf City, New Jersey on Saturday. A shark was spotted swimming in one of its streets. A biggie.

A “Sound of Music” opened where it all started on September 20th sixty years ago in Salzburg, Austria. Julie Andrews sang atop the hills and the world fell in love with “The Sound of Music.” A museum under that name has now opened in Salzburg.

Interesting. Sea otters hold hands while sleeping. Not as a sign of affection. They do so for two reasons. It helps them from losing track of each other and it deters potential predators.

The Trump administration is back talking about reducing fuel efficiency standards in automobiles. They claim it will reduce the price of a new car $1,300. I believe it not. Another lie. However even if it does, the impact is slight. The cost of new cars so high that the impact would be minimal.

Gas prices pushing $5 in Key West. Not there yet. I am confident it will make and exceed $5 at some point.

Alaska is already $5. And more. One gallon costs $26 in the remote of road villages where the gasoline has to be flown in.

Gene Autry was born this day in 1907 in Texas. As a young boy, I went to the movies every Saturday afternoon. All us kids did. It cost all of 2 or 3 cents. 

There were two cowboy heroes at the time. Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Every young person attached to one of those as their hero. Mine was Gene Autry!

The Chinese are requiring 9th graders to read “Jane Eyre.” They believe it shows independence and equality between women and men.

Yesterday The Grand for Happy Hour. Enjoyed it. However was sleepy sleepy. Recall no sleep the night before.

It rained heavy several times yesterday. Many intersections are flooded big time.

I slept 5 hours last night. I’ll take it! Better than nothing.

Enjoy your day!