Mr. Nicholas F. Vitalo

      



This morning I felt like writing most of the day, and have blogged here and there, also tweeted, yet now I just feel a memory. A memory of Mr. Vitalo. It's the weather and knowing how much I wanted to just pop off and drive to New York last night. But I made a prior commitment earlier in the evening to a kid to have a visit with friends, and so I must be available.
      October is a wonderful time to travel, get out and ride your bike, take a drive, take pictures and think about love. Well It's always a good time to think about love. People who know me know all about Mr. Vitalo and I've written about him many times early in my blog. No matter how long it's been since I've seen him, it just doesn't feel that way. It feels fresh. The memories that is.
     At times I can still smell a slight hint of his cologne, but more than that, I hear his voice and I see his walk. I remember the dance, a dance I will never ever forget and will always cherish.
      In the quiet of daylight, a phone call shook my being so much that it felt like an earth quake. As I listened to his daughter tell me of his passing, I crumbled, alone in a small room. But as a person who is usually tries to remain calm, I contained my feelings, but remained sitting for some time. A few weeks later I went to see his wife, daughter and grandson.
     That awful emptiness shattered my insides like broken glass. I tried. I really tried to stay almost stoic. After all what right did I have to break down in front of his wife. But I did and it was she and his daughter who told me it was okay, that they cried enough. He left an emptiness that can't be described, but is surely felt by everyone he touched.
     Before I left that day I leaned from my car seat, reached down as I did other times when my daughter was present, and stole a little rock. Every visit to his home, I took a rock or rocks. My daughter thought it was kind of cute, but for me, in a way, it's adds a bit more to the memories. I have those rocks on the kitchen shelf, one in my car, in  basket and one on my bedside table, and when I leave or enter a room, I softly touch that rock and say, Thank you Mr. Vitalo. You were the person in my young life that made it worth it, made me think I had things to look forward to.
       You Mr. Vitalo, were the biggest rock of all.

Cheese, a Moments Pleasure according to..

            Let me tell you about cheese. I love it, but I've decided to cut down. Either way tonight I saw a pizza commercial with this kiddo here and he decides to make a big deal out of how cheese is just an emotion for the moment, that you eat it and it feels good and then whoosh goes away.
      Well I went into a big thing about how he and I, on a spur of the moment went out to a convenient store so I could treat him to chips and ice cream. I also bought chocolate milk earlier in the day for the both of us. I'm learning, that I am still learning he just can't be pleased. For me the cheese, well in this case ice cream and chips was more about eating , it was about the unexpected excitement in telling a kid, hey let's go pick up some snacks, the cold air, an unexpected ride at eight-thirty, joking with the store clerk, and me, I bought Swedish fish.
    Yet he went on with what appeared to be an argument about a moments pleasure then it's all gone no matter how I presented it. Finally I said, well then it just isn't worth it if this is what you not only get out of it, but turn around and give back, a discussion about, only a moments pleasure. I  then went and finished off the chocolate milk for another moments pleasure and looking forward to the morning when he will ask for more chocolate milk. My pleasure will have continued as I see his face when I tell him, nah, I hate to tease you with just a moments pleasure, after all that is how you see it, right?

Who IS Melvin ?

        A couple of days ago my foster son came home, went outside quickly to use his PS Vita, then came back in to ask about going to his friends house. "What friend", I asked. Well he told me, Melvin. I started thinking, who was this Melvin kid ? I don't remember hearing his name, so as I scrambled my thoughts on names of his friends, he went to and came out of his room, winter jacket, hockey stick and a smile ready to go out. Again he asked, "so can I go?"
Well where does he live, and the kiddo answered as he pointed at the same time, right across the road in that yellow house.
      Again I was thinking about the family in the yellow house. I knew them and as he suggested he wanted to play basketball, I knew they had a basketball hoop and one of the boys had Downs syndrome, but I couldn't remember either his name or his older brother's. So I just said well okay, but be careful crossing the road. He couldn't hold it in any longer. "There is no Melvin, I just made it up", he said.  He enjoys doing this and I told him then, I will get you back for that, always testing me.
      Later That night I e-mailed the school and asked if when my kid went to the bathroom the instructor could prep the other kids who are few, to welcome the new student, Melvin, when he returns-from the bathroom. Then I called the guidance counselor, left a message explaining and could she call him Melvin.
   Well the results were this : The male teacher who is a kind of specific instructor only said to him, so what's with this Melvin stuff? What a duh he is ! Now the guidance counselor passed him in the hall and said, hi Melvin. He did a quick neck breaking turn of his head. YEA for guidance counselors ! That other guy, the one is specialized? No life in him at all. Life is short have some fun. Melvin left for school happy this morning. More on Melvin later.

Larry Hagman 81, a Vegan? Cancer saving effects

   Okay I have to report this. Not one for usually believing what I hear but I have been on this since, well a long time. Larry Hagman who many won't know, but many will had throat cancer ten years ago. Linda Gray his co-star  on Dallas,  an old TV show came to his aid right away. Practically sitting on him she changed his life and probably saved it until when, we don't yet know as he is alive and doing great.
   Linda Gray started making Vegan shakes, and Larry drank them. He stated what else can you do when you can't eat? You can drink and drink he did. He gives all the credit to a vegan way of life and of course Linda Gray who brought this to him. He is now battling cancer again. I didn't hear if he went off the vegan life or what the complete story was, but can imagine he did go off it as he then said, Linda is here again and I know what I'll be drinking, now hoping for another thirteen years of life. Good Vegan heath to you Larry !

Justin"grab his Crotch" Bieber

      No, I am not being a hater as people may think. But I just saw a clip of the Bieber boy doing a dance and grabbing his crotch. It wasn't like some crotch grabbers where they reach down and slide a hand near their pencils.
   Honestly I hoped and thought, even prayed the crotch grabbers would finally know what's there. Usually grabbing their pied piper starts and ends in babytime, errupts again in the private teens time years.
   Doesn't anyone say anything and why is it the thing to do, or grab I should ask? When will it stop? Maybe biology was a missed class, or a failed class since so many have turned to searching for that middle line. I suggest on their next physical check-ups, doctors give a road map to the little pecker-heads. No pun intended. Role Models they are not and I don't mean to pick on or single out the Bieber kid as many oldsters do the same. Justin does seem to be a nice kid, with a lot of fame and money. I just wish he'd get diaper rash or something so he stops that greedy grabbing. Time to change channels..uh oh, there he is again. Boy that kid is popular.