Monkey Man of Canton

Here I am all ready to help Paul with the preparations for the big Canton Halloween bash on Saturday.  What a load of work!  Paul is a  master at preparing for this sort of thing — I could never do it.  Everything came off without a hitch!

A Pause During Tonight’s Run

Friday in the park with the ball – part two

I am dog sitting this week. Bailey is a sweetie. She requires a lot of attention but she is very good and specific with her pee and poop and I appreciate that. I have been taking videos with my iPod to send to her mommy who is in London right now. Bailey could not care less.

My sentiments EXACTLY!

From a newly discovered favorite UNREMITTING FAILURE:

Life which is pretty much all pain is a joke.  Life which is pretty much all joke is a pain.  You wake up and the joke starts.  You wake up and the pain starts.  You wake up and the painful joke begins.  You go through the day in pain.  You go through the day and it’s a joke not to be taken seriously although it hurts.  It hurts and it’s a joke like Bavarians dancing.  You laugh so hard it hurts.  You hurt so hard you laugh.  It’s the joke that hurts, that’s life.  It’s the life that hurts, that’s the joke.   It’s life that’s the joke, and it hurts.

Click the image for more…

“Gourmet to All That”

From today’s New York Times comes this thoughtful and thought-provoking, well-written piece by Christopher Kimball.  I just had to share it as I greatly admire his sentiments, especially the last paragraph.

THE precursor to Gourmet, and the first truly successful American food publication, was founded in the 1890s and titled The Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics. It eventually changed its name to American Cookery and then died in 1947, forced under, in part, by the founding of Gourmet in 1941 by Earle MacAusland, who had patterned his new brainchild on the catalog-magazine of a famed Boston food purveyor, S. S. Pierce. It was the end of domestic science and food economy and the beginning of the era of the gourmet, “the honest seeker of the summum bonum of living” as set forth in the charter issue. MacAusland’s recipes made few accommodations to reality; he even suggested that subscribers save the issues and use the recipes once rationing had ended.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE.

YMCA Water Classes

Dear Friends,

I had intended to return to teaching Thursday water exercise classes at the Vanderbilt YMCA on October 1. However, after finding out about Nacho’s “departure” (the powers-that-be insist loudly and adamantly that “Nacho was not fired. You were misinformed.”) I was told by the lifeguards that Adam Gruberger, the Fitness Director, was now in charge of Aquatics. I contacted him by email and he did not respond. After I discovered that he had already had e-mail conversations with Joyce who teaches on Tuesdays, I e-mailed again insisting that he give me some answer. He was evasive and asked me many questions which I thought were very strange. It seemed he had no idea who I was or why I would be contacting him. I e-mailed him the details of my history with the YMCA water classes thinking this would clear things up and requested an answer as I wanted to return from my hiatus as of October 1. Again, for two days I was ignored. Finally, I emailed him again on Thursday demanding an answer and an explanation. I believe that it is only because I copied the Executive Director on my e-mail that I got a response asking if I could meet with him at 6:30pm on Thursday. I replied that I could meet with him at lunchtime. He agreed to meet with me at 1pm in the lobby of the YMCA.

I met with him and he took me up to the 5th floor offices and we entered a large conference room the table of which was covered with various binders and papers and a laptop computer. He did not seem to have anything to say. I sat down and he told me that we were waiting for a woman named Mary who is the director of aquatics for all the YMCAs. This struck me as strange as I had never heard of this woman and I originally began teaching at the Y in 2003. Then this woman named Mary entered and we were introduced and I remarked to her that I thought it was strange that I had never heard of her nor met her in six years. She was not amused. It was also clear that Adam has no authority and it is this woman who is, at present, trying to figure out how to run things. I was asked by Adam to tell them my “history” with the Y, as they continued to insist that they had NO record of my ever having taught classes there. I let them know (calmly — please, don’t be surprised by that!) that I was insulted by their continued treatment of me as if I were some sort of interloper or criminal who had no business claiming that I was an instructor at the YMCA simply because they cannot find any records. This is when Mary insisted that Nacho had not been fired. Her tone was menacing as if it were impossible for me to think that Nacho (as well as over a dozen others) had obviously been relieved of their jobs at the Y in the prior two weeks. I assured Adam and Mary that I had filled out paperwork when Nacho brought me back on board and that I had begun my second stint of teaching water classes on January 25, 2007. Mary seemed to find it amusing that I had kept a record of this. I had even described my prior period of teaching which had begun in 2003 — I told them that I had eventually quit, because after I had been told before starting to teach that I would receive a complimentary gym membership, this was not the case, and after teaching for two years during which another instructor (Joyce) did enjoy a free YMCA membership, I felt I was not being treated equally and had to quit. Again, the entire time I related my story I felt as though I were being interrogated due to some wrongdoing on my part.

When I mentioned having filled out paperwork, Mary turned to Adam who was taking notes and told him that he should search in some files for this paperwork. Now, I had provided Adam with this information days before in my e-mail so I do not understand why he at this point needed to be told to search for this paperwork. I explained that I have no idea what records Nacho kept or why they couldn’t find records but that was none of my concern. At no point did they ever mention actually going to a class and asking anyone who I was or why I was claiming that I was an instructor of water exercise classes. After I finished telling them about my history Mary looked at me and said something to the effect that she hoped we could work this out in some mutually beneficial fashion. However, she immediately began stating policy at me in a manner that suggested, again, that I had been doing something wrong. She stated that it is YMCA policy and always has been that ALL aquatics instructors at ALL YMCAs are REQUIRED before teaching to be certified in CPR training. I said to her, isn’t it funny that in six years you are the first one to mention this to me. I said, how could I have been teaching if this, indeed were the policy. Indeed, why if she were in charge all these years did she not see to it that this policy were followed? She had no answer. In fact she really never answered any of my questions and continued to quote policy at me and treat me as if there were no reason for her to be wasting her time with me, a person who could not possibly exist because I did not follow her policy. But, she said that the YMCA would arrange CPR training that I could take to become certified and then be able to return to teaching. It was made quite clear to me that I would not be teaching until I had CPR certification. So, class members, at this point I apologize to all of you for putting your precious lives in danger for not having followed a policy that NO ONE in the YMCA organization ever in SIX YEARS brought to my attention. You also know that I have NEVER lied to anyone about having CPR certification and have indicated repeatedly in classes that I was not a life guard so no one was allowed to drown.

I thanked Adam and Mary for their time and thought, great, all I have to do is get CPR certification which will be provided by the YMCA and I will be able to return to teaching.

But then I asked a question. I told them that my staff membership had just recently been renewed by Nacho because he wanted me to be able to continue to use the YMCA facilities until I returned and had mentioned in an e-mail to me how important he felt I was as a teacher. I asked if I would be allowed to continue to use this membership prior to obtaining my CPR certification. They looked at each other for a moment. Then Mary looked me right in the eye and quoted chapter and verse the YMCA policy that the YMCA does not barter for services with volunteers. I looked right back at her and asked if she were telling me that I should not have asked the question. She REPEATED the policy and added that they would not renege on what Nacho had provided but after the staff membership expired as it does every three months I would be responsible for my own membership. So we are back to that point again. I said, okay because I knew it would be futile to have that argument again. I thanked them for their time and left.

Now, what does all this mean? It means that I will absolutely not be returning to teach water classes. I do not comprehend the policy of not providing the membership especially since during my initial teaching period Joyce had her free membership even though I was not allowed to have it. And I have now had this benefit for over two years and I don’t intend to go back to teaching and not getting a membership. Even if I decide I can afford to pay for my gym membership again, I will not teach. I am standing on principle. It will make me very angry if I find out that Joyce is allowed to continue to teach as a volunteer AND receive her membership. Again, I cannot figure out why they seem to be dealing with Joyce differently than they are dealing with me even though I was on hiatus from teaching. It’s only been 3 months, not 3 years. Nor, if this is the policy, do I understand why they do not offer to pay me to teach as paid teachers get free use of the gym facilities.

Further, I do not hold out much hope that I will hear any time soon that a CPR class is being offered. I believe the entire meeting happened only to be rid of me as one would be rid of any common household pest. After a lot of thought and some discussions with friendly class members and friends of mine I have come to the conclusion that whatever is really behind this is on a much higher level than ME. That somehow, higher up in the organization, this Mary person’s job is on the line because she has not been truly overseeing anything for several years and thus the very by-the-book approach in our meeting with nothing being said that could possibly be used against them legally.

Oh, and I also brought up my wish that they install a sound system for the West pool and she basically said absolutely not because of code this and code that and I said, but everything could be wired out of that office with the little window I’m sure. They simply do not want to do this. This attitude offends me. However, that is a minor issue at the moment. I never even brought up my months-long fight with Nacho to have the electrical outlet replaced.

I believe that they are claiming they don’t know who I am because they are in trouble for having allowed me to teach for so many years without CPR certification but will not admit this. I believe that they even may have destroyed my paperwork themselves so that my existence has been expunged. I think there may be some legal issues in the home office but again, this is all conjecture.

So, since I have been through all this rigamarole and malarky twice before, I am not willing to fight for my right to teach my class. I was so looking forward to returning to teaching. But since Adam and the mysterious Mary (I don’t even know her last name) do not appear to value or even ACKNOWLEDGE my years of efforts at the YMCA, I don’t feel I should give any more of my time. If any of you care to discuss this, I am open to speaking with you individually. If any of you really want me to come back you’re going to have to make your voices heard repeatedly to the higher ups. But I understand that you may not want to shake up the status quo. I also understand that with the YMCA things could all change in six months or three months or ten minutes. I don’t pretend to really understand any of it, but I do know that I don’t appreciate being made to feel as if I have never existed and that my claiming to have been a long-time instructor is greeted with disbelief.

A New York Moment

Last night I went for a Central Park run and ended up running 7.72 miles in 1:10, not including my brief chat with Elaine Stritch.

Yeah, Elaine Stritch.  I had run up to Central Park and then West on 59th Street and then into the Park and up the West Drive to the reservoir and after looping once and then some around the reservoir I headed back down the East Drive to head home.  I was determined to run all the way home and gain some extra mileage.  I got to the statue across from the Plaza and then I crossed Fifth with the light to head home and I noticed an older lady in a black coat and black hat and she was holding a shopping bag with “The Plaza” (I think) written on it.  Standing next to her waiting for the light to change I realized it was THE Elaine Stritch and, as I had my headphones on and the music was playing,  I mouthed “I love you” as I am afraid to speak when the music is in my ears so I don’t shout.  She gave me a take for just a second — I think it’s in her contract that she is obligated to give this take no matter the situation — and as I pulled off my headphones she said, “You’re sweet” or maybe it was “you’re a doll” but it was something like that.  She looks even younger WITHOUT makeup and I don’t know what we said after that.  I kiddingly said,” you wanna take a run with me” and she said “My running days are over, I’ve done my share” and I said, “I bet you have” and “You’re in better shape than I am.”  She told me that she walks 3 to 5 miles a day.  I never introduced myself because, hey, why should Elaine Stritch give a good goddamn about another middle-aged Manhattan swish recognizing her on the sidewalk and feeling he has the right to chat her up like there’s no tomorrow of an evening just because she’s out for a damn stroll in HER town, goddamnit all to hell.  When the light changed we crossed the street together as she really didn’t seem to mind chatting with the Flaming Curmudgeon (could she have recognized ME!?) but as I got to the other side of the street I looked her right in the eyes and said, “YOU have a delightful evening!” and dashed off.  I forget what she said.  All I know is I ran faster on the way home than I usually do.  Glad to have run in the magical streets of New York.

Bliss

Found this today over at Found Shit and you KNOW that I love it!

Wine and telly

“fashion” and I use the term loosely

Oh, yeah, I can’t wait to start dressing like this!