"I Lift Things Up and Put Them Down"

     Some of you may be wondering how come I have not been posting some blogs, well the truth is I have been just to lazy, that is until today, while I was working out at the gym I started to make some observations.

Allow me to share a little background.  You see about nine months ago I started going back to Weight Watchers and in that time I have shed about fifty pounds, I have not seen 195 since the 80's. In order to have accomplished this feat it was critical that I go to the gym and work out in order to keep the weight off.  Turns out I have come to enjoy going to the gym and working out, I feel and look great.  Thank you, you can hold your applause.

      While at the gym I have come to observe, from my lofty perch on the treadmill, the many different types of folks who come in and work out and I would like to share my observations with you.  I usually go to the gym in the morning so I can get a good start on the day and it's not so crowded.  Sometimes though I may go mid-day if I do not have to work in the evening.  I also go on weekends, this gives me plenty of opportunity to check out the different folks who come in at different times.

     In the morning it's primarily moms, retirees, and folks who are just getting of work.  The moms come in varying frames of mind and condition.  There are those who have put considerable time into getting themselves in shape and it shows. They certainly let everybody know about it by the way they walk in and seem to say look at me am I simply the best thing you ever cast your eyes upon.  To their credit they work hard at it and the 2-3 hours each day they spend at the gym shows.  Then there are the other moms who are there just to be seen.  They come in and the first thing they do is look around and see who is there and then get walk around the gym for 10 minutes deciding which machine they will try out then leave after barely breaking a sweat.         There are the retirees like myself we don't cater to the fashion gods like the moms do.  We always wear just a T-shirt and a pair of old gym shorts and sneakers and have our I-Pods.  We don't mind breaking a sweat either.  We nod a greeting to each other and go about our routines.  Although there are a couple of exceptions.  There is one couple when they come in she is always walking behind him and follows him everywhere, they exercise in complete synchronized unison, then depart as they came in she walking behind him.  Hmmmm, but they re in good shape.  There is one older fellow who comes in and struts around like he owns the joint.  He wears his "wife beater" t-shirt and looks in pretty good shape.

     From mid-morning to mid afternoon the "muscle heads" come in. These folks male and female are in great shape and spend hours in the gym working out.  I often wonder, do they work.  They come in with gallon jugs of water and carry them around as they work out. They don't say much just do a lot of grunting,  I just smile 

and think of that commercial where the guy keeps saying, "I lift Things Up and Put them Down."  They seem nice enough but I keep my distance.

     On Saturday and Sunday the "weekend warriors" come in.  These are folks who most likely work all week and don't have the time to come in on a regular basis during the week.  I was one of them for a long time.  Most know there limitations, although there are a few who try to do a weeks worth of exercise in and hour or two.  I think some of the guys may come in to get away from their wives for a little bit.

     I see the gym as a microcosm of society.  There are those who are there because they have a goal to accomplish, some who just need to be seen by others in order to fit in, and there are those who feel the need to create and image of themselves that may not truly be who they are.  As for me, well I go because I enjoy it, I enjoy watching people and  to be a little vain I am beginning to like the new me. 

Big Brother

     Eleven years ago my big brother Bill suddenly passed away.   When I say suddenly I mean myself and some of those close to him never had a chance to say good bye.  Bill had been hospitalized over the previous holidays and was home recuperating.  He had some kind of episode that resulted in his being brought to the hospital emergency room but despite all the staff's efforts, Bill passed away.  Bill  is survived by his loving wife Mary, eight great kids and a bunch of grand kids, a mother and two brothers.  We all still mourn Bill's passing, the family events, the holidays and sitting at Dunkie's in Eddie Everett Square having coffee while waiting for the "big one".
    As time  passes what I miss most about not having Bill here is not being able to share stuff with him as we get older.  When we were younger Bill and I got along but were not real tight but Bill always seemed to have my back. When we were in St. Mark's School it was Bill who got me to join the boys choir so we could go to midnight mass on Christmas.  Yes, Bill was a choirboy as hard as it is for some to believe.  Bill also steered me towards becoming an altar boy, saying it was a good way to get out of school by serving funeral masses and of course the weddings were big because altar boys always got an envelope with cash.  As I was getting older and wanted to get a  part time job it was Bill who hooked me up with a meat purveyor named Manny Scheff.  I worked  in the old Fanueil Hall Market Place before it became what it is today.  It was there that I learned about cuts of meat and how to get around the North End.  As I got older and began to have an interest in girls Bill took me to the BC High dances on Friday evenings.  He shared his pick up secrets with me.  We both "made out ok". As time went on Bill joined the Air force and I went to college.  Bill went to Viet Nam and I went to protest marches.  While in the service Bill married is wife Mary and started his family.  Upon his return from Viet Nam Bill settled down and went to work.  I graduated college and began my teaching career. During this time Bill introduced me to the Boston Ambulance Squad and  good guys like Steve Minahan, Charlie Mitchell, Artie Johnson, Richard and Walter Kelliher and Dick Ryan who introduced me to my wife.  Bill  became very active in the Viet Nam veterans causes.  It was through this connection that Bill got me involved with Veterans affairs, the Dorchester Day Parade and the Adelphia Lounge where we would go and throw back a few over the years.  In 1983 I decided to run for the Boston School Committee a long shot at best.  Bill was right there to help out no questions asked.  He and his kids worked hard during that campaign. The proudest moment of that campaign was the Dorchester Day Parade.  The parade that year was dedicated to the POW/MIA's and the Viet Nam Veterans, a very large group of Viet Nam vets were going to march in the parade.  I was going to march as a candidate but was initially relegated to the last division when Bill and some of the vets asked me to walk with them at the beginning of the parade.  I was humbled and said no since I was not a vet but they insisted because I was Bill's little brother, I agreed.  Just before we were about to step off  John Kerry came by and said he was walking with the vets and Bill said "no thanks we got somebody to walk with us".  Mr. Kerry insisted but the "Nam vets" to him to go away  and do something to himself, Bill's brother was marching with them.  Kerry went away.  (This story will be in a future blog)
     So it went Bill was always watching my back.  As time wore on we would just have our conversations and we would share things that we both knew we would be taking to our graves and that is as it should be. 
     I still wish Bill was here so we could share things and simply grow old together and hopefully watch each others back.  I know he's gone and I miss him a lot but somehow I know he's still got my back.

Just Thinking Out Loud: "Bahstonisms": A simple Guide to the Language of B...

Just Thinking Out Loud: "Bahstonisms": A simple Guide to the Language of B...: "A few weeks ago while at work a college freshman from out of state hopped on my shuttle van and I asked him if he was going 'in town' for th..."

"Bahstonisms": A simple Guide to the Language of Bahston

A few weeks ago while at work a college freshman from out of state hopped on my shuttle van and I asked him if he was going "in town" for the night.  He looked at me quizzically and said "what" again I asked if he was going "in town".  He said, "No, I am going into Boston".  It was then that I realized the kid did not speak "Bahston".  So, I decided to put some of the more common "Bahstonisms" as I call them in a blog.  I really believe that anybody who comes to our fair city or it's environs should be given a copy of these "Bahtonisms", it would help them get around town a whole lot bettah.  So with the help of my daughter here are a few "Bahstonisms":

going in town....means going into Bahston
the zone - the old Red Light District or as it is (was) called the Combat Zone.
a two bittah (not to be confused with two bits) -  $25.00
a sawbuck - $10
a double sawbuck - you do the math
a c-note - $100, not a note on the scale
30 large -  30 thousand dollars. You can substitute any dollar figure.
a pol -  any politician
a time - is a fundraiser for a pol, or a  pahty that you can donate towards  whatever the cause. You can donate anything from a two bittah to a c-note or if you really want to get in good,  you can donate 2 large but be sure it's in cash.
a trolley - a streetcar, usually found on the Green Line of the T or the Mattapan extension of the Red Line.
jimmies - these are the sprinkles you put on your ice cream
a packie - a liquor store or as they are called in this area package stores.
a gin mill - a local bar or tavern
a bucket of blood - a gin mill that is especially rowdy
a bubbla - a water bubbler
tonic - soda
a rotary - a roundabout, or a pain in the --- if you try to drive into one during rush hour.
dungies/dungarees - known to the outside world as jeans
an Eagle - graduated Boston College High School
a double Eagle - graduated BC High and Boston college
a triple Eagle - graduated BC High, BC and BC Law School.  Most of the pols are these. It's where they learned to have times and rake in 30-40 large.
OFD - originally from Dorchester (Dot)
Neighborhoods:
Dot - Dorchester
Southie - South Boston
Eastie - East Boston
JP - Jamaica Plain
Rozzie - Roslindale
The Bury - Roxbury
a Townie - you are from Charlestown
Westie - West Roxbury
Comm Ave. - Commonwealth Ave.
Dot Ave. - Dorchester Ave.
Washington St. - there is a Washington Street in; Dot, JP, the Bury, Rozzie, Westie also in Brighton and Allston.
the Pike - Massachusetts Turnpike.
triple decker - not a sandwich from McDonalds but a three family home usually found in Dot, Eastie, Southie, the Bury and parts of JP.
a pahlah - a parlor/living room
an aunt - most parts of the country say ant..we got it right
a statie - a Massachusetts State Trooper, someone you don't mess with.

So there you have it.  Share this with your friends who are from outside the Boston area and feel free to send any I may have missed.

Just Thinking Out Loud: Election Madness

Just Thinking Out Loud: Election Madness: " THIRD PARTY COMPETITION I don't know about any of you but I have just about had it with this current election cycle. Nobody enj..."