Sabre Dance

Some years back, my grandmother came to stay with us. This was my dad's mom and she could no longer live by herself. We agreed that she would stay with us for six months, then stay with my dad's brother for the next six. She was in her early 80's and was in pretty good health, except that she constantly paced. She would walk around the house most of the day, which by itself was not an issue. However, occasionally, her blood pressure would drop suddenly and she would black out momentarily and fall. (Thank goodness, she never broke anything.) So, when I was home (I was in college at the time), I would keep an eye on her as she paced. Every once in a while, she would sort of wobble on her feet. I would jump up, thinking she was about to fall, but mostly she didn't. Then, when your guard was down and you were otherwise occupied (like homework), you would suddenly hear a thump...and there was Gram on the floor. Well, about three weeks into her stay, i began to develop a rash around my midsection. It was red and itchy, and appeared to be the sort of rash you would get if you had a mild allergic reaction to a new laundry detergent or fabric softener. (Now, we never did switch laundry detergents or fabric softeners during this time, but formulas change, etc.) I never felt any stress at all, even with Grandma pacing and occasionally falling. The rash stayed with me for the next several months, all through the winter. It got a little better, then it would flare up again. I sort of got used to it and pretty much ignored it after a while. Spring came and my uncle came to pick up Grandma and take her back to his home. Three days afterwards, my rash completely disappeared. I didn't make the connection at the time, but in the Fall when Grandma came back to stay with us again....the rash returned. Again, it stayed all winter (as did Grandma) and again the next Spring, when Grandma left, so did the rash. At this point, I pretty much decided that it was the stress of expecting Grandma to fall all of the time that had caused the rash. Unfortunately, Grandma's health declined to the point where she went into a nursing home that summer, and never did come back to stay with us. And the rash never came back. So, yes, sometimes our body reacts to stress (real or perceived) even if we aren't consciously aware of it.

Frankly, I find the college game far more compelling than the NFL. I know that the NCAA (and some schools) have their issues, but as a whole, I'd much rather watch a game like 'Bama vs. FSU than just about any pro game. The atmosphere, the bands, the student sections. I mean, the U. of M.'s stadium holds over 100,000 for cryin' in the sink! And they fill it every game. That says something right there. Anyway, I kind of like that there are some big match-ups early in the season this year. I always hated waiting for a month for the good games to start. And this year, it looks like the Big Ten will be giving the SEC and ACC a run for the money. It should be fun!

This. Today I saw a driver make a right turn on red DIRECTLY in front of an oncoming garbage truck (more like a "right through on red"). Those things do not stop on a dime and you certainly don't want to be hit by one. A pretty big risk to save five seconds. I sold my motorcycle a few years back because there are way too many distracted drivers on the road.

Is it just me or does this look like a rugby jersey? Wait, I get it....Rugby on Ice, a new show at Mandalay Bay. :D

Just on quick perusal of all of the new jerseys, a few comments: 1) The designs for all of the teams seem to have been "simplified", i.e., made a little more "traditional". Not a bad idea in general, but for some reason all of the jerseys look a little too...boring? Meh. 2) I read the description on Adidas' web site of how many improvements have been made: lighter weight, stronger, etc. Somewhere in that process, they made all of the jerseys less expensive-looking - like they were replicas instead of authentic. Again, meh. 3) I don't like the addition of the white/gold split stripes on the dark Sabres jerseys, nor the split blue/silver (white?) stripes on the away sweaters. Meh cubed. 4) I am glad to see the curved hem at the bottom of the jerseys is gone. That's about it. Nothing else to see here....move along, move along.

In that vein, run-flat tires. I've owned a bunch of cars with regular old non-run-flats and never replaced a tire. So far, I've had to replace three of the run-flats on my current vehicle. One had a chunk of metal in it (you can't just yank the foreign object and patch it), the other two succumbed to a nasty pothole (which caused tennis ball sized bulges on the sidewalls). Next vehicle? Non-run-flats.....

I believe that NHL teams wore their dark unis at home for many years, up until just before the 1967 expansion. Then it became white (or light-colored) jerseys at home, dark on the road. The reason for the most recent reversal was the introduction of the "third" jersey. These were only dark (never white), but were always worn at home. The NHL didn't want to make road teams carry two sets of uniforms (dark when playing a team that didn't have a third jersey) and white (for those that had a third and were going to wear it). So, they swapped back; road whites, home colors. The NFL follows the "white on the road" guideline for the most part. There are exceptions: the Dallas Cowboys wear white at home AND on the road (most of the time). It had something to do with them losing a big game while wearing their blue road jerseys; they then considered them "bad mojo". The NBA and MLB still mostly do white at home, dark on the road. I still like the home white jerseys....

I guess y'all who buy tickets can do whatever you want: boo, cheer, blow raspberries, whatever... Watch a game from one of the Canadian cities some time (like Winnepeg). They go nuts for 60 minutes, even if one of their players puts the puck in his own net. Fan is short for "fanatic" - if you decide you want to boo the team because they aren't playing well, go ahead, but please don't use the "F" word. (By the way, there were an awful lot of Sabre "fans" wearing Canucks jerseys in the lower bowl last night. Man, that must've been a helluva drive from the West Coast). ;)

Before Buffalo English, there was a feature written by Robert J. Summers back in 1989 (I think) published in the Gusto section of the News. It was titled, Buffaloese, or What? I'll have to scan it and post it, as it is pretty funny (and accurate). The title refers to "Or what? - Last words of opening sentences of 75 percent of Buffalo conversations". For example, "How about those Bills, or what? There are other real Buffalo linguistic gems in the piece.

Howdy, y'all - Not listed as missing, but I have been absent for a while only due to being extremely busy at work (during the day) and too tired to look at a computer/tablet/smart phone (at night). I did sense that some of the political talk was escalating - it did not make me stay away, but I can't say as I miss it too much. I would prefer to talk hockey, but over the last year or so, hockey has become less of an interest for me as other aspects of my life have grown in importance. I do hope that A) the Sabres do improve more than they have - it would sure be nice to talk about all them goals being scored in the previous night's game and B) I hope the lost are found again - this forum has had some of the most interesting posts (and posters) I've had the honor of reading. C'mon back - ye are missed.

You bet! I've compared the musical complexity of early Genesis with more "modern" music and there's no comparison. (But, if anyone knows of a contemporary group that compares to Gabriel-era Genesis, please let me know.)

Actually, I think that Hurricane Matthew blew the tinfoil hat off of someone's head and them space aliens made them write those nasty things. And, of course the hurricane originated in the Bermuda Triangle, which (as we all know) sits on top of the ruins of Atlantis; it was them Atlantis people what created the storm in the first place. Well, that makes about as much sense as anything else being said during this election season...... :blink:

Because it looks like a fuel storage container AND because of the recent goings-on there over the past few seasons, I suggest we call it "The Tank". No? Too soon? :devil:

Hi... sorry to be one of "those" people, but was this supposed to be the French term "voila"? Again, sorry...I'll crawl back under my rock now....please go about your normal daily business...

There's kind of a reverse thing going on now - many manufacturers are offering a no-cost option to delete badges (like the AMG badge on an M-B or the Turbo badge on a 911...

I quit watching the Bills about halfway through the second quarter. Unfortunately, I switched to the Yankees-Red Sox game and the Sox weren't doing well either. Hello, YouTube...

Oof...I finally almost forgot about this....thing. Dig a hole and bury it (along with Ville Leino's contract). Ugh!

Hi, N'eo- Yes! My friends and I would ride our bikes to the Seneca Mall on hot summer days and park our bikes in the garden department of JC Penney's (it had an iron fence around it that we locked our bikes to). We would lounge around in the air-conditioned mall for as long as we could. I still say Mangano's donuts were the best I have ever had in my life (Paula's included). AND, they had so many varieties! We'd stop after church on Sundays and get a couple of "headlights" (yeast-raised donuts with chocolate frosting and a large dollop of white "creme"). Simply delicious! I got my banana bike from Sears. It was candy purple. It was a unique bike, as it had 24" wheels (not the usual 20"), both brake calipers on the rear wheel and a 5-speed derailleur. Man, I loved that bike. But when 10-speed bikes became all the rage, I sold the thing. I'm still kicking myself....

Young Frankenstein may have been the best combination of satire and homage ever put on film. Although Mel Brooks was a collaborator on the story and screenplay, it was really Gene Wilder's baby. Wilder's combination of acting, comedy and writing made this film one of my favorites of all time, and now, over 40 years later, still one of the greats. Gene will be much missed but well remembered.

A young person (under 30) asked me the other day if I "tweeted". I said, "No, but sometimes when I have a cold my nose whistles."

I can't say this new policy bothers me in the least EXCEPT it is just adding another layer of complexity onto what used to be a straightforward transaction. I expect that in a few years, the price of a game ticket will be decided by throwing a dart at a wall of balloons; the ticket price is written on a chit of paper inside the balloon. So, your 100-level seat cost $50, but the guy behind you in line hit the wrong balloon and has to pay $80. I mean, what is next really? I'm all for a dynamic pay scale for employees. On days when the weather sucks, or you have a hangover, your employer has to pay you a higher salary because it is tougher for you to get to work, etc. (Yeah, right - try running that past your boss and see how hard they laugh).

I read that story in college (circa 1976) - it has proven eerily prescient, especially in the last few years. Common sense is a commodity that seems to be in very short supply these days (excepting for all of us here on this board, of course!)

Part of the reduction in enthusiasm for music is age/lack of time. I think a big part is that the music scene (and music itself) is not what it once was. I'm trying to remember the last time I heard a new song that really made me sit up and take notice. (Actually, it may have been "Bad Romance" by GaGa.) I listen to old Genesis albums (when Gabriel was still with the band) and the complexity of the songs is amazing. I listen to (most of) today's music and it does not have the same depth.

I've had a number of avatars, but this current one is a picture of the Buffalo Fire Department's fireboat, the Edward M. Cotter. It's berth is a stones throw from Marine Midland/HSBC/First Niagara/Key Bank Center. Also, I am a big fan of the history of Buffalo (and especially its waterfront). And it's a cool picture.

I know the years have clouded our collective memories, but this show was "House of Frightenstein" and the "DJ" was not Wolfman Jack, but was called simply "The Wolfman", although his voice was a very close approximation of the real Wolfman Jack. The Wolfman, and all of the other characters on the show (except for Igor) were played by an actor/writer named Billy Van. Some of the other characters were Grizelda (a witch) and Bwana Clyde Batty (an explorer/adventurer type complete with pith helmet). Billy Van also wrote for and appeared on a number of variety shows on CBS (Sonny & Cher, the Smothers Brothers) . He was also a regular on a game show (of sorts) from Canada called "The Party Game", which consisted of two teams of three celebrities playing charades. Sorry, I guess I just had a "memory dump" I swear I did not look any of this up online.......