On This Date in 1999 (January 17)

Both JoAnna and I came down with colds yesterday. I woke up feeling a scratchiness in my throat. When I mentioned this symptom to here, she said, “I have the same thing.” The achy, lethargic symptoms kicked in during the late afternoon. We decided to just to with the flow, so to speak, and tuned the TV to the USA network, which broadcast The Godfather and Working Girl.

“I can remember the first time I saw The Godfather like it was yesterday,” I told JoAnna. And in my mind was a clear picture of that day. A new multiplex in Cheektowaga, New York. The usual group of movie-going friends during what was supposed to be my final semester of college, winter-spring 1972: Tony Szczygiel, Dennis Drescher, Donna Krasnow, Harvey Lipman, Michael Kanter, and probably Al Marmulstein, who, through some weird breakfast moment during our junior year in college – he was one of my roommates on Tonawanda Creek Drive – was nicknamed Dr. Ono Marmalade. Ono, for short.

Even though JoAnna and I weren’t feeling up to par, we didn’t become complete vegetables. JoAnna made a delicious beef vegetable soup, and I did a few loads of laundry, one of which I left in the washer overnight and is just now drying. I also organized a series of insurance inventory photographs that I took last weekend. I should put the name, and, where appropriate, the serial or model numbers, on the back side of each print.

Andy went sledding last night with two of his basketball teammates (Ross and Johnny) and two of his 5th grade classmates (Matt and Wesley). He was gone for at least four hours, from 3 to 7, and had a great time. Earlier in the day, he wanted me to buy him a new pair of snowpants, but both JoAnna and I agreed that his current pair fit him just fine. This decision didn’t irritate him as much as I thought it would.

I woke up this morning with a voice that could only croak. Both JoAnna and I had a terrible night’s sleep. We were both very restless. My usual problem is that I always try too hard to fall back asleep. This time I felt as though I had to open two computer files in order to attain my goal, but every time I clicked on them, nothing happened. Consequently, I lay in bed, shifting from lying on my back to my stomach to my right side to my left side – never finding the ideal location. As Chester A. Riley would say, “What a revoltin’ development this is!”

I need to shape up and ship out since Eddie has a birthday party at 11:30, and we haven’t bought a present yet, and Andy has a basketball game at 12:00. Fortunately, he’s playing at the Kromrey School gym, which is only a 2-minute drive from here. After this early afternoon activity, JoAnna and I will probably be content to veg out, shifting between a football game and a movie. I just hope I’m feeling back to normal tomorrow. I have too much to do to miss a day of work. No matter how I feel, I’ll probably go to the library and do what I can until I run out of gas.

Right now I’m going to do my usual 20 minutes on the Walkfit, and see if I can sweat this cold out of my system.

Fortunately the boys haven’t caught our bug. Andy hardly ever gets sick. In six years of grade school, he’s missed less than 5 days due to sickness. I think that’s quite a great attendance record. Whenever Andy complains about being sick, I always suspect that he’s trying to avoid something at school, e.g., a test he didn’t study for. Eddie has a strange record, too. The last time he complained about not feeling well, he looked (and acted) to be in perfect health by 10 o’clock.

Our two wonderful guys certainly keep us on our toes.

JoAnna and Eddie are at the health club. I’m still feeling a little out of it. In fact, I took a three-hour nap this afternoon, falling asleep during the fourth quarter of the Falcons-Vikings game. I was very surprised to learn that the Vikings lost. I’m still convinced that if the Packers had gotten the right call in the 49ers game, Jerry Rice’s obviously fumble that the refs somehow missed, they’d be in the Super Bowl. I was glad to see the Broncos win for two reasons. I’m sick and tired of hearing about Bill Parcells being the second coming of God. And I’m just naturally prejudiced against any New York team, a state of mind I entered during the 1960 World Series when the under-rated Pittsburgh Pirates spanked the New York Yankees butts in what has to be one of the best World Series ever.

Andy’s team won their basketball game today, 43-24. I told Andy that if his team scored 40 points each game, they’d be assured of a win. I guess I was right.

All for now. We send you our love.

Peace Bridge Crossing the Niagara River, the Buffalo Side (Postcard Series)

LINK

At the Zoo

On the weekend before last, JoAnna and I walked around Madison's Vilas Park Zoo while Eddie waited for the start of the annual Jingle Bell Run fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation. I brought my camera along and took pictures of whatever moved. It wasn't much: 2 polar bears, a buffalo, a grizzly bear, and a group of penguins.

As you can see, I was particularly entranced with a rather hammy polar pear.

According to the Zoo's website, [o]n June 30, 1904, Col. William F. and Anna M. Vilas gave a large tract of land to the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association "for the uses and purposes of a public park and pleasure ground." From 1905 through 1910, the Vilas family donated an additional $42,000 for improvements, and public donations of $10,000 were raised for the enlargement and improvement of the park. The park was named in memory of the Vilas' son, Henry, who died at a young age due to complications from diabetes. In 1911, the first animal exhibits were created, representing the start of the Henry Vilas Zoo. More history here.

In a Philadelphia Zoo online activity, the polar bear currently ranks 6th in popularity, well behind the pygmy marmoset and vampire bat, I'm sorry to report.

Children should not click on this site unsupervised.

The oldest polar bear, certified by World Records Academy, lived in the Winnepeg Zoo. "Debby" died last month at the age of 42.

Sarah Palin has opinions on polar bears. Perhaps you'd be interested in reading them.

Yeah, guy, I'm relieved she's not the incoming VP, too.

It is estimated that there was once 60 million buffalos in North America. According to the National Bison Association, there are only 350,000 buffalos in North America today. You can read about the decline here.

A grizzly bear does the Buffalo Stance. (And a chance for me to share my favorite Nenah Cherry song.)

Penguins use their beaks for many purposes.

• Catching food.
• Holding onto the slippery fish they catch under water.
• Carrying materials for nest building.
• Feeding their young.
• Preening their feathers and spreading the oil to keep them waterproof. (Looks like that's what's being done in the picture above.)
• Protecting themselves and their young.
  

Penguins are social animals. They travel, feed, breed, nest, and winter in large groups. (These guys, unfortunately, won't be doing much traveling.)

Penguins are serial monogamists.