Halloween in the City

Tonight is Halloween, and as usual, Val and I will be serving the hundreds of trick-or-treaters who will come to our house and Elmwood Village neighborhood; yes, kids get trucked in from all over Buffalo to our neighborhood each Halloween.
As usual, we have 15-20 pounds of candy to hand out, and for the 9 Halloweens I have lived at this address, we ran out of candy every year except last year, when our neighbors, Jim Whitford and Lynne O'Meara, brought their candy over to hand out from our porch and we had about a half-bag left.
We have plenty of bags of the good stuff; Snickers, Dark Chocolate and Mint Three Muskateers, Baby Ruths, lots of Nestle's and Hersehy's candy (including Whatchamacallits), as well as a bag of the not-so-good stuff, (mini-generic lollipops, generic fruit candies) for the nippers, little and big, who are obnoxious, in street clothes without an explanation, or too old and/or too big for trick-or-treating. And believe you me, I reserve the right to not give candy out to anyone too annoying or rowdy.
We're hoping that the weather holds out tonight, and once again, it looks like it will somewhat, and the high temperture will be about 60 today, a good 10-12 degrees warmer than yesterday.

Obama: 30 Minutes Toward Winning

I thought that Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama did a fine job with his 30-minute paid commercial Wednesday night, hitting on a lot of the crucial topics and explaining some of his main points of an Obama Administration.
But the best part of the night's presentation for me was that his main opponents, the Republican ticket of Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin, were not even mentioned, by either name or party. Obama presented what he would do and left the GOP ticket where it belongs, in obscurity.

Some Memories Can Wait, Apparently

In those 5-10 minutes between going to bed and falling asleep Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I thought of three items I wanted to blog about, and figured I'd remember them come Wednesday morning.
Of course, when I woke up, I remembered none of them, but I thought that by the time I showered and came into the media room (where my closet and computer are located) to get ready for work, at least one of the possible posts would come to me. No such luck.
It is now Thursday morning, and I still cannot remember any of those three post ideas. When I told Val of this at dinner last night, she recommended that I put a pad by the night post on my side of the bed to write down any ideas that came to me in bed. I had thought of this, too, but knowing Val's love of and allegiance to sleeping, I was surprised that she would recommend this, picturing how she would react to the light being turned on at about 3 a.m. some weekday morning. But I am moving a pocket notebook onto my nightstand tonight.

Reality and Weather Predictions

It seems that, as usual, the National Weather Service is providing a much more researched, reserved and, so far, accurate forecast for the alleged snow we will be receiving in Buffalo and Western New York for the early part of this week.
The NWS predicts that less than a half-inch of snow will fall on Buffalo and the immediate suburbs, 1-3 inches in the snow belt and 2-4 inches toward Jamestown; much different that the lake-effect snow predicted for the city and elsewhere too many television stations and other media outlets predicted last week and clung to for too long.
Walworth, NY, in Wayne County on the other side of Rochester, where my sister Heather lives, is predicted to get 1-3 inches of snow; let's see how the NWS forecasts fare against the television stations' attempts.

Talk About Shoveling

So, anyone else see or get that 1-2 inches of wet lake-effect snow so many of the television station weather people predicted for Monday and Tuesday?

Freaking Nose and Sinuses

No, I don't have a cold or allergies kicking up, but I have been delayed this morning because of a nose bleed, something I used to get a lot of until my high blood pressure was diagnosed and I started taking medication for it.
But I still get occasional ones, as the one I got while I toweled off after my shower about a half-hour or so ago. It wasn't too heavy, but I am wearing a white shirt, so I had to make sure it completely stopped before I put the shirt on. This meant that I had to go downstairs to start my coffee and the dog's food without a shirt on; as well as scaring any early-rising neighbors, it was pretty invigorating.
My sinuses acting up like this usually mean that there is a major change in the air pressure and probably precipitation coming, so let's see how the crimson barometer does today.

There Goes the Weekend

This past weekend was not the most exciting or the worst weekend in recent history, but it seemed to have been more bad than good.
The sports roundup for the Dunne-Hosey Estates was mediocre: The Sabres won and the lost in shootouts, the University of Wisconsin beat Illinois in football, 27-17, and the Buffalo Bills (my concern, not Val's) lost to Miami, 25-16.
But the weekend was mostly influenced by Val's rather nasty cold; she went in for her monthly Tysobri intravenous treatment for her MS late in the week, which temporarily knocks down her immune system. Right away, a cold decided to waltz in and has kept Val plugged, stuffed, having trouble breathing and stealing away her energy. I had to do the grocery shopping, taking Walker Evans to the Lasalle Park dog park and other errands solo; Val has been taking copious amounts of Nyquil, Dayquil and related medications.
I hope that Val, currently sleeping, will be feeling better today, but I know she'll at least have enough energy to watch the Sabres-Senators' hockey game tonight.

Buffalo Houses Look Good, NYC Style

On the same dog-walking session Walker Evans and I were on Thursday, we encountered a person who looked at Buffalo from an interesting angle and liked what he saw.
Walker and I were at the corner of Norwood and West Utica when a man called to me, "Can you tell me how to get to the Elmwood Lounge?" I told to just walk about two blocks to Elmwood and West Utica, look at the left corner and he was there. The man, about age 65-70, short but built and carrying himself like an athlete, was dressed in a very smart black suit, white shirt and light blue tie.
He told me that he was in town for the auction of abandoned properties the City of Buffalo was holding, and that he had discovered the auction and then some appealing properties while online. He came to Buffalo interested in buying, and indeed ended up buying a house at the auction.
The man first told me how impressed he was with many of the houses and neighborhoods in Buffalo, and specifically noted that the neighborhood we were in (Elmwood Village) had some very nice older houses; I agreed with him, adding that our house is more than 100 years old and that we love the neighborhood.
He then said that the house he bought is on McKinley Parkway in South Buffalo, and he was not only thrilled when he visited it, he said he was "stunned" that the previous owner had gotten behind on payments and just abandoned it.
We then discussed pets for a few mnutes and parted ways, and he quickly strode the two blocks to the Elmwood Lounge.

Sabres Keep Finding Ways to Win

How many readers were like Val and I and feeling pretty bad abut the Buffalo Sabres' chances against the Minnesota Wild last night when the Wild took a 3-1 third-period lead?
As we know, the Sabres rallied with two goals 46 seconds apart in the last four minutes to tie the game at 3-3 and scored 44 seconds into overtime on a goal from Derek Roy to win, 4-3. Val and I screamed at the television in hockey joy at the comeback after a not-so-good two and a half periods, and the only part of the game that didn't work out good was that something was up with Bfloblog and we could not take part in the open thread, which probably did not occur.

Getting in Those Last Rounds

As Walker Evans and I visitied the neighborhood during his late-afternoon walk yesterday, we encountered a trio of gentlemen in the late-20s/early-30s age range getting out of their car and entering a house on Ashland Avenue.
They were each carrying their golf bags, full of clunking drivers, wedges and putters, and still taking practice swings as their walked up the driveway and into the house. It seems that a modicum of sun and temperatures barely making it into the 50s are enough to get people onto the links.

Tiring Political Rhetoric/BS

I realize that "tiring political rhetoric" may seem redundant to some readers, but in particular, I am amazingly sick and tired of hearing about the unsupported allegations that Senator Barack Obama was not born in the United States of America and has a "forged" passport.
The Democratic presidential nominee has a valid passport, which has been posted online, and was born in Hawaii, which is a state in the U.S., just like Alaska. If these lunatics claim that this passport is false and want only to protect the Constituion of the United States and the process, then maybe they should ask for proof of the passports of Senator Joseph Biden, Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin. Hell, McCain was born in Panama, and Democrats aren't being such wingnuts as to doubt his citizenship or demand proof, I tell you, proof of his birth.
And let me just mention the disgust, desperation and political flop sweat that hung in the air when Val and I watched the broadcast of NBC News' Brian Williams interviewing McCain and Palin last night. Talk about fear and loathing on the campaign trail ("Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72" by Hunter S. Thompson is a classic poitical book, in my opinon).

RIP Frankie Venom 1957-2008

Frankie Venom, the classic frontman/vocalist for Canadian punk progenitors Teenage Head, died Wendesday, October 15, following a battle with throat cancer, at age 51.
Teenage Head was one of my favorite bands of the that time, with their "Frantic City" album, released in 1980, featuring such great rockablly-flavored songs such as "Let's Shake," "Infected" and my all-time Teenage Head favorite, "Disgusteen." The band was very popular around Buffalo as well as in Canada; I got to meet Venom once, and he was much more quiet and less, er, reckless than his preceeding legend, which was for hard living, to say the least.
Here are links to stories in the Toronto Sun, The Eye, Punk News and TheSpec.com.

Bills' Power Failures: In the End, Yawn

Honestly, I have heard more than enough about the power failures that hit Ralph Wilson Stadium during the Buffalo Bills' 23-14 win over the San Diego Chargers Sunday.
It was an interesting story for one day, but please, media, fans, etc., stop with the sob stories of how you didn't get to watch the scoreboard, how it was dark, dark I tell you, going to the bathroom, how you didn't get to see most of the game on television, and how the players oh, so strongly carried on without electronic clocks, headsets to receive plays and printouts of plays from the booth. So, the crowd started singing the "Shout!" song without help from the PA system? Yikes, a feat to match discovering a cure for cancer.
Like I said, it was interesting for a day, but this has been stretched out way beyond any reason, effect or, obviously, my concern. I just don't care about all of these overblown alleged sacrifices, and my gosh, people spouting conspiracy theories about The Bills, Time Warner, CBS and apparently the Lindbergh baby, Roswell, black helicopters, CIA, Elvis, the Reverend Wright and Karl Rove almost make me prefer debating politics with a Lyndon Larouche supporter.
That's "almost," folks.

Gave in to The Heat

Nope, we didn't make it to Halloween or November; at about 2 p.m. Saturday, October 18, the furnace kicked in and the heat was turned on at the Dunne-Hosey Estates.
While driving home from my mother's house Friday for the late birthday dinner, cake and gifts session (mom is a fine baker and the double chocolate cake is aces), Val and I discussed this. We figured that if the temperture hit 55 degrees in the house (obviously while we were there) that we would turn on the heat. It especially hit us when we got to my mother's house and she complained of still being a bit cold, while her furnace and house were at 70 degrees.
Overnight Friday/Saturday, our house got rather cold, and when I got up Saturday morning and checked the thermostat, it read 53 degrees. After breakfast, we stopped at Home Depot to get some new furnace filters and light bulbs (for a wedding present lamp with bulbs not easily found elsewhere), and we also stoped at NAPA Auto Parts to buy some new winter windshield wipers for Val's car, which we put on the car in the parking lot.
So we got home, put the new filter in and Val set the automatic thermostat to 64 degrees while we are home (which may change if heating bills get too high) and 55 degrees while we're gone and overnight. Of course, we'd like to set it higher, but we have a more than 100-year-old, 2 1/2-story house and would retch at the natural gas payments otherwise.

Sabres Games On, Viewing Habits Off

The Buffalo Sabres have started their 2008-2009 season in strong fashion, convincingly winning their first three games and hosting the Vancouver Canucks at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the HSBC Arean.
But due to events, commitments, etc., Val and I have only watched one game live, the season-opening 2-1 shootout win over Montreal. We watched Monday's 7-1 rout of the New York Islanders on DVR (Val worked, I had a ton of things to do) and we listened to part of the 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on the radio in the car going to one event and watched part of the game on a silent screen during the WNYMedia presidential debate viewing party.
Tonight looks like another DVR night, as we are probably having dinner with my mom. The worst part is not being able to take part in the Bfloblog live Sabres threads.

Last Presidential Debate Party

Thanks again for WNYMedia for hosting the third presidential debate party at Cole's on Elmwood Avenue; it was another very good turnout, and Val and I made it there just as the debate started, having had a previous engagement beforehand.
Again, I doubt anyone who suppported either Democratic candiate Senator Barack Obama or Republican Senator John McCain were convinced to change his or her vote, but some undecided people may have received the information they needed to make their decision.
Not surprisingly, McCain attempted to distort the William Ayers and ACORN situations to his advantage, instead of conentrating on his weak, misguided policies, and I believe that Obama neutralized both efforts. McCain's virtual derision at the fact that some women who unfortunately had to, upon medical consultation, go through a late-term abortion did so based on health reasons was insulting but in the end a strong indication of where McCain stands on the issue as well as other women's issues.
Kiudos to Chris Smith and Marc Odien for showing the Buffalo Sabres defeat the New York Rangers, 3-1, on a second television in the third floor debate area before and during the debate, sound off during the debate.

I Didn't Miss THAT Part of Waking Up

Yes, we all knew that the lovely, 4-5-day Indian summer (is that offensive?) weather we had was going to leave soon and fall would return, but I still did not enjoy the colder temperature as I got out of bed this morning reminding me that it is October 15, my birthday has passed and summer is gone.
Val and I noticed last night that the air was definitely getting cooler/colder as we took Walker Evans on his nighttime walk last night, and it felt even chillier after the 45 minutes that elapsed during the walk. As Val got out of bed about 5 minutes ago, she announced that "Ladies and gentlemen, Indian summer is over."
I believe I can stop belaboring this weather stuff for now, unless we get an incredibly major change in the weather, good or bad (bad expected). Next off, I will probably start harping on Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holiday stuff.

Rivendell Fundraiser - Ice Cream!

A fundraiser for the Rivendell Recreation Center, the horse riding facility in South Wales where Val does her therapeutic horse riding (for her MS), will be held from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, October 15, at the Cold Stone Creamery at 4110 Maple Road (near Sweet Home Road) in Amherst.
Cold Stone Creamery will contribute 10-30 percent of the evening's sales, which will go to hay purchases and barn repairs. The people there do a fantastic job (I have had the chance to observe them in action a few times) with the riders, who have either physical or mental challenges, sometimes both, as well as the horses. Val has improved her leg strength, balance and endurance, and she is almost walking on clouds when she comes home from her lessons; she used to ride about 15 years ago, before she was diagnosed, and this has allowed her to ride again.
So, join us for some cold treats; hey, this gives you the perfect excuse to eat ice cream.

A Day in the Park, or the Car

While I will be writing in full about Val, Walker Evans and my visit to Letchworth State Park today, we were amazed at the vast amount of people visiting the park.
We realize that the great clusterfuck this became resulted from: the annual craft fair being held at the park, the Bills bye week allowing more people to visit, the gorgeous, 80-degree or so sunny weather and the fact that this was the next to last weekend of camping there.
But damn, we were caught for about an hour going into the park in a traffic jam, both just outside and inside the park, and traffic got ridiculously bad there as well, reducing the places we could actually visit and making the places we tried to visit that much worse.
I have never come across a worse restroom in Letchworth than the one we tried to use, at which there was no running water except for toilet flushing in the women's room and none at all in the men's room, and the mess strewn around the women's room and the abominable smell in the men's room.
But more of this fun will come when I have time later; it's laundry, football and a last trip to the car for me.

Thanks, Everybody

I had a great birthday Saturday, and in a sense the fun continues when Val, Walker Evans and I visit Letchworth State Park Sunday, so thank you to everyone who sent and/or expressed their wishes.
The only bad part of it was after Val and I had done a bunch of things today, went to dinner and Val gave me my birthday gifts, we settled in to watch the Wisconsin-Penn State football game, which was just an awful affair in which Penn State disemboweled Wisconsin, 48-7.

Ali Aboard for Funtime

Today is the start of a seriously enjoyable weekend for me and for Val, beginning with the Buffalo Sabres starting their NHL season by hosting the Montreal Canadians at 7:35 p.m. at the HSBC Arena.
The weekend will also feature Val, Walker Evans and I visiting Letchworth State Park for our annual fall trip to it on the Buffalo Bills' bye week; Columbus Day, a day off for me but not Val (and an annoying afternoon Sabres' game), and my birthday mixed in the fray.
Don't fret, I'll be here throughout the weekend to let you know how things go, regardless of your concern.

One Day, Or So, to Go

Damn; in about 36 hours, the Buffalo Sabres open their 2008-2009 season by hosting the Montreal Canadiens at 7:35 p.m. Friday, October 10.
After missing the playoffs last year, the Sabres made a few changes, which have now made fans like Val and I even more anxious for the season to start. As usual, you can join us and other Sabres' fans as Kevin Pritchard again hosts the best live Sabres game forum at Bfloblog.

Doggone Day

I unexpectedly left work early today for a canine emergency of sorts, but everything is OK now.
I got a call at work from the fine people at Puppy Play Pen, where Val and I take Walker Evans once a week; the main site is on Delaware Avenue near Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo, but they just opened a new location on Ellicott Street in downtown Buffalo, and I dropped him off just before 8 a.m. It turns out that Waker had a, um, digestive concern, and I had to pick him up. Let's just say today's phrase is "Walker's stool sample."
I called our vets, Brighton-Eggert Animal Clinic, and I almost immediately took over the sample; they analyzed it, discovered the problem and prescribed the necessary medication for Walker, a pill and a half (that's right), seemingly about the size of a golfball. It took three spit-outs before I finally got him to swallow the first pill, and the second, the half-pill, went down a lot easier just before dinner.
So, I got to take Walker on a very long walk around Elmwood Avenue, Bryant Street, Summer Street and a few other places, and did a lot of cleaning and some work. So far, Walker seems to be doing OK.

Dad's Schoolmates

As I prepared for a committee meeting at work yesterday, I came out to the front desk on my way to the chambers. A man was speaking with the staffer at the desk about the meeting start time.
I stopped, looked, and asked the man, "Are you Frank Mesiah? If so, you went to high school with my father."
"Yes, I am Frank," the man, the president of the Buffalo Branch of the National Asociation for the Advancement of Colored People, replied wiht a smile. "Who is your dad?" When I told him Edward Hosey, he replied, "Oh, yeah, I remember Ed. He was a quiet guy ... played tennis."
Yes, indeed. My father played tennis at Grover Cleveland High School, where he and Mr. Mesiah graduated in 1946. Dad woked his way up to first singles, and taught my late brother Brian and I all we knew, and had a lot more left, about the game in the mid to late 1970s. I played tennis in high school, too, but Dad beat the heck out of me every time we played, and enjoyed getting me running all over the court until my tongue hit the ground.
Oh, and my father's nickname in high school? "Fireball." Brian and I always got a great kick out of hearing our dad referred to as that.

In the Name of All That Does Not Suck ...

Please, Senator McCain, stop telling unfunny, nonsensical "jokes." You clinically do NOT have a sense of humor, and it appears that you may have had it removed during one of your cancer or other medical procedures.
And are you telling me that someone prepared you for the answers and approach/demeanor you used at last night's debate, which was in your preferred town hall style? Egad.

A Campaign Question

Has it occurred to people wondering why, if Republican Senator John McCain was going to choose a woman to be his vice presidential running mate, that he did not name Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or Maine Senator Olympia J. Snowe because neither candidate wanted anything to do with the mean-spirited, wrong issued, on its way downhill, trainwreck of a campaign?
Whether you agree with their stands on the issues or not, if McCain was picking a running mate based at least in part on gender (and I wil not even try to figure out his actions for anything), both Rice and Snowe have the knowledge, experience and ability to hold the office of vice president, and indeed, president.
Instead, McCain and his choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (must.hold.back.laughter) continue to go down faster than the stock market, with little chance of regaining lost ground.

Second Presidential Debate Party Tonight

WNYMedia.net will host its party for the second presidential candidates' debate (thanks, Simon and Garfunkel) starting at about 7:30 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, October 7, on the third floor at Cole's, 1104 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo.
More than 100 people showed up for WNYMedia's first debate party, so make sure you get there in time to get a seat; Val and I will be there.

Wow, Too Bad I Missed THAT Game

Yep, I am one of thousands of Buffalonians/Western New Yorkers who has cable television, did not get rabbit ears, did not subscribe to satellite television service (oh, please) and did not go to a restaurant, bar, house or anywhere else to watch the Buffalo Bills get the bejeebus beaten out of them by Arizona yesterday, 41-17.
While I am a big Bills' fan, there were tons of other things for me to do Sunday, mainly household cleaning projects, as well as the usual laundry, grocery shopping and taking Walker Evans to the Lasalle Park dog park with Val. I listnened to most of the game, and that was enough for me. Yes, I did make one attempt to get rabbit ear antenna; Val had some photography work to do in South Buffalo and the waterfront Saturday, so we stopped at the Time Warner offices on Chicago Street just around noon, but they did not have any antenna at that time. Whether or not they would get more in later that day was uncertain at the time.
With the Bills having a bye week this coming weekend, there seems to be enough time for the LIN and Time Warner to reach an agreement before the next game brings along another overdone controversy.

Mercury Rev for Free

I am really enjoying the free download CD by Mercury Rev, "Serious Attractor," which is available from the Mercury Rev website; all you have to do is join their mailing list,which I did.
The CD is very good electronic, ambient and sometimes dancey music, and may sound even better as one gets ready for sleep or just overnight listening. And yes, the band's new for general release CD, Snowflake Midnight, is on my birthday and Christmas gift lists.

Debate Redux Later

Since I am getting ready for work and attended the WNYMedia debate party last night, I will have my comments on the vice presidential debate later today.

Fit to Be Tied

I wear a tie to work 4-5 days a week (but not today, with a mock turtleneck under a dress shirt, which I can do on certain days), and of course have developed favorite ties.
I wore one of them to work yesterday, an olive/khaki tie with gold diamonds and some brown trim, as part of a suit coat/dress pants outfit. When I got to work, I found that there were two stains on my tie I didn't see at home.
Fortunately, the stains, near the bottom of my tie, were basically at the perfect height for where the electronic name tag I wear (access to secure areas, etc.) hangs. So I was able to hide it, with the suit coat making the stains even less apparent, but now I really have to go to the dry cleaner.

Do I Check or Do I Run?

I just got an e-mail statement from Fidelity Investments saying that my latest statement on the 401K I have from my previous employer is now available online.
Hmm; do I check it, when do I check it and do I mke sure that no silverware, firearms or open widows on upper floors are immediately available? I can't imagine that this will be pretty.

Vice Presidential Debate Party Tonight

The "watch party" for the vice presidential debate between Democratic nominee Senator Joseph Biden and Republican nominee Governor Sarah Palin will be held at 8 p.m. tonight, Thursday, October 2, at WJ Morrissey's Irish Pub, 30 Mississippi Street in Buffalo's Cobblestone District near the HSBC Arena.
Sponsored again by WNYMedia, the party and debate should be a fine blend of politics, comedy, history, intelligence, hair and the absurd, and that's just the audience. Val and I will again be in attendance and happily await the debate bingo card; hopefully, I'll get more than 2-3 words before someone declares "Bingo."

He's Got the Midas Touch ... Not So Much

Val and I figured that Monday night might be the last chance we get this season to cook out on the grill, so we had salmon steaks ready and I went outside to light the propane grill.
I opened the propane tank valve, turned the two lighter knobs on high as the instructions state, and placed the ignitor tip inside the hole on the side of the grill for lighting things. Instead of a big propane-igniting "whoosh" that usually occurs, I got a much more subdued one, but checked and saw at least one burner working and assumed the rest were, and went back inside to prepare our side dish (coconut and curry rice).
Val, being the grillmaster in the Dunne-Hosey Estates, went outside to check the grill to see how close the temperature was to being ready to cook, and from inside the kitchen I noted her checking the propane tank, and the grill, and then saw her soulders sag. You guessed it, the tank was empty.
We then decided to cook the salmon steaks inside, but Val could not get the igniter to work to get the gas oven working; a few blue words may have escaped her mouth. I then tried, and after several attempts and changes of settings, got the oven started and then almost dropped the dish with the salmon in it.
Finally, 30 minutes later than normal, our food was ready, but we both agreed that it tasted much better being cooked on the grill.